Daddy's Home (Firebacks Book 1)

by Linda Verji

  “It’s okay.” Lucky placed a hand on her arm and stopped her.

  “No, no. I can do this,” Sonia said, determined to get to her knees.

  “Nah! Don’t sweat it,” Lucky insisted as he wrapped both hands around her arms and helped her straighten to her full height. He led her towards the bed. “Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Lucky, don’t go,” Sonia pleaded as she watched him put back on his t-shirt and shorts.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He walked out of the room and the pool house with those words. The main house was just as dark and as silent as he’d left it. He sat on the bed his elbows on his knees and his head supported in his palms.

  When had he gotten to this point? The point where using Sonia to get over Zain seemed like a good idea! He could’ve hurt his child in the process.

  He lifted his head and looked around him. Everything in the room screamed Zain, especially the photo on his bedside table – the one of them on a beach somewhere in Jamaica. In the picture, he was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her, looking down at her like a besotted fool while she looked up at him with her lips drawn into a wide smile. Now, it seemed like she’d been laughing at him.

  The sound of glass shattering filled the room as the picture frame met the wall. It still wasn’t as loud as the echo of his heart breaking.

  * * *

  The baby was ruining her game.

  If it weren’t for it, Sonia was sure she’d have captured Lucky last night. It would’ve been a big step in setting herself up for life as the baby mama to a rich, baller-type by now. This was why she’d stopped taking her contraceptive shots, dancing for people who couldn’t afford her steep lap-dance fee, and taking ‘after-party’ cards from people who didn’t have their own Wikipedia page.

  Maybe it was immoral, but try working for a pimp like Félix for seven years and having no skills apart from spreading your legs on the pole and in bed then see if morals would pay your bills. She wasn’t going to end up like one of those old hoes on the corner – she was better than that.

  Nadifa’s plan had involved her moving into the rank of wife, but Sonia wasn’t stupid. She knew the plan was a long shot. Men didn’t wife women like her! She’d gone along with it with the intention of getting more ammunition against Lucky to blackmail him into giving her a bonus of at least two hundred grand so she’d be able to sort out Félix before he came back for her.

  The kid had ruined even that.

  She took her anger out on the door she stood in front of. She pressed the doorbell repeatedly – sure the incessant sound would annoy him just as much as he annoyed her.

  Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! She pressed on and still no one opened the damn door. The man had been ignoring her calls and now he refused to open the door? After all she’d done to save his ass? “Nigga, you’d better open this door!” Sonia muttered and pressed harder against the bell until the buzzing became one continuous, irritating buzz.

  Just as Sonia readied herself to start kicking too, the door swung open to reveal a woman dressed in a pink cardigan, matching pink headband, a white knee-length pencil skirt, and stilettos. She looked like a black Stepford wife – to boot. Sonia hadn’t seen her the last time she’d been here, but she’d seen her pictures in the magazine and at the Ford house.

  This was the wife.

  “May I help you?” the wife asked politely as she looked Sonia up and down.

  “Bitch, move.” Sonia pushed her way into the house. She was in no mood for politeness and didn’t need any help finding him. She knew exactly where he’d be. He was so addicted to his body that there was only one place he could be – the gym. The in-home gym was one door down from his office, just next to the stairs that led upstairs– if she remembered correctly.

  “Excuse me?” the wife’s heels tapped on the floor as she followed Sonia through the foyer. “Who are you?”

  “Don’t let the pregnancy fool you,” Sonia said. She turned to the wife with anger blazing in her eyes when she reached the door that led into the gym. “Keep following me and you’ll find yourself dusting the floor with that fake hair on your head.”

  “Don’t let this fake hair fool you,” the wife returned, “the only reason I’m not dusting this floor with your real hair is because you’re pregnant. What do you want in my house?”

  The wife’s voice barely rose, but Sonia had a feeling she meant every word – it was in her eyes. Sonia had seen that look in the eyes of women who’d been hardened by life and rough times. What could have hardened this woman who seemed to be living the good suburban life?

