Chapter 8
EIGHT
Saniya.
“All over and through me, he’s a part of me now. Connected, mind, body, and soul, his presence is loud…”
“Sis, I need you to pull some strings to get me front row at Leijah’s concert when she comes to Diamond Falls.”
“How the hell do you expect me to do that?”
“Shit, I don’t know, just do your thing.” She lifted her hand and made a motion with her fingers like she was sprinkling something while she continued belting out lyrics to “Deeply Rooted”. The song was nasty as hell but also a play on words so it depended on how you perceived it. My sister Sameena swore that since Bleu wrote the lyrics, it was a dedication to how deep her feelings were for her new man Ezren, but that wasn’t it. I was at the listening party and saw the looks and smug smiles of Ezren and Bleu. The lyrics were about them fucking.
“I don’t have any pull for front row seats to her concert, or hell, any seats for that matter.”
I pulled into a spot right in front of Shay Belle’s and I swore my mouth watered. As soon as my sister showed up at my place and dragged me out the door, promising to buy me breakfast because she didn’t want to eat alone, I could already taste the sausage stuffed pancakes and maple syrup. They were one of the specialties but everything at Shay Belle’s was the absolute best.
“Sis, you have pull with everything. Even the stuff you don’t think you have pull with. No pressure or anything, but if you don’t get me free tickets, I might be disowning you. And what in the world would your life look like after leaving the best sister in the world.”
I choked on a laugh. “Bitch…you think blackmailing me is being the best sister in the world?”
I swung my head in her direction and she smiled brightly, causing me to roll my eyes. “Of course you do.”
“Good. Now that we have the matter settled, let’s eat.” She blew me an air kiss, yanked the handle, and pushed the door open. I followed and got out, meeting her in front of my car where she looped her arm through mine and we moved to the diner. It was just after nine and there was still a heavy chill in the air, so the leggings and lightweight hoodie I was wearing did very little to keep me warm. Since Sameena rushed me out the house, all I’d managed to do was brush my teeth, wash my face, and yank a skully on my head to hide my bed head.
Please don’t let me see anyone important.
“Grab a booth, I’m going to head to the bathroom.”
“Girl, you and that pea-sized bladder. We just left your house.”
I shoved my sister in the shoulder with enough force to make her stumble. “Fuck you. I didn’t go before we left since you damn near dragged me out the house.”
I was already heading to the back.
“I didn’t drag you. I offered to pay and you ran out the door.”
I grinned over my shoulder. “Because you never pay.”
As soon as I turned around, my eyes met with a dark and angry pair shooting heat rays at me. Outside I felt the chill, but in here, with his angry glare burning through me, my clothes felt too tight on my skin and so fucking hot.
This man was so intense I could feel the weight of him even as I passed the booth he occupied. I picked up my pace and grabbed the handle to enter the bathroom, growing anxious because I was so damn intrigued by Grand and had no idea why.
I rolled my eyes as I entered the stall. I knew exactly why. He was sexy as hell, mysterious, and troubled. I was drawn to trouble. My past boyfriends were all proof. Javen, who was currently serving five years for assault with a deadly weapon, Troy, who sold more drugs than a pharmacy, and my most recent break up a year ago, Neshawn, who I left because he almost got us both arrested because he was riding dirty with stolen assault rifles in his trunk. Two days after that near miss, he got arrested while we were together at a club and I decided I needed a break from dating until I could make better choices. I was currently still single because…
You like living on the edge, Saniya.
I groaned, wiped, and flushed. My thighs burned from squatting because I was still sore from the spin class my sister made me go to a few days prior. While I washed my hands, I moved through every reason in the world I needed to walk right past that booth but knew I wouldn’t. The way I scrutinized myself for not taking the time to be more presentable was a sure sign that I was definitely going to push my luck with a guy who clearly warned me to stay away from him.
I shouldered through the bathroom door, not wanting to touch the handle, and glanced across the diner, noticing Sameena was grinning with her face buried in her phone. As soon as I reached his booth, I slid into the space across from Grand and was nailed with a narrowed, angry stare. He didn’t speak, just glared at me like I was the devil incarnate. I plastered on a smile and reached for a slice of bacon on a saucer near his plate.
