Chapter 8
“You sure we’re safe to go off the resort?” I asked Azari as he held my hand and led me toward the front of the resort where, apparently, valet was.
Azari chuckled like he didn’t have a care in the world or like my question was crazy. “Yeah, love. We good. I got you. You forgot I basically live here part time?”
I shrugged in response. I hadn’t forgotten. I’d just heard horror stories of people going out of the country and then going off the resorts they stayed at. Here I was, just met this man, and trusting that he wasn’t luring me to get sex trafficked.
Before we could walk out into the Port Isle heat, I stopped. “Wait, Azari, are you sure you’re sure about this?”
He turned and looked at me. He must have noticed the apprehension on my face, because his features softened from playful teasing to understanding.
“I got you. I ain’t gonna let nothing bad happen to you, Indira.
You got your location on your phone and watch?
” he asked, nodding toward the Apple Watch on my wrist. I nodded slowly. “Who got your location?”
My eyes narrowed into slits. “A kidnapper would want to know that information.”
He laughed, and I noticed how much I loved that sound. It was deep and vibrated through the space between us.
“Indira, what I gotta do to make you comfortable, man?”
I eyed him for a moment longer, then stuck my hand out. “Give me your ID.”
Without hesitation, he pulled his wallet out of the pocket on the shorts he wore and handed his ID to me.
I looked it over, then snapped a photo of it before sending it to Ashley.
I told her I was going off the resort with Azari and to keep an eye on my location.
Without waiting for a response, I handed the ID back to him and asked, “How do I know that’s not a fake? ”
He kissed his teeth playfully. “Man, come on.” Azari grabbed my hand again, and we walked outside. A sleek black car waited for us already on the curb.
“Mr. Azari, sir. Your car is ready,” one of the valet employees said with a little bow of his head.
Azari nodded at him and handed him a twenty-dollar bill. “Good lookin’, Marcus.” He turned to me. “You want to take a picture of the license plate, too?”
That wasn’t a bad idea. “And do.”
I quickly did and sent that to Ashley as well before I got into the car. Azari closed the door once I was settled and got in as well.
By the time we pulled out of the resort, my mind was more at ease.
“Tell me more about yourself, Azari, so my mind doesn’t wander to the fact that you could very well be kidnapping me to sell me into a sex trafficking ring.”
He chuckled. “You must watch a lot of true crime shit. You one of those women?”
I eyed him. “And what if I am?”
He shrugged. “I think it’s cute.”
“I mean, you have to remember what my job is. I’m not the family law kind of lawyer. I deal with gang members and murderers. I’ve always been into true crime and helping to serve fair justice.”
I emphasized the word fair because I stood on that shit. I didn’t take on cases unless I really thought my clients were innocent.
“Yeah, I forgot you’re a lawyer. I don’t know how I feel about that, though. Ain’t representing those kinds of clients a little dangerous?”
I shrugged. “I’ve definitely had some instances that were scary to be in.
It’s never from my clients. It’s always the opposing clients.
The nice thing about my job is my former clients don’t play about me.
I have a high success rate of getting people off, and they feel like they owe me, whether it be protection or gifts…
so I’m never truly in danger. My former clients always make sure I’m good. ”
“Yeah, like I said, I don’t like that,” he replied.
“Why?”
He side-eyed me like I was crazy as he switched lanes. “Because I like you… a lot. I need to make sure you’re good at all times.”
“Or you’re just saying that so I’ll feel more comfortable around you so you can kidnap me easier.”
“Yo, you wild.” He chuckled. “It seems to me if I want to kidnap you, I already got you right where I need you.”
My eyes turned into slits. “You better not hurt me, Azari. I reminded him, " I know where you live, " as I lifted my phone where the photo of his ID was.
“Man, ain’t nobody gonna hurt yo’ ass. Relax.”
I looked at his profile for a few more seconds before I asked, “You sure you don’t got a girl?”
“Yeah, pretty sure.”
“Like, for sure, for sure?”
“Yup. Why? You tryna be my girl?”
My cheeks warmed.
Yes.
“No.” I couldn’t come off like I was thirsty, though I really was. There was something about Azari that made me want to step outside my comfort zone and rearrange my life for him. “Why are you single?”
“Just ain’t found someone to settle down with yet, I guess,” he replied. “I mean, I have women I spend time with, but nothing solid.”
“You never been in a relationship?”
He nodded. “I have. My last one was three years ago. I guess as I get older, I realize what’s really important in a relationship and what isn’t, so it’s made me more picky.”
“You ever been in love?” I asked.
“I don’t think so. I have love for people, but I never really been in love…” He glanced at me. “Yet.”
I grinned. I wondered if he and I were truly on the same page because I liked this man way more than I should after only knowing him for a few days.
“You sure you ain’t got a man? It’s no niggas I need to bust upside the head when we go home?” he asked.
I giggled. “Not even. It’s been a long time since I even spent time with a man, honestly. Like I said, work has pretty much taken over my life. I haven’t had time for a relationship… but I think that could change,” I hinted.
He glanced at me. “Yeah, baby. I think we on the same page.”
His hand landed on my thigh, and I melted into the seat. His touch sent shivers through my body. I relaxed as I enjoyed the feel of his hand on me and the cool AC hitting my face, ready to see what Azari had planned for me for the evening.