Page 21 of Bruised Hearts

“I don’t have to say shit to you. Who the fuck you supposed to be?” Raymond was pissed, but nobody out here gave a fuck about his feelings.

“You know exactly who I am.” Pops was refusing to back down.

“Landon. Are you gone keep letting everyone speak for you, or are you going to come have a conversation?” I didn’t respond. Not only didn’t I want to, but I didn’t have to.

“I said address me.”

“You think because you have money you can tell me what to do? You’re not shit to me, and you’re not shit to him.”

“What I am in this moment is his voice, and he doesn’t want to talk to you. So, go climb back in whatever hole your goofy ass climbed out of before shit get ugly.” You could hear the Chicago coming out, so I know pops is pissed.

“What you gone do to me?”

“You heard what the fuck I said. I’m not doing all this back and forth.” Pops turned to leave.

“Yeah, gone and walk away.” Pops kept walking. “Yeah, that’s what the fuck I thought.” He still wasn’t taking the bait, and I was glad. I just wanted to get the fuck out of here. “Keep on playing daddy. Give him your name, it still don’t change shit.” Pops slowed down, and you could tell that struck a nerve. I noticed it, and Raymond did too.

“Pops, let’s go.” I tried to intervene.

“A piece of paper doesn’t change his bloodline.” Pops stopped walking and you could see a look of hurt on his face. Raymond had gotten to him. He smiled before sending the kill shot. "He is my son.” A look went across pop’s face that told me he was no longer there. He turned and stalked over to Raymond. I motioned for Titan to stop him, but it was too late. Pops hit his ass so hard you could hear something crack. Raymond’s body shook and then dropped to the ground.

“That is my son. You’re not shit to him,” pops yelled at his lifeless body. Everyone stood there in silence until I heard a whistle. I turned and saw Ariyah with a look of amazement on her face.

“Gahhhhhhh damn.” I shook my head at her but she shrugged. “What? I’m just saying yo daddy got a mean right hook.” We all walked over to Raymond’s body and just looked. All my life that nigga been a giant in my head. Even when I’m Breaker. In the ring knocking niggas out. Somewhere inside of me Raymond stayed huge, and I stayed small, but not now. He didn’t look big, or powerful. Just looked like a nigga that pops knocked the fuck out. Finally looking up at pops, I felt at ease.

“You good?” He continued to look at Raymond.

“Is he dead?”

“The nigga snoring, so I’m guessing not,” I said looking back at his body.

“Then I’m good.”

“Sounds like a solid medical assessment to me. Now, let’s get the fuck out of here before somebody come lock yall asses up, and this jit fire me for real for not doing my job.” We all laughed and began walking away.

“So, where are we eating?” Pops looked at me like I was crazy.

“I thought you said you wasn’t hungry.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Well, I am now and you buying.”

“Of course. Your rich ass never seems to have any money when I’m around.” I shrugged again.

“Hey, you my pops. That’s what you supposed to do.” He looked at me and smiled. He appreciated what I was doing. We got to the cars and he stopped walking.

“You know, I think I’m feeling like Checkers tonight.” A smile crept up my face. Checkers. He didn’t have to say it because I knew exactly why he wanted to go there.

“I definitely could go for Checkers.”

14- Ariyah “Nova” Stevens

Stone’s name flashed across my phone. Silencing it, I let out a deep breath. Landon was downstairs talking to Devin, and I was trying to process everything that had happened. Tonight was heavy, and I realized that I wasn’t the only one fucked up in this situationship. Landon was just better at hiding his. There was never any public knowledge on why Devin adopted him, but now it makes sense. Him being a boxer does as well. Most of us have some kind of traumatic background. It’s usually the reason we begin fighting in the first place. My phone rang again, and I was about to silence it until I saw it was Stone.

“Why the fuck is he steady calling me?” I said out loud. Thinking something had to be wrong, I picked up. “What is it, Stone?”

“You haven’t been home. Is everything okay?” I couldn’t do shit but roll my eyes.

“The last I checked, I was grown.” He went quiet, but I could hear him sigh.