Chapter 41
“What? Mekhi really let you out of the house?” Kera asked, faking shock.
“Fuck you, Kera,” I responded, laughing as I pushed her shoulder.
Steel stepped in front of us to open the door to the little wing joint that Mekhi and Seth owned.
Jarell was close behind us, but I knew the restaurant had extra protection, as well.
That was one of the only reasons Mekhi hadn’t insisted Kera and I have lunch at home.
We chatted about nothing in particular as we were seated, Steel and Jarell at a table close to our booth.
I had just settled my purse on the seat beside me when Kera squealed. My head jerked up.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I want all the details about what’s going on with you and Khi. Seth says he’s so serious about you that—”
I waved a hand, stopping her. “I don’t know about all that.”
“Girl, stop playing! He’s been into you. I’m just glad he’s finally showing it.”
Sucking my teeth, I rolled my eyes at her. “He couldn’t stand me. He barely can now.”
“Shut up, Farrah,” she said just as our server walked up with glasses of water.
I flipped Kera off and looked at the menu. We ordered quickly and then Kera was ready to interrogate me.
“So… what’s it like when you two aren’t arguing?” she asked, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands.
I shrugged. “It’s cool. He’s funny and smart when he’s not mugging me.”
She looked around before leaning closer to me.
“And please tell me you have used this opportunity to get a look at him without clothes? I mean, you right in his house, and he fine as fuck!”
I picked up my glass of water and took a long swallow before pulling out my phone. “Oh, yeah, I’ve definitely seen him without clothes,” I mumbled, pretending to be engrossed in my text messages.
“And? You didn’t want to just jump his bones right there?” she pressed.
Sighing, I looked up at her. “Kera—”
“What, bitch?”
She stared at me as I sat silently. Finally, her mouth dropped open.
“Farrah!” she shrieked.
Steel and Jarell both turned sharply. Steel’s hand dipped under the table until I shook my head. He relaxed slightly.
Kera slapped both hands on the table. “Tell me everything! Was it good? Did you like it? Was it—”
“Kera! Damn!” I hissed, blushing. “This is worse than talking to Hyacinth. You—”
But my phone rang before I could shut her up. It was a private number. My stomach went cold. I answered carefully.
“Hello?”
“Farrah.” The thick Northern accent slid down my spine like something greasy. “I’m surprised he didn’t change your number.”
I swallowed, gripping the phone tighter. “I told you he wasn’t worried about you.”
He chuckled, his voice low, mocking. “He should be.”
I scoffed. “About a nigga who won’t show his face? Who harasses a woman like a coward? Please.”
Silence. Then a soft, amused sound.
“I’m a coward? We’ll see, pretty girl.”
I shivered at the determination in his voice.
I didn’t know what he had planned, but I needed Mekhi to catch up with his ass before he could set anything else in motion.
My eyes darted around, half-expecting to see him here.
Kera was staring at me, her mouth wide open.
Suddenly, she gestured for Steel to come over.
I shook my head, but he was there in a second.
Kera pointed at my phone and mouthed, Trell.
Steel held out his hand. I shook my head again.
“What is it I’m going to see, Trell?”
“In due time, love. In due time.”
“Why are you calling me? Another message for Mekhi? Because I’d be happy to give you his number.”
He laughed again. “But if I call him directly, I don’t get to talk to you. That’s no fun for me.”
“Fun?” I laughed. “This doesn’t have a damn thing to do with fun.
This is all about fear. Your scary ass is afraid of Mekhi.
Instead of being a man and confronting Mekhi about whatever your damn issue is with him, you using me.
Stalking me. Calling me. That’s ‘bitch nigga’ behavior.
I can assure you that if Mekhi wanted your ass, he wouldn’t be stepping to no woman trying to get your attention. He would—”
I didn’t get the chance to finish, drowned out by the staccato sound of bullets from the parking lot. Steel pulled me and Kera down forcefully, before jumping up.
“Stay y’all asses down!” he barked.
I could hear raised voices all around me.
Head down, I heard laughter coming from the phone I’d dropped when Steel snatched me.
Something inside me snapped. Suddenly, I was pissed the fuck off, tired of this sorry ass nigga trying to terrorize me, and for what?
I heard Steel talking, clearing things with Jarell and the guy I didn’t even know they had in the parking lot.
Fuming, I stayed down until Steel grabbed my wrist and muttered, “Time to go. Now.”
His voice was flat and cold. Dangerous. He didn’t have to tell me twice, because I was feeling just like his voice sounded. I prayed for five minutes—okay, maybe two—alone with Trell. Bet he wouldn’t threaten anyone else when I finished with his ass.
