Page 34 of Mr. Blackwood

“I’ve got other bills, Jay—bills you don’t know shit about”

“What other bills that I don’t know about? I put you up in that condo, set up all the amenities and utilities, and I have them automatically deducted from an account. What is it that you have that I don’t know about?”

“I owe some people, Jay. My debts are past due, and I’ve got a mountain of debt still growing day by day. Interest ain’t cheap, Son. It’s the least you can do for me!”

I scoffed and shook my head before I pushed off my desk. I walked to the wall of windows, shoved my hands in my pockets, and looked out on the sidewalk downtown.

“You’ve got a nice view here, Son. A corner office with three walls of windows. You’ve got deep pockets, and I know you can make shit go away. You ain’t got no problem doing it.” His anger had turned into an appeasing and pleading tone.

My jaw clenched, and fire shot through my veins. He had come to stand beside me, and I turned my fiery gaze his way. “I don’t have a problem doing that, especially when the problem impacts me. But problems that don’t have shit to do with me—well, they can linger for all I give a fuck.”

“Jay, I need the money.”

“How much?”

“A hundred grand.”

I spun around and glared at him. He was like a cancer eating at my bones. This wouldn’t stop. If I paid a hundred grand, he’d be back soon for more.

“Leave.”

“I need it, Jay!”

“You need to quit drinking and gambling. You think I don’t know where these debts come from? Now you owe some loan shark, and you want me to come through. I’m not doing it.”

“Please.”

“I’m not giving you another dime. I’ll pay your bills, but you need to get a job.”

“I’ve got a job!”

“You have jobs that you may or may not get picked up at the hardware stores for daily, but you don’t have a consistent job.”

“Why should I get a job when my son is worth billions? Huh?”

I walked closer to him and got in his face. “I worked my ass off to get those billions, and I refuse to be used! Besides, we both know why you need a job.”

“If you don’t give me the money, I might be killed.”

“You need to face your problems, because I’m not bailing you out again. Now leave!”

He walked away from me and stopped at the door. I walked closer to him with every threat he issued.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Your actions drove me to become an alcoholic and a gambler. If you hadn’t destroyed our family, I wouldn’t be in this dark place. You can run from your past and your sins, but they will eventually catch up to you. You can’t outrun the truth forever; one day the world will know,” he threatened.

“You turned your back on me when I needed you the most. You said fuck me because I chose to fight—chose to live!”

“Is that what you tell yourself to make yourself feel better?”

I reached around him and opened the door. “Pops, you need to leave, and don’t ever fucking threaten me again.”

“Why, Jamal? You gon’ kill me too, just like you did Malik?”

“Malik is dead, and so is Jamal. Get the fuck over it.”

My dad shook his head and turned to walk away. I glanced out of the office door, and a sigh of relief escaped me when I noticed that Frankie was nowhere to be seen.

***