Page 28 of Through Treacherous Weather
When she found out how far along she was and that it was too late to get an abortion, she went to him crying. Grey didn’t know what he’d gotten himself into, but he helped her as much as he could. He even let her stay with him in an effort to keep her sober but when she was eight months, he came home one day, and she was gone. The next time he heard from her, she was calling from the hospital begging him to come get the baby. Sophie had managed to go about two months without doing any drugs. Despite her use during pregnancy, Shai’Ann was beautiful and perfect.
Being a single father wasn’t on Grey’s bingo card, but from the moment he saw Shai’Ann he loved her like she was his. Foolishly, he became attached to her for over a year without knowing if she was actually his child. He had really gotten an addict pregnant, and she left him with a child that might not be his. Every day Grey searched Shai’Ann’s face for signs of him. Some days he saw them. Some days he didn’t.
Grey had explained all of that to Esco, and the information rocked his entire world. All he saw was red and getting to Sophie was the only thing on his mind. He had been able to be rational a little because he texted one of his employees and asked him to take over with Fatima. But he couldn’t wait. Esco didn’t wait until he was off the clock to go looking for Sophie. Getting back inside his Escalade, Esco slammed the door and sped off. He was fuming.
“What the hell was that?” Fatima asked. Her heart was racing, and her hands were trembling. She had a feeling that the man’s friend that recognized her was the thing that saved Esco’s life. That didn’t sit well with her. Especially when the woman that he had the issue with was clearly strung out on drugs. He risked his own life and Fatima’s for that?
“My bad.” Esco’s jaw muscles were clenched, and he was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white.
“Your bad?” Fatima couldn’t let it go. Pushing out a sarcastic chuckle, she kissed her teeth and shook her head. “Your bad? You just had me in a situation that could have gotten us killed, and all you can say is your bad?”
It wasn’t the fact that she was Wise’s daughter. It was the fact that she was his client, and she was innocent. That was the reason that no matter how mad he was, Esco dialed it back and attempted once more to apologize.
“I am sorry,” he stated slowly. “I got some unexpected news that made me spazz out. Literally, I blacked out for a moment, and I did something real stupid. I won’t even try to justify it,” his nostrils flared as he stared straight ahead.
“Can you at least tell me why you had me in the hood arguing with a psychopath over a drug addict?”
Esco’s head whipped in Fatima’s direction so fast, she bit her tongue clamping her mouth closed. “You might want to watch your fucking mouth,” he growled in a low tone.
“Who the hell are you cursing at?” she shrieked.
Esco arrived at her home, and he was relieved to see James parked in front of the mailbox. “My relief is here. I’m done for the day.”
“You can be done for good. Don’t come back.” She got out of his car and slammed the door.
On top of the shit show his day had been, now, he had lost his job. Just fucking great. He had jobs lined up for months. He wouldn’t go broke if she fired him, but messing up his reputation with Wise wasn’t good. “Fuck!” Esco slammed his fist against the steering wheel. Esco drove off thinking about going back to the block looking for Sophie, but what good would it really do? She’d just lie or give him some bullshit ass excuse. Who was hesupposed to be mad at? Sophie? Grey? Why didn’t Grey try to find him as soon as the baby was born and get this handled? Esco was irritated beyond belief.
The only thing that was going to keep him from putting his fist through a wall or someone’s face was a few strong drinks. The first bar he came across was the one he stopped at. He’d been perched on a barstool for less than ten minutes before his double shot of cognac had been drunk. Signaling the bartender for another, his jaw muscles flexed as a sexy patron sitting across from him gave him googly eyes which he ignored. A woman was the very last thing on his mind. What if Shai’Ann was his?
Not only would he be a single father of two kids, but he’d be taking her away from the only father she’d ever known. Grey had bonded with her. He was attached to her meanwhile, Esco didn’t even know what she looked like. His second shot had been consumed when he texted Grey and asked him when a good time would be for him to take Shai’Ann to a lab, so they could get the paternity test done.
Nothing could be put past an addict, so Esco wasn’t sure why he was so shocked that Sophie cheated on him. But cheated on him, hid a pregnancy and a kid from him? Drugs or not, he never would have guessed that of her. Was he that naïve or just that damn dumb? Dumb as fuck was the answer he came up with. Two kids?
Esco had just tossed back his third shot when his phone rang. After kissing his teeth, he answered the phone. Work was the last thing he cared about.
“Yo.”
“I know who was shooting at shorty.”
Chapter Thirteen
Esco wasn’tsure whether or not Fatima told Wise what happened, but he still had an obligation to tell Wise what he knew. When he called him, Esco could tell immediately from the way he answered the phone that he didn’t know. Esco asked Wise if he could meet him, and the man assured him he’d be there ASAP. Since he was handling business, Esco chose not to order another drink. Instead, he ordered wings and fries to soak up the liquor he’d drunk. After he passed the information along to Wise, his job was done. It was up to Wise to handle the situation however he wanted to handle it.
Twenty minutes after their conversation, Wise was walking into the bar with Justice, Loyal, Truce, and Chicago behind him. He didn’t want to talk at the bar, so he got a booth, and Esco went over to join him. He possessed the information that Wise and his family had been waiting on, so there was no need to beat around the bush. Anxious eyes were on him.
“Broskie and Orlando. Some cats here from New York. Seems that Fatima’s friend Heiress was kicking it with Orlando for a bit before she robbed his ass for $28,000 and hauled ass back to Miami.”
“I’mma kill that bitch,” Justice growled.
“You got info on these cats?” Wise asked calmly.
“Just that they frequent the club where the shooting occurred. They saw Fatima and tried to get at her since they couldn’t get at Heiress. Orlando drives a gray Genesis, and Broskie has a white Audi. They sell heroin. That’s all I have for now.”
Wise nodded. “I appreciate you.” Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out a bank envelope that was stuffed to capacity. “Until we get those niggas, I still want you and your people with Fatima. I’m assuming they don’t know where she lives because they didn’t go there, but I’m not taking any chances. When you’re done with the job, I’ll pay you what I owe you. This is for the information you got me.”
“Oh nah. You don’t have to do that. Just what you owe me for the job is cool.”
Esco’s chest got a little tight turning down the money. He wasn’t broke, but he damn sure wasn’t rich. Turning down money didn’t sit well with him, but he’d never been thirsty.
