Chapter 22
—DEVYN
Being stuck in the house was driving me crazy.
Azani had been gone for a week, barely able to call me, but every time we talked on the phone or on FaceTime, he looked even more exhausted.
The last time we were apart this long was right before we went to Dubai.
I missed him then, but now I missed him even more.
We were different. We really knew each other, and with more time invested, we loved each other more deeply. I found it hard to sleep, but I didn’t complain when he called. He knew how I was feeling because he felt the same way, but this was our life now.
Last night, I begged Azani to let me go to lunch with Parker and Savannah.
They could have come here, but I needed outside air.
Just one day to be Dev. He agreed but told me that if I even thought about doing anything other than lunch and listening to Vic while I was out, I needed to stay home until he got back.
I pouted and whined, but he wasn’t budging.
No shopping. No loud ass brunches. I couldn’t go to any of my dance studios.
Not even my distillery. Lunch, then home. That was it.
I sat in the backseat of Vic’s truck, excited about this one little outing like I was an inmate on work release. I did my makeup and pulled out my best outfit and shoes. Azani bought me a new purse, so I decided to wear it today. It felt almost normal.
Vic pulled up to the curb of a restaurant called Nightingale.
It was new, but Parker said they had some of the best seafood in the city, so I was with it.
My door swung open, and Vic held his hand out so I could step down on the curb.
The warm spring breeze blew my hair around my face and my skirt around my legs.
April was my favorite month. Flowers were just starting to bloom. The weather was warm but still cool enough to be enjoyable, and the city was alive. Vic kept me tucked close to him as the other security moved into position. I saw Parker and Savannah through the glass and smiled instantly.
When I made it inside, I watched Parker’s eyes move from me to Vic. The way she smiled at him made me giggle. I looked up at Vic, and he turned his head.
Now, what do these two have going on?
“Vic,” I said, pulling on his arm. “What’s going on with you and Parker?” I teased.
“Nothing.” He smirked, standing by the door. “Go enjoy lunch. I don’t want the drill sergeant on my line, asking me how long you gon’ be here.”
“Yeah, okay. You know I’m gon’ ask her, right?”
He just chuckled and stared straight ahead.
When I got to the table, Savannah’s head was in her phone, probably arguing with one of her clients. Parker, on the other hand, was glancing at Vic, and when I looked up, he was eyeing Parker like he wanted to walk out the door with her.
“Uhmmm, Parker Reeves. What is going on between you and Vic?” I asked with my hand on my hip.
“They fuckin’,” Savannah said, still clicking around her phone.
“What? Since when?” I squealed, dropping into my chair.
Savannah slid her phone inside her purse, then looked up, grinning. “Oh, girl, this has been going on for the last two weeks. You late.”
Parker rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth at Savannah. “Damn, Vannah. I could have told her myself.”
“I mean, it’s kinda obvious. Y’all have been looking at each other since I walked through the door. But, okay, girl. I know that’s right.” I laughed, opening my menu.
“And Vic has been beating her back down, you hear me? Whewww, P. I love this for you, girl,” Savannah said, sipping her drink.
“Since we’re telling business, tell Dev about your pregnancy scare,” Parker sassed, opening her menu.
“Oh, so both of you bitches have just been living life and keeping it out of the group chat. Okay… I see how it is.”
“It ain’t like that, Dev. I’m just now recovering. I thought I was down for the count, but I’m back outside! I wish you could come back outside. P never wanna turn up with me,” Savannah whined, fake pouting.
“I do come outside, Vannah. Your ass will hop on a plane on a random Tuesday, and I got two kids, girl. Give me some grace. Dev ain’t gon’ be outside either. Here comes the bride ass bitch,” P said, tapping Savannah’s arm.
“Y’all know it’s deeper than that,” I replied, giving them both a knowing look. “When I pop back out, I’m coming like I never left… just wait.”
“Not with that crazy ass nigga you got. We remember Miami, boo. He walked your ass down from DC to Miami. Quiet as kept, King had a hand injury that took him out for a whole season. The blogs were saying he was spotted with a jealous boyfriend’s girl and got his ass handed to him.
But, you know… that could just be a rumor.
” Savannah burst out laughing, and Parker did too.
I joined right in because it was the truth. A truth we shouldn’t be laughing about, but it is what it is.
“My baby didn’t mean no harm. He was upset,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully. “Can we eat now? Parker, you said the seafood was good, and this meal is on Azani,” I said, slamming his Black card on the table.
“Well, if it’s on him, I want the most expensive shit on the menu! Waiter,” Savannah called, flipping through the menu, looking for the most expensive thing.
The waiter came, and we had a few drinks while catching up. It felt so good to be with my girls outside that I didn’t even notice two hours had passed. I glanced outside, and a man with a backpack started walking slowly past Vic’s truck.
For just a split second, everything slowed down, and I locked eyes with him.
He dropped a piece of paper on the hood of Vic’s truck and took off running.
Vic didn’t move from where he stood, but his mouth was moving, so I knew he was talking into his earpiece.
Three of my security detail took off running after the man, and one of their black cars sped down the street in the same direction.
A strange feeling came over me, like I was being watched. Not being watched to be protected, but somebody was watching to cause me harm. My stomach was in knots, and my hands started shaking. When Vic came walking toward me, I knew lunch was just about over.
“We’re moving in five, Dev,” he said and stepped off, going back toward the door to keep watch.
“I guess you gotta go soon, huh?” Savannah asked.
“Yeah. I’m just ready for life to go back to normal. I’m sick of this shit,” I muttered.
“Give us some love before you go. We gon’ pull up on you this weekend. It’s only right,” Parker said. She stood and walked over to me.
