I sighed,reached in, and picked her up. She was dead weight, her head lolling against my chest as I carried her to the elevator. The security guard at the desk looked up, took one look at the scene, and wisely said nothing.
In the elevator,Farah stirred slightly, mumbling something I couldn’t make out before going quiet again.
My penthouse took up the two top floors of the building. I bought it three weeks ago but hadn’t had time to do much with it yet. When I walked in with Farah in my arms, the emptiness of the place felt even more obvious. Just a leather sofa, a coffee table, and a massive TV mounted on the wall in the living room.
I carriedher straight to the bedroom—the only room with actual furniture. The California king was the first piece I’d bought. Memory foam mattress, Egyptian cotton sheets. Nothing but the best.
I laidher down on top of the covers and stepped back, looking at her. Even drunk and passed out, she was beautiful. Thick in all the right places, smooth brown skin, those lips that had been driving me crazy since she was old enough to wear lipstick.
But she wasRashid’s daughter. And that made her untouchable. Period.
I grabbeda blanket from the closet and threw it over her, then filled a glass with water from the bathroom and set it on the nightstand. She’d need it when she woke up. I made sure she waslying on her side in case she did have to throw up. I also brought her a trash can. If she made a mess in my room, she would def be cleaning that shit up in the morning.
For a second,I just stood there, watching her breathe. Her chest rising and falling, peaceful in sleep. Tomorrow she’d probably wake up embarrassed. Or pissed. Or both.
I turnedoff the light and closed the door behind me.
On the couch,I stretched out as best I could, one leg hanging off the edge. It wasn’t comfortable, but I’d slept in worse places. As I stared at the ceiling, I thought about how many times I’d had to clean up other people’s messes. How many times I’d been the one to step in when shit went sideways.
I thoughtabout my relationship with Rashid. How he’d taken me under his wing in prison, taught me discipline, showed me how to channel my rage into something controlled and deadly. Useful.
I must have fallenasleep thinking about that, because the next thing I knew, sunlight was streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows and someone was pounding on my door.
I sat up,instantly alert. The knocking came again, firm and measured.
“Shit,”I hissed, grabbing my phone. 8:27 AM. Too damn early for visitors.
When I checkedthe ring camera app on my phone, I saw that it was Rashid.
What was he doing here?Did he know Farah was here? I didn’t need this shit today.
I moved quicklyto the bedroom, where Farah was still passed out, face buried in the pillow, her dark hair spread across the white sheets. I shook her shoulder roughly.
“Farah, wake up.”
She groaned,not opening her eyes.
“Farah!”I shook her harder. “Your father is here.”
That did it.Her eyes flew open, panic replacing the sleepiness. “What?”
“Your father isat my door. You need to be quiet as hell. Don’t make a sound, you understand me? If he finds you here, we’re both dead.”
She nodded frantically,pulling the covers up to her chin like she was hiding from a monster under the bed. And in a way, she was. Rashid might’ve been a spiritual man, but he had zero tolerance for anything he considered disrespectful. His daughter spending the night at my place would definitely qualify.
I closedthe bedroom door and headed to the front door, taking a deep breath before opening it.
Rashid stoodthere in one of his immaculate suits, bow tie perfectly centered, his salt-and-pepper beard neatly trimmed. He looked me up and down, taking in my rumpled clothes from the night before.
“As-salamu alaykum, young-blood,”he said, his deep voice filling the entryway.
“Wa alaykum as-salam,”I replied automatically. “This is a surprise.”
He smiled,the lines around his eyes crinkling. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Not at all. Come in.”
I stepped aside,praying Farah would have the sense to stay quiet and out of sight. Rashid entered, his eyes taking in the sparse furnishings.
