19. Asif

VISITATION…

“Let me help you, Mrs. Chase.” I took Sophie’s bags that she was trying to carry and opened her door for her.

After placing that shit in the back seat, I took Sophie to buckle her in the car seat.

“Thank you so much, Asif.” She beamed. “You have a child?”

“No need, Mrs. Chase, and nah, I don’t.” I shut the door now that Sophie was safely in the car seat.

“Then why do you have a car seat?” she asked as I rounded the car.

“For Sophie.”

I could tell she was surprised from her expression, before a subtle smile crossed her face, and she got in.

It took about twenty-five minutes to get to the hospital where Cedric’s bitch ass was, and the whole ride, Farrah talked to me about Anastazia’s father. Nigga sounded cool and reminded me a little bit of my own. Wished I could’ve met the man who Anastazia loved so much. Shit made me wonder what he thought of Cedric and if he was alive long enough to see how trash the muthafucka was. From the shit Farrah and baby girl told me, I didn’t see Mr. Chase approving of a nigga like him or the nigga he’d become.

As I put the whip in park, Farrah said, “I just want to thank you before we go in there. Not just for this but for everything—just coming into Anastazia’s life.

“Since Ade died, it’s just been us three, and I worried about my daughters, Stazi more so than Leeci because Jarrio was just a bum, but he was essentially harmless.”

I nodded. “Nigga had to hire somebody to get at Bashar, so that’s a fact.”

“Exactly.” She laughed. “Anyway, when Bashar came, I was thankful and happy I didn’t have to toss and turn thinking my beautiful daughter was gonna end up married to a bum, but that didn’t ease the tension I felt for Anastazia. She’s a strong girl, has been that way since she was a baby, and never liked to be helped or pitied.” She stared out the windshield at the big ass hospital building like she was reminiscing. “I was at a loss on how to help her or if there was anything she needed help with. She wouldn’t tell us anything, but I could see her suffering, because I know her and have been looking at that face since I birthed her.

“What I’m trying to say is just thank you. Not only did you come in and help her kind of relax, but you make her smile and laugh and be happy in the way she used to be before him.” She nodded at the building that held Cedric.

“No need to thank me, for real. I’m doing it because I want to, but also because she makes it easy. I hate what that nigga did, but I’m happy he messed up and lost out.”

Farrah and I exchanged smiles before I exited the car and came around to help her out. I grabbed Sophie, who started to wake up a little bit from her slumber but not all the way.

We made it inside, and I stayed back, allowing Anastazia’s mother to check in and explain everything. We were given badges and then instructed on where to go as well as a few rules for the ward Cedric was in.

The whole ride up in the elevator, I took my girl’s advice and talked to God, asking him to give me the patience and strength not to act the fuck up on that nigga in this hospital in front of Sophie and her grandmother.

We treaded down the hall after stepping off and finally got to the room he was in, guarded by a white police officer. He nodded upon seeing our badges and opened the wide wooden door for us to enter.

“Who the fuck is this?” Cedric attempted to sit up immediately, looking to Farrah for answers.

Nigga knew exactly who I was but wanted to play games. Not in the mood, I kept quiet, rubbing a half sleep Sophie’s back as I kept eye contact with him.

His girl was looking me over, lips parted in slight shock.

“Cedric—”

“No, who is this nigga, and why he got my baby?” Cedric cut his girl off.

“This my baby, nigga.” I couldn’t help it. “I’m the one reading bedtime stories, learning nursery rhymes, footing the bill for her needs, and taking good care of her mama. This my family, nigga.” I gestured toward Mrs. Chase as well, seeing a lingering smirk in her face. “You the muthafuckin’ outsider. Next time you open yo’ fucking mouth, it need to be to thank me.”

“You fucking my bitch?” His eyes narrowed as his baby mama to the left of him stared down at his ass in surprise.

“Nah, I took a woman yo’ bitch-made ass ain’t have no business in the same room with and moved her on up, nigga.” I adjusted Sophie as she stirred some, waking up. “Be respectful when speaking on the mother of my child ’cause it’s nothing for a nigga to take this Hermes leather off and put belt to yo’ ass like yo’ daddy should’ve.”

