Forbidden Fruit (34 page)

“No you didn’t, but you can respect me. It ain’t like that between us. It was one time, and that’s it. I don’t need you to do shit else for me. All I need is your DNA. If I don’t call you he ain’t yours. Okay.”

El shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever you say. I hope you have a happy fuckin’ family.”

I rolled my eyes at him. I was glad when I finally left the clinic and headed home. El went his way and I went mine. We had forty eight hours to wait for the results.

“Do you think it’s really that easy? Tell me how I am goin’ to explain why I left? He’s gonna wanna know why I didn’t let him know that I was still pregnant. I don’t know if I wanna tell him. I don’t really wanna expose my son to Diablo’s lifestyle.”

Maya rolled her eyes at me. “Girl, Ablo goin eat that boy up. You know how bad he wants a son. Shit, he already look just like him. You can’t deny him the right to know his father Yanna. You gotta tell him, even if you don’t wanna go back to Atlanta.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “Even though I’m gonna miss you.”

“We’ll visit each other okay,” I said with tears in my eyes too. I did love Diablo, but he had hurt me too many times. I had fucked one person and felt like shit. I didn’t understand how he hurt me so easily when I was going through hell. “Part of me wonders if Diablo was ever the one for me. I don’t think I can be wit’ him again Maya.”

“Then at least let him know about his son. I did it to Ju, and I regret every minute he lost out of Lex’s life. Give him a chance to be a daddy to his child. Call him.” She handed me my cell phone.

“Baby? Where the fuck you been? I been goin’ crazy without you. You left a nigga at the wrong time baby. With all the shit goin’ on wit’ Ace and shit. I needed you here wit’ me. I miss the shit outta your ass. I’m sorry for all that shit in the past. Man, livin’ without you done taught me a valuable ass lesson. Them bitches won’t worth me losin’ you. I love you, and I want you to come back to me. Now. I ain’t playin’ no more games. I’m serious. I ain’t got nobody else in my life ‘cause it’s only you baby. It’s always been you,” he said.

“Diablo I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you. No matter what happened I should’ve been there. I had to get away though. We had broke up and shit just wasn’t goin’ right. After daddy died…I just needed a change I guess.”

“Why did you tell your folks not to tell me where you went? All I could think was that I had lost you forever. I just wanted to hear you voice, even if I couldn’t see your face. So, you deaded my seed huh?”

“Why would you think that?” I asked.

“’Cause you said you would. Plus you ain’t mentioned a baby or nothing’ yet.”

“Well, that’s ‘cause you started talkin’ ‘bout Ace and I was just listenin’ to you. I’m sorry to hear about Ace. Things just ain’t the same anymore. I ain’t feelin’ that street shit Diablo. You gave me the best gift in the world, and it’s changed me.”

“What? What you talkin’ about baby?”

“We have a son Diablo.”

“Don’t fuck wit’ me Yanna. You told me over and over that you won’t goin’ have the baby. Plus your peoples ain’t say shit…you serious?”

“Yes, I am. His name is Diantae Cuecell Perez. He look just like you, but he ain’t goin’ be like you though. I want you in his life, but we ain’t gettin’ back together. I can’t let my son be exposed to…you know. It’s time you give that shit up, before it’s too late.”

* * *

Officer Hanson was sitting in a van on the corner of Diablo’s street along with Officers Danny Burke, and Leanne Ricks. Although Lithonia was in Dekalb County and was out of their jurisdiction, they were still determined to somehow nail Diablo with the help of the Dekalb County Police.

Danny was a stout white man that could wire anything from a cave to a mansion. They were listening to Diablo’s telephone call.

“Look bay, I love you. I can’t wait to see you and my son. We’ll talk then.” He hung up the phone. They hadn’t gotten anything concrete enough to arrest him on. He was so careful, but he would slip up. It was just a matter of time.

“We gotta get something on him soon. It ain’t no way a kid his age could afford a house like that and all those fancy cars without doing something dirty. Shit I been on the force for fifteen years and I can’t afford no shit like that,” Burke snarled angrily. He had a feeling of contempt towards Diablo and other scum like him. They always took the easy route. Didn’t want to work and make an honest dollar.

“His Uncle Pete went legit before we could get anything on him. He did three for tax evasion, and a few other petty crimes. We could not pin any murders or drug activity on him. Shit, Cue died before we could nail him. There were never any witnesses because they had the streets locked down. People were scared to snitch. That family is slippery as hell,” Hanson said.

He was a child when Cue and Pete were running the drug trade. Hanson could remember his Uncle Joey always being on their nuts. He was a low life crack head, but at one time he owned his own barbershop and hair salon. Business stopped booming and Joey’s wife left him. He gambled and hustled a little, but he ended up owing more than he earned. He had owed the wrong men. Cue and Pete got Uncle Joey to sign his business over to them to pay off his extensive debt. A few weeks later his body was found. He’d been shot in the head. Uncle Joey was a known crack fiend so the police didn’t really try to investigate. They said that he’d probably owed some drug dealer some money. Officer Hanson had promised from that day on that he would avenge his uncle’s death. He had hit rock bottom, but he had once been his hero. Although he knew that he couldn’t get Pete or Cue he felt that Diablo was the next best thing. He would bring him down if it was the last thing he did.