His eyes lowered to the spot where his bacon had been, then lifted to my mouth where half the piece disappeared. I chewed slowly until those dark abysses were fastened to my eyes.
“Good morning.”
“You don’t fucking listen,” he grumbled in the sexiest, deep, rough tone that danced across my skin and settled between my thighs.
“My listening is selective.”
He grunted and placed both arms on the table, caging in the plate of food. He had a full stack of pancakes, eggs, and hash browns. Enough for two people, but it was piled on one plate.
“Sounds a lot like writing a check your ass can’t cash.”
My smile expanded as I finished the last of the bacon and reached for another piece but the look he delivered had my hand freezing mid-air before I pulled it back.
“Not much of a morning person I see.”
“What do you want, Saniya?”
Oh fuck, hearing him say my name was a torturous kind of sexy.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I had not one damn clue of why I was so enthralled by this man. I was attracted to him but it was impossible not to be. He was fucking sexy, but it wasn’t his looks. Something about Grand intrigued me. He was a puzzle I wanted to solve. There were secrets deeply embedded in this man’s soul and he was protecting them for dear life. I wanted those secrets.
He remained silent, but I was stubborn, one of the qualities that made me so successful as a photographer. I’d learned the unique ability of persistence early in my career. If you pushed hard enough, no wasn’t an option.
“Are you fighting tonight?”
His eyes darkened. “No.”
He was most definitely fighting and I was going to be there to watch.
“You’re lying.”
His brows slammed in and I added, “One of my superpowers is reading people and you’re an easy read. You’re fighting. I guess that means I have plans.”
I slid to the end of the booth and stood, snagging another piece of bacon before saying, “Maybe you’ll be in a better mood.”
I decided to walk away and not press my luck, but his voice had me swinging my eyes over my shoulder before I managed my first step.
“This is my second warning. You won’t get a third. You might want to think about that before you cross a line you have no business crossing.”
The way those dark eyes confirmed what I already knew, he was just as curious about me as I was about him. He also knew I was going to be there tonight and I had a feeling he was counting on it.
With quick steps I made my way to the booth where Sameena was sitting. She locked her phone and picked up the menu. “Damn girl, what were you in there doing, making room for what you’re about to order?”
I laughed and snatched the menu from her hands. “Fuck you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a movement and followed Grand as he made his way past us and out the door.
“That’s a walking red flag, sis. Don’t even think about it.” My eyes snapped across the table to my sister’s to find her staring at me with a smug grin when she added, “But he’s fine as shit though.”
“Very fine and very much a red flag,” I countered with a smile just as the server approached our booth to take our orders. My sister managed to distract me long enough to push thoughts of Grand out of my mind…temporarily.
“I have a date tonight.”
“With Clue?” I arched a brow and she rolled her eyes.
“Girl, no. Fuck him.”
My sister and I were alike in a lot of ways, especially with our proclivities for ain’t shit men, which was insane because we were raised by a man who treated us like we deserved to have the world laid at our feet. Our father was the blueprint for how a man should treat the women in his life, yet my sister and I always seemed to end up with the fine ass toxicity nightmares were made of. She and Clue had been on-again, off-again for the past four years and nothing about them made sense. They fucked hard but fought harder. That was the sum total of their relationship but neither of them was willing to completely let go.
“Fuck him is the point. You’re still fucking him, which means this new guy, whoever he is, is about to be caught in the middle of y’all’s shit.”
She rolled her eyes again and flashed a smile. “There is no us, which means there is no our shit. Clue has a new hoe.”
Ahh, so now it made sense.
“And you’re trying to prove a point.”
“No I’m not. I haven’t seen or talked to him in a month. I’m not about to keep wasting my time with his stupid ass.”
“Meen, we both know you’re full of shit. As soon as he sees you with this guy—and Clue will see you, because I know how you get down—you’ll have him all over your story to piss him off. Then that crazy ass man is going to be pulling up on you.”
