26. Cemone

COUPLE WEEKS LATER…

As bitch made as it sounded, a nigga was in bliss. Yolani had been attached to my hip since we made shit official, first going off to Santorini for the honeymoon for a week straight and then traveling with me for my trainings and anything I had to do out of town.

Some time ago, I was the very nigga shaking my head at muthafuckas for bringing their women every fucking where, and now I was that exact muthafucka. I guess back then I just didn't know what it was like to enjoy a woman's company when she wasn't on her knees or didn't have her face in the pillow.

"I'm starving." Yolani settled into me as we sat together in a booth at Avra.

"Me too. This shit better be good," I said.

"I know. I'm too hungry for it not to be good." She studied the menu.

A waiter came over soon after she said that and took our drink orders, letting us know, like usual, that it was on the house.

It was rare as fuck that Yolani or I had to pay for shit. It was clear to me just how the rich stayed rich. It was only when we were out of the country would it be rare for the owner of the establishment to tell us it was on the house. But in America, one of us usually had to decline for it not to be free, which was what we did tonight, causing the waiter to smile politely and happily prance off.

She returned quickly as fuck with Yolani's cocktail and my liquor plus the appetizers.

"I think you got sexier after I married you." I eyed Yolani in the little ass skirt and top she had on.

"You think so?" She blushed.

"I do." I moved her golden hair behind her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too." She tilted her head back for a kiss. "I'm thinking of changing my last name."

"I thought we already agreed you'd do that."

"No, but I mean professionally too. Well, for movies, since I only use my first name for my singing career. But I think for films and anything I use my last name on, I'm gonna make it Compton."

Lifting my brows, I asked, "You sure?"

"Yes, why?"

"Not like that. Chill out." I pecked her temple. "I more so meant do yo' daddy know, or am I gon' have to sleep that nigga."

"Cemone." She sucked her teeth. "You better not hit my daddy." She warned me as I chuckled into my glass. "But no, he doesn't know yet. He's gonna feel some type of way for sure, but that is only because he, for some reason, thinks we won't last. I, on the other hand, know we will, and I want to use my new last name."

"Well, you know yo' nigga is with it."

"Yeah." She beamed, eating some of the sea bass appetizer.

We talked about the movie she was doing while waiting on the plates we'd ordered, and just like with everything else, the shit came quickly. They'd most likely put our shit before other muthafuckas, but as hungry as my lady and I were, I wasn't gon' complain.

As we dove into our food, both nodding since it actually tasted good as fuck, I noticed Solene's aunt. She was too far across the vast ass restaurant to notice me as she sat across from her date. Veering my eyes toward him, I noticed the nigga looked familiar but couldn't place him immediately. I'd seen him recently, but not super fucking recent like days or weeks ago.

"You okay?" Yolani asked, noticing how hard I was staring down Solene's aunt and date as I chewed on my steak.

As I was about to respond, the shit hit me where I'd seen that nigga from, and it suddenly ruined my fucking appetite.

"That's Solene's aunt," I told her, trying to be sure her nigga was who I thought he was. The restaurant wasn't the brightest, but I also had no issues with my damn vision either.

"Oh, in the red?" Yolani asked, voice full of confusion. I could tell she was wondering why I was so taken aback by the old conniving bitch.

If I thought I was tripping before, I knew I wasn't when Solene's aunt Rosette noticed me and froze. Uncomfortably, she turned back to her date, lifting her wine glass and sipping some before cutting her eyes my way briefly.

"Yeah, and the nigga she with was the judge during my paternity cases," I said, confirming that it was that nigga to myself and Yolani.

"They're together?"

"They shouldn't be. At least I had no idea she was with that nigga." I started scooting out of the booth. "I'll be right back."

"Cemone," Yolani called after me, but I kept it pushing toward Rosette and Judge Morton.

When the latter noticed me, he did a double take before giving Rosette a worried expression, mouthing something I wasn't close enough to hear, unfortunately.

"How y'all doing?" I did my best to put on a fake smile, but with the way a nigga was feeling, it proved to be too fucking difficult.

"Fine, Cemone. Nice to see you." Rosette cleared her throat, setting her wine down.

"Judge Morton, I had no idea you was fucking Solene's aunt. Don't you think you should've recused yo' fucking self from my cases?"

