Cannon handed her the gun.
Their ride home had been silent for the most part, but Nahla noticed that Cannon kept checking the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes.
Tired of the silence, she asked him, “What is it?”
Instead of replying, he said, “Tell me somethin’, La. When you went to Lyle last weekend, did any of the interviews you had scheduled cancel last minute? Was there anyone you were supposed to meet up with that went ghost?”
Her eyes rolled to the ceiling as she thought about it. “Uh, the Whites. But they didn’t go ghost. They were supposed to be my first meeting, so I called them as soon as I arrived. They answered and let me know they weren’t comfortable talking anymore.”
“Uh-huh,” was all he said.
“Why do you ask?”
Again, he ignored her question and asked one of his own. “Have you found any evidence that proves the Whites were victims in this shit? Did they give you any information about the actual land they lost?”
“No, they were supposed to tell me specifics at the meeting.Why?”
“’Cause I think the sheriff knew you were coming. I think somebody tipped them off, and it could’ve been the Whites.”
Her eyes widened a little. Thatcouldbe a possibility, but it never even crossed her mind. Nahla had gotten so excited that so many families agreed to talk to her that she never slowed down long enough to consider that her enemies could have planted some of her sources.
“I was thinking that was the case, but the fact that I didn’t even notice anyone drive past my truck slowly yesterday confirmed it. They didn’t know you were there, because it was a last-minute trip that only we knew about.”
“Wow,” she said in disbelief.How did she miss all of that?
Cannon reached over and caressed her thigh.
“Don’t worry ’bout that. Knowing now means we can plan better. Aight?”
She sighed. “Okay.”
“Now, I’ma need you to hold off on your next story.”
Nahla’s face turned up immediately. “Cannon, I told you th?—”
He cut her off. “You trust me?”
She exhaled and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I trust you.”
He glanced at her. “You wit’ me?”
Nahla grazed her bottom lip with her teeth. “I am.”
“If we can make them believe the press conference intimidated you, and that you’ve backed off, we can make moves without their eyes on us. I want them to get a lil comfortable.”
Cannon pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant Nahla had never been to before and parked the car.
“If you trust me and you believe that I got you, let me handle this part. Can you do that, La?”
Looking into his eyes, she nodded. She did trust him, and she could do that.
Leaning over, he kissed her lips gently. “Then, let’s go eat.”
Later that night, they were cuddled up on the sofa watching a basketball game. Cannon was engrossed in the game, while Nahla internally replayed the day’s events.
The gun range.
Their closeness as he gave her a shooting lesson.
