Merc 🤎🐻
Early March
Since Neo’s car had been under the snow for so long, I had it towed to her parents’ place to be safe, and she came to my home. I gave her a tour since I was unable to the first time. I was proud of the life I’d built for me and my son and hoped Neo would be a part of that. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would be easy for her to trust me with what had just happened with her ex, but I hoped she was wise enough to see the differences between us and know I was nothing like him.
As we got settled into my home theater, my phone rang. It was Aries. I answered with, “Y’all good?”
“Yes. Are you home yet? We’re in Memphis. I was going to bring Marz to you.”
“Yeah, I’m back. Bring my little man home.”
“Okay, we’ll be there in like thirty minutes.”
“Aight, cool.”
I hadn’t even disconnected the call all the way before Neo was saying, “I’m gonna take an Uber to my parents’ house so you can spend some time with Marz.”
“Neo…”
“I mean it, Mercury. We’ve spent the last week together, and though I enjoyed every second of it, I know you missed your son like crazy.”
I couldn’t argue with her because that was the truth. “If you’re sure, I can drop you off real quick.”
“You sure, babe?”
“I’m positive.”
“Okay, that’ll work.”
As much as I was enjoying our time together, I was grateful she wasn’t the kind of woman who expected me to choose between her and my son. They would always lose. Had she stayed, I would have made sure she was entertained while I gave my attention to Marz, but now, I wouldn’t have to.
Marz wasn’t trying to go to sleep. He was clearly tired and could barely hold his eyes open after I finished his bedtime story. It wasn’t like him to fight his sleep, especially if he was excited about something the next day. We were going to my parents’ house, and they spoiled him and never told him no.
“You okay, little man?” I asked, rubbing his head. He nodded then shook his head. I returned to my seat on the side of his bed. “What’s wrong, son?”
He looked away briefly. “Mommy said we were moving away with Mr. Omar, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to leave you and my grandma and paw paw. Or Kiana and my friends at school.”
I had to work really hard to keep my face from showing how I was feeling, because I didn’t want him to think my anger was over what he’d said. I couldn’t believe Aries told Marz they were moving before we’d made a final decision. And even if we had made a decision, that was a conversation we needed to have with him together. Yet again, she was moving as if Omar was her husband and the father of her child and leaving me out of it, and that shit was disrespectful as fuck and pissing me off. Clearly, since telling her that wasn’t getting through her thick ass skull, I would have to tell her man and make sure he never had a conversation about my son’s future without me being present again.
“You’re not going anywhere, Marz. Don’t even worry about that, aight?”
“But Mommy said…”
“That don’t matter. I’m telling you that you aren’t leaving. Okay?”
With a nod, he pulled his covers up to his chin. “Yes, sir.”
YOU ARE READING
Merc (COMPLETED)
Roman d'amourFor a man like Merc, his reputation has always preceded him. Known for his allegiance to the criminal underworld as a protector, the gangster only shows love to his family... and his son and the woman who birthed him are at the top of that list. Whe...