Cedric tried to act like he was about to jump from the bed, but it did nothing to disturb me as Farrah and his lady held him back, lowly chanting not to do anything in front of his daughter. I wanted to correct them and say he didn’t wanna get his ass handed to him in front of his daughter, but I kept shit cool. I did smirk, though, as he cut his eyes at me.

“Asif, please.” Farrah looked at me, and I nodded to comply.

She took a now completely woke Sophie from me and walked back over to the bed so Cedric could see her up close. Nigga was too focused on me, however, that he couldn’t even enjoy the fact that his daughter was here.

“Tell that nigga to go, man,” he finally said, irritably bouncing Sophie on his lap as if she were a tiny ass baby or some shit.

“No. I won’t. He’s here for me and Sophie.”

Sucking his teeth, he begrudgingly dragged his attention away from me, landing it on Sophie.

“Hey, baby. Daddy missed you,” he said, making her stare into his eyes with no expression or emotion. His smile faded as he stared her down before saying, “She don’t look nothing like me.”

“Sif!” Sophie turned to look at me as she started to try to get down. He let her, too engrossed in answering his girl’s questions about his previous statement.

I grabbed her up just as Farrah asked, “What the hell are you even talking about?”

“That baby ain’t mine.” He shook his head, adjusting himself in his bed.

“Cedric, you are being really ridiculous right now.” Farrah snapped.

“I ain’t being nothing. I need a DNA test before I agree to take care of her. She don’t look shit like me, and she probably some other nigga’s.”

“If that’s why you need a fucking DNA test, nigga, then I suggest you leave the situation alone. You can simply get the fuck on with yo’ new baby and yo’ new bitch. I got Stazi and Sophie.” I spoke up, keeping shit real. “My woman was out of ya tax bracket anyway, nigga.”

If he didn’t wanna believe Sophie was his, that was cool as fuck with me. I didn’t need him taking care of shit anyway.

“Man, get this nigga up out my room!” he roared.

“Calm down, Cedric.” His girl put a hand on his shoulder that he snatched.

“Tell me to calm down again, Jacinta.” He glared at her, and she backed up some, eyes bouncing to me briefly, then back to the hospital floor. “Like I said, I want a DNA test.”

“Cedric—”

“Let me have the room right quick,” I announced, making everybody go silent.

Farrah nodded and took Sophie, then exited while I waited for Jacinta to do the same.

“I’m not leaving him,” she finally said.

“Look, I don’t wanna get disrespectful with you, love, so step yo’ ass out, please .” I opened the door for her.

She pondered for a minute like she was waiting on Cedric to take up for her, then grabbed her purse and stomped out. I let the door go behind her ass.

When I shut it, I listened to him shift uncomfortably and could almost hear the lump he swallowed as I started toward the bed.

“It’s an officer outside, nigga.” His voice shook as his eyes mushroomed back and forth.

“Officers answer to me, nigga. I can have that nigga come in here and do my dirty work for me with a simple fucking phone call.” I clasped my hands in front of me while allowing him to chew on that shit for a minute. “Now that you awake, we can talk man to man. Going forward, cease all contact with Anastazia. She not yours no more, and nothing she do is of any of yo’ fucking concern. If you decide to do what you want and go against what I’m telling you, I’m gon’ finish that little job that put you in this muthafucka.” I glanced around the room, then let my eyes land back on his ass.

“Fucking Leeci trying?—”

“Leeci ain’t got shit to do with this, cuz. I been plotting on yo’ baby mama since I seen her. And I gotta say, the hype is very fucking appropriate.” I nodded approvingly.

I could tell he was vexed by my comment, and rightfully so. No nigga wanted to know his girl was scoped out and successfully taken.

“I know Stazi. She may be entertaining you, but she not gon’ fuck with you, and she especially not gon’ fuck you.”

Shrugging, I said, “I’m not really the type of nigga to kiss and tell, so I’ll let you come to yo’ own conclusions as to whether she fucking me or not. But what I do know and now you will, too, is that you never gon’ fuck her again.”

