Page 25

“Joni, what happened to your hand?” Tori asked, inspecting my knuckles.

“That nigga Dexter was at nephew’s practice,” Tae answered. “You’re looking at the result.”

“Joni!” Rah snapped.

“Lower your gah damn voice!” I spat. “That nigga showed up at my son’s practice after he was told to stay the fuck away from him,” I explained. “Then had the nerve to tell me he thought I’d be glad he was taking AJ off my hands.”

“Taking him off your hands?” Ma Pat repeated, looking disgusted. “Like AJ is some kind of burden?”

“Exactly,” Tae confirmed. “Bro should’ve let me finish his ass off.”

“Jontae, shut your gah damn mouth,” Gee fussed before turning toward AJ. “Come here, Granny baby. You alright?”

“I’m good, Gee,” AJ answered, walking over to hug her. “I just wish he’d leave me alone.”

Gee kissed his cheek before sending him upstairs to wash up. Leah followed him, running her mouth about something she’d been wanting to show him. Once they were gone, Rah turned her attention back to me.

“Joni, I asked you not to bother Dexter,” she reminded me, rubbing her forehead.

“And I didn’t. That nigga came looking for my son, and I’m not about to let him keep doing that shit,” I countered.

“Baby, I understand why you’re upset, but you can’t keep putting yourself in situations like that,” Tori added, rubbing my thigh.

“I’ain putting myself in shit I can’t get out of. I’m killing that nigga the next time he gets out of pocket,” I stated, getting up from the table.

“Joni!” Rah called after me, but I kept walking.

I’d already given Dexter more consideration than he deserved because of my sister. I wasn’t giving that muthafucka another opportunity to bring his bullshit around my family. I’d spent sixteen years being the father AJ needed, and nobody was about to come along and disturb the life we’d built.

Especially not the nigga who’d abandoned him.

Chapter Seven

Gabriana ‘Gabi’ Cole

“Hold still for me,” I instructed, wiping the excess ink from my client’s arm. “I’m almost finished.”

“My bad,” he apologized, relaxing against the chair.

I laughed and went back to shading the last section of his tattoo. He’d been sitting in my chair for almost two hours, and I was just as ready to finish as he was. My feet were hurting, I was hungry, and the only thing I wanted to do was get home, shower, and spend the rest of my night with my man.

My phone vibrated on the counter beside me, and I glanced over at the number flashing across the screen. Kentrell. This was his third time calling today, and just like the first two, I ignored it. I hadn’t bothered saving his number. Ever since he’d gotten out, he’d been trying to get me to answer, and I wasn’t interested in anything he had to say.

“You ain’t gone answer that?” My client asked, glancing toward my phone.

“You nosy… ain’t it?” I replied, focusing on the shading.

I knew ignoring Kentrell wasn’t going to make him disappear, but I wasn’t about to entertain his bullshit either. That part of my life had been behind me for years, and I intended to keep it that way.

I was finishing another section when the door opened, and I glanced up to see Tae walking inside.

“Wassup, people?” he greeted, dapping everybody up before making his way toward me.

“Hey, baby,” I said as he leaned down to kiss me.

“Wassup, shorty?” He replied. “You almost done?”

“About thirty more minutes,” I answered, turning my attention back to the tattoo.