17. Treasure
TREASURE
“Is this the man that was in the room when you were getting tortured?”
I was starting to panic. I could feel my breathing get shallow.
Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths as my mama rubbed my back, and my daddy held my hand.
His hand was trembling, and I knew it was because he was doing his best to contain his anger.
I had all the protection I needed. Mythic had Watchful Eyes on my trail and camped around the house to make sure we were all safe this time around.
Mythic, Carter, and Epic were in the waiting area and had planned to take us to lunch in Houston after this.
Jungle and Vegas would be on our trail when we left, since they lived in Houston.
I’d also talked to Serita again, telling her about the setback I had.
She assured me that it was normal for me to react that way to seeing that man.
However, I’d misinterpreted Kingsley’s anger.
My body saw his anger as danger. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Now that I had calmed down and was able to think clearly, I knew that.
I hated that I couldn’t see that in the moment.
I knew Kingsley well. He was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
I had never seen him angry though. Not like that.
He looked like he wanted to kill someone.
He probably did. He wasn’t dangerous. He was protecting me and everyone he loved.
His dad was being arrested, and I had blacked out, two of the people he loved the most were being threatened by Peyton Cochran.
I opened my eyes and stared right at him.
“That’s him. Peyton Cochran. Vanessa told me his name.
‘He’s Special Agent Peyton Cochran’ is how she said it.
He said he was after my family . . . people that I love.
My brother Mythic Semien, Seven Henderson, Kenny Henderson, Philly Semien, and PJ Semien.
He said he wouldn’t stop until they were all dead.
I’ll never forget his face. I’ll never forget any of their faces. ”
“Thank you, Miss Semien.”
Mrs. Taylor grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. She turned to me and hugged me. “You did well, baby. It’s only a matter of time before he’s arrested.”
“Vanessa recorded everything,” I said softly.
Mrs. Taylor’s eyebrows lifted. “She what?”
“She recorded all the things they did to me. He probably has that phone. I’m willing to bet he’s on it somewhere.”
“Fuck!” she whispered harshly, then hugged me. “We gon’ nail his ass to the cross. I’m going to pass this info to Shy so we can get search warrants for his home and office. This is going to be over soon, baby. We got’chu covered.”
I nodded, and she pulled me into her arms and hugged me yet again, then we left Liberty County Courthouse.
When we got outside, I noticed Jungle and Vegas waiting for us.
Checking my surroundings, I was able to relax a bit.
Mythic opened my car door, and I gave him a slight smile.
After getting in, I pulled my phone from my purse and pulled up Kingsley’s thread.
I hated my response to him when I saw that man.
After reading his message from a couple of days ago, saying that he knew what happened, I messaged him.
I am so sorry, King. You didn’t deserve my reaction.
It seems I just can’t get this right. I hurt you so deeply.
I’m sure my silence didn’t make things any better.
Mythic told me how you had just dropped to your knees in defeat.
God, I’m so sorry. I feel like a broken record.
I’m trying so hard, but it seems these demons keep coming back.
When I saw that man, I lost it. His words from three years ago came to the forefront, and I felt like I was in that abandoned building all over again, being raped, beaten, and mentally abused.
Please forgive me, King. I love you so much.
I ended my text as tears slid down my cheeks and sent it.
My mama slid to the back seat with me and wrapped me in her arms. My relationship with Kingsley could truly be done this time.
He had to be getting sick of me. I was getting sick of me all over again.
This was a tougher battle than I thought it would be though. I never expected to see that man again.
I should have known better. He said he wouldn’t stop until they were dead. I supposed I’d completely blocked him from my memory. It was easy to do because he didn’t lay a finger on me. When I saw him, those memories came rushing in like a flood.
My phone vibrated, and I closed my eyes. I knew it was Kingsley. No one else really called or texted me, other than Cachet. She was in class right now. Lifting it from the seat, I saw it was definitely Kingsley. A shiver went through my body as I opened the thread.
King’s Treasure . . . I’m gon’ tell you this shit for the last time.
I’m yours. No one else’s. I forgive you for giving me the silent treatment.
