Where My Loyalties Lie 2

by K. C. Mills

  -7-

  Logic spent the day catching up on rest he missed from the night before. With everything going on he just needed a break. He planned on taking Joy out so that just the two of them could chill and forget about everything going on in their lives. Even if it was just for one night, he wanted to let go of everything and have Joy all to himself.

  Once he was finally up and functional, he moved around his apartment doing various things. His first stop was the kitchen, for a quick breakfast of eggs and bacon. It was after one, but it was the easiest thing for him to make and he didn't feel like heading out. After he ate and cleaned up after himself, he decided to dress since he had taking a shower earlier after Joy left for work. Looking around his room he couldn't help but notice signs of Joy’s presence in his life. She had body sprays and lotions on his dresser, clothes in his hamper and a toothbrush, body wash and hair supplies in his bathroom. Subtle things that made a huge statement, but he didn't mind; in fact, he was good with that.

  After getting his room in order, Logic decided to chill for a while because he knew he had a few hours before Joy would be off work. He called and checked in with Gotti, to make sure everything was good on that end and after receiving confirmation that things were running smoothly, he got comfortable in his living room, armed with his remote. Even though he slept most of the morning, Logic still found himself drifting, that was until he heard someone at his door. Because only a handful of people knew where he lived and he never had company, his first move was to get his gun from the safe in his bedroom and secure it in the waist of his jeans. Once he reached his door, whoever was on the other side was impatiently banging on it, which struck a nerve with him, until he yelled through it and heard his mother’s voice on the other side.

  “What are you doing here?” Logic stepped aside to let his mother enter, and once she was inside and the door was shut and locked again, he kissed her on the cheek and waited for her to respond.

  “I think we need to have a conversation.” Mini looked at her son with a pained expression. She was conflicted about the fact that she knew he was in the streets again and she also knew that her opinion about it wasn't going to change it.

  Logic motioned his hand towards his sofa and waited for his mother to take a seat before he did. Instead of sitting next to her, he positioned his body in front of her on the coffee table, while resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together. His eyes were locked on his mother as he waited.

  “Why now?” she asked, holding a concerned gaze with her son.

  “I can't answer that. It just needed to be done.” Logic wasn't about to explain to his mother that he killed two men and had to either take over, or watch someone else run what he worked so hard to build.

  “You think I don't know? I know about Donte and Fez. I know that you did it, what I don't understand is why now? This got something to do with that girl?”

  “No, and don't go getting that idea in your head. She didn't want this for me any more than you did.” Logic knew that was coming. He didn't want his family to blame Joy for a decision he made.

  “Yeah, well it doesn't look that way.”

  “She don't have shit to do with it Ma. You wanna blame somebody, blame Najah for fucking with Fez when I told her to leave that nigga alone. Did you really think I was gonna let him put his hands on her and not do something about it? But even after all that, I made the decision; not Joy, not Najah, just me. I know you don't like it, and I know you’re afraid for me but this is who I am, Ma. You just gotta accept that.”

  “So I should be okay with the fact that every time you walk out that door, you might not return? I’m a mother Auggie, your mother. I lost one son already, how do you expect me to accept that?”

  Logic felt bad, he knew that his mother’s heart was breaking but it wasn't going to change anything. The decision was made and there was no going back on that. This situation might not be forever, but it was his reality right now and there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

  “You know I love you but I can't live for you,” Logic said truthfully.

  “I don't want you to live for me Augustus, I just want you to live. You’re not a parent so I know that you don't understand that, but no parent wants to bury their child. Maybe that’s selfish of me but I did that one time already and that haunts me everyday, I can't do that again.”

  Logic could see the persistence in his mother’s request, but it wasn't going to change the situation. At this point, all he could do was give her the words she needed to hear, in hopes that she believed the sincerity and confidence behind them.

  “I’m not going anywhere Ma. I promise you that.”

  “You can't make that promise, Augustus.”

  Logic realized that they were not going to see eye to eye on the matter, so he changed the subject. They discussed his nephew and sister, after which, moving to the topic of her and Luther. He watched his mother blush as she discussed what she attempted to pass off as a friendship, which Logic teased her about, knowing that they were far more than just friends. He talked with his mother until she had to leave to handle payroll for her employees, and then commenced to his original plan of relaxing until he heard for Joy. As much as he didn't want his mother to worry, he discerned that it was inevitable regardless of his feelings on the matter, so he made peace with that. He just prayed that she would be able to do the same.

  *****

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Joy asked as she unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor. Logic traced her body contemplating the idea of the two of them staying in, as he watched Joy undress.

  “Nope, it's a surprise. Just get dressed so that we can go.”

  Joy kneeled down to dig through her bag to retrieve a pair of jeans and Logic had to adjust himself as his body began to react to watching Joy from the position she was in. When she was standing again and stepping into her jeans, her face revealed her disapproval at the idea of Logic holding all the cards for their evening plans.

  “Why won't you just tell me?” Joy’s face turned into a slight pout as she zipped and buttoned her jeans. After she was done, she stood firmly in front of Logic with her arms folded as her face contorted into a scowl, hoping that Logic would give into her demand.

