Chapter 9 Maja
MAJA
The deep breath I took watching Von slide up my street wasn’t as fortifying as I needed it to be.
First of all, Heir and Mama Maddie were standing by the door like I was some teenager going on her first date.
Fumbling with the band of gold bracelets surrounding my left wrist, I recalled the note attached to the gift Von gave me the other day.
This is a make-up gift. We got off on the wrong foot, and I hate that for us. I’m determined to make it better. Let me make it better, Maja. -No One
“Ooohhh,” Heir mumbled. “Big ol’ sexy truck.”
Maddie giggled while I rolled my eyes at both of them and came out of my thoughts.
It was even worse that I had to tell security to let this man through the gate.
Adir didn’t like anyone on Bell Estates property, and I felt the same way.
People couldn’t be trusted. As charming as Von was, the verdict was still out on him.
At least Poppa and Adir knew who to look for should anything happen to my crazy ass.
Inwardly, I grinned hard. I’d send Von to the pits if he even so much as tried to do some weird shit.
His truck door closing brought my attention to Von.
He sauntered my way wearing that killer smile that gut punched me.
Today he was dressed down in hunter green cargo shorts, a tan designer T-shirt, and designer sneakers.
Tattoos rode every inch of his powerful legs.
Swallowing, I glanced away as he stood in front of me.
“Glad I didn’t have to shoot a rocket through the gates,” he stated. His eyes dipped to the gold bracelets, and I could tell that seeing them pleased him.
Meanwhile, my chest hurt from holding in the laugh he demanded from me.
He was so dangerous to everything I knew about myself.
I stopped thinking the moment he took me into his arms and hugged me to his chest. He smelled so good and felt even better.
I had to still myself from closing my eyes and relishing his touch. All too quickly, he released me.
“Miss Maddie…” Von smiled as he went to greet Maddie. “It’s been a long time. You’re still as beautiful as I remember.”
Mama blushed and waved him off. “Get on,” she warned.
“Better be glad my husband is off in a meeting today. He would’ve blacked yo’ eyes for saying that.
” As if to capitalize what Mama said, her phone started ringing.
We chuckled, knowing it was no one other than Poppa calling her.
She walked away, leaving me with Heir and Von.
“Y’all have fun, now,” Heir stated with a mischievous grin. After seeing the bracelets, she wouldn’t let me cancel this date for shit. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I smacked my teeth and glared at her. “You just worry about what we talked about,” I said to her.
Her face scrunched up. “You’re right. I have calls to make.” She pivoted on her feet, then closed the door behind her.
Shaking my head as Von chuckled, I let him take my duffle bag and small suitcase, then followed him to his truck.
Once I was seated inside the tank, I took a surreptitious glance around the interior.
The leather seats were immaculate, and it smelled good just like him.
Subtle sounds of Silk played through the speakers.
As he climbed behind the wheel, I took note of how strong his powerful calves looked.
Von was a man in great shape, that was for sure.
“So, where are we going?” I questioned.
His grin wasn’t comforting. “It’s a surprise. Now, relax. We got a drive ahead of us.”
Rolling my eyes, I glanced back at the gates of Bell Estates as they closed behind us. A part of me felt like I was leaving home again.
Von’s hand on mine interrupted my thoughts. He brought my hand to his thick lips and kissed my fingertips, palm, then my wrist. “They look good on you,” he praised, softly.
Oh… The earthquake rushing from my head to my toes rendered me speechless.
***
A few minutes later, I felt a foreign feeling creeping in. Anxiety wasn’t something I dealt with. So, when my fingers started twiddling, I immediately forced myself to stop.
I knew better than to be doing something this fucking crazy. I learned from the worst that law enforcement officers weren’t the best type of people to be in a relationship with.
So… You want a relationship?
No! Emphatically, no!
Then what the hell are you even talking about?
“Us,” Von stated, splashing his deep voice into my train of thought.
“Huh?” I questioned.
“I said, I’m crazy when it comes to us,” he repeated.
“Von, there is no us. This is our first and only date.”
“Shiitt, you crazy,” he mumbled. “Get ya mind right, Maja. Watch how soft I have you by the end of this trip.”
“Whatever, Von.” He could think whatever he wanted. Men were so used to controlling everything about a woman. Little did they know, I always played the game to get to my end goal. There wasn’t shit a man could pull over on me. I stayed ten steps ahead of them.
A little over two hours later, we arrived in a location that was too far in the woods to even get a phone signal. Breaking through the clearing of woods, Von steered the truck into a parking lot filled with other vehicles. From the road, no one was able to see the vast open land that sat beyond.
Von opened the door for me, and I stepped out and inhaled a deep breath of country air.
“Where’s this place?” I asked while scanning the grounds.
So far, I saw a playground, a volleyball area, a softball field, several cottage style houses, and a basketball court.
That wasn’t anything that caught my immediate attention.
There were a few vehicles in the parking lot that looked too much like undercover vehicles.
