We dapped up before Riya circled the metal shackles around my wrists. I was escorted out my room and down the many hallways that led to the visiting area. Like always, I chose the table toward the back. The only difference this time was a nigga was lowkey nervous as fuck. I didn’t know what to expect.
My visits consisted of Kong. Windale used to stop through this bitch before he was fired but it’s been Kong and Kong only. Daisy thought enough about me to give me one face to face, but she never returned after. A year and some change of my right-hand man showing love and support. He was my fuckin’ brotha, not Enzo.
It felt like eternity waiting on my visitors. I didn’t know either person getting ready to walk through that door. All I was aware of was there was another Atkins getting ready to show face. Besides me and Daisy, I hadn’t met another.
Two individuals I’d never seen before were the last to step through the door. They stopped at Officer Torrence, and he pointed in my direction. Once I realized they were there for me, my focus rested on the dark-skinned goddess looking directly at me. I knew her from somewhere. I never forgot faces, especially one as beautiful as hers.
Standing, I watched her short, petite frame cross the room. Even in heels, she looked as if she stopped in the middle of my chest. Her wild curly hair complimented her features. The vitiligo that attacked her skin was simply an accessory in my eyes. It enhanced the beauty she was blessed with. I could tell she was nervous from how often her gaze shifted to something other than me.
“You an Atkins aight. You look just like my fuckin’ aunt man,” the nigga in attendance spoke first.
I looked him up and down then gave my attention back to Heidi. I was gon’ figure out where the hell I saw her pretty ass before I could engage in whatever the hell this nigga was talking ‘bout. My head fell to the side still trying to put those pieces together.
“Hi, are you Bentley?” The softness of her voice flooded my brain with one particular memory.
My fuckin’ party!
Her skin was still perfectly blended as it was that night. I smirked at how she went from being one of the only women who showed no interest to being the only one in front of me. Life worked in mysterious ways. I gave her one last once over before nodding and speaking.
“Yeah, I’m Bentley. You must be Heidi,” I answered.
“I mean, fuck me, huh? Nigga, you don’t fuckin’ see me?”
She nudged the nigga in his stomach causing him to look down at her with a smug expression. She mouthed the wordssit downto him and he rolled his eyes. Once they were both seated, I followed suit.
“I am and this is Royce… your cousin.”
“Cousin? Ain’t you ‘spose to be my uncle or something?” I asked with dipped brows.
He laughed while shaking his head. “Hell nah. That’s my daddy and they call him Senior. Him and Aunt Rhema were siblings. I’m the only Royce that matters nowadays. You got the jail pattern of an Atkins; I can tell you that,” he chimed.
Royce Atkins Jr. I made a mental note on his name, face, and demeanor. My focus shifted back to Heidi in the blink of an eye. She was who requested this visit so I needed her to kill my curiosity and fast. It was only right. After all, she broke the guidelines to ChatMate. Nothing personal was supposed to be exchanged and she did just that.
“What you need to get off yo’ chest? You wanted this sit down for a reason so humor me,” I stated giving her straight eye contact. She was fuckin’ gorgeous to begin with but seeing lil’ mama in the light made a huge difference. She was killing shit with no effort and that was a rarity in this society.
“The hell you looking at her like that for? She off limit’s nigga,” he said delivering a death glare.
Royce was ignored for the umpteenth time while Heidi and I tended to have a moment. Her eyes were big and brown withvitiligo surrounding them. She was the baddest thing walking and she knew it. Her mentioning how afraid she was of inmates was front and center. I knew to keep my distance and respect her boundaries so that uncomfortable feeling never found her.
“That’s yo’ nigga?” I inquired.
Her face immediately scrunched up as if she smelled something wretched. “Who Royce? Hell no. He’s a best friend and best friend only. We’ve known each other since the sandbox. This nigga is happily married with three kids and working on a fourth. We share absolutely nothing outside of friendship,” she explained.
“Aye don’t be talking like a nigga some kind of plague or some shit. I don’t like that right there,” Royce complained.
I could tell that he was the spoiled type. The attention wasn’t centered on or around him, so he was finding ways to gain it. I wasn’t his mama or daddy, so I didn’t give a fuck on whether he got it or not. My initial conversation was for Heidi and Heidi alone. He was added to the list simply because we shared the same last name. Seeing that he was nothing but a cousin, I had nothing for him.
“Royce, please. Look, there’s someone in Sage Springs that’s also going by Bentley Atkins. He?—”
Letting her finish would’ve pissed me off. I had to chop that sentence up before she could get it out. “He’s a pussy nigga that happens to share the same blood as me and my pops.Ha.He really ain’t shit to me but a nigga I left breathing for entirely too long if I’m being honest. What? You willing to do him something for me?” I questioned sitting up.
When she sat back and looked over to Royce, I knew that was her letting me know getting her hands dirty would never happen. That was all Royce’s department. Smirking, I sat back throwing my hands up. Heidi looked as if she was the most innocent woman there was. I could never tarnish that.
“Nah, but I can,” Royce added.
“I don’t need nobody doing a bitch ass thing for me. I’ll handle Enzo. I’m just waiting for a competent attorney and not the piece of shit I had. I’m man enough to clean up my own mess, aight?” He wanted my attention and finally got it. My gaze hardened when I spoke to him. I didn’t trust niggas and having my last name ain’t mean shit to me.
Heidi released a deep sigh while letting her eyes roll to the ceiling. She was irritated, and I understood why. It seemed as if two dominant niggas wasn’t going. Neither one of them knew me but they were getting ready to.