  “You’re not five so that shit won't work.” Logic pointed at Joy’s face, released a cocky grin and then walked to his closet so that he could finish dressing.

  “I might as well be; you’re treating me like I am since you won't tell me where we’re going.” Joy mumbled as she pulled her shirt over her head.

  Logic stepped out of the closet with a pair of Nikes in his hand, and kissed Joy on the neck before he positioned himself on the bed to put them on.

  “So because I want to surprise you, I’m treating you like you’re five?” Logic asked without making eye contact with Joy because he was putting his shoes on, while she was collecting the clothes that she had just removed and dumping them into his hamper. He smiled watching her move around his bedroom, like she was claiming it as her own.

  Joy laughed, realizing how crazy she sounded, but she didn't care, she just wanted him to tell her where they were going. She was impatient and it was driving her crazy not knowing.

  “Yes, so just tell me.” She watched as Logic stood, adjusted his jeans which fell right back into place, before her arms slid around his waist and she looked up at him.

  “No, you’ll see when we get there so you can chill with the sucking up ma. I'm not going to tell you.”

  He kissed her before he let her go and a smirk formed on his face. “Now hurry and you can find out.”

  “You make me sick.” Joy rolled her eyes and left the room so that she could head to the bathroom to fix her hair.

  Once they were done preparing to leave, she handed Logic the keys to her car. He opened the passenger side door for her and then got into the driver side. Shortly after they were on the road, going God knows where, Joy filled him in on her
day. Joy rambled on about her kids, and he admired how passionately she talked about them. You would think that she was personally invested in every single one of them the way she carried on about them. He loved that about her.

  An hour later, after a quick stop at a grocery store for dinner and a few supplies, they arrived at Lake Lanier, where Logic owned a lake house which he originally purchased for his mother. They used to go as a family, but it had been awhile. After he got out the game, it was one of the few things he actually decided to keep, but it had been awhile since any of this family members had been there.

  “Who’s house is this?” Joy asked looking around as they both got out and began collecting the groceries they stopped and purchased.

  “Mine,” he answered nonchalantly.

  Joy stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him. “Yours…why do you have a lake house?”

  He chuckled. “Does that really matter?” he asked, as he used his body to shut her back door, and then waited for Joy to join him so that they could head towards the house.

  “Yeah, it kind of does. It doesn't really seem like your thing,” Joy answered truthfully.

  Logic laughed and then looked back across his shoulder in Joy’s direction. Once they reached the front porch, he waited for Joy to join him before instructing her to get his keys out of his pocket. She lingered a little longer than she needed to, which made him smile.

  “What’s my thing?” Logic asked after they were inside and had the groceries on the counter in the kitchen. He was moving around the living room and kitchen turning on lights while Joy admired the beauty of the place. It was simple but nice, and gave you a sort of cozy feel. She instantly fell in love with it.

  She laughed realizing how it must have sounded. “I don't know, not this. It's too domestic.”

  “Damn Joy. I told you I'm more than just a street nigga, but you right though. I bought this shit for my mom. She wanted a vacation home. I just wanted to buy her a house to live in, but she refused to move and instead, this is what she wanted. A place for us to escape reality as she put it. Some perfect family type shit. I guess it made her feel like life was more than just me and Nard running the streets and Najah fucking around with dope boys. Out here, we were just us.”

  “So what’s lakehouse Logic like?” Joy asked, eyeing Logic with a grin as he leaned against the counter in the kitchen. He looked so sexy to her as she traced the contours of his body.

  “Don't shit about me change,” he said and then winked at her.

  “Yeah, I bet,” Joy said and then grinned. “I hope I'm not just being added to the list of females that you bring here,” Joy said as she made her way over to him, leaning into his body.

  He chuckled at the idea of her being jealous or feeling like she was just anybody. “Aside from my moms, Nova and Najah, you’re the only other woman who’s ever been here. So chill with all that jealous shit.”

  “I’m not jealous, just curious.”

  “Yeah aight.” Logic pulled Joy further into his body before he kissed her again and then let her go.

  “We didn't bring anything with us,” Joy said as she began taking their groceries out of the bags.

  “Anything like what?”

  “Are we not staying?” she asked.

  “Nah, just dinner and then we can chill for a while. You know you have to go deal with them bad ass kids tomorrow and I have some shit I need to do, but we can come up here one weekend and stay.”

  “This weekend?” Joy asked with a childlike grin.

  “No, but soon. I just wanted one night with you, no interruptions.”

  “I guess I can live with that,” Joy said which made him laugh.

  “I promise; I’ll make it worth your while.” Logic moved behind Joy, pressing his body against hers so that she was clear about his plans for the two of them.

  About an hour later, they were sitting on the floor in the living room finishing the dinner that they prepared together, or rather Joy prepared while Logic watched. Joy had come out of her jeans and was currently in just her shirt and a pair of lace panties, while Logic only had on his jeans. He was waiting with his back against the sofa while Joy was across from him, sitting Indian Style with her plate centered between her legs.

