Page 51 of Regancy & Savior
“My life, Amil.” I finished his sentence and reminded him of that fact. “He is your boss, and he is whoever he his wherever, but I don’t need him to protect me or my child. I’ve been doing that myself for the last eight years, so I don’t expect that from another who just came into my life.”
He released a nervous air that had probably built up in his lungs. “I know. I’m not trying to?—”
I walked over to him and reached up, fixing his collar. “I know. You’re just looking out for me. I get it, Mil, and I love you for that, but I’m good.”
He looked me over and nodded. “Where are you headed?”
“To meet Savior. He and Kale are at the dock waiting for me.” We exited my office and walked toward the front. By the time we reached the door, Beck was holding it out for me. He was quiet and rarely spoke, but he was always there, always watching, even though I often felt alone.
“Yo, you Regancy, right?” I looked up and locked eyes with the figure in front of me. It was a man that I didn’t recognize.
“Who wants to know?” Amil recognized my confusion and spoke up.
“This is for you.” He handed me a piece of paper. “You’ve been served.”
I looked down at the stack of papers in my hand and snatched them open. The words began to blur as soon as I saw what they said. I recognized the wordcustodyon the papers before everything around me went dark and I heard Amil yell my name. I was being sued for custody of Kale.
SAVIOR
I stood at the end of the hospital bed staring at Regancy with nothing but death in my eyes. When Amil called me earlier telling me that she collapsed in front of her restaurant, I could’ve murdered anybody trying to stop me from getting to her. I had to keep my cool while Kale was near, but I wanted blood. I looked at the court paperwork, and I swear everything in me wanted to handle that shit before she opened her eyes, but I didn’t want to be gone when she opened her eyes. I needed her to see that I was there. Shit, Ineededto see her look at me so I could know that she was fine.
“Why the fuck isn’t she up?” I asked the doctor as she checked her blood pressure for the third time since I’d gotten here.
“She is tired. She needs her rest. Her blood pressure spiked, but it’s slowly normalizing.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I looked at the doctor, studying her before my eyes went back to Regancy.But I need her to wake up. I need her to look at me and stop me from the thoughtless moves that I’m ready to make.
Hearing footsteps, I glanced over my shoulder, and Taurus stood there, looking at me. I could see in his eyes that he didn’t know what to say. Neither did I. I wasn’t used to that shit. I wasn’t used to feeling like I needed somebody. Seconds later, my eyes glossed over Kale. She fell asleep on the way there, so I didn’t have to explain this shit to her. Once the doctor walked out of the room, I approached her bed and just looked at her. She looked so fucking comfortable at rest. If only she knew I was on the verge of murdering the entire judicial system in search ofthe sick motherfucker who thought it was smart to seek custody of the child he created during a rape. I wanted his blood on my hands, and I intended to get it if it was the last thing I did. She had become an intricate part of my life, and I’d be damned if a motherfucker interrupted the peace inside.
“Amil said their mother will be here to get Kale.”
I didn’t respond. I kept my eyes on her.
“What sick motherfucker wants custody of the child that was conceived during a rape that he got away with?” I asked aloud.
“A dead man,” Taurus responded from behind me
His words voiced exactly what I was feeling. I did good keeping my ass out of the streets and curbing my desire to be the same young nigga I used to be. I was a bull, but the money slowed me down, and I only stepped in when necessary, but I felt like I was being summoned back to my murderous ways. My thoughts were interrupted by frantic footsteps entering behind me.
“I got a name of the judge who signed off this shit. I could go get a name out of—” Amil spoke from behind me.
“Nope. I’m going myself.” I had people to handle my shit for me, but that shit was personal. It was a matter of the heart, which muddied the water and woke up beast. Niggas didn’t know how I was coming behind mine, but they damn sure would soon.When did I get here?
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
REGANCY
If only thatnight never happened, then I wouldn’t be haunted. I wouldn’t feel like a man I didn’t know had so much power over me. If that night never happened, then I wouldn’t have her. I wouldn’t have the little person who gave me a reason to open my eyes every day when all I felt like doing was dying. I wouldn’t have my Kale. Without the evil, I wouldn’t have the good. I had to remind myself of that while I lay in this bed listening to Savior’s constant sighing and heavy breathing. My eyes weren’t even open, but I felt how heavy his mind was right now. I felt it all, and all I wanted to do was reassure him. How could I, though? I didn’t even know if I would be okay, considering the fact that the man who raped me, taking away my innocence nine years ago, wanted custody of my baby. The fact that whomever he was wanted anything to do with her even bothered me. How dare he have such audacity?
“You are loved, baby. Now I need you to wake up before this man goes and does something that he can’t take back.” My mother’s words echoed in my ear.
The thing was I wasn’t ready, and neither was the constant banging of my head, but it happened anyways. The next thing I knew, I was looking at around a dark room. I assumed it was a while after my mama spoke to me because her words were echoing in my head for a while before I had any type of reaction to them. The sound of shuffling on the side of the bed made me turn toward it, and there he was. He was leaned against the hospital bed with his head rested in his palms. He was worried or had other things on his mind. I rested my hand on his head, and his reaction would’ve made me laugh had I not been too groggy. I was extremely tired.
“Re!” He popped up, and his tired eyes were on mine. Before I could utter a word, his hand was on the side of my face, and he was peering at me deeply. I could see the trouble in his eyes.
“The baby?” I questioned.
