Own You

Chapter 30

Caleb removes his gun from Emilio's chin and holsters it. Emilio spits on the ground before cursing and closing the switch blade. Jamal heads back toward me, taking my hand when he reaches me. He grabs Keisha and I tell Andre to follow his father. Andre nods and walks with us towards the elevators. I grab Matteo from DJ as he follows with the kids. DJ helps get everyone upstairs to their respective rooms. Jamal and I head into Andre's room with Keisha and Matteo.

"That muthafucka! Who the fuck does he think he is? I should put him in the ground with his brothers, in Tijuana. After all the shit I've done to keep this partnership stable, and this is the fucking thanks I get?!" Jamal says as he paces back and forth.

I cradle Matteo in my arms and lower my gaze. I hate seeing Jamal like this, he's pissed but he can't take out his frustrations the way he wants to. Andre sits on his bed and Gio finds his way in the room as well. Gio tries to comfort his brother, but he understands Andre needs his space. So, he offers him a chocolate bar and they both eat it absentmindedly.

"Jamal, come here," I beckon him in a low voice, when he reaches me, I pull him into the doorway. "You need to talk to your son. His anger is getting a little out of hand. What could've happened if you weren't here? What's going to happen the next time you go away? We can't...we can't keep living like this!" I insist.

"Like what, Mya? In a luxurious mansion, on a private island with nothing but money at your disposal?" Jamal says in an angry whisper as he makes sure he's holding Keisha properly.

I suck my teeth and snort in response.

"Are you kidding me? I'm a fucking hostage here! My kids are freer than me and they're still stuck on this island too! Fuck the money, fuck the games. You have enough power to run things, yet here you are, allowing a piece of shit like Emilio to be on equal footing. If you were half the man I have come to fear, then you would've had him dissolving in acid the same as our parents." I say hurriedly and frustrated, raising my voice slightly.

Jamal tells me to hush my voice as I'm getting too loud. He looks back at the boys and tells them to turn their game on and stay in this room until told otherwise. Andre nods in acceptance and turns his Xbox One on. Jamal grabs me by my upper arm and guides me to the master bedroom. I put Matteo in the baby crib, in the room's corner.

Jamal puts Keisha in the crib as well and rubs his head with a sigh of frustration. When I do, I go to my bed-side table and pull out some salt-n-vinegar chips. I sit on the edge of the bed and roll my eyes in annoyance. All this drama and I never got to finish my cheeses and meats.

"Look, say what you want, but you know this is bullshit. It's unacceptable. I don't care what you do or don't do about it. At this point, I've made my peace with it." I say as I casually eat my chips and go over my scheme in my head.

"You think I won't handle it?" Jamal says, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side.

His eyes narrow in on me and he bites his bottom lip in frustration.

"Oh me? I don't think anything. What I know is you ain't do shit but roll around in the grass with him downstairs. Now you're fuming and bitching to me about promises you can't keep." I say, licking the salt and vinegar off my fingers.

His eyes go wide with shock before his nostrils flare in anger. Jamal crosses the space between us so fast and before I can blink, he slaps me with his right hand, harder than he has in ages. Blinking, I try to steady my vision while I clasp my face with my clean hand. I shake my head so the daze of it all would slow down. I chuckle slightly and look up at him, furious and scowling at me.

"Well, damn Ike! Did I strike a nerve? Next time, keep that same energy with Emilio and the rest. If I'm really your wife, you'd do better by me and our son. And slapping me in front of our daughter?" I suck my teeth again and laugh harder.