Pointe of No Return: Giving You All I Got (16 page)

10

Demi checked the calendar on her phone. She had ninety days until she could reapply for the ballet program and she was counting down. Until then Demi had successfully launched Papa’s trucking company and she even opened a dance studio with his money. She didn’t have a lot of students, but the few girls that came in were near and dear to Demi’s heart.

It was something for her to do throughout the day since the summer time was when Papa was out of town a lot. Demi smiled at the girls as they walked out of studio. She gathered her bag and made sure the alarm was turned on and the lights were off before she walked out the back door and headed towards her car.

“Yo, you Papa’s girl?” someone asked.

Demi turned her head to see who it was, but before she could a knock to the back of her head brought her to her knees and a punch to her left cheek had her out on the ground. She felt the migraine coming as someone stood over her and snatched the earrings out of her ear. She felt the rip and yipped out in pain.

After stealing her Rolex, Cartier and Hermes bracelet, along with her purse and car keys, Demi was scared to move. The older couple that owned the sandwich shop next door to Demi’s studio ran out and called the police.

“Call her husband,” Ms. Finley told her husband.

Papa had given both of them all three of his phone numbers in case of an emergency and he had their contact information as well. Sometimes Demi liked to stay late in her studio dancing her heart out with the music loud and he couldn’t get in contact with her. He would have the couple next door go knock on the window to get Demi’s attention.

When Papa got the call he was at the shop talking shit with Unc, waiting on Demi to text him telling him she was heading home so they could go to dinner tonight.

Over the past few months, Papa fell into a comfortable routine. Hustle through the day and make love to Demi all night. It worked out for him because Demi kept him out of trouble.

Unc insisted on driving Papa to the dance studio, seeing that his nephew was seething with anger. Papa banged his fists on the car console repeatedly until his knuckles bled. When they pulled up, Papa hopped out and walked into the sub shop.

Demi was holding a bag of frozen bell peppers to her face while Ms. Finley nursed the wound on her head.

Demi told him with a swollen and busted bottom lip, “I’m okay, baby.”

She saw the look of death In Papa’s eyes and all she could think was that he was ready to kill someone for fucking with his precious Demi. She wouldn’t allow him to do anything.

“Papa, I am okay, I promise,” she told him.

“But you won’t let me get cameras? It’s for situations like these,” he fussed.

Demi remained quiet because she now understood what he had been relentlessly trying to get her to see. Papa was in the streets. He was a part of The Underworld. Niggas either wanted to be him or they wanted him dead so they could become him. It was different with Papa compared to the others. He called them the pretty boys because they didn’t get their hands dirty. Papa touched the work and the money, he didn’t have one or two clients like Nasir did, he had hundreds.

Papa told Demi when she first asked for a dance studio that he didn’t mind giving her whatever her heart desired. In fact, he was so happy to put a smile on her face since material things didn’t do much for Demi. Papa insisted on installing a security system and teaching Demi how to use a gun, but she told him no on both.

Papa always had a million and one questions about the parents of her students. His worst fear was Demi getting close to one of her dance girls and their father being the enemy. He told Demi on several occasions to always pay attention to her surroundings and to never get comfortable or drop her guard until she was safely in the house and the door was locked and the alarm was back on, not a second before.

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t think it was necessary. We picked this location because it was in a good area,” she wept.

Unc motioned for Papa to cut it out. Papa took a deep breath and fumbled around in his pockets before pulling out a wad of bills.

“I appreciate y’all for real.” Papa handed Mr. Finley more than a few hundred-dollar bills.

“Your money is no good here. We love Demi like a daughter,” Mr. Finley told Papa.

Demi smiled. She felt the same way. Since her parents abandoned her the Finley’s had been a breath of fresh air and the life lessons Mrs. Finley shared with a very young Demi Westbrook had been appreciated.

Demi’s cooking skills improved and the weight gain on Papa showed his gratitude. Every night he came home to something new that Demi wanted to try.

“Take a few days off Demi,” Mrs. Finley told her after kissing her forehead.

Demi nodded her head. “I’ll email the parents and tell them I had a family emergency.”

Demi told Papa they took her car.

“They took your car?” Unc repeated after Demi.

“I’ll have Sasha track it.”

“If they haven’t already stripped it apart,” Unc said.

“You’ll have a new car soon if that’s the case,” Papa told Demi. He didn’t want her worrying.

Demi followed Unc to the car while Papa stayed back and finished up his conversation with Mr. Finley.

“Did they look young or old?” Papa asked Mr. Finley. He fished for any information he could get.

“Like some young jack boys to me, I didn’t get a good look,” he told them.

“I have cameras, I don’t know how good you’ll be able to see though,” Mr. Finley told him.

“What’s your email?” Mr. Finley asked.

Papa told him to use the one on Demi’s business card and told them he would be back through tomorrow.

Although they turned down the money, Papa would have Sasha find out if they owed any more money on their sandwich shop and if they did he would handle the loan for them.

“I’m hungry,” Demi told Papa once he got in the car.

“You always hungry, its food at Unc’s house,” he told her.

“Why are we going to Unc’s house?” she asked.

Unc chuckled. “Oh, you too good for my house?”

“Of course not, but I want my own bed,” she told him.

“Well, I still got stuff to handle today so you gone have to chill where I know you safe at,” Papa said.

“And I’m not safe at the condo?” she questioned.

“Damn it, Demi just do as I asked!” Papa snapped.

Demi sat back and folded her arms. Papa was acting like she was the one who got herself robbed. Those boys or men, whoever they were clearly said, “Are you Papa’s girl?”

