I already knew he was reaching out to his people. The ones who handled shit without a badge and did so quickly, quietly, and efficiently.
“Xy, don’t start that,” I spoke calmly even though my pulse was still jumping. “Let the police handle it first.”
“What the police handle is paperwork. WhatIhandle is everything else. Angel, don’t piss me off ‘cause you already know I don’t fuck around when it come to you, so yeah, it’s gon’ be eyes on this shop twenty-five eight until I know something more,” he slowly turned his head in my direction. “If they was bold enoughto do this tonight, who’s to say they not coming back? I’m not taking no fuckin’ chances with you.”
“Uhhmmm….I can wait outside if y’all need me to,” Winter’s wide eyes shifted between us like she was hearing something she had no business hearing.
“No, you’re good,” I rubbed my temples because I knew if it wasn’t Xy then my father damn sure was gon’ get his people on it once he got wind of the break-in. “Xy, I—”
“I got niggas finna pull street camera footage right now. Them fuckin’ cops will take days to do what I can get done in ten minutes,” he leaned over and comfortingly kissed my cheek. “Chill out and let me take care of you.”
I wanted to be annoyed, but this was how Xyleek’s ‘love’ showed up. He was a protector and didn’t take kindly to disrespect in any form. Vandalizing my shop was disrespectful as hell, so I just prayed that whoever did it was planning to get ghost. The moment Sleep caught up with them? Oh baby, an example was gon’ be made.
Nearly forty-five minutes later, Officer Ferguson gave me the all clear after handing me his card and promising a report in the morning. Once I was inside the shop, I felt like all the air in my lungs had been sucked right out. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the extent of the damage the intruders created.
Every inch of the shop looked like it had been consumed by chaos. A burnt smell lingered in the air as if a fire had been started but fizzled out. My heart was doing jumping jacks the deeper I walked inside.STAY IN YO LANEBITCHwas spray painted across the counter where the cash register was. All of the windows on the cars had been busted out and all the tires had been slashed, even the ones I kept in stock. How the fuck was I supposed to explain this shit to customers?
“Anybody complained to you about some work yo shop did?” Xy probed, steady typing on his phone.
I blinked back tears. “No.”
Even though I had more than enough money to get everything replaced, that wasn’t the point. The point was that someone had violated me in the worst way for reasons I didn’t even know. Heading towards the back where my office was, I noticed another message spray painted along the wall.HE’S NOT YOURS!That made me stop dead in my tracks.
“Xyleek!” I screamed his name; my hurt quickly being replaced by anger.
He was there in a matter of seconds, but his face was still buried in his phone. “What? What happened?”
“Somebody did this shit because ofyou!” I raged, punching him dead in his chest.
His frame didn’t even move as his eyes trailed the red spray paint.
“Go get in the car,” he urged with a certain ice in his tone.
“No! I’m not done looking around! And I know one of your bitches did this shit!” I punched him again out of anger, frustration, and disappointment. “Thisis why I don’t wanna fuck with you! It’s always some bullshit!”
“Nobody I fuck with would do something as stupid as this shit,” he spat.
My eyebrows almost ran off my face. “Oh, so now you’re admitting that you’re still fuckin’ other people after just promising me last night that there wasn’t anyone else? You know the fuck what…” I laughed with no amusement. “Get out.”
“No. Angel,” his tone softened once he saw I was about to lose my shit for real. “I’m saying that the women Ididfuck with wouldn’t be stupid enough to do this just because they’re jealous of you. They know they’d have to deal with me, and none of them want those kinds of problems. That’s what I’m saying to you.”
“I don’t care. I don’t fuckin’ care. I’m not doing this again, Xyleek. I’m super good on you, bro,” I tried brushing by him, but he grabbed me up bear hug style.
“Will you stop, Angel? Stop. I let you go through my shit to show you I wasn’t fuckin’ with nobody,” he said against my ear.
“Let me go, Xy.”
“Not until you’re calm.”
“Iamcalm,” I twisted and squirmed in his tight grip. “Just let me go.”
His grip loosened slightly but not much. His forearm was still pressed against my waist while he removed his phone from his pocket.
“What’s the word, Blow?...Mmmhmm…”he kissed my neck as I tried wriggling out of his stronghold.“You know my money good for any and all information…nah, they gon’ have to look me and my wife in the eye and explain why so Ima handle that…aight.”
He rained more kisses down my neck, pushing his phone back in his pocket. “Angel, I’m sorry about your shop. Just know it’ll be handled, aight? Ain’t nobody gon’ disrespect you like this and sleep peacefully at night. I got you. I love you.”
I really hated how the way he saidI love youin that deep, raspy voice, making my panties wet. Even when I was mad at him, this nigga had me in an unbelievable chokehold, and I prayed that nothing else transpired because of us rebuilding.
