Chapter 31 Zahara
ZAHARA
It had been three days since Larry died.
Three days of jumping at every sound. Three days of expecting police sirens. Three days of waiting for someone to figure out what I’d done.
But nothing happened.
Life just… continued.
I went to work at Grits like normal. Served customers. Took orders. Smiled and pretended everything was fine while my hands shook every time I walked past the kitchen.
Cookie had been running things since Larry disappeared.
She was stressed but handling it, barking orders, keeping the place from falling apart.
Nobody seemed too broken up about Larry being gone.
A few jokes floated around about him probably running off with some woman or gambling away his money somewhere.
He had up and disappeared before on a whiskey-fueled gambling bender.
But if only they knew.
The lunch rush was dying down when they walked in.
Two police officers. A man and a woman. Neither in uniform.
My heart stopped.
“We’re looking for…” the male officer checked his notepad. “Cookie Reynolds? Assistant manager?”
“That’s me,” Cookie said, wiping her hands on her apron. “What’s this about?”
“Larry Freeman. The owner. His wife filed a missing persons report this morning. Says she hasn’t heard from him in four days. Isn’t answering calls. Didn’t show up for Sunday dinner, which she says he never misses.”
Cookie shrugged. “Yeah, he ain’t been here either. We all just figured he was handling personal business or something. Wouldn’t be the first time he disappeared for a few days.”
“We’d like to ask your staff some questions. See if anyone knows anything that might help us locate him.”
“Sure. Whatever you need.”
The officers set up in the back office and started calling people in one by one. Asia went first. Then the cooks. The busboys. And finally the rest of the servers.
I tried to focus on wiping down tables. Tried to keep my hands steady. Tried not to look like a woman who’d stabbed a man in the eye and watched him bleed out on these very floors.
The front door chimed and I looked up automatically.
And there was my little sister, Mehar once again.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
She stood in the doorway, her hijab perfectly draped, her eyes scanning the diner until they landed on me.
No. Not now. Not here.
I turned quickly, heading toward the kitchen, but the female officer stepped into my path.
“Excuse me, miss? You’re…” she checked her list. “Zahara Ali?”
“Yes.”
“We haven’t spoken to you yet. Can you come with us?”
I glanced back at Mehar. She was still standing there. Watching. Waiting.
“Sure,” I said, my voice barely steady.
I followed the officers into the back office. Larry’s office. Where he used to sit and leer at me. Where he’d push up on me.
They closed the door and I sat in the chair across from the desk.
“How long have you worked here, Ms. Ali?” the male officer asked.
“About eight months.”
“And when was the last time you saw Larry Freeman?”
“Last week sometime. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday? I’m not sure exactly.”
“Did he seem upset? Worried about anything? Any conflicts with anyone?”
I shook my head. “Not that I noticed. He was just… Larry.”
“Where were you Tuesday night?” the male officer asked. “Between midnight and four AM?”
That was when it happened. When I killed him.
“Home,” I said. “With my son and my boyfriend. We watched a movie and went to bed around eleven.”
“Your boyfriend’s name?”
“Prentice Banks.”
The male officer’s eyebrows lifted slightly. Recognition. The Banks name carried weight in DC.
“And he can verify you were home all night?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll need to follow up with him. You have a number where we can reach him?”
I gave them Prime’s number, knowing he’d back my story without hesitation.
The female officer studied me for a long moment. I forced myself to hold her gaze. Forced myself not to fidget or look away.
“Did Larry have any enemies that you know of? Anyone who might want to hurt him?”
“I don’t know much about his personal life. He kept to himself mostly.”
“How would you describe your relationship with him?”
“Professional. He was my boss. That’s it.”
“Any conflicts? Disagreements?”
“No. Nothing like that.”
“Alright,” she finally said. “We may have more questions as the investigation continues. If you can think of anything that would be helpful to our investigation, please let us know.”
“Of course.”
Once the interview was over, I peeked back outside to see if Mehar was still there and she wasn’t.
The fact that she popped up again meant that she was going to keep pursuing me until she spoke to me.
This meant I needed to quit Grits. But I couldn’t just yet.
Not with Larry being dead. I’d look too suspect. Just leave me alone, Mehar!
My phone buzzed.
Prime: You good?
Before I could even type a response, my phone started ringing. His name on the screen.
I answered, still out of breath from running. “Hey.”
“What happened?” His voice was calm but alert.
“Police came to Grits. Asking about Larry. His wife filed a missing persons report.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That I was home that night. With you.” I swallowed hard. “I gave them your name and number. They might call to verify. I’m sorry, I panicked, I didn’t know what else to—”
“Stop. You did good. That was smart.”
“It was?”
“Yeah. We were together all night. Watched a movie at your place. Went to bed around eleven. That’s what happened. You understand?”
“Yes.”
“Say it back to me.”
“We were together all night. Watched a movie. Went to bed around eleven.”
“Good. If they call me, I’ll confirm. Did they say anything else?”
“Just that they may have more questions.”
“That’s standard. Don’t mean nothing.” I heard him exhale. “You okay?”
“I’m scared, Prime.”
“Don’t be. I told you I got this. You trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then stop worrying. Go home. I’ll come get you tonight at seven. I got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
“Yeah. Something good. Now go be with Yusef. Act normal. And Zahara?”
“Yeah?”
“Delete this call from your phone.”
“Okay.”
“I got you, Goddess. Always.”
He hung up.
I stood there for a moment, staring at my phone. Then I deleted the call log like he told me and headed for the bus stop.
At seven sharp, there was a knock on my door.
Yusef ran to answer it, his face lighting up. “Prime!”
