Trife Life To Lavish Part 2 Genesis & Genevieve...Am I My Brother's Keeper (16 page)

"I'm doing everything to keep you alive, now you
telling me to worry about keeping somebody I don't even
know alive too. Nichelle, I understand you want to find
your brother but I don't know what more I can do."

"Help me find my brother. He needs to know that
Arnez is out to destroy him and trying to use me to do it."

"Nichelle, this isn't some random beef. Your brother
and my cousin were both in love with the same woman.
Genesis is well aware he is on Arnez's hit list as I'm sure my
cousin is on his list too."

"My mother dying and my best friend are all over a
woman?"

"Yes. Remember when we had dinner at Arnez's house
and you commented on the woman in the picture?"

"Of course, I couldn't believe how much she looked
like my mother."

"That's her, Talisa."

"Talisa," Nichelle repeated her name as if it helped
her to process everything Renny had told her. "So which
one of them is she with?"

"Neither, she's dead."

"What! She's dead too. This is crazy! You seem to
know a lot about my brother's life, so where is he?"

"Nichelle, I don't know. This information is all from
casual conversation with Arnez. I can't dig too deep because
I don't want him to get suspicious. He don't have a clue that
I know you and Genesis are related. He left Tierra dead and
he knew we broke up and I told him we haven't had any
contact. So asking questions about you and your brother
would only raise red flags."

"So how long am I going to have to watch my back?"

"Hopefully not that much longer. Like I said, I'm
working on it. It's good you have that bodyguard and I have
some people keeping a watchful eye on you too. We just
have to be extra cautious."

Nichelle sat down on the bed as if defeated. A lot of
her questions had been answered but now a whole slew of
other issues presented themselves and she had no idea how
to resolve them. But with all the disarray Nichelle was more
determined than ever to find Genesis. The more Renny
told her, the closer she felt to her brother and that sooner
or later they would cross paths.

"Precious, thank you for coming," Quentin said,
standing up and pulling out her seat. When Quentin invited
Precious for lunch he wasn't sure she would accept and it
turned out to be a pleasant surprise when she did.

"When I told you I wanted to try and have a relationship
with you, I meant it."

"Showing up today has made me a believer and again,
I thank you."

"Would you stop, you sound like I'm doing you a favor
or something."

"Maybe because that's how I feel."

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked, catching
them off guard. Quentin and Precious had quickly become
engaged in what each other had to say. Food was now an
afterthought.

"I need a few more minutes but you can bring me
some water with lemon."

"And you, sir?"

"The same but no lemon." Quentin then turned his
attention back to his daughter. "Like I was saying, part of
me does feel like you're doing me a favor."

"Why is that?"

"Because you're allowing me to connect with you
and make up for all the time we lost. That's healing to
me. You could've very well turned your back on me and
not allowed me that opportunity."

Well then you're doing me a favor too because deep
down inside I always wanted a father. I tried to pretend that I
didn't care either way but I was lying to myself."

"I think this will be a healing process for both of us."

"I hope so, because as I get older I'm realizing more
and more that healing is good for the soul."

Quentin smiled at Precious feeling as if they were
already beginning to make inroads "That makes me so
proud to hear, Precious. It's wonderful to know you're at
that place in your life because there is one other person you
need to begin the healing process with."

"Who would that be?" Precious inquired, completely
baffled as to who he could be speaking of.

"Your sister-Maya."

"That heffa is not my sister!"

"Precious, keep your voice down," Quentin recommended, noticing several patrons turn their head in their direction because of how loud and bold Precious voice was,
when making her statement.

"Don't tell me to keep my voice down! I'll be damned if
I'm going to talk low when it comes to that menace."

"Weren't you just speaking about being in a different
place in your life and healing being good for the soul? I
know your feelings couldn't have changed in less than thirty
seconds."

"When it comes to Maya my feelings will never change.
That chick is a bad seed... point blank. She not even worth
any airtime. Maya is lucky to be alive because I was this close
to killing her ass," Precious made clear, making a small space
between her thumb and index finger.

"Deep down there is a reason you didn't kill Maya.
And it's because you didn't want to have the blood of your
sister on your hands."

