Chapter 9 Mehar
MEHAR
Serenity whistled when she saw it. “Thad don’t play.”
“It’s just a car.”
“It’s a statement.” She grabbed her clutch and headed for the door. “You coming or what?”
I took one last look in the mirror. Short black dress. Heels I’d bought with Serenity months ago but never worn. Hair down, curled at the ends. A year ago, all of this would have been covered up. But tonight, my cleavage was on display, legs out, thick ass sitting right. I looked damn good.
This was me now. I wore whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.
The driver didn’t say much. Just opened the door, waited for us to get in, and pulled off. Tinted windows. Leather seats. I was getting used to the luxury life now that I was pretty much adopted by the Banks family.
When I was a little girl, I could never have dreamed of being treated this well.
“You look good,” Serenity said as she hit a bump of coke off the edge of her wrist.
“Ren…”
“Yeah?” She looked up at me.
“You gotta slow down with that shit. I’m worried about you.”
“It’s just for fun. We’ve done this before hitting the club. It’s nothing,” she protested.
“Please be careful.”
“I will, but damn, lighten up. You sound just like my brothers. Overly concerned all the time.” She wiped her nose. “Have fun tonight. You already let your hair down. Live it up.”
“Aight,” I said. I didn’t want to push her, but she was worrying me.
Twenty minutes later, we were in Northeast, pulling up to a building with a line wrapped around the corner. Red rope. Security at the door. A sign above the entrance that read UPSTAGE in gold letters.
The bouncer saw us coming and unhooked the rope before we even got close.
“Thad’s guests,” he said into his earpiece. “Send them up.”
We stepped inside and the bass hit my chest immediately. Bodies everywhere. Lights cutting through smoke.
Serenity grabbed my arm. “Bathroom first.”
I knew what that meant.
She pulled me through the crowd to the restroom. Locked us in a stall. The little bag came out again. The rolled bill. The white powder on her phone screen.
“Just another bump,” she said. “For energy.”
I watched her snort it. Watched her head tip back. Watched her eyes flutter closed like she’d just touched heaven.
When she opened them, she was smiling. Loose. Ready.
“You want?”
“I’m good.”
She shrugged and did another line. I didn’t say anything. I was tired of fighting about it.
We made our way upstairs to VIP. Velvet couches. Bottle service. A view of the whole club below.
And there was Thad.
He stood when he saw me. Didn’t even glance at Serenity. Just looked at me like I was the only person in the room.
“You came.”
“You sent a car. Felt rude to waste it.”
He smiled. “Let me get y’all some drinks.”
Before I could answer, Serenity grabbed my arm. “Wait—is that Mega?”
I followed her eyes to another section. A group of men in black. Bottles everywhere. And in the middle—Mega. Tall. Dark-skinned. Face like he’d seen things and done worse.
He saw Serenity. Lifted his chin.
“I’ll be back,” she said.
“Serenity—”
But she was already walking toward him. I watched her disappear into his section. Watched him pull her onto his lap. Watched his hands settle on her hips like they belonged there.
“She good.”
I turned. Thad was holding two glasses.
“Mega’s crazy,” he said, handing me one. “But he protects what’s his. That’s his thing.”
I took the drink. Hennessy. Smooth.
“You just gonna stand there all night?” he asked. “Or you gonna let me show you a good time?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Depends on what that looks like.”
He grinned and took my hand. Led me to the railing overlooking the dance floor. The DJ was going crazy—transitioning from Megan to GloRilla to Sexxy Red. The crowd below was moving like one body.
“You dance?” he asked.
“Maybe.”
“That’s not a no.”
He pulled me closer. Not pushy. Just… confident. Like he knew I wasn’t going to say no.
And I didn’t.
It took a while over the last year to feel comfortable moving in my body. Growing up, everything was haram. I didn’t listen to hiphop nor r&b. It wasn’t until Serenity and I started going out, that I finally found my groove and learned how to move my body.
We stayed at the railing for a while, watching the floor, sipping our drinks, talking over the music. He pointed out people he knew. Told me stories about opening the club. Made me laugh more than I expected to.
Then the DJ switched to something slower. Something with bass that vibrated through my whole body.
Thad set down his glass. “Come on.”
He led me to a small space in VIP where a few other couples were dancing. Pulled me close. His hands found my waist.
“Relax,” he said into my ear. “I got you.”
I let myself move with him. Let myself feel the music. Let myself forget, just for a minute, that my sister was in a jail cell and my life was a mess.
His body was warm against mine. His hands stayed respectful—waist, hips, lower back. Nothing too aggressive. Just enough to let me know he was there.
Song after song. Drink after drink. The night blurred into something easy. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
At some point I looked over at Mega’s section. Serenity was still on his lap, laughing at something one of his boys said. She looked happy. Reckless, but happy.
“You check on her a lot,” Thad said.
“She’s my girl. I worry.”
“She’s grown.”
“I know. But she’s going through some things. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
He nodded. Didn’t push. I liked that about him.
“That’s my cousin. She’s fam. I ain’t gon’ let shit happen to her, especially while she’s in here. Just like I ain’t gon’ let shit happen to you.”
