Page 26

“Jordie…” I glanced down as Giana had her little arms wrapped around my leg. “I hope you’re my daddy. I don’t want to be with mommy anymore.”

Hearing her say that did something to me.

Bending over, I picked her up and pulled her into my arms. As her small frame melted into mine, I felt a sense of peace, and the urge to protect this little girl with everything in me flooded my soul.

I knew those tests were going to say she was mine—I felt it.

“As long as you have me, you’ll never have to worry about anyone hurting or mistreating you ever again,” I promised her. My heart broke at her little sobs. “Would you like to go stay at a better hotel? This one stinks.”

Lifting her head from my shoulder, she awarded me with her first genuine smile. I couldn’t help but return it because the little girl was missing more teeth than a little bit. As I helped her find some bottoms to put on, a crying Gia and my fuming mother resurfaced from the bathroom.

“Get me the hell out of here, Jordan,” my mother whispered as she came and stood beside me. “You can’t leave this child alone with her for another second.”

Without me having any claims to the child, I knew I couldn’t just take her.

Texting Wild, I asked him if he would find me a hotel closer to our condos, and he was more than happy to help.

After making sure Giana and her mother had all of their belongings, I placed them into the car with Mama and me.

“Where are you taking us?” Gia asked in a worried tone as we pulled away from the motel.

I’d secured them a location at a different one, and my brother was already setting it up with what they’d need for the next few days; food and clothing for Giana were the main priority. “We can’t just go home with you.”

“And you never will,” I assured her, causing her to scoff. “I’m taking you two to a better hotel where you can be more comfortable until we get this figured out. You won’t leave my sight until then.”

Peering at Gianna in my rearview mirror, I gave her a wink as she hugged her little bear closer to her body. Still smiling, she did her best impression of winking back. Feeling my mother place her hand on my shoulder, she gave it a small squeeze.

“It’s going to be okay. You know that, right?”

Approaching the light, I nodded before placing a kiss on her cheek. I don’t know what I would have done without her being here today.

“I know, Ma. Thank you.”

On the outside, I may have been playing it cool, but internally, I was sweating bullets.

I didn’t know the first thing about being a father, and I didn’t know if I could be the one Gianna deserved.

Once I locked eyes with that little girl in the backseat, I knew that whether I was ready or not, I was going to be the best I could for her.

If she was truly my daughter, nothing or no one would stand in the way of me loving and providing for her, especially her rat-ass mother.

“Now, when you go to school, you let those pissy-ass boys know your Uncle Wild ain’t the one to mess with. I will dunk their heads in a toilet and make them eat poop before they ever tease you again. Tell them lil’ niggas I fight daddies too!”

Listening to Wild speak to my daughter and watching her smile and soak up his foolishness was the highlight of my day. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since the DNA test resulted in me being her father, and while I was nervous, I was over the fucking moon.

“Uncle Uno, are you really the mayor?” Gianna turned and asked him with innocent eyes as she sat between him and my brother.

Since finding out she was a Mills, they haven’t wanted her to leave their sight, just like me.

“I can’t wait to go to school and tell the girls who are mean to me about my clothes that this is my uncle’s city, and he can kick them out! ”

“I sure as shit can, baby girl!” He tickled her, causing her to fall backward in laughter. “Your Uncle Uno will send all of those little heifers out of here on the first thing smoking.”

Speaking of heifers, I glanced around the room until I found the corner Gia had been in since we got to my parent’s house.

The day I pulled them out of the rundown Motel 6, I took them to one of my penthouses downtown.

Although I wanted to put Malany out at the nearest gas station, I needed to see what her mothering looked like because what I’d seen so far had me ready to kill her twice.

I stayed with them in the penthouse for two nights and slept on the couch.

Gia wasn’t too happy about that because she wanted us to share her bed.

I didn’t know what type of ideas she’d conjured in her head to think I would share intimate space with her.

Our conversations had been nonexistent because there wasn’t a damn thing I wanted to say to her, let alone share a bed with her.

Gianna, on the other hand, hadn’t stopped smiling since arriving at the penthouse.

