Legend walked away, and that familiar tension showed itself for a moment. It always did at first.
Tempo looked at me and gave me a small nod. “You good?”
“I’m good. How you been?”
“I’ve been good.”
Tempo’s eyes glanced over the gallery. “You’re doing a great job managing the development project.”
I nodded once. “Thank you.”
Tempo paused, then looked at me longer than usual. “I wanted to tell you something. I’m glad you found Rhythm. You deserve happiness. You deserve a woman who can be better than I was to you.”
I swallowed, surprised by how much I appreciated those words. “Thank you. I mean that.”
Tempo lifted her brows. “So, wedding bells soon?”
I felt heat rise in my face before I could stop it.
Tempo’s eyes widened and she laughed. “Nigga, are you blushing?”
I shook my head, annoyed at myself and amused with her at the same time. “Stop.”
She laughed harder. “Oh, your head is sogone.”
“It’s a bit soon for wedding bells. But I do think I found the one.”
Tempo’s smile softened. “Good. Don’t fumble her.”
I was about to respond, but my phone rang. Rhythm’s name lit up my screen.
Tempo saw it and stepped back. “I’m gonna let you take that,” she said, already turning away.
I answered on the first ring. “Hey, baby.”
But I got no response.
All I heard was movement and the sounds of a car on the road. Then I heard shaky breathing.
“Rhythm?” I called.
Still nothing.
I figured she’d butt-dialed me. I was about to hang up and call her back, until I heard her say, “Kodi, please put the gun away,” she whispered. “What if the kids see it?”
My whole body went cold.
Then she said, “Where are you taking me?”
I took off for the exit fast enough that people stared. Someone called my name, but I didn’t stop. I ran through thegallery, weaving around tables and staff with my phone pressed to my ear. All I heard was road noise and breathing.
Then I heard a man say, “You thought you was just gone walk away from me?”
My vision blurred. I hit the doors and stepped outside into the cold without feeling it. I ran toward my car as my fingers flew over the screen to pull up her location. The dot was moving.
Behind me, I heard Legend. “Sin!”
Then Aria. “Sincere!”
