She shook her head. “Not yet. I’m going to call them tomorrow, but I didn’t even get the man’s whole name. He just said Lance.”
I nodded. “Send me the footage from ya camera. The lil’ homie can find out who he is.”
She grabbed her phone and took a few seconds to send it to me. When she did, I sent the shit to Frog and told him to get on the shit pronto. I didn’t know how she planned to go about shit with buddy, but I wanted to make sure he was legit and righteous before she even thought about letting his ass be around Baby Lord. The police were already on my trail for some shit they didn’t have no proof of, but about my girl and Baby Lord, I’d yell it from the top of the world that I bodied the nigga and smile in my mugshot behind the shit.
“But when did you see Gwen and why?” Diamond asked, jarring me from my thoughts.
“Went to see about that nigga Junior and her ass happened to be there,” I confessed. “She had me hot too because while I was teaching that nigga a lesson, she had the nerve to be crying and shit.” I shook my head. “If she wasn’t ya sister and I didn’t know you cared about her ass, she would have been no more. I don’t respect the way she handling Baby Lord.”
“I know,” she replied softly, “I don’t either, but it is what it is. I won’t keep her father away if everything with him checks out. I know how it feels to long for the love of a parent.” She sighed heavily.
Scooting closer to her, I pulled her pretty ass into a hug because she looked like she needed one.
“Shit gon’ be aight. Yo’ nigga gon’ make sure of it.” I pulled back to peer down into her beautiful brown eyes.
A small smile teased at the corner of her lips before she circled my torso with her arms. “I know you will.”
“Can you feed yo’ nigga now? I’m fuckin’ starvin’.”
“Yes, greedy, come on.” She chuckled as she climbed from the bed, and I followed right behind her like a lovesick ass high school boy, wrapping my arms around her, pressing my hard dick into her ass because my shit always stood at attention when she was around.
She ended up pushing me off of her when we made it to the living room because my parents and the baby were up and talking. I went over to kidnap Baby Lord while she went to the kitchen to cook. Being with my girl and our family had a nigga’s mind clear for the moment and not even thinking about the bullshit that had happened.
But make no mistake about the shit…
I had something special planned for Detective Arnold and anybody else that played with me at ACPD. I was just gon’ let the shit simmer down and Miles do his thing before I got on my bullshit.
TWENTY-TWO
Diamond.
I gave my classroom one final look before I gathered my phone and purse and got ready to head out. Mrs. Marge had flown in earlier to steal Keona away since I was flying into Crescent Falls with Kabria later. I was going to leave her with Ms. Joyce, but she insisted. There was some kind of end of summer festival going on in Miller’s Pointe and she wanted to take her, so she came to get her for the weekend. It ended up working out for me since I was leaving anyway.
I made my way through the center and was halfway out of the door when Wanda called for me. “Diamond, I know you’re headed out, but do you have a second?”
“Yeah, of course,” I stepped back inside. “What’s up?”
“It’s about the email you sent me,” she started, and my heartbeat immediately picked up.
“Yes, about that… I know I’ve been missing days?—”
She gently lifted her hand. “I’m not reprimanding you,” she smiled softly. “I just want to make sure you’re not stressing yourself out over something that isn’t true.”
My brows furrowed. “I-what do you mean?”
“You think that life happening and you taking on your niece has knocked you out of the running for the director position.”
When she paused for my reply, I didn’t say anything because that was exactly what I thought. She noticed and laughed lightly.
“Diamond, I’ve been running this center for over twenty years. I know what dedication looks like, and I know what heart looks like. You have both in spades.” She reached to grab my hand, giving me an assuring look and smile. “There isn’t a single person in this building that I trust more to step into this role. Not one,” she reassured. “I don’t care that you have a personal life. We all do. Iexpectmy staff to have one actually,” she chuckled. “What I care about is who you are in these walls,” she waved her hand around the space. “Your presence is felt by every child, staff member, and parent each time you’re here. That’s all that matters to me.”
I nodded, wiping away the lone tear that had escaped. “I -I just don’t want you to think I don’t want it anymore, or that I can’t handle it.”
She laughed and waved me off. “If I thought that, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, trust me. I want you to walk out of here knowing you are very much still in consideration,” she said then added, “as a matter of fact, you’re my first choice. Always have been.” She smiled. “So don’t worryany more, Diamond. Go see your man, and have a blast this weekend, them come back Tuesday, because we both know that man isn’t going to let you up for air with a baby free weekend, ready to keep doing what you’ve been doing.”
She pulled me into a hug before letting me know that was all she wanted and that I could go. I thanked her one last time before I left and raced home. I’d already packed, so all I had to do was get my things and meet my best friend, who was driving us to the airport.
Kabria showed up minutes after I did, so I left back out just as quickly as I had come. Makhai offered for her to stay with us at his place because he had plenty of room for her, but apparently Hulk was going to be there too making a special appearance, so she planned to leave with him.
