Chapter 10 Mekhi #2
I let her walk ahead of me, giving her a second of space.
She needed that—to feel like she made the choice on her own, even though we both knew she moved because I told her to.
She stopped at the bottom and spun to face me, ginger spirals bouncing, eyes flashing that stubborn fire that always challenged me.
I used to think I wanted to tame it. But nah, that would be boring. I wanted to let it rage.
“Just so you know, you don’t intimidate me, Mekhi. I just hate it when people make scenes.”
She said it quick, like she was trying to save the face she lost by standing up. Like she needed to convince herself she was in charge, even though the redness creeping across her cheekbones told a different story.
I smirked. I couldn’t help it. “Tell yourself whatever you need to, shorty.”
She blushed harder, pretty little freckles popping like someone turned up the heat.
She hated that I could read her. Hated even more that she reacted to me—every damn time.
She turned away from me, her chin lifted like she was marching into some battle instead of walking to a parking lot.
But with us, I guess it was always a battle.
Sometimes, I wanted peace.
“Where am I going?” she asked, without looking over her shoulder.
“Parking lot.”
She strode toward the front of the complex. I watched her ass sway as she moved. That shit was juicy as hell in that little ass skirt she was wearing. A nigga couldn’t help appreciating that even though she got on my last fucking nerve. She stopped, waiting for me at the entrance.
“This way,” I told her, taking the lead.
We walked in silence to my car. She looked at my black Audi S8 before mumbling, “This is nice.”
I nodded once.
“Why did you make me come out here?”
Leaning against the side of the car, I stared at her. I refused to answer a question she already knew the answer to. She tried to hold my gaze, but her pretty, honey-colored eyes dropped after a minute.
“And for the record, you don’t get to command me!”
I stayed quiet because I also didn’t respond to shit that wasn’t true. She rolled her eyes before sighing loudly.
“Stop looking at me and say something!” she demanded.
That little attitude gon’ get her in a lot of trouble, I thought. It was a kind of trouble that I just might want to pursue…
“You must think I’m that lame ass nigga you was talking to the other night?”
She kissed her teeth. “Ron is not lame, just because he not out here in the streets like you.”
I shrugged, but she wouldn’t let it go.
“Don’t be insulting him because you wish you were half the man he is—”
Her words ended on a shriek as I grabbed her and switched our positions so that she was pressed against the car. I bent down until my lips were right beside her ear.
“Now, what’s that shit you were saying, shorty?”
“Get off me, Mekhi!”
I leaned back so I could smirk at her.
“Nah. You just had so much you wanted to say. So, talk.”
“You—”
“Is this why I can’t see you later, Mekhi?”
Samaria’s voice cut off whatever Farrah had been about to say. We both turned our heads to see her standing in front of my car, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Trying to check me? This girl was out of her mind.
“Ay, not right now, Samaria,” I warned her.
She laughed. “I never knew you liked fat bitches, Mekhi.”
For some reason, her comment pissed me off. Before I could say anything, though, Farrah was pushing against me. I wouldn’t let her pass, and she scowled at me, her pretty face all twisted up.
“Move! I’m not standing here while this bitch—”
Grabbing her around the waist, I picked her up and sat her on the car. I held her in place with a hand on each one of her soft thighs. She struggled against my grasp. I mugged her.
“Don’t fucking move, Farrah.”
She rolled her eyes, but her squirming stopped. I turned my attention to Samaria who was suddenly looking nervous. Good, with her silly ass.
“Turn around and walk away. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
I didn’t raise my voice, but she got the point. With one last flounce, she stomped off.
“That’s his girl?” I heard one of her friends ask.
“Shut up!” she snapped.
Shaking my head, I looked at Farrah. I stood between her thick ass thighs, and I really wasn’t in a hurry to move. She looked at Samaria’s retreating back then back at me.
“Is that what you do? Just give everybody orders and they follow them?” she asked.
“Something like that. Here’s your order: get your cousin and go back to the suburbs.”
“That doesn’t work with me, Mekhi.”
I gave her half a smile. “You’ll learn.”
“You can’t just ban me from part of my town—”
“This my part of the town, shorty. I do what I want. It’s dangerous for you over here.”
“Because of one incident?”
“A drive-by is just an incident to you, Little Thug?” I surprised myself by teasing her.
“No, but we survived—”
“It makes you associated with me, especially since I saved your ass. That makes it dangerous.”
She looked thoughtful as she mumbled, “So, all this based on a weak association…”
“All what? Not only did I push your ass down, I covered you with my body, like I was willing to take a bullet for you. That ain’t no weak association.”
In the last week, I’d run this shit back over and over.
I still didn’t know why I did it. Yeah, pushing her out of the way was no big deal, but to climb over her like that…
it made no sense. I could’ve tried to get information on the car.
I could’ve tried to shoot back. Instead, I’d felt the need to protect a chick who I couldn’t stand on the best days.
“I mean that explains some shit. It seems like I need to be asking you some questions,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me.
“What’s that?”
She exhaled, then told me a story about a menace in a bespoke suit, carrying tulips. It pissed me off, because it meant I was a step behind, meant things could’ve gone much worse. This girl irritated me like no other, but nobody got to hurt her. Not if they planned to keep hanging out on Earth.
“So, someone got it out for you. What you doing that got people doing drive-bys and flower deliveries?”
I gave her a grim smile. “You worried about the wrong thing.”
“Niggas stalking me, and I’m worried about the wrong thing?” She waved a hand. “But I’m good. I got family that can protect me.”
For some reason, that shit set my teeth on edge. She was right. She was a Miller on her mama’s side, and Ajani Miller was top-notch at what he did. But I didn’t need anyone else looking out for her. I had her.
“Nah, this is on me. Especially after today.”
“What’s special about today?”
I let my gaze drift downward, indicating the intimate positioning of our bodies. She blinked a few times, and I realized that she hadn’t thought about that.
“Oh.”
“Look, I don’t know what all they’ve seen or what they haven’t. People saw when I covered you on that driveway. Somebody is probably watching me all in your face right now. If some nigga is really after me and Seth, they’re keeping an eye on us. And you keep showing up.”
Her next response wasn’t what I was expecting.
“If I’m in trouble because of you… then maybe it is your job to keep me safe, right?”
Good. She’d played right into it. Maybe I wouldn’t have to convince her. But I didn’t want to seem too eager.
“I’on even like you like that, with your stuck-up ass.”
“I don’t like you, either, but you got me into this—”
I corrected her instantly. “Nah. Some niggas who don’t value their lives got you into this.”
“But until you find those niggas, you just implied they could be after me because of you.”
I let my hands slide further up the smoothness of her thighs until my fingers touched the hem of her skirt.
She sucked in a breath, making her already full breasts stick out further.
I had no idea why I was touching her like this, but she felt good against my palms. She covered my hands with hers.
I expected her to push me away, but she didn’t.
“So, you should look out for me. Unless…”
I knew better than to fall for that shit, but I couldn’t help myself. “Unless what?”
“Unless you worried that you can’t.”
I stared at her, not sure if I should laugh or cuss her ass out. I was about to pretend to turn her down again when I changed my mind. I leaned in, my mouth an inch from hers. She bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes tangling with mine.
“You better know what you asking for.”