Page 118 of Smoke

I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the wall.

“Cut ’em off.”

Mia made slight work of cutting the fabric from his body. When she was done, I released him.

“Since you like to do bitch nigga shit, I’ma leave you assed out like a bitch. Good luck getting home.”

I closed the lift before hopping back in the truck with my sister and driving away.

“I can’t believe you left that man out there like that,” Mia said, laughing. “Damn, I hope they don’t get his old ass.”

“Fuck that nigga,” I said, pulling the blunt from my cupholder. “Somebody else getting ahold of him before I do would be mercy.”

Little did they know, I already had that covered. I never made moves without having a plan in my pocket. The street team was already in place to watch him tonight. They would make sure nobody did anything to harm Derrick Mathis. His life was mine in every sense of the word.

I stoodin the doorway of Juri’s room watching Romi going through her things. She’d been in here for hours the last couple days. There wasn’t much for her to do, but she always managed to find something to occupy her. It was either rearranging her closet or the changing table, putting together outfits, putting up pictures and taking them down… something.

I was starting to worry about her.

I’d spoken to my mother about it, and she said she was probably feeling the loss of not being able to have the nesting moments. Her pregnancy had been abruptly sped up, and she didn’t get the chance to do any of this. I felt bad about taking it upon myself to have Juri’s room set up for her. Even though my intentions were good, I didn’t include her.

“Baby?” I said from the door.

She looked over her shoulder and offered me a faint smile. “I’m okay,” she said, softly.

“Come here.”

I motioned her to me. She placed the onesie she was folding down and came over to me. I led her to the chair and sat down, pulling her into my lap. She rested her head against my shoulder and snuggled into my body.

“I miss her so much, Devin,” she whispered.

“I know, baby. She’s doing great, and she’ll be home soon.”

“I’m so angry that she was subjected to so much trauma. She should have been able to grow and thrive inside me until it was her time to come. How could anybody hurt the mother of their child the way that man hurt me? He didn’t give a fuck about our child or her well-being as he drug me up those stairs.”

She was on the verge of tears. Cupping the side of her face, I kissed her cheeks.

“That’s exactly why that muthafucka got what he deserved when it came to you and baby girl. He’s never gonna hurt you again. No fucking body is ever going to hurt you again, you understand me?”

She peered at me, nodding slowly. “I know. Thank you for being so good to me, Devin.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m nothing if not a protector and provider. I got you.”

She pressed her lips to mine with a sweet kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too. I need to say something to you.”

She pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“No. I just need to apologize. This…” I motioned around the room. “I should have included you. I feel like that’s part of the reason you stay in here for hours at a time, fixing things.”

“Devin. You gave me a wonderful and beautiful gift with this room. I’m in here because it helps me feel closer to Juri. Like… Iwant her to feel like she was thought about every day that she’s been away. I know she can’t understand that feeling, but it gives me comfort. If I could be with her all the time, I would, but I can’t. I still have Korri, and she deserves just as much of me as her sister. I’m just ready for her to come home. It doesn’t feel complete without her here.”

I nodded. I got that. In the time that I’d been spending the night here, it definitely felt like something was missing. When the four of us were together, that didn’t exist at all.

“Our girl will be here before you know it,” I said as I kissed her temple. “I don’t call her my lil’ soldier for nothing.”

She smiled softly. “Did you think we would be here when you met me?”

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