“DaVinci, my guy.” Giveon stood when I stepped into the conference room. “Stetson. Omni. Thanks for coming in.”
Stetson took the seat at the head of the table, sixty-two and still commanding rooms even when he was on humble time. I’d learned so much from him. It was why I didn’t say much in rooms like this. He told me I didn’t need to. Why waste words when the moves spoke for you?
“Pops.”
He nodded. “Son, you better come see your momma before I gotta step in.”
I groaned because I’d been low-key avoiding her. She was doing the most about this Cassie situation, and now about Halo too. Something was up with her, and I needed to go on and get that over with.
“I’ll go see her when I leave here,” I said.
He nodded again.
“You can’t speak?” I asked Omni, who was glued to her phone, probably juggling Chy Bella and Ignite in the same breath.
She looked up long enough to say, “This better be quick. I got a kitchen to run, and I gotta fire Jean today.”
“It will be,” Giveon promised, pulling up files on the screen. “Let’s get into it. Cassandra Patterson. The DA charged her with first–degree arson, stalking, criminal harassment, and violating a protective order.”
“When’s trial?” I asked, settling back in my chair. I wanted this shit over with. Her sitting in jail wasn’t enough for me.
“That’s the issue,” he said. “She’s got another bond hearing in a few weeks. Her lawyer’s pushing for her release pending trial.”
“Absolutely not.” My voice was flat. Final. “What do we need to do to make sure that doesn’t happen?”
Giveon clicked to the next slide: Cassie’s psych eval, her history, the evidence. “The DA’s office is arguing she’s a flight risk and a danger to others. You could speak at the hearing. Detail the harassment, the threats, the impact on your life.”
“Then I’ll speak.”
“There’s a risk,” Giveon warned. “She might use that as a way to see you. To engage. This could be a manipulation play, using the system to stay connected to you. You can’t put shit past this girl.”
Stetson leaned forward. “Then we make it clear that contact is the last thing she’s getting. You speak through a statement. Don’t give her the satisfaction of a response.”
“Exactly,” Giveon agreed. “We file a victim impact statement. You don’t have to be in the same room as her.”
“Good.” I leaned back. “Handle it. Whatever it takes to keep her locked up until trial, make it happen.”
“Consider it done.”
Omni finally looked up from her phone. “So, she’s not getting out?”
“Not if I can help it,” Giveon said. “Between the evidence, the psych eval, and DaVinci’s statement, she’s staying put.”
“Good,” Omni said. “Because that bitch burned down my brother’s house. She can rot for all I care.”
“Omni,” Stetson said, that warning tone he used when she went a little too far.
I felt my sister and appreciated her having my back.
“What? I said what I said. And Daddy, you know I’m right.”
I almost smiled. Almost. But my mind was already off Cassie and back where it’d been living.
Halo.
One more day until I could see her face again. One more day of this distance that was testing every bit of patience I had. I’d given her space like she asked. Respected her boundary even when every instinct in me said show up anyway.
I didn’t know what this was yet, what we were or what we could be, but I knew it was something. Different than anything I’d felt in four years. Maybe different than anything I’d felt, period. And I wasn’t about to fuck that up by moving too fast or not listening to what my woman said.
