Page 34

One month later

T he room was dark, and all I could hear was Dream’s soft moans and the waves crashing outside her Thailand home. Dream was on the bed looking like she was praying to Allah while I was parked under her like a mechanic, licking her clit at five in the morning. I had an early flight because I had a lot of business to take care of. I had been laid under her for three weeks, knowing I had shit to do. But I just couldn’t let her go. She was pregnant and caring for my child in a foreign place, so I had to make sure they were completely safe and good.

Dream started rocking her hips as I slid my tongue into her opening, tongue fucking her. I could taste her juices, and they were sending me to another world. After everything I went through these last couple of years, finding Dream was my biggest blessing, along with my kids, that I thought I would never have.

“Mmm, you got my dick hard as fuck. Slide down and ride me, babe,” I uttered as I gripped her soft ass cheeks.

She moved down, leaving a trail of her juices on my chest until she slid down on me. I started sucking her hard nipples as she rode me slow, just the way I liked. We had gotten our intimate moments back on track a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn’t get enough of her. If she wasn’t already pregnant, I would do it again. We started kissing passionately. Her moaning in my mouth caused me to make her pick up the pace. I helped her bounce up and down, her moans getting louder.

“Oh, baby, you feel so good,” she cooed softly.

“That’s right. Cum all on my dick,” I uttered, causing her to start moving like a porn star.

She started grinding on my pelvis, and the next thing I knew, she was cumming. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I rolled her over in missionary and started pounding her. After two marriages and a slew of women, Dream was the only one who got a moan out of me. Our sex was always passionate, and I didn’t want the flame to go out.

I was reaching my peak as Donta started crying on the video monitor next to the bed. Lil Man woke up every morning before 6:00 AM, but it wasn’t hard for me and Dream because we were already early birds. I kissed Dream deeply as I came, but I knew I couldn’t enjoy what we had just done. I wanted to get my boy and get ready for my flight, which was in the next two hours.

I stood up from bed and brushed a strand of Dream’s ginger hair from her face before I kissed her lips one last time. “Lay down for a while. I’ll get him and his breakfast bottle.”

She smiled. “Thank you,” she mumbled, “but I’m going to get up anyway.”

I shook my head, smirking as she slowly pushed herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. I slid out of bed myself, pulling on a pair of gray sweatpants before heading to Donta’s room.

The moment I stepped into his room, his cries got louder. He was lying in his crib, squirming around, his face scrunched up in frustration.

“Stop crying, lil’ man,” I said, walking over and picking him up. “We don’t do all of that.”

His cries turned into soft whimpers as I slipped the clear blue pacifier into his mouth. “See? You good,” I said, cradling him in one arm while I reached for the changing table with the other.

After laying him down, I grabbed a fresh diaper and started the process. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was about to put it on backward.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, flipping it around. “I gotta do better, man. Don’t tell Dream.”

Donta kicked his tiny legs, his face calmer now as I finished fastening the diaper. “There we go,” I said, lifting him back into my arms. “Fresh and clean, just like you like it.”

With Donta cradled in my right arm, I headed to one of the other bathrooms to brush my teeth. As I stood in front of the mirror, holding him close, I caught a glimpse of the two of us together.

The resemblance was undeniable—his eyes no longer reminded me of Damian; they now reminded me of mine. The shape of his lips was like mine, even his facial expressions. But as I stared, a thought crept into my mind. What about his mother?

I wanted to see her in him, too, but I didn’t even know what I was looking for. That’s why I had to get back to Cali. Lil Ken had the answers I needed, and I couldn’t keep putting this off just because my mother wanted me to leave it alone.

Knowing Donta was mine and no one had come forward was enough to keep me from moving fast, but I had questions. Questions I needed answers to.

By the time I got to the kitchen, Donta was staring up at me, his little fingers tugging at my Cuban necklace. I grabbed his formula powder and a bottle, but in my rush, I ended up spilling half of it on the counter.

