Chapter Two #4
Lennox leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his mouth.
That was the problem, Lane didn’t know or maybe she did and she decided to punish him for for breaking all the promises he made in St. Barts.
Either way, she was moving like a free woman, which was technically accurate but inaccurate in his eyes.
“You hacked into her private accounts, Lennox,” KC’s amusement faded just enough for him to remind Lennox how this situation looked.
“I told you, I have safety protocols—”
“No,” KC cut him off, “For Cadence and me, that’s agreed upon. We know what you monitor and why. Lane didn’t agree to that.”
Tariq agreed as Lennox looked away, knowing KC was right.
“I know that,” Lennox muttered.
“Do you?” KC asked.
Lennox’s fingers tapped against his closed laptop. “Lane has enemies she doesn’t even know about.”
“Why not offer her the same protections, the right way?” KC asked.
“She’s stubborn as hell, K.”
“Then that’s her choice,” KC said.
“If something happened to her and I could’ve prevented it, you’d be telling me something different,” he said, looking at his best friend.
KC held his stare. “If something happens because you violated her and she can’t trust you, that’s on you too.”
That reality check was delivered like a body shot, landing harder than Lennox expected it to. The kitchen went quiet except for the faint music still playing from the living room speakers. Lennox heard everything his boys were saying, but his mind was made up.
Tariq broke the silence first. “So now that you’re cyberstalking the woman you ghosted, what you about to do?” He asked, though Lennox said nothing, averting his eyes.
Tariq sat up slowly. “Oh, you already planning something. Look at him, KC. This nigga got villain posture.”
KC sighed. “Lennox, leave her date alone.”
Lennox blinked once before responding to his blown cover. “I didn’t say I was doing anything to her—“
“You didn’t have to, nigga; we know you,” KC laughed.
Tariq pointed at him. “You got that ‘I’m about to commit a felony in designer sneakers’ look.”
“I’m not committing a felony,” Lennox lied.
“Because you already committed one this morning?” Tariq asked.
Lennox stood and slipped the laptop under his arm. “Y’all dramatic.”
“No,” KC said, “Lane is dramatic. You reckless as fuck and when this all comes out it’s gonna be a perfect storm of chaos.”
Tariq rose from the couch, still grinning. “And Lane is a spitfire, bro. Whatever you planning to pull on that date, you better understand one thing,” Tariq’s grin widened as he spoke, “She gon’ get her lick back ten times worse.”
KC nodded. “He’s right. Lane doesn’t do even; she does Chornobyl.”
Lennox’s mouth curved despite himself because that part was true.
Lane didn’t simply retaliate; she curated consequences.
The woman could turn pettiness into art.
He still remembered the way she had changed his name in her phone to “Community Peen” and made sure he saw it during brunch.
He’d laughed then because he didn’t understand she was also warning him that she didn’t play games she didn’t intend to win, but he loved a challenge.
KC studied him and sighed again, “You’re not listening.”
“I heard every word,” Lennox replied.
“No, you heard every word and decided to remix the message into permission,” KC added.
Lennox headed for the door as KC asked where he was headed. Lennox told both he was minding his business and they should try it, to which they responded by flipping him the bird and making him laugh.
KC pointed at him. “Don’t embarrass Lane.”
“I would never,” he lied again.
“You could at least lie in uppercase, so it’s believable,” Tariq laughed.
Lennox smiled, and both men groaned as KC called after him as he walked out. “If Cadence calls me because Lane burned your house down, I’m not helping you.”
Lennox lifted a hand without turning around. “Noted.”
Outside, the afternoon heat wrapped around him as he headed to his car. His phone buzzed once in his pocket, alerting him of an updated calendar invite he had no business having—a dinner reservation for two this evening at Valentina’s.
Lennox stared at the screen with his thumb resting against the edge of the phone. He could leave it alone and take his ass home so he could delete Lane’s access from his system. He could behave like a man with emotional maturity and a respect for boundaries.
A better man would do that.
A healed man.
A man who didn’t remember Lane looking at him like he was both a mistake and a meal.
Lennox locked his phone and slid it into his pocket.
Unfortunately for Devin Halstead, Lennox Jackson had never claimed to be healed.
Not where Lane Sanders was concerned, and if she wanted to pretend she was available, then he could pretend he had a perfectly valid reason to stop by Valentina’s tonight.
For Security reasons or perhaps community reasons.
Maybe even medical reasons if inspiration struck.
Lennox smiled to himself as he opened his car door, knowing Tariq was right about one thing—Lane would absolutely get him back ten times worse.
He’d worry about that later. Tonight, he had a date to ruin.