Miego laughed, remembering when he was that age. He was the same way, unruly and running the streets.
“Umm, can I help you?”
“Is your sister here?”
“No, she’s not, and before you ask, I don’t know where she is. If I did, I wouldn't tell you because she doesn't need to be messing with you in the first place.” Yaz had her hand on her hip and scowling at Miego like she wanted to jump on him.
He couldn't help but think how she looked more like Yami’s daughter than Yami did.
“That’s cool. I’ll find her, and for the record, me fucking with your sister is none of your business. I get the whole that’s your family thing and you want to protect her, but it's her life. I might not be the best, but I’m better than that nigga she’s fucking with now. At least, I’ll never put my hands on her. So think about that, while you trying to be her protector and run her life.” Without another word, he walked off, leaving Yaz with her mouth open, unable to respond.
Miego’s next stop was Yami’s mom’s building. Just like Yaz’s he didn't know which apartment, but he would knock on every single door if he had to. Fuck it. He was motivated now. It only took him fifteen minutes to reach her building, and when he arrived, he parked and got out. As he approached the front door of her building, Miego passed an older woman coming out, so he stopped her and asked if she knew Yami.
“Excuse me, ma'am. Do you know Yamiah? She’s about this tall and has a daughter.”
The woman eyed him for a minute and then simply responded no, before turning to walk off. He knew she was lying, but couldn’t do anything about it. He pushed through the door and then checked the mailboxes, not really knowing why. He didn't know her last name, and if it was her mom’s crib, then hers wouldn’t be on it anyway.
Not knowing what else to do, he began jogging up the stairs but stopped at the second floor when he heard a child laughing. He followed the voice down the hall, praying that he would be lucky enough for it to be Yami and her daughter. Sure enough, when he looked up, he was staring right at her. Her back was to him, so she didn't see him, but her daughter did. She smiled and pointed right at him.
“Mommy, there’s your friend,” Ray said through a giggle, causing Yami to turn around.
Miego didn't like the look she gave him, but he moved toward her anyway. Yami’s daughter was on a tiny pink tricycle, so she peddled right to him, damn near colliding with his legs.
Miego kneeled down in front of her. “What’s your name, shorty?” he asked.
Ray looked back over her shoulder at her mother as if asking for approval to tell him. When she nodded, Ray turned to him and smiled.
“Ray, what's your name?”
He admired her little face. She had the same divot in her chin like her mother as she grinned at him.
“Miego. You’re very pretty, Ray.” Miego pinched her cheek and gently yanked her ponytail that brushed across her shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“Ray, go inside for a minute so that I can talk to Miego. I’ll be there in a sec.”
“But I want to ride, Mommy.”
Ray’s tiny voice made Miego speak up. “You can ride. We’ll talk over here. That way she can see you.”
Yami narrowed her eyes at him because he disagreed with the instructions that she had just given her daughter.
“Okay.”
Ray used her feet to change the direction of her bike and was now heading in the opposite direction while Yami walked toward Miego. He leaned against the wall watching her while she stood in front of him with her arms folded.
“So, what came up?” Miego asked.
He would occasionally glance at Ray, which made him smile, but it dropped the second his eyes were on Yami again.
“I just need a minute. Things are complicated.”
He looked right into her eyes and surveyed her body, noticing light bruising on her neck. He bit into his bottom lip for a second to keep from saying anything about it before he spoke.
“Why are you still fucking with him? He did that to you?” Miego nodded toward her neck and Yami looked back at her daughter.
“It doesn't matter, but that doesn't have anything to do with it. I just need a minute.”
“The fuck you mean it don't matter?” Miego glanced at Ray when he realized that he’d raised his voice, and then lowered it before he continued. “It don't matter to you that you’re with a nigga who will do shit like that to you? What else did he do to you?”
“Nothing, in fact, he told me to leave. He told me to be with you if I wanted to because I would be back. He said you’re no different than he is.”
Miego laughed sarcastically. “You told him about us or he told you about us?” It didn't really matter to Miego one way or the other, but he wanted to know if Black was watching her, and Yami’s answer would tell him that. If Black was watching her, then he was watching them both, and Miego needed to know that.