Page 40 of Steel

She sighed. “Okay, okay. Love you too.”

I stood there for a moment before closing the door and walking to my car. My phone chimed, and when I pulled it out, I saw that Kerrion had shared his location with me.

“You’ll know where she is at all times,” he simply said.

“Thank you.”

He nodded and hopped in the truck. The engine revved as he backed out the space and pulled off. I watched until they turned down the street. My heart was racing. I was nervous as hell, but I had to trust that he would take care of her. It wasn’t just Dinah, Nayelli, and me now.

Moving here was a risk, and that risk came knocking at my door.

“Wait!So he pulled that man over the desk!” Dinah exclaimed.

I’d just gotten home after going back to work. She was in the kitchen cooking dinner when I went to grab a glass of wine to wind down for the day. I texted her earlier to tell her that her niece got in a fight and was spending the rest of the day with her father. She was shocked that I’d agreed to her going. Technically, I hadn’t, but I really didn’t have a choice this time.

“Yes, girl. Like lifted his damn feet off the ground.”

“Shit. I love a man that doesn’t play about his kids. What didyoudo?”

“I didn’t have to do anything. He did all the talking. Principal Joe was so damn scared, I swear I think that man shit himself.”

Dinah laughed. “Well, I guess we shall see if she has any more problems. Beat that ass, Niece!”

“Dinah! You know how I feel about fighting.”

“I do, but sometimes you have to bully the bully. You wouldn’t let me go show my ass, so baby daddy handled it. Thank you, Mr. Dillinger.”

I rolled my eyes as I sipped my wine.

I had to admit, even though he went to the extreme, seeing him stand up for our daughter made me smile. She felt comfortable enough with him already to call him when she was in trouble. They’d been spending a lot of time together at the house. One day of him taking her wouldn’t hurt.

“Get outta your head, Sis,” Dinah said. “I’m sure Kerrion is a good father. The way he’s shown up for Nayelli so quick speaks volumes. Then, he has his son all the time. Only a slack assmama would let the father have the kid, even if he isn’t good to them. You see that little boy. His chunky self is fed, happy, and healthy. I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to her. Y’all got those DNA tests back yet?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I knew what it would say, so I wasn’t nervous.”

I thought back to the day we took the test. I’d picked Nayelli up from school and met him at the testing site. He’d looked at me with so much hatred in his eyes that day. We’d filled out all the paperwork and gone through the process. He’d held Nayelli’s hand while they drew her blood because she hated needles.

When it was over, he walked her to my car without saying a word to me. Within twenty-four hours, we had the test results, and I had an email from his lawyer stating they were filing a motion to have her birth certificate amended. I half expected him to request a name change. He hadn’t yet, but if he did, I wouldn’t fight him on it. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that our daughter would eventually be a Dillinger.

The sound of the doorbell ringing broke my thoughts. I got up from my stool and went to open the door. Nayelli stepped in, with Kerrion behind her carrying a handful of bags.

I know this man didn’t take her shopping after today.

“It’s just clothes,” he said, noticing my gaze.

“Did she behave?”

“I don’t have behavior problems with kids.”

“Hmm.” I folded my arms. “Is her homework done?”

“Yeah. So is the take-home work.”

“Thank you. Go wash up for dinner, Nayelli.”

She turned to her father and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you for today, Mr. K.”