Morning Squad!
I'm finally finished with my newest baby.
I decided that I will not be promoting a synopsis with this novel. I realize I'm taking a risk by doing this, but I want you guys to take a risk and dive into this story without knowing a thing. I want you all to take a journey with these characters without any knowledge of who they are or what the story will consist of.
This is the cover and when you read the story, you'll understand the concept of the cover. This novel is a standalone with 160,000 words. I truly hope you enjoy this book because I worked extremely hard on it.
Thank you so much for your patience and lets countdown to June, 19th.
Charae
Keece pulled up to Rochelle’s house and killed the engine. He looked in the back seat and noticed that Parker had fallen asleep. Kya was glued to her tablet with her head phones on. Rochelle took Mother’s Day very serious and had summoned all three of her boys to spend time with her. Keece had sent Paris on a girl’s trip with Cam, Aimee, and Asia as a Mother’s Day present. So it had been him and the girls for the entire weekend. He was hoping he could sneak away because he needed to make a run without his kids.
Keece got out and grabbed a sleeping Parker. He then walked around and opened the door for Kya.
“Daddy, I forgot my charger for my tablet,” Kya whined.
That’s the perfect excuse to sneak away.
“A’ight, I’ll go back to the house and get it.”
As soon as he closed the door, he spotted Dinero pulling up. He parked and got out to grab Mila from the back.
“What yo’ ugly-ass looking at?” Dinero shot, approaching Keece.
“Shut the fuck up,” Keece retorted as they walked to the door and he rang the doorbell.
“Aye, Mama don't know it but I'm ‘bout to dip off on her ass. Mila’s ass been terrorizing me the whole weekend and shit,” Dinero fussed.
“Shit, I am too,” Keece laughed. “You a lame-ass father. How you don't know how to handle one child?”
“I don't have the patience like Asia’s ass does. She shitted so bad today and she thought I was about to come in the bathroom and wipe her ass.”
“So what you do?” Keece asked.
“I told her to do that shit herself,” Dinero shot.
Keece cackled loudly, waking up Parker. “Bro, you terrible. You don't need no more kids.”
“I don't want no more either.”
Rochelle answered the door wearing a multi-print maxi dress, furry, house heels and a head wrap.
“Hey sons. Hey granny’s babies,” Rochelle greeted them.
“Mama, where you going with that Kiki Shepard ass dress on?” Dinero asked.
She smacked her lips. “Boy shut the hell up and get in here.”
They all walked inside as Rochelle closed the door behind them. The aroma of cooked food entered Keece’s nostrils as he headed to the kitchen. Kiyan was sitting at the dining room table with Carlos across from him.
Keece put Parker down and watched as the girls ran off to the living room.
“What's up?” Carlos stood to greet them.
Keece and Dinero exchanged handshakes with him and then took a seat at the table. Rochelle came into the room with a big bowl of greens. The smile on her face was infectious and Keece felt bad that he was about to leave.
“Aye, mama threw down,” Kiyan boasted. I'm ‘bout to max the fuck outta this food.”
“I made all of your favorites. We’re going to have a great day today,” she gushed.
Rochelle walked out of the dining room and headed back to the kitchen. Keece looked at Dinero immediately.
“Aye, let’s go,” Keece suggested.
“Where the fuck y’all niggas going?” Kiyan questioned.
“I gotta make a run. I don't know where Dinero’s ass is going.” Keece said.
“I need to go show my face on the block since I've been stuck with Mila all weekend.”
Carlos smirked. “Y’all about to hurt your mama’s feelings.”
“We coming back,” Keece assured and stood.
Dinero stood too and instead of them walking through the kitchen, they decided to walk through the living room, so Rochelle couldn’t see them. Keece approached the door and turned the knob. When the door wouldn’t open, he turned the lock and tried to turn the door knob again.
“What the fuck?” he muttered when the door didn’t open.
“Damn, open the fuckin’ door,” Dinero gritted.
“I'm trying to,” Keece countered. “This bitch won’t open.”
“Man you got all those fucking muscles for nothing. Move out the way,” Dinero scoffed.
“Bitch you ain't ‘bout to do shit,” Keece countered.
Dinero twisted the door but it didn’t bulge. “What the fuck is wrong with this door?”
Keece chuckled. “Now who’s weak?”
Dinero sucked his teeth. “Fuck you. Let’s go out the garage.”
“The garage door is by the kitchen. Mama gon’ see us,” Keece reminded him.
“Where y’all going?” Rochelle asked with a smirk on her face.
Keece and Dinero looked back and advanced toward her.
“Mama, I gotta go get Kya’s charger,” Keece stated.
“And I forgot Mila’s pacifier,” Dinero added.
Rochelle gave him a knowing look. “She’s two and a half years old. She doesn’t suck on a pacifier no more.”
“My bad. I meant to say pull ups,” Dinero lied.
“I don't give a damn what y’all gotta get, you ain't going no damn where today. I locked the double locks on your asses and I'm the only one with a key.”