"Well." He cleared his throat too, clearly afraid either of me or what he thought was to come. The muthafucka was right to be afraid because I had a horrible sinking feeling about this union right here, and if I was right, shit was gon' be bloody. "I met Rosette a couple months after."

"Oh, aight." I nodded, looking between them and seeing that they both appeared to be close to shitting themselves. Palming the table, I leaned down some to speak lower. "You better hope so, nigga, because if I find out some fishy shit don' went on, not only will you lose that good job, muthafucka, but both of you gon' lose y'all muthafuckin' lives. Not only that, I'm suing the fuck out of somebody. So have yo' ducks in a row, nigga." I knocked on the table, leaving them with that shit.

I wanted to go across that nigga's face, but I had my wife here with me and a career I couldn't continue to fuck around with. Not to mention, I planned to hit that muthafuckin' judge where it really hurt if shit had gone down the way I was thinking it did.

As I made my way back to the table, I saw Yolani watching me in anticipation, not even eating her food anymore.

"What happened? You sure that's him?" She ran off as I started to slide back into the booth.

Sighing, I said, "Just made sure they knew I peeped game. And hell yeah I'm sure that's his ass."

Yolani opened her mouth a few times, but nothing came out as her brows dipped.

"Wow so her boyfriend was the judge. I mean, it could be innocent, but then again, it's probably not."

"Fuck." I ran my hand down my face, staring at my plate that no longer looked appetizing to a nigga. "This can't be real right now." I interlocked my fingers, elbows on the table as I thought back for a minute.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no funny looks or small details that would lead me to believe this shit had all been a setup. And regardless of how much pussy Rosette was giving up, I prayed that nigga wasn't stupid enough to pull some shit like giving false paternity results. Nah. It wouldn't be worth it. I kept telling myself that shit as Yolani watched me, worry etched in her pretty face.

As I sat back, she asked, "What did they say?"

"He claim he ain't meet her until after." I shook my head. "These cases wasn't even that fucking long ago, because Callen and Blakely had been ten months old when I got the results and shit. Them bitches purposely waited well past the birth to even hit me, and I just knew Solene and then Ananda were lying since I strapped up.

"I just knew when he read them results, it was gon' say otherwise, but I was wrong. Or shit, maybe I wasn't." I shook my head. "I don' had babies being pinned on me since high school. Bitches just like them saying I had them both knocked up at the same time and shit, had my family thinking I was crazy. And yeah, I used protection, but I was always taught that if you hit, it was possible. Condoms ain't work all the fucking time."

"Yeah." Yolani nodded. "I hope it's all legit but…" She stopped, making me look at her. "I… was wondering if they were yours when you brought them to Hollierville. But then when you told me you got the results done through the court, I knew I was just tripping. Now I don't know."

"Well we about to find out."

Yolani nodded, ate some more of her food, and then called a waiter over. As she asked for to-go boxes and bags, signing an autograph in the midst, I just stared at Rosette and Judge Morton, wondering, hoping that them fucking kids I had bonded with, fell in love with, planned my fucking future around didn't belong to some other niggas.

It was time to go once we got our bags, so I dropped some cash, plus extra for a tip, and then led Yolani out. Rosette and her nigga had dipped out, only eating their appetizer and downing the wine before exiting. That made me even more fucking suspicious.

I 'd called Solene for the hundredth fucking time, to no answer. It'd been two days since I'd seen her aunt and Morton together, and ever since, I hadn't been able to get ahold to her ass. I had been able to contact Ananda, though, and was now on my way to see her.

Since it was Solene's aunt I saw, I was praying Ananda had nothing to do with this shit. That she was separate from all the bullshit her homegirl had possibly cooked up, but I knew deep down that Ananda was a monkey see, monkey do ass bitch.

Pulling into her driveway, I texted to tell her I was outside, and she came switching out, holding Blakely. I stepped out, taking my baby girl and kissing her face.

"How are you?" she asked, smiling, happy I came instead of my mama.

I was surprised Solene hadn't told her friend what was up, because it was obvious why Solene wasn't answering my calls. Either she never planned to, or the bitch was cooking up an excuse.

"Why you ain't tell me the judge over our paternity case was fucking Rosette?"

I watched the grin melt off Ananda's face as she backed away some, shaking her head.

"She… he is?"

I chuckled.

"You think you smart, huh? You just as dumb as Solene. Nah, actually, you dumber." I stepped forward. "Get in the house."

