Chapter Four
Boe sat behind the wheel of Nivéa’s car, fingers drumming against the emblem as he cursed under his breath.
The shit at the market still burned. Things had gone left, way left.
Maybe he should’ve risked it, he thought.
Maybe he should’ve dragged Nivéa into a bank and got her to take everything out at once.
Now there he sat, scrambling. He was positive she’d have her debit card blocked soon and report her car missing, too.
Frantically, his knee bounced as his thoughts drifted back to the market’s parking lot. The gun pressed against the back of his head, and the voice behind him. The nigga didn’t even hesitate at the idea of killing him right there in broad daylight. Who the fuck was that nigga?
The small glimpse Boe caught made him feel like he recognized Danger, just like he thought he recognized Crown.
But he couldn’t put his finger on where he knew them from.
One thing he knew for sure, though, was that the man he just encountered was a real killer.
Somebody with power. Somebody Nivéa hadn’t told him about.
His mind flicked to the older woman. Nivéa had claimed she was her mother’s friend, but Boe knew now that was a lie.
It felt like pieces were missing, like he was staring at a puzzle without the full picture.
Before he could spiral any further, he killed the noise inside his head and focused on what was more important now…plan B.
Plan B was risky.
Reckless, even.
A move Boe would never make if things hadn’t gone south. But desperation had a way of changing shit, and he was running out of options. So, he called Plan B and asked for a favor. His cousin could only do so much for him. He was a man at the end of the day and had to make his own way.
Soon, a pearl-white Benz slid into view, perfectly fitted for a princess.
Boe straightened slightly as the engine cut off.
A woman with long dreadlocks hanging to the crack of her ass stepped out moments later, heels clicking against the pavement as she adjusted the black bag on her arm.
Everything about her screamed money and confidence.
She walked toward him like she owned the air around her.
“Fabienne, baby,” Boe spoke as he opened the door and stepped out.
“Boe,” she replied, her eyes nervously sweeping the area behind the oversized GUCCI frames perched on her nose. “You have lost your mind wanting to meet up in broad daylight.”
“Baby, listen. I know this ain’t our usual.” He said smoothly, stepping closer.
“But you know I just got out. Shit’s tight for me right now, and I need a little help.
I gotta pay my mama back for covering my bail, and I still owe my lawyer, too.
I swear I’ll pay you back every cent once I’m back on my grind.
” Boe lied as easily as he breathed. He was a natural charmer, especially with a woman who didn’t know the real him.
Fabienne studied him in silence, lips pursed. “Yeah, you better. Ain’t shit free. The dick is good, but it ain’t that good.” She joked with a smirk.
“Understood, luv,”
She removed the bag from her arm and gently shoved it against his chest. “Here. This is all I can do for you. My brother still watches my accounts, and anything more would’ve raised a red flag and have him breathing down my fuckin’ neck.”
Boe took the bag, relief flickering across his face.
Honestly, he couldn’t believe he’d pulled this off.
In all the time he’d been messing with Fabienne, it had never crossed his mind to ask her rich ass for anything.
He’d been high off her alone. High off who she was, and how important she was.
Being with a woman of her status made him feel good.
If anything, he spoiled her whenever they linked up, taking her to the finest restaurants and hotels like he really had it like that.
She already knew who he worked for, and that alone had her assuming he was paid.
Boe was happy to feed the illusion. So, he tricked on her every chance he got, even though he knew she didn’t need it. She was still young. Still green.
They had crossed paths at a popular lounge one night.
He had been fresh, deep in a section with his niggas.
Fabienne had walked in with her girls, slipping away from the rules and expectations that followed her everywhere, just wanting to feel normal for a night.
At the time, neither of them knew how closely their worlds were tied.
They only knew the attraction was instant, and the sex that night had been undeniably good.
It was later that the truth surfaced when he ran into her at her family’s nightclub.
A truth that should have shut everything down immediately.
Instead, they kept going, telling themselves to just be careful and discreet.
Boe knew her pussy was a death sentence.
