Shambles

Chapter 6: Ember

4 years later

"Stop bothering that got damn man. You're always nagging him. He's taking care of you and them kids. Who gives a fuck if he fucking someone else," Kita says as I get Sweet Pea's stuff together. I have to leave in a minute to go get Bash from school.

"Did you feed her?" I ask, ignoring what she just said because I don't fucking care.

"Of course I fed her. Stop asking me stupid fucking questions."

Kita lights up a cigarette walking to her back door. "Have Dion called?"

"He called yesterday. Said he needed some money," She says blowing out the smoke.

"I will put something on his books once I get to the house," I tell her.

"Well somebody needs to cause I ain't got no money. I don't know why he got in that shit with Net...anyway. Now, look at her ass with another loser. Got Papa down here with me."

My sister's new boyfriend didn't want to be bothered with Papa so now he's living with my momma. For some reason, Kita is better with the grandkids cause she still treats us like shit. Walking in the living room, I pick up Sweet Pea out the playpen in the living room.

"She's been pulling at her ear. You need to take her to check on that."

"Ok," I say walking out the door. I have thirty minutes to get to the other side of town to pick up Bash. I put my sleeping toddler in her car seat and close the door to my Range Rover that was gifted to me by Grady for my twenty-second birthday three months ago.

After having Penelope another gift from the model I started dating Grady. After a few months of dating, he demanded I move in with him. It was cool at first but now I just need to put some money in my pockets to get the hell away from him. I stopped dancing when we started dating. He said he don't date hoes..only fuck them.

Pulling up to the school, I see my baby running up to the car. I jump out of the car and hurry around the car. "Mommy look at the picture I drew you," He hands me his picture.

"What is it?" I ask looking at a picture that could be a dog or dinosaur.

"It's a Tiger." Or Tiger.

"This is great, Bash." Opening the door I help him in the car and strap him in his booster seat.

We pull up to the two-story house in the suburbs. This is Grady's house, not mine. Me and my kids just stay with him. Whenever he wants to put my ass out - he can. Grady has seven kids with five different women. His baby mommas and their got damn kids get on my nerves. Nobody has to respect me from the hoes to the badass kids.

When I walk in the house it's full of niggas like always. Grady makes his money selling drugs, mostly cocaine. His minions do anything he says - no questions asked.

"What's up Em," Nate, Grady cousin, smiles at me. "You need help."

"What's up Nate." I smile at him. "I got it. Thanks" When I turn Grady is standing watching us - mugging. I know when I make it upstairs he's going to say something. He swears I'm fucking everybody.

Walking past him, I head upstairs with Bash following me. Bash doesn't talk to Grady. He's too scared of him. I hear the heavy footsteps behind me.

"Bash go to your room and take off your clothes." He doesn't respond he already knows how mean this dumb ass nigga is.

When I walk in our room I lay Penelope on the bed. I walk to the bathroom with him on my heels. "Bitch why you smiling all in that nigga face?"

"I wasn't smiling in his face. He asked a question and I answered. What you want me to do? Ignore him?'