Chapter 8 Vonshae
VONSHAE
The sheer hatred dripping off Maja’s words gave me pause. Sure, I’d heard people say that shit before. She wasn’t people, though. Maja was the woman who’d bitten my ass like a muthafucka. I wasn’t letting her go any-fucking-where. I didn’t give a damn what she said.
“Everybody has their reasons why,” I stated. “Care to tell me your why?”
“Nope,” she quickly replied. “Have a good night, Detective Gunner.”
Glancing at the screen, I saw that she’d hung up. Tossing my phone on the sofa, I took a deep breath, then blew it out frustratingly. I had to laugh at myself. Never in my adult life had I chased a woman. Furthermore, it wasn’t like I had to.
Needing to talk to someone, I swiped my phone back off the bed and called my father.
“There’s this woman.” I didn’t bother speaking or anything. I had pressing issues. A nigga was still fully dressed, having just gotten home a few minutes ago. I needed a shower to wash the club off me and grab a light snack before bed. The last thing I needed to be concerned about was a woman.
“Mm, hm,” my pops mumbled.
“She has a strong-ass aversion to the laws. A part of me wants to use the privilege of my badge and dive into her background. The other part of me is determined to let everything play out as it’s supposed to.
The man in me wants to respect her privacy.
The detective in me wants to know who the fuck hurt my girl. ”
“Mm, hm.”
“That’s all you got for me? Mm, hm?” I asked him.
Pops chuckled. “Of course not. I just find it funny that my boys are all grown up. One is married, one is in a committed relationship, and one is heading that way. I’m proud of you is all.”
“Oh, well, thanks. Now tell me what the hell to do,” I pleaded. We both laughed.
“First, I commend you for wanting things to play out like they’re supposed to.
That tells me you really care about this woman.
Secondly, I can already see your potential to crash out behind her.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Just see to it that she’s willing to crash out behind you, too.
Healthy love is not one-sided. Then again, you’ve watched me and ya mama.
It took a lot of understanding and trust to do what we did.
Is that something you think you can have with this woman?
Wearing a badge is one thing. Wearing a badge and having someone at home waiting for you is another thing. ”
“Just being honest, Pops. She’s the one. I feel it too deeply to ignore it.”
“Well, then. Have some patience with her. If you have to resort to something drastic, the most you need to do is show up at her job,” he stated.
I chuckled.
“That’s it, Von. Nothing else,” he warned.
“Got it. I won’t do anything crazy.”
“Please don’t. The last thing I need is my son’s face plastered all over the news ‘cause he’s out here stalking someone.”
“Naw, I’d never have you lookin’ crazy, Pops. I love you.”
“I love you, too. It’s good having you home. Now I can sleep at night,” he divulged.
Grinning, I replied, “Aww. And here I thought Mama was the soft one.”
He made a noise then said, “She got tired of me crying on her shoulder.”
I cackled at the man who’d raised me. He was never without a joke when it came to my mama.
“Well, now that we’re all home, you gotta do more barbecues. I miss that.” My pops could throw down on the grill.
“Absolutely, son,” he said. I heard the pride in his voice. “Are you bringing this young lady to meet us?”
“Yep. Sooner rather than later.”
“Okay, that’s a good thing. I’m looking forward to it,” he stated with what I considered to be excitement coming from him. Hanging up, I peeled myself off the bed to grab a shower.
Becoming a detective wasn’t easy. I spent countless hours wondering if this was the path for me.
It was the gangster inside me who occasionally wanted to make his appearance.
There were times I wanted to lay down my badge and get in the field with these niggas who thought it was a game.
I was supposed to be a level-headed, logical law enforcement agent.
When really, I wanted to be the nigga who didn’t mind telling somebody to call the fuckin’ police.
Because, honestly, a muhfucka was going to have to get the laws on me if I took it there.
Climbing out of the shower, I made up in my mind to pop up on Maja. A few minutes later, I chuckled when her place of employment popped up as Dr. Bell & Associates. She’d see my face one way or the other. She’d agree to this damn date one way or the other.
***
Pulling inside the parking garage connected to Dr. Bell & Associates, I stopped at the security check.
“‘Sup?” Stacy asked as we dapped. “How long you been back?”
