Chapter 9
Nine
Honor Gravehart
"Police are investigating the deaths of a man and a woman who were discovered early this morning in a residential home in Ember Hills."
I leaned back on the couch, eyes half-lidded, watching the screen more for confirmation than out of concern.
"Officers were dispatched to the residence after a neighbor called in, reporting she hadn't heard from her friends in a couple of days. A wellness check was conducted, and both individuals were found deceased at the scene."
Grabbing my phone, the corner of my mouth tugged into a slow smirk.
Me
Good lookin' out.
Syn
I told you I had it handled. Enjoy your day.
I chuckled at the text, tossed my phone next to me, then continued to listen.
"At this time, authorities have not released the identities of the victims. Foul play has been ruled out, and according to my sources, the circumstances surrounding the deaths appear to be from natural causes."
The screen cut to flashing lights washing over a residential street, yellow tape fluttering in the early morning air.
I muted the TV, exhaled slowly, and closed my eyes.
The first step of my plan had been handled.
The next was knocking off Talon, which wasn't gon' be too hard.
Honey said he'd been swimming at the bottom of liquor bottles ever since I told her to make him aware he was being followed.
Fear loosened men up, making them reachable.
Paranoia did the opposite. It starved the mind and shattered the spirit until survival felt pointless and death felt earned.
Talon was close, but I needed him at the brink, so when the moment came, he'd beg me to pull the trigger.
"Why are you watching news about Ember Hills?" Navy asked, stepping into the living room.
She stood next to the couch looking like a nigga's favorite last breath. Our eyes caught, and my mind stalled.
"What?" She frowned, running her hands along her olive green high-waisted pencil skirt.
It was tight like I'd taken a brush and painted it onto her skin 'cause there wasn't another nigga alive touching what's mine. The slit up the front showed just enough of her slender legs to make me want to reach out and caress them.
"Honor." She simpered as my eyes dragged upward along her frame.
"Where you goin' with your shirt buttons undone?" I asked, standing up to fill the space between us. I reached for the sides of her white blouse and buttoned the few she had missed.
"Work, and I was gonna do that myself:"
"I did it for you, so I don't gotta pull up and toss orphan Anthony out the window?"
"We don't have an Anthony at Gravehart Homes."
"Fill the place after orphan with whatever name you like, but his little ass wasn't 'bout to scheme his way into seeing the titties I lay my head on."
"The fact that you even came up with that thought is weird. My boys aren't like that. They're gentlemen," she huffed, slipping out of my arms.
Navy's brown heels clicked against the floor, creating the perfect rhythm for her hips to saunter to. I followed her toward the foyer and leaned against the wall as she grabbed her peacoat. Winter was upon us, and the frigid breeze we've been getting lately was only an introduction.
"You look good," I complimented, taking the coat and holding it open for her.
Navy slid her arms in, then lifted her coils free from the collar. When she turned to face me, the rest framed her face like a halo, crowning her an angel.
"Thank you."
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her purse as if it were the only thing keeping her together in my presence.
She couldn't even look at me, just stared past my shoulder.
I leaned in to drop a kiss on her forehead, hoping she'd feel what I didn't have the words for.
Before my lips could kiss her tawny skin, she shifted.
It was subtle. A flinch she didn't mean, but I caught it.
"Are we good?" I asked, leaning back against the wall.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?"
"'Cause of what we talked about yesterday or the way you just flinched when I tried to kiss you," I stated, my voice low.
"I didn't—"
"You did," I muttered, my jaw tight.
"If I did, it wasn't intentional." She sighed.
Dropping my gaze from hers, I looked toward the floor like the answers were written for me to read.
"Honor… I love you," she professed, cradling my face in her hands.
"I know," I muttered, fighting to find the right thing to say. "I love you too, always, but this shit feels different."
"It's supposed to," she gently stated. "Yesterday, we hashed things out, and it wasn't pretty.
I don't know about you, but I was uncomfortable.
I didn't want you finding out about the abortions in that way, and I damn sure didn't want to point a gun at you," her voice wavered as if she'd gone back to that moment.
"You're right." I slowly nodded. Navy held my face a little tighter, holding my stare with hers.
"It's like you said, we're starting over, and in the spirit of starting over, you can answer my question about why you were watching Ember Hills News instead of Grove 6 News."
My tongue swiped across my lips, amused by how Navy slid that in like I hadn't dodged that question earlier.
"Killian needed Lynx's parents gone," I answered truthfully. "They were stirring up too much fuss about their son's missing body."
"But you were home with me yesterday, so how—"
"Emersyn and Choyce."
"Oh." She blinked, then nodded. "Okay… well, thank you for being honest."
Her hands slid from my face, but she didn't step away. She stayed close, lingering in my space.
"Honor I—"
"I'm trying, Navy," I rasped, clipping her chin.
"I can see that," she noted. "I just want things to work with us."
"It will."
Navy's lips parted, but no words came out, only a shaky and uneven breath that every nerve in me wanted to steady.
Lifting her chin, I brought our lips together.
