Page 48 of Hired By My Rich Baby Daddy

“Look! Summer school is your responsibility because YOU wanted her lil’ ass to go. She can read, add, subtract, and all that just fine. She be pretending," she said, patting her weave, and my jaw tightened. “And Rah don't gotta do nothing for her, PB. That's your daughter."

"See, that's where you wrong. And close ya fucking robe!" I knew she wanted me to see her body. She always tried to get a rise out of me, despite her having a man, but that ship sailed like a muthafucka.

"How am I wrong?" she quizzed, tightening her robe.

"Because at the end of the day, he’s a man." I raised my voice since she was clearly not understanding. "And a man supposed to step up in whatever house he laying up in!”

She scoffed. “I hear you PB."

I nodded at the house. “If he’s here, and y'all living together, and y'all doing the whole family thing in there, then why amI stopping what I'm doing to bring you money for her to eat? Money for summer school clothes? I brought the book bags, the pencils, the folders, all of it, out my pocket. And I don't mind none of that. That's my seed. But when is he gone step up and do some stepdad shit?"

She looked off down the street. "Whatever. You have the money, you rich. What’s the problem?"

I didn’t even respond. I pulled the money out and put it in her hand, and she started counting it right there in front of me like she always did.

Me and Paisley were never together. We were never a couple, never dated, never had one conversation about being in a relationship.

Every venue, every after-party, every hotel lobby, there were hundreds of women tryna get at Ozy Love and whoever he had in his circle. They didn’t give a fuck what any of us looked like. They just wanted to be able to say they messed with him or his people.

Paisley was one of them girls. I met her, she said, ‘Oh, you Ozy Love’s lil’ brother?’ Sucked me up, and man, that head was so fire I had to try the pussy. We messed around for maybe five months, straight fucking, no dates, no kissing in the mouth, no matching PJs for Christmas, none of that shit. Then she called me talking about she was pregnant.

And for the first five years, we were good. Real good. Never had one issue. She was never the bitter baby mama, never kept my child from me, never played none of them games. We could talk on the phone for twenty minutes about nothing. She'd send me Summer's report card, and I'd send her money for her hair without her even asking.

Then Rah came around two years ago.

And I watched my daughter's mama turn into somebody I didn’t know. She got short with me, started taking three days to answer the phone, needing money way more than she used to forstuff that ain't add up. Pais started saying things I knew for a fact wasn't her words. Sounded like somebody was standing right behind her, feeding them to her. And by somebody, I meant his broke ass.

And this the part that really get me. Rah knew exactly who I was and that Ozy Love was my blood. He was using her, and her dumbass was the only one who didn’t realize it.

"Pais."

"What?"

I examined her face, stepping closer to her. "Is he hitting you?"

Her hands stopped counting. Only for a second, but I caught it. She folded the money up and put it in her titty.

"No. Why would you ask me that?"

I ain't blink. "Are you lying to me?"

"No, PB. He ain't hitting me. Dang."

I held her eyes for a long time, but it was something behind them. I ain't push, though.

The screen door creaked.

Rah was in the doorway now, shoulder on the frame, blunt in his fingers. He ain't say nothing. Just looked at me. Took a pull, held it, then tapped his ash right on the porch, watching me the whole time.

He blew the smoke out the side of his mouth, still looking at me.

I wanted to rock his shit so bad, but I had way more to lose than he did. Pais was right. I was rich. I made a killing being security for my brother, so much so that I created my own security business. So not only was I his head of security, but my staff provided security to some of the biggest and richest names in the world.

I wanted for nothing, and I lived lavishly in a house that was half a million dollars. He knew that, so he taunted me with looks and laughs every time.

"DADDY!"

Summer came flying out the house past him, barefoot with her braids and hair beads swinging. Seven years old, going on thirty-nine.