Page 36 of A Hood Wife And A Rich Goon

“Uncle Eazy,” Bijou repeated.

“Damn. You still got this?” Dropping into a chair, he lifted the album to his lap and flipped through it.

Bijou stood right at his side, leaning against his knee as he sifted through the memories. Bull spent plenty of nights reminiscing while putting his babies to sleep. He would tell them all about Bronx, Eazy, Oracle, and all the shit they got into when they were young and reckless.

“I ready, Daddy.” Breeze burst into the room, holding his backpack in one hand, and Jou’s in his other.

When Eazy turned, his breath stopped. Something in the little boy’s eyes instantly reminded him of Bronx, and his hardened stare moved to Bull in question. Without a word, he lowered his head. Suddenly, all the confusion in the last few years made sense. Eazy needed no further explanation.

“You Uncle Eazy.” Breeze recognized him too.

Beaming with pride, he took in Bull’s children, both enamored with him being in their presence. It felt good to know he’d made sure they knew him, even if he wasn’t around.

“What’s up, youngin’.” Eazy dapped little man up.

“This is Breeze, that’s Bijou. We call her Jou, or Jou Jou,” Bull informed him. “Breeze, take Jou into the TV room. I’ll let you know when it’s time to go.”

“Okay. Come on, Jou Jou.” Breeze grabbed his sister’s hand, and she let him lead her into the hallway and toward the informal space they shared as a family.

Both Bull and Eazy watched after them until they were gone.

“That’s Bronx’s boy.” Eazy stated the obvious.

“As far as I’m concerned, and especially him, that’s my son.” Bull was firm with his words when he nodded to where Breeze left.

“Is that why you did it?” Eazy asked, peering across the velvet button-tufted ottoman style coffee table.

Toni was always worried about the kids falling or hitting their heads, so most of the furniture in the house was circle shaped or had a rounded edge. Clasping his hands together, Bull pondered his words before nodding.

“At first, I thought that’s what it was. She told me she was pregnant, and I couldn’t do what Braxton ordered. I thought about Bronx and what he would want.” Bull shook his head.

“So, tell me what you know,” Eazy urged him.

Before they could even delve into their conversation, Toni floated down the staircase. In distressed stonewashed jeans that were tight at her ankles and hips but ballooned around her calves and mid-thigh, she paired it with a simple olive-green V-neck top. Pausing in the doorway in her short cut suede Ugg boots, she spotted Eazy seated across from her husband. Bull didn’t typically invite anyone over unless it had something to do with business. Ea looked familiar to her, though.

Probably because she’d gone through Bull’s albums a few times, too, trying to get to know him. He wasn’t exactly an open book, and he didn’t fuck with his family, so she had to dig around and be extra observant to figure him out.

Eazy fixated on Toni. Shorty was bad. Nobody could deny that. Her perceptive eyes bounced from Bull to him once again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had company. Are the kids ready?”

Eazy paused, briefly thrown from the sound of her voice. He didn’t know why aside from her being who she was. Still, something else nagged at him.

“In the other room.” Bull nodded over his shoulder.

“Okay.” Toni shot a quick stare at Eazy.

“Who are you?” she asked, unsettled from his piercing stare.

“My name is Eazy.” He cleared his throat.

“You were friends with Bronx, right?” She damn sure knew that name because she’d thought it was funny that was his street name.

“That’s right. You were his side bitch.” Eazy didn’t hold back.

Simpering, Toni bowed her head. She hated the title, but she had to eat that. It was the truth as far as anybody else was concerned. Bronx was dead, so he wasn’t there to validate anything that was between them. She found herself taking a lot of hits that were reserved for him over the years.

“Information I was privy to after he died.”