Another Lifetime

Chapter 60:

Cesar's POV:
Odessa takes my daughter so Monse can murder me. "Monse-" she cuts me off. "Don't." She stares at me with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell me anything? You've only been back for a few days, who wants you dead?" She asks. "Don't answer that." She paces back and forth. "You know how stupid I felt when Paula told me? You're my boyfriend! I shouldn't have to hear about this shit from Paula!" She keeps yelling. "Wait, Paula told you? How the hell did she know?" I furrow my brow. "Who cares?! Stop trying to change the subject!" She screams. "What do you wanna know?" I ask and Monse takes a deep breath. "Who was it? Like which gang?" She asks. "19th." I tell her.
"Where?" Monse sits with me. "That doesn't-" she stops me. "Cesar, please." She puts her hand on my arm. "Here at the house, at Ruby's, and they followed me when I dropped Ky off at school." I admit. "Ok." I can tell she's still processing it. "Did they shoot?" She asks. "Only at Ruby's." I tell her. "Starting tomorrow I'm dropping Kyrie off and Mona's gonna be with Odessa when I'm not around." She tells me. "They're my kids." I remind her. "Yeah, and if you put either of them in danger again I'm telling Lola and moving back in with my dad. I know where we live but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let the kids get hurt." She says seriously. "Nothing's gonna happen to us. I'll tell you next time but I can't lose my kids." I can't believe I even have to have this conversation. "We'll get through this." Monse kisses me but I can tell she's not ok with what I did. "Why didn't you tell me?" She doesn't look mad anymore just hurt. "I thought I could handle it alone. I didn't want you to find out and try to get back in the life." This is the most honest I've been in a while. "I'm always gonna do what's best for my daughter. If that means going back to who I used to be, I'll do it." Monse says and I nod. "Me too. I'm trying to do what's best for all of us. You don't have to do anything you don't want to 'cause I'm always gonna be looking out for you." I kiss her

Monse's POV:
Somehow I go from yelling at Cesar to sleeping with him in less than two hours. "I'm working again tomorrow but I can call off if you want." I suggest. "No, I don't want you to change anything. This is my mess and I'm gonna deal with it. You should bring a knife though." He smiles. "Wow, a knife? All this time I thought you were a gun guy." I laugh under my breath. "We should probably go back out there." I say when I hear Odessa trying to help Ky with his homework. "Just give me a minute." He says and I kiss him. "Ok, but you better help me put your kids to bed." I put my clothes back on and leave the room.

"How'd it go?" Odessa asks. "Better than I thought. I threatened him for the millionth time but this time I brought up the kids. Hopefully he'll listen this time." I shrug. "You wanna talk about what happened?" She asks. "Maybe when his dad isn't in the kitchen." I smile. "Wait, where's Mona?!" I panic a little. "She's with grandpa." Kyrie says while he fills out his worksheet. "I was having a hard time watching them both." Odessa admits. "Ray, give Monse her baby!" She yells. "Thanks." I laugh. "Did she eat?" I ask Ray and he passes Mona back to me. "I tried but she wasn't hungry." He looks disappointed. "Thanks for trying to help out." I'm slowly starting to warm up to him, especially when I see him with Mona. It'd hard to not like someone when your baby loves them. "Come on, let's go get your dad." I kiss Mona's cheek and she giggles. "Cesar, your kids wanna hangout with you." I'm so busy looking at Mona that I don't notice he's not in bed for a few seconds.

Cesar's POV:
I lay down facing the ceiling and try to figure out how Paula knew. It only takes me a second to get it.
** Mona's birthday **
"You remember that girl I told you about who works at the Joint and her man's in Nineteen?" She asks. "I said I can't-" she cuts me off. "Cuete's dead." Vero tells me.
** Present**
Of fucking course. Why couldn't Monse make friends with someone who isn't affiliated? Or at least a girl  who wasn't dating someone who wants to kill me! I know this is gonna be a mistake but I text Vero.

"Hey." When I get the parks she's sitting on a swing waiting for me. "So Paula's the 19th street bitch?" I ask. "Excuse me?" She laughs. "Why the fuck are you calling her a bitch? I didn't come out here so you-" I stop her. "Her and Monse are friends." I explain. "Yeah... and?" She raises her eyebrows. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" "Why would I? Cesar, I don't owe you shit." She stands up but I stop her. "Paula told her I got rolled up on. You tell her where I've been?" I ask. "Are you asking as a friend or as a gang leader?" Vero stops walking. "You think we're friends?" I ask. "I'd never say or do anything to hurt you or the Santos." I don't know why but I believe her. "Can you find out what Paula knows? Maybe try and get some shifts with her." I suggest. "Anything for you, lil Spooky." She says sarcastically and I smile. "If she's why this shit keeps happening-" Vero knows exactly what I'm thinking. "I'll do whatever I have to. It doesn't matter who it is, if someone's trying to fuck with us, the family comes first." Vero's a lot of things but she's loyal above everything. "Good." I nod. "You're welcome." She rolls her eyes.