“Damn,” I muttered, cleaning it up as Donta watched me like I didn’t know what I was doing.

That’s when I noticed the machine on the counter—a baby milk maker that looked just like a Keurig. I chuckled, shaking my head. “Your mama’s too fancy for me,” I said to him, placing the bottle under the spout and hitting the button.

The machine whirred, and within seconds, the bottle was ready. “I finally got your food,” I said, grabbing it and heading to the living room.

I settled onto the couch, feeding Donta while watching sports highlights on the big screen mounted to the wall. His tiny hands gripped the bottle with me as he drank, his eyes flickering between me and the TV.

For an hour, it was just me and him. I showed him pictures of the family, pointing out faces and telling him stories like I’d been doing since we got to Thailand. He didn’t understand a word of it, but it didn’t matter. This was our time, and I was starting to cherish it.

Dream walked in quietly, her wet curls falling over her shoulders. She had on a simple tank top and leggings, her skin glowing from the shower. She smiled when she saw us, her eyes soft.

“Look at my boys bonding,” she said, sitting next to me.

I grinned, handing her the empty bottle. “I’ve been thinking,” I said. “When I come back and forth, I want to be more hands-on with him. I want to care for him more and be a visible father. And when the baby comes, I want to make sure I’m doing my part for both of them.”

She rested her hand on my arm, her smile growing. “You’re already doing an amazing job, Damier. I can see it. And I know you’re going to be just as incredible with our baby.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and I leaned over to kiss her forehead.

“I’ll make us some breakfast,” she said, standing up and stretching. “You can’t fly out on an empty stomach.”

I nodded, watching her head to the kitchen, the scent of coffee and fresh ingredients soon filling the air.

By the time breakfast was over, I was in the friendly skies, headed back to California and the chaos waiting for me.

$$$$$

The wheels of the plane touched down in LA a day later, and the moment I stepped off, I dialed Lil Ken. I was fully rested and ready to tie loose ends. Being jet-lagged wasn’t stopping shit.

“What you got for me?” I asked as my driver took me to my downtown office.

Ken didn’t waste any time. “The baby’s mother is Raelee John. She goes by Karisma, though,” he said.

I frowned, the name hitting me like a slap. Karisma. The escort Mia had hooked me up with when I was going through my divorce with Arika. She’d been around for a few months before the reality show, but I had no romantic attraction to her. She just pleased me, and that was that.

“We used condoms,” I muttered, shaking my head. “But I know I had some drunk nights…”

“Probably one of those,” Ken said. “But it gets deeper. You’ll want to hear this in person. I’m forwarding her file to your email. All the important shit will be listed so you can find her.”

By the time I got to the office, Hocus was waiting. I told him everything, gave him her name and addresses, and told him to bring her to me.

“Do you want violence?” Hocus asked, his tone heavy.

“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “Just bring her here.”

Two hours later, when the door opened, it wasn’t Karisma who walked in. It was an older, frail woman with sadness written all over her face.

“What is this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at Hocus.

Hocus stepped aside while looking at the woman, his voice low. “Tell him.”

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice low as well.

“I’m Raelee’s mother, but you probably know her as Karisma,” she said softly, her voice trembling as she met my gaze.

I frowned at her words, but I kept my expression steady. “Where’s Karisma?”

She hesitated, her fingers twisting the strap of her purse. “She’s… she’s gone,” she said finally, her voice breaking. “She’s dead.”

The weight of her words hit me, but I didn’t let it show. “Dead?” I repeated, my tone flat. “How?”

Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them quickly. “She died two weeks after giving birth to your son,” she said quietly.

I leaned forward, my jaw tightening. “Explain,” I demanded.

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she began. “She… she had a home birth. It wasn’t her choice. Her pimp forced her to. He wanted her to have the baby as part of a plan to extort you. That’s why she got pregnant in the first place.”

My hands curled into fists on the desk. “What plan?” I growled.

