Chapter 4
Nyelle heard a thumping sound in the hallway outside of her condo.
Thanks to Reese not sparing any expense for his family’s safety—the one thing he did right—the building she lived in had twenty-four-hour security and the property was gated.
So, she didn’t think much of it until the thumping sounded right outside of her door.
She jumped up and threw her legs over the side of her bed.
Just listening for a minute while plotting her next move.
She sat there for what felt like forever before she laughed and rolled her eyes.
“You’re so damn scary, Ny. Take your ass back to sleep.”
It was true. Being alone in her oversized condo had her on edge.
She missed Nick being there because his absence made her feel extra alone.
It wasn’t like her four-year-old could protect her from harm, but it just felt better to know she wasn’t alone.
After Reese left to be with his new family, Nyelle had to adjust to the discomfort of him not being there anymore.
Just as she was about to lift her legs back into the bed, Nyelle heard heavy pounding on her door then a man’s voice. It was so deep that it boomed through her door and condo with ease.
“Ay, I need help. Shit, I’m fucking wasted. Ay, you in here? Shit, who’s in there? Man, I don’t even know, but they need to hurry they ass up. I’m tired as hell.”
Nyelle made her way through her apartment and stopped a foot away from the door, listening to what sounded like one man having a conversation with himself.
She froze, not sure what to do, and prayed he would go away.
When he began to pound on her door again, she inched closer and pressed the button to get a visual of whoever was standing at her door.
“Ay, hurry up. I think I’m gonna be sic…”
Nyelle watched as he balled up his fist and covered his mouth with it. Clearly drunk, the man leaned forward, pressing his other hand on the door and dropping his head low.
“Who the hell is this?” Nyelle mumbled as she watched the intruder and waited to see what he would do next.
When he lifted his head, she could see his face, and she hated that she liked the visual.
He was handsome; medium brown skin that almost looked red and a head full of tight spirals tapered at the sides.
His face was clean besides a patch of hair that covered just his chin, leaving his square jaw visible.
Damn! Why the good ones always gotta be crazy?
“Shit, I’m ’bout to…” He covered his mouth again with a balled-up fist. Once he got it together, he banged on her door again, causing Nyelle to jump.
“You have the wrong place. I don’t know you.”
“So what? I don’t know your ass either, but you see a brother struggling out here. Open the door, shorty. I need help. Real shit.”
Vega was well aware that his approach likely wasn’t going to help him, but right now, he didn’t have the ability to finesse.
His head was spinning and he was losing it by the minute.
Shit, is this my door? Did I leave a shorty at my place?
He was totally fucked up, not thinking straight, and was about to throw up all over himself and the hallway if she didn’t answer soon.
“Ay, please, just open the door. I’m not gon’ make it if you don’t.”
Even as deep and aggressive as his voice was, Nyelle wasn’t afraid. He sounded more wounded than threatening at this point. Closing her eyes, she whispered a quick prayer while she paused with her hand on the lock.
“Dear Lord, I’m about to open this door. Please don’t let my stupidity leave Nick without a mother. His father is a certifiable asshole, but you know that. Cover me, Lord. I’m doing a good deed and trying to help this fine ass man.”
She turned the bolt and twisted the one on the actual doorknob, inching the door open just a little.
“Can I come in? I’m not trying to catch a case for breaking and entering?” Even as horrible as he felt, Vega was still comical.
After being exposed to his charming smile, how could she tell him no? He also looked like shit and she was certain that in his current condition, she could take him if necessary.
As soon as she stepped aside, Vega wasted no time walking in.
He looked around briefly, and after noticing the place was set up like his, he hurried down the hall, straight to where he knew there was a bathroom.
Seconds later, he was bent over the toilet, expelling all the drinks he had taken down over the past few hours.
Two bottles of Henny, maybe three. Vega lost count, but he just knew he was beyond fucked up and felt like death was inching toward him.
After he released the last of what was in his stomach, he eased to the floor, resting his back against the tub and closing his eyes while allowing his head to fall back.
“Um, first of all, that was nasty as hell. Second of all, I don’t know you, and third of all…”
“I’m not going to hurt you, shorty.”
