Chapter 7
“I guess I’ll see you around then. I should enjoy the few minutes I have.”
I grabbed my drink from the bartender’s hand and turned to leave, but Dima touched my elbow to stop me. He looked extra good tonight. He was dressed in the Durty Boyz signature, all black.
“Why not see me now?”
Dima offered up a grin. The reflection of the gold chain around his neck bounced off his white teeth. He was playing a dangerous game, but I wasn’t about to back down. We had a few minutes before my father and the rest of his crew made it inside.
“Um, Li, I’ll meet you at the section.”
“Okay, girl. Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do.”
My best friend flashed a sly smile before she sipped her drink and danced off. She was so messy, but she had every right to warn me. Dima had the power to make me lose all rationale and fuck him right here on top of this bar.
It was the way his eyes bore into me, even now, when I tried hard not to return his gaze. Dima looked at me in a way that said I have to have you, and I couldn’t help but blush, especially since I wanted him just as much.
“What you smiling at the ground for? I’m up here, princess.”
He used his finger to lift my eyes from the ground.
“Dima, you know we can’t do this.”
I finally spoke and let my eyes meet his. I didn’t shy away from his gaze this time because he needed to know I was serious. My daddy would kill him before he let us be together.
“Really, we can’t talk?”
“Is talking all you want to do?”
“No, but it’s a good place to start.”
“It’s also a good place to stop. Listen, I know you know how Bishop is by now, so whatever you’re trying to do here, needs to stop. I would hate for something to happen to you. I don’t want that on my conscience.”
Before Dima could respond, a fight broke out right next to us. They weren’t even two feet away from where we’d been standing at the bar. Shots rang out just as fast as the first punch was thrown.
We hit the floor and tried to find cover.
I could see people scattered all around the club as they tried to get away.
I wanted to get up and run, but I was frozen in place.
I didn’t realize how much my father had shielded me until this very moment—the moment I could possibly lose my life for wanting to have a good time with my girls.
Dima mouthed something to me, but I couldn’t make it out. All sound had ceased to exist. The only thing I heard was my heart trying to beat out of my chest, and it was so loud. Tears streamed from my eyes and hit the top of my hands that were flat on the dirty ass club floor.
My thoughts marched around my head in circles until Dima picked me up in his arms. I recognized his scent before anything else. His smell was what brought me back to my senses. He smelled so damn good that I wouldn’t mind his scent being the last thing to violate my nostrils.
“I have to find Liyah.”
I wanted to scream it to the top of my lungs, but it came out as more of a whisper. I was worried about my friend, but the shock of someone shooting so close to me had rendered me almost speechless.
“I’ll text Daze and tell him to grab her, but I got to get you out of here.”
Dima spoke calmly and carried me toward the door. The closer we got, the more I worried about my girl. He was way too calm after we had almost died. I seemed to be the only one rattled.
“Please, Dima. Don’t let him leave without her.”
“He won’t. I promise. I got you, and he got her.”
He carried me out the door before I could even wrap my mind around what happened. I didn’t calm down even a little bit until we made it to his bike, and he placed me on my feet.
“And what do you think my daddy is going to say if I get on this bike?”
“He not going to say shit. He’s going to be happy I saved your life, and even if he not, I don’t give a fuck.”
Dima jumped on his bike and ordered me to hop on back. I hesitated, and the look he gave me said he didn’t have time for the bullshit. We were out of the club and in the clear, but he was right; we needed to move.
“Get on, now! If I have to pick your ass up and sling you over the handlebars, we are leaving. You can tell him I kidnapped you.”
I straddled the back of his bike and took the extra helmet. There was no need to put up a fight. Dima had already made up his mind that I was going with him, and honestly, I was scared to see what he would do if I disobeyed.
This wasn’t a regular nigga that I’d met at school. He was one of my father’s men, and they were known to be the most dangerous men in the city. The Durty Boyz didn’t employ anybody who didn’t have a reputation, so as much as I wanted to try Dima, I knew it wouldn’t be in my best interest.
As he merged onto the highway, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head on him. I was so tired, and I didn’t know what was going on with my friends. I didn’t even know if they made it out alive.
I closed my eyes as he drove because if he was taking me somewhere I didn’t want to go, I didn’t even want to know about it until I was there. I had no fight left in me. I was scared. Once we stopped, I finally opened my eyes and saw that Dima had taken me to my own home.
How did he know where I lived? My father didn’t let anybody come to our home.
The fact that Dima knew where we lay our heads at night confused me even more.
I already didn’t trust him or know where the fuck he came from or who the fuck he was.
Now he’d pulled up to a place that I was sure my father hadn’t told him about.
“Why are you here? How do you know where we live?”
“It’s my job to know where you live.”
“And what exactly is your job? Who are you?”
“I’m your father’s mechanic. You know I work for the Durty Boyz.”
“Yeah, so you say, but I don’t believe it’s true.”
I got off the bike and pushed Dima’s helmet into his chest. He got off right behind me. He placed the helmet on the seat and let the bike rest on its kickstand. He grabbed my arm, before I could walk away, and turned my body to face him.
Dima stood close enough to kiss me if he wanted to. I licked my lips at the thought. It was the first time my heart had stuttered for anybody in years. As much as I didn’t want to trust Dima, I desired him even more.
“Let me walk you inside.”
“This place is heavily guarded. I’m sure I’ll be safe.”
I licked my lips again with my eyes never leaving his. Dima had an aura that I was sure more than me found irresistible.
“You keep licking your lips like you want me to kiss them. Is that what you want, Ms. Moore? A good night kiss?”
When I didn’t answer right away, he took the liberty. Our lips clashed, softly, eliciting a moan I didn’t know I was holding. Damn, he had a way with his mouth, and not just with the words he let come out of it.
“Now that we got that out the way, can I walk you inside?”
“Um, no. That’s not necessary,” I said for his sake more than mine.
I needed to go in and have this little scene erased from the video footage. Lord knows my daddy would have a heart attack at the sight.
“Then I’ll wait here until you make it inside. Just to be safe.”
Dima shrugged his broad shoulders, and even that was sexy. I turned on my heels and walked toward the gate that guarded our home. The home Dima wasn’t supposed to know shit about. The home I very much wanted to invite him inside of.
The gate opened, I made my way in, and it shut behind me.
Dima sat on the other side waiting. I made it to the front door and looked back once before turning and walking in, shutting the door behind me.
I didn’t know who this man was, but the way he made me feel had me questioning everything I knew to be true.