Game Recognize Game

29. A Time and A Place

         "You keep up with the jokes son, I'll school your old ass in a minute," I cracked pushing him towards the door of my office. "Nigga I ain't Poochie and you're not handing me no black eye," he cracked making me snicker as we walked out the office and locked up behind ourselves. "So, the wife want iHop you cool with that," Jyrell asked? "Sure, I'll grab Ebony something. Knowing her she'll want some flap jacks covered in ketchup," I stated honestly, but Jyrell roared in laughter. However, that wasn't a joke. I'd dared her to eat it one day last week and her comment was "It could use some bologna". The girl's appetite and taste buds were off. "Wild eater huh? I've heard some tales, but that's not one of the worse things in a pregnancy. Man I tell you Kinzy has been wearing me out! The girls ankles are always swollen, she's always crying when I leave, and fucking my brains out when I come through the door. Well one out of the three ain't bad," he said causing me to laugh as I got in the car.

      Ebony never let on if anything was hurting her or not so I couldn't compare any of the pregnant woman details. Sometimes I'd see her holding her back or rub her hands together in what seemed like pain, but she never let on to when she was hurting. The girl tried to keep everything locked up, and as for a sex drive it was like I said, I wasn't home to see. Most of the time I was in and out. I spent most of my time at home when the maids weren't there just because I didn't want her in the house alone but each time i was home I'd be locked up in my office or in my bedroom catching up on rest. In the past three months Ebony and I have only slept together once and we've held full conversations on few occasions. I hope she hadn't thought moving in with me meant more time with me. Frankly I barley had time for myself with my dad harassing me about the family business. More specifically what's been going on with all the murders and drug war happening in the area.

       Wolf and Chresanto were going for throats and people were coming up dead weekly. Shit the police who worked for me even said it was getting out of hand. That meant we had to be more careful, because the moment they began going after the thugs they'd be looking for a snitch so they could get the connect. Let's face it, my father thought the downfall of the hand that feeds the people started at the bottom. Who know's he might even be right, but the shit wasn't going to be happening while I was around. Every single one of them from Chresanto to Wolf would catch a bullet before I let them bring down my grandfathers Empire. My future sons empire. "So you ready to raise a man," Jyrell asked, nudging me out of my thoughts. "Nah, but I guess I've got to get ready," I stated. Jyrell nodded in understanding.

       However, I still had a lot to understand. I didn't know much about fatherhood except for how to smack the shit out of your child when they disobeyed you. How to punch that child down when they stood up for their mother, or just because you came home to no food. Shit to hit your kid just because is what I learned. Beat your wife, hit your kid, and go on acting like nothing happened. Just make sure not to hit the kid in a visible area and buy your wife the best makeup money can be. I'd never be that kind of father, ever. I'd love my son as if we were the best of boys. He'd be able to come to me for any and everything and every time I'd see him he'd light up. Anything he needed he'd have and the things he wanted would be in his reach and I'd never hit him or his mother. I won't even allow anyone else to lay a hand on him or Ebony. A young man see's his mother getting beat and it changes something in him forever. It changes how you see women, your trust, and how you handle men when fighting them. Everything you face and every challenge is a way to release anger seeping from the memory. That's what it felt like.

        "Yo let's get this food to go, Kinzy has called me three damn times," Jyrell said looking down at his phone. I shook my head, "Man you sure you didn't give Joshua her phone, and he's playing on it," I cracked on him, knowing Kinzy has been doing this the past month. "Nah, I wish it was Joshua. I could calm him down quicker than Kinzy," he halfway joked. I knew he was partially serious because the girl was wildin' in the needy department. "That's your fault, nigga. You got that girl spoiled like that," I teased his relationship. "Yeah whatever, I'm going home to pussy. What you go home to? More Nikko time, more business time, and let's not forget more Nikko time. Yeah man the single life is good but I'd rather be with my baby girl. Even if she is whiny and nagging sometimes. Hey, can we order please," Jyrell called out to a waitress. The girl looked up with a mug then saw the two of us and quickly finished at the table she was handling. "How can I help you two," she paused and looked us over, "Gentlemen," she smiled big. I looked her over and couldn't help the slight scowl on my face.