It was a joy for me to see her so happy and carefree since it was evident life hadn’t been smooth for her thus far.

One thing I learned quickly about the little girl is when she’s comfortable around you, she will talk your head off.

I was letting her speak her mind for now, but eventually, I was going to have to ask some hard questions that I knew her mother wouldn’t answer.

“Jordie, Uncle Uno said he’s gonna take me to buy new teddy bears with clothes and everything on them.” She smiled excitedly as she ran over and jumped into my lap. “He’s my favorite uncle.”

“Well, I just be damned!” Wild shouted as he entered the room with bags of clothes, shoes, and other toys. “I’ll just take my shit back to the store. Get that nigga to buy it. Matter of fact… run me those Crocs.”

Dropping the bags, we watched in amusement as he came barreling over toward my daughter. Holstering her on his shoulders, she laughed and kicked as she tried to keep him from removing her shoes. Poor thing was so tickled, she had tears streaming down her face.

“Okay, Uncle Wild! Okay!” she panted, still hanging upside down. “You’re my favorite!”

“That’s what I thought.” He chuckled as he pulled her back upright, still holding her in his arms. “Now, how about we go on the back patio and eat some of your grandma’s fried chicken while I tell you about coming to work with me. I’m going to need your help with the ladies.”

Standing to get my daughter from her uncle, my father placed his hand on my shoulder, telling me he would go out back with them.

“You two need to talk, son,” he said as he motioned over to Gia, who was staring at me.

“At the end of the day, that’s her daughter, too, and you guys are going to have to figure out how you're going to co-parent.”

Patting my shoulder, he walked through the kitchen and out the door, where my daughter and brother were. The way she threw her head back and laughed so lighthearted warmed my heart. As long as I have breath in my body, it will always be this way.

“We need to talk, Jordan.” Gia walked over and sat beside me on the sofa. “Please.” Slowly, she glanced across from me at Uno. “Can you tell him to leave?”

“Trust me… with the way my brother is looking at you, you may want me to stay.” He leaned back and threw his arm over the back of the couch. “Plus, I want to hear why the fuck you ever thought I would go for a shady bitch like you.”

Looking between the two of us, her head dropped as she twiddled her fingers nervously. She could fidget all the fuck she wanted; she wasn’t leaving this room until we figured this out.

“Why didn’t you come to me when you found out you was pregnant?” I bounced my leg as I asked the one question that bothered me most. “Why did you wait all these years to pop up at my door with a kid?”

“You wouldn’t have wanted her, Jordan.” She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “The day you broke up with me, you told me you’d kill me if you ever saw me again.”

“Yet, here you are.” I leaned toward her.

“You thought it would be a good idea to keep my child away from me for five years and then pop back up as if nothing had happened. Five years I’ve been away from my child.

Five birthdays. Five Christmases. I’ve missed so much time with her, and now you come along and expect what? To be a family?”

“Yes!” She jumped from her spot on the couch. “I stayed away because you wouldn’t have wanted my baby!”

“No, bitch! I wouldn’t have wanted you!” I leaped from my seat and got in her face.

“I loved you, Gia! I would have done anything for you! You thought I was some young nigga that would have been an easy lick. You never gave a fuck about me, and the only reason I didn’t kill you is because even after all that, I loved you!

I still wanted you, but I knew you were nothing but a conniving-ass bitch that wanted nothing more than to suck dick for a few dollars.

” The tears streaming down her face didn’t stop the word vomit.

“Where the fuck have you been at with my daughter?”

I know the important thing in all this was that I had my daughter home, where she was going to stay regardless of what this bitch had to say.

I didn’t care how she felt; Gianna wasn’t going anywhere.

I needed to know where she’s been living, though, so I can get someone to look into it.

If the conditions were anything less than perfect, I was killing this bitch.

“I’ve been staying with my mother in Texas. You left me with no choice after you stripped me of the little things you’d given me.”

“Little things…” Uno chuckled from the side of me.

“Girl, my brother kept your account laced. You never wanted for anything. Hell, you didn’t even have to work.

Against the wishes of everyone in this family, he went to bat for you and brought you home.

You had it good, but instead, you wanted to be a hoe. ”