Page 5

Chapter Five

Kilo

Mel was in the kitchen, standing by the sink in nothing but one of my tees and a scowl. Sunlight hit her belly just right, making her look like some untouchable goddess. But her mood? Straight war-ready.

“You leavin’ early again?” she asked, not turning around.

“Yeah,” I said, tugging on my hoodie. “Got a few things to handle at D.E. then I gotta go by the dispensary.”

“Every day it’s a few things. You got another bitch up there or something?” She turned, brow cocked, lips tight. “Or is that just where you go to avoid me?”

I paused, locking eyes with her. “Don’t start.”

“Too late. I already feel it. You been somewhere else, Kilo. You here—but you ain’t. You don’t touch me the same. You don’t even look at me the same. What the fuck is going on?”

I stepped forward, voice low. “Don’t talk like I’m neglecting you or some shit. I’m here. I ain’t out fuckin’ around.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m sleeping next to a ghost?” Her voice cracked, just a little. She tried to cover it with attitude, but I knew Mel. Knew that tremble in her throat when she was hurt. “I’m carrying your son, Franklin. And you look at me like I’m in the way.”

“That ain’t true.”

“Then tell me what is!”

She pushed me, her small palms pressed to my chest, full of frustration. I let her.

“I’m tired of playing guessing games with your energy,” she said. “If you tired of me—if you tired of this —say that shit.”

I grabbed her wrists gently. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Why not? It feel like I’m holding on to a version of you that ain’t even real no more.” Her voice dropped, soft now. “I’ain asking for perfect. I’m just asking you to stop treating me like I’m a stranger in my own house.”

I stared at her. I wanted to pull her close.

To remind her she had no reason to feel that way, because that’s not how I felt.

That her voice was the only thing keeping me from drowning some days.

But how the fuck could I tell her any of that…

when another woman was walking around with a kid that might be mine?

So I leaned in, close enough for our noses to touch.

“I love you, Mel,” I murmured. “Don’t confuse my silence for distance. I just got some shit I’m tryna sort out right now.”

She looked up at me, eyes wet but fierce. “Then let me help you figure it out.”

I kissed her. Soft at first, but it grew. Her hands fisted in my hoodie, mouth moving with mine like she was trying to pull the truth out of me with her lips. I let it go there for a minute. Let that fire between us burn hot and fast until I had to pull away.

“I’ll be back later,” I said, brushing my thumb across her cheek.

Mel’s eyes cut sharp, voice low and cold. “Yeah. You better figure your shit out before this silence kills us both.”

I wanted to turn around. Wanted to give her the truth. But the weight of it would wreck everything, and I wasn’t ready to burn down the house I built for a truth I hadn’t confirmed yet. So I swallowed my words and walked out.

***

I walked into Buck’s office and caught him leaned back in his chair, phone pressed to his ear, grinning like the devil in sweats. His feet were kicked up on the edge of the desk, but the second he saw me, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Nigga just walked in now,” he said into the phone. “Yeah, I’ll call you back. Tell Benny to stop jumpin’ off the fuckin’ counters ’fore I break his legs.”

He hung up, dropped his feet to the floor, and sat forward. “Look who finally decided to bring his ghost ass in.”

“Fuck you, Lincoln,” I muttered, sliding into the nearest seat.

Stacks was already in the corner, flipping through a spreadsheet on his tablet. He looked up and gave me a once-over. “You look like the week been beatin’ yo’ ass.”

“Shit, I feel worse,” I said, rubbing my hand over my head before sliding it down my face. “I’ain slept all fuckin’ week.”

Stacks set the tablet down. “This ’bout Shay?”

“Nah, Liberty.”

Buck leaned back again, eyebrows raised. “The fuck is a liberty? You tryna give an ‘I Have a Dream’ speech or some shit?”

“You one ignorant muthafucka. The fuck you say some shit like that for?” I frowned.

“The fuck was I supposed to say when all you said was Liberty? How the fuck I’m supposed to know what that is,” he snarled.

“Not what…who. Liberty is Shayna’s daughter…my daughter.”

When I revealed that, both of my brothers’ eyes pinned to mine. Theirs filled with questions and mine without any answers.

“The fuck you just say?” Buck spoke.

I told them how Shayna came to my office the next day and had the prettiest little girl with her. As soon as I looked in her face, I knew she belonged to me. I needed time to process the shit and get a DNA test before I said anything to Mel, though.

“Hold up.” Buck pointed at me. “You telling me that bitch showed up here after damn near a decade with a whole kid and just dropped that shit in your lap?”

“Basically.”

Stacks frowned. “You believe her?”

