Page 1 of Back in Blood

CHAPTER 1

CAPRI

The same smilehad been plastered on my face for at least ten minutes. My eyes darted back and forth as my best friend, Dolph, chased my two-year-old-daughter, Caprice around my colossal yard. Before he showed up, I’d been running with her for a good twenty minutes myself, and I was tired. When Dolph pulled up to visit me and took over, my lungs and legs were grateful. It was early October. The mornings and evenings were beginning to be a little crispier and cooler. I welcomed the fall weather even though it had already started getting darker earlier. Caprice’s mom was already planning trips to the pumpkin patch and setting appointments for fall photo shoots, and I was with all of it. When it came to my shorty, anything Robin wanted for our daughter she got. The extravagant birthday parties, photoshoots, and all the other over the top shenanigans.

The door opened behind me and although I knew who it was, I still peered over my shoulder. My fiancée, Robin was leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded over her chest watching Caprice and Dolph run and play. She glanced over at me.

“I already know when I tell her to come in, she’s going to have a full-blown fit, so it would be better if her favorite parent did the dirty work.”

Dropping my head, I shook it, and released a small chuckle. “I think you lowkey do that shit on purpose. You want my favorite parent title so bad. That’s nasty work, shawty.”

“There is no competing with you. I could probably reach up and grab Caprice a star out of the sky, and she’d find a reason not to be impressed.”

“You’re probably right,” I bobbed my head. “Caprice, come here Lil’ Mama!” I had to yell to be heard over her loud shrills. She was having the time of her life doing something as simple as running around the yard.

Her little legs carried her to the porch, and she climbed the stairs with a smile on her face. When she was up on me, she peered up at me with those light-brown doe-shaped eyes framed by long lashes.

“Go in your room and grab whatever book you want me to read for you tonight. Then, go with mommy, so she can give you a bath. When she’s done, I’ll come in for a snack, and to read to you. Okay?”

Caprice would be three in less than a month, and she’d been going to a ridiculously expensive daycare for the past four months. She was smart before she was enrolled. I made sure of that. But since she’d been going to the daycare that ran me $1,700 a month and had a six-month waiting list, I had to admit that I was impressed. Caprice did something at least twice a day to make me look at her in awe. When Robin got pregnant, we’d only been together for a year. I loved her, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to set aside time to raise a child. It didn’t take long for my fears to dissipate. From the moment that Caprice slid out of Robin’s womb, my entire life had been about being a better man for my daughter and being a present father. Nothing elsemattered to me when it came to her quality of life and the love that she needed to thrive.

Caprice nodded eagerly, and Robin kissed her teeth beside me. “Unbelievable.”

I leaned forward and kissed Caprice on the forehead before smirking at Robin. “It’s okay, shawty. Being second best is better than not being anything at all.”

Robin rolled her eyes playfully and scooped Caprice up in her arms. “Come on little fake behind girl.”

Dolph sat down in the black wicker chair that was identical to the one I was occupying. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. “I gotta slow down with the weed. I wasn’t even out there thirty minutes, and you might have to call the ambulance,” he panted.

“That’s the exact way that I be feeling, and I don’t even smoke. I have to get in shape before running around behind Caprice is the death of me. Everything good with you?” I inquired.

Dolph gave a curt nod. “I can’t complain ‘bout shit. My homie out in Cali got back with me though. He can have that Phantom shipped to you at a real good price.”

I sighed and ran a hand over my waves. I had been completely legit for the past two years, and I wanted to stay that way. I didn’t want anything illegal to jeopardize the businesses that I had built. I had a car dealership, an exotic car rental business, and a luxury car service. Dolph told me about a guy that he had out in Cali that had a Phantom he was trying to sell. The car was stolen. The VIN had been changed, and the car had been painted a different color. No one would be looking for the car out in North Carolina but even if they were looking, the car would be hiding in plain sight. Dolph’s friend was selling the car for $30,000 cheaper than I would buy it for from a dealership. If I got the car, I would use it for my luxury car service. DiamondCove was full of rappers, athletes, businesspeople, and even dope boys that used my car service regularly.

Among my fleet of cars were three Escalades, a Bentley truck, and three Maybach trucks. All of the cars were black with limousine tint on the windows. The exotic car rental business had everything from Corvette’s and Lamborghini’s to Wraith’s and Jaguars. Jet skis and ATVs had recently been added to my inventory. I had fifteen cars that got rented on a very regular basis. And at the moment, I had thirty cars on the lot at my dealership waiting to be sold. At twenty-nine years old, I was doing pretty good for myself. What I generally made in a day from the car rental business was enough to pay my mortgage for two months. Coming from where I came from, I was hesitant to risk it all just to buy a car at a discounted price. Especially since everything I did was for Caprice.

“I’m telling you man, it’ll be straight. I got my Maybach from the nigga two years ago, and I’ve never had any issues.”

I gave it some more thought. “Just this once. I don’t want to make the shit a habit.”

Dolph chuckled. “I remember when we were sixteen stealing cars and shit. Now you’re a legit law-abiding citizen. Growth is a beautiful thing my G.”

“Damn right it is.”

“Kenya been talking about a baby,” Dolph pulled a blunt from behind his ear and fished around in his pocket for a lighter.

“Go ahead and give that girl a baby. You’re good as hell with Caprice. You might as well give her a best friend to grow up with.”

Dolph stared out into the yard. “I’m thinking about it. I just want to be in the house with my child, and you know me and Kenya be on that off and on shit. Having a kid isn’t going to make our problems go away.”

“You’re right about that. Just stop pissing her off, and things will be better,” I jested making Dolph chuckle.

“Man,” he drawled. “That muhfucka gon’ always find something to complain about. I’m tapering off with the hustling and coming home earlier, and she still isn’t satisfied. But when she’s not nagging, she’s talking about getting married and having babies, and I’m confused. How you want to marry a man that stresses you out so bad?”

“The joys of being in a relationship,” I shook my head. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it in the end. We’re getting old fam. Might as well settle down. We started getting women early. Bad ones too. That running through females and shit gets old. At least it did for me. Robin said when Caprice is four, she’ll be ready for baby number two. By then I’ll be thirty-one. It’s time for you to catch up. But I do agree that you and Kenya should try to fix your relationship before taking the next steps.”

Dolph smoked his blunt, and we talked for another thirty minutes or so before I went in to read Caprice a bedtime story and tuck her in. I liked the life I’d built for myself. At the age of eighteen, I never would have imagined myself with one woman and being faithful, running several successful businesses, and being in love with being a father. If I left the room before she was fully asleep, she’d be for sure calling me five minutes after I walked out. I laid there watching her, and when very light snores filled the room, I simpered. Everything Caprice did was adorable. Even when she was throwing a tantrum because she couldn’t get what she wanted. I eased out of bed and went to the master bedroom, so I could take a shower. Twenty-year-old me was rarely ever in the house before midnight. Almost thirty-year-old me was only out that time of night if I had to be.

---