Vega cut her off but kept his head back and his eyes closed.
He didn’t have the energy to move right away.
His head was spinning, and he felt like he was on the verge of throwing up again, even though there couldn’t be anything left in him after what he had just released.
Vega was convinced that throwing up was worse than being shot.
He had two bullet wounds to use as reference.
“I don’t know that. I don’t know you or anything about you.”
This time, Vega lifted his head and opened his eyes.
The pretty brown thing standing in the doorway with the mean-ass mug on her face made him want to smile.
He would have if he didn’t feel so terrible.
She was wearing a pair of white spandex shorts he could see through and a crop top that stopped just above her navel.
The shorts hugged her body a little too good and were drawn up in the middle, exposing her nice, fat…
“Ay, did you hear me? Eyes up here. Stop lookin’ at that because it’s off-limits.”
Vega chuckled and struggled to lift his body from the floor. He staggered to the sink and rinsed his mouth out with water a few times to kill the bad taste on his tongue before he addressed her.
“My name is Vega Orr. I live in this building. Shit, I can’t remember which unit right now, but they let me past security because Tony knows who I am.
I’m not gon’ hurt you because I just did three years and I’m not trying to go back.
” Vega noticed her tense and further explained his position, realizing how that must have sounded.
“Not for no dangerous shit. I didn’t hurt anybody.
At least not that I did time for. I just got caught up on a stupid ass possession charge.
My brother pulled some strings and got it down from ten years to three, but it was fed time, so I had to do all three of them bitches.
I was lucky as fuck, which is why I’m not gon’ hurt you.
I just need a minute to figure out which one of these shits I live in so I can shower, get in my bed, and go the fuck to sleep. ”
Nyelle narrowed her eyes at him, not falling for the bullshit he was hitting her with. “How you just tell me all that, but you can’t remember where you live?”
Vega was sobering up by the minute, but he still felt like shit. His head was pounding, and his stomach was uneasy, but she was right. At this point, he knew exactly what unit was his. It was the one above hers, but now that he was really seeing her, he didn’t want to leave just yet, so he lied.
“Nah, I really don’t. Can I get some water, though?”
“No. You can leave is what you can do. Lying ass. Dudes really be on some bullshit. I can’t stand a lying ass muthafucker” she fussed, more to herself than to him, causing Vega to chuckle. Shorty must have gone through it recently.
“Aight, you got it. I’m lying. I’m in the one above you, but I need a minute before I can make it up there. You already compromised your safety and let me in. Can I get some water to hydrate, so I don’t pass out after you put me out? I promise, I mean you no harm. Shit, you’re too pretty for that.”
Nyelle rolled her eyes and just stared at him, trying not to blush. He was right. She had already compromised her safety by letting him in, and he looked harmless enough, but he did admit that he just got out of jail.
“I will give you a bottle of water. On your way out.”
“Aight, I’ll take that.” Vega gave her a once over again then smirked when his eyes eventually landed on hers. Shorty was bad, no doubt about it.
Nyelle motioned for him to go first. She knew if he walked behind her, he would be staring at her ass, and she also didn’t trust him.
Vega snatched the hand towel from the wall and carried it with him just in case as he led the way.
While she headed to the kitchen, he found a spot on her sofa, noticing for the first time that there were toys on the floor and in a huge plastic bin against the wall.
He frowned, considering that she opened the door for a stranger with a kid here.
Even if he had no plans to harm her, she damn sure didn’t know that before she let him in.
“Ay, you got a shorty?
“Yes, a son, but he’s not here. Otherwise, you would still be in the hallway. I occasionally take chances with my own life but not with his. I’m not crazy, and why are you sitting on my sofa? I said water on your way out, remember?”
Vega smirked at her attitude as she approached him with a bottle of water, putting him eye level with the print between her legs. Damn, that thang is fat, he thought before he looked up at her face.
“I’ma go. Just give me a minute. You really pressed to get me out of here?”
She angled her head to the side and shot death rays at him. “You do know it’s like five in the morning? Hell yeah, I’m pressed to get you out of here. I was trying to do a good deed, but you have me regretting that now.”