Chapter 8
Oden
I heard everything, even the fear in her voice when she told me she’d call me right back and she didn’t need me to come.
I didn’t like that at all. So before I knew it, I was on the road headed back to the city.
I wasn’t doing normal speed either; I was flying through traffic.
What was normally a four-hour drive only took me two and a half hours due to me speeding and swooping in and out of traffic.
I did at least eighty all the way to the city and eased off the gas when I was a few blocks from her building.
I didn’t pull into her garage. I pulled up in front of her building and parked there.
I then rushed into her building to the elevator.
The receptionist desk was a joke because the nigga didn’t even attempt to stop me and ask for ID.
He was too busy on the phone. I was in the elevator for all of fifteen seconds before I stepped off and went straight to her door.
Just my luck, when I was about to knock it open, I was face to face with Rennix.
“Damn what’s up, O?” he said, confused as to why I was at his sister’s door at this time of night. We shook hands, him still confused, but he stepped to the side to allow me in.
“Shit, apparently your sister.” I shook my head before stepping through the door and going straight to Jade. Of course, she was standing at the island with a tall glass of wine. It was her favorite wind down after work and now, I guessed, something to take the edge off with everything going on.
“Nah, Jade. Yeen staying here. A motherfucker just sent a video of you walking to your spot. This is beyond a couple text messages.” G was glaring at Jade who stubbornly rolled her eyes to the fucking ceiling. Then he looked at me. He didn’t seem confused or anything, like he already knew.
She looked from me to her brothers like she didn’t know this was bound to happen at some point. “What are you doing here? I thought you wer?—”
“I’m here now,” I assured her, my attention falling on her just as I pulled her entire body into mine.
“I know this is a serious moment, but I can’t wait to tell Rem about this shit.” Then, without another word, he went through the house waving a device, searching to see if there were cameras inside.
I laughed but my attention stayed on her in my arms sniffling. “I told you to stay at my spot for a while.”
“I know but I missed my own place,” she mumbled into my chest. When she lifted her head, her eyes were red from the tears she'd shed into my shirt.
“Miss it all you want. You can’t stay here until this shit is sorted out.
’Cause how the fuck them people don’t know who got access to their systems?
Nah, that makes no sense to me.” G shook his head with his phone still against the side of his face.
“Yeah, Beyah. I know. No, I’m not going to let her stay here.
Call her yourself. You know she’s stubborn as fuck. You know your girl.”
“Go get a bag. You’re going back to the condo with me,” I said, not giving a fuck what her rebuttal was about to be.
She sighed. “Fine. But I have to take Chauncy. I can’t keep leaving him on Ava.”
I was shocked that she didn’t fight me. “Aight, then pack his shit up too while I talk to your brothers.”
She finished her glass of wine before retreating to her bedroom.
“You found cameras here?” I asked, looking around her living room.
Rennix looked from G toward the back. “Yeah, even though whoever is fucking with her only sent her footage from outside the door. Has to be a motherfucker with access to her crib. Don’t tell her though.” Rennix shook his head.
“She doesn't need to be obsessing over this. I told her not to come back here yet.”
Dimitri laughed. “I’on know how long y'all have been together but she has been bullheaded since we were kids.”
Rennix spoke. “I’ma get to the bottom of this though. I got somebody who can run these cameras and trace them all the way back to who bought them. Credit card number and billing address.”
I had someone as well, but I’d wait until I spoke with her before speaking on it.
“Bet.”
I nodded, then felt both of their eyes on me. “How long?” G finally asked.
“About a month and a half,” I responded nonchalantly.
“The better question is why weren't you surprised?” Rennix directed his energy to his brother.
“Because I’m married to her best friend. My wife ain’t never been able to keep a secret from me.” He shook his head, seemingly happy about that.
“Is she good with you?” Rennix asked, eyes locked on me like he was trying to gauge my reaction to his question.
“Always.” No thought was necessary because I meant it.
“Cool. I’m about to head out and see what I can find out about this.” Rennix nodded and turned to leave.
“Aight.”
After Rennix left, G and I made small talk for a minute before his phone started to ring. When he answered, laughter immediately filled the space. “What do you mean if I’m not coming home with Jade not to come at all? Stop worrying, her and that ugly ass dog are going with Oden.”
