And it was. Every minute Cassie was out there, free and unhinged, was another minute Halo wasn’t in arms. I’d already told Cassie what would happen if she came near my Angel. Now it was time to make sure everybody understood I wasn’t playing. I’d spent weeks being patient, being careful, trying to handle this the right way. That shit was over.
I’d gotten the call two days ago. Cassie’s father reached back out like we were about to negotiate a business deal instead of talking about his daughter, who’d committed a felony. She was hiding. They knew where. And they were willing to tell me where for the right price. Money always made people reasonable, even when they were protecting someone they loved. And right now, the price didn’t matter to me.
Halo knew what it was now. She wasn’t rocking with it yet, cool. I’ll let her breathe. But I know what I felt in that hallway. She gon’ circle back once she stops lying to herself. I also knew I wasn’t coming off her anytime soon. I could come out of the shadows, and that’s what I planned to do. I wasn’t about to let Cassie fuck that up.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, bringing me from my thoughts.
“What’s up?”
“Don’t keep me in suspense. What did she say?” Omni asked, joyfully.
“I wish I had a good answer for you, but she said she needs space and shit.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe she’ll come around.”
“Well, she got a week to do so.”
“DaVinci, you don’t get to dictate that. That’s what you got you here in the first place.”
“Shit, watch me. She can lie to herself if she wants to, but she’s digging the kid. I’m not about to let a little misunderstanding stand in the way of our forever.”
“Lord, have mercy. I’ve never seen you like this. I can’t wait to meet this woman.”
“She’s perfect, sis. I tried to have you a sister for Christmas, but it didn’t pan out.”
“Bye, nigga. I can’t stand you. You know I’ve had a sister on my Christmas list since I was six.”
I laughed, “Exactly, but bye bald head.”
The drive felt longer than it was. After speaking with Omni, my mind wandered back to the hallway at Pressure Points, thinking about how she shifted when I stepped in. Her whole vibe softened and thighs clenched when I said Halima. I wasn't blind. She could lie with her mouth all day, but her body had been on my side from the start.
I wanted her. Let’s stop playing like I didn’t. And she wanted me too, she just didn’t trust it yet.
And it wasn't just that. I saw the disappointment. I saw the justified anger. She'd compared me to Cassie, like I was no better than the woman who'd terrorized me.What makes you different from Cassie, DaVinci?Those words kept echoing in my head.
She'd walked away without looking back, leaving me standing there like a fool. I'd finally told her the truth, finally stepped out of the shadows, and she'd told me she needed space. I'd fucked it all up. A tight, unforgiving weight settled right in the deepest part of me.
I was damn near vibrating trying to keep my hands to myself. If I had touched her neck the way my body was screaming at me to, that whole grand opening would have turned into a different kind of scene. We wouldn't have been talking. We wouldn't have been arguing. We would've been doing something we couldn't take back, and Halo didn't deserve me coming at her like that. I let her walk because I respected her, not because I didn't want her.
And here I was, about to remind somebody why you don't threaten anything attached to me. Her scent forced my lip between my teeth. That shit was haunting me something fierce. Sweet, heavy, bright, like pound cake with a bit of zest. Crossing lines was going to be easy for her. She wasn't built like anybody else I ever crossed paths with.
That's why Cassie had to be handled ASAP, no Rocky.
I couldn't even think straight tonight. Couldn't chase Halo the way I wanted, not with loose ends out here playing bold with her name in their mouth. Handle this first. Then I could circle back for what's mine.
We arrived at a small house on the outskirts of the city. It was modest but worn. It had obviously seen better days and was just holding on out of stubbornness. The porch light flickered. A chain-link fence wrapped arounda yard that was more dirt than grass. This was where Cassie’s parents lived. Where she’d grown up, looking at it, pieces started clicking into place about why she’d become who she was.
Mr. and Mrs. Patterson were waiting inside when we walked through the door. The house smelled like old coffee and an air freshener that couldn’t quite cover up the staleness underneath. The furniture looked like it had been nice once, maybe twenty years ago, but now it was just worn. Faded, just like the people sitting in it.
“Mr. Bryns,” Mr. Patterson said when we sat down in their living room.
I didn’t respond or offer a handshake or pleasantries. Just me staring at him until the awkward tension got thick enough to choke on. He was a small man, thin in a way that suggested stress more than genetics, with gray hair and eyes that looked tired of carrying whatever weight they’d been holding. Weak.
I didn’t waste any time. My pops always said, Handle the problem first, address the feelings later. So that’s what I was on.
“Where is she?”
“A friend’s lake house. Up north. She’s been there about three weeks.”
