Chapter 45

Uvaldo's POV

"I was in a gang. They robbed a bank and killed someone. I was the driver of the getaway car." By the time I was finished speaking, Jakoby was staring at me with her eyes wide open, shocked.

My past wasn't something I was proud of, but as my wife, she had the right to know.

"When I was sixteen one of my classmates introduced me to some guys. He told me they would pay a lot of money to just drive their cars from city to city. I didn't question why they wanted me to drive the cars I just did what they asked because I needed the money. They'd pay me $500 just to drive a car from Harlem to China City. I was earning $5000 a week. That was twice as much as my mom got a month. I saw it as a great opportunity to make our lives better. I had no idea it was a gang until they asked me to drive them to the bank. The case never made it to court, and so we never ended up going away." The Ravens were led by the Giovannis', the biggest mafia family in New York and so it was easy for the evidence against us to disappear. I got off easy because it never got on my record.

"I left the gang after that." I only left it because of how devastated my mother was when she found out what I'd done. When I was free, she begged me never do anything of that sort again, and I promised her I wouldn't. By that time, I had already saved enough to pay for college, so it was easy to give up the lifestyle.

"It never occurred to me that you'd been apart of a gang. You don't seem like the type." Most gang leaders didn't look like they were criminals either.

"I was oblivious to the fact that I was working with a gang. I never socialised with the members. I just did what I was asked, and I got paid." It crossed my mind a few times to investigate the people I was working for, but I didn't want to ruin my chances of securing my future. My only regret being apart of The Ravens was the security guard that was killed in the robbery. His wife was five months pregnant when he died.

Jakoby shrugged, "I'm glad you're no longer apart of that life."

I smiled at her and placed my hand over hers, "This is my life now, and I'm happy with it."

...

I found it challenging to focus on the work in front. I couldn't stop thinking about Jakobia. Last night when we got home, I told her about my biggest regret in life, the killing of the security guard. It haunted me for years to know that I was apart of a crime that took a boy's father away from him. Especially since I knew how it felt to grow up without one. The child was now eleven, and his mother never remarried.

Jakoby didn't judge me. Instead, she wrapped her hands around me and comforted me. It was exactly what I needed. Sometimes I worry that the cops would start digging for old Ravens cases and they would come after me. To prevent that, I had to do small chores for the Ravens now and again. I'll always be in their debt no matter how powerful and rich I became because the Giovannis' would still be ten times richer and powerful.

Jakoby kissed all the worries out of my mind. She made me forget about all my problems in seconds.

God, I love her!

I love her smile, her laugh, her scent, her body. I love everything about her. I loved her since the moment I laid my eyes on her.

Something inside me said, 'Protect her.'

I'm so glad the hoodlums let her go that night, and I'm glad she remembered my offer.

She's made me so happy. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life loving and protecting her.

I looked down at my watch and sighed. I wanted to go home and spend time with my beautiful wife and daughter, but it was only a few minutes after two, and I still had plenty of work to catch up on.

I rubbed my temples and looked at the desktop. Kent Tech was drowning in debt, and they wanted me to save them before they are declared bankrupt by the bank. Investing in their business wouldn't do me any good. The owner Ricardo Kent had made some bad personal choices. He had gotten his underaged mistress pregnant and denied being the father.

I deleted the email.

I can't help a man who denies his role as a father.

I moved onto the next email and started reading it silently.

The phone on my desk rang so I picked it up. "I'm sorry. I tried calling Scott, but I couldn't get him."

I frowned. What is she talking about? "

"Gizelle, I'm lost. What are you...?" before I finished my sentence, my office door was pushed open.

"Well, well, well," William said, looking around the office. "It's a nice place you've got here." He was wearing dark jeans and a striped Tshirt, exactly what is expected of someone his age.

"Thanks, Gizelle." I placed the receiver down and looked at the younger man. "What do you want William?"

"So you have your mother-in-law working for you. Are you banging her too?" he chuckled.

I took a deep breath and looked at him, "What's the reason for your visit?"

"The DNA test came this morning. The child isn't mine. I doubt she's yours either. I'm just here to tell you to get a DNA test done. Jakoby is whore. She probably tried to pin her child on every guy she ever slept with. You're just the silly one who actually believed her. "

"Are you done?" I hated men who feel the need to tarnish a woman's reputation after their feeling are hurt.

Get over yourself!

He took a seat in the armchair in front of me. "I don't get it. I honestly don't get it. You're a handsome dude. You have a few billion in your bank. Why are you playing Batman to two bitches? I don't get it."

I stood from my seat and walked over to where he was sitting. The DNA test was done. Jakobia and I won. I didn't need to sit down and listen to him, slander my wife and her mother's name. I grabbed the collar of his T-shirt with one hand and punched him with the next. He pulled away from me and stood up.

"The last time you caught me by surprise, but now I'm ready." He went in for a punch, but I dodged it and used the opportunity to punch him in the stomach.

He groaned and held his stomach. He took a deep breath, then looked at me with anger. He ran towards me, but I moved, causing him to run into the wall. He fell on the ground and groan.

"Get up!" I shouted. "You want to act like a big man then get up and act like one."

He used his elbow to lift himself off the ground. "She's not worth it!" he shouted. "She isn't special. She's a whore!"

This time I ran up to him and pushed him on the wall. I was currently punching him until I started seeing blood. He spat the blood on the ground and smile.

"You're not gonna get away this time." his bloody smile was evil.

I laughed, "Get away?" I walked over to him and looked down at him, "You're on my turf. No court would believe I did this without reason. After all, you're the one who came barging in my office. As far as I can see, this is self-defence."

"I'll kill you!" he spat.

"Do you mean have your thugs beat me up as you did to Mr. Munro? They'd have to try and get to me first." I didn't have enemies, and so I didn't need the protection of any kind, but William was pressing a button. Even though I was no longer apart of the Ravens, I know they would protect me, I only had to ask.

"It was easy for me to come up."

"Of course, it was. I have a gun in the top right drawer of my desk. If I wanted to use it. I would. You are no match for me, and you never will be." A year and a half ago when I officially became a Billionaire, Kevin suggested I get a gun to protect myself from thieves. I got my license, and I bought one. It's been in the drawer ever since.

He pressed his hands to his bleeding nose, "You broke my nose, you bastard!"

"I could break a few other things too, but I'm not in the mood to fight a child." I never had a father to teach me how to fight when growing up, so I had to introduce myself.

Gizelle and Scott entered the office and looked at me.

"Are you okay?" Gizelle asked with concern.

I nod, "I'm fine." I looked at Scott, "Get security." Scott turned and left the office.

"William, why don't you just give up?" Gizelle asked. "You're not going to win the battle."

He slowly stood up from the ground, "Oh, I give up. I give up, alright." he slowly limped his way out the office murmuring to himself.

I looked at my mother-in-law, "Gizelle, please don't mention any of this to Jakoby. I don't want her worrying."

"Okay, I won't."