“Can’t do that Prez.”
“You can, and you will. Have a seat, gonna fill you in on some shit.” He proceeds to tell me his whole messed up life story. And I’m just sitting here, scratching my head in confusion. Shit about a wife and an Old Lady, sisters, Susan ain’t his kid. How they treated Nikki her whole life until she ran off. She grew up thinking he was her uncle, but he doesn’t want me to say shit because he wants to tell her the truth himself. Man. It’s fucked up.
“I don’t get it. Why don’t you want me with Nikki?”
“I didn’t protect her before, I’m rectifying that. Not gonna have her messed up with the likes of you, you wouldn’t know how to keep your dick in your pants. She had enough of that shit in her life.”
“So what, you want me with Susan?” I cringe. Fuck. Please don’t make me be with that cunt.
He starts pacing the room. “No, I wouldn’t wish her on even the worst of my enemies, what you do with her is your business. But just letting you know, even if you go behind my back, and search out Nikki, she won’t have you. She hates Susan, and she wants to be nothing like her mother or what she thinks her mother was like, only I haven’t told her the truth yet, so she won’t touch you anyways, now that she knows.” That’s bullshit, I know I can make Nikki around. “Cruiz is a good man, been friends with Nikki since she was a child, always had a thing for her. And I know when he’s in relationships he doesn’t fuck around. That’s someone I can support being with my daughter.”
“That’s bullshit!” I roar, standing up from my chair. “Nikki is mine, you’ll have to put a bullet in my head because I’m claiming her.”
He leans back in his chair, smirking at me. “We’ll see, it’s up to Nikki, but if she asks me to keep you away from her, I’ll do it.” He stands up, walks around the desk and gets in my face. “Ever speak to me like that again, I’ll cut your fuckin’ cock clean off and shove it up your ass.” He grabs my cut and slams his hard as fuck head into my face, and I feel the blood flowing outta my nose. “Get out, you have shit to see to. Don’t piss me off again, Prospect. You want your patch, you do what I say. If you show me that you can be good for my daughter, I’ll stay outta it. Until then, Cruiz is gonna be making his move.”
I hold onto my nose as I exit the office. That mother fucker Cruiz better stay away from what’s mine.
Chapter 26
Nikki
Sophia is at her new school, so I am out doing some shopping. We both need new everything. The only things I wanted from the house we lived at with Tricky were our photos and her keepsakes. The rest is garbage. As I get out of the cab and start walking toward the entrance, I feel eyes on me. I should have known Happy would have someone tailing me.
“Why are you following me?” I spin around getting up in Cruiz’s face.
He smirks at me. “Maybe I like the view.”
I stomp my foot. “Be serious.”
“I am.” He cups my chin in his rough hand, positioning my head to stare up into his eyes. “You know I have loved you since we were kids and now here we are, both of us single. Nothing to stop us.”
I smack his hand away. “I’m pregnant.”
“Feisty. Just like I remember. I know all about you stepping out on that fucker of a husband you had. Poor choice of judgment, sugar, but I can look past that. You were confused and in a bad way, but you don’t have to worry anymore.”
“You can’t save me, Mateo. Not then and not now. I’m not that girl anymore and I never will be the same again. You’re wasting your time and your breath. So stop following me. You can go report back to Happy that I’m fine. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time and will continue to do so.”
“Keep on acting tough but we both know the truth. Part of you still loves me too. I may have fucked up when we were kids but I’m here now. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
I shake my head. “Fuck off.”
“Nah, sweetheart. I am fully fucked on to you.” He grins and I don’t know if I want to smack him or kiss him, so I don’t do either. I turn around and go into the mall, ignoring his presence. Pretending that he doesn’t get to me. Pretending that I don’t still care about him.
He was the one person I thought I could count on and then I found him fucking Susan.
I was just a kid really, but I thought we were in love. I thought he would be the one to save me from the hell I was living at home with Susan and Crystal. Then I saw them through the cracked doorway of Susan’s bedroom. They were fucking and I was devastated. I was going to give him my virginity and he broke my heart. All men are shit and I am done with them. Too bad I love dicks so much or I’d go for women.
I get to the department store and grab some maternity clothes to try on.
Cruiz holds up a nightie. A red lace one. “You can model this for me.”
“Seriously. I am going to call security and report you for stalking me.”
“You know you’ve missed me.”
“That’s beside the point.”
“So, you admit it. You do think about me.” He steps into myspace and I can smell his cologne. All fresh but manly. His piercing blue eyes stare me down. Daring me to move from this spot.