  “I’m looking for Polo.”

  “What’s your business with him?” the wife asked.

  “I was—” The sudden opening of the door interrupted Sonia’s words. Both women turned as Polo – wearing nothing besides basketball shorts, tennis shoes, and sweat – appeared at the door.

  Polo was a handsome man. Drooping eyes and thick lips offset bold African features. His obsession with his body had chiseled it into a work of art. Well developed muscles bulged against the backdrop of smooth dark chocolate skin. If beauty were only skin-deep, Polo would be beautiful. But Sonia knew from experience that he was even more damaged inside than she was.

  “What’s going on here?” Polo asked. When he spotted his wife, he turned towards her. “What are you doing here, Tasha?”

  Tasha asked, “Who’s this woman?”

  Polo was on her faster than lightning. Sonia had never seen a woman smacked so hard across the mouth – and she’d been smacked a time or two. Tasha fell to the floor from the force of his hit.

  “Stay out of my business!” Polo turned to Sonia and pointed into the room as he ordered, “Get in.”

  The wife wiped her bleeding mouth with the back of her hand, banked murder shimmering in her eyes as she stared at Polo. For a moment Sonia considered helping the woman up but she wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t about to get beat up again and put her meal ticket a.k.a. pregnancy on the line. She shrugged as entered the gym room. Some married women had pimps too, and Sonia definitely wasn’t Captain Save-a-Hoe.

  Polo closed the door behind them with a loud slam.

  “Why the hell would you squeal to the press about Lucky and I?” Sonia asked setting her bag on the Lat Machine. Polo opened his mouth as if to refute the accusation. Sonia stopped him. “Don’t even. I know it was you.”

  “Thought I’d help you out.”

  You don’t help anyone but yourself! He’d certainly helped himself when – after Lucky had passed out in the hotel room, post blow-job – he’d insisted on getting his money’s worth –even if it meant fucking Sonia himself.

  “Is that what you’re here about?” he asked. “The story in the paper?”

  “No, nigga,” Sonia retorted. “I’m here about you handling your business. Have you sorted out the DNA testing? I’m about to pop this baby and you know that’s the first thing Lucky is gonna ask for.”

  “I told you I’d handle it.”

  “Told me when? You’re not answering my phone calls?” Sonia complained. “What’s your plan?”

  “What do you need to know the plan for?” Polo growled his eyes narrowing in anger. Sonia immediately took a step back. “I said I’ll handle it.”

  “Fine.” She let the subject drop. There were some men you could push without consequences – obviously Polo wasn’t one of them.

  Besides if he didn’t handle the DNA test, it was his skin on the line. Both Lucky and Polo were pro-ballers so it didn’t matter to her whichever one ended up the father of her child, she would still get hers. He was the one who was on his team’s bad books for all the drama in his personal life and with his five other baby mamas.

  The team’s management had warned that if another scandal erupted with his name attached to it they wouldn’t renew his contract. Sonia had only agreed to the switch with Lucky because as one baby mama she’d probably get more money then if she was h
ustling with six other women – his wife included.

  It was really too bad that Lucky wasn’t the father of her child. Because from how he’d reacted when she’d sprung the news on him, taking his responsibilities in hand, it was obvious he was more of a man than Polo would ever be. Once the baby was born, the DNA tests taken care of, and she had her body again, she’d give him another go – this time without Nadifa’s no-plan meddling ass.

  “I need some money.”

  “For what?”

  “My ex-pimp’s on my ass,” Sonia said. “I owe him two hundred grand.”

  “What’s that got to do with me?” Polo asked.

  “You’re the father of my baby and—”

  “You must be out your damn mind.” Polo grabbed her by the arm, his fingers digging into her skin as he led her to the door. “I’ve already given you a rich baby daddy. Go ask him for some money.”

  “But—”

  “Get out!” He shoved her out the door and slammed it in her face.