Don’t do that shit no more. It kills a piece of me whenever you do it.
I understand your trauma and why you reacted the way you did, but I need you to know me as well as anyone else you love.
I would never do anything to hurt you. Hurting you would be hurting me.
I miss you, baby. I need you. You already know all this.
I need you to truly trust me. I’m sorry I scared you, but when someone I love is in danger or being mistreated, it brings out my Henderson savage.
You’re safe with me, and I feel like deep down, you know that.
However, I need you to know that shit at the surface.
That way if anything else happens, this won’t repeat itself.
I love you too, Treasure. More than I love myself. Call me when you can. I’m in the office today and bored out of my mind.
I couldn’t believe he was forgiving me for the bullshit. Turning to my mom, I said, “He forgave me.”
“Of course he did. You know that man loves you. Quit playing.”
I chuckled as Daddy looked at me in his rearview mirror with a smile on his lips.
“I’m happy to see all my kids doing well. I believe once that man is arrested, we will be straight.”
“That muthafucka is getting arrested as we speak,” Mythic said as he played on his phone. “Kenny is smart as fuck. He recorded that man trying to blackmail him. That was probably why he was looking all calm in the back of that squad car.”
“Kenny always looks calm. I only saw him come unglued twice, and that was when they fucked Reggie up for messing around with his wife and when his son died. That nigga looked like he was ready to set some shit on fire. I can’t say that I blamed him.
His son’s mother killed him because she couldn’t get money out of Kenny. ”
“That’s fucked up. I know one thing. He tight as a muthafucka when it comes to his money,” Mythic added.
They laughed, and Daddy said, “You gon’ have an amazing father-in-law, baby girl.”
I had to be blushing. My face was heating up. Kingsley hadn’t asked me to marry him. He was probably rethinking all that shit right now. I would be doing just that if I was him. Taking a deep breath, I responded to his text.
We just left the courthouse. I told them everything about that man.
We’re taking a trip to Houston to go eat.
I’ll call you when I get back. Thank you for loving me just the way I am .
. . flaws, trauma, and mental instability.
You make me feel seen, loved, and cherished.
Like you said, deep down, I know I’m safe with you.
I will work on getting that to the surface. Talk to you later.
“I think he was the last loose end. I had literally forgotten about him. For the past few days, I’ve been thinking hard about all the faces I saw. Most of them I’d seen before. He was the only one there that I’d never seen before. I can’t have a repeat of this.”
“Even if you do, just know that we all got your back. Know that Kingsley got your back. That man loves the fuck out of you, sis. I’ve never seen anything like it. I saw his wall in his bedroom. He stares at you until he falls asleep at night. That nigga is borderline obsessed with you.”
A one-sided smile graced my lips as Mythic talked.
He got on my nerves. My daddy was co-signing nearly everything he said, like it was law.
I supposed the way Kingsley felt about me was law.
It was practically biblical. Some people waited an entire lifetime for a love like we had and still didn’t get to experience it.
I had something special, and I was grateful that Kingsley’s patience was intact, or I would have lost it a long time ago.
Cachet met us at the Cheesecake Factory.
We had an amazing time, just the seven of us.
I loved my sisters-in-law and my nephews, but I missed when it was just us.
Having Carter and Mythic there meant the world to me.
We had so much fun. It was like old times, before Mythic got involved in all the bullshit.
We were on our way back to Liberty to my parents’ house.
Carter and Mythic rode together on the way back, since they didn’t plan to stop in Liberty.
My mama sat in the back seat with me again, and Epic rode in the front with Daddy.
They had their own conversation going as I stared at my phone.
A slight smile made its way to my lips as I stared at my new screensaver. It was a selfie of Kingsley and me.
I needed to be sure to convince my brain that he was indeed my safe space. Seeing the picture of him and me would help. I looked so happy. We took that last Friday when I spent the weekend with him. Sunday was when everything took a turn to hell.
“He makes you so happy, baby.”
“Yes. I miss him. I just hate what I’m doing to him. Saving this picture so I can see how happy I am with him every day, will hopefully help. I know he’s tired of this bullshit because I’m tired of it too.”