Page 11 of A Toxic Redemption

"What bitch has you skinning and grinning?"

A dark shadow formed over me and in the form of my hoe-ass ex. Mia was pretty as hell. I'd never deny that. She was still thick in all the right places but looked slightly off. I'm used to seeing her hair done, smiling, and rocking the latest apparel. Before me was a simple woman in a t-shirt and leggings. Her head, which would usually be full of expensive weave, was sporting a simple bushy ass ponytail. All in all, baby mama looked dusty as a muhfucka.

"That's one thing your sneaky pussy ass doesn't need to be concerned with," I spat as I pocketed my phone. "Have a seat because we need to talk."

"Khalil, why are you talking to me like this?" she asked as she sat on the bench beside me. "There was a time when you worshipped the ground I walked on."

"Talk to you like what?" I side-eyed her before I put my attention on KJ. I shook my head at him playing in the dirt with some little white girl. I was crazy as hell for bringing him out here with white shoes on. "Like the rat bitch that you are. Girl, you better be glad I'm talking at all because my spirit is telling me to beat your muhfuckin' ass for the way you played me."

"I'm sorry." Her voice trembled. "I fucked up for that, and I wish I hadn't done it. It was just that we were in a dark space, and I needed attention. You were never around."

"Never around?" I chuckled and shook my head at the audacity. "I was always working to make sure you lived the life you dreamed of Mia." I turned to face her, and the tears that streamed down her face didn't move me at all. "I would have done anything for you, and you know that. I wanted to make you my fuckin' wife, bruh. If you felt like we were having issues, you could have come and talked to me because I would have moved heaven and earth to fix it."

"It's not too late." She placed her hand on mine. "We share a son now, and I would love more than anything for us to be a family."

"Girl, if you don't unhand me, I will break your fuckin' wrist," I gritted. "Touch me again, and I will make sure your body is never found." With the quickness, she snatched it back. I didn't know if Mia was on drugs or what, but she had me fucked up if she thought we would ever take that route again. "Tell me why you never told me I had a son and how he knows I'm his father."

"When I got pregnant, I didn't know who the father was," Mia hesitantly admitted as she looked around until her eyes landed on KJ. "I wanted him to be Kaine's because I thought the grasswas greener. When KJ was born, I knew he didn't belong to him. I was too afraid to tell Kaine or reach out to you—"

"But you named him KJ," I cut her off. "Kaine had to have known he wasn't his if he was my junior."

"Well," she fidgeted, "initially, he was named after Kaine. He felt like his features were too similar to yours instead of his, so he did an at-home DNA test behind my back. So, when KJ was around six months old, I changed his name from Kaine to Khalil."

"Bitch, you're pitiful." I looked up, and KJ noticed his mother and wildly waved before he continued to go down the slide. "Why in the fuck didn't you get in touch to tell me? You know I would have accepted my son. Kaine talked to mama all the time and didn't say shit."

"But would you have accepted me?" she asked as I turned to her. Frowning, she had my answer. "Exactly. I wouldn't be able to handle you accepting my baby and not me. I love you too much for that. KJ was shown pictures since he was old enough to remember who his father was. That's why he recognized you. As long as he knew who his daddy was, that's all that mattered to me."

"Man, how are we splitting custody?" I stopped her because I didn't want to hear that shit. She was pissing me off, and I was trying not to spaz out on her in front of these kids. "There is no way I'm letting you leave town with him."

"Split custody?" she shrieked. "I'm offering for us to be a family, and you want to split custody? I want a family for us, Khalil, and that is why I decided to come back and let you even meet him. Either we're together as a family, or I'm leaving town."

I stood from my seat and glared at her menacingly. The people closest to us were beginning to stare, and that was a sign for me to get my kid and leave. It was too many witnesses outhere for me to kill this bitch. So, instead of arguing with her like I knew she wanted me to, I grabbed my son's bag so we could bounce.

"Come on, man." I walked over to the swing set with Mia on my heels. "Let's go get that ice cream you wanted."

"Cupcakes too, Da?" He looked at me with pleading eyes. "I can't have one without the other. Plus, I want to see Debin. She's so pretty, and I like her."

"Who is he talking about, Khalil?" Mia yelled as I picked him up. "You better not have any bitches around my son! You know what? Give him to me!"

Mia reached for KJ and began tugging on him. I snatched away as best as I could so she wouldn't hurt him. Yeah, she's truly lost her fuckin' mind, but I had no issue with helping her find it.

"No, mama!" he cried. "I don't want to go with you! I want to stay with my daddy!"

"Bring your little ass here, KJ," she gritted as she reached for him once more. "You're not staying with this nigga because he doesn't want us."

"No bitch, I don't wantyou," I growled as I pushed her away. "If you ever touch him like that again, I will make sure you're nothing but a memory, Mia. Stop testing me before you flunk out bitch." I am trying my best to keep shit copasetic with this wench, but she is testing me and my trigger finger.

"He's my son, and you will not keep him!" she shouted angrily at my back.

Ignoring her, I rubbed KJ's back and assured him everything would be okay. His cries were breaking me down, and I had to get us both out of here. "I'm going to get you that ice cream and cupcakes, okay, man?" I put him in the truck and made sure he was strapped in. "You ready?"

"Yes, sir," he whimpered. "Is mama mad at me? She hurt my arm."

"She didn't mean to, buddy," I gritted as I tussled his curls. "She's not mad at you either."

KJ said nothing as he looked down into his lap. I felt fucked up for the way he was looking and feeling. After ensuring he was okay, I closed the door and abruptly turned to face a still belligerent Mia. She was shocked at my suddenness and stumbled back slightly.

"Aight, look." I pulled my Glock from behind my back and held it at my side. I looked around, and thankfully, there weren't any kids in this lot. "Make that the last time you ever grab on him like that. I will put a bullet in between your eyes if you ever make him cry again."

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