~Jayden~
It took me and Yonna a minute to come down from all the bullshit that piled up on us, and I hadn't been moving my stuff in until last week.
After all the shit I bought over the course of our separation, there would be more boxes in the living room by now, and more shit for me and my big men to go through and put up.
Ayeonna enjoyed the first trip of furniture though, because she liked to redecorate shit and she had been wanting to get rid of the furniture we already had. Today, we'd be expecting another load around three, and my baby said after we placed everything in it's proper place, we'd finally have a chance to have the boys asleep, and have some adult time to ourselves.
To tell you the truth, Ayeonna and me been tryin' to have some alone time, but it's different now that it's two kids in the house. Especially one you have to keep a strong eye on.
A few nights ago when I had Ayeonna's legs wrapped around my neck, and I had just licked my lips- admiring the new Brazilian wax she had gotten- there was a knock on the door, and a slight whimper from the other side.
It was Tre telling me he needed to see me, and that he wanted to talk in private because he had done something very bad, and didn't want Yonna to be hurt over it. I took him down into the kitchen and got him some orange juice, trying to stop him from trembling when he finally broke out in tears to tell me what he had done.
“Please, don't tell auntie,” he sniffled with fear pouring from his eyes heavier than the actual tears. “If you tell her, Uncle, she's gonna be mad, and she's gonna want to give me away, just like my mama.”
“Tre, talk to me,” I said lowly, trying not to screw my face at him so he wouldn't be afraid to tell me what the matter was.
“There was a puppy,” he sniffled, playing around with the glass I placed his orange juice in.
“Everybody were so happy when you were saying you were bringing the truck of the first load of stuff home, Uncle, but I didn't feel too happy. So I went walking out behind the backyard, in the ally, and saw a puppy. He was so cute, and all alone...” My inner brows rose with sympathy and the feeling of deep regret rose within me.
How could I not see his problem sooner and take him away when I could? I was so busy trying to save his father, and secure a safe future for him that I failed to focus on him himself. He couldn't finish telling me of the sick thing he had done to the innocent creature, but I knew he was sorry for what he had done. His face was completely wet with tears and snot, and he couldn't close his mouth while trying to breath.
I did what I should've done a long time ago and grabbed my nephew, held him close and pushed his head into my chest. One of my arms were wrapped around his shoulders, while the other only acted a shield of some kind to keep him from seeing or hearing anything, or from having any knew ideas come into his head with how it had pulled his head into my chest and kept it there. I kissed the top of his head, feeling a cloud of tears threaten.
My nephew needed help; professional help that I had been trying to avoid getting him. I had to be better than his parents. I had to be better than me. This wasn't something that a belt could make go away. It wasn't something that was just going to fade away on it own.
“Please don't let them take me, Uncle,” he cried into my wife beater. “Please. I'll try and be a good boy.” All there was to do was rock with him until he could try and calm himself. I've been a naïve teenager, drug dealer and woman abuser. I've been a whore, a murder, and a womanizer. I've never wanted to be a deadbeat dad or one who gives up on family.
Regardless of who Raphael Carter the Third was born to, he was still a human, and I couldn't give up on him. The next morning, I came to work, just to sort some things out before going back home.
Since JJ was the early bird who seemed to smell my cologne, he had the chance to come with me to get some paper work straight and some extra money out of my safe. Marlon would meet us here so we could organize a surprise trip for my wife and family. We wanted to take everyone out of the city just to enjoy themselves and breathe freely of drama and persecution.
JJ had his fun running around the club while Marlon and me sat in my office, just laughing and talking about nothing in particular, when Aubry ran up the stairs and stumbled through the door. Marlon barely caught her when he stood, and I hurried and hopped up on my feet to see who or what she had been running from. My first mind was to look out of the window that overlooked both stories of my club to check on my son. He was still swinging around on a bar stool, even though I had been telling him to stop before he falls off.
“Girl, what's wrong with you?” he asked her, trying to stand her up. “The news,” she panted, trying to catch her breath.
“In the kitchen, back there... escaped... convict... on the news.”
“Escaped convicted on the news,” Marlon repeated her, trying to get her to patch the holes in her sentence.
“Trevor.” My feet immediately went to work, most likely burning a trail on my carpeted floors, down to the elevator, clean on through the dance floor to scoop up my son. I pulled my phone out of my jean pocket, shushing my son while he kept asking where we were going and what was wrong, and my homie Marlon was right behind me. “You've reached Doctor Grayraven-” “Shit,” I cursed under my breath, then speed dialed her personal phone.
“Hey, you got Ayeonna! Leave it!”
“Fuck,” I drug out, then pushed my phone into my back pocket.
“Daddy, where are we going,” JJ asked me. “We're going home, son. Daddy has to drive really fast, so make sure you stay in that seat belt, you understand? And no standing up.”
“But I want to sit up front, daddy.”
“JJ, no. Just sit back and relax, okay?”
“Okay, daddy.”
“Ay, cuddy! Look alive!” Marlon alerted me. When I turned around, he was standing at the back of his SUV with a Magnum in his hand, and gave it to me as if I didn't have my own. As soon as I slid into the truck, I hit speed-dial “Home”, and waited. Every single ring was a stab at my heart, adding on more feet below ground they were going to have to bury Trevor if he broke into my home.
To Be Continued....
