Tama laughed then. “You’re fucking crazy.”
The other men laughed too as Twitch watched on, and Lenka’s eyes widened as she screeched, “You weren’t there!” My sister fell to her knees and wailed like a wounded animal, holding her throat. She wept out, “You weren’t there.” No one was laughing anymore. Lenka closed her eyes and her voice was weak. “I found her hanging by pink floral sheets. The sheets of a thirteen-year-old. A thirteen-year-old who found out she was pregnant and felt she couldn’t come to us.” Lenka’s eyes leaked as she blinked at Tama, her emotional state frail. “He did that to her.”
Tama shook his head.
And we were done here. “C’mon.” I helped my sister up and walked her towards the entrance, towards Twitch.
Towards freedom.
When I had Lenka safely stowed away in the passenger seat of my car, I strode over to the men, making sure to keep my distance as I slowly pulled out a Glock and pointed it at Tama’s head. My tone was low. “I loved you. At one point, I would have done anything for you. But when I brought up my concerns about Uri, you brushed them off.” I lowered the gun, holding it at my side. “You let me down. You let Keisha down.” I stepped backwards. “Her death is on you, Chief.”
When he watched me carefully, his gaze suddenly unsure, I muttered, “A sister for a brother?” I looked him up and down, lowering my weapon. “You got it. Consider my debt paid.”
I accidentally took a step back too far and ran right into Twitch. He stood at my back, putting his arm around my shoulders, and I allowed it.
The words he spoke were overwhelming.
His voice was low, rough. “I think you fuckers need to let it be known that Molly is under my protection.” His tone was deadly. “Far as y’all are concerned, she’s my adopted daughter. She’s family. You come for her—you come for me and all of mine.” The arm tightened around my shoulders, holding me still, and I hadn’t realized I was shaking until then. “Spread the word.”
My anger got the best of me.
Panting, I lifted my gun and unloaded the clip, the echoes of gunshots reverberated around us, and when the sound faded to nothing, Twitch spoke from behind me. “Nice shooting.”
“What are you talking about?” I slipped out of his hold and turned back to look at the bullet holes surrounding Tama and his men, leaving them completely untouched and looking irritated as hell.
As I walked back to my car, I uttered a cold, “I missed.”
Chapter
TwentySeven
Twitch I stepped out of the car and walked over to Molly.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“No,” she muttered, sulking.
I paused to look at the other woman in the car and didn’t want her in the house. She looked unstable. Didn’t want that shit around my son. So I pulled out my keys and handed them to Molly. “Take her to my place. Clean her up. Let her sleep it off,” I spoke with caution. “But tomorrow, she’s gone.”
Molly looked back at her sister a long moment before she nodded subtly. I knew she got what I was selling.
She might be your sister, but we’re your family now.
They walked across the street, and when I saw them close the door behind them, my watchful gaze scanned the empty street. When I was sure they were safe, I made my way inside, and the second I got in, both Happy and Lexi stood. I put my hands up. “She’s fine.”
Lexi’s entire body drooped with relief before she straightened and used her momma voice. “What was she thinking?”
I unzipped my hoodie and shrugged it off, throwing it onto the sofa. “She loves him.” Once, I would have mocked her for that. Today, I got it. “You do stupid things for people you love. Anything to make ‘em happy.”
Happy grunted out a laugh. “Ain’t that the truth?”
I strode over to the man, arm extended, and when I got close enough, he put his hand in mine and reeled it in, slapping me on the back at the very same time my hand connected with his. “Owe ya.”
Happy laughed. “I know.” When he pulled back, he grinned. “I got a tally going.” He held his arms out to Lexi and she went to him, hugging him tightly, and then he was gone.
My angel stood, watching me carefully before she took a step forward, holding out her hand. “Come here. Talk to me.”
Well, shit. That didn’t sound good.
Every time we talked these days, we ended up arguing. I didn’t want to argue. I wanted to go to bed with my woman and sleep breathing in the sweet vanilla scent of her thick hair.
But Lexi wanted to talk, so we’d talk.
Making my way over, I ignored her hand and stepped closer, putting my hands on her hips and bringing her into me. “I can think of so many better activities to be doing than talking,” I whispered huskily.
And although she looked thoroughly affected, her lips parted, but she shook her head.
My lips thinned. “Okay, baby.” I sighed. “What do you wanna talk about?”
***
Lexi I looked up at him and felt my heart short circuit.
Shit. He should not have affected me the way he did. Not after all this time.
I loved the way he looked at me. I never knew how he was going to use that mouth. Would he simply talk to me, or devour me whole?
Honestly, I was fine with both options.
When I licked my lips, his watchful gaze landed on them. His hooded stare made my heart beat faster.
He looked at me as though his cock was already inside me, and strangely enough, I felt it.
Clearing my throat, I tugged him toward the sofa, and when I sat, I was pleasantly surprised when he lay back across the length of it, with his head in my lap.
It made my heart warm to see him using me as he needed. He’d always been so full of pride. Six years ago, he would have never allowed himself to be put in a position of weakness. And he gave that to me.
I must’ve watched him a second too long because when he reached up and gently rubbed the center of my brows, he made a sound in his throat, and then muttered, “No frowning.” His own brows furrowed. “Nope. Don’t like that.”
The last couple days had me noticing I was falling back into Twitch too hard, too fast, and the last time I did that, I got my heart broken. So we needed to talk.
I took in a deep breath, and started with a quiet, “I have concerns.”
The second I said it, I felt his body stiffen. He spoke cautiously, “What kind of concerns?”
“The kind of concerns that make you question whether you’re making the right decisions for yourself.” My heart was racing, when I added, “For your son.”
At that, he sat up and looked straight ahead a long moment before he took in a deep breath and spoke on an exhale, his tone rough, “What is this?”
My voice trembled. “I need to let you know that even if we can’t be together in the end”—God, it hurt—“I’m happy that you were a part of my life.”
At that, he put his hands to my shoulders, squeezing. He closed his eyes a second before he looked into my eyes, his eyes wide. “Are you—” I felt his hands shake against my skin. “Are you asking me to leave?”
Oh.
I frowned to myself.
I could see how he thought that.
“No,” I spoke softly. “No.” I reached up and took his hands in mine, and when I looked him deep in the eye and uttered, “I’m giving you an out,” his entire body went lax and he started to breathe again.
But I didn’t expect the reaction I got.
I expected understanding. I expected his appreciation. I did not expect raw fury.
He spoke through gritted teeth, pulling away from me, and I felt the loss on a personal level. “If you want in, be in. All in. But I’m sick of this shit, no bullshit.” Those soft brown eyes were suddenly hard. “I know you want me as much as I want you, so why the fuck aren’t you with me?” He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “You’re my fucking religion, Lexi.” When his eyes snapped open, they pled with me, but his voice was uncharacteristically quiet. “Let me worship you.”