Page 58 of Taeja

“I did not call you here to argue. I was hoping Teddy spoke to you about your behavior so I could consider giving you a second chance.”

Scoffing, she looked at him. “I didn’t stay long enough to hear what Teddy had to say.”

Jerry scowled. “Your blatant disrespect for your grandmother is—”

“A disrespect you call it?” Taeja retorted.

“Yes! It is disrespect!” Jerry hissed through clenched teeth.

“It’s disrespect because I’m not going to let Teddy try to rule me like she did with Cassedi?” Taeja asked, returning Jerry’s glare. “Yu nuh realize that your mother still rule your head ina your big age? This is exactly why Cassedi leff yu, and it was only a matter of time until I left, too.”

Jerry’s body shook as his hand tightened into a fist. “This disgusting attitude of yours is why you will not make it far in life. Just like your mother! I hope that young man out there knows what he is signing up for. I would hate for him to waste his time on a whore.”

A new voice entered the conversation. “What did you just say?”

11

Her heart dropped toher feet. She should’ve known that Damon wouldn’t listen. Her guys were nothing if not stubborn. “Damon, he didn’t say anything,” she insisted. “Please go bac—”

Jerry scoffed. “No, doh hide who yu be from him! You should know all about your girlfriend and if she is worth being with. Go on and tell him how much of a whore y—”

Jerry’s words got knocked out of his mouth.

Taeja gasped. She froze as Damon landed another powerful blow toward Jerry. Jerry narrowly dodged it before his fist went flying toward Damon’s face.

“Unu stop it!” Taeja exclaimed. She didn’t move from her position, she knew better. Both men were stronger than her, and she had to admit that she was worried for Damon despite his buff build. Her Damon was always so sweet, and as old as her father was, Jerry always bragged about how good of a fighter he was back in his day. And as she stood there, watching the two grown men tussle, it proved to be true.

Grunts, fists, and expletives exchanged between the two, making tears swell in Taeja’s eyes. Pulling her phone out, she called the only person she thought could de-escalate this situation.

Zain.

He answered on the first ring.

“Zain,” she cried, not taking her eyes off the men tussling on the floor.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his tone dark.

“Can you come to my dad’s house, please? Damon and Jerry are fighting, and I-I don’t know what to do.”

Zain hung up.

Taeja wasn’t sure how far away he was, but she didn’t want the situation to escalate before he arrived. She ran to the garage and searched for a bucket. She grabbed a hose and filled it with cold water. Taeja moved as fast as she could with the heavy bucket, groaning as water spilled over the sides and splashed onto the floors. By the time she reached the foyer, the bucket was half empty, and her father and Damon were bleeding.

Quickly, she ran over and tossed the water on them, but the men didn’t break up their fight. “Damon, stop!” she pleaded again, her cries falling on deaf ears. Desperate for them not to kill each other, she ran back to the garage and filled up another bucket with cold water. Tears blinded her vision as she stumbled over her feet back to the foyer, sounds of fists meeting skin and groans of pain leading her way.

Arriving in the foyer, she prepared to douse them with the water again when the front door opened. Taeja’s head whipped in the direction. Seeing Zain, she released a quiet breath and dropped the bucket onto the wet floor.

Zain did a quick assessment of the room before his attention locked on her. He did a slow scan of her, tension leaving his body, before he looked at Jerry and Damon.

“Stop stand up and do sum!” she yelled at Zain.

Zain narrowed his eyes on Damon, who straddled Jerry and landed ferocious blows to his face. “Why?”

Taeja’s mouth slackened. “Wa yu mean why?! Dem gon kill each other!”

Zain crossed his arms, leaning on the wall behind him. His eyes shone and a small smirk crawled on his face. “Damon, take your thumb out your fist.”

Taeja went into more shock. She called Zain for help, and he came to coach Damon? These three men were bound to be the death of her.

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