Chapter 16 #2
A wild heat crawled through my chest. Kay’Lo ain’t move, but he blinked slow, his face hardenin’ as he inhaled.
Barron continued, “She’s also claiming that you raped her.”
The entire room tilted.
I sat there frozen ‘cause fury was fillin’ my whole body in a way I couldn’t even control. My hand tightened on Kay’Lo’s thigh, but he didn’t push me off. He just let me hold him.
Barron hesitated, and I knew why. He glanced at me like he was worried this was somethin’ I didn’t need to hear.
Kay’Lo looked at him with a blank expression. “Man, keep talkin’,” he muttered.
Barron nodded slow. “She claims she didn’t come forward before because she was scared,” he said, his tone makin’ it real clear he ain’t believe that shit. “She’s painting a picture of being threatened and afraid, and she’s saying the shooting happened because your obsession turned violent.”
My lips parted as the anger shot through me hot as fire.
Echo’s nasty ass knew exactly what the fuck she was doin’.
That bitch knew damn well she had been the one stalkin’ me, watchin’ my stories, sendin’ messages and beggin’ for attention from my husband like she ain’t have no shame or boundaries.
She was obsessed with Kay’Lo, not the fuckin’ other way around, and she damn sure wasn’t actin’ like no rape victim.
The audacity of her even speakin’ the word made my skin crawl ‘cause I knew that pain. I lived that trauma, and she was usin’ it like it was a convenient lie to destroy somebody else’s life.
Kay’Lo exhaled hard and rubbed his hand down his face, then leaned back in the chair with his legs stretched out. He shook his head slow. “Man, I ain’t rape that fuckin’ girl,” he said, voice low but firm. “Do it look like I need to rape anybody?”
Barron lifted his hand in reassurance. “Kay’Lo, I know,” he said calmly.
“I don’t believe that for one second, and neither does anyone on my team.
But I need you to understand what we’re up against. Her father is furious, and he’s grasping at anything he can find to twist this case.
They’re playing dirty, and they’re gonna keep playing dirty. ”
Kay’Lo nodded, but his eyes stayed on the table like he was tryin’ not to flip it.
He took a slow breath. “Her brothers came to my shop,” he said.
“They came there with energy. I warned them niggas. They kept pushin’.
Shit went left. That’s what happened. I ain’t hunt nobody down.
I ain’t stalk nobody. I damn sure ain’t rape nobody. ”
Barron leaned back, lookin’ at him with respect.
“And that’s exactly what we’re going show during trial,” he said.
“We’re collecting evidence, gathering witnesses, trying to find the lost footage that was removed from your shop, and preparin’ experts for trial.
You will be represented by the best legal team in Trill-Land.
I’m fighting for your life with everything I’ve got. ”
I stared at Barron, barely hearin’ him ‘cause the anger inside me was suffocatin’.
That bitch Echo was tryna take my husband away from me.
She was tryna take him away from our baby, away from the life we built and it made me feel sick ‘cause once a lie like that goes public, it sticks even if you prove it wrong. Rape wasn’t somethin’ you played with.
It wasn’t somethin’ you threw around to get revenge.
It wasn’t somethin’ you faked just ‘cause a nigga ain’t want you.
I swallowed hard and focused on breathin’. Kay’Lo placed his hand on my thigh again, rubbin’ slow ‘cause he could feel my whole body tense.
Barron closed the file. “We’re going to be ready,” he said. “I’m not letting them destroy you.”
Kay’Lo nodded once, standin’ up ‘cause he’d had enough. “Move how you gotta move,” he said. “Just tell me what you need from me.”
“We’ll schedule prep sessions,” Barron replied. “And Kay’Lo… keep your head straight. They want you rattled.”
Kay’Lo smirked without humor. “Ain’t nobody rattlin’ me.”
I stood up with him, and we left the office together. The walk to the car felt long, and I could feel the tension rollin’ off him with every step. When we got to the passenger side, he opened the door and turned to me.
“I’m sorry you had to hear that bullshit, baby. I really fuckin’ am,” he said low. “You know me. You know I ain’t ever gotta take no bitch’s pussy.”
I nodded slow. “I know, Kay’Lo.”
He held my face with both hands, lookin’ into my eyes like he needed me to feel him. “You know me,” he repeated. “Ain’t nobody takin’ nothin’ from nobody around here. I don’t move like that.”
“I know you,” I whispered again. And I did.
I knew his flaws, his temper, his mistakes and his heart.
I knew the difference between a man who slipped and a man who was dangerous in the wrong way.
Kay’Lo wasn’t no damn predator. He was a husband who sometimes fell apart, a man who went through shit, but not a monster.
We stared at each other, breathin’ the same air, feelin’ the same pain and the same fight.
Then he leaned down and kissed me slow, pullin’ my bottom lip between his like he needed to feel me before he lost his mind.
When he pulled back, he brushed my cheek with his thumb and walked to the driver’s side.
I got in the car, feelin’ my heart poundin’ in my chest. Echo wasn’t just lyin’ or just bein’ messy. She was tryna ruin our future. She was tryna take my husband away from me, and my baby.
And the worst part was…I knew this dumb ass lil’ girl wasn’t done.