  CHAPTER 18

  Right at the same time Sonia was getting the door slammed in her face, Zain was pleading for her privacy. “Can you all just get away from the door?”

  “No!” they shouted from outside the guest bathroom’s door.

  “I can’t do it knowing that you’re all just standing there listening,” Zain shouted back.

  “Bitch, start peeing or we’re coming in,” Chryssa threatened. The door was locked, but Zain had no doubt that she’d find a way to get in if she were pushed far enough.

  “Yeah,” Tasha added. Her voice came from the phone seated on the edge of the white ceramic sink. She’d sounded a bit shaky when Zain had dialed her into the conversation, but as of now seemed fine as she advised, “Open the tap or something.”

  Her mother knocked tentatively on the bathroom door. “Honey, do you need me to come in and help you?

  “Help her do what?” The disgust practically dripped from Chryssa’s tone as she said, “Forget it. I don’t even want to know.”

  It had been a loony idea to tell them before she tested herself. But she’d been too excited to think that far ahead. One moment she’d been in the operating room decorating the sink with her guts and the next she’d called Chryssa to celebrate the fact that she’d just decorated the sink with her guts.

  It’d all snowballed from there. The ghetto Twitter, otherwise know as Chryssa, spread the news to everyone – including Rosemary who’d insisted Zain not test until she flew in. Zain appreciated their support but if she were honest, she preferred to do it alone. Having her gang cheerleading only made her nervous and put more pressure on her and her bladder.”

  “Are you done yet?” Chryssa knocked on the door, “Cause I gotta—”

  “Shut up!” Zain shouted.

  She closed her eyes trying to clear her mind of their presence. It was a hard task to do with the way they kept shuffling by the door. However, with a little help from the running tap and a vivid imagining of Niagara Falls, Zain was finally done.

  She placed the test on the edge of the sink next to her phone before she opened the door. Chryssa and Rosemary immediately tumbled in. The silence in the small room was cloying and nerve-racking as they stood around the sink staring at the test as if it were some kind of bomb they’d been ordered to defuse – one no one knew the code to. Zain’s heart was beating so hard she was afraid it’d burst from her chest and run screaming for the hills. Her mother’s fingers dug painfully into her arm but she barely felt it. Zain’s attention was on the little white stick that could either build her dreams or sink them.

  Tasha interrupted the silence. “Have you—”

  “Sshh!” the three hushed her.

  What if this was just another false alarm? She’d skipped periods before. What if it wasn’t? She and Lucky weren’t ready for a baby. They weren’t even together for Pete’s sake! She couldn’t be pregnant. She had to be pregnant – she just had to be.

  Two minutes the test had said. 120…110…95…88… Zain closed her eyes, unable to take the suspense of watching. 75…62…53…48… She covered her face with her palms and took in deep breaths. 11…9—

  “Oh my God! I’m going to be a grandmother!” Rosemary was the first to exclaim. “I’m too young to be a grandmother!”

  Zain’s hands dropped and her eyes snapped open as she stared at the test. Beside her, Rosemary flopped boneless onto the toilet seat. Chryssa shouted something as she wrapped her arms around Zain, but Zain barely heard her. Everything seemed surreal as she stretched out her hand and picked up the pregnancy test. A positive symbol sat in the translucent oval space in the middle of all that white plastic.

  It was positive. It was positive. It’s positive!

  Bloody hell! She was pregnant.

  “I’ve got to go.” Those were the first words out of her mouth the moment the initial shock wore off. No one was really listening to her. Chryssa had picked the phone from the sink and was excitedly arguing with Tasha about who’d get to be godmother while her mother was still moaning about how old the news made her feel. Zain shouted, “I’ve got to go!”

  “Go where?” Chryssa asked.

  “To Lucky.” Zain didn’t care what kind of problems she and Lucky had. He was the only one she wanted to share the news with.

  To say the other three women in the bathroom with her were surprised was an understatement. Chryssa and Rosemary were both too shell-shocked to stop her from pushing her way out of her bathroom. She had to tell Lucky.