"No, it's because I didn't want to rot in jail behind fuckin' up that triflin' ho! I had a daughter to raise and a
husband to go home to. I wasn't about to throw all that
away to get momentary pleasure out of killing Maya. That's
why I didn't slit that heffa's throat... end of story. So don't
turn this into some long lost sister's reunite."

"That's not what I'm trying to do."

"That's what it sounds like to me."

"The fact is, whether you want to accept it or not,
Maya is your sister. You need to get some sort of closure."

"I got all the closure I needed when she was found
guilty and they sent her psycho ass to jail."

Quentin shook his head in frustration. "All I'm asking
is you have a conversation with Maya."

"A conversation about what? Why she fucked my
husband? Why she orchestrated the kidnapping of my
child and your granddaughter? Oh, and let's not forget, why
she left me for dead after kidnapping me too and making
my husband believe I left him to be with Nico. Is that
the conversation you want me to have with that crazy bat
because if so I'll pass."

"I'm not excusing Maya's actions but a lot of what she
did was because she was being manipulated by Mike."

"Is that the line she's running with. . .let me blame it
on my dead brother who can't defend himself. Mike was
no saint and if I hadn't witnessed the mayhem first hand
I might even fall for that bullshit Maya is feeding you. But
see I was there, and I know who the ringleader was and it
wasn't Mike, it was Maya."

"Precious, I know those are the facts as you see them
and I'm not going to try and change your mind."

"Wise decision."

"But both of you are my daughters and I missed out
on being a part of your lives. I feel a lot of responsibility in
how Maya turned out, because unlike you I did know she
was my daughter and I should've played an active role in
her life. Maybe if I had, she wouldn't be in the predicament
she is in now"

"Wow, that scheming ass heffa has really done a
number on you," Precious said, shaking her head.

"Precious, please, just listen."

"I'm listening," Precious said, as she simultaneously
rolled her eyes and turned her head away.

"You won't understand the burden I'm carrying until
you watch your own daughter grow up and deal with her
issues.

"Are you comparing Aaliyah to Maya?"

"No, what I'm saying is, as a parent you feel responsible, whether good or bad, for the impact your child makes
in their life. Maya has clearly made a very bad impact and
as her father I feel a great deal of responsibility. We both
pray that you never have to deal with major hardships with
Aaliyah, but as a parent you never know what you'll endure.
The only thing that's for certain is that you'll never give up
on your child so I have to be there for Maya."

"Yeah, maybe so but I don't. She's your daughter, not
mine.

"But you're my daughter and I'm asking as your father, to please go visit Maya in jail. Just have one conversation with your sister."

"Is it really that important to you?"

"Yes, it is. I don't believe either one of you will truly
be able to move forward in your life if you don't do this."

"Quentin, you have to promise me that if I do what
you ask, and go see Maya you will never ask me to do it
again. This will be the one and only time."

"I promise but I ask you go see her with an open
mind and open heart. After you all talk if you still have no
desire to start fresh and begin building a relationship with
your sister I won't pressure you to do so."

"Fine, I'll go see Maya. But remember the promise
you made me because after I see her, I'm done."

For the next week, Arnez spent all his time wining, dining
and fucking Veronica. With the constant pipe he was laying,
she had become completely dick whipped. Then for an
added bonus Arnez showered her with pricey gifts, which
made Veronica believe she had found the perfect man. She
wasn't comprehending it was all a set up in order for him
to get complete control over her mind, which she seemed
more than willing to let happen.

"You're the kind of man I've been waiting for my
entire life," Veronica revealed as she laid up with Arnez
on a dreary Saturday afternoon. With the sound of the
rain pouring down and the warmth of Arnez's strong arms
wrapped around her naked body, it gave Veronica the false
impression that they were a legitimate couple. She basked
in the phony romantic aura Arnez had tossed on her.

"And you're the type of woman I've always dreamed
of making my wife." Veronica's ears perked up and both
eyebrows rose. That was the last thing she expected for Arnez to say. She had dallied with her fair share of street
dudes and none of them had ever mentioned making her
their wife, even the relationships that lasted for an extended
period of time. She always assumed that none of them
wanted to get tied down to a career woman like her. They
like to play but after awhile they grew bored and it was on
to the next one.