Keece’s eyes bulged from its sockets. “Mama, why you do that?”
“Because I knew y’all were going to pull that shit because you’ve been stuck with the kids for the weekend. Ain't nobody going nowhere until I say so, now come sit your asses down so we can eat.” She strolled away.
“Mama, you better let me out this fuckin’ house!” Dinero hollered.
“Come sit your ass down!” she yelled back.
Keece’s head fell back in frustration. Rochelle was killing him by trying to keep him hostage all day.
“This is some bullshit,” Dinero groaned, walking off.
Keece followed him back to the dining room where Carlos and Kiyan were laughing.
“What the fuck y’all laughing at?” Dinero fussed. “Carlos get yo’ woman in check.”
Rochelle glared at him “Carlos doesn’t need to put me in check. All I ask is for you to spend the day with me and y’all can’t even do that. I really can’t stand you two right now.”
Keece sighed and took a seat. “I was only going to get Kya charger Mama, damn.”
“I don't wanna hear that shit.”
“I ain't gon’ lie, I was about to go fuck around in the hood,” Dinero said with a shrug.
“Well your ass ain't doing it today,” Rochelle sassed. “I'm done with both of y’all. Don't ask me to cook or babysit no more.”
“Mama, don't do me like that. I'm sorry,” Keece apologized.
“I ain't sorry. Shit Mila been getting on my nerves all weekend. I need some air,” Dinero hissed.
“You need clinical help,” Rochelle spat, taking a seat.
“Man, Carlos, I can’t believe you let her do this to us,” Dinero ranted. “You supposed to be my step nigga and shit.”
Keece laughed. “Bro, what's a step nigga?”
“I don't feel right saying step dad, so I say step nigga,” Dinero explained.
Carlos laughed. “You're really touched man.”
“Nah, yo’ wife touched,” Dinero retorted, glowering at Rochelle.
“And you ain't shit just like your brother over there,” she snapped, referring to Keece.
“They always say that your first kid is the realest one, Mama,” Kiyan gloated. “You can always count on me.”
“Nah, the first kid is the gayest one,” Dinero cracked.
Keece laughed. “Lame-ass nigga.”
“Fuck both of y’all. That’s why y’all stuck in this bitch,” Kiyan snickered.
Dinero pulled his phone and FaceTimed Big. After three rings, his face appeared on the screen.
“Damn you black as fuck,” Dinero joked.
“Shut your stupid ass up,” Big fired back.
“Aye, bro, why my mama got us locked in here like we on a fuckin’ Amistad boat and shit.”
Big chortled. “What? Why she do that?”
“Because they tried to leave me with their kids,” Rochelle chimed in. “I told them I want the full day with my boys. You see how they do me, Big?”
“Yeah, yo’ sons weak as hell for that,” Big instigated. “I wouldn’t do shit else for them niggas.”
Keece smacked his lips. “Big so two faced.”
“Ain't he? Aye where you bout to go?” Dinero asked Big.
“I'm ‘bout to stop by my mama’s house and be a free-ass nigga,” he laughed.
“Fuck you,” Dinero spat hanging up. “Aye, I'm ‘bout to have Case come over so he can get locked in too.”
Kiyan shook his head. “You bogus.”
“So,” Dinero retorted, dialing Case’s number.
“What's up, bro?” Case answered.
“Aye, what you doing?”
“Shit, right now. Why?”
Dinero looked at Keece with a sneaky grin. “Aye, come through my mama’s house. She cooked and shit.”
“Word? I'm on my way.”
Keece attempted to stifle his laugh.
“A’ight.” Dinero hung up and cackled.
“You ain't right for that. Why would you do that to your lil’ brother?” Carlos asked.
“Because as soon as he come through the front door, I'm breaking out this bitch,” Dinero declared.
“And I’ma use the taser Asia bought me for my birthday too. Play if you want to,” Rochelle warned.
“Why would you tase your own son?” Dinero huffed.
“Because I can, now what?”
Dinero shook his head. “I'm getting out this fucking house.”
“Y’all wild,” Keece chuckled.
Keece couldn’t help but laugh at their situation because he was really locked in the house with his family and while the situation wasn’t ideal, he didn’t mind it. He just didn’t want to be trapped around Dinero’s ignorant ass all day. Since he didn’t want to disappoint Rochelle, he decided to suck it up and enjoy his Mother’s Day with his family.
So lets talk about how I sat on this book for months before I submitted it to a publisher. This book broke me out of my three-year writing funk. I had stopped writing after discovering the ugly side of the writing industry. Creating Keece and Paris was very therapeutic for me. I'll admit that I didn't have much confidence because I hadn't penned anything in years, but something inside me told me to try writing again and I'm glad I did.
Keece and Paris started out as a stand-alone. It was basically a one and done book, but after much contemplating, I decided to turn it into a series. What I didn't anticipate was that readers would fall in love with the DeMao Clan. Can you believe ten books were spawned from the Keece and Paris' series? I can't, but I'm glad I took a leap of faith and got back into writing because it's truly a passion of mine.