"Cemone, please?—"

"Get in the fucking house." I spoke through clenched teeth, ready to smack her ass across the hood of my whip.

Listening, she started for the door, and I was right on her fucking heels, cradling Blakely to me, wondering if it would be the last fucking time.

I set Blakely down with her toys, and she giggled, unaware of the tension in the fucking room at the moment.

Sitting down because I needed to, I said, "Tell me the fucking truth. I'm giving you one chance, Ananda."

"She is yours. I didn't know about the judge and Rosette, but that is just a crazy ass coincidence. I can promise you." She pleaded, shifting from one hip to the other constantly, looking like a liar.

"So there was no plan for that nigga to help y'all out and falsify results? Judges have a lot of fucking power, Ananda."

"No." She fidgeted. "I'm thinking maybe they met from the case. You know Rosette assisted us with filing because she used to be a court reporter."

I snickered, looking off for a moment and pushing up my Cartier frames.

"I'm gon' say this. Only reason I ain't gon' put a bullet in you is because I'm trying my hardest to believe this muthafucka didn't go out on a limb to help you gutter rat ass bitches and that these are my kids. But as soon as I find out otherwise, you good as dead, Ananda." I stared up at her, not feeling the need to remove my shades for her to feel me.

I had every intention on popping Ananda right here where she stood, but I wanted ironclad proof. I wasn't the most heartless muthafucka in the world and wouldn't know how to feel if I bodied her off a gut feeling that turned out to be some type of bullshit paranoia.

"Mhm." She nodded, on edge. Her body language spoke volumes, but again, I was getting proof.

Standing, I scooped Blakely up. "I'll bring her back once I get the test done." I started for the door.

"It's not your time! I just thought you wanted to see us!" She ran behind me.

"I won't have her long, just long enough to get a test." I opened the back door of my whip and began buckling an excited Blakely in.

I loved this little girl, and therefore, if Ananda had played with me, it was only right I murk her.

"No, you can't!" She screamed nervously like she didn't wanna speak up but had to.

"Back yo' ass up for I skid you across this muthafuckin' pavement," I stated calmly, and she did as she was told.

Hopping in the whip, I sped off to the clinic I'd booked an appointment with. I wasn't able to get in touch with Solene to grab Callen, but one at a time was just fucking fine.

Blakely and I arrived about ten minutes early, but they allowed us in right away, conducting the test. The nurse let me know I would find out in a couple days and to leave my email if I wanted the immediate results as well as the ability to pick them up.

I did just that, before contacting Bashar. Depending on what this shit said, I was surely gon' need a muthafuckin' lawyer.

I regretfully dropped Blakely back off, only because it was in the court documents that it was Ananda's time with her, and I didn't trust her ass not to call the police on a nigga. Not to mention, if she came back as not being mine, things would only look fucking worse.

I shook my head at all the hoops I'd have to jump through and all the shit that would have to be reversed if the results came back as me not being the father. The worst reversal of all would be the bond I'd built with Blakely and Callen. It sounded easier than it would actually be to just stop seeing them, thinking about their little asses and more. Fuck.

Deep down, I hoped they were my kids because I knew myself, and I wouldn't be able to allow Ananda and Solene to go on living life after pulling some shit like this. Judge's muthafuckin' ass too.

It was crazy that I couldn't even trust the fucking court system with some shit like this.

I made it home about an hour later due to all the fucking traffic. After replying to Bashar's text of disbelief that the shit I was claiming could even be possible, I pocketed my phone, looking forward to my wife being able to take my mind off this shit for now. It was nothing I could fucking do until I got the results back.

Entering the bedroom, I saw Yolani lying down but looking the way she did in Hollierville when she first put me on game about her illness. I recognized the shit immediately, making my way to the bed to push her hair from her face as she lay on her back.

"How did it go?" she seemingly struggled to ask.

"Fuck all that. What you need?"

"My medicine since I have an appearance, but I really don't feel like dealing with the aftereffects." She tried to laugh it off, but I was stale faced.

"What you wanna do?"

"Lay in bed and get one of your treatments." Her brows rose lustfully.

"Sick, freaky ass," I replied, and she laughed while holding her mouth open in shock.

"That was so mean."

I kissed her as she giggled then replied, "Then you can lay in bed. Fuck that appearance."

"I can't—" She stopped when her phone lit up, and I saw the name read Gina.

"Who is that?"

