Page 133 of One Good Reason

“I’ve made peace with it, Law. God put you in her path for a reason. When it’s my time, I can go comfortably cause I know she’s got you.”

“She will always have me.”

“I know that, but she doesn’t. She gon’ fight against you. It’s gon’ be days where she gon’ try and push you away. When those days come… you stay and you fight. You gotta be the one with the strength cause she ain’t gon’ be able to do it by herself regardless of how much she says she can.

Tali only knows unconditional love from me and Joe. Litha loved that child until she found out what Joe Lee did. She chose that sour man over that girl, and it ruined her. She got a hold on her heart so tight Law, and don’t know how to let it go. Just don’t give up on her. She can’t take it.”

Grabbing Gema by the hand, I squeezed it. “I’ll never give up on her. I only want what’s best for her.”

“I’m knowing it but she too stubborn to see it. You’re a good man Law; whoever raised you did a damn good job. But you got to forgive yo’ mama fo’ you can love my baby properly.”

“I can forgive her; it’s forgetting that’s the hardest part.”

“Ain’t gotta forget. Just forgive her. When you meet Graelyn, you’ll understand why forgiveness so important.”

“Who is Graelyn, Gema?”

“You’ll meet her soon enough.” She smiled. “Tali said I get to meet the players.”

“You do.” I bobbed my head. “We will go down after the game so you can take pictures with a few of them.”

“Ummhmm, I want a picture with Deuce. That right there been my man since he signed his contract.”

“Deuce, Gema?” I laughed.

“Whoo… that thang know he is fine.”

“I’mma tell Tali you over here being fast.”

“Where you think she gets it from?” Gema winked.

The rest of the day was spent with Talitha getting to know the other half of my friend group. Between her and Promise, I swear they’d went through about three bottles of fucking Tequila. Her ass was going to be hung over and in a pissy mood in the morning but as long as she’d enjoyed herself, that was all that mattered.

My conversation with Gema had me spending the rest of the game seated beside my mama and Preme. I promised Gema I was going to try, and I meant that. Going forward, I planned tobe more present where my mother was concerned. As far as me and Talitha, I knew I loved her. My actions showed it. Whenever she was ready to really receive it, I would let her know. Until then, all I could do was remain by her side.

“Dutch, you gotta show up. She’s refusing to turn over the shipment. I told you this shit was going to happen!” Preme fussed on the other end of the phone.

It was two o’clock in the fucking morning when he called bitching about Adele not letting them unload the drugs off the plane. Him and Drix had been going back and forth with her ass for the past fucking hour and she was refusing until I showed up. It had been weeks since I’d outed us to my mother and apparently Adele was feeling some type of way. To the point where her ass was interrupting the flow of my business. The longer the plane sat at the fucking hangar, the more we were in jeopardy of being caught.

Flipping the cover back, I slid out of bed and covered Talitha back up before walking in the bathroom.

“Did you tell her what the fuck I said?”

“Man,” he groused. “I did all of that shit. Bitch still won’t let me get my shit!” Preme snapped.

“Tell that nigga he either gon’ roll up or I’m ‘bout to smoke this bitch!” Drix fussed in the background.

“Give me twenty minutes,” I said and ended the call.

Talitha stayed right up the road from the Fulton County Airportso it would take me no time to get there. I don’t know what the fuck Adele’s issue was, but this wasn’t how I ran my shit. She knew it and so did the rest of the crew. If she had a problem with me, she could’ve picked up the phone and reachedout. Playing around with my brother and Drix safety was the fastest way to get on my bad side.

After handling my hygiene, I threw on a pair of sweats and jogged down the stairs. Once I cut the alarm, I grabbed my keys and slipped out of the house. Normally I wouldn’t make this type of run without Baker being with me, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I wasn’t worried about my safety with Preme and Drix being there, but I was sure once Baker caught wind of the situation, his ass was going to be pissed that I hadn’t called him.

Pulling up to the airstrip, I let my window down and waved at the arm guard before being granted entrance. Once I pulled my truck around the back, I noticed that Drix, Preme, and Dreaux were standing in front of the truck while Adele stood there with her hands on her hips.

“What’s the fucking issue?” I asked when I stepped out of the truck.

“Wegot a problem,” Adele hissed.

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