Zahra stepped beside me. She slid into my space just enough to touch me without taking my power from me. Her hand landed on my forearm with the lightest pressure, the kind that didn’t restrain me but still spoke to me.
“Baby,” she called softly, using that voice she only used when she needed me to come back to her.
I didn’t look at her right away. I continue to glare at the YN’s, but I felt my breathing calm. I felt the urge to kill slowly fading.
Her mouth came close to my ear. “Not tonight. Not over them. They’re young, baby. They made a mistake.”
My eyes stayed on the dudes, but I’d heard her. Zahra always reminded me that I wasn’t just a street nigga. I was a name. I was a brand. I had a wife and kids, and I needed to think for them now.
I stepped back a half-step with my glare locked on them. “This pass is because my wife asked me to chill. Don’t confuse that with shit being sweet. Watch your fucking mouths when talking to women, whether they are in the company of a man or not.”
Their heads bobbed quickly.
“Yes, sir.”
“My fault, big bro.”
“Won’t happen again.”
I looked at the one who’d disrespected Zahra. “Watch your mouth when a queen is in your presence. You don’t want what comes with that kind of disrespect.”
He nodded hard. “I hear you.”
I turned away, but I felt like his goof ass was getting away too easy. So, I quickly spun around, grabbed the back of his neck and slammed his face into the trunk of the nearest car.
“Baby!” Zahra exclaimed in a warning as his homies jumped back, startled.
I lifted his head by the neck and saw that his nose and mouth were leaking blood. A few of his teeth were on the trunk. “Say sorry, nigga.”
“S-s-sorry!” he spat.
Zahra glared at me, folded her arms right across her chest, then spun around and stalked away. I let the YN’s neck go with a hard thrust and went after Zahra. I felt my security team closing in, in case these YN’s were stupid enough to get active.
I still wanted more blood, but I knew that would only piss my wife off more.
As Zahra and I climbed in my truck, she was still grimacing. I started it and pulled off.
We rode in silence for a few seconds. I kept my eyes on the road, and I could still feel my anger pulsating through my veins.
“I asked you to chill,” Zahra finally said.
“Technically, you just said, ‘Not tonight. Not over—”
“I know what I said, nigga!” she shrieked so loud, almost making me laugh.
I glanced at her. “I didn’t kill nobody, baby,” I reminded her.
Huffing and puffing, she turned toward me. “I’m not trying to make you soft. I fell for the man who would burn the world down for me. I just don’t want you burning yourself in the process.”
My jaw eased a little as Zahra rested her hand on my thigh.
“The same fearlessness that kept you alive out there can get you taken from me if you don’t learn when to walk away,” she said.
I nodded once. “I know.” Then I exhaled. “You the only person who can pull me back when I want to flip out.”
She smiled at that, like she already knew.
I looked at her and kept it real. “If you ever leave me, I’m probably going to prison the next day.”
