7. Milan Rivers #2
“I know that.” We stared at one another for a while before I said, “And good morning to you too.”
“It’s afternoon.”
“You know what? Never mind.”
He walked further into the suite like he belonged here right now, which technically, I guessed he did. It was his shit.
“You said you were coming later.”
“This is later.”
“Yeah, well, I took that as you’d call me and we’d set up a time or something. Not you just popping up because you can.” I playfully rolled my eyes. “I know this your shit and all, but still.”
He laughed.
“I guess you right. I should’ve called.”
I took a step back, smiling through pressed lips. “Whatttt…” I teased. “You agreeing with something I said?”
Vice sat down on the couch, smirking as he playfully told me, “Don’t let it go to your head.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“Too late. I already did.”
He just sat there looking at me.
I didn’t know what it was about the way he stared, but it made my stomach do this weird little flip and hard for me to hold his gaze for too long.
He was sexy. Like… dangerously sexy. Annoying and bossy, but sexy as hell. I’d never admit that out loud, though, especially not to him.
“You done?” He asked, snapping me out my trance.
“I haven’t decided.”
“Well, let me know when you do.” I stared at him for a second before shaking my head. This man had a way of making every argument feel pointless before it even got started. “Anyway, what did you find out?” I asked.
His expression changed enough to let me know the answer wasn’t going to make me feel better.
“Somebody shut those cameras down manually.”
“Clearly…”
“We know the system was accessed using an employee login.”
“Whose?”
“Still figuring that out.”
“So you came here to tell me you don’t know anything?”
“I came to tell you you’re not going back to that apartment.”
I laughed because there was no way he could’ve been serious, but he was and I knew that.
Even so, I still told him, “You don’t get to tell me where I can live.”
“I wasn’t telling you where to live.” His eyes stayed on mine. “I told you where you ain’t going.”
My eyes dimmed just as the words left his mouth. “Do you hear yourself?”
“Every word.”
“Vice, that is my apartment. I can’t leave out this hotel. It’s nice and everything, but I can’t stay here.”
“Was… That was your apartment.”
“No. It is. I pay rent there. My name is on the lease. My things are there.”
“And somebody who ain’t paying rent walked in without a key, shut the cameras off and left a bullet on your counter.”
“I know what happened.”
“Then act like it.”
My irritation rose immediately. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah, I heard you. I’m just giving you a chance to fix it.”
Vice leaned back against the couch and studied me for a second. “You think I’m trying to run your life.”
“That’s exactly what you’re trying to do.”
“No. I’m trying to keep you from doing something stupid just because you don’t like being told what to do…
I’m tryna keep you alive and you taking this shit as a joke, and it’s starting to irritate the fuck out of me…
Somebody threatened you, Shawty. They know where you live, where you work and what you look like.
They got into a building you thought was secure without anybody stopping them.
” His voice never got louder, but the more he spoke, the harder it became to argue with what he was saying.
“That’s enough for me to know going back there ain’t smart. ”
I folded my arms across my chest. “So what am I supposed to do? Live in your hotel forever?”
“No… Find somewhere else.” I frowned. That wasn’t the answer I expected, but I didn’t say anything as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “You don’t want me making decisions for you? A’ight. Make one.”
“What?”
“Find somewhere else to live.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah.”
“You know people can’t just move every time something happens.”
“You can.”
“You don’t know my finances.” He didn’t say anything. Huffing out a heavy breath, I added, “I just moved into that apartment.”
“I get that… I really do, but you know like I know these mothafuckas ain’t playing with you. I can’t tell you what to do, and I’m not trying to.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw before letting out a quiet breath. “But like I said, going back there ain’t smart.”
I dropped my head because, deep down, I knew he was right.
His voice softened.
“If that’s what you wanna do, I ain’t gonna stop you.” I looked up at him. “But hear me when I say this.” His eyes locked on mine. “I’m not coming to save you from a decision you already know is a bad one. You know damn well you don’t need to be there.”
The words stung because they weren’t said out of anger.
They were said because he was worried.
I sat down in the chair across from him and glanced around the suite before looking back his way. In a low voice, I asked, “How long do you expect me to stay here?”
“Until you find somewhere.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
He looked at me like the answer should’ve been obvious. “It’s my hotel.”
