Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
My smart girl who, somehow, would be in the fifth grade next semester. I didn’t know where the time had gone. “Congratulations! I’m so proud of you.” I took her arms and danced with her on the spot, making her giggle. “Does that mean I get to come see you in competition?”
“Yup.”
“Sloane.”
Juanita’s voice drew my gaze. The best thing about this apartment building was that it came with Juanita. She’d seen us moving in on the first day and we got to talking. When I mentioned I was concerned about Callie taking the bus home from school and staying in the apartment until I got home, Juanita had offered her babysitting services. Her husband, Eli, worked nights and their kids were grown, so she said she had time. Though she charged less than other babysitters, I still couldn’t afford her. But Callie’s safety was all that mattered to me. Hence why I was behind on rent.
We shared a look, and she gave me a small shake of her head.
Relief filled me. Somehow, she’d kept the eviction notice from Callie.
“I know you’ve stayed longer than usual tonight, but could you give me another hour?”
“Where are you going?” Callie scowled up at me.
My smile was reassuring. “I promised a friend I would help them with something tonight. But I’ll be back soon.” I looked at Juanita.
She frowned and jerked her chin toward the door. “A word outside, mija.”
Despite my tension, I offered Callie another kiss on the head and told her to return to her book. My daughter stared suspiciously up at me but did as I bid, and I thanked God for giving me a child as easy as Callie. She’d been the quietest, most chilled-out baby, and she was the sweetest kid. I often wondered if that meant she’d be a hellion as a teenager because no one could be that lucky with their child.
However, that was a worry for the future. I had enough to be concerned about in the present and was grateful Callie’s behavior wasn’t one of them.
As soon as we stepped outside, Juanita turned on me. “Everyone who has passed your door will have seen that eviction notice. You can’t hide that from Callie for long.”
“I know, and I don’t intend to. I’m going to get the money.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How?”
“I need you to watch Callie so I can pay her father a visit.”
Alarm filled Juanita’s eyes. She knew who he was because I’d told her. But she also knew who he was because he was now a high-ranking soldier in a gang that primarily traded in drugs and chopped cars. “You are not going after him at night.”
“I called Stacie. She told me where to find him.” Reluctantly. We’d been friends when I was still with my ex. But when I left him and tried to start fresh for Callie, Stacie called me out for thinking I was better than her, than them. For wanting to get away from that life. That I’d never really stopped being that spoiled rich girl from Beverly Hills.
“Where is he?”
“He’s at some house party in West Adams. She texted me the address.”
“You are not going alone at night to a house where that man and his thugs are. No way.”
Though I appreciated Juanita’s concern for my safety more than I could say, I couldn’t back down. “I need to find him. And while I hate that I need to, the one upside to being his kid’s mother is that he won’t let anyone hurt me.”
“No, he likes to leave that job to himself.”
I flinched and looked away.
“I’m sorry, mija. I just worry. Wait for Eli to get off work. He’ll go with you.”
“I’m not dragging Eli into this. Please.” I clasped her hands in mine. “I don’t have time to argue. I need to find him, get the money, and get home to my baby girl. Will you please stay with her until I get back?”
Sensing my stubborn determination, Juanita reluctantly agreed.
A few minutes later, I was in my car, hands trembling as I clipped in my seat belt. Using the map on my phone, I slowly made my way toward the house in West Adams.
There were people sitting on hoods of cars parked curbside, others drinking in the yard, and music boomed so loud from inside that I’d heard it as soon as I turned onto the street.
I wouldn’t give up Callie for anything in the world. She was my world. Every action I made was in service to loving her. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t angry at my past self. Furious with that hurting sixteen-year-old who wanted to punish my father for ignoring me and marrying a woman half his age who hated me and made me feel like a stranger in my own home.
I’d started partying at fifteen.