40. Targen
I watched as the Miller crew exited the Stone House, my eyes lingering on Theory. She and Everly were the last of the women out as Prime waited by the door. Theory looked over one silky shoulder and gave us a small smile.
"See y'all later," she said.
"Later, beautiful," Real responded, smirking.
I cut my eyes at him, and his smirk turned into a full smile. I'd deal with his ass later.
"Have fun, baby," I said.
A soft blush bloomed on her high cheekbones.
"Aww, that's so sweet. Let me try. Have fun, my love," Real said, his gaze stuck on Everly.
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Montréal, let's not have a repeat of yesterday morning. Go to the big house and let PawPaw shoot at you. Do not follow us," she ordered.
"Girl, wasn't nobody following you. You never heard of a coincidence? I'm ‘bout to go down here and push up on yo' grandpa's girl. Y'all cute or whatever, but I can tell it started with Granny," his stupid ass teased.
Everly shook her head slowly.
"Real, have you ever seen a body after a shot from a sawed-off? You know what? Go for it! Bye, crazy."
Once they were out the door, Prime turned to look at us. He was silent for a long moment, his eyes moving from Real to me. He pulled a buzzing phone from his pocket and checked it before shaking his head. Finally, he spoke.
"I’ll see y’all asses at the venue, won't I?" he asked.
"You see that little ass dress Theory got on? Hell yeah, you’ll see us,” I responded.
Real rubbed his hands together like he was Birdman or some shit.
“A master plan is already in the works.”
Prime frowned, confused. I mugged Real before revealing his "master plan."
“Scoop Wilcox is helping with some shit."
"Ahh, okay. Nigga is strange as fuck, but he solid. He crazy about Aunt Cynt's twin, Olivia."
Real's eyes widened. "There's two of 'em?"
"Aunt Liv is nothing like her twin," Prime said, chuckling. "But y'all in good h-"
Suddenly, a horn blew before a bossy female voice hollered, "Optimus! I'm getting hungry."
Prime shook his head as he sighed. "This girl."
He dapped us up. "I'll make sure my team knows it's okay for Scoop to come on the property."
"Preciate that," Real said.
I stood in the doorway as they left in a mix of sound and vehicles, the image of Theory enough to have me shook.
"You like her."
Real's comment seemed simple, but he knew it said a lot. There wasn't a shortage of women in my life, but...
"Never felt anything like this before," I explained.
"Mm."
I didn't even turn around. "When you gon' admit the same?"
He made an exasperated sound. "I'm just tryna see what her ass up to."
Closing the door, I finally turned to meet his eyes.
"You gon' lie to me, of all people, nigga?"
He shrugged before looking away. “Okay. I might’ve been wrong about some shit, but it’s nothing like what yo’ soft ass talking about. I’on like the way she left. I wasn’t done with her, and she don’t get to leave until I’m ready to say so.”
He thought he was getting the last word, but I couldn’t let that shit rest. “And when you gon’ be ready to say so?”
Silence. Then…
“Scoop should be here soon,” he deflected.
It was my turn to smirk.
* * *
People from the country were a different breed. I could see how life here had Prime easing up—even though we did find out his security was much tighter than we thought. Scoop easily got us into the center where the reunion banquet was being held. The chicks at the entrance table didn’t even care that we weren’t pre-registered or that they didn’t know who we were. They scribbled the fake names we gave them on badges as they grinned and flirted. Most of the people we saw as we made our way to the multipurpose room were so fucking friendly, smiling and asking how we were.
The multipurpose room was decorated nicely enough, I guess. But I was looking for only one thing. My eyes scanned the room, finding Theory within seconds. My teeth clenched as I noticed her standing next to a table, smiling up at some nigga who was standing too close to her as he ran his mouth. I watched for a minute, trying to convince myself that silencing all that noise permanently wasn’t necessary.
“I’ve lived in Emancipation all my life and I know I’ve never seen a student like you at this school,” a husky feminine voice interrupted my perusal of Theory’s situation.
My eyes flitted down to see a pretty woman with a little too much makeup and a little too tight dress standing in front of me, offering a glass of champagne. She was looking at me like most women did these days: part fear, part curiosity, mostly lust. The number of women with Beauty and the Beast fantasies no longer surprised me. I gave her a half smile before returning my attention to Theory. She must have felt my gaze because she looked up suddenly. Our eyes tangled for a moment before she made the choice to turn back to her conversation with that diarrhea-of-the-mouth nigga. I chuckled softly. So, that’s how she wanted to play this. I could tell earlier that it was going to take her a minute to accept what I already had. She could run tonight, but I was going to catch her, and I had no intention of letting go.
