Daddy's House (22 page)

“
What kind of place is this exactly?” he asked. His focus was fixed on the chandelier.

“
It’s a group home for troubled girls,” she replied, with confidence. “Check the city records. That’s how we’re listed. Licensed and all.”

He laughed hysterically. Agent Barnes obviously wasn’t buying it. I could feel it in my soul. I wondered if he had, or would just flash the search warrant I hoped he’d already obtained. I took in a quiet deep breath, waiting for his next move.

In a matter of seconds, he did an about face, and walked to the door. “I’ll be back,” he said, with a smirk.

As soon as the door closed, Ms. Dottie quickly walked into the office. She snatched the phone from the receiver and dialed. “Yeah, tell Daddy to get here as soon as he can.”

“
I swear, Ms. Dottie I didn’t tell that man to come! I swear,” I pleaded, as soon as she hung up.

“
Meet me in your room,” she ordered.

I wanted to respond to Rich’s message, giving him the address to the house, so he could come save my ass. Instead, I followed Ms. Dottie’s instructions like a fool. My intuition said head straight out the front door. But by the time I got up to my room, I’d gained enough heart to make a run for it. I moved with speed toward the closet to grab my purse. I checked over my shoulder to make sure the bedroom door was still open. Then gathered what I could, ready to roll. When I turned back around, Ms. Dottie scared the shit outta me. She was standing in the doorway like Jason from Friday the 13th. All her ass needed was a fucking hockey mask. My eyes followed the length of her arm down to the huge chain she held. All I could think about was the time Daddy spoke of how he’d shackled a girl once.
Damn, how am I gonna get out of
this shit?

Chapter Twenty-Three

I stood out front of the address where my new connection said we’d meet. My instructions were to wait across the street away from the bowling alley on 118th Street in Harlem. That nigga sounded real sweet on the phone. I wondered how my daughter always found a way to get the good catch of the sea. Then I laughed. She got that shit from me. It was a skill we in the Holmes family was blessed wit.
We not only had the ability to get the ones we
wanted, but also the ability to connive them dumb mufucka’s outta anything our pretty little hearts desired
.

I sat on the hood of the car, waiting for that lying-ass mufucka to pull up. He said he’d be here in twenty minutes. The nigga didn’t even tell me what he’d be ridin’ up in, so my ass was scopin’ every damn car that cruised by. Car after car I watched anxiously. All of a sudden a dark green Navigator drove by real slow.
Here this slow ass nigga is now
, I thought. I waited till the tip of the car got
closer, then jumped down ready for bizness. The windows
were dark as shit, so I placed my hand on my heat. One
could never be too sure ‘bout niggas these days.

As the window slowly came down, I was shocked. This little dark-ass nigga not even eighteen years old, asked my ass what the fuck was I doin’ on his mufuckin’ strip. Rich hopped out the car, ‘cause his ass sensed it was some shit gettin’ ready to pop off. I watched his little spook lookin’ ass real close. I nodded to Rich.

“
Your strip?” I asked.

“
Yeah, my strip ol’ head.”

“
Listen you little shi….” Before I could get the word out, Rich bust the driver’s side window wide open with his Glock. When the lil’ fuck went to shield his face, I ran up to the truck and shoved my piece down his throat.

“
When I blow yo’ shit off, yo’ mama gon’ feel it!”

He cried like the baby he was. “Uh…uh,” he tried to speak.

“
Shut the fuck up! School’s in session. You just failed the first test! Don’t you ever ask the teacher what the fuck she’s doin’! You just follow instructions you lil’ asshole.”

Rich shot two rounds in his sideview mirror. We had to teach that lil’ new school wanna-be dealer a serious lesson. Don’t fuck wit yo’ ancestors…yo’ predecessors. I snatched my gun from his mouth and commenced to slappin’ him across his face, like an abusive man beating the shit out of his wife. He clinched his left cheek like his skin was peeling off, which it was. Blood fell all over his cream Sean John hoody.

