Chapter 15 #2
“Nah, we can’t go nowhere, and since ol’ boy is on his way over here smiling and shit, I suggest you tell me who the fuck he is before he gets over here. Whatever the hell is going on feels like some bullshit.”
Xiah looked like she wanted to cry. “Kove, please, I’m gonna tell you but I promise it’s not what you think. Come with me.”
She slipped her hand into mine and started moving toward the hallway that led to the entrance of the building.
I seriously considered breaking free of the connection but something about the way she was freaking the hell out had me following her.
When we were in the hallway, Xiah turned to me and I had a feeling somebody would be getting fucked up because whoever had her looking like this was officially on my hit list.
“I need you to hear me all the way out before you say anything or judge. Can you promise me that?”
“Nah, I can’t promise you a damn thing right now. So who the fuck is ol’ boy?”
“My husband.”
Husband…
The word moved through my mind a million and one times before I could fully process that shit. I knew good and damn well I heard her wrong.
“Fuck you mean your husband?”
“Husband as in, married, same last name, the man she vowed to honor and cherish in front of all of our family and friends. Too bad for me, I picked a wife who doesn’t give a damn about those vows since she’s here with you.”
I swung my head to the right. When ol’ boy’s face came into view, I curled my fingers into my palm, trying not to crack his shit before I had all the details. But something about this nigga didn’t sit right with me. Wasn’t no fucking way Xiah was married to him.
And if she was…
“Xi, on gang, you better open your gotdamn mouth and say something that makes sense and I suggest you do that shit fast,” I warned.
“Xiah, I think you better explain who I am.” The smugness in his tone had me really fucking struggling not to knock his teeth down his throat.
“Bruh, shut the fuck up, this is not a conversation you’re a part of.”
“She has my last name. I can say whatever the hell I want to my wife. Why don’t you go back to begging those suits in there for money? I’m sure there are a few more sponsors willing to throw a couple dollars at you. Looks like you need it.”
Something in me snapped and I blacked the fuck out.
My fist connected with his face and I didn’t stop hitting him until someone pulled me off his bitch ass.
I was about to swing on whoever had their hands on me but didn’t get the chance to because Jase’s big ass shoved me down the hall and delivered a look that dared me to try him before he spoke.
“Not the place or the time for this shit, Kove. I’m going to handle this mess. You’re going to get the fuck out of here and take her with you,” he stated calmly.
My eyes moved past Jase to see two guys dressed like security dragging ol’ boy in the opposite direction.
“Xiah, let’s go.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Not until Koa gets here.”
“Fuck you mean you can’t?” I growled, walking closer until Jase blocked me from nearing her.
“I can’t. I’ve been trying to serve him for the past six months.
I filed for divorce but he’s been dodging me.
He sold the penthouse we used to live in and hasn’t purchased anything else I can attach him to.
He doesn’t have a nine to five job where the process servers can find him so I can’t leave until the papers are in his hand or this will never be over.
I know this looks bad but it’s really not what you think.
The only reason I’m still married is because he refuses to give me a divorce. ”
“It didn’t cross your mind to tell me that shit. You didn’t think I needed to know you have a whole fucking husband?”
She opened and closed her mouth several times and I laughed in irritation. “Man, fuck this, I’m out.”
“O…okay,” tumbled out of her mouth and that shit crushed me because she looked devastated.
“You said your friend is on the way?” Sovoya stepped up to Xiah and her tone was too damn soft for my liking.
If anybody should have been ready to get on Xiah’s ass, I expected it would be my agent.
Since we’d met, she’d pressed the importance of appearance, brand, and how the smallest slip could ruin my potential to make money.
The last thing I needed attached to my brand was being here with another man’s wife, beating the shit out of him.
“Yes, Koa. She’s my best friend and attorney.
We’ve been trying to track him down for months.
He refuses to give me a divorce. I wasn’t expecting him to be here, so please don’t think this was planned.
When I saw him here, I called Koa so she could bring the paperwork. I’m sorry this happened, I just…”
“It’s okay. Go with Kove, we’ll handle things from here.” She smiled at Xiah then looked at me like I was the problem when this shit was all on the woman holding back important details about her life.
