by T. Styles
She frowned. “So you don’t have staff in this big ass house no more? The last time I was here—”
“No, ma, we don’t have staff in this big ass house! We had to reduce the number of people who live here because we can hardly trust anybody.” I moved closer. “Do you understand? This is a really sensitive time for this family. We don’t need anybody antagonizing us. And that means you too.”
She frowned. “Antagonizing us? If that’s what you feel I’ll just leave, Denim. I mean, it’s obvious you don’t want me here! That’s one thing I’m certain of just by the tone of your voice.” She waved her hand in my face but remained seated. “After all, I’m just this amazing burden.”
“I never said that.”
“Then why is it that the slightest thing I do warrants a threat for you to throw me out? Would you want to live under the constant danger of being homeless? Because say what you want, I always provided a place for you and Grainger to live. Forgive me if all I’m asking is to not be alone and for you to do the same for me. You’re my only living child!”
I wiped my hand down my face. “You’re right, ma. I’m sorry. I just—”
Bradley walked into the room and his eyes widened. “Fuck you doing in here, Sarah?”
I stood up, hoping to block some of the rage he had coming her way. “She was stopping by to ask if we wanted anything for breakfast. So everything’s cool, Bradley.” I put my palms on his chest. “She was just leaving.”
“No I didn’t come in here to ask this nigga if he wanted something to eat,” My mother said. “He fucking my daughter, the least he could do is cook for me.” She laughed. “Besides, he knows damn well I wouldn’t fix a plate for him I wouldn’t spit in first.”
“You see what I’m saying?” he said pointing at her but looking at me. “This is the woman who’s gonna be the death of our marriage. You sure you wanna do this?”
“Ma, why would you say that to him? Tell him you didn’t mean it.”
“Oh, hush, Denim, I’m going to my room now. I was just coming in to say hello but if it caused all this drama never mind.” She walked past Bradley, bumping into him on her way out the door.
“Is she worth our marriage, Denim?” he asked pointing in the direction she went before moving closer to me. “I need to know right now!”
“What? Of course not!”
“Are you sure about that? Because you don’t listen to me when I say she’s bad for our relationship. I’m not about to be with a woman who doesn’t obey me and trust my leadership!” He continued.
“Bradley, I do everything you ask. Everything! I hardly ever go against you except this once. She is my mother and I—”
“You know what, fuck this shit!”
He stormed out and I threw myself on the bed. I was in a tough position because sometimes I believed my mother was in a power struggle with my husband. On purpose. Like she was actually trying to sabotage my shit. All of her men had left for one reason or another and Bradley had always remained at my side, loving me no matter what we’d gone through.
Could she be jealous?
Maybe she resented the relationship we had and was doing her best to poke holes into it. But how could I prove she didn’t just miss me and was acting out? Right now she was all talk and there was nothing firm to stand on. Maybe it was best to leave her alone.
Suddenly I heard some yelling in the house.
Since I wasn’t completely dressed I grabbed my robe and rushed toward the sound that appeared to be coming from Scarlett’s room upstairs. Worried, I trotted up the steps only to see Bambi holding Master and yelling at Scarlett at the top of her lungs.
“Why would he be in the fucking tub, Scarlett?” Bambi continued, as Scarlett stood before her with her hands on the sides of her face. “You mean to tell me you couldn’t hear this baby crying?”
“I don’t know…I…can’t remember putting him in there.” She rubbed her temples. “I mean why would I do that? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“In the tub?” I asked coming inside. “What’s going on?” I took Master from Bambi’s arms and checked his body quickly. He seemed to be okay.
Bambi sighed, her breath smelling like liquor. “I came by earlier to ask Scarlett about the calls and I heard Master crying in the bathroom,” she said to me. “I don’t know if she was about to give him a bath and forgot or what.”
My eyes widened as I focused back on the monster across the room. “Fuck is wrong with you, Scarlett?” I said charging her. I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat but Bambi stopped me and I had Master in my other arm.
“I talked to her about it already, Scarlett. No need in—”
“There you go taking up for her again,” I pointed out. “When you gonna realize that your perfect princess is capable of doing wrong?”
“It’s not about that!” Bambi yelled. “I’m not gonna gang up on her with you when I already addressed the issue.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what, I don’t even care. All I know is that from here on out Master will be staying with me,” I said to Scarlett. “And if you’re right in the head and only if you’re right in the head, I’ll allow you visitation, Scarlett.” I stormed off, with my child in my arms.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
DENIM
“What’s wrong, Master?” I said as I looked down at him with love and confusion. “Are you sick? Because you can’t be hungry. You just ate.”
He was uneasy as he lie in my arms and nothing I did seemed to calm him down. Maybe it was the fight a minute ago that put him on edge. I tried to rock him to sleep but he grew louder in his cries. I tried to rub his head and that seemed to frustrate him even more. Then I made small circular motions on his belly and he threw up. He was anxious and his mood made me feel unworthy. Maybe I wasn’t as good a mother as I claimed.
“What can I do for you, Master?” I asked looking into his face that was flooded with tears. “What’s wrong?”