But he was not built to walk away from temptation.
“Bet, I appreciate you, baby. I’mma pay you back, plus more.” He lied again, and he didn’t give a fuck about doing so.
Fabienne came from a line of hittas, but Boe wasn’t worried. To tell anyone he ran off with her money, she’d have to tell on her damn self too, and he knew she wasn’t doing that. Her people would shoot her dead for the disobedience.
Fabienne lifted her index finger, warning him as if he were a child who needed reminding. Then she turned and walked away.
Boe watched her go, his fear and frustration shifting into something else entirely as he eyed her body in the tight dress she wore.
Fabienne had the longest, prettiest brown legs he had ever seen on a woman.
She looked like a supermodel, the type of beauty a man couldn’t pass up, no matter what.
Not to mention her accent that slipped out at times, drove him crazy.
Being locked up without a woman’s touch had Boe’s judgment slipping, his body acting before his brain could catch up and remind him to get the fuck out of town.
He’d wanted to be inside the mother of his child badly.
He fucked around on Nivéa, sure, but he knew no one could hold a candle to her natural beauty.
That was why he’d kept her as his main, the one he proudly showed off.
But Fabienne would do for now. She was the next best thing on his roster.
“Aye,” he called out, licking his lips.
She paused and glanced back over her shoulder. “What?”
“You ain’t gon’ show a nigga no love? It’s been a minute.” He walked over to her, pulling her in.
“You know I would, but it’s daytime, Boe.”
“We good, baby. Trust me. Have I ever let us get caught?”
Fabienne looked him over, then clicked her tongue as she reached up and ran her hand through his rough mane. Boe was unpolished and overdue for grooming, but there was no denying that handsome face. He was a sight for sore eyes. The kind of handsome that allowed him to run circles around a bitch.
“You need a haircut, bébé.” Her accent slipped through as she loosened up.
“I know, and I’mma go handle that. Give a nigga some motivation to move quicker.”
Fabienne shook her head, then looked around once more as if she was considering his offer. That hesitation told Boe everything. He smiled, knowing he was about to wear her ass out in the backseat of that Benz before he got back on the road.
∞∞∞
“How did you know I was at the market? You showed up before your brother even made the call.” Nivéa asked as she and Crown soaked in the tub.
The jets humming beneath the water worked the tension out of her body. And as her muscles relaxed, her mind began to awaken, and the questions came rushing in.
Crown bit down on his bottom lip, staring straight ahead as he searched for the least crazy way to tell her the truth.
“Ahmad,” she called softly, turning her head just enough to look back at him.
“What if I told you I put a tracker on you, ma?”
Nivéa’s breath caught for half a second, and she swallowed hard. “Why would you do that?”
“Because you were mine, and it gave me peace of mind. I know it sounds crazy. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that shit. I was out of line.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have. But if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have been able to find me if your mother hadn’t.” She reasoned as she brought her hand up to his face.
“I don’t know what to think of you at times. I know you’re genuine, but I also know you have a lot of secrets. Secrets so big that you felt compelled to put a tracker on me.”
Silence settled between them as they held each other’s gaze. Her fingers moved slowly through his beard. “How bad is your other world? I’ve seen how ugly it can get, but what all does it consist of?”
“Rest first, then we’ll talk. Remember?” Crown reminded her for his own sake more than hers. The last thing he needed was to overwhelm her with details about his bike life. She was already carrying enough.
With heavy eyes, Nivéa nodded, turning away and letting the back of her head rest against his chest as he washed her with the natural sea sponge lathered in amber and bergamot body wash.
The warm, citrus-spiced scent drifted through the steam while water traced slow paths down her shoulders.
Crown moved with care, as if he could ease the fear still clinging to her.
When he set the sponge aside and chose his hands instead, Nivéa released a shaky breath.
Her body finally surrendered the fight it had been holding onto for hours.
After the bath, her eyes were barely open. Crown lifted her from the water and settled her onto the built-in marble bench beside the tub, the stone warm beneath her from the heated floors.