“Take her home, Kove.”
My eyes moved from Jase to Sovoya, then Xiah, who looked like she was about to break. As pissed as I was, the devastation on her face had me doing the dumbest shit I could have done at the moment.
Taking her with me…
“Let’s go.” I glared at Xiah, waiting, but she didn’t move.
“I’ll stay. Koa can take me home. I want to make sure—”
“Xiah, please go with Love. We’ll take care of this and I’ll make sure he doesn’t leave until Koa serves him with the paperwork.”
She hesitantly glanced at Sovoya before nodding and cautiously walking toward me.
I didn’t wait. I turned to leave, not giving her my attention because at the moment I didn’t want to hear shit she had to say.
At least not until I calmed the hell down.
But no matter how pissed I was, I was gonna make sure Xiah was good.
Like it or not, I’d claimed her the first time she let me explore her body, so mine wouldn’t let me bail and that was an entire fucking problem.
I didn’t say shit to her on the drive back to The Metropolitan and she didn’t say a damn thing to me. I could feel her though. Her thoughts, the weight of what had just gone down, and her concern for what I was thinking.
We were both in our heads, but Xiah a lot deeper than me, because when I pulled into the parking garage for the hotel, she swung her head in my direction looking panicked.
“Why are we at The Metropolitan? You were supposed to take me home.”
I navigated to the spot for my suite and laughed arrogantly before I responded. “I was supposed to take you home? I’m glad you know the script for how this shit should go tonight because I damn sure don’t.”
She stared at me for a minute, like she was at a loss for words, then pulled her phone out and started stabbing at the screen.
“Who the fuck are you texting?”
Bruh, I swear on gang it better not be that nigga…
“I’m not texting anyone. I’m scheduling an iDrive.”
I reached across the seat and snatched the device out of her hand.
“Kove, give me my phone.”
“Nah, you’re coming up with me.” I leaned back enough to push her phone into my pocket.
This damn woman had me about to kidnap her ass just to keep her near while I worked through how fucking angry I currently was.
“Why? You don’t want me here.”
I wish that were the case but she was dead ass wrong and that was the fucking issue. I wanted her here more than I wanted to be mad about the fact that she had a husband and didn’t tell me.
So I said some flawed shit…
“You’re right, I don’t wanna be anywhere near you, but you owe me a conversation. I need to smoke something and calm the fuck down so I can get the answers I need, and if you leave, I’m not gonna get that because I won’t see your ass again.”
“I already told you…”
“Nah, you ain’t told me a gotdamn thing. I heard some shit because your life blew up in your face, Xiah. I’ve been fucking another man’s wife and that doesn’t sit right with me because that’s not how I get down. Maybe that’s your shit, but it damn sure ain’t mine.”
As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them, truth or not, because the way her expression dropped and hurt shifted onto her face had me feeling all types of fucked up.
I wasn’t a hateful ass nigga. If you were straight with me, I offered the same respect, but this had me out of my comfort zone.
“It’s not like I’m playing both sides or cheating.
Even though the documents filed between us say I’m married, I left him and the marriage when I found out he got another woman pregnant on our honeymoon.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to leave when it happened because he was really good at hiding his shit from me.
I didn’t find out until the woman sent me an invitation to their son’s first birthday.
She respectfully informed me she would allow me to tag along with my husband while he celebrated their child.
The fuck…
That nigga’s face was probably still swelling from the work I put in but I wanted to cave that shit in a few more times.
“He really did that?”
She nodded. “I know I should have told you I was married…”
“Yeah, you should have. I’m in a complicated place with everything going on in my life and tonight wasn’t where this needed to come out.”
“I’m sorry.”
I dropped my head back to the head rest, closed my eyes, and raked my palm down my face. I remained that way for a minute before I pulled myself together enough to think level headed. I got out of the car, rounded the front, and opened her door.
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“I told you that you were coming up with me.”
“I gave you what you wanted. I can just go home and…”
“Xiah, bring your ass.”
