Finding Grace

Chapter Twelve

"Ma I had the best time of my life." Rome repeated for the seventh time. "Camiella should literally be my twin. We'd be perfect together. We make an awesome duo."

"Ok ok ok. Breathe son." Jess said laughing. "What about your dad?"

"Uh I dont know." He said. "He's not someone I could exactly see myself coming from you know?" Jess sighed.

"Say it."

"I'm not comfortable around him. He's intimidating and he kinda looks like he hates or doesn't trust me."

"He doesn't hate you, however, he doesn't trust me or you." She said. "We have to earn it when we go back."

"I got his number and I told him I'd text him anytime I wanted to talk to him or had any questions."

"Good I'm glad you're building a relationship with your father. Something I wasn't very good at."

"Can I talk to you?" Jess nodded.

"Of course. Ask me anything. I know its killing you." She said.

"I don't trust them." Grayson said.

"I have a son." Jerome said. "He's mine. I see it."

"How can you be so sure?" Grayson asked. "You get a test."

"No, but I don't need it." Jerome said. "My kids love each other. Camiella can't stop talking about him."

"Camiella is too easily influenced."

"Well she's not dealing dope is she?" Jerome said. "She's not like you think."

"She's a good girl, I'll give it to her. But something's off about them." Grayson said. "Grace wouldn't just go so willingly." He said. "We need to find Kelly. If Jess is talking the truth imma just assume he's in the big apple.

"I'm pretty sure he's not." Jerome said shrugging.

"Ok, it's a little early to make assumptions, but what it Jess is Grace and D'Angelo is Kelly?"

"No, Jess is Moniques real mother. She had her when she was sixteen with D'Angelo. She basically eliminated herself as Grace. And that move she pulled to empty out clips. You probably don't wanna hear this, you wanna hold on to this hope, but that wasn't Grace man. She wouldn't just pop up in our lives like that and if Smiles really wanted to use her against us then he'd bring her back as Grace."

"Alright chill." Grayson said. "That's my sister man. I don't wanna think that she actually might me dead. I still have hope."

"What about your dad?" Grayson shrugged.

"I don't talk to him. He claimed to moved away." Grayson said sitting back. "Didn't bother me though. He obviously doesn't feel the same was about Grace as I do."

"Right." Jerome said pulling his phone up.

"Well, I gotta go meet Lil Ronnie." Grayson said standing up. "You coming?"

"Ain't he the dude you had beef with?"

"Had. He cool or whatever." He grabbed his keys and Jerome followed him to his car.

"I better not be a third wheel."

"It ain't like that." Jerome laughed. "Ok, so we talk, but it ain't nothing serious."

"Lets go man." Jerome said rubbing his temples.

They drove to Ronnie's house, and got out. "Ain't Ronnie a little hard for you. I thought you liked more, I don't know, softer niggas?"

"I don't know. Maybe I need a nigga that's down for me and it's great business." Grayson said knocking on the door. Ronnie opened the door and looked between us.

"Wassup man?"

"He cool. He's knows." Ronnie smiled and invited us in.

"I wasn't planning on you bringing a friend." Ronnie said. "Wassup?"

I dapped him up and nodded. "Wassup?"

"Nothing much." He flashed a prerolled and lit it passing it around.

"We ain't come over here to get acquainted." Grayson said. "We came to talk bidness."

He laughed and shook his head. "Is that why we fucking?"

Grayson smiled a slick smile. "Naw, but the conversation was bound to come up. We supposed to be beefing and I'm down with you now. We need an explanation."

"They don't need no explanation, if we cool, we cool, the fuck? Who really gonna question us? We the most powerful niggas in our sections and don't answer to nobody."

"You right, but I been trying to run Trayvon into the ground and this is the perfect opportunity."

"Is this about revenge for your sister?"

"A little bit, and getting some answers." Grayson said. "However there's more profit in it for you."

"I don't know. Streets talk and they heard his family fucking you up." He said sitting back. "I ain't tryna start nothing. We already not anywhere near cool and I'm not tryna get my niggas pulled in some petty block war."

"Look man,"

"Why I'm not in on this little plan?" Jerome asked.

"More minds knowing means more mouths to snitch." Grayson said.

Ronnie stared at Grayson until he looked at him. "What I gonna do?"

"Nothing, but lower your prices, and stay out the way." Grayson explained.

"That simple, but why?"

"Don't worry about all that. You won't be making less if you're selling more."

"Ma, Chaz is here to pick me up." Rome said with his bag on his shoulder.

"Alright play good. Sorry I can't come." He shrugged and smiled. "Your dad will be there though."

"Alright, love you."

"Love you, too."

As soon as Rome left Jess got a call from Smiles. "Hello?"

"I see we've forgotten how to act?" Jess mentally sighed and made a mental note to bring up leaving D'Angelo. "Nothing happened. It went all as planned. I don't know what your little pet told you, but it obviously wasn't true."

"So they're lying?" He asked in an entertained voice.

"Yep." I said hoping D'Angelo was listening.

"I do hope you're not lying. I would hate to actually have to kill you."

There was a knock on the door and I jumped. "Open it. I have a surprise for you." I got up and walked over swinging the door open.

"Oh, Kelly." Jess said rolling her eyes.

"Hey beautiful, not happy to see me?" He asked pinching my cheek.

"This isn't a good surprise." I said angrily. I heard a deadline and I put my phone away.

"Why would to even think about bringing my name up to Jerome Houston and Grayson Walker?"