  She closed the door and turned the key when she reached the bedroom. Her heart pounding she dialed his number. First ring – no answer. Second ring – no answer. She finally heard a click on the third ring.

  “Lucky?”

  “You calling about picking the kids tomorrow ‘stead of Saturday?” he asked curtly.

  “Yeah, I—”

  “You can come get them.”

  “Actually I wanted to t—” Only the dial tone met her words.

  Zain parked her rental next to her ex-car in front of their house the next evening. She was hurt but considered the way they’d left each other the last time they’d crossed paths and decided to let it go.

  “Ma!” Maari rode up on his black mountain bike to meet her.

  “Hey baby,” Zain greeted with a smile. She rolled up the window, exited the car, and eclipsed him in a hug. “Come here.”

  “Eww, Ma,” he complained.“I’m too grown for that.”

  “You’re never going to get too grown for Mama’s hugs.” Zain smiled again when she noticed that he didn’t move away despite his words. They made their way towards the house. “Where’s your daddy?”

  “Picking Iris’ doll from the doctor. Again.” Maari rolled his eyes as he added, “She said she wouldn’t leave ‘til he brought it.”

  The particular doll was one of the newer models that came with an invented history and insurance in case it was ever damaged. Iris’ doll had been to the ‘Emergency Room’ so often that the shop owners had threatened to start making the Fords pay a premium.

  “He went with the girls?” Zain asked.

  “Nah, they’re upstairs,” he said riding the bicycle around her, “helping Marilynn pack their stuff for the weekend.”

  “Have you packed your stuff?’

  “I don’t need to pack.” He stopped in front of the step that led to the front door, extracted a toothbrush from his pocket and waved it. ”I got everything I need on me.”

  “Boy!” Zain kissed her teeth. “You better go upstairs and pack yourself a bag before I smack you upside the head with that toothbrush.”

  “Fine!” he said sulkily as he propped his bike against the wall and trudged into the house. Zain followed him in.

  It was a good thing that Lucky had Iris’s doll with him because now she had a legitimate reason to wait for him – apart from the fact the she was carrying his baby, of course. In the foyer, she turned left into the den to wait for him.

  She stopped at the door, sh
ocked to see Sonia seated on the large couch that faced the TV. No, it couldn’t be possible! There was no way the trick was so comfortable in her house that she could watch TV on Zain’s favorite couch. No way! It had to be her imagination. “Excuse me?”

  Sonia turned at the incredulity in Zain’s voice. “Oh, hi!”

  “Okay. Hi.”

  “I didn’t know you were coming over.”

  “Was I supposed to tell you?” Zain asked, attitude spilling out of her voice. “What are you doing in my house?”

  Sonia’s eyes widened innocently as she said, “Sorry? I thought this was Lucky’s house.”

  No, this bitch didn’t! “I see.”

  “He’s the one who moved me to the main house after all.”

  Oh Lord. No this bitch didn’t! And that man didn’t! Lucky would’ve never disrespected her like that. But considering all the things he’d already done to in the name of taking care of his responsibilities and judging by how comfortably Sonia was spread out on her couch, it was entirely possible.

  “Okay.” Zain took a deep breath and forced the red haze of anger that had already clouded her rationality out. She reminded herself that after the Great Nadifa Chase she’d promised herself that Lucky would never bring her to that level again.

  “You know we’re having a boy?” Sonia stroked her distended belly bringing attention to the fact that not only was she almost full term, but she still wore the maxi dress Nadifa had snatched from Zain. “We went for a check up yesterday. We’re thinking of calling him Ashenafi. Nadifa likes that name.”

  Oh Lord! Hold me back! This woman knew how to push her buttons. If it weren’t for the pregnancy, Zain would’ve snatched Sonia from the couch and slammed her against the wall. Sonia was lucky – real lucky.

  Zain knew if she stayed in the same room with her she’d give in to temptation so she left without a word.