I extended a hand to help her out and shut the door, hitting the locks before we headed to the elevator. Neither of us said a damn word until we got to the suite. I walked in the room, found a T-shirt, and tossed it on the bed while she watched.
“Get comfortable and get some sleep. I’m about to smoke and deal with whatever the fuck Sovoya is gonna have to say about all of this.”
“Kove, I think it’s best if…”
“You didn’t ask what I thought about you having a husband, so I’m not asking you what you think about how I’m handling this now that I know. Go to bed, Xi. I need a minute to clear my head.”
I dropped a kiss onto her forehead. She nodded, lifted the shirt, and headed to the bathroom.
As soon as the door closed, I went to the closet, opened the safe, and removed a blunt.
I waited to fire up until I was in the living room.
I shrugged out of my jacket, removed my shirt, tie, shoes, and socks, and stretched out on the sofa to smoke.
I needed the high to settle in before I hit Sovoya up.
Unfortunately, she didn’t give me a chance because she called after my first pull.
I answered and lifted the phone to my ear, expecting her to go the fuck off, but she surprised me.
“How is she?”
I frowned hard as hell, confused by her question and calmness.
“Xiah?”
“Yes, Kove. How is Xiah?”
“You care?”
“Yes, I care. Please answer my question. How is she?”
“She’s cool. In the shower right now. I told her to get some rest.”
“Good. You’re staying with her then?”
I laughed dryly. “So after all that shit tonight you want me with her?”
“That’s a complicated question, but for tonight, yes. Being alone is probably not the best option given the situation.”
“Bruh. I’m usually pretty good at reading women but you’re confusing as fuck. Why the hell do you care about what she needs?”
“Because I know what it feels like to want an out and have to fight for it. I also know what it feels like to do everything right and things still go wrong. Let’s just say, I get it.
Do I hate that this came out tonight because it could have cost you some major money?
Yes, and thank God Jase doesn’t allow media at Shining Stars.
There’s no attention on this and I can handle smoothing things over with the attendees. ”
“The media shit is coming. You really think ol’ boy is gonna let that slide? I fucked his face up.”
“He’ll let it slide. Don’t underestimate the pull Jase has.”
“He’s signed to Jase?” I asked, feeling annoyed as hell at the possibility.
The last thing I wanted was that nigga around me or Xiah. Being signed to Jase would put him around us both because she was gonna be wherever I was.
“No but he wants to be. He’s a retired MLB player. Forced retirement because of some things no one seems to want to discuss. This will be an easy fix. Let us do what we do.”
“Nah, fuck that. I’ll take the L if the alternative is y’all representing him. I don’t want the muthafucker around.”
“He won’t be around. I know better than that after the way you rearranged his face.
Like it or not, money makes stuff like this go away.
Jase will make sure Kaden Perry has enough money in his pockets to keep his mouth shut.
It will be money from someone other than CSA, which means Jase calling in some favors, but the situation will be handled. Let us do what we do.”
“That’s her husband though.”
Saying it out loud pissed me the fuck off all over again.
“Not for long. We’re working on that too.”
“Aight,” I said, pulling from the blunt.
“I’m still fucking pissed with you though. If you had given me her name, I would have known she was married and all this could have been avoided.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t and shit happens.”
“Shit definitely happened and don’t be too hard on her. I talked to her friend Koa and this guy is a piece of shit. He really fucked your girl over.”
My girl…
“He put his hands on her?”
“Calm down, lover boy. No, it was mostly mental manipulation, cheating, and typical narcissistic shit, but still pretty bad. None of which she deserved. Just be easy on her, okay?”
I laughed lightly. “Bruh, I damn sure don’t get you.”
“It’s not your job to get me. It’s my job to get you. For now, I still like her, Kove, and until she gives me a reason not to, I’m on her side with all of this. I’ll let you have her in your life for now.”
“Let me? Bruh, the fuck type of shit you on? You got me all kinds of fucked up.”
“Just kidding. Kind of. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, aight.”
I ended the call and dropped my phone beside me. My goal was to get high, shower, and climb in bed with Xiah. We didn’t have to talk tonight but we damn sure had some things to work out between us.