Her eyes darted to the floor as she continued. “He made her get off birth control… she poked a hole in the condom while she was ovulating. He told her to make sure she got pregnant by you. The baby was supposed to be their payday. But after she had him, she got scared. She didn’t want to go through with it anymore.”

“And?” I pressed, my voice cold.

“She tried to back out,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “He found out and… he killed her. He beat her to death.”

The room went silent except for the sound of her shaky breathing. I leaned back in my chair, grinding my back teeth as I processed what she was saying. “And you knew all of this?” I asked, my voice deadly calm. “You knew what they were planning, and you didn’t stop it?”

She nodded weakly, tears streaming down her face. “I was scared,” she admitted. “He’s dangerous, and I heard you are too. I didn’t know what to do. So, I… I took the baby to your girlfriend’s practice. I thought it was the safest place for him. I thought she would give him to you, and you’d take care of him.”

I stared at her, my mind racing. “You thought dropping him off at a clinic was the best you could do?” I asked, my voice sharp. “You didn’t think to come to me directly? Or take him yourself?”

“I couldn’t,” she said quickly. “I have cancer. I’m dying. I can’t take care of a baby. And I couldn’t come to you. I didn’t want to get involved with… with your family. I know about the Knight Family. I’ve been in LA all my life. I didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire.”

I let out a slow breath, my anger boiling just beneath the surface. “So, you knew exactly who I was, and you thought leaving him at my fiancée’s business would fix everything?”

She nodded again, her voice breaking. “I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want him to fall into the wrong hands.”

I stared at her for a long moment, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. I didn’t want to spazz out on this old lady. She was already dying.

“What’s the pimp’s name?” I asked, my voice ice cold.

She froze, her lips trembling. “What?” she whispered.

“You heard me, lady,” I said, leaning forward. “What’s his name? And where is he? You said you know about my family, then you know you better start talking.”

Her hands shook as she clutched her purse tighter. “His name is Rodrick, but they call him Rod,” she said reluctantly. “He… he hangs out on Crenshaw Blvd with some Crips. That’s all I know.”

I leaned back, my jaw tightening as I absorbed the information.

She blinked, looking scared. “I just… I just want to see Donshay. To be his grandmother before I go.”

I let out a cold laugh, shaking my head. “That’s not happening, and his name isn’t Donshay anymore,” I said flatly. “You made your decision the second you left him. You don’t get to see him. You don’t get to claim him now.”

Her face crumpled, and she opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. “You left him there because you didn’t want to deal with the consequences,” I said, my voice deadly. “And now you want to play grandmother? That’s not how this works. He’s mine now. He’s safe, and that’s all you need to know.”

Her sobs filled the room, but I didn’t flinch. I turned to Hocus, my tone calm but firm. “Take her back to wherever she came from.”

Hocus stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder as she cried harder. “Please,” she begged. “I didn’t have a choice?—”

“You had a choice,” I said coldly. “And you made it. Now live with it.”

She was gone a moment later, the door closing behind her with a heavy thud.

I sat back in my chair, the silence in the room thunderous. My mind spinning. Karisma was dead. The baby was mine. And this nigga Rod?

He was next.

I grabbed my phone and dialed my young nigga Marcus’ number. He was from over that way and was itching to take somebody out for some cash. When he answered, my voice was sharp. “Get your team ready, my nigga,” I said boldly. “I need you to find a pimp nigga named Rod or Rodrick that be in your hood, and I want you to demolish him. He tried to extort me with a baby by his bitch, so now he gotta pay for that. When you done, I got fifty grand for you and a few jobs to keep the money flowing in.”

“Bet. I know exactly who that nigga is, and he owes me money. I’ll have that done by the end of the week, boss.”

“Good lookin’. Meet me at my club when you do.” I hung up and stared out the window at the downtown LA skyline.

Lucian’s words echoed in my mind. Use your foot soldiers.

This time, I would, and he would still feel me. But the body I had to catch next, I had to do it on my own because it was personal...