“Man—”

“Don’t call her. Don’t text her. Don’t hit her in the DM, none of that shit, or I’m gon’ get real reckless, my nigga, and a faux gangsta like you not ready to be on that type of time with a nigga like me. Wouldn’t even be fair.” I shrugged. “But I’ll still pull that hammer out on you, fair game or not. As far as Sophie, that’s my responsibility now, nigga. I’ll let you know if yo’ services are ever needed, but don’t hold ya fucking breath. Then sooner than later, the court gon’ say she mine too. Sophie St. Thomas sounds better rolling off the tongue than whatever the fuck yo’ last name is.”

“Bitch ass nigga—” He tried to hop from the bed despite being paralyzed from the waist down, but my hand grasped his throat tightly, cutting off his words and his oxygen.

Slamming the back of his head onto the pillow, I gripped his neck tighter, making his eyes enlarge as he tried to pry my hand away.

“Watch yo’ mouth, nigga,” I growled lowly as his hands tugged on my arm weakly like the bitch ass nigga he was. “I could easily put you down right here. But if you wanna live and continue to raise ya baby with that thin-lip ass bitch you got waiting on you outside, I suggest you show some muthafuckin’ respect. You older, but I’m big dog, nigga. You a muthafuckin’ pup to me, cuz, and don’t make me remind me of you of that shit.”

He started panicking after being without air for so long, making me laugh a little bit.

A knock sounded off, causing me to release him, just before the officer peeked in. “Mrs. Chase needs to be present.”

I nodded and waved for her to come in, so she did, brows furrowed at the sight of Cedric coughing. His little doormat of a bitch rushed in, to his side, but he promptly swatted her off before cutting me a look.

“Man, y’all can go. Visit over.” Cedric huffed, clearly fuming about our conversation.

“Say bye to your daddy, baby.” Farrah pecked Sophie.

“No.” She shook her head, peeking at Cedric a bit before turning and reaching for me. “Mean to Mommy.” She pointed at Cedric once I got her, sort of telling on him.

You could hear a pin drop at Sophie’s revelation. I was surprised but not, considering how smart and observant she was, but I knew Anastazia would be horrified to know Sophie had understood her parents’ dynamic all along.

“Not no more.” I kissed her face, eyes grabbing ahold to his as I spoke.

“Okay. Well, see you… around, Cedric.” Farrah started for the door.

I gave cuz one last look to make sure he heeded my warnings, then went to open the door for my soon-to-be mother-in-law.

We hopped on the elevator and made our way down, before exiting the hospital.

As soon as we got into the car with everybody buckled in, Farrah said, “When you told him she was your baby and we were your family, man… I wanted to laugh so badly.”

“I was just trying to let that nigga know what’s up.” I pulled out of the parking space.

“What did you two speak about?”

“Just got an understanding on how shit is supposed to go now that I’m in the picture and he not.”

“Are you the reason he was coughing?” she queried.

“I don’t think so.”

“Brunch, Sif?” Sophie inquired.

“You hungry?” I asked Farrah.

“You paying?”

Laughing, I said, “Come on now. Ain’t no way you gon’ approve of me marrying ya daughter if I make you pay. And I don’t need you telling my mama, who gon’ tell my pops, who gon’ be on my ass,” I jested.

She laughed as I pulled off into the street before saying, “That’s very true. Marriage, huh?”

“Definitely.”

I took Sophie and Farrah to lunch, which Sophie was cool with. I realized she didn’t really know the difference between brunch and just going out to eat, so I passed her test with flying colors.

We headed back to Farrah’s home right after, and as soon as we walked in, Anastazia sprung up from the couch, inspecting everybody with her eyes like she expected us to have war wounds or some shit.

“It went fine?” She fidgeted as I let Sophie to the floor to hug her mama just before I kissed her.

“As fine as it could go.” Farrah huffed. “Wish you could’ve seen Cedric’s face when Asif walked in and the little comments he was making to Cedric.” She laughed, making her daughter glance at me with a half-smile.