“I mean, she looks like me, but I can’t go off of that alone.”

“So, how you gone handle it?” Stacks asked.

I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know. I don’t wanna believe it, but I can’t ignore it either.”

Buck stood up and started pacing the floor like I just said the kid was his. “Man, fuck that. She could’ve sent a letter or reached out to Mama. Hell, she could’ve told one of us. She made that choice, and now she wanna come back and do what? Be a one big fuckin’ happy family?”

Stacks rubbed his beard. “Did you tell Mel?”

Silence.

“I’ain tellin’ her nothing ’til I know the truth.”

“And you dumb as fuck to think you can keep this shit from Thugga and she not beat the skin off yo’ bald ass head. Yeah, that’ll definitely work.” Buck snapped.

“I’m not bringing chaos into our house on a maybe,” I shot back. “Mel is pregnant. She don’t need this shit unless it’s real.”

“And you think this shit won’t be stressful either way?” Stacks added.

“Look, I told Shayna to come back today. Alone. I’m gone let her know we need to do a DNA test before we move forward.”

Buck scoffed. “Should’ve had a swab in that kid’s mouth as soon as she told you that shit.”

“I didn’t wanna blow up in front of her if she’s tellin’ the truth.”

Stacks leaned forward. “So what’s your move if it is?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “That’s the fucked up part.”

“Mel gone lose her shit,” Buck warned. “You know that, right? Especially if she finds out from someone else.”

“She won’t,” I said.

“Yeah, aight,” Buck snapped. “I’m telling you now, if this shit spills over into my house I’m gone shoot both yo’ fuckin’ nuts off.”

“The fuck?” Stacks laughed. “The kinda shit that is to say? But nah, you need to say something for real, bro.”

“I will when it’s time.”

The intercom buzzed before anyone else could speak. Rachel’s voice came through the speaker, flat and direct.

“Franklin, your visitor is here,” she announced.

“Aight. Send her to my office.”

I stood up to leave, but Buck’s dumb ass stopped me.

“Don’t have your calls and shit directed here, nigga. I’ain gone be harboring yo’ lies and shit.”

I waved his ass off and walked out. I wasn’t about to go back and forth with his ass, or I’d be there all day.

“We’ll be here.” Stacks assured.

As I walked out, my stomach tightened. My whole life had been about control—managing shit, calling shots. But this? This was the one thing I didn’t know how to take control of.

***

When I stepped into my office, Shayna was already seated—hands folded tight in her lap, foot tapping like she was trying to keep her nerves in check.

Her eyes met mine and I could see the regret spilling out of them before a word was said.

I closed the door behind me, letting it click shut.

I didn’t say shit right away. I needed to get my thoughts together.

She looked damn near the same, just more grown.

Softer around the eyes, hair pulled back, no makeup.

Still had that nervous habit—chewing on the inside of her lip.

“Kilo,” she said, barely above a whisper.

I sat down across from her, arms folded.

“Why now, Shayna?”

Her eyes watered. “Because I didn’t know how else to do it. I kept thinking about her and what she’d ask one day. She deserves to know her father.”

I leaned forward, voice low. “You should’ve thought about that nine years ago. Not after you moved away. Not after my whole fuckin’ life changed. You never said a damn word.”

“I didn’t tell you because of my pare—”

“—I don’t give a fuck ’bout yo’ parents,” I cut her off, voice sharp now. “You were grown enough to be fuckin’. You should’ve been grown enough to tell me.”

Tears hit her cheeks, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to let her not own up to this shit.

She wiped them fast. “I’m sorry, alright? I know I was wrong. I should’ve fought harder. I should’ve—”

“—you should’ve told me,” I finished for her. “I missed nine years. First steps. First words. All that shit. You can’t give that shit back.”

“I know,” she whispered.

I stared at her for a long time, letting the silence fill the air

“I want a DNA test.”

She jerked back like I slapped her ass

“I… what? You think I’m lying?”

“I’on know shit. That’s why I want the test. You walk back in here after damn near a decade, throw a whole child on my lap, and expect me to what? Just believe you?”

“She’s yours, Kilo.”

“Then prove it.”

She sat back in the chair, crossing her arms. “So what if I say no?”

“I’m still gone get the answers I need,” I said flatly. “One way or another.”

“This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.”

“And how was it supposed to go, Shay? You come back with a kid that you say is mine and I’m supposed to jump at the opportunity?

” I shook my head. “Shit ain’t gone work out like that, love.

I know you saw my girl on my phone and my son in her belly, as well as that ring on her finger.

I have a life and a family already. As soon as we get the test done, Liberty will be a part of that. ”