My blood ran cold. “Are there other officers here?” I questioned. Aside from Von being related to Detective Gunner, I wasn’t cool with anyone else wearing a damn badge.
“A few,” he replied while handing me a shirt. “Put this on.”
“What does a few mean?” I asked as my eyes scanned the writing and picture on the shirt.
“Me, my brothers, my pops—”
“What?” My voice slightly escalated. “And this is your family reunion?” Sure, I knew he was related to Detective Gunner, but I hadn’t planned on ever seeing that man again. Plus, his whole damn family were cops!
Now what, genius? How you gon’ get out of this?
Von stood there with a grin on his handsome face.
“Don’t you dare smile at a time like this,” I fussed.
“You scared?”
His question triggered something inside of me. “I’m not afraid of anything.” Today wouldn’t be the day that I let anything get the upper hand in my life. Not even a fucking meeting with his family.
Smart thinking, May.
“Aight, then. Besides, my people are harmless,” he assured me.
“Says the six-foot-five linebacker with a damn grill in his mouth.”
Von threw his head back and laughed. I hated that my lips twitched to join him.
“It’s nice that you put me on a field. By the way, I’m built more like a quarterback, baby,” he stated.
I growled lowly, causing him to laugh harder.
“Put ya shirt on,” he softly ordered.
Sighing, I stood behind the truck’s passenger door and changed into the white T-shirt with the Gunner name plastered across it. Pleased, he grinned, grabbed my hand, and led me to the slaughter.
The closer we got to the crowd of people huddled under the canopies where tables and chairs were set up, cold feet set in. Shit! I was always cool under pressure. What the fuck is wrong with me?
I pulled my hat a little lower over my eyes to conceal them as much as I could. Von came close to me and lifted my chin until his eyes were where he always wanted them.
“Let’s make another deal,” he proposed.
Reluctantly, I asked, “What is it?”
“If I get you to feel comfortable around my people, you gotta give me a second date.”
“We haven’t even made it through the first one. Mind you, I’m here for the whole damn weekend. Mind you, you didn’t give me a choice not to come,” I said.
He chuckled. “This is one date, Maja. And I’m confident we will have a second one. Say yes.”
He was so persuasive, I found myself muttering, “Sure. But… If I don’t feel comfortable, you have to agree to walk away and pretend like we never met.”
“I’ll agree to walk away. I won’t pretend like we never met.”
Unfortunately, I knew all too well what Von meant. Bumping into him was becoming my undoing, and I barely knew him. I was already agreeing to do something I would never do outside of him.
Seconds later, I swallowed my tongue. Detective Gunner approached us, wearing a bright but curious smile. The second recognition crossed his handsome face, I nervously smiled.
“Hey, son,” he said to Von, “you’re just in time for the opening prayer.”
Son! I inwardly croaked. This was worse than I thought. He and Von were nearly twins. As they hugged, I couldn’t help but appreciate their affection toward each other. However, the elder Detective Gunner’s eyes were on me.
“Pops, this Maja. Maja, meet my pops, Wesley,” Von introduced us.
With a wry grin, the elder Gunner took my hand. “Now I’m understanding why my son wanted to do something strange to find you, Maja.”
Von burst out laughing, and sadly, I chuckled. “It’s nice to…see you, Mr. Gunner.”
“Von!” A woman’s screeching shout alerted us to a woman waving. She was a few feet away from us and beaming brightly.
“Go talk to ya mama before she wakes up the bears,” the elder Gunner told his son.
Laughing, Von went to meet his mother’s hasty footsteps toward us.
Detective Gunner took that time to sigh and softly smile. “It’s good to see you, too, Maja.”
I ducked my head to fight back the tears in my eyes. Von had unwittingly pushed me back into a time I wanted to continue to bury.
“Your past is safe with me,” Detective Gunner muttered.
“Thank you, Detective Gunner,” I replied.
“Chief of Police now,” he corrected me. “Not for long, though. I’m retiring in a few weeks.”
“Oh. Well, I appreciate…everything.”
“Of course.” He patted my shoulder, then turned to walk away.
I stopped him. “I have a question.”
“Sure,” he acquiesced.
“Did my mother do everything she could to survive?”
He inhaled a deep breath, then blew it out. We were both put on the spot and were trying to navigate this moment while respecting the other’s feelings.
“Ya mama did everything to survive outside of putting a bullet in ya father,” he divulged.
Searching his statement, something dawned on me. “You asked her for permission to kill him?”
“I didn’t…” His gaze glanced over his shoulder to see if Von was still occupied.
“Someone did,” I pried.
He stared at me.
“Look, I understand dredging up the past isn’t always what’s best. I guess a part of me just wants to know she tried everything,” I explained.
Understanding, he nodded. “She did. I can assure you of that.”
Seeing that he wasn’t going to fold to my prying, I decided to drop it. I was here on a date. Instead, my mind turned into the investigator inside me. Somehow, I had to turn her ass off.