We danced some more. Talked some more. He got me another drink. I was feeling nice, warm and loose. It felt like anything was impossible.
Then his hand came up to my face. Tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “You know that?”
My face got hot. “You’re drunk.”
“Nah. I’m just honest. And baby girl, I don’t get drunk. I gotta keep my eyes on the prize.”
We were so close that I could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. Could smell his cologne mixing with sweat. Could feel his breath on my lips.
And then the shots rang out.
POP. POP. POP.
The music cut. Screams erupted. Bodies scattered.
Thad moved before I could process what was happening. He grabbed my arm and pulled me low, shielding me with his body. His whole demeanor shifted. Gone was the charming man I’d been dancing with. This version was cold. Alert. Dangerous.
He reached into his waistband and pulled out a gun.
I didn’t even know he was carrying.
A man stumbled toward our section, wild-eyed, panicked. Thad raised the weapon without hesitation.
“Wrong way.”
The man froze. Changed direction.
Thad didn’t flinch. Like pointing a gun at someone was nothing to him. I felt like he had done it a thousand times.
“Stay down,” he said. Hand on my shoulder. Pressing me low.
More shots. Glass breaking. Screaming. Then silence. Just crying and the distant wail of sirens.
Thad stayed over me until he was sure it was clear. Then he pulled me up and checked me over.
“You okay?”
I nodded. Shaking.
“I’m getting you out of here.”
I grabbed my phone. Called Serenity.
She answered on the second ring. “Mehar?”
“You good?”
“I’m fine. Mega got me out. We’re in his car.” She sounded shaken but steady. “Where are you?”
“With Thad. I’m about to go home.”
“Okay. I’ll crash at Mega’s tonight. I’ll text you.”
“Be safe.”
“You too.”
I hung up.
Thad led me through a back hallway, gun still in his hand, eyes scanning every corner. We came out a service door into an alley. The night air hit my skin and I realized I was still trembling.
A black car was waiting. But Thad didn’t put me in it yet. He just stood there, looking at me.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I just…” I wrapped my arms around myself. “That was a lot.”
He nodded. Tucked the gun back into his waistband. Then he leaned against the wall beside me.
We stood there in silence for a minute. Just breathing. Coming down from the adrenaline.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“Anything.”
“Earlier. When you pulled that gun. You didn’t even hesitate.”
He was quiet for a second. Then: “My father taught me that. Don’t hesitate. Hesitation gets you killed.”
“Your father?”
“Calvin Banks. Alexander’s younger brother.” He stared at the ground. “He was the muscle behind the business. Made problems disappear when they needed to disappear. Taught me how to move. How to handle situations. How to make sure threats stayed gone.”
Something about the way he said it made my stomach tight. But I didn’t know why.
“He brought that energy home, too,” Thad continued. “To my mother. To me. Did whatever he wanted. Nobody could stop him.” His jaw tightened. “Until somebody did.”
I didn’t ask what that meant.
“You ever have somebody like that?” he asked. “Somebody who was supposed to protect you but did the opposite?”
Ahmad’s face flashed in my mind. His hands. His voice. The years I lost to him.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I have.”
He nodded. Didn’t ask for details.
“Then you know what it’s like to survive somebody.”
I did. God, I did.
We stood there in the quiet. Two people who’d been through things. At least that’s what I thought.
Then he turned to face me. Stepped closer.
“I meant what I said earlier. You’re beautiful, Mehar.” His hand came up to my jaw. “And I’m not gonna hurt you. I need you to know that.”
And then he kissed me.
Soft at first. Testing. I didn’t pull away.
His hand slid to the back of my neck. Gripped. Not rough—possessive. Like he was claiming something. My body responded before my brain caught up. I leaned into him, fingers gripping his shirt, a sound escaping my throat I didn’t recognize.
He deepened the kiss. His tongue slid against mine. His other hand found my waist, my hip, pulled me closer until there was no space between us.
Heat spread through me. I hadn’t been touched like this in so long. Hadn’t wanted to be touched. But something about him made me forget why I’d been afraid.
Then his hand moved lower. Gripped my ass.
And suddenly I wasn’t in the alley anymore.
I was in that apartment. Ahmad’s weight on top of me. His hands taking whatever they wanted.
I pulled back. “I can’t.”
Thad stopped immediately. Hands lifted.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed. “I’m not ready. I just—”
“Hey.” His voice was calm. “It’s okay.”
“I want to. I just…”
He traced his thumb across my bottom lip. Slow. Gentle.
“I’ll wait,” he said. “However long it takes. You’re worth it.”
My eyes burned. No man had ever said that to me. No man had ever stopped when I asked.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. Soft. Almost gentle.
“Get home safe. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He opened the car door for me. I got in.
Watched him disappear back into the building as we pulled off.
My hands were still shaking. My lips still tingled. My mind kept replaying everything—the dancing, the vulnerability, the gun, the kiss, the way he stopped the moment I asked.
Thad was dangerous.
But tonight, he’d made me feel safe.
And I didn’t know what to do with that.