Chapter 4 #2
“I’ll listen to you.” She stifled a moan as his hand found the front of her pants, but he moved away just as quickly as he had rolled up on her.
He let her catch her breath as he bent to grab the candy that had fallen on the floor. He held the colorful bag up and asked, “You like sour Skittles?”
He was ready to imprint that information into his mental Rolodex, but her next words made his brows raise.
“My daughter does.”
Judging by the look on her face, he could tell she didn’t mean to let that information slip. Haze could tell she was trying to hold up barriers with him so he couldn’t get too close, but she needed to stop wasting so much energy on that, because when he wanted something, he got it.
“You just got the one kid?” She nodded slowly, almost like she was afraid. He grinned and pulled her in for a hug. He didn’t even care that she didn’t reciprocate. He loved how his hands felt on hers. “You coulda told me I was gonna be a stepdaddy.”
She pushed him away and looked up at him with wide eyes. “I . . . uh, I don’t have much t-time for lunch, so . . .”
Haze nodded and looked back toward the front of the door. “Bib, how much I gotta pay you to make my sandwiches?”
“Fifty a sandwich,” Habib shouted back.
Haze shook his head and mumbled, “Nigga always taxin’.” Then louder, he said, “Man, bring ya ass.”
Habib slowly walked toward the back of the store where the deli was. Freddy, who had been manning the counter, looked at Haze, hurt. “You know I could have hooked you up.”
“I needed my lady to taste a sub from Bib, man. Next time,” Haze said.
Freddy nodded his understanding and went to the front to man the register. Everyone knew Habib made the best sandwiches in The Bay. Hell, Haze was willing to bet that he made the best sandwiches in the United States.
Devyn and Haze rattled off their orders, with Haze giving her some gentle suggestions along the way. They watched as Habib made their sandwiches with love and precision. After, they grabbed a few snacks to go along with their sandwiches and went up to the register.
“A hunnid and fifty,” Habib said after he rang them up.
Devyn’s eyes bulged. “I thought he was joking about the fifty per sandwich.”
“I never play about my money, young lady,” Habib said with a charismatic grin.
“Can’t do nothin’ but respect that,” Haze said as he handed him some cash. “Keep that change, Bib. I’ll check ya later.”
Haze guided Devyn out of the store and past his truck.
“Where are we goin’?”
Haze nodded his head toward a stoop. “Right here.”
“Won’t the people that live here get mad?”
“Habib owns this spot. He don’t live here, but he rents it out from time to time. Nobody lives here at the moment,” Haze explained as he sat down on the steps.
Devyn followed suit. “This is not what I pictured when you asked me to lunch.”
“What? The princess can’t hang out in the hood wit’ her man?”
“You aren’t my man, and who said I can’t hang in the hood? I’m here, aren’t I?”
Haze snickered. “You got that.”
He’d let her live . . . for now.
They took a moment to get their food situated.
When she took her first bite, Haze’s smile was a mile wide.
She moaned and closed her eyes, and he had flashbacks of being deep in her guts.
His dick twitched, but he told himself to behave.
The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off, even though that didn’t matter now.
He had her name and knew where she worked.
“This is so good,” she finally said.
“See, I ain’t ever gonna steer you wrong.”
“I’ll trust you with food. I’ll give you that.” She nodded and took another bite.
They ate in silence for a moment before Haze asked, “For real, though, why you ain’t ever find me? I thought we had a connection.”
Fuck was that? Haze wasn’t used to being vulnerable with women, unless they were in his family. He immediately felt stupid, and her next words only made him feel bad.
She cut her eyes at him. “My best friend, Emilia, got shot that day at your block party.”
Haze’s heart dropped. “Damn, ma. Is she good?”
He didn’t hear about any deaths from that day, only injuries that he had to pay the police department and hospitals off from asking too many questions.
Devyn shrugged. “She survived. She had some complications, but she’s alive, so . . .”
Haze dropped his head. “I’m sorry ’bout that. We ain’t ever had no beef with no other motorcycle clubs until that day. Those niggas came out of nowhere and ain’t let up since.”
“So, it’s still an issue?” she asked, her tone sharp.
“Ain’t really an issue. My people are handling the shit.”
“Three years is a long time to be handling something, Haze.”
“You ain’t wrong ’bout that.” And she wasn’t. He was more than ready to nip this shit with the Blue Boyz in the bud.
Their conversation kind of hit a lull. Haze had the sense that he had disappointed her, and he didn’t really understand why. When they finished, she stood.
“I have to get back to work. Thanks for lunch, though.”
Haze stood and dwarfed her with his height. He caressed her chin before putting his hands into his pockets to keep from feeling her up. “You promised me your number.”
She looked away from him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“That was the deal,” he reminded her.
She blew out a breath. “Haze—”
“Henry,” he blurted out. “My name is Henry. Henry Junior.”
Her eyes grew wide before she tested the name on her tongue. “Henry.” She gazed up at him and shook her head. With a very small smile, she said, “I like Haze better.”
His heart leaped. He wasn’t sure why, but that felt like a compliment coming from her.
“So, can I get your number, Devyn Frost? I mean, unless you want me to go back to your place of employment and tear shit up some more since you tryna go back on our deal,” he joked.
Really, he would never do that. Now that he knew that place was hers, he would respect it. That was how much he liked her.
She peered at him for several seconds. “I can’t have any harm coming my way.”
He frowned. “I would never allow anything to happen to you.”
This time, he allowed his hand to find her cheek so he could make her look at him. When she did, she reminded him of something vital. “My best friend was shot at one of your functions. It very well could have been me. Bad enough it was someone I cared about.”
Internally, he cringed. On the outside, though, he looked as cool as a cucumber. “I respect it, but I’m telling you, ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to you. Besides, giving me your number ain’t shit. You could always block me.”
The laugh inside his head sounded ridiculous. She can try to block me. She ain’t ever gonna shake me.
With a huff, she rattled off her number quickly, probably in hopes that he wouldn’t remember it. He pulled his phone out and captured it quickly before sending her a text.
Haze:
Lock me in, love.
He put his phone back into his pocket and reached for her hand. “Come on, boss lady. Let’s get you back to work. I’m sure you got some shit to clean up.”
She snorted. “Fuck you.”
That surprised him. He threw his head back and laughed.
In due time, Thicka. In due time.