"Head of my label. She's probably calling to tell me the car is outside since I haven't been answering my father." She huffed. "Cemone, no!" She shouted when I swiped her phone from the bed and answered.

"What's good?"

"Who is this?" Gina inquired.

"It'll come to you soon enough. But Yolani can't make the appearance."

"Okay, well it's not that simple, Mr. Compton."

"Make it simple for me then, Gina."

Sighing, she said, "There was a contract signed, and if she does not show up, she will have to pay half a million dollars. That is what she was paid up front upon signing."

"I got it."

"You have what?"

"The money, Gina. The muthafuckin' money. She not coming, so send me the bill." I watched Yolani's brows furrow in confusion.

"Um, are you sure? Wouldn't it be best if?—"

"What's best is for you to tell them muthafuckas she not coming, for personal reasons, and then tell them to send me all the information on who I need to send the check to and then go on about yo' muthafuckin' way for the day."

Silence lingered, then she replied, "And Yolani is okay with this?"

"She is."

"Alright, I will be calling back in about ten or so minutes."

"Aight." I hung up.

"What happened?" Yolani's eyes widened. "What's this about a check?"

"Breaking the contract means a half a million dollar fine, so I told Gina to tell the show I would pay the shit."

"No, Cemone. No. If anything, I can pay it, but I need to just go."

"How, when you can't even sit up? And that fucking medicine have you in bed ready to cry from the fucking headaches and foggy ass vision. Half a million ain't shit to a nigga."

"I know, with that big ass contract."

"I mean that and because it's just worth it. I don't like seeing you like that, like this shit right here either, so if it cost me five hundred bands to make sure you good and can lay up, watching TV, then so be it."

"Half a million so your wife can lay in bed, huh? You're lucky I can't get up and get on my knees right now."

"You'll be on ya knees in a couple days or so. I'm hip to shit now." I winked, and she simpered at me. Standing, I said, "Let me change, and then we can get shit started," I referred to her massage.

"Okay." Her voice wavered a bit, making me look back to see why she sounded like she was crying.

"What happened?" I quizzed, baffled as fuck since she was just smiling and talking nasty shit seconds ago.

"Nothing. I just love you, and I can't believe I hated you ever."

We shared a chuckle before I pecked her, then headed to the bathroom.

I 'd heard my phone go off as I practiced in my home gym and knew it was my email. I'd created a specific email for this DNA test shit and then gave it a special ringer as well so I would know when the shit had come through.

It'd been four fucking days. The clinic connected to St. Thomas Financial offered for me to have it rushed, but I didn't want shit fucking with the process after what I was going through. So I opted to wait the full time so everything could be done correctly.

Sitting down, I ventured to the mail app and clicked the email stating the results were attached. Opening the shit, I tapped my foot impatiently, cursing my fucking Wi-Fi for taking longer than two fucking seconds.

I hyper scrolled once the shit loaded and felt my stomach drop seeing the bottom of the paperwork that told me Blakely didn't belong to me. Despite me feeling like this email would say exactly that before I'd even taken the test, the shit still hit me.

I was immediately pissed the fuck off, only seeing red and ready to body Ananda. I wanted to murk Solene, too, just because, but I wanted my results from that shit too first. It was very possible that Solene had actually had my baby and helped her homegirl out. Shit was farfetched, but again, a nigga wanted to be 100 percent before I went taking lives.

I dialed Ananda, and she picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, this is a surprise." She laughed.

"You dead, bitch."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"She not mine."

"Y-yes she is. I don't know what?—"

"Cut it the fuck out. Be honest for once in yo' ho ass life." I gripped the phone, too pissed off to even yell at the bitch.

Exhaling unstably, she replied, "Okay. It was all Solene's idea. She convinced me that?—"

"You expect me to believe that she came to you and put you on to this shit out of no fucking where? Lie again, Ananda, and it'll be the last muthafuckin' time. You like to play ignorant and na?ve, but you just as big of a clout chasing ass ho as Solene. That's why you bitches is close."

I heard her swallow hard. "I found out what she was planning to do since her aunt was fucking around with that judge nigga, and I told her if she didn't help me do the same, then I would tell you and the world. So she did."

"When I get back in town on Friday, you better be looking over ya fucking shoulder," I lied.

I wasn't out of town, but I wanted to make sure Ananda's stupid ass didn't run. I knew she would kick the shit until Thursday at the latest, but little did she know, I was getting her ass up out of here tonight.