“
Move the fuck on, son.”

His lil’ bitch ass took off like five-o was on his ass. Rich laughed and eased back in the driver’s seat. There was no need for words, our motto spoke for itself- kick ass first and take names later. Wasn’t no need for communication. That unnecessary shit pissed me off. It fucked my whole groove up.

I sat back on the hood wild’n out, ‘cause the person I needed to meet still hadn’t rolled up. I didn’t realize for once in my life, how nervous I was until Rich blew the horn. I jumped up.

“
You stupid ass, nigga. What the fuck do you want?” I shouted, tryin’ to hold my composure.

Rich slipped his head out the window and flipped me his middle finger. I thought about walking over to him and yanking his fine ass out the car. Then beat his head in with my gun-split it down to the white meat just like I’d done to lil’ Similac.

Luckily for him, a nice-ass Benz slowly turned the corner, and made me redirect my attention. I hated when niggas tried to be slick, but I was ready for whatever drama was comin’ my way.

I repositioned myself further behind the car just in case I had to duck, or bust a few caps in somebody’s ass. The slower the car drove, I started feeling like it may have been that lil’ nigga comin’ back to retaliate. I pulled out my gun, this time exposin’ it for all to see, and let it dangle by my side. The car stopped about ten feet away. I figured whoever it was, saw my shit, and knew I meant serious bizness. I didn’t give a shit. I was prepared to let off some steel on somebody’s ass. I motioned to Rich to stay put.

What had me more on edge was the fact that whoever it was had their arm hanging out the window in this cold ass weather.
Fuck it
, I thought.
No pain, no gain.
I took my chances. Strolling towards the Benz, I stretched my arms up in the air, as if to ask
what the fuck you want
. I locked my eyes on the car’s every move until it pulled right up on me.

“
Perfect timing,” the fat mufucka said.

“
Perfect? Check this Daddy, or whatever the fuck they call you. You call havin’ me waitin’ for thirty minutes perfect?”

I moved around to the driver’s side, tucking my 9mm away in my spanxs. The spandex material was tighter than a mufucka, but it made my shape look good.

“
So, where she at?” I asked, reaching into my back pocket.

He nodded, just studying me. Strangely this nigga looked familiar. I tracked my mental rolodex. I ain’t want no shit.
Did I do deals with this nigga in the past? What
the fuck! Maybe I fucked him? Was his ass a recovered
crackhead? Damn!
I searched and searched. His smile…there was something about his smile. I let his ass talk a little more to see if anything he said would jog my memory.

“
So, your next move?” he asked.

I tried to get him off task and used my ass as bait. He bit. I puckered my lips, and dropped my pen on the ground behind me. I shook my ass as seductively as I could. I turned back to see if he was watchin’, and he was. He couldn’t resist.

“
I hope you like what you see.” I smiled, showing him every tooth in my mouth. He needed to be mesmerized like all the others. I handed his ass the cash that was already bundled up in a fat rubber band. But he shot me a hand movement, like he was whisking the money away.

He undressed me with his stare. “Yo, you look real good. There’s something real familiar about you. You sure we ain’t been out before?”

Damn, that was it. I fucked this nigga!
This nigga used to say this shit to me long before I ever gave his ass some, which was only once. “James!”

“
What?” he said, lookin’ baffled as hell. “You called me James.”

I started snapping my fingers, like the snaps would help me remember. “James Woodruff. Yeah, nigga, that’s it.” He stuck his head out the window to get a closer peek. “James, it’s me, Velma.”

“
Who would’a thought I’d ever see you again.”

He stepped out the car, leaving the door wide open.

“
Been a long time.” With my arms outstretched, I gave him a big hug. I glanced over at Rich to see a dumb ass look on his face. I shrugged my shoulders.
Oh well
, I mouthed.

