Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“He’s been tryna get his claws into you since the moment you were up on your feet and walking. What’s he done now?”
Roman slipped the letter Grandpa had given him out of his pocket, unfolded it, and pressed it against the glass. Daddy removed his reading glasses from his prison jumpsuit pocket, slid them on and began reading, line for line. Roman went to the second page, and Daddy kept right on reading. When he was finished, he said so. Roman folded the letter back up and tucked it away.
“Did all of my nephews that he has his eye on get the same letter?”
“From my understanding, all the letters are tailored to each of us. Not a simple cut and paste. We all received a version of the same. All of us that won’t comply.”
“Who all is involved?”
“Well, there’s me, obviously. Lennox, Ryder, Kage, Phoenix, Journey and Maddox.”
“Well, shoot me fast and call me Shirley!” Daddy burst out laughing and slapped the table in front of him. “Woooo Weeee! Ryder and Kage?!” He rolled his eyes. “That’s hilarious. Kage is out of his fuckin’ mind. That’s the last relative I’d want near me if he hated my guts. Kage is a wild animal. When he was just a kid, he tried to kill your grandfather.”
“I know.”
“And Ryder got darkness in him… a darkness that ain’t like my father’s, but it’s something else… somethin’ eerie. Ryder is smooth and easy, and rough and hard all at the same time.”
“He keeps to himself.”
“Mmm hmmm. Just like his daddy. God rest my brother’s soul. Yeah… yeah… it makes sense.” Daddy shook his head up and down and stroked his short, dark beard. “All of y’all were trouble. Your own men. The nephews of mine you mentioned, including yourself, are leaders, not followers. The same reasons he can’t get cha; are the same reasons he wants ya. He ain’t gonna let this shit go. You’re going to have to make him turn you loose.”
“How much money do you need on your commissary?” Roman switched gears and whipped out his cellphone to pull up the app.
“As much as you’ll give me.” He tossed up his hands in resignation. “Your mama used to do it, but I think that husband of hers made her stop.”
“Well, you wouldn’t right like it if your ol’ lady was payin’ for noodles and cupcakes for her ex-jailbird husband, either.”
“I ’spose not… but that’s still my wife. I had Bonnie first.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said she’s your wife. She ain’t. She’s a person, not a piece of property.”
“I know that, boy. I’m just sayin’, ain’t nobody gonna love that woman like I do. What a double-crossin’ son of a bitch!” Dad yelled, his voice drawing the attention of others.
Roman knew what he was talking about. Mama had married a corrections officer, one of the guys she used to see when she’d visit Daddy years ago at the Coffield Prison in Texas. One of his many stints behind bars. “Dakota had another baby… a lil’ girl. Veronica. Pretty little flower she is. I ain’t seen my grandbabies. Just pictures. Tell him to bring my grandbabies, please. He’ll listen to you.”
“Dakota got his own problems, Daddy.” He peered down at his phone, adding funds to his father’s commissary as he sat there listening to the man ramble on.
“Like what? He’s divorced now, right? He can start over.”
“He said Fanny took everything. The furniture. TVs.”
“All that shit is replaceable. He knew she wasn’t no good when he stole ’er from her fourth husband. As my mama used to say, ‘How you get them is how you lose them.’ Fuck her, but he’s making excuses, if ya ask me.”
“That ain’t it, though. He’s on that shit again.”
“The pills? Oxy and morphine?”
“Yeah. He’s been in and out of rehab. Jordan’s got his vices, too.”
Daddy huffed, and they wallowed in silence.
“I fucked y’all up, didn’t I?” Daddy’s eyes turned darker. Glossy. Emotions welled up fast.
“We all fucked up back then.”
“Well, I was the adult. Y’all was just kids when the dumb shit started.” Daddy ran his hand shakily across his face. “I had a drug and drinkin’ problem, and it made y’all think I didn’t love you, that I wanted the drugs more than y’all, but that’s not true. I ran around on your mama a few times, too.”
“Well, Daddy, as you said, some of our shit was you and Mama’s fault, but a lot of it ain’t. We’re grown men now. We were taught right from wrong, even if you and Mama didn’t always follow your own rules or set the perfect example. Gotta take accountability. We know when we done wrong.” Daddy nodded in agreement. “I got into fights because I couldn’t control my temper. I wanted to fight. I stole because people had things I wanted. I felt like I deserved all of that more than they did, so I took those things. I didn’t care about the consequences or my reputation. I ’spose that’s why Grandpa feels I’m a Black sheep.”