Fish grabbed the back of Jovanis’ head and pushed him toward him. “Tell ya mama bye.”
Jovanis peered at her with glossy eyes. There was a plea in his orbs that begged Margie not to leave without him. He knew she had recognized his appeal because her eyes watered, too.
“Listen, I’m going to come see you this weekend. Like I said, your uncles are going to take care of you, okay?”
When Jovanis realized that she wouldn’t change her mind, his eyes cast down to the shabby carpet.
“You hear me, Van?” she asked.
“Girl, gone ‘head,” Mel fussed. “Stop treating this nigga like a baby.”
“Okay.” She quickly wiped away a tear and made her exit out of the house. Jovanis stood, fighting the feeling of abandonment from engulfing him like flames. When the door shut, he looked at his uncles.
“Don't be looking at us.” Mel laughed. “You already know we don't play that soft shit. Put ya dukes up. Show me you got hands.”
“Dukes?” he questioned.
Fish groaned. “Man, put your fists up. Yeah, you gon’ need a lot of fucking work.”
Jovanis hesitantly put his hands up in a boxer stance. Mel stood in front of him, squaring up.
“Hit me with your best shot.”
Jovanis threw his arm, but the punch had no power.
“Ah, nigga you can do better than that. Hit me with all your might.”
Jovanis mustered up as much power as he could and swung again. This time he missed, and Mel saw an opening and hit him in the chest. He gasped as he fell backwards. The agony was so great that his voice stalled in his lungs. Seconds later, the pain released the guttural cry that blared from his mouth.
“Ah, boy you bet’ not be crying!” Fish snapped. “Get yo’ soft ass up and fight.”
Jovanis was in too much pain to throw a fist. He could barely inhale a deep breath let alone fight.
“Get yo’ ass up, Van. Come fight me like a man,” Mel badgered him.
Hesitantly, he got up from the ground, whimpering as his face became saturated with his tears.
“Now square up and hit that nigga.”
Jovanis did exactly what Fish instructed him to do. He threw another weak punch only for Mel to hit him in the chest again.
“Fuck, this nigga is Jell-O Pudding.” Mel laughed.
“Yeah, it’s gon’ take some work, but we’ll get his ass in shape. Get yo’ ass up and fight. You not leaving out of here until you give him some rounds.”
Nine
Two months later…
Everything moved around Rio while it felt like he was stuck in place. Loud music boomed through the atmosphere. Most of the TLM members were packed inside the club, rapping along with the music or trying to get attention from women who were just as thirsty as they were. Drinks were flowing and women were scantily dressed yet Rio felt out of place. Like he should’ve been home, caking with the woman who used to have his heart.
Wishful thinking.
When his divorce was finalized, Rio was relieved to break the bonds between him and Cali. She was no longer his and rightfully so. She had blessed him with the worst betrayal of his life; shattered his idea of love, making him vow to never marry again. His days were longer than when he was in the hospital. Ending his nights in a home that he once shared with Cali had been tortuous. So, Rio put the house on the market and sold it. He scored a condo in one of the tallest buildings in St. Parklynn, overlooking the ocean. Rio was in the stage of rebuilding his new life, but he couldn’t deny how much he missed the old one.
“Aye, send some more bottles this way,” Slime told one of the bartenders.
Cee leaned closer to Rio. “Ol’ girl been eyeing you all night with her thirsty ass.”
