Baton Rouge.

Chapter 30 - Double Crossed. [Part 1.]

"You ain't answer my question, ma." Jionni said in a serious tone. "How you get alla' dat money?"

"Since when is how I make my money any of yo business, Jionni?" Diana scoffed.

Jionni squinted his eyes at her, giving her a funny look.

"So you strip fo' yo' money nah, huh?"

"Watch yo' mouth, Jionni-"

"Why you couldn't tell me? And why you doin' some shit like dat when Jmo got us?" Jionni scowled.

"I am TIRED of asking these drug dealers for money! I'm tired and I want my OWN money! Did you see what happen to Kisses?" Diana scowled back. "Is that how you wanna wind up? Shot up and dead because you collected some dirty money!?"

Jionni gave her a disappointed look as she took a $100 bill out of her purse and placed it on the table.

"I'm doing this fo the both of us, and that's all you need to know." Diana said.

"I'm gettin' some-"

"I will NOT take anymore money from Jmo, Mook's dad, Kisses, Tray, or anyone else I've been takin' cash from." Diana interrupted as she started walking upstairs. "And I'll know if you got some cash from 'em, Jionni. Good night."

Jionni was not about to let his mother strip to pay the bills. It was too cliche and expected of a woman who lives in "the hood". He had to think of a sudden way on how he could make a large grip of cash. Selling drugs was too dangerous and selling his body wasn't in the equation. As he sat there thinking of the quickest way to make cash, he got a text from Melissa.

"Can you come over for an hour?" Melissa asked. "My grandmother needs to talk to you."

Once Jionni got the text that Melissa's grandmother wanted him over there, he asked Jmo to drive him out to Melissa's house. When he arrived, he looked at her home and backed away.

"DAMN!" Jmo said in a loud and obnoxious tone. "What her fam do fo' a livin, sell bricks o' sum shit?"

"Her crib nice, ain't it?"

"Hell yeah, dat shit clean." Jmo said, looking at Jionni.

Jionni sighed, grabbing his keys and stepping out of the car.

"You know da' routine, Jmo." Jionni nodded. "Come pick me up n' a hour."

"Gotchu."

As Jmo pulled off, Jionni stepped into a silent home. He knew that Melissa's parents weren't there, otherwise he wouldn't have been allowed inside. This let him know that they were both working overtime at their jobs. As he walked peeked inside of her grandmothers room, he noticed that Rosa was coughing as she laid bundled up in her covers.

"You wanted ta' see me?" Jionni asked.

"Come sit down, Jionni."

By the noise going on in the guest room bathroom, Jionni could tell that Melissa was in the shower. He pulled up a stool, sitting in front of her.

"The other day, I asked you if you had a criminal record." Rosa strained, sitting up. "Do you or do you not?"

Jionni gave her a blank stare, slightly scrunching his eyebrows as he looked to the side.

"Lemme guess, Rodrigo tol' you n' you 'ont want shit ta' do wit' me nah?" Jionni groaned.

"No, that's not it. What I don't want is my granddaughter dating a liar." Rosa said in a serious tone. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"You wanted me ta tell you allat' shit on my rap sheet and then expect you to want me to still be 'round Lissa?" Jionni scoffed. "Shit ain't as simple as it sound. Ion' tell nobody shit like dat.....all it do is scare people away...."

"Boy, what part of 'I don't judge by your actions' don't you understand? My husband did more dangerous stuff than you." Rosa said in a serious tone. "All I want is for you to be honest with me and more importantly Melissa. It'll give you guys growth in the long run."

As Melissa stepped out of the bathroom with her pajama gown on, she grinned at Jionni and looked at her grandmother.

"I've already cleaned the tub, grandma." Melissa nodded. "Are you ready for a bath?"

"Eh, I supposed so." Rosa groaned as she inched out of bed, holding into her back.

Melissa walked by her side and slowly helped her grandmother into the bathroom.

"I'll be out in a sec, Jionni."

As Jionni sat on the chair, he puckered his lips and awkwardly watched Wendy Williams talking on the TV above him. As Melissa shut the door in the large guest bathroom, Jionni looked at the pictures Rosa brought with her. One was from the 70's, one was from when she held Louis when he was a baby, one was with a picture of her, her husband, and all of her sons, and the last was a picture of her holding Melissa when she was a baby. Jionni smiled at the photos, slowly turning away before something caught his eye.

A small diamond bracelet that was hanging out of Rosa's pouch.

Jionni squinted his eyes at it, taking it out and looking at it in the light. To see if it was real, he pulled out his lighter and decided to burn the end. After a minute of burning, nothing happened. And since real diamonds didn't burn, that let him know that it was real. His mouth creaked open as he stared off into space.

"I wonder how much dis' shit worth....?"

Jionni didn't care for the bracelet, but he cared for his mother. All he could think about was how she was doing something he looked at as "degrading" since it was his mother in a strippers position, and this bracelet could take care of all of the issues they had at the house. Since his mother was no longer taking any money from the old heads in the neighborhood, this could help her a whole bunch. Jionni placed the bracelet into his large pocket, leaning forward and closing his eyes as he placed his hands into prayer mode.

"God, I am beggin' you, PLEASE don't let this fuck up me and Lissa relationship." Jionni whispered to himself. "I'm only doin' this fo' my mama. I'll pay her back as soon as I get da' money, I promise.."

And if Melissa or any of her relatives found out that he stole from Rosa, this would blow everything out of the water.