“So you didn’t punch him?” she asked me.

“Nah, I wanted to, though.”

“Then, Asif took us to lunch and?—”

“Brunch!” Sophie yelled, now on the floor with her toys.

“Brunch, yes,” Farrah corrected. “Some nice little French place. It was too good, Stazi. Maybe he’ll take you one day.”

We all guffawed as Anastazia playfully rolled her eyes as her mother switched off.

“He’s taken, Ma, just so you know,” she called to her mother’s back who simply waved her off in response. Turning to face me fully, she hugged my torso and said, “Thank you, baby.”

“Of course.” I leaned down to kiss her, cupping her ass in my hands since Sophie’s back was to us.

“I’ll thank you later,” she whispered. “I got a gift for you.”

“Let me see.”

“Later.” She pulled back from me and went to sit on the couch.

Later couldn’t come fucking fast enough.

Putting my shit in park, I said yet another prayer before climbing out of the car. This talking to God shit that Anastazia put me on to was becoming my thing. For some reason, I thought you could only communicate through prayers. Never did I think about doing the shit randomly, just openly talking to him for reason or no reason at all. Made me think of when my father used to tell me and my brothers ‘Get you a woman that can show you some shit, and not just in the bedroom.’

Climbing out, I made my way up to the door before using my key to gain entry. I could smell Lisara’s cooking, so I ventured to the kitchen to find her.

“Hi, handsome.” She beamed, waving me over so I could hug her.

“What’s good, Ma? What you cooking?” I used my hand that wasn’t holding her in a hug to peer down into the pot.

“Are your hands clean?” She pushed the top back down.

“Always clean,” I said, laughing as she pursed her lips in disbelief. “Where Pop? I wanna talk to y’all real quick.”

“He’s in his office. Should I follow?”

“Nah, you busy, so we’ll come to you.” I left out in effort to fetch my father.

I knocked a few times before he told me to come in.

“What you doing here?” He frowned, searching through some thick ass file. No telling what this nigga was doing.

“You ain’t even got a job, fuck is you doing?” I joked.

Chuckling, he said, “You don’t know what the fuck I got going on, boy.”

“Yeah, aight.” I lifted my brows. “Come to the kitchen right quick for a conversation.” I nodded behind me in the direction of the kitchen.

He nodded, so I let him be as I made my way back.

Soon as I entered, Lisara had a plate for me made of smothered chicken, a loaded baked potato, and green beans. Suddenly, a nigga was starving. She made another for my father, just as he entered the room whispering some shit he had no business, I was sure, before gracing her lips briefly. I turned away, not wanting to lose my fucking appetite.

“Sit down, Chianti.” She giggled.

“Yes, please, so I can say what I gotta say.” I took a sip of my soda as I sat at the island with my plate.

“What’s so important?” He sat beside me to begin eating.

“Yo’ baby mama reached out to me,” I said.

“Who?” He frowned.

“How many you got? Lisara yo’ wife, so she don’t count.”

“Fuck she want?”

“Claims she miss me and all this other nonsense.” I shrugged, unable to believe the shit even more every time I said it.

“If she misses you, then why is she just now saying something? She’s been out for years and hasn’t come around. We’ve been living in the same house all this time,” Lisara said, stating exactly my same thoughts.

“That’s exactly what I expressed to her, and she claimed she would have an explanation for me in person.” I scooped out some of the potato. “I don’t know if I even wanna open up that can of worms.”

“You wanna see her? If so, you can. Don’t not do it because of me or ya mama.” My father spoke up.

“I’m fifty-fifty at the moment. I don’t, because I have no need for her at this point, but a part of me wants to find out what her problem is. I can’t recall one good memory I’ve ever had with her, and as far as I knew, she ain’t even like me. I knew that as a damn kid.” I chuckled breathlessly, noticing the uncomfortable ass look on my dad’s face.

“I ain’t know you knew that,” he said, clearing his throat. “I don’t think she ain’t like you, she just?—”

“It’s cool.” I shook my head. “I don’t need nothing sugarcoated for me. It was a stark difference between her and Ma. I know when someone don’t mess with me like that for that reason,” I explained.

