Arnessa understood exactly where he was coming from, and she lowered her eyes, nodding in agreement.

Butta looked down at his ringing cell phone. “I gotta get out of here—Mannie’s downstairs. What you doing today?”

“I’m going out with Kisa to check on some projects and new properties.”

“Aight, I plan on coming in early so we can hang out.” Butta leaned down and gave her a kiss, “I love you.”

Arnessa held his face in the palms of her hands and just stared at his face for a moment. He was so perfect to her. She didn’t want to let him go. She gave him another kiss, then pressed her cheek against his. “Butta, I love you so much.”

He responded, “I love you more than you know.”

“Where’s Shawn?” Butta questioned as he climbed into Mannie’s Tahoe.

“He said he’s going to meet us at Nichelle’s. I think he was laid up with that jump-off.”

“He is so wack for this shit.”

When they arrived outside Nichelle’s tenement building, Mannie asked Butta, “You want me to come up with you?”

Giving it a little thought, Butta replied, “Nah, it shouldn’t take me but like twenty minutes to clean out the safes.”

“Hit me when you ready, I’ma go around the block and check on Dee and my daughter. I haven’t seen them in two or three days.”

“Mannie, get right back, yo. I’m trying to get my shit and leave. I’m not trying hear this bitch up in here breaking.” He grabbed two empty duffel bags and exited the vehicle.

“I got you, my dude.” Mannie assured Butta as he pulled away from the curb.

As soon as Mannie walked through the door of his daughter’s mother’s apartment, she went nuts. “You come for your shit, I hope, Mannie,” she said in her heavy Panamanian accent.

“I didn’t come home to hear ya mouth, Dee.”

“Dis not ya home, Mannie. You neva here,” she said as she grabbed a trash bag of his clothes and tossed it in his face.

Dee’s performance had Mannie wishing that he hadn’t stopped by. Although she was a small size six, Dee was a fireball. Mannie grabbed her before she could toss another bag at him. “Chill out, yo.” He squeezed her arm. “Dee, chill before I kick the fuck out your little ass.” Once Dee relaxed, Mannie began trying to make her understand why he was away so much. A conversation familiar for both.

“Baby, you know it’s a lot going down right now. I’m in the gutta trying to keep food on the table to feed you and our baby. I could come through the crib more often, but when you be spazzin’ on me like this … it make me not even wanna come by.”

“But, Mannie, we neva see you anymore.”

“It’s not going to be like that much longer Dee, I promise. Where my little girl at?”

“In her crib sleeping.”

Mannie went down the hall to his daughter’s pink nursery. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Mannie was still amazed at how much his six-month-old daughter looked like Dee. She was the only thing that could make the killer in him fade away. Looking down at his daughter, he decided he wanted to be home. He looked over at Dee, who was standing in the doorway. “You got some of that fish I like?”