I’d had enough sleep during the days I was locked in my room, but caring for a newborn was hard work. Still, I’d been enjoying Lee-Lee. She was beyond beautiful and a pretty chill baby. By the time my hand reached the knob, I hesitated. I could have easily checked my Ring camera from my phone before getting off the couch, or I could have looked through the peephole. Unless Glee was back, which I doubted since it would take her hours to get here, it had to be either Jisei or Tunan. Jisei, I could handle. She would curse me out, accuse me of hogging the baby, and all would be well. But Tunan, I was indifferent about.
I still hadn’t heard from him, and while a part of me felt slighted, I was also relieved. Things were getting too heated between us. I’d gone from being celibate to becoming a leaky faucet every time he was nearby. A few weeks ago, I hoped Shio would choose me so I could be fully accepted into the circle of mob women, and now, I was married to his brother. I felt embarrassed by the whole ordeal. It was clear Shio wasn’t checking for me, and seeing that chocolate beauty on his arms was a sign that I wasn’t his type from the start. It wasn’t my business since I had married his brother, but if this was Jisei onthe other side of the door, she’d better be ready to spill the tea—after cursing my ass out, of course.
Pulling the door open, I was taken aback by the person, or people, on the other side. Tugging at the Victoria’s Secret lounge set I was wearing, I adjusted my shorts and ran a hand through my hair. I had gotten my hair done yesterday—a silk press cut into a blunt, chin-length bob—but suddenly, I felt like I’d made the wrong choice.
“So, youarealive?”
Placing her hand on her round hip, she smelled of her perfume, which wrapped around my head like a boa constrictor. The halter top with the sweetheart bodice was perfect for her small breasts, making them sit just right. Her neck and shoulders were exposed, leaving her light caramel skin bare. Her hair was long and in bedhead curls, flowing down her back. There was no part in dividing the hair; instead, it was tossed backward, showcasing her perfectly placed makeup.
Denim jeans covered her lower body, and strappy heels adorned her feet. Her bracelet stack probably cost more than my townhouse, and her ring likely cost more than the neighborhood. Dasani Rinaldi was the definition of a bad bitch with a rich nigga who ran shit. Every time I saw her, she looked and smelled better than the last time.
“Da-Dasani?” I stuttered.
“Yeap. It’s me… and my boo, Nelsa.”
Dasani didn’t wait to be invited in. She stepped up, prompting me to move out of her way. “Hello, Glow. Thank you for answering my text message about coming over.”
I cringed at her sarcasm but threw my second unexpected guest a small smile. “Hi, Nelsa.”
I locked the door behind Dasani and her housekeeper and followed them into the living room. Nelsa was in her workuniform, as usual, and considering how much they paid her, I’d eat, sleep, and breathe in that baby blue and white dress too.
“Ohhhh! The babyyyy!” Dasani switched to the bassinet, tucked her hair behind her ear, and bent down to get a better look at Leader. “I’m not going to hold her because I’m too doused in my perfumes and oils. You know they are still in the testing stages, and she’s too new and sensitive, but Glow! My goodness, she is so damn gorgeous.”
Leader was the prettiest baby ever. Just looking at her made me feel so ashamed that I’d said and done what I had to Glee. I was just so damn mad, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t mad still. But my baby sister was human. She’d made a mistake, and the baby was here now. I knew there was no point in being upset anymore because I would be here for whatever they needed.
“Ahhh. She got me ready to say fuck it and give that stupid-ass nigga another baby.” Dasani shook her head and stood upright. She then pulled her phone out, snapped a picture, and then locked her screen. “Just too pretty.”
“Ain’t she?”
“Umm humm…” she said, tossing her eyes from the baby to me.
Dasani looked at me, no judgment in her eyes, but I still felt exposed. Every time she’d seen me, I’d been put together. Granted, I was matching, but I wasn’t wearing any makeup.
“Before you try to make an excuse, Glow, I know you’re babysitting because Pearla told Pia. I brought Nelsa over to keep the baby since Delicate and little Ezio are with their grandmothers. Go get dressed.” She pursed her glossed-cover lips. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
She turned her back to me, admiring the baby once more. Shifting my attention to Nelsa, she shrugged, so I knew there was no getting out of this. Turning on my heels, I hurried to my room. As happy as I was to see Dasani, I wasn’t in the rightheadspace to leave the house. I’d been enjoying my time with my niece, especially after being furious that she was alive for the past few weeks. Glee was on the way home, and although I trusted Nelsa, I didn’t want to alarm her by leaving Leader with someone she didn’t know. Nelsa had been with the family for years, having had a hand in raising Demise. She was not only kind but also trustworthy, so I hoped Glee would trust my opinion on letting her babysit and not be upset with me.
I stood in front of the full-length mirror, assessing my outfit, reluctant to leave the safety of my walls. It took me three minutes to assemble the butter-yellow backless bodysuit with the matching skirt made of the same fabric. Dasani was wearing heels, so I slipped my feet into a pair of thong-sandaled kitten heels in the same soft hue as the outfit. A monochromatic look was the best I could manage on such short notice, and the ten-minute makeup I applied using the Rare Beauty new skin moisturizing tint turned out well, given the limited time. I’d planned to record myself using the product since it was a paid promo, but since it had been sitting on my vanity, I grabbed it.
Before leaving my room, I went to check Glee’s location.
“Must be still in a bad service area…”
Her location kept sayingNot Found, which happened a lot because Glee refused to upgrade her phone. Most teens were eager to get the latest model, but not my baby sister. As a content creator, it was my job to get every new iPhone that came out, which meant upgrading each year. I’d offered to buy her a new iPhone many times, but she always declined.
I’m telling you now, your birthday gift will be a new phone.
My message didn’t sendbut that was to be expected since she was in an area without service.
Anywho. I’m headed out with Dasani. Ms. Nelsa is here with Leader. She’s safe with her. Trust me.
That’s the nanny by the way
I wascertain I’d never told my sister who Nelsa was, but I had mentioned the plethora of nannies available to my rich friends. I hadn’t shared much about the mob wives, but from the looks of it, she would be around now, so she’d find out things even if I tried to protect her from them.
I waited a few seconds to see if the messages would send, and after a minute of it just sitting there, I tossed my phone into my white Dior handbag and hit the light switch. Leaving the lingering scent of my Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue perfume in my bedroom as I walked to the living room, I couldn’t help but feel a bit better with myself. Nelsa was finishing a diaper change while Leader sucked on her fists. It wasn’t time for her to eat yet; she still had an hour and a half to go.
“She’s greedy. Don’t give her another bottle until at least another hour, Ms. Nelsa.”
