KING

KING 3

3 - Changes
Romeo

"About fucking time you ungrateful little bastard!" Peaches spat angrily when she saw Rage enter the dining room. He rolled his eyes with an attitude.

"I ain't come here to be yelled at by you Peaches- "Rage." My dad said in a warning tone and Rage shut his ass up real fast and sat down without saying another word.

Peaches gave him one last glare before looking around the table at everyone "Now Rage is finally here I can start to discuss the family business with y'all."

"First of all I wanna let you guys know how happy I am to be home with my babies and grand babies and that because I love you so much there's gonna be some changes around here- "Wait." My dad held up his hand interrupting her. "Hold on Peaches. Changes?"

"Yeah. We're going legit, we're not moving weight no more." She said casually.

"You crazy." Dad laughed but Peaches expression didn't shift "I'm not. I've seen what this life is doing to this family and I need to do something before it gets worse."

"Ma no disrespect but we're good over here." Ricky stated.

Peaches frowned "You're not 'good' Ricky. Your wife is literally crying out, begging for your time but all you're focused on is the game. I've been home almost 3 weeks now and you've been gone every single day. Chlo cooks dinner, you don't show up. Y'all make plans, you flake on her. She talks, you don't listen. That's not okay Ricky I really expected you to know how to treat your WIFE better than that."

"Thank you Peaches I've been telling him. The car business doesn't have to be a front no more, we can really do this Rick. Make a life for ourselves." Chlo added.

Ricky shook his head at both of them "Yo Ma how you gonna have a family dinner in MY house just so yall can attack me?" Peaches fanned him off "Ain't nobody attacking you boy. I'm just stating facts and it's not just you. We all need to move on." She turned her attention me "Romeo what happened to your music?"

"That's dead Ma." I answered quickly before she could start on me. "Why? You're the best producer I've ever heard. Remember those times after school you'd come visit and play me your stuff? You got talent. Use it."

"I don't have time to be messing with music right now-" "Because of the business right? That's what I'm saying there wont be a business no more and you can focus on other things, like your music."

Again, my dad spoke up to shut her ideas down "You can't just come in here after all these years and change things Peach."

"Uh yes I can. Look around Caesar it's destroying your family. Doesn't that scare you?" She argued. "Be fucking serious Peach. You know the game better than anyone. This ain't no 9 to 5, you cant just quit. And then you haven't even asked me or the boys what we want."

She turned to Ricky "Ricky?" She asked softly, with hopeful eyes. "Ma you know I love you but business is good right now. Everybody's in line, the money's good. The family's good." He explained. She sighed and looked at me  "Rome?" I looked down not wanting to upset her with my response but I still had to be real and reality was "We can't just walk away."

"HA! Looks like you've been out voted."  Rage laughed and Ricky smacked him round the head "Shut the fuck up."

Rage slouched back into the chair "Are we done here? Cause you know some of us actually got shit to do instead of sitting round having dinner with an ex convict."

"I feel sorry for your children. I mean come on, look at you Rage. All this money, all these chains, cars, girls are just there to cover up who you really are." Peaches chuckled and took a long sip of her wine. She continued "You're just a scared little boy, a little boy who missed his mama but it's okay I'm home now. You can drop this tough, bad boy act. Ima get you out the game."

"You funny Peaches. I'm outta here." Rage said as he stood up angrily. "Don't forget to take your children since you big and grown." Peaches added.

"Mariah!" He called out for the kids nanny. "Get my kids" he told her.

"Wait hold on." Chlo stood up to stop him but Ricky stopped her "No let him go Chlo." "Ricky you can't let him take them." She pleaded as her eyes began to water and I understood why, she was practically their mother, raising each of them from babies every time Summer dropped them off.

"Chlo. Let him go." Ricky repeated calmly.

•

"Hey baby. You're home earlier than I expected. How was your big family dinner?" Mia smiled when I got home that night.

I sighed kicking off my shoes and walked over to her at the couch "Crazy. My mama and Rage got into it then he took the kids and left."

"What?" Mia gasped. "It's about time he stepped up. I'm surprised Sky and Amir even know who he is."

"Come on Rome you can't honestly think he can look after those babies on his own. And isn't one of them really a baby? Like y'all really let a 18 year old take two toddlers and a new born?" I shrugged "They're his kids. Him and Summer, they need to figure it out. Anyway enough about them, Peaches said some shit tonight got me thinking..."

"Oh yeah. What about?" Mia asked as she climbed onto my lap. "She wants to shut down the family business and make us all go legit."

Mia laughed shaking her head  "Who does she think she is? That lady's been home five minutes and she's already tryna switch things up."

"She said I should start taking my music more seriously." I told her.

"Please. You're not really considering doing it right?" Honestly, I was. The idea of stepping out of the game to focus on music wasn't the craziest idea I heard, but, Business was going good at the moment and I wasn't sure I was ready to risk it all.

"Rome, baby your music is good but it's a hobby, something you picked up in high school out of boredom and to pass the time. You're a man now baby, a man who deserves to make money. Real money not no pocket change for some beats."

"Yeah you're right."

"Oh baby I'm always right." She said softly as she grabbed my face and started kissing me...

•

I woke up the next morning to see Mia's side of the bed empty and my phone blowing up with messages from Rage.

>I'm suppose to give him the whole bottle?
>ROME
>What happens if I let him sleep on his stomach?
>Nigga wake up!
>Sky said she allergic to fruit. She lying?

I sighed, locked my phone and went to go shower. Rage and his children were not my problem.

I stepped out the bathroom to a loud vibrating sound coming from my phone, I answered immediately. "Hey Romie." I smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Wassup princess." Out of all my siblings I loved Reign the most, she was my baby sister so I naturally had a soft spot for her which she knew all about and used to her advantage every chance she could.

"Romie you busy today?" I clenched my jaw and shook my head knowing where the conversation was headed. "I'm not going over there Rei."

"Rome please he called me this morning and I could barely hear him over the baby screaming in the background. He needs help, even if it's just an hour." She begged. I knew Rage was gonna go through Reign just like he always did when there was something he wanted.

"No."

"Please. If you don't go then I'll have to. That means I gotta leave school, drive all the way back to New York by myself, go help Rage, miss out on like 5 classes and you don't want me missing school do you? Plus daddy's gonna be mad too." She exaggerated trying her best to convince me. " Its not gonna work Reign. Rage is a grown ass man he can handle it. Now I gotta go, I love you."

"Love you too."

After hanging up the call I decided to go somewhere I hadn't been in a while. The studio. Maybe Peaches was right and I needed to give music another shot.

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