Chapter 11 #2
“Stay inside, Ms. Yumi. I’m going to check the house out. If you see or hear anything suspicious, get in the driver’s seat and pull off. Understand?”
I nodded. “Be careful, please?”
“No worries.” Juno took his gun out of the center console, checked the clip, then got out and went inside.
I climbed into the driver’s seat with my heart pounding in my chest. My leg shook as the thought of calling my dad crossed my mind, but I nixed the idea.
He’d probably say it was because of Emery, and I didn’t need or want to hear that right now.
Hearing a car pulling into my driveway, I waited to see who it was before I rammed this truck into them.
When I saw Emery emerge and several other vehicles pull in behind him, I got out of the car and hurried over to him.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead.
His security went inside to assist Juno as I held on to him tightly.
“You good?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea who would do this.”
“We’re going to get to the bottom of it.
Wait in the car for me.” He opened the Range Rover’s back door and helped me inside.
I watched as he strolled up my walkway to the door and went inside.
A few moments later, everyone came out with Emery holding a paper and talking to the men.
From the look on his face, he looked pissed and a little worried.
I couldn’t take the suspense anymore and got out of the truck, making my way over to them.
“Is everything okay? Is my house vandalized?”
Emery turned to me, shaking his head. “Nah, but I need you to pack some shit. You’re coming to stay with me.”
“Why? I can’t move in with you right now, Emery. I bought this home—”
“It’s not up for debate, Yummy.”
“Emery, . . . what is that?” I gestured to the paper in his hand. Before he could ball it up, I snatched it from his hand. There were two colored photos of me coming out of the salon and my job. At the bottom, it read: Drop the Aldana case, or you’re as good as dead.
I gasped and placed my hand over my mouth.
My parents were right.
Once again.
Only this time, I wasn’t running away from Emery.
I wouldn’t lie and say I wasn’t concerned with why someone would want me to drop the case.
My thoughts swirled with the possibility that this could be my family’s doing, but just as quickly as the thought entered my mind, it ceased.
I knew for a fact they wouldn’t want me dead.
It had to be someone who really wanted to see Emil and Ellis locked away that badly. I didn’t know, but I sure as hell didn’t want to find out if this was someone out to get them.
“Oh my God. This can’t be real.”
“Let’s get you some things, then I’m going to take you to my estate. You’ll be safe there.”
“And how long will I have to stay there?”
“I’d prefer you stay forever, but I ain’t gon’ force you. However, once you’re officially an Aldana, that ass will be staying permanently.”
“I’m scared, Emmy.”
“Don’t be. As long as you have me, nothing will ever happen to you. Do you trust me?”
“I always have until you omitted the truth.” I didn’t mean to bring it up, but he did lie to me, which caused us to drift apart. I wanted to trust him because he was a different man than he was back then, and he’d only kept a secret from me. A big one, no less.
“That shit is the past, Yummy. You know everything, and I’m not hiding anything from you. So, what’s it going to be? We’re getting your shit, or do I have to implement some force?”
“I thought you said you wouldn’t force me?”
“To live with me, Yum. But until I get to the bottom of this, my home will be where you will be.”
I tossed my hands up. “Fine.” I wasn’t going to argue with him, because I really was scared that someone was going to harm me.
It made me wonder if I should drop off the case.
I walked into the house and looked around, making sure nothing had been stolen.
Everything seemed to be in place except the painting over my safe, which seemed crooked.
I walked over and removed it, seeing that it was still closed and locked.
I opened it up just to be sure and to get my loose cash and the Aldanas files.
I could tell it had been tampered with, but because they couldn’t get inside, they weren’t able to take anything.
I began taking everything out, then went to pack my luggage.
“Yumi!” That was Carmen calling my name.
“In the bedroom!” I yelled back. A few moments later, she appeared in my doorway, looking confused.
“Uhhh, did somebody die?”
“What? No.” I chuckled.
“Oh, because them niggas look like they’re ready to haul a dead body out of here!” I laughed. “What’s going on?”
“Someone broke into my house. They left me a letter saying if I don’t drop off the Aldana case, they’re going to kill me.”
“Wait, what? No way!”
“It’s true. When I took on the case, I didn’t think it would be like this,” I confessed, sitting on my bed as a bit of solemnness washed over me. Carmen came and sat next to me.
“I’m sure you didn’t. But we both know why you took on their case.” With humor in her tone, she pushed her body into mine lightly.
I smiled lightly. “Yeah, but I dropped it after seeing him. Then Salah told me that this could be the case that makes me a partner. You know how long I’ve been wanting this?”
“I do. But what if you don’t win? Did she reveal the con to that?”
“No, but there is no what if. I can’t talk about the case, but if I win this, I’m for sure going to gain that title. My family doesn’t understand, because they’re allowing their hate for Emery to prevent them from seeing how beneficial this is for me.”
“There has to be something deeper behind their hate for him.”
“I don’t know what it is, but what I do know is that someone is threatening to hurt me.”
“And you think it’s safe to be with Emery right now?”
“Absolutely . . . Emery and I have a deep connection, Carm. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until he came back into my life.”
“Wait a minute. What about Liam?” I’d totally forgotten that I hadn’t told her about the shit Liam pulled on me.
I had been so busy with Ellis and Emil’s case, then being with Emery, that I didn’t tell her of the fuckery Liam pulled on me.
He had been texting and calling me for weeks now, but I had been diligently ignoring him.
The fact that he was still begging me to consider this poly shit was insane.
“I’ll have to tell you about that later. I need to finish packing before Emery comes in here and drags me out.”
“I’m coming too, because I need to know the tea!” We both laughed.
“I may need to stock up on some plan B’s because I’m almost positive if I don’t, he’s going to get me pregnant.”
“Just get on birth control if you’re not trying to have a baby right now. Apparently, your ass ain’t trying to prevent it for real.” She rolled her eyes just as Emery approached the door.
“Encouraging her to get on birth control is crazy work, sis.”
She looked over at him and smiled. “Hey, I’m the neutral party here, sir, and at the end of the day, I’m her best friend.
I’m with whatever she decides.” Carmen stood from the bed and smiled widely.
“Although I’m almost positive that before the year is out, there will be congratulations in order.
” She giggled as I tossed a pillow at her.
“Let’s go, Yum. We gotta get moving.” I could tell by his voice he didn’t like what we were discussing; however, I wasn’t wrong to want to wait.
We were just getting back in contact with each other, so there was no need for him to feel any way.
Hell, I just agreed to marry him. Still, I knew how Emery felt about me and how I felt about him.
He already gave me the plan, and I had only fifteen more days before I was in Antigua, saying, I do,” and bouncing on his lap to give him his offspring.
I just hoped that whoever was threatening me didn’t make good on their promise.