Raymond stared at him expectedly. “How? You need directions or something? Do I know you?”
“No, you don’t know me. And no, I don’t need directions. I’m here to talk about Larke. You’re seeing her, aren’t you?”
Raymond backed up, then quickly masked his brief look of panic. “What does that have to do with you?”
Before Chase could answer, Raymond shook his head and made a sound between his teeth. “Damn. You’re her ex-boyfriend, aren’t you?”
“She told you about me?” What would,didLarke tell people about him? Probably nothing good. Wasn’t like he’d given her anything good to say about him.
Raymond shrugged. “Not really. My question for you is, why are you here? You and Larke are over. I just came home from the office. I don’t want any trouble.”
“I don’t give a fuck where you just got back from. That ain’t got nothing to do with what I came here for.”
“Okay. Then why are you here?”
“Like I said, to have a talk with you about Larke. Didn’t come to start trouble either. Unless you don’t wanna listen to what I have to say, then we’ll have problems.”
Raymond cocked his head and folded his arms. “Yeah. All right. What is it that’s so important you have to tell me? I already know everything I need to. Larke’s a wonderful person.”
“I know she is.” Chase didn’t need to hear this man tell him how wonderful Larke was. Didn’t need to think about Larke smiling and being good to someone who wasn’t himself. Sleeping with… Chase broke the thought. That one would kill him.Hishands, mouth, and cock should be all she knew. He wanted to slam his fist into something. Raymond’s face?
He drew in a breath, realizing he was going off the deep end. He was better, could be better than his anger. Focus. He pinned his gaze on the man who was eyeing him as if he was insane. Paying no attention to Raymond’s stare, Chase remembered the importance of why he’d waited outside this house for almost an hour. “I’m here because I wanted to make sure you know how special Larke is. I knew it, but I still managed to fuck up. She got hurt because I took it for granted that she’d always be there to support me. I’m not telling you this cause I give a shit about you. I just want you to treat her like she deserves to be treated. I want her to be happy and with someone who knows her worth. So basically I’m telling you Raymond Anthony Marks.” Shock immediately registered on the man’s face. Chase nodded, feeling smug. “Yeah, I know everything about you. And trust me, youreallydon’t want me to find out you’ve hurt Larke. Like I said, not here for trouble but for you or anyone else that fucks with her, I’ll schedule my entire life around making yours a living hell. Do we understand each other?”
Raymond continued to stare at him. “If you care about Larke so much, that you’re willing to stand here on my property laying out threats, why didn’t you tell her all of this before? Don’t you think that would’ve been better than being here angry because she’s not yours anymore?”
Chase felt his body grow tense. “Ain’t none of your business, Raymond Marks. Just remember what I said because I’m dead serious. Donotfuck with her.” He issued the man a measured look of warning before returning to his truck. As he opened the door, Raymond shouted. “Anything else you want me to tell Larke after I let her know you’ve just threatened me?”
“Whatever you want, Ray. Whatever you want.”
Chase slammed the door and drove off. Through his rearview mirror, he could see the man watching him. He supposed Raymond wanted to make sure he’d really left. Soon the bastard would reach for his phone and call Larke. Raymond would speak to her the way he used to be able to talk to her. Maybe he’d even make her laugh after he told her about Chase’s visit.
If Larke hadn’t done so before, she’d fill him in on the bitter truth about Chase and the relationship they’d had. He would end up being the joke in their conversation. Chase groaned inside his head. The sad truth was, no matter how far he’d come with putting aside his racist views, the thought of Larke and her black boyfriend laughing at him hurt, way more than it would’ve if she’d taken up with another white guy. Two successful black people laughing at the trashy white boy who thought he could make her stay…
