Page 27 of Through Treacherous Weather
He dropped his head bashfully and shook it before lifting it and saying hello to Winter and Trinity. The more time that passed, Winter and Trinity were less worried about Fatima. They felt that maybe what happened at the club was a fluke, and no one was gunning for her in particular.
“You came in here to shop or just to see me?” Winter asked.
“A little of both. After all of this is over, I need to go on a short vacation. I don’t even know where I’m going yet, but buying an outfit or ten won’t hurt.”
“I just got some new stuff in too. I know you’re going to see something that you love.”
“Anybody talked to Lauren?” Trinity looked from Trinity to Winter.
“I talked to her last night. Dad had Justice’s kids at his house, so I figured she might not be home yet. I called her to make sure she was good, and she said she’s been relaxing and just taking some time for herself. I told her she deserves it.”
“She does,” Trinity agreed. “She does a good job of juggling four kids. Even though Sky and Shiloh don’t live there, they’re over there weekly. Lauren already juggles a lot and then she had to deal with Justice kind of shutting her out for a bit. No one can blame her for needing some time.”
Grey walked into the room. “All done.”
“Ouuuu let me see,” Winter squealed.
Grey’s gaze shifted to Esco, and he found himself staring. He didn’t know the man personally, but he knew of him. Grey was pondering whether or not seeing Esco was a sign when Esco felt him staring and locked his gaze on Grey, so a short stare off ensued. Now, he had to say something or Esco was going tothink he was weird as hell or that he had beef with him. Grey knew a conversation with Esco was something that he had to have, but he had been putting it off.
He tried to come up with all kinds of excuses not to have the conversation, including the fact that it wasn’t on him to tell Esco what was up. At the end of the day, however, he knew he needed to look that man in his eyes and tell him what was up.
“I love it,” Winter came back in the room with cash in hand. She paid him the fee he charged plus a nice tip.
“Thank you.” Grey nodded at her then walked toward the door which Esco was standing near. “Esco?” he asked causing Esco’s brows to dip.
“I know you?” he was trying to remain professional since he was at work, but his guard was up from the man staring at him.
“Nah, you don’t know me. My name is Grey, and I might have your daughter.”
Esco drove down the highway like a mad man with his jaw muscles clenched so tight that his face was aching. After the conversation with Grey, he was damn near having an out of body experience. From the moment Wise introduced him to Fatima, he had been professional but at the moment, Esco truly didn’t give a fuck about his actions. He almost had no control over himself. He didn’t give a damn about being on the clock or having Fatima in his car. Driving like a bat out of hell, he hit every area that Sophie was known to frequent. If she wasn’t out on the block, he’d try her grandmother’s house.
Grey and Esco went outside of the boutique to talk, so Fatima had no clue what had transpired between the two, but Esco was pissed. As he sped through the streets of Diamond Cove, she wasafraid to even ask him where they were going. She cut her eyes at him as he drove through the projects searching every corner like he was looking for someone. Fatima wanted to know what was going on, but the scowl that was embedded in Esco’s face kept her from opening her mouth. They were riding through the second housing project when he pulled his vehicle over suddenly.
A pretty light-skin woman that was obviously on drugs was standing on the corner along with three guys. “Get in the car,” Esco demanded after hopping out of the vehicle like a mad man.
Sophie’s glossed over eyes made him aware that she was high. The way her jaw slacked also made him aware that she was afraid. Esco never came at her like that and if he was doing so, he had to have a reason. A damn good one.
“Nigga, she was about to pay off her debt to me. She’s not going nowhere until I done busted $40 worth of nut on her face,” Ronnie stated crudely.
His ignorance made Esco’s day because as pissed as he was, he could now release some of his pent-up aggression that he was holding onto by pounding on Ronnie’s face. The man obviously hadn’t learned his lesson from the first ass whooping that Esco gave him. Faster than anyone could blink, Esco hit the man with a blow so powerful that the few spectators that were sprinkled around gasped. Ronnie refused to take a second beating on the block, so he whipped a gun from underneath his shirt and pointed it at Esco.
“I could kill your bitch ass right now.”
“Do it.” Esco didn’t even blink. He knew his actions had been all the way stupid and reckless, but the news that Grey dropped on him shattered his heart and enraged him all at the same time. He couldn’t believe Sophie. For once in his life, he almost felt like he hated her.
“Esco can you please get back in the car?” the shakiness in Fatima’s voice made him realize he had fucked up big time, but he refused to take his eyes off Ronnie.
“I’m going to need you to get back in the car. I’m coming.” He was supposed to be protecting her, but he had her in the hood while a nigga pointed a gun at him.
“Nigga, that’s Wise’s daughter,” Ronnie’s friend mumbled. His tone was low, but they all heard him. “You better be real mindful of your next move,” he warned.
“Next time I see you, you’re a dead man,” Ronnie warned.
“Fuck you, bitch.” Esco spat, and his gaze shot over to Sophie. “You may as well get ready to tell me what the fuck is up with Shai’Ann. I’m working, but I need to talk to you later, and I’m not playing with yo’ fucking ass.”
Sophie’s chest heaved up and down as fear gripped her like a vice. He knew. He knew that a few days after leaving him, she found out she was four months pregnant, and she didn’t know if the child she was carrying belonged to Esco or Grey. Two times. Just two times she had been desperate enough to sleep with Grey. Because her drug addiction hadn’t taken over, and she was still a pretty woman, when he saw her and tried her, Sophie didn’t turn him down. She was a stay-at-home mother, and she snuck too much of Esco’s money to get pills and or coke.
She needed a new way to get money. So when she saw Grey at the gas station, and he tried to talk to her, she lied and told him she was single. Esco was a workaholic, so thankfully, she was able to converse with Grey and even go out on a few dates with him. Once she got to know him, she realized that he wasn’t the type to pay for pussy. She had to be creative with her requests. Sophie felt bad the day she lied to him and said her ex drained her bank account and left her with no money for gas or food. Grey gave her $300, and she had spent it all in a matter of hours.