“I saw you had tampons in the bag. Your period on?” he asked, drying her gently with the thick bath sheet.
Lazily, Nivéa shook her head. “You think I’d take a bath with you or sit here naked if my period was on, Ahmad?” she snickered.
“I wouldn’t give a fuck. It’s you. That shit wouldn’t bother me.”
Nivéa studied him for a second, loving how much he adored her. “Nah. I just bought that, hoping it would keep him from trying anything with me.” She kept it real, chewing on the corner of her lip.
Crown’s jaw tightened at the thought.
Seeing it, she reached up and rubbed the side of his face with her thumb, grounding him before his anger could take shape.
Without another word, he slipped the gown over her shoulders and guided the panties up her legs, pausing to kiss her ankles.
He dressed her with the same patience he’d shown all morning.
And only after she was settled, did he take care of himself.
He had to push what she said out of his mind before he fucked around and left her side to go dead the issue.
He was trying to be patient and put her needs first before he hit the streets.
“I’m so sleepy.” Nivéa whispered as he carried her like she weighed nothing at all.
“I know,” Crown kissed her neck, then placed her on the bed.
“Come hold me, please. I don’t wanna be alone right now.” She begged as her head touched the pillow.
“I planned to. I ain’t going nowhere, ma.”
Crown climbed in behind her and pulled her close, anchoring her against his chest. In no time, sleep claimed them both, and they didn’t wake again until Nyla’s cries shattered the quiet just before noon.
Nivéa jolted upright, yawning as she stretched and shifted into mama mode.
While she went to tend to the baby, Crown grabbed his phone from the nightstand and ordered her favorite through the DoorDash app.
He then checked his messages, and a text from Kerri awaited him.
He texted her back, letting her know everything was good.
But she insisted on stopping by later to see for herself.
He didn’t argue; that was his mama. Respect would always be there, no matter how old he got.
When he looked up, Nivéa stood in the doorway with Nyla tucked against her chest. Her hair was still damp, and her face was marked by exhaustion, yet to him she’d never looked more beautiful.
Crown hated that fear and chaos were the reasons she was standing there, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t happy she was under his roof, and that she’d agreed to stay, even if only for a little while.
“We’ll be in your game room. I love the sunlight coming through that big-ass window.
” She smiled, shifting Nyla slightly. “I need to use your phone in there, too. I gotta call my bank. He stole my debit card. And then, I don’t know…
when you have time, maybe you can bring me to a station to report my car stolen. ”
Crown sat up, disbelief flashing across his face. “The fuck you mean he stole your debit card?” The words came out sharp; that was the only detail he locked onto.
“Yep,” Nivéa sighed, embarrassment creeping into her voice at the thought of ever being involved with a scumbag like Boe.
“Long story. But he already withdrew the daily maximum earlier. I gotta catch it before he tries again. I have bills to pay soon, and I’m not sure how long the dispute process will take. They’d have to investigate.”
“Nah, don’t file a dispute, and don’t worry about your car. Just make the call to block the card, so they can issue you a new one. I’mma handle the rest. I got you on whatever you need.”
“But… I can’t just let him get away with this shit.”
“You think I’mma let a nigga force his way into your crib, touch you, and get away with it? That’s not what I said, ma. What I said was don’t open an investigation, and damn sho don’t file a police report. I don’t need those muthafuckas snoopin’ around while I’m handling my business.”
Chills slid down Nivéa’s spine as she stared at him, the real him. The look in his dark eyes told her everything she needed to know. He didn’t want the cops involved because he planned to harm Boe.
“I ordered seafood for lunch. You hungry?” Crown changed the subject, shifting.
Nivéa licked her lips, swallowing hard. “I guess I could eat. I ain’t turning down seafood.”
He smirked, watching her walk away. But when she was out of sight, the corner of his lips dropped, and he kissed his teeth in frustration. Crown was livid. He was going to track down her car once more, find Boe, and slaughter his pitiful ass.