Finding Grace

Chapter Seven

"What do you mean?" He asked sitting down. "Grace died before she had her baby."

"And you got a body?" He stared at the ground then looked back me at. Jess took the birth certificate out and gave it to him. He shook his head.

"There's no way. How do I know this isn't fake?" Jess pulled out a picture.

"This is Rome." She said handing him a picture of him. "We raised him. Jerome, Grace is dead she was killed, but she lived long enough to birth Rome. Then Smiles had Kelly killed her."

"Kelly? Where is he? I'll gut him while he's alive." Jerome growled.

"I'm not allowed to disclose that location." She said. "I'm here to reunite you with your son. He's not here, but I can bring him back and we can test it. As you can see y'all look so much alike."

"I'm desperate, but I'm not that desperate."

"I'm sure Grayson will be ecstatic in hearing he has a nephew." Jess said. D'Angelo let him go and took the papers back. "Take me to him."

"I wanna know more about "my son". Everything."

"He's a wonderful young man. He has a very promising future and his a prodegy in basketball. We're very proud of him."

"Does he know?"

"Of course not. But he's close, and that's why we're here. He's been watching Grace's missing person's on the news for years." Jess said. Jerome sighed.

"I can't believe he's alive. Does that mean Grace could be alive?" Jess lowered her head before shaking it.

"No, she was actually killed. Smiles had to make an example after Grayson killed his son."

"Son?" He asked. "We're going to see Grayson now."

Jerome took them over to Grayson's house and cleared his throat before doing their coded knock. Grayson opened the door and Jess smiled at him walking up with her arms out. D'Angelo stopped her and gave her a warning look.

"Hello!" Jess said cheery. "So...you're an uncle?"

"Is this a joke?" He asked pointing at Jess and cocking it back. She moved in the same way as on Jerome and they watched the clip fall to the ground.

"Gray these dudes may be forreal." Jerome said. Grayson let them explain and he didn't believe them.

"Give me one reason to believe you. What was my sister like?"

"I don't know. We didn't know her." Jess said. "It's simply because Rome is maturing that we're here."

"Bring him back." Jess shook her head. "He's not yours to keep." Grayson said. "That's my nephew and Jerome's son."

"Yeah, not that I'm against that, but I can't." She said. "You'll understand later."

"Look I'm not trusting none of this until I get a test." Grayson said. "And you lucky big boy got me a little shook, because I would've popped yo ass as soon as you said Grace's name."

"She's dead. I'm sorry. We protect Rome though." Jess said. "That's why you've never met him. Kelly isn't all bad. He allowed Grace to have the child. His or not he had to kill her."

"Trayvon is Smiles son. So is Kelly and Dezmond."

"And Kingston and Monty." D'Angelo said.

"Who?"

"I've heard that before." Jerome said. "I think Kingston is Saint."

"Kingston and Monty were kidnapped by Grayson after he thought he killed Smiles and their mother." Jess finished. "Now we protect Rome, but only to an extent. Smiles wants his kids back. Just like you do."

"You want Mike and Saint for this Rome kid?"

"No no no." She said. "He's gonna get them back. Don't worry about that." Jess's phone rang and she looked at it clearing her throat. "It's Rome. Excuse me."

Jerome looked up at D'Angelo and shook his head. "Sooo I'm guessing you're not getting no play buddy? Cause you pretty uptight."

"You don't wanna know." He said shaking his head.

"What do you know about Grace?" Gray asked. D'Angelo shrugged. "Come on man. This my younger sister. What were her final moments like?"

"I wasn't there. Jess was. She was killed infront of Rome however he doesn't remember, but I'm sure he doesn't wanna hear it."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't drop you now?" Grayson asked.

"You can try. But that won't benefit you in any way." He warned. "Rome will be lost forever."

"Ok bye sweetie." Jess said rejoining the conversation. "Ok, I'll bring Rome back for two days."

"That's not enough." Grayson said.

"That's all the time he has." Jess said. "He has a basketball game Saturday and he can't miss it."

"Basketball?" Grayson said. "Fifteen years behind and the first thing I learn is basketball is more important than family."

"Basketball is his life and he takes it very seriously. But his family always comes first." Jess protested.

"You don't count." Jerome said. "He's in this world because of me."

"What were Grace's final moments like?" Grayson asked. "I gotta know."

Jess looked at D'Angelo who nodded. "There was a lot of crying." She started off. "I mean she had just given birth. Just by looking at him she knew it was Jerome's. Kelly dragged her away from where I was after she had her final words with him. I remember them so well, Bye baby, mama will always love you, then she said to me, take good care of him and find Jerome tell him I love him and I never stopped and tell Grayson I forgive him. Then Kelly put a bullet through her skull and burned the body. Her ashes in an urn on display in Smiles headquarters."

"Where?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose that infotmation with you." Jess said.

"She knows where Kelly is and won't say." Jerome told Grayson.

"Even if I had the freedom to speak I wouldn't." Jess told them.

"What you mean?"

"We've said a lot already." Jess said. "I'll bring Rome under one condition."

"What's that?"

"You bring Kingston and Monty."

"What? No! We're not stupid." Jerome said. "You wanna bring your goons and take them and Rome."

"Fine don't bring them." Jess said. "We should meet tomorrow. We have so much more to talk about."