She only shrugged and I shook my head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And when shit goes left, don’t call me to come save your ass. I have plans tonight.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not gonna be all that. He’s living his life and I’m living mine.” Our food arriving paused the conversation, but as soon as our plates were in front of us and we were alone again, Sameena and I said a quick prayer and dug into our food.
“What plans do you have?”
Shit. I didn’t want my sister knowing what I was up to because illegal fighting was right up her alley. She would likely try to cancel her plans and tag along. So I lied.
“Work?”
“That’s all you do, sis. You want me to see if Wells has a friend.” She shoved a forkful of eggs in her mouth and her eyes lit up. “Wait, he has a homeboy he’s with a lot. The first night he hit me up, they were at a pool hall together.”
There was no way in hell I wanted my sister to hook me up, for a lot of reasons, but mostly because this little date wouldn’t last beyond sex and Clue showing out on her. Then I would be stuck with the homeboy of a man she no longer interacted with, trying to explain why my sister wasted his time. Hard pass.
“Nope, I’m good.”
“Wells is fine, Saniya. You know fine men move in groups. Hang on, let me see if he’s on his page.”
Fine or not, someone else already had my attention. The reminder had me digging out my phone to send the request for the fight. To my understanding, they moved around the city to undisclosed locations, just to make sure they didn’t gain unwanted attention.
She already had her phone in hand and was swiping the screen before I could object. After a few minutes, she held it up. “Found him. He called him JB and this guy was tagged on his page as Jerrick Boyd.”
“Damn girl, you work fast.”
Sameena smiled. “You’re not the only one with skills, sis.” She winked and dropped her eyes back to the screen, swiping a few more times. “He’s fine too. I know how you love a good chocolate man. Look at these damn lips.”
She pushed the phone across to me and I pulled it closer, checking him out. The photo she was on had him shirtless, hands shoved deep into the pockets of a pair of sweatpants which he purposely pulled tightly, exposing a very attractive print. The subtle smile and “fuck me” way he squinted at the camera told me everything I needed to know. He had good dick but a bad disposition.
I swiped a few more pictures because he was indeed very attractive. Dark skin, solid build, broad shoulders, right amount of ink and a full beard, with low cut waves. After I had my fill, I pushed the phone back toward my sister.
“You want me to hook that up?”
“Hell no. His entire page is full of thirst trap pictures.”
She grinned and nodded. “I’m not saying marry the man, just get some good dick. It’s been a minute, Saniya.”
“I have plenty of good dick at my apartment and it doesn’t come attached to the bullshit I know is attached to him.”
“Girl, fuck them vibrators. There’s nothing like the real thing.”
“I don’t disagree but I’m good for now.”
“I’m still gonna see if he’s busy, just in case you change your mind.”
“I won’t. I told you I’ll be busy later.”
“Mmhmm.” She was already sending a text and I shook my head.
I dug into my pancakes, smiling at the way Grand had shot me a murderous glare for stealing his food, then rolled my eyes because once again, he was in my head. This man was a problem I didn’t need but was certainly going to have.
“What’s the job?”
“Huh?”
“You said you’re working tonight?”
Ohhh….
“Nothing interesting. One that Joe hit me up about.” I had discussed Joe a few times with my sister. She was familiar with his publication and hyped each time she saw a tag with my name identifying the images.
“I hope he’s paying good then if it’s bullshit.”
Paid very well.
“You know I don’t play about my time or my money.” My phone vibrated with a text and when I tapped my screen to view it, a smile spread across my face. It was similar to the one from a few weeks ago. Coordinates that would get me to the location of tonight’s fight. When I realized I was smiling, I quickly lifted my eyes and relaxed when I noticed my sister was focused on her phone and not me.
“Since you’re banked up, you can pay for breakfast.”
“Girl…” I narrowed my eyes and Sameena grinned.
“I’m kidding, it’s on me…” She paused. “Unless…”
“No.”
“Fine, I’ll pay.”
We devoured our food while Sameena scrolled through social media, occasionally showing me reels and we talked shit and laughed about them. When we were done, I drove us back to my place, my sister hugged me and promised to check in later, and I was mentally preparing to get some edits done so I could free up my night because I had a date with danger and was looking forward to it.