Her head jerks back as if she’s been hit. “Girl, that’s not even an option. I mean my pussy is good, but it’s not good enough to get a man I haven’t fucked in years to give me this big ass house for forever.”
The words combined with the sheer seriousness of her expression surprises a laugh out of me. “Oh, my God. I really need you to stop talking,” I wheeze, holding my sides.
“You’re laughing, but I’m so for real right now. We can’t stay here forever, Selene, and we won’t need to. Marsh is going back to prison. Aubrey is going to end up in a cell right next to him. Cordelia and Gambit and whoever the hell else is in on this little conspiracy theory, is going to get what’s coming to them, and then you’re going to live happily ever after with Cal and Beck. There is no other acceptable outcome, do you hear me?”
“Well there is one other outcome I’d accept,” I say tentatively.
“And what exactly would that look like?”
“Adopting Isis and Imani?”
My eyes run in frenzied lines over her face, trying to gauge her thoughts before she can fully process what I’ve said. There’s shock, and the small flickers of cautious excitement pulling at the corners of her lips.
“I didn’t realize you wanted more kids.”
“I didn’t, and I don’t want just any kid. I want the chance to raise them, to show them what it feels like to grow up with people in your corner who’ll always have your back and stand at your side. They deserve to know the love and safety of a home again, and I think that when all of this is said and done, I can give them that.”
I bite my lower lip as hope swells in my chest. It’s accompanied by sharp pangs of guilt that come from having to leave the girls without saying a word. They know what it’s like to be left behind, and I know that kind of pain has left them with scars, I just hate that I might be the person reopening those wounds for them now.
“Do you think they’ll want me?”
Monique frowns. “What?! Of course, they’ll want you, Selene. Those girls are obsessed with you. They talk about you, Cal and Beck all the time. I don’t think there’s anything you could do to change that.”
“Except disappear for days with no explanation.”
“Sel, Isis and Imani are smart girls. They are aware of what’s happening right now. The hunt for Leland and his obsession with you are all anyone is talking about. I’m sure they’re more worried about you than anything else.”
Despite the strength of her conviction, I struggle to accept her reassurance. The guilt and anxiety are just too much for Monique to break through. I still thank her, though, accepting her reassuring smile and allowing her to set the pace as we resume our walk.
“I assume Cal and Beck are on the same page as you?”
“Yes. Beck said he even talked to his therapist about it.”
She fans herself with her hand, swooning. “A Black man in therapy, weloveto see it.”
I shake my head, exhausted from her silliness and the walk. We’re nearing the patio now, and I’m deciding if I should grab a seat next to Cal and convince him to use the grill for the chicken he has marinating in the fridge for dinner tonight or do another lap with Mo when I notice Beck stepping outside with the laptop in hand.
His brows are furrowed, and there’s a grim tilt to his lips that makes continuing the walk a distant thought. Monique follows me up onto the teak wood deck, both of us pausing opposite the men.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Beck turns the computer to me, showing me the digital monitoring app. It takes a moment for me to realize the messages displayed on the screen are coming from my phone.There’s one text selected, and the content of it shocks me just as much as the name of the sender.
Jordan St. James: I need to see you.
We arguefor what feels like hours about whether it’s safe for me to meet with Jordan. Monique is team, do whatever the hell gets us out of this house and back to our lives quicker while Cal and Beck are steadfast in their refusal to entertain the idea for even a second. They each make their points known while I listen intently, allowing them all to speak even though I knew what I was going to do the moment I saw the text.
“This is a bad idea,” Cal says, pressing the button to open the gate and allow Jordan through. Beck volunteered to meet her on the road and inspect her vehicle, so now he’s in her backseat. I’m almost certain he has a gun pointed at her even though the video footage doesn’t allow me to see that much.
“The meeting or the location?” I ask, leaning against the wall near the front door.
“Both,” he mutters as he flips the deadbolt.
“We need to know what she has to say, Cal.”
“We also need to keep you safe.”
“She is safe,” Monique reminds him from her spot inside the grand arch that leads into the main living area. There’s a flare of agitation lacing her words. “Beck searched the car. He confirmed that no one else is in the vehicle–”
