I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for whatever just took place while Red looked pissed. “I’ll be back, and we’re having that conversation. If you know what's best, you’ll be here because if I have to come looking for you, it will be a problem, Kiz.” Red tried to kiss me again, but I turned my face, which pissed him off. He grabbed my chin and held it long enough for his lips to press against mine, and then he let me go.
“Tonight, Kiz,” he said before he stepped away and started toward his car.
I watched as he backed out of the driveway and then I rushed into my house. I didn't know where the hell I was going, but I damn sure wasn't about to be here later when this fool got back.
As soon as I got in my house, I locked my door and headed straight to my room after getting my baby girl out the safe. I called Nonie to let her know I was heading to her house, while I started grabbing clothes for a few days. Red had another thing coming if he thought I was about to sit around waiting on his crazy ass.
After I had my things packed, I peeked out my front blinds to make sure the coast was clear before I left my house. I hopped in my car and made my way to Nonie's spot to make sure she was waiting for me when I got there. As far as I knew, Red didn't know where Nonie lived, so he wouldn't know to come looking for me there. He had never actually been to her house, and I was grateful for that.
“So, what now, Kiz?” Nonie asked as soon as I was in her house.
“I haven't really thought about that. I’m hoping he’ll eventually get the picture and just leave me alone.”
“Kiz, really? If he went through all this, then what makes you think he’s going to just let it go? You better tell Jock and let him handle it.”
“Hell no, I don't want that man’s blood on my hands. You know if I tell Jock that crazy fool is coming for me, then he’s going after him. They only know one way to handle things and that means somebody ain't walking away. I damn sure know it won't be Jock.”
“Just tell him to have a conversation with Red, he’ll do whatever you want, Kiz, you know that. But I’m not cool with him running up on you like that. You don't know what he might do.”
I followed Nonie to her room and tossed my bag on the floor. She had a guest room, but I was chilling in her room with her for a minute. Now that I was actually safe and had a chance to think, I was a little shaken by the way that Red had acted. I guess everybody has a little crazy in them. I just didn’t see him going that far.
I laid across the foot of Nonie's bed on my stomach with my feet in the air, ankles crossed, and she was next to me in the center sitting Indian style.
“I’m not doing that, Nonie. You know what a conversation means, and if Red came at me like that, how the hell you think he's going to react if Jock steps to him.”
“Who cares? Let Jock handle that, you know he will.”
“He knows.”
“Who knows?”
“Red asked me why I was accepting Jock having a kid but wasn't accepting the fact that he did.”
“Wait, how?”
“The hell if I know, but he damn sure said it. So I’m not telling Jock a damn thing. I’ll figure it out.”
“That’s not smart, boo. For now, you can stay here, but you know Jock is going to want to know why, so you’re gonna have to tell him, Kiz.”
I know, and I will worry about that later. For now, don't say anything, and don't tell Siah. You know he runs his mouth like a damn girl. He tells Jock everything.”
Nonie laughed, but I was dead ass serious. “Girl, leave Siah alone. It's no different than me telling you everything or you telling me everything. Besides, Jock be grilling him about you. It's some first forty-eight interrogation stuff going on, so it's not really his fault.’
“Mmhmm, just don’t tell him, how ’bout that?”
“Whatever, hoe.” Nonie shook her head and smiled, but she knew I was right.
I would tell Jock in my own time, for right now I just needed to make sure I stayed away from Red’s crazy ass and all would be well.
Siah
I had been doing some research and needed to holla at my pops to let him weigh in on it. The whole deal with Laken had me pissed off, but I saw it coming. What Nonie didn't know was that it was deeper than her, hell it was even deeper than me. This shit started years ago with our fathers and was being passed down.
His father had raised him to hate the O'day family the same way my father raised me to expect that it was going to happen. I didn't really give a fuck because no man put fear in my heart, but my father’s beef was now mine. So I was gonna handle Laken the same way my father handled his father years before I was even born. It was crazy to me how niggas couldn't just accept the fact that some men were built to be leaders and some were simply built to follow them. Just like my pops, I was a leader, so fuck Laken and what he thought he was about to do.