Chapter 25 Farrah
(A few minutes earlier)
“Oh, my God! I’m gonna die!” Mariah whined as we followed Jarell toward the hallway holding the bathrooms.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m pretty sure you gon’ make it,” I told her.
But once we got in there, I was a little more skeptical. The hallway was empty, but the line was long. Mariah was doing a little dance.
“I’ma wait for you out there with Jarell,” I told her.
I’d hold it before I dealt with all those people.
She nodded and I went to wait for her near the entrance.
Jarell stood close by, watching me as I dug in my purse for my phone.
I figured Kera had been texting me—she was the only person who would send me back-to-back messages like that.
But I frowned when I didn’t recognize the number with its six missed texts.
I opened the first one… and immediately sucked in a breath.
210-555-2464:
Hey, pretty girl.
I think you would look better sitting in my lap.
A dance? How sweet!
I don’t think I like his hands all over you, pretty girl. I bet he doesn’t know how to touch you.
That nigga doesn’t deserve your kisses.
You
“Man, what the fuck? Watch where you going!” I looked up from Trell’s messages as I heard Jarell’s voice. He was frowning at a man in front of him and I could see the wet spot on his shirt where the man must’ve spilled his drink.
“I said my bad, nigga. Dry that shit up and get the fuck out my face,” the man challenged.
Jarell straightened to his full height, his hands clenching into fists.
Anybody could see where this was going. I opened my mouth to remind him that I was there.
Before I could speak, I saw a man behind Jarell lift his hand.
Focused on the man in front of him, Jarell was totally unprepared for the gun that came crashing down on the back of his head.
He stumbled but held his ground. I moved toward him, determined to help since the hallway was mostly deserted.
Suddenly, an arm like a steel band slid around my waist and a hand clamped over my mouth.
No one even paid attention as I was carried into a dark corner.
“You were finally getting my messages, huh?”
That voice, so familiar now, was soft against my ear.
He set me down and I whirled around. Inhaling sharply, I looked up, my eyes meeting Trell’s dark ones.
I was on my own. I was scared, but I was also annoyed.
If he wanted to go after Mekhi, he needed to do that and leave me out of it. I was tired of being cornered.
“What do you want, Trell?”
He smiled. “So, you remember me?”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m hurt,” he said.
I decided to play along. “Why?”
“One day, you’ll thank me for the tulips.”
“Then maybe you should send them like normal people do,” I snapped.
For just a moment, something angry flashed over his handsome features. But then it was hidden again behind that perfect smile. He moved closer to me and reached toward me. I took a step back, but he still cupped my cheek.
“So, my pretty girl is picky?”
“I’m not yours, and I’m not picky. I just don’t like feeling stalked. And what did I tell you about touching me?”
I pulled away from him just as a frown clouded his expression.
“Aww, look. The little kitten has claws,” he teased. Then he surprised me by threading a hand in my hair and yanking me forward. He leaned down, a sinister grin slashing across his face. “But don’t ever try to use them on me.”
The warning in his voice was clear and I swallowed. I refused to let him see my fear, though.
“What do you want, Trell?” I asked again.
“You.”
“No—”
“But that can wait,” he cut me off smoothly. “I want that nigga to see how close I can get, even with him here.”
“He’s not worried about you. He doesn’t even know who you are,” I spat.
I guess I wanted to make him mad, knock him off his game. But the crazy muthafucka just smiled.
“When I take what’s rightfully mine, he will. Tell him to ask Gillian about that.”
He whispered the last words in my ear, before kissing me on the sensitive skin right below it.
I shivered. He looked down at me before smirking.
Finally, he let go of my hair and walked calmly toward the side exit.
I waited for the alarm to go off, but it didn’t as he slid outside and into the shadows.
I turned and almost walked into Jarell. I realized that all of it had happened in less than two minutes.
He grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the corner.
Before we made it far, Mekhi was there, flanked by his crew.
His eyes landed on me, and he walked over.
“You good?” he asked, his voice tight.
I rolled my eyes. No, I was not good. I was tired of this drama, and I didn’t care if he knew it. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him.
“I’m ready to go,” I snapped.
He ignored me, his eyes moving to Jarell. “Fuck happened?”
