8 months later
Janae P.O.V.
"Jay stop." I said pulling away from him.
He just pulled me back down into his lap and went right back to kissing my neck.
"Baby how Ima cover this up?" I said mushing his head back. "Come on I need to get ready."
He sighed. "The world need to know this mine. Come here."
I giggled and pushed his head back again. This time he rolled off of me letting me up. I got up wrapping my towel back around me. I walked to my closet and looked in the mirror seeing a fresh mark forming on my neck.
"Jay Ima kill you!" I said rolling my eyes. I heard him chuckle from the bed.
I sighed and started getting dressed. I stood by the mirror and turned to the side looking at my forming 6-month pregnant belly. I just stared for a while. My belly was huge.
"You look beautiful." I jumped at his voice as he came up behind me wrapping his arms around to hold my belly.
"I look fat." I said sighing.
"You're perfect." he said kissing me on my cheek.
I turned around and reached up and kissed him. "Thank you."
I couldn't believe I was pregnant. Of course we're happy but I just wasn't expecting it. But then again we weren't using protection. Oh well. In 3 months my life is going to change forever.
"Baby I got some things to take care of so I won't be here when you get back." he said looking down at me.
"When are you coming back?"
"Late." he said leaning against the door frame.
I looked at him then down at the ground. I just hated when he left to do that gang stuff. I just can't sleep right not knowing where he is or if he's safe. I turned away.
"Come on, Nae. Here you go with that fuckin attitude." he said mugging me.
"I asked you to do one thing and I never ask for nothing. I just want you to leave that life alone."
He sighed and wiped his face with his hand. "Nae you know I can't do that. This is how I provide for us."
"Baby we are set for life. Our kids and their kids. You're doing this because you want to not because you have to." I said rolling my eyes. "You just so damn selfish. We have a child now. What if something happens to them? Then what?"
"I'm always gon protect y'all. So what are you even talking about?"
"I'm talking about you don't need to do this anymore. What if something happens to you? Then what? I'm left alone." I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes.
"Baby I'll be fine."
"You don't know that!" I said sitting down on the bed.
"Baby." he said walking toward me.
"No. Move." I said turning away from him.
"Nae. Baby I got us. I got you. And I promise you I'm always gon come home to you. Okay?" he said kissing my hand.
I looked up at him but didn't say anything.
"Okay?"
"I gotta go. Love you." I said pecking him on the lips and walking past.
"Janae." I stopped and mugged him for calling me by my name. "What the fuck was that?" he said mugging me right back.
I sighed then walked over to him and gave him a real kiss. Neither of us pulled away for a while. I finally broke the kiss and I forgot what I was even mad about.
"I love you." he said pulling away.
"I love you too."
I walked out locking the door behind me and got in my car. I turned on my playlist then pulled off.
A half hour later I pulled up to my destination. I sighed before hopping out of my car making sure I locked my doors behind me before walking inside.
I've been coming to the range a lot lately. I don't tell Jay because he would do too much about how it's his job to protect us. But I need to be able to defend myself.
"Hey Damien." I said hugging him.
Dame and I train together. He really is helpful.
"Wassup babygirl. Back for more?" he said flashing a smile.
"Always." I said laughing with him.
"Let's go then." he said picking up a gun from the table. I decided on a .40 and followed him through the door.
When we got set up I picked up my gun and went to the target. I hit the silhouette man in the shoulder.
"Shit." I said readjusting my arms.
Dame came over holding my arm up. "Look there." he said pointing at the target. "Always keep your eye on the target, not at the gun. And plant your feet to handle that kickback."
I looked over at the target and pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through the head. I smiled and turned around looking at Dame.
"Did you see that?" I said laughing. He laughed right with me.
I turned back around and cocked the gun firing again. We kept going like this for the next thirty minutes using different guns.
"Come over here." he said standing at a table.
I took off the headphones and walked over. "Wassup?"
"I'ma show you how to load a gun and these attachments." he said picking up some cylinder things.
He showed me everything and I practiced loading and putting together a gun. Time really slipped away and I started getting really hungry.
Since I've gotten pregnant I'm always hungry. Or tired. Mostly both.
"Okay it's been real but if I don't get food in the next 2 minutes I will probably die." I said laughing.
"Food sounds great. My treat?"
"Sure. You drive." I said walking toward his truck.
We ended up at Olive Garden. I ordered my usual chicken alfredo with broccoli.
I dug in as soon as it hit the table.
"Is it good?" Dame said chuckling.
"Sure is." I said flicking him off.
We ate really good. We were sitting talking when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I looked up to see Jay mugging me and then mugging Dame.
Shit.
"Hey." I said scooting out of the booth getting up. I pulled him into a hug and he hugged me back weakly.
"What you doing out here?" he whispered in my ear.
I looked at him before looking at Dame.
"Jay this is my friend, Damien. Damien this is Jaden. My boyfriend." I said turning back to Jay.
Damien P.O.V.
I raised my eyebrows. "Boyfriend?" I was surprised she never mentioned a boyfriend. Our relationship has never been anything more than a friendship. Plus she looks very pregnant so I knew somebody was in the picture but not all the details. Wasn't my business.
"Yeah. Boyfriend." the guy said before shifting his weight leaning against the wall. "So y'all friends?" he said looking at Nae.
"Yeah."
"How come I ain't never heard of you?" he said mugging me.
"Can you stop grilling him like that? He's just been helping me. Are you hungry?" she said sitting down trying to pull him down next to her.
He pulled his arm away and looked down at her.
"Helping you?" he said raising his eyebrow. "The hell you need help with?"
"Yes. Helping me. Is this really necessary?"
"Nah. It's not." he said turning around and heading out.