  The two were deep in conversation about random things like their childhoods, Joy's dysfunctional parents and the fact that Logic knew very little about his dad. He didn't seem to care much about that, because as far as he was concerned, Luther had been the man in his life.

  Joy lifted her plate and set it on the floor next to her before she crawled over and positioned herself on Logic’s lap. His hands gripped her butt and then moved under her shirt up her back, while their gazes were locked on each other.

  “You make shit easy, you know that?” Logic admitted, not really knowing where the thought came from.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “When I’m with you, like this, I don't have to think. Shit just flows and I need that. Sometimes life can be so complicated that the simplest things mean the most.”

  Joy smiled at his confession. He was always so confident and sure of everything, but him telling her that was like him admitting a weakness, like she somehow gave him a strength that he didn't have.

  “I’m glad that I can be that for you.” Joy leaned in and placed her lips against his before she continued. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be,” she whispered against his lips, before transitioning into a kiss. She meant that too. At this point, all that mattered was that they had each other. Nothing else matter and as far as she was concerned, that was the way it was going to always be.

  -8-

  Logic pulled up on the block, looking around at his people working in the background. Things seemed calm which was a good thing. He and Joy had gotten in late last night, but it was worth it to be able to spend time with her and forget about everything else he was dealing with. Now, it was back to business. Logic and Gotti had a meeting with their supplier to renegotiate their deal. Product was moving, so Logic wanted to increase what he was getting but only if they could get better pricing. If not, he planned on finding another source. After Gotti left instructions with Lil Chris about how to handle things, he got in the car with Logic to roll out.

  “Yo, what up Logic? We ready for this shit?”

  Logic nodded as he pulled off en route to the restaurant where they were going to meet Soloman. Logic didn't trust back alley deals, so he always made sure his meetings were set up in public places, less chance of someone doing some dumb shit. He was always thinking ahead.

  “We’re making money, Logic, why won't you get rid of this shit?” Gotti asked looking around Logic’s car.

  He cut his eyes at Gotti and then focused on the road. “Flashy shit brings attention. I don't really give a fuck about things and I damn sure don't want or need the attention. I’m good on that.”

  Gotti chuckled. He knew Logic well. Even when they had money rolling in on the regular, Logic still lived modestly. He once had a downtown apartment which was nice, but nothing over the top. Even when Logic’s bank accounts were filled with commas, no one would have been able to tell. It wasn't really his thing.

  In fact, the lake house he purchased was the most expensive thing he ever owned. The house his mother lived in was one of Luther’s properties, that she eventually purchased from him and refused to leave, even after Logic offered to have a house built for her. Mini said she never wanted a big ass house that could be snatched away from her at anytime, so she stayed put and Logic purchased the lake house as her escape.

  “Nothing’s wrong with a splurge every once in awhile, but I feel you though. So what’s the deal. If Soloman doesn't budge, then we going somewhere else?”

  “Depends. We need good shit but at good prices. Quality hasn’t been an issue so, I don’t wanna fuck with that,” Logic answered truthfully.

  “True, and so far, we're not getting any complaints.”

  “I wanna keep it that way.”<
br />
  “What’s the deal with Rah? He’s been quiet since his people went in on Marlo. You heard anything?”

  “Nah, he knows we're on alert right now, so I know he’s gonna lay back for a minute. He was probably expecting us to hit hard after fucking with our team, which is why we didn't. I'm sure it's fucking with him because he doesn't know what to expect. Donte was reckless and did dumb shit, so right now he’s trying to figure out our next move.

  Logic was more or less working the plan out in his head as he spoke to Gotti. He liked to process things before he reacted. It made it hard for people to catch them off guard if he had things thought out.

  “So what is our next move?” Gotti asked.

  Logic chuckled. He wanted to put a bullet in Rah’s head. More so because of his history with Joy, but also because Rah was stupid enough to fuck with his people.

  “We get rid of the problem and expand.”

  After offering up an arrogant grin, Gotti nodded and the two rode in silence the rest of the way to meet Soloman.

  “Logic, it's been awhile. I can't say that I’m disappointed to see you though. Dealing with Donte was mentally taxing.” Soloman offered a confident smile as he stood and extended a hand which Logic accepted and then Soloman addressed Gotti.

  “Are you happy to have your leader back? I’m sure working under Donte made things a bit complicated for your team.”

  Gotti nodded but didn't speak as the three men sat down at our corner table. Logic looked around the restaurant and realizing that he and Gotti stood out. Soloman was dressed in suit pants and a button up shirt, no jacket or tie but still business like, while Gotti and Logic were both dressed down in jeans and Timbs. Logic was rocking a burgundy Henley while Gotti was dressed in a plain front black sweatshirt, his usual attire. The people around them were dressed similar to Soloman, if not more professional, but Logic didn't really give a fuck. Status didn't affect him. Money or not, his confidence was through the roof and he always carried himself that way. Clothes didn't make the man, his confidence did, and Logic had enough to rock with the best of them.