“
You never called me after you gave me the good stuff. Damn, you still pretty as shit, but a lil’ rougher now, huh?” He took a step back and searched me up and down. “Didn’t tote a gun back then, wasn’t takin’out muthfuckas either.”

“
Shit, that was over twenty years ago. Things don’ changed. Now, it’s all about survival in these streets.”

“
I see…I see. So, who is your friend,” he asked.

“
Oh, that’s my sidekick. He cool,” I reassured him.

“
So back to business, sexy. You didn’t say too much on the phone other than she told a lie on you that landed you in the penitentiary. So, you really wanna handle this little bitch, huh?”

I nodded with the meanest scowl possible.

“
I’m ready, ‘cause she been lying to my ass too,” he said, like his feelings were hurt.

“
Lying, huh?” I laughed.
That’s her
, I thought.

“
Yeah…and my house lady just told me she got the Feds comin’ to my spot. Now they hot on my ass. You doin’ me a favor by taking care of her ass. So, where you know her from?”

This shit was becoming all too much for my ass.
Shut the fuck up
, I thought to myself. It was no time for getting
emotional and shit. Nor was I gonna tell him she was my
daughter.

“
Uh…let’s talk ‘bout that later. I’m ready.”

“
Tell your little sidekick you ridin’ with Big Daddy.”

I sashayed over to the car, gettin’ my switch on, and let Rich know that he could jet. He gave me the strangest look. I knew what it meant though. Rich was lettin’ me know that he was comin’ whether I liked it or not. Sometimes his ass thought he was my man and shit.

“
Look, trust me on this one, it’s cool. You go ‘head and take the night off. I’m real familiar wit’ this one.” He stared at me as if he didn’t trust me.

“
A’ight. But hit me up if you need me,” Rich responded.

“
Cool,” I said, headed back to James. I slid in his car all lady-like and shit as he looked over at me and smiled. Daddy pulled off like he’d just picked my ass up for a date. He reached for the radio, turning up the sounds of the Whispers
.

“
Cause you’re my everything, all my hopes and dreams come true,” he sang, as he winked at me. Little did he know, I felt like a piece of shit.

How in the fuck am I gonna tell him that the reason why I ain’t never call his ass back is because he’s Candice’s father? I still ain’t gonna tell his ass. How would that shit look anyway, both parents tryna kill their young? This shit is gettin’ too deep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

After having my fifty second breakdown, I realized Ms. Dottie must’ve been having a breakdown too. Her eyes watered the more she glared into my face. “You remind me so much of her,” she said, clutching the thick pair of iron shackles.

“
Of who!” I shouted, in my most petrified voice. She was scaring the living shit outta me, and I wanted out. This was way too much.

The closer she moved toward me, I backed away even more. When I took my next step, all I could think about was how the both of us would die in this room.

“
You think you special?” Ms. Dottie asked, with a crazy look on her face.

“
Look, I know you don’t like me! Sushi told me what you did! It wasn’t Cat who fucked up my room. It was you!”

Her calmness had disappeared. She screamed right back at me. “I did it to protect you, stupid! I wanted you to leave! I’ve done everything I could to make you leave! But you just don’t get it!”

I wanted her to stop talking in circles, ‘cause none of what she said made any sense. Finally, my frustration ended with a possessed wild’n out session. Between the knocking sounds inside my head, and the shortness of breaths, I flung my arms high in the air, like I was fighting an imaginary person. I know Ms. Dottie thought there was no way to calm me down, by the way my body shook. For seconds, I moved around the room like a crack addict needing a hit.

“
What do you want from me? Why are you doing this!” I shouted. I asked question after question, but Ms. Dottie had no answers.

Tears strolled down her face. The chains fell to the floor. “You think I want to do this to you?” she cried softly “I grabbed this chain to show you what Daddy will do to you when he gets here.”

My mind was so boggled, my face could only tighten. What in the hell was she talking about?