Page 48 of Gang of Roses: Dice

For the first time in a long time...I was nervous, but I picked him up.

Hell, I wasn't even this nervous the day our father walked out and left me to play daddy to the kids he and my mama created.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Coca standing there, visibly uncomfortable.

Oats looked like he'd already figured the shit out but was waiting on somebody to say it out loud.

“My daddy.”

My little dude wrapped his arms around my neck.

Mine…because this was all me, and the world didn’t know it yet. But this just changed drastically.

I had to blink a few times, feeling like life just dealt me a trump card. A human who had the power to bring my big ass to my knees.

“Yeah, little man, it’s daddy.” There was no point in me questioning this shit. He was just a baby version of me.

He just smiled and laid his head on my shoulders.

“Aye, helicopter no, this dude don’t got you wrapped around his finger already. No more marker tabs paying for you. You might as well hand nephew the checkbook.

“Man, you talmbout some helicopter. Negro, I rather you cuss.”

Coca laughed.

“Nigga shut yo’ backwards hips up, I'm new to this ish.”

Coca sucked his teeth.

And before anyone could throw out something else, the doorknob turned, and Oats' hand went to his back.

“Coca, whose car outside? I told you, no damn company around my child.”

She fussed while grabbing a bag, but still hadn't looked up.

“Stand down,” I told Oats.

Hell, this was already too many surprises for one day.

My voice stopped her rant mid-sentence.

The words came out somewhere between soft and firm, but I knew my eyes carried the cold my voice didn't. They would've been colder if it weren't for the little body in my arms. The only thing keeping the giant in me chained down was the little boy who had no idea he was holding him still.

“Wassup, G-Baby?”

“Hey, Mommy.” Revv smiled before pointing at me. “Look… my Daddy.”

He said it like his whole little world had finally fallen into place.

If somebody had offered me a bet, I would've lost every damn dollar. I would've sworn Revv would've been squirming to get down so he could run to his mama.

Instead, he laid his head right back on my shoulder.

That surprised both of us.

“Nah, nephew. Yo' lil hips ‘posed to say bad word. Got me out here sounding like a goofy.”

Revv burst into laughter, pulling one out of Coca, too.