Perfect Lover (Perfect Rhythm #2)

Chapter 1

SKYE

Being tied to a chair in the middle of someone’s living room wasn’t how I pictured my night ending.

I darted my eyes around the room, glaring at the amount of ego that was on display in every corner. Oversized self-portraits, undeserving awards, and flashy furniture. It was sickening. But for the man standing in front of me, I expected nothing less.

“So, what’s good? Are you taking my boy back, or what?”

Sucking my teeth, I stared at Enzo like he had a third ball sack growing from his forehead.

“Do I look dumb to you? Why the hell would I take that fool back after trying to beat my ass and kidnapping me?”

He slid the blunt from his lips and sat down in one of the chairs in front of me. “Damn, you’re feisty. I can see why Mecca’s crazy about you.”

“Untie me, and I’ll show you just how feisty I can get.”

He laughed, making me wish my hands were around his neck instead of behind my back.

The fear of being blindfolded and yanked from my apartment was long gone.

The only thing I felt now was disgust, and it intensified every time Enzo looked at me.

Nothing about the way his gaze slid over my brown skin felt dangerous.

Instead, it felt dirty and lustful. And he was the last person I wanted to see that shit from.

His eyes dipped to my glossy lips, then drifted to my loose hair falling over my shoulders.

“I’ll untie you when my boy gets here and y’all talk. He misses you, and he’s sorry as hell for everything that went down.”

“Is that what he told you?”

“In so many words, yeah.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate, because I don’t give a damn how sorry he is. I don’t want his ass.”

“You’re too pretty to act like that.”

“Nigga, fuck you!”

He smirked. “If my boy didn’t want you so bad, trust me, I would.”

I jerked my head back.

The audacity.

“Look, I’m sure you two can work this thing out. Don’t let that baby shit get to you. He don’t want that bitch.”

I frowned, my stomach twisting.

That blunt had to be laced with crack.

“Yo, Enzo,” Mecca called out as he stepped into the living room. “How you going to blow up my phone nonstop, then not answer when I call your ass back?”

Grinning, Enzo spun around. “Hey, fool, I got a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

“Yep.” Enzo slid to the side.

As soon as Mecca’s gaze landed on me, his eyes widened. “What the hell?”

“Well, you said you wanted to get her alone so y’all could talk. Here she is.”

The shock didn’t leave Mecca’s face, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t look high or drunk.

“The fuck? This ain’t cool. After the club shit, I thought we decided this was dead.”

“Dead for who?”

“All of us. Shit, Shade damn near beat the brakes off your ass and Trace almost put a bullet in your head. I don’t know about you, but that was a wake-up call for me.”

“Yeah, well, I ain’t on none of that wake-up shit. If those other niggas wouldn’t have started shooting, I would’ve handled Shade. He got off easy.”

I tried not to laugh.

Enzo seemed big and scary, but only because he was loud and walked around with niggas that toted guns. On his own, he was all bark and no bite.

Shade, on the other hand, never barked. Biting was his specialty.

“Yeah, okay,” Mecca said. “If that’s what helps you sleep at night, then cool. But I’m not messing around. I’m done getting mixed up in a bunch of bullshit. That’s why I stopped smoking. I don’t want—”

I scoffed. “What the fuck ever.”

“I’m serious. I haven’t had anything since that night.”

“Mmhmm. That all sounds good. But I know you, Mecca. You can barely function without being high or drunk. You told me that yourself.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know. But look where that’s got me. I got another bitch pregnant, lost the woman I love, and damn near died over some bullshit.”

I lifted my eyes to the ceiling, refusing to buy his sob story. Mecca was a master manipulator, and I’d allowed him to run his game on me for years. But not this time.

“Cut the shit, Mecca. I know you put Enzo up to this.”

He stepped closer. “Skye, baby, I swear I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Don’t call me baby.”

He lifted his hands. “My bad. But for real, I didn’t plan this shit.”

“Well, I guess I’ll leave you two alone,” Enzo cut in. “I’ve got some other things to take care of.” He slapped Mecca on the chest. “Hey, make sure you lock up when you leave. Oh, and if you guys decide to fuck it out, just don’t go to the basement. That’s for other shit. She ain’t ready for that.”

I scrunched my nose. I didn’t know what made me want to throw up more, the fact that Enzo thought I would actually open my legs for Mecca again, or the thought of what he had lurking down in that basement.

I quivered.

As soon as Enzo left, silence filled the room.

Mecca stood in front of me, his eyes glued to his phone.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came through the speaker. “Yo, Enzo, this is Shade. Answer the fucking phone. If you have Skye—”

“Hey, give me that shit,” Ocean said in the background. “Aye, nigga, I hope your bitch ass updated your life insurance policy, because that’s the only way your kid is going to know you fucking existed. I swear on my life—”

The line went dead, and Mecca started pacing.

“Fuckkkkk!”

A smile spread across my face.

I knew Ocean was crazy. But it was the kind of crazy that made my insides tingle and my panties wet.

“You good?” I asked, a smirk still dancing at the corner of my lips.

“No, I’m not fucking good. Did you hear that shit? I’m about to get killed over something I had nothing to do with.”

“I’m sure you can just explain what happened. Ocean will understand.”

I was lying through my teeth. I knew Ocean would never understand.

“Are you crazy? Ocean isn’t the type you can really explain things to. That fool pistol-whips niggas for fun.” I laughed, and Mecca quickly frowned. “You’re laughing, but I’m deadass serious. He’s all about that torture shit, and he knows how to make things look like an accident.”

“Well, if you felt that way, then why did you attack me after you saw me with him?”

“Because I was too high to think straight. But sober me knows better. I’m not fucking with that nigga on any level.

” He slid his hand down his face, the fear in his eyes stronger than any alcohol I’d ever witnessed.

“Look, I swear to you, if you tell him you never saw me here and this was all Enzo, I’ll let you go right now. ”

Damn, this fool is really scared.

“I’m going to need more than that.”

“Whatever you need, I got you. Just say the word.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Honestly, I only need one thing from you.”

“Okay. Name it.”

“After tonight, I need you to never, and I do mean never, come near me again. I want you to forget that we ever existed.”

He paused, and I knew why. That last part wasn’t something he was quite ready to agree to.

Aside from his toxic need to play in my face and fuck around with other women, Mecca and I had something good. So good that I just knew we would be married with children one day. I was willing to do anything for him, and he knew that.

“Alright. Done.”

“Great. Now, untie me and take me home.”

“You sure that’s a good idea? People might be there. I can’t be seen—”

“Fine, take me to Nyx’s apartment. I’ll call and let her know I’m coming—”

“No. If you call her, she’s going to tell Shade, and we already know what’s going to happen after that.”

I tilted my head. “Damn, you’re really scared, huh?”

Sucking his teeth, he walked behind the chair and worked at the knots to untie me. “Where else can I take you?”

“Relax, I won’t call Nyx. I’ll just use her spare key to get in.”

“Okay, cool.” He tossed the rope across the room. “Yo, I’m really sorry about all of this.”

“Mmhmm.”

I stood up and took in the dark bruises on my wrists.

Enzo was done, and I couldn’t wait to see it. His bitch ass deserved everything he had coming to him.