13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
My last client had already left for today and I was fucking ecstatic.
I couldn’t wait to get out of here. That had been another thing that had changed since I met Oya.
Forbidden Ink had become my home away from home.
I spent more time here than anywhere else.
Now I couldn’t wait until the end of my day when before I wished the days lasted longer.
A knock sounded at the door as I tossed the paper towels, I used to clean, within the trash bin by the door. I pulled it open. I was shocked to see Drew standing there with a look of concern on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as my heart sunk to my gut.
“Have you seen my mother? She was supposed to meet me a few hours ago, and she didn’t show up.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. When it went straight to voice mail concern was replaced with fear. I dialed King next.
“He has her,” I said as soon as he answered.
“Who has who?” he asked, his voice sounding full of stress.
I didn’t know who else to go to. He had a direct line to Messina who had eyes on Williams. I knew he had her because there was no fucking way she’d stand up to Drew.
“Williams has Oya.”
“Let me call you back,” King said then ended the call.
“Call your mother, Drew.”
He didn’t hesitate and tried dialing her while I paced the room. “Voicemail,” he said.
“Have you talked to your father?”
“No. We don’t talk that much anymore,” he confessed. “He only calls when he needs something.”
I hated to open old wounds because I could hear the anger and disappointment in his voice. It was a feeling I knew all too well and still tried not to dwell on even though I wasn’t a kid anymore. But I’d always feel the disappointment and anger that shit just didn’t work out with my father.
“Call him and put it on speaker. I want to hear what he says.”
“You think he has her?” he asked.
“I do,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose as I tried to calm the anger and fear moving through me. “There’s no fucking way she’d stand you up. Call him.”
He nodded and got on the phone with his father, and I’d done something I hadn’t done in a long ass time.
I prayed. I prayed to whoever would listen to keep her safe at least until I could get there.
I was going to kill the motherfucker even if it sent me back to prison.
She’d survive this. As long as she didn’t have to deal with him anymore, he’d die a thousand deaths.
“Dad. Have you heard from Mom?” Drew asked.
“No, hey Dad. No, how you doing?”
Drew deeply sighed. “I don’t have time for pleasantries, Dad. Have you heard from her or not?”
“And why do you think I’ve heard from her? She doesn’t talk to me anymore, especially now that she’s fucking that criminal. Do you know who he is, Drew? That fucking bitch left me for some thug.”
“I don’t have time for the dramatics. I want to know where she is.”
There was a moment of silence and I hoped that he’d do the right thing. At least for his son.
“I haven’t seen her,” he said, then ended the call without another word.
“He’s lying,” Drew said, running his hand over his head.
I knew he was freaking the fuck out just like me. My cell rang, I grabbed it from the table in the room where I tattooed, and answered without looking at the caller ID.
“Oya?”
“No, it’s me, little brother,” King said, and my heart dropped. “Good news. Messina knows where she’s at. I told him to hold off until you get there. That you’d want to take care of this yourself.”
“You damn, right,” I said, relief and anger moving through me. “Where?”
“He’s holding her in Petrova territory. Where they hold their underground fights. Reaper and Snake are going to meet you there. Messina’s men are providing you with anything you need.”
“Thanks, bro. I owe you one.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s a Sinner. She’s family.”
He ended the call, and I faced Drew. “I know where she’s at,” I said, rushing to the door.
“I’m going with you.”
I stopped him. “You can’t. You have too much to lose and if anything happened to you, Oya wouldn’t survive it.”
“That’s my mama, man. I got to help.”
“You can’t be involved in this man. This isn’t going to be a situation where the cops come and save the day. This is going to be dirty. You can’t lose everything you’ve worked for over this.”
Resignation crossed his face. “Okay. Just get her home safely.”
That was what I planned to do, but I needed to get some things off my chest, and I might not be able to do that with her.
“If I don’t make it back, I need you to tell Oya, I love her, and she’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He stared at me for a minute but then nodded.
“I’ll have her call you when I get her,” I said over my shoulder as I raced out the door.
For the first time in a long time, I actually have a clue what was the most important thing in my life. I didn’t feel lost anymore. Oya was my saving grace and if I died today, I would die knowing that I had finally found the one for me. My other half. The person I’d love in this life and the next.