I looked back at the chick smiling up at me and shook my head.
“Three things, pretty one. One, I don’t accept drinks I don’t see poured from people I don’t know. Two, Emancipation is too old for you to know every student who has come through these halls.”
Her smile dwindled away as she clutched her glass and the one that she offered me close to her body.
“What’s three?” she asked dryly, no doubt feeling like I was rejecting her.
I rewarded her with a smile. “Is your name as pretty as you are?” I flirted.
Her smile returned. In fact, she giggled. She looked so young and hopeful that I almost felt bad for the way I was about to use her. Almost. My conscience was slightly out of order, though.
“It’s Fawn,” she offered.
Fawn? Jesus, I was literally taking advantage of Bambi!
“That’s pretty. You wanna sit?”
She nodded eagerly, turning to lead me to a table.
“Ay, what you on?” Real stepped closer to ask me.
I shrugged. “Just feeling shit out.”
He looked at me, disbelief all over his face. “Yeah, okay. I’m about to go catch up with Love and the McKinley boy. Don’t get in no trouble… without me.”
I nodded once before putting a hand on Fawn’s lower back, encouraging her to walk. She picked a table. I pulled out her chair and helped her get settled before sitting myself. I felt Theory’s eyes on me, but I’d deal with her soon enough. For now, I listened to Fawn half-heartedly as I studied the room. It looked like Emancipation High’s alumni broke themselves into the same groups they’d been in during high school. Athletes and pretty girls, bookworms and misfits, stoners and skaters, and on and on. Real stood a little way back from where Epiphany and Everly were talking with a few other women. I watched as the McKinley boy walked toward them, only to be stopped by Real. My nigga only spoke a few words before McKinley was marching right back the way he came.
An hour ticked by, and Fawn was still talking. To be fair, she talked to everyone at the table, and she did try to ask about me, but my one-word responses and grunts weren’t very encouraging. Theory had taken a seat with that tired ass nigga who was still chatting her up. I watched the number of drinks he brought her, ready to slide him if he was on some bitch-ass shit. He threw back six shots before nursing a beer. He only brought two glasses of wine to Theory, but he fucked up even worse: he walked with her outside. I waited two minutes before stopping Fawn’s stream of words, offering to go to the bar for her. She nodded eagerly.
“I could go with—” she began.
“Nah, pretty lady. Stay here and keep catching up with your friends. That’s a long line to stand in, in stilettos. And I’ma head to the men’s room first,” I countered, squeezing her hand.
Her breath caught as her eyes widened. Damn. Shorty was feeling me, probably on some dark and mysterious shit. This was probably one more reason I was going to hell. Standing, I made my way out of the room, then out of the building. It took me a minute to find them in the back of the parking lot. I held back, waiting to see what this conversation was about. I noticed one of Prime’s crew lurking, too. I was glad to see it.
“It was so nice to catch up with you, Jacob,” Theory said, a generic smile on her face.
“It was,” Jacob agreed. “But I’m not ready to stop catching up." He grinned as he stood up from the Mercedes he'd been lounging on and swayed toward her, moving into her personal space. "You were my one who got away, Theory. I ain’t letting that shit happen again. We were like a perfect stereotype. Star quarterback and head cheerleader."
Theory laughed nervously. "Jacob, we broke up ten years ago. We were kids! We've grown past that."
He reached out to cup her cheek. She flinched but didn't move away. He was definitely going to lose that hand.
"Theory Miller, I could never grow past you. I love you, girl," he exclaimed drunkenly.
Her eyes widened, and she finally grabbed his wrist to try to push his hand down as she took a step back. He stumbled forward, following her.
"That's sweet of you, Jake, seriously. But I'm not?—”
He interrupted her with a nasty laugh. I started to move forward, but his next words made me pause.
"Is this part of the game, Theory? Everybody knows what you like. Your ex made sure of that. Are you doing that now? Cuz you don't have to do it with me, but I don't mind playing the role," he slurred.
He grabbed her arm. She brought her other one up, cracking him across the face even as soft whimpers escaped her. Before he could finish calling her "bitch," I had slammed his face into the hood of the Mercedes. I pulled him up by his collar, enough to make sure he heard me.
“She tried to let you off easy, nigga. I’m not that nice. You were bothering her. Let me help clear your mind so you have space for that to sink in.”
I crashed his face into the car again.
“I understand, dude. Let me go,” he whined.
My response was to try to drive his head through the engine.
Slam .
"I realize how painful our interaction might seem, Jacob, but trust me, shit could be worse. I could be crushing your windpipe for speaking to her,” I said calmly.
