Page 28 of Always Been You

Kole

I waited in the living room for my father to make an appearance.

He loved to make people wait for him. Even though I was his son, it still gave him a sense of power that he was paying me, and I had to sit here.

He was so damn extra with all the décor in this house.

It was stuffed fucking lions and tigers on his walls.

He even had a big ass painting of himself hanging over his fireplace.

I liked myself a lot, but not as much as this nigga.

He was over the top and mean as hell. I understood him better as I got older.

All the training paid off. I was a wealthy man, but I never quite looked at him the way a son should look at a father.

He was someone who groomed me. I didn’t get the benefit of his love, and that was a big disconnect.

I knew he would kill me in an instant if he needed to, and I would do the same.

It was crazy, but I knew it was the truth.

When he walked in, he was holding a glass of wine and puffing on one of his signature cigars.

“Didn’t you know what time I was coming here?” I spat, feeling the silent disrespect. Shit, I was a man too. His ass was in the back doing whatever, like I didn’t have my own agenda.

“You are your father’s son, aren’t you? I had to make sure you were still holding yourself together. You know, sometimes you have a way of losing yourself.” He said, pointedly.

“Never once have I not gotten shit done. That was you, remember?” I raised an eyebrow. He chuckled and took a seat across from me.

“Where are you on things? The new team has been assembled. What have you found out?”

“I know where his houses are, I know who he is close to, but not the supplier yet. That’s going to take a little more…. Finagling.”

He stroked his beard and sat back.

“I got it. Just have my money ready and a plot ready for that nigga when I put him in the dirt.” I told him.

“We aren’t killing him,” he said flatly.

I never asked questions, but for some reason, that bothered me.

We always killed the king to take his position.

Why now would it change? That was why he went at Brick like that, right?

I looked at him for a moment. His glare didn’t waver from mine, but he knew my thoughts, and some shit wasn’t right about that request.

“I pay you to do a job, so that’s all you—"

“Why?” I interrupted.

“All I require is that you do your job.”

“Why the fuck wouldn’t we kill him? What you want me to do? Play spades with this nigga or something? Why the fuck am I here then?”

“You are here because you are being paid. Do your fucking job and leave.”

“That’s not how we operate,” I said flatly. What the hell was this nigga on?

“You don’t operate a damn thing. Do what you’re fucking asked to do.”

“You won’t talk to me like you talk to your damn flunkies. If it comes down to me or that nigga, I’m choosing myself. Fuck you and your silly ass power trips.” I stood.

“I’m not a forgiving person to those who disobey my orders. He doesn’t die.”

Before I could respond, he rose from his chair and retreated to the back of the house.

The conversation was over. I left with questions, but at the same time, I had to wrap my mind around the fact that it was about money for me.

I wanted to do what I needed to do and drop off the map for a few months, as I always do.

My mind went to Crystal, and I smiled. Getting some pussy wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Plus, I wanted to find out how much she really knew.

It was a little late, but I was sure she was still up.

I drove to her house and knocked on the door without calling.

She opened the door with her eyes glazed over because she had been drinking.

That worked out in my favor because her lips got loose as soon as she took a shot.

I wanted to see my son, and I didn’t give a fuck how late it was. Then I would fall into the honey pot.

“Damn, the party started without me?” I joked while trying to walk in.

“What do you want?” she asked, blocking the doorway, and I pushed her out of the way and walked into the house.

“Where is my son?”

“He is in bed, where do you think he is, Kole?” She was going to have to lose the fucking attitude.

“Wake him up.” I pushed.

“I just got him down not too long ago. Can’t you just come back in the morning?”

I pierced her with my gaze. She was fucking with me, and I didn’t like that shit at all.

“Wake him up, Crystal. I’m not gone fucking ask again.”

She sucked her teeth, but she went towards the room because she wasn’t crazy.

I caught a glimpse of her ass while she moved through the house, and I felt my dick jump.

I was gone get that shit later. She could act like she didn’t want me, all she wanted, but she knew I would make her cum like no other nigga would.

She came back out of the room with the boy.

I saw myself in him. He was just a little lighter due to his color being closer to his mom's.

