Page 134 of Just Listen
Sincere Junior nodded, before standing, and then helping Riah do the same. “Come, baby. Let’s go see what they got to eat around here.”
We all watched them leave the room, before my daddy cleared his throat. “Now, it’s just my me, my wife, you, and Jaylah.”
Malice paused for a moment. “Can Jaylah leave the room too?”
“Nope,” my mama immediately spoke up. “That’s one thing you gone have to learn. In order to truly protect her, then she has to know it all. Leaving her in the blind is how shit happens. And if you think that she’s too fragile for it, then y’all aint got no business together, anyway.”
“Listen to the woman when she speaks,” my daddy co-signed, making me smirk.
“Okay.” Malice nodded. “My people have been hitting Drop from every angle. Burning down his investments. Construction sites, you name it. Chopping him right at the knees. He’s out the game, so his resources are limited. Niggas are just moving off favors or promises to get on. Basically niggas with nothing to lose. In the meantime, we forced him out of his house, and his back is against the wall. This play today was probably out of desperation. Two of those niggas on the ground were crack heads from the hood.”
I frowned, feeling confused as fuck. “But, baby, how…how were you handling any of this, while you never left the house?”
He glimpsed at me. “Either overly emotional muthafuckas or workers get in the field. I aint neither one. Whenever something happens, I’m clear across town, and that’s by design. I already earned my stripes. I put in the work to get where I am today. So, my life aint filled with day-to-day hood politics. If I do indulge, then it’s at my leisure. Putting in work in most cases is no more than a in-person verbal command, or one-worded text.”
“Oh.” Was all that I could say to that.
“So, you saying that you got this shit under control?” My daddy furrowed a brow.
“I’ll never get ahead of myself,” Malice assured. “That’s a dead man’s mistake. Drop still gotta be dealt with directly, and until then…my people go wherever we go.”
My daddy nodded. “Okay. Got it. Now, come walk with me outside. It’s some other shit I wanna discuss with you.”
Malice stood up, and followed my daddy out of the room, leaving me and my mama alone.
“Whew, that was a lot,” my mama commented.
“Yeah, it was.” I squinted. “But where’s the angry tears and lecture, mama?” I had to know, because my parents’ responses to everything that had been discussed were brow raising, to say the least. Even with my daddy. He’d expressed some frustration, but I knew him. He wasn’t mad-mad.
“A lecture for what, Jaylah?” Raven questioned. “When you told me about that boy when you were pregnant with Khari, we did our homework then. The streets didn’t have a lot to say, but we know all the right people. So, we knew that he moves in silence. Knew that he was considered a boss. A multi-millionaire. A killer. But he was Khari’s daddy. You weren’t with him, so no conversation was had at the time. And when he did come around…me and your daddy knew that there was nothing we could do. Khari was here. Y’all have ties, regardless. And maybe the Jahrein from a few years ago would’ve attempted to still shut it down. However, he’s older and wiser now. He literally used to be Malice. So, he knows that if you chose to love that boy, then wasn’t a damn thing that we could do about it. So, we’re not here to pick and choose the man you love,Jaylah. We’re just your village, and here when shit gets rough, or you can’t handle it on your own. We’ll gladly step in. So, don’t ever think that you can’t come to us, because you’re scared that we’ll waste time trying to tear down y’all relationship. We love whoever you love, and only experience and time will teach you what’s best for you. Not us.”
***
“Nigga, wait!” Riah fussed. “I’m not done talking.”
I lightly snickered, as I listened to my sister fend off Sin J.
“Right, tell that nigga to back the fuck up,” Jhyrah playfully fussed. “We’re talking.”
Holding the phone to my ear, I remained quiet, because I honestly wasn’t in a talking mood. I was heavily in my feelings, and my sisters were holding me hostage on a three-way call.
Today was Zae’s funeral, and I was not okay. Regardless of us ultimately not working out, there’s no way that I wanted things to end like this. He was gone and never coming back, and the only time I could shed tears was when I’d run off to the bathroom, claiming that I had to pee.
I was in the weirdest space. Somebody had murdered Zae. His car had crashed into a random curb, after it had been riddled with bullets. The police had no suspects. His mama had called me bawling. And I hadn’t spoken a word about it to Malice. He had to know. So, since he hadn’t even bothered addressing it, I couldn’t help but assume that he was responsible.
For a brief moment, I’d considered attending the funeral, but it was my mama who’d advised me against it. While we were alone, we’d discussed Zae…without me divulging the fact that Malice had Claro killed. Even without that piece of information,she felt that it was best that I steered clear. As she spoke, I could’ve sworn that she knew more than she was letting on, as she implied that I didn’t need to go around Zae’s family, before someone started pointing fingers. Not to mention that it might’ve caused problems between me and Malice. But the real tea was that I still couldn’t go anywhere without him, so I was bullshitting myself when I entertained the notion of seeing the likes of that funeral.
“Riah, maybe we should go over to Jaylah’s and get somebody to do some in-house massages,” Jhyrah suggested.
Riah sucked her teeth. “Did you forget that her pregnant ass can’t get the regular massage, right now?”
“Oh, damn. She is over there knocked up.”
Everybody had been teasing me since I’d announced my pregnancy via the family group chat a few days ago.
“Yup. And remember how she used to laugh at us? Now, look at her. Gone have two under two.”
“Aint nothing wrong with it. I think that her and Malice can handle it,” Jhyrah offered.
