Page 53 of Love At Close Range

“You ain’t seen crazy yet, bitch! Say one more fucking thing to me!” Reiana yelled in my arms, trying her best to get loose.

Kree laughed bitterly and pushed her hair out of her face. “You’ve always been a jealous-ass bitch. That’s why—”

“Jealous of what?” Reiana cut her off as her whole body shook with anger. “You stole seven years from my son because you were jealous of me, hoe. You knew I was pregnant and still sat in my face like you ain’t do shit.” Reiana huffed. “I’m gone beat your ass for every year my son missed with his father,” Reiana told her as she pointed toward her again. “Seven years, bitch. You got seven ass whippings coming. I gave you this one for free,” Reiana spat.

“Say that shit, Ree!” Lena cheered from the porch.

“Bro,” I snapped.

“Lena, can shut the hell up?” Mama fussed.

Kree looked past Reiana and focused on me. “And you’re just gone let this bitch jump on me?”

“Be glad I stopped the shit when I did,” I grit.

“Let me go, Lennox.” Reiana tried to get loose again.

“Nah,” I told her as I held her in place. “You’ve made your point.”

“Nah, this bitch got a few more lessons to learn,” she argued.

I heard Rhyse laugh somewhere behind me, and that reminded me he was still standing there watching all this. I turned my head enough to look toward him.

“Rhyse, go stand with Queenie,” I told him.

He looked like he wanted to argue, but the look I gave him made him choose otherwise. “Aight,” he muttered as he headed toward the porch.

Kree watched him go before turning her attention back toward me. Her face twisted with anger as she folded her arms over her chest. “So this what we’re doing now? You got Reiana and her son, and now it’s fuck me and Lennyn?” She asked like she was disgusted.

“Nah, it’s just fuck you. My daughter ain’t got shit to do with this,” I warned as I finally released Reiana but kept myself between the two of them. “Whatever problem you got with me or Reiana don’t have shit to do with my daughter.”

“Your daughter?” Kree laughed like some shit was funny. “I can take Lennyn and leave Cannon Hills tonight. You’ll never see her again if I’on want you to. Then what you gone do?”

I stared at her for a long second before stepping closer. Kree tried to hold her ground, but I saw the confidence start slipping before I even opened my mouth.

“You ever threaten to take my daughter from me again,” I told her quietly, “the only place anybody gone be taking you is to the morgue.” I stepped closer until there wasn’t enough space between us for her to pretend she didn’t hear me clearly. “Don’t ever let Lennyn’s name come out your mouth as a threat to me again. Don’t tell me I can’t see her, and don’t even think about disappearing with my child. You know me better than that.”

Kree looked like she was scared as hell and was about to pass out. I held her stare as I lowered my voice even more. “I’on play about my kids. So if you ever make me choose between keeping my daughter safe and letting you breathe long enough to keep playing games with her life, you better pray you make the right decision before I have to do that shit for you,” I stated with finality.

All that hot shit she was talking earlier had dissipated as she looked toward Mama, then Lena, but neither one of them said anything. Even Reiana stayed quiet behind me. Kree knew I wasn’t talking just to hear myself speak, and I didn’t need to say anything else to make that shit clear.

“Now leave,” I told her as I stepped back.

Kree opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but nothing came out. She looked toward the front door where Lennyn had appeared sometime during the commotion, then looked back at me.

I followed her line of sight before looking at Kree again. “Lennyn stays.”

For a second, I thought she might argue. Instead, she walked toward her car without another word. She looked at Reiana as she passed, but whatever she saw on Reiana’s face must have reminded her of what had just happened because she kept moving.

I watched Kree get into her car and pull away before I finally exhaled. When I turned around, Reiana was standing a few feet away fixing her shirt and smoothing her hair.

“You feel better now?” I asked with a smirk.

“Hell no. The bitch got off easy,” Reiana replied as she adjusted her shirt again.

“See? That’s what I said,” Lena called out.

“Shut up, Lena… damn,” Mama fussed again.