I knew she thanked God for that because that was one of the only ways that she could pass him off without question.

His eyes mirrored my own. My bloodline was strong.

A burst of pride swelled through me when I saw him again.

My lifestyle didn’t allow me to be involved as much as I wanted, but when he got old enough, I would teach him everything I knew. I would train him, and when the time came, I would also love him.

“Hey boy,” I said, crouching down to his size. He hid behind his mother’s leg when he saw me. It had been a while, so I knew he didn’t remember me.

“It’s okay, MJ,” Crystal said softly. Hearing her call him that made me cringe. I was changing his name. My son had walked around carrying this nigga name long enough.

“My name is Kole, and I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I’m your father.”

“I have a daddy already,” he said, looking to his mom for clarity. She opened her mouth to speak, but as soon as I looked at her, she snapped it closed.

“Come here,” I said to him and led him by the hand to the bathroom. I sat him on the counter so we could both look in the mirror and I put my face next to his.

“Look at yourself and look at me.”

He sat silently for a moment. “Your eyes look like mine, don’t they?” He looked for a moment and shook his head.

“You a man. Use your words,” I said firmly, startling him a bit.

“Ye…. Yes.”

“That’s because I’m your real daddy. I’m gone be around a lot more. The man you know as your daddy won’t be around for too much longer.”

“But why?”

“That ain’t nothing for you to worry about. Just know when you look in the mirror every day, you are seeing your real daddy. If you ever want to see me, look at yourself and you can find me.”

He nodded his head, and I looked at him, and he quickly answered yes. He was already learning. He was smart, and he got that from me. He was going to be a hard nigga, I could already tell. He had no choice, though, look at who his daddy is. I carried him back to his room. I tucked him into bed.

“Aye, man, you remember who you come from. If you ever want to talk to me, ask your mom and have her call me.” I kissed the top of his head and left the room. I walked out of the room, and Crystal was at the island in her kitchen, downing more drinks.

“Did you have to go that far with things? It’s the first time he has seen you in months. Why would you tell him all that?”

“What? Tell him the truth? You should have been told him. Tomorrow morning, we're going to get his name changed.”

“What? No, that's too much, Kole!” she said, hopping up from her seat, looking panicked.

“You think I’m worried about the money you're thinking about losing? I ain’t worried about that shit. WE ARE CHANGING HIS FUCKING NAME!”

I wasn’t trying to get hype, but I was serious. He wouldn’t be going another day being named after a man who wasn’t his father. His name would be mine.

“Why are you doing all this, Kole? You haven’t been there for him. Now you want to take him away from the only father he knows, to keep deserting him and me. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t take care of him by myself,” she said as the tears gathered in her eyes.

“How about you get a job. I mean, all this money this nigga been running through your hands and you ain’t got shit to show for it?

You were supposed to have been on yo’ own shit.

I may be a lot of shit, but if you ain’t learn shit for me, you should’ve learned how to calculate and be out for yourself.

Why don’t you have some fucking business?

This nigga is lacing you with money, and yo’ ass worried about looking good instead of being good.

You the one fucking up, not me,” I had to keep it a buck with her ass.

She had low-key disappointed me. She was a hood bitch, so I didn’t know how she was playing herself so damn short. These bitches were using niggas as a step stool everywhere, but somehow, she was sitting here holding nothing but a damn house she was sure to lose once the truth came out.

“Are you going to be here for your son?”

“I will. Plus, that nigga won’t be around too much longer anyway.

This is going to be the new wave, so you may as well ride it.

” I meant that shit too. I didn’t give a fuck what my father said.

I wasn’t putting myself in harm’s way just to save someone’s life.

If it came down to him and me, I knew my trigger was faster.

I ripped her from the stool and flung her against my body.

I grabbed her face and kissed her on the mouth.

She initially resisted me, but she eventually gave in.

We broke apart, and I stared into her eyes.

“Show me how much you missed me. You want a position? You better earn that muthafucka.”

She wasted no time dropping to her knees and pulling my dick out. She swallowed me whole, and I threw my head back and let the pleasure take over.