Smoke looked back at Sanaa, sitting upright now, wrapped in a blanket, watching us like she already knew this conversation mattered.
“Sometimes,” he said quietly, “you gotta let shit go to keep your woman safe.”
I didn’t answer right away.
He gave a small, almost amused exhale. “You surprised to hear that from me.”
“I am,” I admitted.
He smirked. “I’m married to an investigative reporter.”
That got my full attention.
He caught it and shook his head, smiling like he’d seen that reaction before. “Yeah. Sounds crazy, I know. We are an unlikelypair. But we also the right pair. And she loves to go digging in some shit that could and has blown back on us. And because my ass loves to end trouble, I would go trying to settle whatever score came with her digging.”
The smile faded.
“But some shit can’t be settled once you dig it up. Some shit is only satisfied when it burns everything down to a crisp, where nothing can come back to life. So I chilled on a few matters. Because I’d do anything to keep her safe.”
His eyes went cold.
“Anything.”
The fire cracked behind us. Radios buzzed. Water hammered siding.
He nodded toward Sanaa. “She told me you two used to be a thing.”
I didn’t like the wayused tosounded. He noticed.
“Well,” he said, “looks like that ain’t past tense anymore, son.”
He stepped closer.
“If you want her to stay part of your present—and not turn into something you remember—you protect her the smart way. Let the people who deal in dirty… handle dirty.”
A beat passed.
“Ya feel me?”
I held his gaze.
Then I nodded. Yeah. I felt him. I was no gangsta, and I needed to take my ass home.
We shook hands.
By the time I glanced back toward the fireline and turned again, he was already gone.
Marquez blinked. “Man… does he always disappear like that?”
I watched the empty space where the SUV had been.
“…Yeah,” I said. “I think he does.”
Behind me, Sanaa said my name and this time, I didn’t hesitate. I went straight to her.
I crouched in front of her. There was soot on her temple. Not much. Just enough to make my chest tighten again.
“You okay?” I asked.
