TYCE 5 (14 page)

Being
Tyce’s woman was not an easy job. Not when his baby mama was constantly grabbing his attention every chance she got. I didn’t just come down on the last rain drop. I knew that she still wanted him, but the fact was he was my man, and I would do anything to keep it that way. The old Dallas was long gone. I didn’t have to fight for his love or do shady shit to steer him my way. All I had to do was be there for him and treat him right. Angelique may have his baby, but I had something that she lost. I had his trust.

I knew Khalil was dead. I felt it. Being
Tyce’s woman did have its advantages though. I got a chance to see just how someone could handle shit and come out smelling like fresh baked cookies. I knew Khalil didn’t stand a chance, because Tyce was two steps ahead of him. My man was schooling me the whole time. He told me step by step in private moments how the whole scene would play out. He had a feeling there was someone else master minding the whole charade. I could remember sitting by his hospital bed and even in his drugged state of mind, he was putting all the pieces together with my help of course.

That’s how you help your man. You don’t try and change him. A woman shouldn’t get with a man and
then try and change him. She should love him for the man he is when she decides to get with him. Looking back, I understood where Angelique was coming from. The poor girl was worried that some shit would come up if he didn’t change his ways and it had. However, she went about it the wrong way. Fucking another nigga won’t change a man. It would only make him look at you differently in the end. I may have been young and dumb at times, but one thing about Dallas Mitchell was the fact that I’m a quick learner.

One of the ke
ys to keeping a man like Tyce was something too few women knew. In order for a man to stay with you, he had to know in his heart that he was better with you. A woman has to show her man that she is an asset and a treasure that becomes more valuable with each passing hour. That man has to need you, want you, respect you and love you. Not because you want him to, but because he wants to. It’s not the pussy that keeps him, although that doesn’t hurt, it’s something much deeper than that. A man has to love how he feels when he’s around you…simple.

So even though my man called me and told me
that he was on his way to the hospital with Angelique, I wasn’t worried in the least. I was going to do exactly what he asked me to do, which was meet him there pick up Khari and take her home with me. When he got home he would find his baby well taken care of. I was going to feed her, bathe her, read her a story and put her to bed. If he wanted to talk when he came home, I would listen. If he wanted to fuck, I would open my legs and if he wanted to eat, I would cook him some food. Why? Because I’m a real ass bitch that knows how to handle shit and come out smelling like fresh baked cookies!

I found myself in the same hospital I was in over two months ago. However
, the tables were turned this time. Instead of Angelique walking in my room to check on me, I was standing in a room checking on her. Peck was at Sabrina’s beach house with the money, so it was just the two of us at the hospital. Sway was on another mission for me. He was handling a very important situation. I called my sister who was worried to death and put her mind at ease. I told her that everyone was safe and that Angelique was a little shook up, but she was going to be fine. Of course she asked about Khari first and I was happy to tell her that her niece was at home with Dallas. I told everyone not to tell Pamela, or Gloria about what happened. I didn’t want them to worry. I would tell them what happened on my own time.

After Dr.
Rosent left Angelique’s bedside, she and I were all alone in the dimly lit room. Instead of looking at her solemn face, I focused on the pink plastic wrist band with her name on it. She didn’t speak. She just stared at the ceiling. A few oddly quiet seconds passed before she finally said something.

“I don’t know what to say to you.” She kept looking up.

“Do you need anything?” I pulled my chair closer.

A tear slid down her cheek
, but she kept staring at the ceiling.

“What I need is to stop feeling like a piece of shit.” She sniffed.

“It’s not your fault you lost the baby. If anything it’s my fault. I feel like shit.” I reached out and placed my hand on top of hers.

“Don’t blame yourself for this.” I patted the back of her hand.

She sucked her bottom lip in as it quivered. “I feel like shit because a small part of me is relieved this happened. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. One minute I wanted to have the baby and the next minute I didn’t. I was really conflicted. And I’m angry and sad that the decision wasn’t mine. Because of
my
demons, because of
my
karma this baby’s gone. How am I supposed to deal with that? How am I supposed to file that away in my soul? How can a person feel two different ways about a miscarriage?”

Angelique let the tears fall from bo
th eyes. I grabbed a tissue from the small bedside tray and dabbed above her soft cheeks.

“I won’t say I understand
, ‘cuz I never will understand what it’s like to lose a child growing inside you. What I can say is everything happens for a reason. Everything. Maybe God knew you couldn’t make the decision, so he made it for you. You’re gonna feel sorrow and you’re gonna mourn the loss ‘cuz you’re a good woman and mother. You jus’ gotta hold on to the belief that it wasn’t meant for you to have Thad’s baby.”

Angelique heard my words and she finally laid her tear laden eyes on my face.

“I’m sorry. I know this hurt you.”

I cleared my throat. “I
ahhh, I kinda feel like you do and that has me fucked up too. I couldn’t see myself being with you while you’re raising his seed. How would we ever be happy together with Thad in the picture? I don’t know how that would work out?”

I could see a hint of glint in her somber eyes.

“So you’ve been thinkin’ about it?”

I suddenly realized what I said. I opened the gate for a second and one of my inner most thoughts ran out and now it was too late to call it back.

“Naw, I mean I was jus’ sayin’. I mean if we ever…” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Don’t try and hide now, I already saw
you?” She touched her stomach and licked her lips. “Other people may think you’re Tyce Adkins, the smooth assassin that can drown a damn fish, but I know the other side of you. The side no one sees. The side of you that knows you belong with me.”

