“Facetime? Why?” I questioned. He never answered me. Instead, he watched me carefully finally nodding moments later. “What was that all about?”
“Call me selfish, but I needed to see your face again. It don’t make no sense how fuckin’ pretty you are Mama. Smile for me right quick?”
“Boy, what?” I asked smirking.
“You see me and ain’t nothing immature ‘bout me. I’m all man, yours to be exact.”
Now, I wasn’t the smartest fish in the lake, but I knew for a fact delusion was in the Atkins genes. That trait alone let meknow he was everything them. I’d witnessed marriages from the Atkins delusion. Bentley had me wondering if that was for me for some reason.
“I beg to differ.” A text came through from Mama Iris saying Enzo just made it through the gates. He’d be to us within five minutes. Standing, I said, “It’s time for the dinner. You want me to call you back?”
“Nah, keep me in yo’ ear. I want to hear this shit. That nigga ain’t nothing but a fuckin’ snake. You won’t get yo’ hands dirty and I like that. However, I need you to grill him, Mama. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding, we continued to have general conversation as I walked across to the main house. Entering, I smelled the food instantly. I was eager to sit down and enjoy a good meal. However, I knew Bentley wasn’t going to allow it. I was sure he had a list of questions for me to ask.
The way this entire family was getting ready to put on a show had me terrified. One thing I knew for sure, Royce could only play along for so long. He wanted to do something to Enzo and Genesis, well, he was just itching to put him down. Striker was quiet and always laid back, but he was willing to drop anyone that went against the family. Royce kept him by his side for a reason.
CJ ran from wherever he was right to me wrapping his arms around my legs. I was still his girlfriend in his mind. He refused to acknowledge me as TT Heidi. He was very much like his father. He didn’t play about me. Lincoln was on his heels telling him to leave me alone. I felt so bad for him because my son was becoming protective of me as well.
“Is that yo’ lil’ man I hear in the background,” Bentley asked.
Smiling, I answered with, “Yeah, and the other lil’ rugrat you hear is CJ. He belongs to Royce and his wife, Klarity.”
There was absolutely no point in running down how Royce’s relentless ass basically stole Klarity and her two kids from God knows who and made them Atkins in a matter of four months. If they wanted to cross that bridge when he got out, then so be it.
The doorbell sounded off letting me know Enzo had made it down. “Oop. I think Fako just arrived.” I already knew Mama Iris or one of the housemaids would grab the door and usher everybody into the dining room, so I let it be.
“Aight, shawty, don’t overdo it with the questions. Turns out the muthafucka was a detective; his whole job is to spot the cracks and flip the shit back on you. Take it slow and play it cool. I’m right here with you,” he said, like he knew I had an ongoing battle with my mental right now.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes briefly and centered myself. I couldn’t fuck this up. “Thank you, Bentley. I really appreciate it.” I hurried to say before this show, or lack thereof, got started.
“I got you Mama. Always know that,” he commented.
Even with all the Atkins men around me and one in my ear, I needed to that reassurance. A lowlife nigga with his cat-and-mouse games were the reason this fragile Heidi even existed. My trust rested in the Atkins, and they had yet to fail me.
Am I crazy to think the same for him?
Entering the dining room, the rest of the gang was seating themselves. Klarity came around the table and helped me move the kids into another area. I was grateful because we needed zero distractions. I felt like a private investigator, eyes trained on every sign of deception.
When fake Bentley…Enzo, or whoever the hell he really was, stepped into the dining room, everybody tried to play it cool. I kept my fingers crossed that the Atkins men would let him walk straight into one of the traps we’d set. However, looking at Royceand then Genesis, I knew it was only a matter of time before they cut up.
“Wassup, family?” he said, loud and proud, like he had a birthright in this house.
Fake or not, I had to give it to him; he was determined. That kind of determination was exactly why women were hesitant about men in general. The lengths they’d go to get what they wanted was insane. Being an imposter wasn’t anything new to him. After learning he was a detective, infiltrating my family was a cake walk for him. So he thought.
“Breathe, Mama. I’m right here.” Bentley coached in my ear, and I smiled to myself.
The pace he was going was faster than I liked but judging from the actions of the men in this room, there was only one way for them. Asking was a foreign language to them. Barging into your life and setting up shop was how they moved and the women behind them seemed to be the happiest. Who was I to stop him?
Oh yeah. The chick that wanted to be loved from a distance because up close and personal was too much.
I’d almost gotten lost in my head, so I offered a nod, even though he couldn’t see me. I refused to acknowledge him out loud tonight. Along with everybody else, I wanted to see how fake ass planned to talk his way out the hole once the real Bentley Atkins started feeding me facts to match his fiction.
“Hi, Bentley,” I greeted because no one else opened their mouth to do so. Everyone stared at him as if they were debating whether or not to stick to the agreement or just let this shit go up in flames. Clearing my throat, I got their attention by saying, “Everybody, Bentley said hello.”
“We heard him,” Genesis chimed. Royce couldn’t hold back his laugh. I just knew them two were going to make me pull my hair directly from the roots.
“Y’all got it smelling right up in here. What’s on the menu?” Enzo inquired, trying his hand again.
