Page 11 of When Darkness Comes Knocking
I exited the expressway and turned down the street to Lina’s house. It only took six minutes to make it there. I parked and headed toward her door once I was out of my truck. My foot had barely graced the top stair when Madison came flying out the house and into my arms.
“Aww, baby girl. I missed you so much.” I held her tightly before I placed her on her feet.
“I missed you too, Daddy. You ready to go?”
I chuckled at her. “Dang, baby girl. Can I at least speak to your mom and Jason?”
Madison sighed. “I guess, Daddy, but remember we have a schedule to keep.”
“Come on, girl.” I laughed a little more at her. I guess I had the fun house since she had her own everything at my place.
She had everything here with Lina and Jason as well. Maybe Madison was just a daddy’s girl. She did enjoy spending all her time with me.
We walked inside their home, hand in hand. Jason sat on the couch and watched some sports show. “What’s up, Jason?”
He turned from the TV and looked at me. “Aye, Fortune! What’s up, man?” He greeted me in his usual proper English tone.
“Just living, man. What’s up with you?”
“I’m doing the same. Just trying to survive.”
I chuckled. “I feel you, bro. Stay up.”
He grinned, nodded, and went back to his sports show. Jason always wanted to appear to be more hood around me. He didn’t need to be. Jason was smart as hell and an executive at the company he worked for. That hood shit was for the birds.
I followed Madison into the kitchen where Lina was. She was at the stove whipping up dinner. I took a seat at their island while Madison ran away somewhere.
Lina turned and looked up. “Hey, Fortune. What’s up with you?”
“I’m good. I can’t complain at all. How are you? How was your day?” I queried in return.
“It was good. Work at the school was long but fulfilling.”
“I bet. You love that place.”
She laughed. “You know I do.” Lina was a teacher at an alternative school. She helped high school dropouts earn their high school diploma at many different ages.
Lina didn’t have to work because Jason made great money, but she enjoyed her independence that way. When I was in the streets, she had to rely on me for everything, but once I got locked up, she had to take care of Madison and herself. She did one hell of a job too.
“Are you hungry?” she probed.
“I am, but I’m taking Madison out for dinner.”
She smirked. “You spoil her so much. Madison expects y’all to eat out every time she’s with you.”
I laughed and watched as she plated her and Jason’s meal. “That’s my princess. You know I don’t know how to say no to her.”
“Oh, I know,” Lina expressed with humor in her voice. Her smile still meant a lot to me. She still meant a lot to me.
Lina was still slim, thick, and kinda tall herself. She was five feet and nine inches with cocoa brown skin. Her long brown hair was still at her waist.
Lina’s hair would always be her pride and joy. It gave her an exotic flare. She definitely caught my attention in my twenties.
We were babies in the streets together as I built my empire. You couldn’t tell me that she wouldn’t always be by my side. Sadly, life would forever humble everybody.
“Jason, come eat,” she announced. Lina looked at me. “What’s on your mind, Fortune?”
I smirked. “How you know something on my mind?”