“A few weeks. I’m here to see Maja,” I told him.
He grinned at the gift bag sitting in the passenger seat. “Boy, you tryna get ya feelings hurt?”
We both laughed at that.
“Nah, I just need to talk to her,” I stated.
Speaking of Maja, her luxury sedan pulled up behind me.
Stacy chuckled and disengaged the boom barrier.
I pulled into the garage, then slowed to wait for Maja.
Once I saw where she parked, I quickly parked my truck and hopped out with the gift bag in my hand.
Stalking toward me, she spat, “Are you being a stalker now?”
She wanted me to answer her question, but my eyes were glued to the way her hips swayed as she walked toward me. A pair of black medical scrubs never looked so sexier. Today, she wore another hat, this one a simple destressed ball cap.
“Now you lost for words?” she questioned.
“I sure am. Glad you noticed,” I quipped.
“You think this is funny?” she asked, indignantly.
“I think it’s a travesty that you think I find this anything but frustrating.” Chasing Maja would’ve been cool if she wasn’t acting like a nigga said I was serial killer instead of the laws. I handed her the gift bag, which she eyed suspiciously.
“Frustrating?” Her eyebrows lifted defiantly.
Gently pushing the bag into her chest, I replied, “Yeah, frustrating. Imagine fallin’ headfirst for someone who refuses to see when a man is willing to bow at her feet.
If only to have a few minutes of her time, so she can get to know him and fall so deep for him that what he does for a livin’ won’t even matter.
” I sounded like a sap…but she had to see the potential in us.
I wouldn’t dare do this shit if I didn’t see where me and Maja could take this.
“That sounds sweet. Too bad this is reality, and I’d rather not take any chances,” she stated.
“You just gon’ play me like that?” I tried hard not to feel a way about Maja’s attitude. Inwardly, I felt myself about to act a fool in this parking lot.
“Have patience with her, son.” My father’s voice reminded me to chill the fuck out.
“Detective Gunner, please. I stand by what I said. I don’t like cops,” she reiterated, although she finally took the gift bag in her hand.
“I’m not a cop—”
“Titles don’t mean shit. You’re all the same,” she hissed.
“Wow, aight,” I replied, perturbed.
“Now leave me alone. You’re going to get yourself beat up.” She glanced over her shoulder at Stacy, who stood off in the distance keeping a close eye on her.
“Beat up?” I snickered. “It’s gon’ take a few bullets to get me up off you, baby.”
As bothered as she seemed, she wanted to laugh but kept a straight face when she said, “That’s not funny.”
Still, the small feat of seeing her fight a smile did something to my chest.
“No, it isn’t funny. Neither is how I’m comin’ for you. Before you knew my title, you were fuckin’ wit’ me,” I reminded her.
“Well, things changed. If I’m being honest, the sight of you is making me nauseous.” She made a face to capitalize what she felt.
I appreciated her honesty. I really did.
There was some deep-rooted hatred for law enforcement embedded in her.
Still, I wasn’t about to let that shit deter me.
This was my wife. Moving closer to her, I relished the way she didn’t back down.
Her spine straightened even more. She held her breath as I stood over her.
For a woman so fucking sure of herself, Maja seemed so damn… innocent.
“You can’t stand the sight of me?” My voice dropped an octave as I lifted her chin for her to look me in my eyes and say that stupid shit. Her eyes were filled with so much uncertainty and apprehension. I wanted to reach inside of her and pull every last ounce of doubt out of her.
“Von…”
“Yes, baby,” I replied, gently.
She said nothing but remained looking into my eyes.
“Just give me one weekend to prove you wrong. Fuck them other niggas. What I need is for you to fuck wit’ me. Let me show you why I don’t want you to make a mistake and walk away from the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
Playfully, she knocked my hand away. “That’s not a threat. What’s to be, will be.”
“And we’re meant to be. So, gon’ head and get back to blushing every time I say something. We leave Friday morning,” I stated.
“Wait—”
“Nope,” I replied as I opened my truck door. “Not giving you another chance to curve me. See you Friday, baby.”
Satisfied that I’d gotten this step completed, I waited until she turned her back, then released the biggest sigh of my life.