Page 130 of Steel

“Nigga, she was my woman before she was your mama.”

“The difference is she’s always gonna be my mama, but she’s never gonna be your woman again. Tread lightly.”

“Anyway!” Mama Steph said, rolling her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Neha. Tavia has told us a lot about you. I hope we can get to know you since it looks like you’re gonna be around for a while.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You have my niece, so you’re welcome in my home, and you don’t have to bring his big ass with you.”

I frowned. “Damn, Mama Steph. It’s like that?”

“You’re still on my shit list right along with your baldheaded ass daddy.”

She frowned at Senior, and he only smiled.

“You know you can’t stay mad at me too long, baby.”

“Do you want to test that theory?”

“We share a child and grandchildren.”

“Deuce’s big ass is overgrown, Stanley. We don’t have to go through each other to see our son or our grandchildren.”

“He just wants to be in your face, Ma,” Deuce said, being messy. “I’ma tell Aaron to beat your ass about his wife.”

“So you want your stepfather to come up missing?”

My mama rolled her eyes. “Y’all can have your dick swinging contest by yourselves. Girls, come have drinks with us. Well, those of you that aren’t pregnant.”

Mama Allison smirked. “With the way they are reproducing over here, it’s no telling whoisn’tpregnant. It’s okay to come up off your wives instead of inside them at times, boys.”

My brothers and I all spoke in protest because we didn’t need to hear our mothers talking like that. They ignored us as the girls laughed and stood to their feet. Each of them gave their man a kiss before walking off behind our mamas. Pops shook his head as he took a seat beside me.

“Damn, I love them,” he said, chuckling. “I spread my seeds to some good women.”

Maceo laughed. “Not you praising yourself for being a ho.”

“Fuck you,” Pops snapped. “I was faithful.”

Smoked laughed. “If you were faithful, then I was a virgin.”

“We all know you stuck your dick in anything that walked before you met Romi.” Pops pointed at Deuce. “You were out here fingering my daughter-in-law on pool tables in rooms full of people.” He pointed to Maceo. “Nigga, you were tricking on Shar for some pussy. And you,” he pointed at me. “I can’t say too much about you because you kept your shit private until we met Donna. Just know thatIknow you were out of here fucking too.”

“See how niggas deflect when you call them on their shit?” I said.

“Any fucking way! You and Neha looking real cozy. KJ is in love.”

I grinned. “He is. He’s taken to her. Lil nigga says fuck me when he gets around her. Be giving her all my love.”

Pops chuckled. “Y’all were traitors for your mamas too. Especially Deuce. He’s still a traitor. I thought she popped the titty out your mouth a long time ago.”

Deuce smirked. “You just mad you ain’t seeing them anymore.”

It was Pop’s turn to smirk. “It doesn’t matter. I have mental snapshots. Probably a few visuals laying around somewhere.”

I didn’t think I’d ever seen my brother speechless. He sat there with a frown on his face and his mouth slightly agape, like he couldn’t believe our father had just said that.

“Aw, hell no!” He jumped to his feet. “Mama!”