Kera was busy moving, grabbing our bags under Jarell’s watchful eyes.
We paid at the register, no arguments and no waiting.
Steel walked us out the side door instead of the main one, jaw tight, eyes tracking.
The warm air hit my face as we stepped into the parking lot.
It was loud, customers running and screaming, scattered by the sounds of the shots.
Two armed men were circling the lot, eyes no doubt checking for the shooter.
Steel stopped abruptly. His Chevy—newly repaired and armored—was across the lot, black, tinted, looking lethal. And the back window was spiderwebbed with bullet cracks. I felt terrible.
“What the hell—” Kera began.
Before she could finish, a man sprinted from behind the dumpsters and grabbed a screaming running woman. She quieted, her voice reduced to whimpers as he put a gun to her head. It was the man from the store, from the club. Trell… This bastard.
“Let her go, bitch ass nigga! It’s me you mad at,” I screamed.
“Farrah!” Steel snapped.
“If you don’t shut the fuck up,” Kera muttered at me from between clenched teeth.
I frowned at them. “No, I’m sickuh him. Targeting everybody but the man he got a problem with. Just weak.”
“You keep running that mouth, pretty girl, and I’ma make you regret it,” he spat.
The team was moving toward him slowly, but he kept the woman as a close shield. The terror on her face; I would never forget this look. Trell backed away, but I wasn’t sure where his steps were taking him.
“You the one who’s gon’ have regrets. When Mekhi catches your ass—”
“Stop saying his name to me! That nigga ain’t nothing! Not shit!” Trell raged.
Suddenly, he pushed the woman away from him hard. He jumped into the passenger seat of Steel’s car and slammed the door. The engine roared. Tires screeched. The car peeled out so fast it fishtailed, kicking up gravel and dust before speeding toward the road.
“Why the fuck it gotta always be my baby?” Steel muttered, taking off at a dead sprint.
Kera talked her shit while I stood there, mouth open, speechless.
That was Steel’s car. Steel’s bulletproof car. Stolen. Shot up. Hijacked. By Trell and his people.
Kera grabbed my arm. “Farrah—it’s alright, baby—get behind me—come on—”
I snapped out of it, a smile curving my mouth.
“Bitch, what’s funny? Lord, he done finally drove you insane!” Kera lamented.
“Nah, that nigga think he slick. All that picking and talking his shit, but he fucking up, Kera. Escalating. He out in the open, broad daylight, on Seth and Mekhi’s property.
Yeah, the drive by was outside, but it was outside in the hood, before anyone knew to be looking for his weak ass.
And Steel don’t play about that car. I bet he can track him or something. Dumb ass,” I said scornfully.
My girl just stared at me for a minute.
“What?” I asked, frowning.
A slow smile spread across her face. “Oh, you serious, serious about this forensic psychology, huh?”
I shrugged. Jarell wouldn’t let us go to our cars. Instead, we climbed into his clean ass, silver Tahoe and he sped us out of the lot with sirens in the distance growing louder. We were on our way to Mekhi’s and one thought dimmed my satisfaction at Trell’s fuck up.
Mekhi was going to lose his mind.
By the time Jarell escorted me inside Mekhi’s house, he was already standing in the foyer.
Waiting.
Still.
Silent.
Hell, I preferred the pacing. Mekhi looked like a human storm.
His eyes swept over me once, head to toe, like he was checking for blood or missing pieces.
Checking that I was still breathing. Then he walked toward me.
That walk scared me a little. He wasn’t moving too fast or anything. He just seemed really, really focused.
The door clicked shut as Jarell backed out of the house without a word. I didn’t know how I felt about that. Mekhi didn’t speak until he was right up on me.
“Why?”
My throat tightened. “Khi—”
“No.” Too soft. Too calm. Too dangerous. “Don’t ‘Khi’ me. I asked a question.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Why the fuck would you talk to him like that? Everybody ain’t gon’ handle that mouth the way I do—”
I felt the blush warm my face. “Victim-blaming? Really? This ain’t my—”
“Farrah, he was sitting in a truck watching. He got out and shot up Steel’s car after that call! He was approaching the restaurant until our guys got out.”
I flinched. I mean, when he put it that way…
“Why didn’t your guys get him? I saw three of them.”
“Because the nigga with Trell got out shooting, giving him cover to shoot up Steel’s shit. And there were people in that parking lot, including kids. I ain’t giving the go ahead to kill no kids!”
He paced, furious.
“You think Trell some goofy little nigga you can clown? The nigga is clearly not all there! You think your mouth gon’ protect you?”
“Mekhi, I’m not stupid!” I yelled.