Chapter 43
Gianna hadn't answered my text or phone calls in the last few hours, so I was on edge.
When I left, she was curled up in my bed sleeping soundly.
I checked in a few times, and she was still there relaxing before she went to the house to pack with Ronnie, which I was against her doing without me.
But she told me her and Ronnie had their guns ready and a door stopper pushed under the knob, so I let her go.
But as soon as my health inspection was over, I told my mangers I was out for the day and left. Melo was at my parents for the weekend, so the plan was for me to do whatever I needed to relax Gianna and take the stress off her. She had been on edge. Quiet. Not smiling. All totally understandable.
My heart was racing as I drove, but as soon as I pulled up and saw her car parked in the driveway, the tension eased off me. She was safe. I parked next to her and quickly went inside. "Gianna—baby, you here?" I called out, kicking off my shoes at the door.
Nothing.
I walked towards my bedroom and stepped in.
And there she was.
On the balcony, a blanket thrown over her. Her legs were curled up towards her chest on the lounger as she stared off into the distance. "Baby…" I said gently walking towards her.
She turned her head then. "Hey, babe. I didn't hear you come in." She gave me a soft smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
"I was worried about you. You ain't been answering my calls." I pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"You called me?" She removed her hands from under the blanket.
And that's when I saw her bruised, swollen knuckles. "What the fuck?" I grabbed her hands inspecting the damage. "Baby, what happened?"
She exhaled. "I got into a fight with Monroe." She paused. "Actually—she didn't get a lick in, so I mostly fought her face."
My head snapped up. "You WHAT?" I stared at her in disbelief before looking back down at her swollen knuckles. "Gianna, what the fuck?!"
She pulled her hands back slightly with a wince. "Don't yell at me."
"I'm not yelling at you, baby I'm just—" I dragged my hand down my face trying to calm myself down. "What happened?"
Her expression shifted and suddenly she just looked tired and scared. "I snapped," she admitted quietly. "I just…snapped."
I crouched down in front of her slowly. "Talk to me"
She stared off toward the mountains again before speaking. "Mullins had us come to the station to see what she had on Boss. I found out Boss did prison time for breaking and entering when he was eighteen. The partial was a bust. Then somebody dropped flowers on my car at the police station."
Her voice shook harder the more she talked.
"They ran the camera's and couldn’t read the plates," she continued. "I was just so fed up." She shrugged. "So me and Ronnie went to Siren House so I could confront Madam about not telling me." She let out a heavy breath. "I been wanting to beat Monroe ass so—I did."
Rage quietly built in my chest. Rage at that sick ass nigga Boss, and… a little bit at myself for not being there. "Come here," I said softly. The second I pulled her into my arms she folded into me.
Her face buried into my neck while her body shook with emotion. "I just want him to leave me alone," she mumbled into my neck.
My grip around her tightened. "I'll figure it out, baby. I got you."