Both Parker and Savannah stood there hugging me, and it made me want to cry. I missed my life. I missed my friends. But more than anything, I missed my freedom. Just as we finished hugging, the waiter came back with Azani’s card, and Vic walked back toward me.
I walked out of the restaurant, feeling like I was going back to captivity. I knew it was for my safety, but it didn’t change the fact that I was trapped. Vic helped me into the truck, and we pulled off.
“Vic, what did that man leave on your truck?” I asked, looking at him through the rearview mirror.
He didn’t even respond; he just passed me the piece of paper. It was a picture of me, but not just any picture. It was from today, just when I got to Nightingale. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the writing on it and a red dot on the middle of my forehead.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON MRS. STONE.
My blood ran cold as I read it over and over.
Why were they after me if it was Azani they wanted?
I couldn’t even go out to eat with my friends.
I was confined to the house until everything was safe.
Wherever Azani was, I knew he was furious, probably pacing back and forth, hating himself for letting me leave the house.
What started as a fun and free day turned out to be just as scary as the shootout and even more eerie than my studio getting blown up. This was the cost of being bound to a powerful man. I didn’t think loving Azani was ever a safe option.
I’d been home for three hours and had called Azani twice already.
I wouldn’t call him again, because I knew he was busy, but I needed to calm down.
Weed wasn’t working, and I really wasn’t in the mood to drink.
His not answering only scared me more. I flipped through movies on Netflix, looking for something, but nothing kept me from thinking about somebody wanting me dead.
Just when I thought he wouldn’t call me back, my phone rang.
It was a FaceTime call from Azani. When I answered, he just stared at me.
He looked exhausted. The all-black he was wearing let me know what he was up to.
His locs were pulled up tight on top of his head.
When he rubbed his hands down his face, his knuckles were badly bruised, and it made my chest tight.
He was fighting a battle I couldn’t comprehend, and I was whining to myself about him not answering my calls. I felt terrible.
“Hey, baby,” he whispered. “You good?”
“No, I’m not. Vic’s been calling, and so have I. You need to check your phone. Something happened while I was at lunch today,” I quietly said.
I sat there in silence as he went through his messages. The more he swiped, the angrier he looked. When his nostrils started flaring, and his jaw clenched, I knew it was getting worse. But when he looked back at me, I was sure he was about to snap.
“No more lunches. No more running to the grocery stores. No Target runs. Nothing. That shit is dead. I’m not tryna control you, but this shit is serious, baby.”
“I know,” I whispered, rolling over on my side. “Do you think you’ll be home anytime soon? I’m not rushing you. It’s just… it’s been a week, Azani,” I said softly.
He closed his eyes, chest rising faster.
I knew he was trying to stay calm, but I just wasn’t sure if it was working.
When he opened his eyes, he slouched in the chair he was sitting in and snatched his hair tie out.
His locs fell on his shoulders, and he rubbed his scalp.
It was what I did every time I tried to relax him.
“This shit is getting ugly, Dev. I don’t trust nothing about it. It’s getting too close to you, and it’s closing in on me here. If something happens to me, I need you protected in every way. You need access to certain resources, and you can only get them if you’re my wife.”
“What are you saying, Azani?” I asked, voice shaking.
He sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. “I think we need to go ahead and get married. I’m not tryna rush you. I didn’t want you to do it until you were ready. But baby… I can’t be out here risking my life every day and you not have everything you need if this shit goes wrong.”
I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to get married right now.
Per the arrangement, I was his fiancée, but to everyday people, I was just his girlfriend.
We were skipping a whole step. No engagement announcements, I wouldn’t be able to pick out a dress, no real ceremony—those were all the things I wanted.
With the way things were going, I knew a honeymoon was out of the question.
But I wasn’t selfish. The more I learned about this life, the more I understood how unpredictable things could be.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll marry you.”
“Give me two days, baby. I’ll be there. Call your Nanna. She’ll know what to do to get everything set up. I gotta go… I love you.”
“I love you more.”
He looked at me one more time, and I saw fear. It was worse than he was saying, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything more than I already knew. When he hung up, I flung my phone across the room, frustrated and anxious. It felt like the world was collapsing on top of me.
This would be my life as his wife. Being away from him more than I was with him when threats were high.
Security all the time. No freedom. Just duty and sacrifices.
If I were to be his wife in two days or two years, I would need to use my head more and my heart less.
Not because I didn’t love Azani, but this life required more than love.
Now, I understood the galas and balls growing up, being able to navigate certain rooms and conversations with ease.
I took every advanced class and learned about political policies and structures.
I knew enough foreign languages to get by…
except Arabic. I could be in any room and move it with my words and charm. They raised me to be his wife.
I wasn’t prepared emotionally, but I was for damn sure smart enough to figure out how to be Azani’s wife from a strategic standpoint.
I sat up on the side of the bed and prayed that Azani made it home in two days.
Looking down at my ring, I saw more than the promise he made…
I saw a man who was determined to have me love him before I was thrust into this life.
Love would make you do some crazy things, and for him, I’d do just about anything.
My phone rang from the other side of the room. When I made it over to it, it was Nanna. I answered, trying to slow my breathing.
“Hey, Nanna,” I muttered.
“Zuri, it’s time, baby. I’ll be there tomorrow to get you prepared for your ceremony. I know your heart isn’t ready, but your mind is. You know what needs to be done, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Be ready by 9:30. We have a lot to discuss. I love you.”
“I love you more.”
In two days, I’d be Azani’s wife, and I knew that would come with responsibility. I would be in the system now. There was no denying it. May second would be a day I’d never forget. I just hoped Azani made it back to me.