I sat there for a second, lettin’ that process.
Then I looked at him. “Man?—”
“I’m serious, nigga,” he cut me off. “Don’t show yo’ hand yet nigga. Let these crooked muthafuckas keep thinkin’ we dumb to shit so they can slip and fall on they ass. You just keep doin’ what you been doin’. We gon’ handle the rest. That nigga gon’ come up off that footage one way or another.”
I leaned back a lil’, noddin’ slow.
“A’ight then...”
My’Love finished eatin’, so I lifted her up and sat her on my lap, holdin’ her up with one hand under her chin while I used the other to pat her back. She stayed upright against me, her head steady while her eyes moved around the room, landin’ on Renza like she was really watchin’ him.
He smirked. “Yeah… shit ‘bout to get ugly for them niggas. They gon’ learn the hard way.”
Then he looked at My’Love. “Ain’t that right, ‘Lo’Lo?”
Right on cue, she let out a lil’ burp while I was still pattin’ her back.
We all laughed.
“See,” I said, smirkin’. “She hear you.”
I stood up and stepped over to Renza, wrapin’ my arm around him halfway and pullin’ him in.
“Appreciate you,” I said low.
He nodded. “You already know, nigga.”
I turned to Kelli and shook his hand, then pulled him in for a quick hug. “Real talk… I appreciate you too.”
“It’s nothin’,” he said.
Renza looked at me. “What you ‘bout to do?”
“It’s late as hell,” I said. “I’m ‘bout to get back in bed with my wife.”
He laughed. “Go ahead then.”
I walked out, headin’ back up the stairs with My’Love in my arms, kissin’ her face while she looked up at me.
By the time I made it back to the room, Toni was still laid up how I left her, on her side, her legs stretched out and her skin glowin’ in the low light.
I smiled. “Here go yo’ baby.”
She reached for her, smilin’ and kissin’ all over her face the second she got her.
I dropped my sweatpants, pulled my shirt off, and climbed back in bed with them.
Toni laid My’Love in the middle of us, and we both leaned in, kissin’ on her, and talkin’ to her softly while her eyes looked back and forth between us.
I lay there for a minute, just watchin’ them.
Everything I needed was right here, and for the first time in a minute, I felt real clear that I was close to gettin’ out this shit. I was close to bein’ free, and close to movin’ forward with my life the way I been tryin’ to.
With my wife… and with my baby.
Trill-Land, ’LoLux Estate
After findin’ out that the investigator that handled my shop was really on bullshit, a nigga was feelin’ a way I couldn’t even shake if I tried. That shit sat on me heavy, and the more days passed, the worse it got, ’cause it wasn’t just about the case no more. It was about how deep this shit really went, and how a nigga who was supposed to be doin’ his job came in my space, saw everything for what it was, and still chose to play with my life like it ain’t mean nothin’.
