“You heard what I said. You attacked me like a fucking animal! I told you no! I know I did.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, stepping closer. “That didn’t happen. You’re making shit up. Stop yelling before someone hears.”
I felt like I’d been punched. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to stay upright. “I will not be quiet. you’re a liar, and you know it!”
Before the words could continue, Nyx appeared, her gaze locked in on Waylon. “That’s enough. You need to leave. Now! Before I call Ocean out here.”
He hesitated, eyes flicking between us, and then stormed away, fists clenched, disappearing out the building.
I sagged against the wall, trembling, tears streaming freely.
Nyx pulled me into her arms, holding me tight as I wept. “Shh…it’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”
“He’s trying to make me seem crazy!” I blurted, my eyes slamming shut. “That nigga raped me and now he’s telling me it didn’t happen!”
Nyx held me tighter, rocking me slightly. “I know. I know. You’re not crazy.”
When my eyes opened again, I saw Ocean. He was standing behind Nyx, his eyes dark, furious.
I sighed, knowing that he wasn’t walking away until I told him exactly what he wanted to know.
“Who did it?” he asked.
“Waylon,” I said, voice barely above a whisper.
His face twisted with rage. Without another word, he stormed past us and out of the building, leaving me trembling in place.
I sank to the floor, feeling the weight of everything. The grief, the fear, the anger, the betrayal. It was all crashing down at once.
Waylon’s presence had reopened wounds I’d tried to bury, and now Ocean was gone, likely hunting him, fueled by a fury that could burn cities down. I hated the fear clawing at my stomach, hated that my body was shaking. But the worst part? I didn’t know if I could stop the chain reaction that was about to happen.
52
OCEAN
I sat in the car, my hand gripping the steering wheel and my gun cold against my thigh. My chest felt tight, all this rage bubbling like a volcano ready to erupt. Shade’s voice came through the phone, trying to keep it calm, trying to reason with me, but it was like trying to tell a forest fire to simmer down.
“Yo, Shade, I’m not showing no motherfucking mercy,” I said through clenched teeth, my knuckles white around the wheel. “Skye told me he did it. He’s the one that raped her. Do you understand me?”
“Ocean…” Shade’s voice was calm. “You don’t need to do shit in broad daylight. Just send me the address?—”
“No!” I snapped, cutting him off. “I can’t wait for him to just sit there and breathe while I simmer. I need to handle this now. I’m waiting on Trace to tell me where he is. As soon as he pulls up somewhere, I’m going.”
“Ocean, hold up,” Shade said. “I’ll meet you over there. Don’t make a move before I get there, alright?”
“I can’t promise that. I don’t care about daylight. I don’t care about witnesses. That nigga thinks he’s untouchable. I’m about to show him untouchable motherfuckers don’t exist.”
I could hear Shade speaking to Trace in the background, trying to locate Waylon’s house.
Then my phone buzzed, Skye’s name flashing on the screen. I ignored it, locking eyes on the street ahead. I didn’t have room for anything but rage right now. Shade’s voice filtered through again.
“Skye’s freaking out, Ocean. She’s scared,” Shade said softly, almost pleading.
“Don’t care right now,” I said. “Not thinking about that. I can’t. I’m about to—” My words cut off as Trace gave Shade the location.
“Yo, what he say?” I asked.
“I’ll tell you once we?—”