Unc said nothing to Papa. He knew Papa was pissed someone had fucked with his girl. When they made it to Unc’s house, Demi hopped out of the truck and slammed the door.

Papa told Unc, “She got an attitude, but I don’t care. She spoiled as hell.”

“And who you think got her that way?” Unc laughed.

“Demi was spoiled when I met her.” Papa refused to take the blame for her childish behavior.

“And you made it worse,” Unc told him, and got out of the car.

“Make sure she eat and take something for her head,” Papa called out.

“Boy I raised you, I know what to do,” Unc fanned him off.

Papa made sure they were in the house before he pulled off. He circled the block twice looking for anything out of the norm, and when he deemed the coast to be clear he got back in traffic.

***

“You are losing your touch?” Malachi asked Papa.

“Never that,” Papa told him and shot the gun one more time, finally meeting his target.

Malachi smirked at Papa before putting the goggles on his face and picking the gun he would shoot with for today.

Papa wasn’t bothered with Malachi’s presence; he never let niggas knock him off the diamond plate.

Papa shot a few more times on a fresh body before sitting the smoking gun down and cracking his neck.

“What you doing here?” Malachi asked Papa.

“I could ask you the same thing. Sasha told you where I was?” Papa asked.

Malachi held his hands up. “Why you coming at me like this man?  What’s up?  Speak your mind, I’m your brother,” he said.

Papa laughed. “My brother? Shit I ain’t seen your face in a few months.  No Merry Christmas, New Year, none of that. Oh, and let’s not forget that my birthday was last month.”

Malachi said, “You’re in your feelings I see.”

He redirected his attention back on the target before him and aimed towards the bull’s eye.

“No feelings to have,” Papa told him.

“So why are you at the gun range?” Malachi asked, with suspicion.

“I come here all the time, Sasha didn’t tell you that?” Papa asked.

“Why you keep bringing her name up?”  Malachi was getting irritated.

“Because y’all got her following me like I did something wrong.”

Malachi eyed Papa. “Following you?” he asked.

“Stop playing me,” Papa told him.

“You’re being followed?” Malachi asked again.

Papa picked up his sagging pants. “I don’t like when my intelligence is insulted. I know y’all think I’m some dumb nigga from the projects, but I’m not,” he told Malachi, and walked away.

“Papa, hold up!” Malachi told him.

Papa turned around. “For what? If I’m out just tell me and I’ll keep this shit moving. But my girl was knocked over the head and she ain’t got shit to do with this and I been lying low. On the tapes Sasha’s car was spotted at the scene. Now I didn’t go kill her motherfucking ass for a reason, but I won’t spare her again,” Papa snapped.

Malachi told Papa, “I don’t know what is going on, I swear.”

Papa didn’t believe him. “Man, please,” he told him.

“I’m giving you my word,” Malachi said.

Papa told him, “That don’t mean shit no more, homie.”

“Hey, I can’t make you change your mind, but I will be calling a meeting and you need to be there.”

Papa wasn’t stunting no damn meeting. “If my schedule is clear then I’ll be there,” he told him, and walked off for good this time.

Papa didn’t believe anything Malachi said. He and Malachi was close, but Malachi was also close with Nasir. They sent Malachi to scope Papa’s feelings out to see where his head was, Papa wasn’t no dummy.

He made his way home, wanting to be around Demi. When he made it in and smelled the aroma of something yummy being cooked up he was happy he got there early enough to watch her move around the kitchen.

“To what do I owe this surprise?” Demi asked, when she felt her man’s arms wrap around her waist and his lips on her neck.

“Just needing to feel your love,” Papa told her. Demi smiled at his touch and his beautiful words. He wasn’t the best with expressing his feelings, but when he did they were enough to last her until another lifetime.

“I missed you this morning, why you leave so early?” she probed.

“It’s the first of the month boo.” Papa tapped her on the butt, and left her in the kitchen.

“Where you going?” Demi asked.

“Outside to smoke,” Papa said, over his shoulders.

Papa rarely smoked around her like he used to, especially since the days were winding down until open enrollment for the dance academy.

Demi finished flipping the asparagus in the pan she was cooking them in. Tonight they were having rosemary lamb chops and grilled asparagus. Papa swore he hated lamb, but there were never any left overs.

Over dinner they discussed their upcoming trip to Los Angeles. “And what am I supposed to do while you working?” Demi asked.

“We going to LA, there’s tons of shit for you to do,” Papa told her.

“I’ve done all the tourist things,” she pouted.

“Well go shopping or something,” he suggested.

Demi knew she would figure it out and if she didn’t she would just ask Papa if her friends could come.

“I’m tired,” Papa told her, after dinner was finished.

“Is everything okay?” she asked him.

Papa nodded his head. “Yeah.”

Demi went to clean the kitchen while Papa migrated upstairs.

After her shower, she joined him in the bed and held him close to her bosom.

“I’m here if you need me,” she whispered.

“I know baby, I know,” he told her, reaching up to nibble on her nipple.

“Oh, so that’s what you need?” Demi teased.

“Yeah, I do,” he said, turning over and hovering her body, kissing her lips, and separating her legs using his thigh.

“How you want it?” Demi asked, licking her bottom lip.

“I got this tonight,” Papa told her, wanting to be in control.

She waited for Papa to make a move but nothing happened. He stared in her eyes and traced her facial features with the tip of his index finger.

“Papa,” Demi said his name, wondering what he was doing and what thoughts were running through his mind.

“Shhh,” he told her, looking at her with intent.