“You want me to come? ’Cause if she say anything out of line, I can kick her ass again.” Lisara frowned.

“Nah.” I laughed. “I think I can handle myself against Nori, but I’ll let you know if I need reinforcements.”

“Alright. Well tell me what the hell happened as soon as y’all part ways.” She looked at me until I nodded in agreement.

I finished up my food and kicked the shit over dessert before dipping out. After driving for a little bit, I called Nori, having stored her number in my personal phone in case I planned to use the shit.

“Hello?” she answered, confused, which was expected, since she didn’t have this number, only the bank’s.

“It’s me,” I said.

“Asif? Hi, baby?—”

“Let’s keep it formal, please. I don’t need the nicknames and shit. We never been on that, so let’s not start now.” She didn’t respond, so I said, “Hello?”

“Yeah, sorry. You are just like Chianti.” She tittered a bit, but I could tell it wasn’t a compliment. “All business, even when it’s supposed to be personal.”

“You still wanna meet or nah?”

“I do. I do. Today?”

“Nah. We can meet for lunch or early dinner next week. I’ll text you the details. I just wanted you to have my number for right now.”

“Alright. I can’t wait, ba—Asif. I have missed you so much that I had to Google you. You are so handsome.”

“I’ll holla at you.” I hung up.

All this nice shit was just fake as fuck to me. The Nori I remembered could barely hug or kiss me, so to think after all these years she suddenly wanted to be a mother didn’t make a lick of fucking sense to me. I was a logic type nigga and didn’t too much believe in doing shit off emotion. Shit had to make sense logically to me, and if it didn’t, well, then it was baseless.

Sadly, I wasn’t buying into the Nori had changed bullshit at the moment.

Free parked, and we both hopped out at the same time, him running up onto the curb to catch up with me. He wasted no time taking his shit off his hip, despite it being two in the fucking afternoon.

“Chill out, nigga,” I said, and he nodded, nostrils still flared in irritation, however.

We jogged up the few steps to the rickety trap off 41 st and Arlington, before I banged on the fucking door. Raq opened the screen immediately, moving out the way as Free and I mobbed inside, the scent of that white shit permeating the air as another worker Darrien cooked the shit up.

“Turn that shit off and get the fuck in here, nigga,” I snapped, trying to keep a lid on my fucking temper.

Darrien did as I said, coming into the living room to stand near Raq and Vernon.

“Explain what happened in detail.” Free stood next to me.

“Nigga came up and tried to rob us, and before I could do or say anything, this nigga shot him.” Raq nodded his head in Vernon’s direction.

“I thought that was what I was supposed to do!” Vernon exclaimed.

“At least shoot the muthafucka to kill!” I roared. “You shot his ass, and he got away, dummy!”

My voice boomed over the house, making all three of them niggas jump back.

“My bad, bo?—”

“I should kill all three of you incompetent ass niggas!” I bellowed as Free took the safety off his heat and aimed in their direction, ready to carry out orders.

“I mean, he fast! It was hard as fuck to?—”

I clocked Darrien across the head before he could even finish that stupid ass sentence.

“Shit hard for you, nigga?” I closed the space between us as he held onto his head, whimpering like a bitch. “Let me know so I can smoke yo’ ass where you stand! I don’t need no niggas that find shit difficult and hard on my muthafuckin’ team!”

“Not at all, boss. I swear.” Darrien shook his head, staring up into my eyes as if I was the boogeyman.

Seething, I said, “He do one more thing, and y’all dead just like he gon’ be.”

The trio nodded, clearly on edge and waiting for me to strike or give Free the order to. I put my hand on Free’s heat, telling him to put it down, and he did as I left out, him on my heels.

“I promise won’t nothing like this happen again, boss!” Raq called out to my back, but I kept it pushing.

Free and I hopped into his whip, and the whole time he drove, I swatted through my thoughts on what the fuck I could do and how I would move.

“Don’t trip, cuz. It’s only a matter of time.” Free slapped hands with me as I climbed out to get to my own car.

