Page 7 of Heart of a Savage
I didn’t know what my father was thinking, but something in the milk wasn’t clean to me. Oliver was only twenty-six years old, and the nigga was a square. He didn’t do hard drugs or drink, so his early departure wasn’t normal. However, I didn’t put anything past anybody. His ass could have been a low-key drug addict.
“Thank you, baby girl,” Papi finally said.
She nodded. “Do you want me to set up a meeting with the team to get someone else in his place?”
“Will you? Try to get one as early as tomorrow morning. Let Alyssa deliver the message and tell them that it’s mandatory.”
“Okay.” She walked back out of the office as I looked out of the window.
“What you thinking, big bro?” Mike asked me. It was common for them to ask my thoughts because I had always been a thinker.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. O has been around for a minute. We knew him well enough to know he was a health nut. Sounds like foul play.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Mo replied.
“But why? He wasn’t a threat to the company,” Papi stated.
“Who knows? He may have had some extra shit going on outside of slanging houses,” Mo said, taking the thoughts out of my head.
“Shit, well… I guess we can figure out who’s next on the list tomorrow.” Papi stood from his seat, and we all followed suit. Once we made it out of the conference room, he stopped us. “When I chose you boys to stand beside me as my partners, I expected you all to show up and out. With your uncle retired, I didn’t see anyone else taking his place besides you guys. I know it’s tough, but you are all built for it, and I know you all will do me proud.
“Your mother is requiring more of my time, and I’m getting older. It’s time I step back and enjoy the rest of my years, not overworking and giving my wife my time and the vacations she deserves.”
“We understand, Papi. We got you. And I’ll make sure I rise to the occasion,” Moses assured him.
Papi smiled and kissed us all on our foreheads before he left the building.
I honestly wanted him to cut out the street side of our businesses. It wasn’t necessary anymore since we were making so much money on the legit side. However, my father loved money and wanted it from all directions. I wanted no parts inthe street shit. We had all we needed between C&C and the realty company.
Although I loved my brothers, they were too afraid to speak up about their dislike for the street business. It was fun when we first started, but as we grew older, our palates began to change, and we were more thirsty for longevity. As their older brother, I knew they looked up to me and wanted me to take the lead and speak for them. Eventually, I would, but since Papi was officially retiring, it was going to be hard to convince him to let it go right now with all the other changes happening.
“Poker tonight?” Mike asked.
“I’m down,” Mo replied.
“Can’t. I promised MJ movie night,” I said, heading toward my office.
“Nigga, you lame now. You still playing house with FTS?” Mike asked as Mo chuckled. I smirked and flipped his ass the bird.
Jalea was my son’s mother, and as much as I hated her tacky ass, I couldn’t deny that she was a good mother to my son. One drunken night had me fucking a stranger, and she wound up pregnant. I denied my seed for a year because I felt like the broad was lying and trying to trap me. She did just that, and after the DNA results came back, I immediately took my son from her.
I only kept her around because she was the mother of my seed. We were not in love; we didn’t cuddle and do date nights, and she slept in the west wing of the house while Messiah Jr. and I slept in the east wing. If it weren’t for my son wanting her there, her ass would be in her own house and far the hell away from me until I needed her ass.
Mike and Mo always clowned on her, saying she was for the streets; hence the reason he called her FTS. I didn’t give a fuck, though. She only served two purposes in my life: to take care of my son and give me head or pussy whenever I wanted it. SinceI didn’t go around sticking my dick or tongue in just anybody, she was all I needed until I found someone else more interesting. Her ugly ass was trying to make magic happen between us, and I immediately shut her down.
She may have a degree and be decent-looking, but I would never put a ring on her finger. She was smart, but she lacked in other areas where I could never see myself giving her something as sacred as my last name. I couldn’t see myself marrying anybody, honestly. All I needed was my son. He was the only person besides my moms, Maddie, and our other little sister, Piper, who got the nice side of me. Everyone else’s access to my heart was denied.
“You need to go find you somebody and stop worrying about what the fuck I be doing.”
They laughed until Mike said, “Yeah, okay. Tell my nephew I’ll be over tomorrow so we can go play ball.”
“Peace,” I told them, chucking them the deuces. All I wanted to do was take my ass home and relax.
Putting in the security code, I walked inside my home, and my eyes ballooned at the number of kids flopping around in my living room. Anger instantly seared me as I stood in place watching Jalea’s four nephews and two nieces in my living room, running around like it was an amusement park.
“Yooo! Are y’all serious?” I roared. Every last one of their bad asses dropped to the floor like it was a fire drill. MJ hid behind the couch as if I couldn’t see him. “MJ, come here!”
He stood from his hiding spot and begrudgingly made his way to me.