Slam.
"I could be using a rusty meat cleaver on your hands for touching her."
Slam.
"I could be feeding your heart to one of the good ol' Emancipation Eagles for saying you love her. You don't get to love her, nigga ."
Jacob was tipsy, so two or three smashes would've been enough. But the tears I saw in her eyes had me doubling that before I let his ass go. He slithered to the ground, almost unconscious. I snatched his arm and rotated his wrist externally until I heard the satisfying cracking sound. He screamed and alternated between grabbing his wrist and shoulder. Good—I’d dislocated that joint, too. His whining pissed me off more. Lifting my foot, I brought it down on his hand hard. His wail as the bones broke pleased my soul. Now he knew the consequences of touching her, hurting her. Finally, I stepped back. Prime's guy must've called a partner; the two of them assured me they'd take care of the little mess I made.
"Put him up for me," I requested and received two quick nods.
Theory stared at me, eyes wide. She swallowed before addressing me.
"Targen? Is that- is that what you do?" she asked quietly.
I winked at her, feeling a crazy grin stretch my face.
"For fun and it pays sometimes, too. Can't ask for more than that."
She gaped at me.
I led her away from the Mercedes, moving slowly as she cautiously picked her way across the asphalt in her heels.
"You good?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yes. Targen, you don't have to?—”
I shook my head and she stopped.
"Didn't I say I was gon' protect you?"
Pulling her into my arms, I held her for a minute, enjoying the feel of her as she relaxed into me. For a moment, she let herself go, absorbing the kind of comfort only I would give her from now on. I could tell the minute her doubts returned, though. I let her pull back, waiting on whatever she was going to say.
"I don't think I'm ready for you and your protection. I should really get back in there with my family," she mumbled, refusing to meet my eyes.
I held out an arm in the direction of the building, gesturing for her to go before me.
"Ladies first."
Her head snapped up then, her eyes wide in the glow of one of the lights posted around the parking lot. "You going back, too?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Targen, you have blood on your hands!" she gasped.
I held my hands up and studied them. This? This wasn’t shit. Usually, when I handled a nigga bare-handed, I needed to spend an hour in the shower. My lips twisted as I looked down at her.
"This little spatter? I’ma wash that shit off."
Frowning, she glared up at me.
"You going back to sit with Fawn?"
I shrugged. "She's a nice chick. I owe her a drink."
She grabbed each of her arms with the opposite hand and stood there, like she was deep in thought.
"Let's go, Theory," I prodded.
"No!"
"No?"
"You like her?" she demanded.
Frowning, I acted confused. "What? Like wh-"
"Don't play with me, Targen. You like Fawn?"
I lifted one shoulder. "I mean, she's cute and she's funny."
Theory made a soft, angry sound as she hugged herself.
"You can't go back in there with her," she announced suddenly.
I bit back a smile at my baby's jealousy. "Why?"
Her eyes narrowed as she grilled me. She refused to answer me. Seconds ticked by and we just stared at each other.
"Why, Theory?" I pressed eventually.
"Because I don't want you to, and you know it. And why are you calling me that now?"
Her voice was low as her hands tightened on her arms. This time, my confusion was real.
"Why am I calling you your name?"
"An hour with Fawn and you forget that that's not what you were calling me earlier?" she asked, her full lips in a small pout. "You know what? I'm good, Targen. Let's?—"
Smiling at her, I tugged on her arms until she dropped them. I wrapped her in a tight hug, and she sighed as she buried her face against me.
"So jealous, milaya moya ," I teased.
"I am not," she muttered.
"Then, let me go buy Fawn her?—”
"I told you, don't play with me, Targen."
I chuckled again. "What you wanna do, baby?"
She was quiet for a minute.
"Will you take me home?"
"I'll do whatever you want."
“Including watching a chick flick and eating bad shit when we get there?” she asked coyly.
Smiling, I nodded at her. “Including that.”
I moved to break our embrace, but she held on to me.
"I don't understand all of this."
"Stop thinking, milaya . Just feel," I said, my arms sliding around her again.
I held her until she finally took a step back and looked up at me.
"You ready?" I asked.
She nodded. I grabbed her hand as I texted Real. We'd followed Scoop here in one truck, but I'd send Juvie and Markel back to pick him up.
"Targen?"
"Hmm?"
"You heard what he said to me?"
"Yes."
She dropped her gaze, her body suddenly tense again.
"And you... you don't wanna?—"
I squeezed her hand.
"You'll tell me when you ready. Text your sister, baby. Let's go.”