“Yep.” I nodded just before he sped off.

Getting into my own shit, I took my ass straight home, not wanting to do anything but bust a nut, shower, eat, and go to bed. I knew it wouldn’t be that fucking easy though. I loved everything about being with Anastazia, but the downside in having a woman, one who paid attention to you, was she could see shit within ya expression. Not to mention, my woman, in particular, was nosy and would possibly wanna chat and shit before I could even smell the pussy.

I sat in my parked car for about ten minutes before going inside the building and taking my elevator up. Once it opened in my living room, I stepped in to see Anastazia on the couch, watching a movie.

“Hi.” She beamed, watching me as I rounded the couch.

She looked beautiful as fuck, making me smirk a bit, even though I ain’t want to. Her curly hair was down, and she was wearing one of my shirts and seemingly nothing else.

“’Sup.” I sat down to kiss her. “Where baby girl?”

“Just fell asleep.” She nodded back to Sophie’s room. “You like having us here?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” I sunk down into the couch, the TV show catching my attention but not really.

“You okay?”

“I am,” I lied.

Scooting closer, she asked, “How was your day?”

Here we go.

“I don’t know, love.” I ran my hand down my face.

She got quiet as fuck, so I looked to my right at her. Cupping my face, she kissed me softly a few times before climbing onto the plush rug to get on her knees. Without a word, she reached to unbuckle my belt then unfasten my jeans. Seeing her pretty ass on her knees had my dick hard instantaneously, so by the time she took it out, I was ready.

Continuing with her silence, she sucked on the head of my dick, causing a nigga to moan. Slowly, her mouth became wetter as she took more of me between her lips, letting me tap the back of her throat.

“Mmm.” She hummed on it as I fisted her soft ass hair.

Smelling her scent and feeling her warm ass mouth on my dick caused my head to fall back in ecstasy.

“Fuck, love,” I grumbled, picking my head up to watch her deep throat my shit, coating it in saliva as her hand started to toy with my balls.

I guided her up and down at the pace of my preference, and she didn’t protest, letting me fuck her throat, as she sucked in her jaws while snaking her tongue along the head of my shit.

My moans got louder on some embarrassing type shit as Anastazia sucked me off like she’d worked the fucking streets for a decade straight. Watching her stroke my shit with her hand while licking my balls sent me over the edge, so by the time she came back up to continue bobbing on my shit, I was about to nut.

“I wanna taste it,” she said.

“Wait, fuck, wait, wait.” I slid my shit from her death grip of a mouth, almost busting every-fucking-where. “Let me feel you for a second.”

I put her on her knees, face into the couch before I slid inside from behind. Her pussy was tight as fuck and gushy, letting me know I didn’t have long at all. I was already at my fucking peak from the head.

“Mmm, Sif,” she whimpered as I hammered her pussy from behind, holding her shoulder so I could pound that shit like I was mad at it.

“You so perfect, love, fuck,” I said. She probably thought I meant this sex session, which was perfect, too, but I meant her ability to see what the fuck I needed when I needed it. I wasn’t trying to talk moments ago; I wanted to fuck and process my thoughts on my own time. “You nuttin’ everywhere,” I said in amazement, feeling her nectar every fucking where.

Her pussy was wetting up my whole pelvic area as our skin smacked against one another. Her plump ass was moving like water, and it was too fucking much at one time for me to last much longer.

She collapsed onto the couch, and I followed, hovering above her as I beat it up.

“You’re so deep,” she cooed, scratching at my couch. Her soft ass voice and the sight of her soft skin brought me to the fucking edge as I clamped my teeth down on her shoulder to keep from hollering out.

“Don’t move, love. Stay yo’ ass right there. Fuck.”

All that could be heard was the sound of her wet pussy, her whimpers, my bad ass attempt to stifle my moans, along with our skin colliding forcefully.

She started trembling from orgasming, and when her walls clamped down on me as she creamed over my shaft, I busted.

Pulling her by the front of her neck, pressing her back into my chest, I made her crane her head so I could kiss her.

“I love you, Asif.” She whimpered as my free hand roamed her body.