“I’m scared, Prime.”
“Don’t be. I told you I got this. You trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then stop worrying. Go home. I’ll come get you tonight at seven. I got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
“Yeah. Something good. Now go be with Yusef. Act normal. And Zahara?”
“Yeah?”
“Delete this call from your phone.”
“Okay.”
“I got you, Goddess. Always.”
He hung up.
I stood there for a moment, staring at my phone. Then I deleted the call log like he told me and headed for the bus stop.
At seven sharp, there was a knock on my door.
Yusef ran to answer it, his face lighting up. “Prime!”
“What’s up, lil man?” Prime dapped him up, then looked at me. “You ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“It’s a surprise.” His eyes held that intensity that made my stomach flip. “Both of y’all. Come on.”
“Where we going?” Yusef asked, already grabbing his jacket.
“You’ll see.”
We got in Prime’s car and he started driving. Northeast. Toward the industrial district.
“When’s my next boxing lesson?” Yusef asked from the backseat.
“Tomorrow. You been keeping up with your push-ups?”
“Yeah. I did fifty this morning.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
I watched Prime’s profile as he drove. The streetlights caught the sharp angle of his jaw, casting shadows that made my fingers itch to trace them. His eyes stayed focused on the road, dark lashes lowered slightly, the same intensity there as when they roamed over my bare skin. This man who’d taken care of a body for me. Who’d cleaned up my mess with those hands that knew exactly how to make me tremble. Who was now… what? Taking us on a mystery adventure?
“Close your eyes,” he said to me.
“What?”
“Close your eyes. It’s part of the surprise.”
“Prime, I don’t?—”
He reached over, pulling a bandana from his pocket. “Trust me.”