The kiss was meant to be reassurance, but all I felt was doubt and fear knotting in my chest. Our lips lingered awkwardly, touching like we were trying to prove to each other that we were still us… that she was still mine.
"Talk to me," I whispered.
"I—" Navy's tears stole her voice.
"Nah." My thumb swept under her eye, catching the wetness before it could fall. "Don't shut down on me now."
She tried to inhale, but she gasped like her chest couldn't hold what her heart was dying to spill. I pressed my forehead to hers.
"Talk to me, Navy. Tell me how you feel."
Her bottom lip quivered as she blinked through the tears.
"I'm scared," she finally forced out.
"Scared of what?"
"Of you. I'm scared you don't see me the same."
For a moment, I stared at her, searching her eyes for the truth she was hiding behind all that unspoken pain.
"Navy, I love you."
"I know, but—"
I leaned in, kissing her, hungrily and needily.
My lips pressed into hers like I could kiss away whatever kept trying to pull her from me.
Navy hesitated for half a second, then melted into me.
Our tongues tangled, our breaths heavy with reassurance.
I pulled away just enough to let my lips brush hers as I spoke.
"Navy…" Sliding my hand behind her neck, I held her close. Her eyes fluttered open, hazed with adoration.
"Ain't no fucking buts when I tell you I love you 'cause I'll still die before doing life without you."
Her eyes fluttered shut as another tear slipped free.
"Loving you is the one thing I know I've done right in this world, even if at times… I didn't love you how you needed me to."
"Honor, please," she sobbed, laying her head against my chest.
"Ight, you got it." I chuckled lightly. "Stop crying, you big crybaby."
She sniffled, then leaned her head back to look at me.
"Now I gotta fix my makeup," she whined, playfully slapping my chest.
"Go do that." I smiled. "I'll start your car for you."
"Okay," she whispered.
I held onto Navy for a moment longer, gazing into her teary eyes and feeling like I was meeting the love of my life for the first time again.
"Honor… you have to let me go, or I'm gonna be late for work."
"Ight."
I reluctantly let Navy go and watched her head for the stairs.
Once she was out of sight, I grabbed her keys and stepped outside to start her car. The engine came to life, and a few minutes later, Navy came out of the house, eyes still red but a little more at ease.
"Have a good day, ight," I told her.
"I will. And you too." She slid into the driver's seat, then looked at me like she didn't wanna leave. "I love you, Honor."
"I love you too."
I backed away from the car but stayed outside until she turned the block.
After she left, I jogged back into the house and went back into the living room.
I sat down, leaned my head back, and gave myself a moment to ease out of my feelings.
After a few deep breaths, I grabbed my phone and texted Lucian.
Me
Handled. Check the news when you get time.
Right after I hit send, my phone rang. I swiped across the screen, answering Killian's call.
"Wassup."
"Good morning, or rather, I say lovely morning since the first step in your plan has been executed," Killian smoothly stated.
"Come on, Killian," I joked, "don't tell me you're getting soft on me."
"Soft is a woman who exudes the color powder pink," he replied, confusing the fuck outta me. "I'm simply welcoming you into the next step."
"What’s the next—"
"Six this evening, I need you to meet me in Brooklyn," he cut in. "Text me when you arrive, and I'll send you an address."
"For what?"
"A meeting. You want to dispose of one of us, then a meeting must be had."
"I thought you said they wouldn't go for it."
"They won't," Killian replied. "But a conversation is a sign of respect. Carrying out the act without a meeting will lead to consequences I'm sure you won't be fond of."
"Ight." I paused. "Can I bring someone?"
"One person," his tone sharpened. "I advise you to bring someone who is levelheaded."
"Ight."
"Six p.m.," Killian repeated, then ended the call.
I sat there for a moment, staring at a blank screen.
The house was quiet, but my mind wasn't. My thoughts drifted back to Navy.
Her teary eyes, and the way she looked at me like I was still home.
I loved that girl in a way that made sense of the ache beneath my ribs.
I loved her in a way that made me want to give her a life that didn't resemble the one we were living now. But that was the problem.
In our world, love didn't come soft like Navy wanted it.
It came with consequences, and the only way I could give Navy what she deserved…
was by killing Lucian. As long as that nigga was alive, she would never be free.
The fucked up part about it was that Lucian would never directly hurt Navy.
Not because he loved her as a daughter, but because hurting her wasn't the point.
Lucian didn't care about bruises or bloodshed.
He loved fear. He loved knowing I loved her enough to burn the entire city down if somebody looked at her wrong, and knowing Navy was the only soft spot I had left in me.
I leaned back on the couch, staring at nothing but feeling fucking everything.
Navy wanted to be loved the way everyday people love, but nothing about us was everyday.
Our relationship wasn't built on a meet-cute.
It was built on a threat. Despite that, I wanted to give her a life where love didn't feel like a burden, the way mine did.
I wanted her to be able to breathe in it, and if her father had to die for Navy to finally breathe…
then I was gon' make it happen even if I didn't get the chance to breathe with her.