I hummed for five minutes and although his eyes would widen and he would simmer within seconds he would start up again. I wanted him to love me like Jasmine and I knew if he spent more time with me then he would. He would come to care about me like I was his mother.
At least I hoped.
So I removed my breast.
Slowly I eased my nipple toward his lips and immediately his tiny hands latched onto each side as he suckled hard. I was not producing milk but the action seemed to relax him because his eyes lowered and he calmed down. Adding in a few more soft rocks and suddenly he was sound asleep in my arms.
“That’s it my sweet, baby. You are mine and I don’t care what anybody says. If someone tries to take you from me I will hurt them. Do you hear me, Master? I will kill them.”
“What are you doing, Denim?” My mother asked as she looked at Master suckling my breast and then back at me. She closed the door behind herself. “I asked what the fuck are you doing with that child? You haven’t been pregnant in years so you can’t be producing milk.”
“Be quiet, mother, you’ll wake him again.” I stood up and placed him on the other side of my bed belly down. Then I pulled the covers over his chin and paced a few areas in front of the mirror. I didn’t know what to say to her because she probably would never understand.
“Denim, I’m waiting for an answer.”
“He…he wouldn’t sleep, mother. I think he had a long night because Scarlett put him in the tub and he was tired. All I was doing was trying to relax him so he could get some rest.”
She walked deeper into my room. “So you gave him your titty to suck on? What kind of weirdness is that?”
My chin dipped downward. “Ma, what do you want?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “You know you’re not supposed to be in here. We talked about it before and yet you continue to break the rules.” I walked over to the bed when I heard Master coo and pat his back softly.
He drifted back to sleep.
She sighed. “How are you, Denim?”
I looked at her and fro
wned. “You never asked how I was before. Ever. So why start now? I mean, don’t make this into a bigger situation than it is. This baby is an emotional wreck and I’m giving him the love he needs.” I pointed at him. “Stay out of it.”
“Denim, you haven’t had a chance to properly grieve for Jasmine. On the surface you look strong but now…” she looked at Master. “Now I’m not so sure things are going as well as I thought.”
I moved closer and in a thick whisper said, “How the fuck you gonna come in my room and tell me about my daughter? Huh?” I pushed her shoulder and she backed away. “You never once asked how I was doing when she died. The only thing you were concerned with was how much money I could give you. Or what I could do for you. And now you want to play mother of the year?”
“I never attempted to get an award for being a good mother but it doesn’t mean I don’t care.” She pointed at me. “And I’m asking you now. How are you holding up because I don’t like what I’m seeing?”
“No,” I said shaking my head. “I won’t allow you to play mother right now so you’ll feel better about yourself in the future. If you ask me you are my child and you won’t stand in my room and question me in my home! I don’t owe you shit, not even an explanation.”
“You had your nipple in a baby’s mouth who is not yours.” She paused. “Now when I say you haven’t dealt with losing Jasmine that’s exactly what I mean. And nothing you can say will change that.”
I stormed to the door, held the knob and pointed toward the hallway. “Get out, ma. I’m not doing this with you right now.”
She didn’t move.
“Get the fuck out before I throw you out of my house!” I yelled.
Master started crying. “Now look what you’ve done. You’ve awakened my baby. My precious baby.”
Slowly my mother moved toward the exit, dusting her beefy knees with the pale part of her hands. Taking a deep breath she said, “You are crazier than I thought. But let me leave you alone as you requested. Guess you ‘bout to give him your titty again. Freak.” She stormed out and I slammed the door behind her.
And now it was me who regretted that she was staying here.
BRADLEY
The weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold as Bradley sat on the back porch. Armed men surrounded the yard, their backs in his direction as they focused on the horizon, to ensure no one would storm the compound with the Kennedy’s in their sights. Holding a can of beer in his hand he took a sip as Race walked out and brought him another.
He accepted the can, looked up at her and smiled. “You gonna get me in trouble with all of this liquor and shit. What you need, a new drinking partner or something?” He chuckled.
She sat next to him. “I’ve been told I’m a bad influence but I’m a little selfish today because I could use the company. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why would I mind?” He sighed. “I could use the company too.” Bradley finished off his first beer and opened the second. Taking a sip he looked over at her. “Do you realize you and I hardly ever spend any time together? All of these years and unless it’s in a family function we don’t connect. Why you think that is?”
She shrugged. “Not sure why. Maybe life moves so quickly and this family is so huge that—”
“I never realized how cool you were,” he said interrupting her. “I really enjoy spending time with you. You easygoing.”
She smiled. “Thank you…I think.”
Bradley faced the yard and sighed. “Have you talked to Denim? I mean really talked to her?”
Race took a deep breath. “Yes, of course. She’s my friend.”
“Then what’s wrong with her? Why the fuck would she let her mother come in here and ruin what we got? And if it’s not Sarah it’s Master. It’s like she’s losing it now. She’s not my wife anymore and I don’t know what to do, Race.”
“I’m sure she said this to you repeatedly but it’s the truth. Sarah’s her mother and she can’t have anything happen to—”
“I’m falling out of love with her, Race. I’m starting not to care about her anymore and I don’t want that for us. I made her my wife for life but now I’m feeling like it was a mistake.”
