Page 51 of What You Do To Me
“I was just asking, Jawan, chill.”
“Naw you chill with the stupid ass questions like I don’t always take y’all out.”
“Alright, I’m sorry I asked. I did miss you though. Me and the kids, I’m just glad you’re back,” I admitted.
“Yeah, me, too. You know that business that I had with Ramirez before he passed?” he asked, and I nodded. “We gone have to go down there soon so I can get everything rolling. Shit is kind of just up in limbo right now, but they’ve been hittin’ me up to get the ball rolling.”
“I’m sure by we you don’t mean me, so you and Shad?”
He lifted his eyes from what Rae was doing to meet my gaze. “And Darren’s scary ass might come, he too fuckin’ soft to be in my face all the time,” he griped. “You know I’m not taking y’all down there right now though. Not with this shit going on, Tiomi.”
The waiter had returned with our food so I helped Jawan get the girls settled so we could eat. I knew this wasn’t a fight I was going to win so I didn’t even care to continue the conversation.
“Just be careful and come back to us, Jawan.”
“Always.”
That was the only response he offered so I went ahead and began to eat. Dinner was going smoothly, and it felt good not to have any chaos going on for a change. Simply enjoying dinner with my family.
“Did you look over the books for the shop? I mean I can’t understand how we spent that much money for barbershop supplies.”
“Yeah, that’s because we didn’t. I’ma look at that shit the next time I’m there. Shit been so busy there lately that I ain’t been having the time.”
I nodded my head and peaked over at my baby. She had finally tired herself out enough that her dad was able to lay herin the seat to enjoy his food. For a minute no words were spoken between us, but Jawan spoke again after a few bites.
“Star’s hoe ass husband hit me up today and said Romeo is suing for custody for Rae,” he nonchalantly told me, still stuffing his face.
I dropped my fork. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, baby, but you know I’m not letting no shit like that happen though.”
“But I thought he signed over his rights, he can’t do this right? I mean it’s illegal right?” I fired off question after question.
“I don’t know if he can do it or not. Honestly it doesn’t matter, you know I’m not going for that.”
“How can you stop him? His mother probably put him up to this, they never gave a fuck about my baby.” The walls in the room felt like they were closing in on me. In the two and a half years that Jarae had been on earth, this nigga never gave a fuck about my daughter or her wellbeing and now he wants custody? Over my dead body. “I’ll kill him and his bitch ass mother before I let them take her from us.”
“And spoil my fun? Naw baby, let daddy handle it, you just keep sitting pretty.”
My nerves were shot, and my appetite was ruined, so I excused myself from the table.
“You got the girls baby? I’m going to run to the ladies room.”
“We can go with you if you want. You know I don’t want you moving around alone.”
“Jawan, with the security you’ve got at every corner of this establishment I should be good.”
“Aight but if you take too long, I’m coming in there. Three minutes tops.”
Nodding my head, I stood to my feet to literally run into the bathroom. Three minutes wasn’t a lot of time to do much ofanything. After I was done using the bathroom, I went out to wash my hands. I went to grab a paper towel, a hand clothed in a black glove covered my mouth.
“Yell and I’ll kill you right now.” I nodded my head quickly as tears started to cascade down my face.
“I just need you to deliver a message for me.” Again, I nodded. “Tell Grim to step down or I’ll kill his entire bloodline, starting with that pretty little girl y’all just had. Both of your girls are beautiful, and it would be a shame if an …” he paused for a second, “accident were to take place,” I started to sob harder. He was threatening my kids. This was the first time that I had ever met him, me and my kids had nothing to do with this street shit.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Simple. He thinks he’s God. That him and his people are untouchable, and we see that that’s not the case, now is it beautiful?” he ran the tip of the knife that I didn’t even know he had down my cheek. “Times ticking and I’m sure he’s coming so you better go.”