“What’s up, lil man?” Prime dapped him up, then looked at me. “You ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“It’s a surprise.” His eyes held that intensity that made my stomach flip. “Both of y’all. Come on.”
“Where we going?” Yusef asked, already grabbing his jacket.
“You’ll see.”
We got in Prime’s car and he started driving. Northeast. Toward the industrial district.
“When’s my next boxing lesson?” Yusef asked from the backseat.
“Tomorrow. You been keeping up with your push-ups?”
“Yeah. I did fifty this morning.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
I watched Prime’s profile as he drove. The streetlights caught the sharp angle of his jaw, casting shadows that made my fingers itch to trace them.
His eyes stayed focused on the road, dark lashes lowered slightly, the same intensity there as when they roamed over my bare skin.
This man who’d taken care of a body for me.
Who’d cleaned up my mess with those hands that knew exactly how to make me tremble.
Who was now… what? Taking us on a mystery adventure?
“Close your eyes,” he said to me.
“What?”
“Close your eyes. It’s part of the surprise.”
“Prime, I don’t—”
He reached over, pulling a bandana from his pocket. “Trust me.”
I let him tie it around my eyes, blocking out everything. Felt the car turn. Turn again. Finally stop.
“Stay here,” he said to Yusef. “I’ll be right back.”
I heard him get out. Come around to my side. Open the door and help me out.
“Prime, what are you doing?”
“Just walk. I got you.”
His hand was firm on my waist, his heat seeping through my thin shirt as his thumb traced small circles against my hip.
I heard a door unlock, metal sliding against metal, then felt him guide me forward, his chest briefly pressing against my back.
The air changed—cooler now, quieter—and his breath warmed my ear as he leaned close.
“Aight,” he said, his voice close to my ear. “You can look.”
He untied the bandana and I blinked, adjusting to the light.
And then I saw it.
A commercial kitchen. Brand new. Stainless steel everything. Industrial ovens. A huge mixer. Prep tables. Storage space. Everything I’d dreamed of.
“What…” I couldn’t form words. “What is this?”
“Your kitchen,” he said simply. “For Sweet Zin. So you don’t have to sneak around no more. So you got your own space to build your business.”
Tears blurred my vision. “Prime, I can’t—this is too much—”
“It’s yours. The deed is in your name. You own this now. And you can start using it right away.” He pulled me closer. “Especially since your big day at the gala is this weekend. Figured you’d need somewhere to bake.”
I burst into tears. Full-on sobbing. Because this man—this dangerous, violent, beautiful man—had just given me my dream.
“Thank you,” I gasped between sobs. “Thank you, thank you—”
“Stop crying, Goddess.” He wiped my tears with his thumbs. “This is supposed to be a happy moment.”
“I am happy. I’m so happy I don’t even know what to do with it.”
He smiled. That rare, genuine smile that transformed his whole face. “Kiss me.”
I did. Threw my arms around his neck and kissed him like he’d just handed me the world.
Because he had.
“EW!” Yusef’s voice came from the doorway. “Y’all nasty!”
Prime broke the kiss, laughing, and playfully shoved Yusef. “Boy, get out of here with that.”
“I’m just saying!” Yusef was grinning though. Looking between us with something like hope in his eyes.
We spent the next hour exploring the space. Prime pointing out features. Yusef asking questions. Me crying at random intervals because I still couldn’t believe this was real.
My own kitchen. My own space. My dream coming true.
All because of him.
That night, after he drove us home and Yusef went to bed, Prime followed me to my room.
“Don’t leave,” I said softly, closing the door behind us.
“I won’t.” His eyes were already dark with desire.
He was on me in seconds. Mouth claiming mine, hands pulling at my clothes, backing me toward the bed.
We stripped each other urgently but silently. Every touch deliberate. Every kiss swallowing the sounds we wanted to make.
He laid me back on the bed, his body covering mine, his weight perfect and grounding.
“You know what you do to me?” he whispered against my neck. “How fuckin’ crazy you make me?”
“Show me.”
He slid into me slowly, both of us gasping at the sensation. Just him and me and nothing between us.
He moved with purpose. Deep, controlled strokes that hit exactly where I needed him. His hand came up to cover my mouth when I started to moan too loud.
“Shh,” he breathed against my ear. “Quiet, baby. Don’t wake him.”
The added challenge made it hotter. Made every sensation more intense. Having to stay silent while he filled me completely. Having to bite back screams while he hit that spot that made me see stars.
“You feel so good,” he groaned quietly. “So fuckin’ perfect.”
His thumb found my clit, circling it while he thrust deeper. Harder. My nails dug into his back, my legs wrapping around him, pulling him impossibly closer.
“Come for me,” he commanded in that low, alpha voice. “Come on my dick, Goddess.”
I shattered, biting down on his shoulder to muffle my cry. He followed seconds later, burying himself deep and groaning my name into my neck.
We stayed locked together for a long moment, both of us trembling, both of us trying to catch our breath.
“I love you,” he said suddenly. Quietly. Like the words surprised even him.
My heart stopped. “What?”
He pulled back to look at me, his eyes serious. “I love you, Zahara. I know it’s fast. I know it’s crazy. But I do. I love you.”
The words I’d been dying to hear. From a man who didn’t even really know me.
Guilt crashed over me like a wave.
“Prime—”
“You don’t have to say it back. I just needed you to know.” He kissed my forehead. “Everything I’m doing, everything I’m giving you—it’s because I love you. Because I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore.”
Tears burned my eyes again. “I love you too.”
And I did. God help me, I loved him so much it terrified me.
Even knowing that when the truth came out, I’d lose him.
Even knowing I was living on borrowed time.
Even knowing I was the worst kind of liar.
I loved him.
And that was going to destroy us both.