The room got hot all of a sudden. I felt like my sweat shirt was shrinking like a dick in cold water.

“Are you hot?” I looked around the room.

“No.”

“I think the AC jus’ went out.” I started to get up, but she grabbed my arm.

“Kiss me please.”

“What?”

“You asked me if I needed anything and this is what I need. I need you to kiss me. I
wanna thank you for comin’ to me and our daughter’s rescue tonight. Now come here, so I can thank you.”

I felt my shirt being tugged toward her face. It was almost like I was moving in slow motion. My lips were screaming hell yeah, but my mind was saying hell
naw. As feet diminished into mere centimeters I took a quick right off smooch road and planted a long juicy kiss on her cheek.

“Your aim is off. Let me get you back on track.”

Before I could hit the brakes, Angelique grabbed my face and pulled her lips into mine. There was no tongue action. No rolling of the heads like we used to do. Just a soft, supple, tender kiss laced with genuine appreciation and love.

“Thank you for coming to get us.” She patted my chest as she released me.

“Anytime.” I winked at her.

The large silver clock in my living room told me it was 4:56 in the morning when I arrived home from the hospital. Despite the early hour
, and the fact that I hadn’t had any sleep since the day before, I was wired. I didn’t take off my shoes because I had the feeling I would be getting a call soon and would have to leave at a moment’s notice.

Dallas was up waiting for me in our bedroom. She smelled nic
e and looked even better. I took in her pretty, make up free face when she rolled over to greet me as I walked in.

“You look tired. How’s Angelique?”

I sat down on the bed next to her. “She’s gonna be fine. The doctor said she jus’ needs rest.”

I knew how to keep a secret and Dallas didn’t need to know Angelique’s baby business.

“That’s good news. Even though the girl tried to choke me to death, I still worry about her. She’s a big part of your life and you two share a child. That means she’s family no matter if she’s my favorite person or not.”

“Yeah
, you’re right.”

She sat up in the bed. “You look like
somethin’ is on your mind.”

Before I could address her accurate statement Tupac’s song
“So Many Tears” started playing from the front pocket of my hoodie.

“Hold that thought.” I put Dallas on pause and answered my phone. “
Wasup?”

“The Quality Inn room 11 off the 101 freeway 15 minutes.” The caller said.

“Cool, I’m on my way now.” I hung up the line.

Dallas sat up in the bed. “Who was that?”

“I gotta go. I’ll be back in like an hour.”

She looked confused. “You
gotta go now?”

“Yep, you remember our
lil’ friend?” I raised my eyebrows.

It took her a second to figure out my angle
, but she soon caught on.

“Oh! Well shit you better hurry up then. Call me when you’re on your way back so I know you’re ok.”

“Alright, I will.” I jumped up from the bed. How’s Khari?”

“She
’s fine and she’s sleeping like, well she’s sleeping like the baby she is.” Dallas smiled at me warmly.

“Thank you,
I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“And you never will. Don’t forget to call Sway and tell him it’s on.”

I smiled back at her and quickly left the room. Two minutes later I was back in my Range on my way to the low budget motel.

I arrived at the spot and parked my truck several rows down from the red door of room 11. As soon as I got out I spotted my new associate carrying a small white bucket of ice as he walked back toward the r
oom. The moment he saw me he waved me over to him and stopped.

“Hey
Tyce it’s good to see you again.”

“What up
Rayshon. Right on for hitting me up. Is he in there now?”

“Yep. He’s butt ass naked and waiting on yours truly.” He pointed to his under developed chest
, which was inside a tight purple wife beater. “I wasn’t so sure this plan would work when you approached me at the club. I’d seen him before, but he never said anything to me. I had to work my magic on him.”

I nodded my head slowly. “
Ahhh, so you’re sayin’ you wanna tip?”

“Well, I had to pay for the room, the drinks, and a new outfit.” He poked his lips out.

“Alright, how’s an extra five hundred sound?” I counted out the cash.

“That sounds like music to my ears, which will be played through new Beats by
Dre head phones thanks to your generosity. I knew I liked you from the moment you busted in my make-up room when I was with Thad. You know how to take care of a nigga.”

“I take care of everybody who helps me out, and you have helped me out a lot with this. I appreciate you. I had n
o doubt he would go for you and I had a feelin’ he was patrolling the hot spots in your community.”

Rayshon
put his hands on his hips. “He’s a freaky lil’ muthafucka! He had all kinds of requests. Two days after I saw you in the club he came in. I was lookin’ like a trillion dollars and I put the moves on him. I told him I was 21 even though I’m really 28. We’ve been rockin’ and rollin’ for the past week or so. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night, so when he called me sayin’ he needed to see me to blow off some steam and that some drama popped off…I knew I had to call you ‘cuz I knew you were involved. His ass said he can’t go home right now.”

I shook my head. “Well you
ain’t gettin’ another tip for that. Hang out in my truck and I’ll bring your stuff to you when I come out.”

“All I have is my keys and handbag in there.”

“Alright sit tight, I’ll be out in a sec. I appreciate you playin’ your position on this one. I know he ain’t even your type.”

The short slender diva looked up at me and grinned.

“You right. I normally like my men tall, buff, and swagged out like uhhhh…you.”

“Well, I’m on the other side of the fence
lil’ homie. Maybe you should move to Atlanta. I hear there are some thugged out gay dudes down there.”

“You right. But…
” He held up one painted finger nail. “There’s no ocean and Georgia has way too many bugs.”