“Okay! That’s enough,” she snapped, looking between us. “Let’s not do this. It’s too earlyandtoo cold for this. A mistake was made—a very dumb, weed-hazy, bear-inviting, ‘this-could’ve-been-a-Netflix-docuseries’ type of mistake—but we’re alive. Let’s leave it there.”
I backed up an inch, breathing heavy.
“You two city clowns don’t realize where you are. This ain’t brunch in Buckhead; this is the wilderness… the mountains… where rules apply! I ain’t got no problem with you smoking, but do that shit in socks, while whispering to yo’ ancestors and making sure every inch of this damn house is secured before you slither back in.”
I shook my head, eyes narrowing as my voice dropped to a deadly whisper, as I stepped so close he could smell my breath.
“Just know… if that bear had laid a single paw on Chesteria, you wouldn’t have had to worry about locking no doors ever again; I would’ve dragged you out by yo’ scalp and fed yo’ ass to the rest of the forest. Personal delivery… no tracking number… just bones.”
The room went dead silent.
Isis blinked, then raised her hand slightly. “Well, what about me? Don’t I matter too?”
I looked right through her like she was part of the wall, then turned slightly, chest still heaving.
“Everybody go back to bed," I growled. “And let’s hope somebody don’t wake up with Bigfoot spooning them.”
I turned to head back, still clutching my gun, mind racing. I kept my pace steady, but I was fuming.
I can’t believe this shit. Chesteria really brought this soft ass nigga up here with her? A grown ass man who screamed louder than a toddler with night terrors just ‘cause he saw a little fur? A nigga who damn near got us all mauled by a bear ‘cause his high was calling? One who jumps at creaks, whines through survival, and probably ain’t didn’t even carry the groceries in.
Hell no.
Ain’t no way I’m walking out that door, leaving Chesteria here with somebody like that. If the generator goes out, he’ll probably cry, light a candle, and start praying on Live, like, “Y’all, pray for me. It’s dark out here.” If the propane happens to run low, I could see him calling his mama, and then DoorDash. Let a raccoon blink too hard, he’s liable to scream, “It’s rabid!” A spider? That’s a 911 call. A mosquito bite? Funeral arrangements and GoFundMe.
Yeah… I’m staying.
Chesteria don’t need a man who panics before he protects, screams first and thinks second, or folds at the first sign of nature; she needs somebody who’ll stand between her and the wild—whether it’s a bear or bullshit. And until she sees that for herself, I’m not going anywhere… even if I gotta watch her tolerate a clown just to remind her who the real man is.
Chapter nine
Chesteria
“You Slammed the Door, Not the Bear. Let’s Talk About It.”
Adrian and I walked back to the room in a heavy silence, the air thick between us. My mind was stuck on Bryce and the way he handled that damn bear…andAdrian.That man had all the authority God meant for a man to carry. Bryce didn’t scream or stumble; he just… handled it. I won’t lie, I was dangerously close to unhooking my bra and laying it at his feet as if to say,“Choose your moment, King. I’m healed now.”Becausethatkind of composure? That kind of protect-you-first, talk-later, body-built-for-salvation-and-sin type energy? A nigga could get the coochie on a communion table, on a canoe, in the woods, even during a hurricane. Hell, I’d climb a pine tree and ride him in nature’s lap like a praise dancer.
Meanwhile…
I glanced at Adrian out the corner of my eye.
His expression wasn’t giving the same Adrian, who cracked jokes about the most random shit. That version of him was quiet but not calm. His jaw was tight, his shoulders were stiff, and there was a storm brewing in his eyes… one I’d never seen before. It wasn’t humor or attitude. It radiated anger… that low-simmering kind of anger folks try to hide when they think no one’s paying attention.
Once we got inside, the tension didn’t lift. He closed the door behind us with a firm thud. It wasn’t harsh, but definitely not gentle either. It was givingpassive-aggressive with a pinch of bitch-assness.
“Okay… what did the door do to you?” I asked carefully, trying to gauge his mood.
“Really, Chess? You just stood there and let that nigga talk to me like that. You didn’t even have my back. That’s crazy.”
I folded my arms across my chest, leaning back slightly, incredulity spreading across my features as I let out a scoff.
“Have your back?” I retorted. “Adrian, you’re a man,right?Okay, yeah, let’s start there.So why, exactly, didIneed to jump in between you and another grown-ass man?”
I scoffed again, ready to unleash the rest of my thoughts, fully aware that the conversation was about to take a whole left turn.
“If we were together, like in a serious relationship, married, or some soul-tying scenario out of a romance novel,maybeI’d step in.”
"And ifwewere together like that, I wouldn’t let another nigga play protector while I’m standing right there."