"Jay, wait." she followed behind him but by the time she got to the door it was too late. She watched as the Benz screeched and sped off. She sat down, sighed and buried her face in her hands.
"Nae. I'm sorry. I didn't reali-"
"No it's not you. It's my fault. I've been doing this gun range thing behind his back. Shit." she put her head back down.
"Just tell him that. He'll understand."
She busted out laughing. "Jayden Westbrook. Understanding? Yeah right."
I froze at the name for a second but then regained my composure. "He'll come around."
"Yeah. We should go." she said waving over the waitress.
I paid and we left heading back to where we left her car.
"I appreciate everything. I really need to go. I'll text you when I get home." she said walking to her car and getting in. I watched as she pulled off before I hopped in my truck.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled down to the name I wanted.
"Hello?"
"You will not believe who the fuck I found."
"Who?"
"Westbrook, man."
"Not over the phone, Dame." he said hanging up. Then I got a message of an address and a time.
I really couldn't believe this shit. How this dude stayed ghost all these years surprised me. And he just fell right into my lap.
Jayden P.O.V.
I pulled up to the trap and went inside. I saw Kyrie counting stacks and I dapped him up.
"Wassup, man." he said putting rubber bands on the cash.
I sat down on the couch lighting a blunt I rolled earlier.
"You straight?"
"You know a Damien?"
"Uhhh. Nah. Why wassup?"
"Nae was wit this nigga earlier talkin bout he her friend. Never heard this nigga name ever. They just out eatin and shit."
"I don't know no Damien."
"mm." I said hitting the blunt.
"You don't want her to have friends?" he said joking.
"That's not what threw me off about the nigga. He not from round here."
He raised his eyebrows. "How you know this."
"Nigga's accent. I know New York when I hear it."
"It's probably nothing forreal. It's a lot of people from New York. Just trust Nae. She smart."
"You right." I said sitting back.
I checked the time on my phone and saw it was time for me to make this drop. I gathered up my shit and put in the back of one of the all black work trucks and headed out. It took me an hour to get to the drop and when I got there I saw one other truck. I got out.
I spotted Luck right away. I dapped him up. He handed me a duffle bag and I peeked in seeing the money and handed him the duffle bags I had.
"Everything straight up here?"
"Always." I said laughing.
"That's wassup. Congrats on the baby. Seen it on Instagram."
"Thanks man."
We talked for a while before I looked down at the time. 1:24. Damn. We said our goodbyes and I headed out. It was a long ass ride home. And I had to stop at the trap to get my car. It was 3:45 when I got to the house.
Janae P.O.V.
I sat staring at the time on the microwave at the table. It was really late and Jay still isn't home. I wasn't even sure if he was coming home. He was so pissed. I jumped up when I heard keys set on the counter. He leaned against the counter.
"You scared the shit out of me." I said walking over to him.
"My bad." was all he said. He didn't even hug me or nothing. Just stood there.
Normally this would be the part where I held my tears back because pride is a bitch. But these pregnancy hormones are an even bigger bitch so the tears spilled out.
He looked up at me. "Why are you crying?"
I couldn't even find words. I walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. He followed me and came and sat down next to me. I just let the tears fall down.
"Talk to me, Nae."
"I thought you were mad. Like I've seen you mad but this is worse. Like you didn't love me anymore. I don't know. I was scared you was done with me. And you wasn't here. I stayed up waiting and you didn't answer your phone. I thought you hated me. I thought you weren't coming anymore." Everything just spilled out and I couldn't stop myself from talking.
Jay pulled me into his arms. "Shh. I told you I was coming late." he said running his hands through my hair. "And I also told you what?" he said lifting my face to look in his eyes.
"You gon always come home to me." I said looking back down.
"Always. Aight?"
"Okay."
"And I don't hate you. You allowed to have friends. I just want to know who you around. How you know him anyway?"
"Don't get mad." He gave me a look. "Don't stay mad, at least."
He tolled his eyes. "Just tell me."
I stood up and started waddling up the stairs. "Come on."
He mugged me then stood up to follow me. I walked to the upstairs linen closet and reached up for the shoebox I stored. I brought it down and took it to our bedroom sitting down the bed. Jay just looked at me like I was crazy. I opened the box and pulled out the Glock 19 I got from Dame.
"Janae, what the fuck." he said snatching it out of my hand.
"Jay come on."
"You don't know what the fuck you doing."
"That's what I'm tryna tell you. I needed to learn how to protect my family."
He stared at me. "Janae I got us. You don't trust me?"
"Of course I trust you. But what if you're not here? You have enemies. When I got taken it was nothing I could do for myself. I had to do something to make sure I could defend myself."
He looked at me like I had a thousand heads. "Janae what the fuck? I always got you. You don't need t-"
"And who got you Jay?"
"Janae.."
"Exactly. We in this together. I got you. That's the answer to my question. It's not just on you."
He sighed. "I don't want you worrying about stuff like that."
"I don't worry anymore." I said reaching for the gun and putting it back in the box.
I slid it under the bed and walked over to him. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck and he hugged me back.
"No more secrets, I promise." I said reaching up to kiss him.
Thank god he kissed me back. It's been all day. I deepened the kiss and he laid us down on the bed, careful of the baby. He trailed kisses down to my stomach kissing all over making me laugh. He came back up to kiss me again. He laid down next to me resting his head on my stomach. He always sleeps on the baby. I was sad at first because my favorite sleeping position was on his chest but it was actually cute he wanted to sleep with the baby.
I looked over and saw the daylight peeping through the blinds. I cannot believe I stayed up this late. I felt my eyelids get heavy as I drifted off to sleep.