Chapter Twenty-Five: Dice (Six Years Later)

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The best thing for me to do was remove myself from the equation. Zion and I had a system going as far as my visitation to see Junior. Every other weekend I was gifted the joy of bonding with my son. As time moved on, however, I felt Zion becoming reattached to me. Which is great, if I was in the same mindset I was in when she left me. Zion might not know it, but that divorce was the best thing that happened to me. Not emotionally, because it was like I was going through withdrawal without her. But it took for her to actually leave me, for me to realize all of my wrongs. I had to step out of my comfort zone to recognize that I honestly needed help. So, her falling in love with me all over again was just a bad move for the both of us. Only thing I could think of to stop it was to leave. I checked in with Jade every once in a while, to see how she's doing. And every time I was disappointed to hear that she was doing worse. It's like I'm a drug to Zion, just as she is for me. I've gone to my rehab though, I just need Zion to do the same.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about Junior. I did everything I could to make sure he didn't fall down the line that Jade and I did. I wanted to keep the streets as far away from his as possible. For the most part I think we did a pretty good job, but you never really know. I'm sure my mother tried everything she could too to keep me out of the streets and we all see how that turned out. I just want more for my kids, I always have. The twins graduated high school and they're off doing their own thing, and I know Jade is proud that she did her best without Malachi. Now she's working on getting little Lyric out of college and Gino has been a great help. I was shocked when they told me a while back that Jade was pregnant again. I didn't think her and Malachi ever had time to conceive a child. I know it hurt her in the worst way when she found out the news. I asked Gino to look after her, when I knew at the time I couldn't. He took that to a whole other level. Every time I ask, they act like they aren't a couple but I'm far from stupid. Been around that man for all these years and you want me to believe y'all just co-parent? I'm not that damn old.

I put a pot on the stove to fix me some tea. I'm coming down with a cold, like I always do around this time. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and was nervous when I saw Jade's number.

"Is everything okay?"

"Here, yes. Somewhere else, no".

"What's going on?"

"It's about Junior".

"What about him?"

"Ma didn't want me to tell you when it happened. She didn't want you to worry".

"Worry about what, Jade? You're talking in circles".

"He ran away years ago and we were never able to find him ... until now".

"Wait, what? The fuck you mean he ran away and y'all never found him? What the fuck y'all got going on?"

"Dad, I know you're mad but-"

"Mad? Jade, I'm fucking furious! How the fuck does my own son run away and y'all don't tell me? And you hit me with some bull shit that y'all didn't want me to worry?"

"Dad, yell at me about this later! It's something bigger going on right now".

"Yeah? What the fuck can be bigger?"

"Junior got connected with some thugs and he's out doing armed robbery".

I walked to my living room and collapsed on the couch. As much as I tried to keep him away, he ended up right in it anyways.

"Damnit Jade.

"He's up in Atlantic City I hear. We've finally got a number to call him but he won't pick up. I was thinking you might have to pop up and go get him".

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