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“You know she’s about to pack as many dolls in a bag as she can.”
“The girl is almost four, and you would think she was a fuckin’ teenager,” Shameek said.
For the first time since he walked in, I really looked at him. He had on all black, his locs were freshly twisted, and his gun sat obviously against his hip. Shameek never hid what he was or what he did. Rah could walk in a room full of politicians and blend in. Shameek walked into those same rooms and made everybody adjust and grab their wallets.
“You want something to drink?”
“Hell yeah, that wind hitting me in the face on that golf cart got me thirsty.”
“You hungry?”
“Nah.”
He followed me to the kitchen and leaned against the island while I grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to him.
“How did Ryleigh’s mama act when you picked her up?”
“Like a bitch ‘pose to act.”
“That tells me nothing, Meek.”
“It answers everything. She had twenty fuckin’ rules like Ryleigh ain’t been ‘round us since she was born. Told my mama what time she eats, what time she sleeps, and what kind of juice she likes.”
“She is Ryleigh’s mama.”
“If that’s what you wanna call it. That muthafucka couldn’t care less if Ryleigh was just another nigga baby. She’s connected to royalty, so she tries to put on like she cares for her child.”
“The fact still remains that it’s her child, Meek.”
“Why the fuck does everybody keep givin’ her passes because she’s Ryleigh’s mama? Bein’ somebody’s mama don’t give you the right to use the baby every time you mad at folks.”
“I can agree with that.”
“Then stop defendin’ that bitch.”
“Meek, I’m not defending her. I’m saying I don’t want Ryleigh ever feeling tension because of me.”
“And she won’t.”
“You don’t know that. Ryleigh is growing up, and she may start believing the lies her mama filled her head with.”
Shameek swallowed down his water and pushed off the island.
“Listen to me. Raya signed them papers. My family got their weekend, and you got yours. Ain’t nobody doin’ shit behind Raya back. She knew exactly what the fuck she signed when that money was danglin’ in front of her face. If she regrets it now, that’s her problem.”
I wanted him to understand that children get older and their view of people change. I didn’t want Raya to come between Ryleigh and me as she aged.
“Stop backin’ down just because you don’t wanna look like the bad guy,” Shameek added.
“I do not back down,” I said, crossing my arms.
“When it comes to Raya, you do.”
“That’s a damn lie.”
“You’ll cuss a grown man out in Royal Flush over an invoice, but Raya says she don’t want you around her daughter, and you suddenly ready to step aside.”
“Don’t stand here and act like I’m scared of Raya or some shit. She can get cussed out too.”