“What did I tell you about calling my baby ugly, G?” Jade re-entered the kitchen carrying a duffle bag and a suitcase. It wasn’t a carryon either.
“The fuck? You’re only going for a few days.” G looked her up and down.
“Um, this is a couple days. Plus, while I’m away from here I’ll be looking for a new place to live.
Because this mess right here has ensured I’ll never feel comfortable here again.
Also on our way down, I decided to drop Chauncy off to Ava.
I don’t want me and him invading your space,” she said and I hated it.
I was about to respond when she started talking again.
“Why did you drive all the way back to the city?” she asked as soon as we were in the car headed to my condo.
“Because I didn’t like the way you sounded,” I responded honestly. Her place was only five minutes from mine, so as fast as I pulled off was as fast as I pulled into my own garage.
I felt her eyes before she spoke. “So, you sped all the way back to the city because of the tone of my voice?”
With her hand intertwined in mine, I brought it up to my lips. “Yes, Jade.”
“Yep. This is gonna be a problem.” She sighed, putting her free hand over her face.
I cut my eyes in her direction and she was shaking her head, furthering my confusion. “What is?”
“The fact that I’m never coming up off you. The fact that somehow some way you’re perfect and I’m jus?—”
“Jade. I’m far from perfect. Shit, if anything I’m so fucking flawed. And trust me baby, if yeen coming up off me, I’m on the same motion.” I parked the car and looked over at her. She was so fucking sexy.
“I’ma hold you to that.”
“Good, now come here.” I took my seatbelt off and sat back.
“Um, sir. I have on a dress and you…”
“Jade.”
She climbed over the large console into my lap seconds later. When she was finally in my lap, I had to laugh at how dramatically she rolled her dress up.
“What are you laughing at?”
“You and this dress, acting like you had to do all of this to get it up.”
“Well, I did. This isn’t the most giving material. Acting like you couldn’t wait until we got upstairs.”
“I could’ve, but I didn’t have to. I wanted you right here right now.”
There that big ass smile was, brightening up the whole space and the darkness in my heart. “Okay.”
“I want you to have dinner with me and my daughter, then spend the weekend with me at my actual home.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Are you sure? That’s your time with her, I mean I cou?—”
“Yes, I’m sure. I want her to meet the woman in my life.”
She just looked at me, eyes asking a question her lips had yet to utter, but then she just nodded. “Okay, I’d like that. Friday, right? It’s a date.”
Usually by now I felt the need to go missing and alienate myself because of the guilt I carried, but with Jade it was different. With Jade I felt less guilty about moving on not only mentally but physically.
I leaned forward, inhaling Jade’s scent before I mashed my lips into her chest. Out of nowhere my phone began to ring. I ducked my head around her body and saw it was my daughter calling. It was the middle of the night, which alarmed me.
I pressed the green circle to answer. “Aja, baby what’s wrong? Why are you up?”
“Uncle Kinga said are you in the city because Tete is about to have the baby and Caya isn’t answering the phone.”
“Yeah, I’m on my way.”
“Okay, Daddy. Uncle, he said he’s on his way.”
By the time I got to the house, my brother had loaded Harlem into the car and he was about to pull off.
It didn’t take me long because for the second time today I drove like a bat out of hell.
I assured my brother that I had the twins and he rushed Harlem to the hospital.
She wasn’t screaming or any of that, but was instead extremely peaceful.
If anything, my brother was the one losing his shit.
The man was going through his mental list, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything while also giving me the rundown of the twins’ morning routine.
Of course he didn’t get through it because he realized his wife was in the car in labor, so he said he’d text me.
I was sure he would, but in the meantime, I figured I'd get my daughter—who was wide awake but had school tomorrow—settled in and acquainted with Jade.
I left Jade in the living room with the twins and went to the kitchen. Aja followed me, hopping up and taking a seat on the counter. “So, Daddy. Why are you with Ms. Jade this late at night?” I forgot she knew Jade because of the pool party and the fact that her auntie had sold a puppy to her.
“Being an adult. What are you still doing up, shorty?” I leaned against the counter after grabbing a slice of red velvet cake from under the cake plate.
“Well, I was on my way to sleep, then Uncle Kinga started screaming. Wait, what do you mean being an adult? Uncle Kinga says adults date. So, are you dating Ms. Jade?”