“Nigga dumped a drink on me and when I went to address him, another one hit me from behind. Fought them bitches, but they got away.”
Mekhi was not pleased. I opened my mouth to speak up on Jarell’s behalf, but it was like he knew I was about to say something.
“Be quiet, Farrah,” he ordered before he turned back to Jarell. “You get a good look?”
His voice was calm, but his eyes were deadly.
“Yeah. I also got this.” Jarell reached in his pocket and pulled out a wallet. “It might help.”
Mekhi snatched it. “It better.”
His eyes flicked back to me. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said stiffly.
“I’on give a fuck what you want, Farrah. Tell me.”
I looked away from him, and he grabbed my chin. I fought as he turned my face back to him, but my strength didn’t match his.
“Tell me,” he demanded again.
Glaring at him, I was quiet for a little bit longer. But his eyes wouldn’t leave me and his grasp on my chin never stopped.
“Trell was here,” I finally mumbled reluctantly.
Mekhi’s eyes narrowed. “Where did he go?”
I pointed at the side door, then watched as they rushed out. Of course, it was too late to catch that bastard and Mekhi stormed back, his expression dark.
“You should’ve told me that as soon as I—”
“You should’ve been here!” I cut him off.
I knew I had revealed too much the moment I said the words. Yeah, that was a lot of my problem. I appreciated Steel and Jarell and the rest of Mekhi’s team. But Mekhi was the one I trusted most. He was the one I wanted looking out for me. No one else seemed fully capable of doing it.
“Farrah—”
I looked down, embarrassed. He was quiet for a minute longer, but then I heard him talking to someone else, directing them to get the wallet to Tex and see if anyone had seen Trell and his crew leave.
I didn’t want to say anything else, but I knew I had something else I needed to tell.
I touched Mekhi’s arm. He stopped talking mid-sentence to look down at me.
“He… he… umm…”
Unable to form the words, I unlocked my phone and opened my text messages before handing it to Mekhi. I watched his face tighten as he read the words.
“So, that nigga was watching us the whole time?”
“Why you surprised? You suspected he might be. You got him to come out—”
“I wanted him to come face me, Farrah. I wasn’t trying to put you in danger.”
“Yeah, well…” I rolled my eyes as my voice trailed off.
Seth walked up then, and Mekhi’s attention shifted to him. “I need to see everybody in the morning. Every fucking body.”
Seth nodded. “I’ll get that shit together.”
They talked for a few minutes more. Ten minutes later, we were in Mekhi’s car, pulling off.
The ride to his house seemed longer than it really was, no doubt because I refused to answer the couple of questions that he asked me.
I didn’t feel like talking. I was tired of all the bullshit.
When he pulled into the garage, I slammed out of the car before he could try to open my door.
I had to wait for him to let me in, but I brushed past him and went to the room I was staying in.
I showered and got ready for bed before realizing I was thirsty.
Creeping down the stairs, I looked around for him.
Good, I thought once I made it to the kitchen. I didn’t want to see his ass. Not bothering to turn the light on, I walked toward the refrigerator and swung it open. I grabbed a bottle of water and closed the door again, then nearly screamed when I saw Mekhi standing on the other side of it.
“Scary ass,” he said.
“Fuck you, Mekhi.”
His face darkened. “Watch your mouth, shorty.”
I sucked my teeth. “Why? You got this crazy ass nigga in my life and I—”
“First, that nigga got himself in ya’ life,” he interrupted me.
“I don’t want to hear that!” I said, taking my water and heading to the stairs in the living room.
He surprised me by following me all the way to the guest room. I tried to close the door on him, but he pushed it open easily.
“Farrah, you—”
I whirled around to face him. “Leave me alone, Mekhi!”
“That’s not happening. I need you to talk to me about tonight. What you saw, what that nigga said.”
“Fuck that. You—”
Strong hands slipped around my upper arms, grabbing me and pulling me closer. Mekhi peered down into my face and for once, his expression was pissed. Part of me knew I should be worried, but another part didn’t give a damn about his temper. I was the one who should be mad.
“Get your hands off me!” I snapped.
“Nah. You gon’ listen—”
“I don’t give a fuck what—”