Race shuffled a little upon hearing his cold words. It wasn’t just what he said but how he said it that gave her chills. She wanted to make Ramirez jealous by spending time with Bradley but divorcing her friend was too heavy a conversation, even if she needed to get close to him. “Bradley, I’m gonna need you to never talk to me about that kind of thing again. Okay?”
He sighed.
“She’s my friend, first and always,” Race continued. “Can you understand and respect that?”
He handed her the beer and walked away.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
RAMIREZ
Laying in the dark on a bed in the only empty guest room available in the house, Ramirez nodded his head as he listened to old school music on the radio. He fired up a blunt, pulled on it and allowed the sweet smoke to fill his lungs. He felt alone in the house because although Race promised to work on their marriage it was like she was all talk and no show. Sure, she let him fuck her a few times from the back and suck her titties but if he was being honest it was like he was sleeping with a mannequin.
She wasn’t into it at all.
He knew he lost her and that fucked with his head. He wanted his wife but he wanted her in the way he did. He preferred her submissive and mousy like she was back in the day but that wasn’t Race anymore.
So what could he do?
Divorce was not an option. He would kill her before seeing another man with her.
He was so confused, his ego swelling by the thought.
And then Scarlett walked inside closing and locking the door behind herself.
Eager to submit.
He frowned. “What you doing here?” He took a pull of the weed, sending puff clouds in the air. “I didn’t send for you.”
“Well I’ve been looking for you. You weren’t at dinner and you weren’t at breakfast this morning.” She inhaled deeply. “If you wasn’t ignoring everybody I would start taking it personally.”
He laughed but gave no response.
She sighed. “So you been in here all day smoking?” She looked around.
“What you want, Scarlett? Because I’m tired of acting like I’m some black nigga lusting after a white woman in my own house.” He pointed at the floor. “Either you want to fuck me or you don’t. There’s not a lot to it and to tell you the truth I don’t care anymore.”
She smiled and moved closer, sitting in the only chair in the room. “Did you have sex with me the other day? When I was sleep? The night I left Master in the tub?”
“Did you really do that? With my nephew?”
“I can’t remember putting him there. It makes no sense.”
He frowned. “No…I didn’t have sex with you. And why you ask me that anyway?”
“Because I was sore down there. Between my legs.”
He laughed. “So let me guess, you ‘bout to say I raped you next? Classic shit.” He shook his head.
“Ramirez!”
He sat up “I asked what you want, Scarlett? I’m not playing games with you no more. Sex is all I can offer and you can either deal with it or not. What I won’t do is play mental games with you. I got a wife for that already.
She frowned. “I never asked you for anything more than what we had.”
“Then why the games?”
She got up and walked closer to the bed in the dark before dropping the red robe she was wearing. The moonlight from the cracked window shined against her vanilla colored skin and her strawberry colored hair fell over her shoulders. He couldn’t help but grin. She was perfect.
He pressed the blunt out in the ashtray next to the bed and sat on its edge, his feet brushing the floor. “Are you gonna fuck me or what, Scarlett?”
Ramirez released his dick from his pants and stroked until he was stiff as she watched, licking h
er lips. “We can do whatever you want.”
“Then come get this dick.”
“Yes, sir…”
Scarlett moved closer, crawled on top of him and lowered her body until her pussy engulfed his warmth. In ecstasy, and loving how she felt, he held the sides of her waist and pumped in and out of her as he looked into her eyes. This is how he liked his women, submissive and weak. If only Race would fall in line he wouldn’t have to beat up Scarlett’s pussy. “Why you make me wait, huh? You know I been wanting to fuck you again.”
“I’m sorry. From here on out I won’t fight you, Ramirez.” She said. “We do what we do and we’ll worry about the consequences later.” Feeling his dick pulsating, before he came, she got up, dropped to her knees and locked her tongue around his dick. Looking up at him she sucked it as if her life depended on it.
“FUCK! Right there, Scarlett, suck that dick you sexy white bitch.”
Willing to obey, she jerked and sucked until his sweet cum exploded into her mouth and rolled down her throat.
They fucked twice before he finally left the room.
Completely satisfied.
Race walked into the poolroom where Bradley was sitting soaking in the hot tub. She was carrying an MCM bag with a bottle of wine and two glasses wrapped in paper towels to protect them from crashing against one another.
He was alone.
And she was relieved because she needed the private time with him.
Slowly she eased inside the hot water and sat across from him. “I’m sorry, Bradley, about earlier. I judged without even hearing you out and I should not have done that. Guess I got into my feelings and all. Since she’s my friend. But can you forgive me?”
He looked away from her. “It’s cool.”
“No it’s not.” She got up and sat closer, their legs touched a little. “Staying in this house without being able to leave has driven all of us mad and I just wanted to…to…”
“Stay loyal to your friend.” He looked at her and nodded. “Nothing wrong with that. I guess I figured we’d been spending so much time together that I could be real with you. Maybe I should’ve gone to one of my brothers instead.”