"Cemone, please. I promise I was gonna tell you." She weeped. "I only didn't so I wouldn't mess up Solene's shit."

Saying nothing, I hit the end button and stood up. Leaving the gym, I went to grab one of my burner phones, slipped a battery in it, and shot off a text to Lequay's boy Stez. I'd already let Lequay know if this shit came back saying anything other than I was the father today or tomorrow, I was killing Ananda immediately.

He tried to offer his help, saying he'd do it, but I wanted the shit. I understood his need to put himself out there and shit, especially for us, since he felt his brothers had more to offer the world and didn't want us in trouble, but I couldn't fuck with that. This was my problem, and I had no issue knocking Ananda off myself. I didn't want Lequay a part of it at all because if shit hit the fan, Stez's muthafuckin' ass would go to jail, too, not my brother. But all he had to do was drive.

Me: the delivery is set.

(213) 555 - 6733: Bet.

LATER THAT NIGHT…

Once Yolani's ass had passed out, I left to meet Stez at Lequay's warehouse so we could use one of the unmarked vehicles. It was a little after midnight, and I knew the club Golden Peach would be closing up in about an hour, around the time it would take for us to drive out of this rural ass area into the inner city.

"Sure you don't want to drive?" Stez offered then laughed when I shot him a look. "Aight, gang."

We hopped in the vehicle and started the journey to Hollywood. Like I knew, by the time we got to the club, crowds of people were filing out.

"Strippers come out last, so when I spot her, hit the corner, and when we come back around, I'm gon' spray her ass." I kept my eyes on the exit.

"I got you," he replied.

I made sure my heat was ready and sat back, keeping a keen eye out for Ananda. If Solene was with her, I just might kill her ass, too, just for not answering my fucking calls as of late.

I chose to smoke Ananda while she was at work to be sure Blakely was in good hands during the event. While she worked, Ananda typically gave our… her daughter to family to watch for the week. The fact that I had to correct myself only intensified my anger.

"There she is. Go." I nudged Stez and got in position as he drove off to hit the corner.

By the time he came back around, Ananda was in clear view, laughing with some nigga who was clearly about to take her ass home to fuck. Rolling the window down only a smidgen, I slipped the barrel of the gun out and let off three bullets, all of them muthafuckas hitting my target, despite the high ass speed Stez was driving at.

Ananda's body danced as the first two tore through her ass, just before the last went through her forehead. The parking lot broke out into complete mayhem with people ducking behind cars, running back into the club, and speeding off if already in their whips, as Stez kept the pedal to the floor, not braking once.

Without stopping, we made it all the way to the freeway, with Stez laughing out of adrenaline and astonishment.

"Damn, lil' nigga?—"

"I'm bigger than you, muthafucka."

"Right, but you younger than me. I see that gangsta shit is just in y'all's blood."

"Or something."

By the time Stez and I got back to the warehouse, the shooting had hit the internet since the strip club was popular as fuck. When they reported one fatality, that of an Ananda Diaz, I felt like I could breathe knowing I got her ass. Now I just had one more bitch to take out, soon as I found her stupid ass and confirmed Callen's paternity. Though Ananda had given me the rundown, she wasn't trustworthy and I was listening to shit these hos said without my own fucking proof.

"Lequay been blowing me up asking about you." Stez laughed, and I joined him. "Told him he shouldn't be worried 'bout you, and the nigga said he wasn't; he was worried about me riding with yo' crazy ass."

We erupted into laughter as I reminded myself to get on that nigga's head when I saw him.

"I can be off sometimes."

"Yeah, nigga, that's why it's gon' be yo' fault when the Bulldogs lose them first two games," he said.

I'd been suspended from the first two games of the upcoming season for beating the brakes off Ross at my charity game. Though shit had been cleared up on my end, thanks to Bashar, it still wasn't a good look, and the niggas who took video sold the shit, and everyone had seen it. So in order for the Bulldogs to appease the public, I was suspended. Of course, our fans were hot. They didn't give a fuck about shit I did and especially not to Ross Lemon, if it meant I couldn't play.

After putting the unmarked vehicle up, changing, disassembling, then destroying the weapons and all that good shit, I got back in my whip. I noticed my mama had called me during the destroying process, so I dialed her back.

"What's good? You aight?" I asked her as soon as the line stopped ringing.

"I am, but why did your baby mama leave your son at our gate and run?" she asked.

The fuck?