"I don't think you should go to work today.So call in." I told Jenae'.
"No Dominic! I just got back I'm not fina call out!" She said grabbing her purse. She handed Naomi to me and gave her a kiss. "Now if you need me I'll be at work."
I just shook my head as she walked out the door. "Your mother does not like to fu-- freaking listen." I said to Naomi. She just looked at me cluelessly and then smiled at me.
"It's not funny." I said. She just kept smiling. "Dada little Munchy Munch." I said giving her a kiss. I sat down on the couch and sat her on my lap and turned on the tv and started to look for something to watch.
"It's nothing on tv, what we gon do kid?" I asked Naomi. She just looked at me like nigga how the fuck am I supposed to know?? There was a knock at the door I got up and opened it and it was my brothers and Jermaine.
Jermaine had a duffle bag on his shoulder. I already knew what what was inside. "Sup." I said clapping them up as they walked in.
Marcus grabbed Naomi. "Hey uncle fat girl." He said giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Where Jenae'?" John asked.
"Work. She wouldn't stay home." I said plopping down on the couch.
"Do she know what's going on?" Jermaine asked.
"Nah. I'll tell her later. We gotta figure out who this nigga is."
"Don't matter who he is, he aint somebody we fuck with, we all we got. And then he at yo old lady job pretty much delivering a message that some shit fina happen." Marcus said.
"That's right. Fuck who he is. If he can get to Jenae' he can get to Naomi, and you know damn well ain't none of us having that." John said.
"Ain't nobody getting to my daughter. And that's on Lj my nigga." I said.
"Alright then. How the hell we gon find this nigga?" Jermaine said.
"Man this nigga be popping out of nowhere. But I know one thing. He ain't gon catch me slipping like he did in West Palm. Believe that." I said grabbing the duffle bag.
Marcus carried Naomi back to her room. And came back out.
I pulled out a gun and loaded it. "It's been 6 years since I had to carry one of these. And for Jenae' I said I'd never pick one back up... But to protect my family that's a promise I'm just gon have to break."
"She'll understand. Just don't lie. You gotta tell her before shit start happening cause a storm is coming." Marcus said.
"I got a bad feeling about this one." Jermaine said. "Six years of silence and now some nigga pop up out of thin air and know where to find all of our asses. Something don't feel right man."
" I ain't worried about shit. Long as my wife and my daughter straight everything good on this side. He just like any other nigga that done crossed us, he just a stranger."
"He ain't gon be no stranger to this bullet I got ready to put in his ass." John said holding his gun up.
"You already know about family I don't do no talking." Marcus said stroking his beard.
"Aight then. We gotta find this mufucka and handle this."
"10-4" They all said in unison.
****
I was at work working on a car when a black little Nissan pulled up and parked in the parking lot.
A light skin guy got out and walked over to me. "Uhh.. You Dominic Carter?" He looked at the envelope and then asked.
"Yeah that's me." I said wiping my hands off.
"Here you go." He said handing me the thick envelope, he gave it to me and he walked away.
I walked inside and wiped my sweat and opened the enveloped. There were a bunch of pictures of Jenae and Naomi. I'm trying to figure out the places these pictures took place. Looks like a store.. And outside my apartment complex. I started to come to the realization that this nigga has been following Jenae' around for a while. I rushed outside but the nigga was gone.
I called up Jenae'. The phone was ringing for a long time. I was getting worried. It finally answered. "Hey baby what's up?" Jenae' answered.
I let out a breath of relief. "Hey baby. What took so long to answer the phone?"
"I was laying Naomi down. You know she don't like to let go." She said.
I chuckled. "Yeah she got that strong grip."
"Everything good?" She asked.
"Yeah. I'm just ready to get home to ya. That's all." I said rubbing the back of my neck.
"I'll be right here when you arrive." She said with her sweet voice.
"Good. But I gotta get back to work. I'll see you when I get home."
"Alrighty." She said.
And with that being said we hung up.
I started back working on the car and all I could think about was all these damn pictures this nigga has of Jenae'. I gotta tell her. She can't protect herself from something she don't know about.
****
I walked in the house and walked into Naomi's room first but she wasn't in her crib so I went to my room. She was in the bed with Jenae' propped up like a grown lady watching got damn Magic Mike 2 with her mama.
I grabbed the remote control and turned the tv off. "Both of y'all about to get a whooping!" I said crossing my hands over my chest.
"We were watching that. It's girl time." Jenae' said.
"You a bad influence on my baby." I said grabbing Naomi. "And you little Miss Thang, you on punishment. How you gon do this to dada? You know we only watch Paid In Full." I said to Naomi. She just looked at me cluelessly and then at Jenae'. Then she smirked.
We laughed. This child of ours is so slick! I got in the bed and laid Naomi on my chest. She snuggled on me and closed her eyes. I rubbed her back.
"I thought she was on punishment?" Jenae' asked.
"I love her too much." I said.
"18 years from now when she's a hand full and spoiled the reason will be because you love her too much." She said.
"And you ain't spoiled? Woman stop it!" I said laughing. "She'll get it from her mama."
"Daddy spoiled too so don't blame it all on mama."
I just rolled my eyes playfully. "The Caters gonna always get what they want regardless." I said.
***
I had bathed Naomi, dressed her for bed and gave her a bottle. She was in the bed with me and Jenae' falling asleep as she sucked on her pacifier.
"Hey babe.." Jenae' said.
"Yeah ma."
"That guy that came to my job wasn't really an old friend of yours .. Was he." She said.
I was quiet for a minute. She caught me off guard. "How'd you know?"
"It's the way he looked when he said he was your old friend.. He was way too cocky."
I got up and got the envelope. I came back and sat on the bed and slowly laid the pictures of Jenae' and Naomi out across the bed.
She sat up and looked at all the pictures. She put her hand to her mouth.
"He's been following you.. For a while. And he sent me this to my job to let me know he can get to you.."
"What does this mean?" She asked.
"It mean I'ma do everything there is to protect y'all." I said.
She nodded. I grabbed her face and looked in her eyes. "Even if that means I gotta go back to my old ways."
"No Dominic." She said.
"I don't have a choice.. And the decision has already been made." I said.
She moved my hand from her face. "And if you get shot again what am I supposed to do huh?" She said growing tears in her eyes.
I just held my head down. Before I could speak again she got up with Naomi and left the room. I know she don't want me to get hurt, but I'll put my life on the line to make sure her and my daughter straight.
I was so frustrated I threw the pictures across the room. I took a deep breath trying not to let my temper get out of control. I walked out into the living room where Jenae' and the baby were.
I sat on the couch by her and just stared at her. She had tears on her face. I looked at Naomi she was trying to fight her sleep. I grabbed her and laid her on my chest and pulled Jenae' close to me with my free arm.
"You know I love y'all right?"
She nodded.
"And you know I don't want anything happening to y'all."
She nodded again.
"So I need you to understand what I gotta do.. It's for you. And our little girl."
"I don't want you to get hurt." She whispered and held onto me tight. "Not again."
I kissed her forehead. "I won't. I'll be careful. And I'm not doing it alone, my brothers got my back."
"Just make sure y'all handle this. No loose ends." She said firmly. I think her motherly, wifey mode just kicked in.
"That's not a problem." I said nodding.
For these two I'll go to war against the world, ion see no competition. I feel no fear, because that doesn't exist when it comes to what's mine. 💯