Chapter 17

Diablo held his son close to him and almost cried. “He do look just like me,” he said.

“I told you,” I said sitting down on the sofa. It was good to see Diablo again, but all of my old feelings for him seemed to come back. I didn’t know if I was ready for those feelings again. Peanut, my son’s nickname, was now six and a half weeks old and it was Diablo’s first time seeing him. He’d tried to convince me to come down earlier, or to at least let him come up to see me. I refused and promised him that I would bring his son to him as soon as I felt that he was old enough to travel. The agreement was for me to stay for a week and then return to Raleigh. Diablo was convinced that he could get me to stay there with him. I doubted it seriously.

“You lookin’ good baby. I swear you don’t even look like you just had a baby. How the hell you get back in shape so quick? I see some chicks who kids ‘bout two and their bodies still be lookin’ busted.” He had a big smile on his face like seeing me and Peanut had been just what he’d needed.

“I worked out and I got good genes,” I laughed.

“Speakin’ of jeans. Them jeans you wearin’ got a nigga tryin’ to figure out how the hell you got them on. They fittin’ that fat ass to a mu’fuckin T.”

“Hell yeah, I mean I ain’t think you was lookin’ all good for no reason. I thought you wanted to cuddle up wit’ me like you used to.”

“Well Diablo, that ain’t why I’m here. I’ll be fine in here okay.”

“I guess the case is closed,” he said winking at me. He was so cocky. I could read his mind. He was convinced that he’d get me in his bed. I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief. We hadn’t been together in months. How’d he think it was still that easy?

“Don’t be like your daddy Peanut,” I said kissing my son on the forehead as Diablo held him. I was glad that I had decided to keep my baby. I never knew that I was capable of feeling such unconditional love. I wanted to change who I was because of him, and I hoped Diablo felt the same.

He left and I decided to take a nap. The long drive had me exhausted. The quiet time I’d been blessed with was much needed and appreciated.

* * *

After I woke up I decided to go visit Princess. She seemed so different. I couldn’t believe how quiet and reserved she’d become. For some reason she couldn’t stay still and she was acting nervous.

“You okay?” I asked her.

“Oh, I’m fine. Just got a lot on my mind,” she said forcing a fake smile onto her face.

I looked at her frame and noticed she’d lost a significant amount of weight. I didn’t think she was fine. Maybe she was having some relationship problems.

“How’re you and Tre’?”

“Everything’s good wit’ us. We hangin’ in there. How does it feel to be a mom?” She asked switching the focus of the conversation on me.

I could tell she was hiding something. “It’s great. My baby gives me a reason to wake up in the morning. I didn’t realize being a mother could feel so good. Ablo’s had him all day. He took him to Uncle Pete’s earlier, but he probably showing him off to his boys. I can’t wait until you see him. He look just like his daddy.”

“I bet he’s the cutest lil’ thang. You took him to see your mama yet?”

“Nope, but I called her earlier and told her that we’ll be over to see her later on today.”

Princess’s eyes drifted toward the floor. When she looked up her eyes glistened with fresh tears. I moved beside her and rubbed her back gently.

“What’s wrong P.?” I asked concerned. I’d never seen her in such emotional distress.

She wiped her eyes hastily, like she was ashamed to be crying in front of me. “Yanna,” she sighed. “I can’t tell you. All I know is that after all the shit I’ve seen and done I never thought one thing could turn my world inside out.”

I was confused. “What do you mean you can’t tell me? It ain’t never been a time that you couldn’t tell me sumthin’. We tell each other everything.”

Princess stood up and paced the floor. She kept wringing her hands together like she was a nervous wreck.

“P. talk to me. What’s wrong? How long have you been like this?”

“Please don’t keep askin’ me Yanna. Believe me, I wanna tell you, but I can’t okay. I know sumthin’ that could cause so much shit., and it’s all because of me. It’s all my fault.” She shook her head and jumped at the sound of the door opening.

Tre’ walked in looking fine as usual with his black, smooth complexion. He strolled over to Princess and kissed her on the cheek. She flinched at his touch.

“You been cryin’?” He asked chewing on a toothpick. He was flossing in two, platinum chains, and a platinum Movado watch with the black face.

“No. Where you been anyway?” She asked.

He chewed harder on his toothpick. I could tell that their relationship was strained. What had Princess seen? Whatever it was had caused her to go from a size eleven/twelve to a seven/eight. She was still fly, but she’d lost the weight so quickly. I was sure she’d lost it because of stress, and not because she wanted to. Princess had always been proud of her thick figure.