Upstairs, he walked past his bedroom, and Nivéa slowed, confused. “Where are you going?” she asked.
Crown didn’t answer. He opened the door to the bedroom across from his and stepped inside. When Nivéa followed, her breath caught hard in her chest. Fear still clung to her bones from the morning she’d had, but this overpowered that feeling.She stood there, taking the room in piece by piece, her eyes moving slowly.
“When did you…how did you find the time?” Her voice failed her as tears spilled over.
Crown stepped closer, brushing the tears from her face like it was second nature.
“I did it the day after y’all left. Having you both here did something for me. I wanted y’all here as much as I could get you to come, and I wanted her to be comfortable. It was supposed to be a surprise. I was gon’ show you when we got here after the club. But shit went left.”
Nivéa looked Crown in the eyes, and a smile stretched across her face. Beneath the hard exterior, she could see the hurt sitting right there in his gaze. Plain as day. He missed her, too. Everything he had said to her before now felt true. He wasn’t just talking; he wanted something real. Something solid. And more than that, he wanted to build it with her.
Crown showed it in his actions. In a matter of weeks, he’d done more for her than Boe had managed in four years. That realization hit her hard. This was what she had missed most about him. What had kept her up late at night after they split, staring at her phone, fighting the urge to call and give him another chance. His presence. His care. The way he moved with purpose. It was never just about his exterior or his money. It was what lived beneath it. The steadiness. The protection. The way he made her feel chosen.
Nivéa broke eye contact, her vision glossy as she looked around the room again. It was beautiful. Pastel tones filled the space, almost identical to the nursery she’d built back home. Every detail screamed he had paid attention. Nyla’s unicorn theme, the quality of the furniture, and the way everything flowed together also told her this wasn’t thrown together. This was intentional.
At her place, she’d made her money stretch. She caught sales at several different stores, making things work and look nice with what she could afford. This room looked different…like luxury, like a man who spared no expense when it came to her child.
She gently laid Nyla into the crib, smoothing the blanket before stepping farther into the room. When she reached the walk-in closet, the tears came harder. Baby items were lined up on the shelves, neatly organized. Clothes crowded the hangers, tags still attached. Too many. Far more outfits than there were days before Nyla would outgrow them. She brushed her fingers over one of the tags and recognized the boutique immediately, the same one she loved at the mall when he took her shopping. Despite the tears, another smile found her lips.
“This is so beautiful. You have no idea what this means to me.”
Nivéa turned to Crown, wrapping her arms around his neck before she could catch herself. Everything she’d been holding in while missing him finally spilled over. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever known, Ahmad. Inside and out.”
You would’ve thought Crown had handed her a million dollars by the way she cried, but what he gave her meant more than money ever could. He kept showing up and showing out for her and Nyla. And that was all she had ever wanted in a man, someone who was down for her.
Crown leaned down, his mouth brushing her ear. “It’s more where that came from. My closet already got shit in it for you too.”
Nivéa stilled in his arms.
“Y’all stayin’ here with me until it’s safe, until I handle it. And make no mistake,I will handle it, ma.”
Chapter Four
Boe sat behind the wheel of Nivéa’s car, fingers drumming against the emblem as he cursed under his breath. The shit at the market still burned. Things had gone left, way left. Maybe he should’ve risked it, he thought. Maybe he should’ve dragged Nivéa into a bank and got her to take everything out at once. Now there he sat, scrambling. He was positive she’d have her debit card blocked soon and report her car missing, too.
Frantically, his knee bounced as his thoughts drifted back to the market’s parking lot. The gun pressed against the back of his head, and the voice behind him. The nigga didn’t even hesitate at the idea of killing him right there in broad daylight.Who the fuck was that nigga?
The small glimpse Boe caught made him feel like he recognized Danger, just like he thought he recognized Crown. But he couldn’t put his finger on where he knew them from. One thing he knew for sure, though, was that the man he just encountered was a real killer. Somebody with power. Somebody Nivéa hadn’t told him about. His mind flicked to the older woman. Nivéa had claimed she was her mother’s friend, but Boeknew now that was a lie. It felt like pieces were missing, like he was staring at a puzzle without the full picture.
Before he could spiral any further, he killed the noise inside his head and focused on what was more important now…plan B.
Plan B was risky.
Reckless, even.
A move Boe would never make if things hadn’t gone south. But desperation had a way of changing shit, and he was running out of options. So, he called Plan B and asked for a favor. His cousin could only do so much for him. He was a man at the end of the day and had to make his own way.
Soon, a pearl-white Benz slid into view, perfectly fitted for a princess. Boe straightened slightly as the engine cut off. A woman with long dreadlocks hanging to the crack of her ass stepped out moments later, heels clicking against the pavement as she adjusted the black bag on her arm. Everything about her screamed money and confidence. She walked toward him like she owned the air around her.
“Fabienne, baby,” Boe spoke as he opened the door and stepped out.
“Boe,” she replied, her eyes nervously sweeping the area behind the oversized GUCCI frames perched on her nose. “You have lost your mind wanting to meet up in broad daylight.”
“Baby, listen. I know this ain’t our usual.” He said smoothly, stepping closer.
“But you know I just got out. Shit’s tight for me right now, and I need a little help. I gotta pay my mama back for covering my bail, and I still owe my lawyer, too. I swear I’ll pay you back every cent once I’m back on my grind.” Boe lied as easily as he breathed. He was a natural charmer, especially with a woman who didn’t know the real him.
Fabienne studied him in silence, lips pursed. “Yeah, you better. Ain’t shit free. The dick is good, but it ain’t that good.” She joked with a smirk.