“I know that now. You conveniently left that part out when you said you was getting me one.”
He shrugged. “Didn’t seem important.”
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. “Of course it didn’t.”
He smiled again.
I rolled my eyes, mostly because I refused to let him see that it was growing on me. The man was cocky, aggravating, and had an answer for everything. None of that should’ve been attractive… but somehow, it was.
Before my thoughts wandered any further down that road, I cleared my throat and changed the subject.
“So what happens with the police?”
“They investigate.”
“And you?”
“I do the same.”
I frowned. “You’re not the police, Vice.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you investigating anything?”
The humor disappeared from his face so quickly it was almost jarring. His jaw tightened, and when he finally answered, his voice was quieter than it’d been all evening.
“My cousin is dead.”
Just like that, every smart remark I’d been holding onto disappeared.
I’d gotten so used to arguing with him that, for a moment, I’d forgotten why any of this had started in the first place. Sam wasn’t just another name in a police report. He was family to him. Someone Vice had grown up with. Someone he’d never get another conversation with.
Guilt settled in the pit of my stomach.
“I’m sorry.”
His eyes met mine.
“You already told me that.”
“I know.” My voice softened. “I’m still sorry.”
He gave a small nod, but the look in his eyes told me there wasn’t a response in the world that was going to make any of this easier.
The conversation faded after that. Neither of us felt the need to fill the silence. We simply sat here, each lost in our own thoughts, while the weight of everything that had happened settled quietly between us.
My phone started ringing on the table beside me, breaking the silence.
When I reached for it and saw the name on the screen, my stomach tightened. It was Evan, and I declined the call before Vice could see anything. I didn’t even know why it mattered if he saw it or not. It wasn’t like we were a couple of working towards being one.
The man was simply here to… Protect me, I guess, and nothing more.
“Who’s Evan?” My eyes widened as they moved to his.
“Uh… nobody.”
“Nobody call a lot?”
“That was one call.”
“You declined it fast as hell, too.”
“Why are you even paying attention to my phone?”
He chuckled. “It rung.”
“That doesn’t mean you needed to read the name.”
“I mean, it was right there.”
Sucking my teeth, I picked up the phone and turned it facedown. “He’s my ex.”
Vice nodded and that was it.
For some reason, his lack of reaction bothered me more than if he’d asked a hundred questions.
“What?”
He frowned. “What you mean, what?”
“You’re not going to ask anything?”
“About your ex?”
“Yeah.”
“No. Why the fuck would I?”
I stared at him for a while before jumping my should. “I don’t know.”
He leaned back and looked at me with something close to amusement in his eyes. “You want me to care?”
“No. Why the hell would I want you to care. That’s crazy.”
This time, he laughed, but I didn’t. And I’m not talking about small grin like I’d seen before. I’m talking an actual laugh.
I just sat here staring at him until my phone started ringing again. Once again, it was Evan’s ass.
This time, I silenced it without looking at Vice. He didn’t say anything and neither did I.
Whatever Evan wanted could wait.
Right now, I had enough going on without reopening a door I’d spent months trying to close.
My phone finally stopped ringing, and I pushed it farther away before looking back at Vice. He still didn’t ask about Even and I guess I should’ve been happy because I damn sure didn’t feel like explaining ten years of my life to a man I’d known for less than two weeks.
Still, as I sat here looking at him, another question came to mind.
“Why are you doing all this?”
His eyebrows pulled together. “You asked me that last night, and I don’t understand why you keep asking me that. Doing what?”
“This.” I motioned around the suite before looking back at him. “The hotel. Security. Coming when I called. All of this… coming to make sure I’m okay. Why are you doing this? Like, what am I supposed to give you in return?”
He laughed, shaking his head like I couldn’t be serious. The amusement faded almost as quickly as it came.
“You think I’m doing all this for some pussy?”
My eyes widened. “What? I didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, but it sound like you’re insinuating it.”
“Well, I’m not.” I shifted in my seat. “I just know everything comes with a price.”
The room got quiet. He didn’t rush to answer, and for some reason, I found myself holding my breath, waiting to hear what he’d say. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
“You tried to save my cousin.”
I wasn’t expecting that.
For a second, I just stared at him, unsure what to say. “I was doing my job.”
“You weren’t on the clock when all that happened.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Technically, he was right.