We walked back to my office, and she got her bag and jacket. Her car was right out front, so after I turned the lights off and locked the door, we walked outside.
“Have a good night, Raina. See you tomorrow night at eight sharp.”
She looked behind me at something, then back at me. I glanced behind me and spotted Drizzle near the wall.
“See you tomorrow, Kane.” She hurried into her car, then pulled out as soon as her engine came to life.
“I guess you like her,” Drizzle said as she stepped forward.
I would have thought she’d be home by now. I caught her shooting daggers at Munch all night, but Munch either didn’t see her or didn’t pay her any mind.
“Does that matter? I’m assuming you are still here because you want to swallow my dick, and if that’s the case, let’s go. If not, go on about your business.”
She sucked her teeth, but she followed me to the side door that led upstairs to the rooms.
All night, I had to adjust myself as I watched Munch work the bar. She was so effortlessly beautiful. It seemed like she didn’t even understand the beauty she possessed.
I let Drizzle suck me dry, but the whole time, I thought about Munch. I was in fucking trouble.
“Don’t tell me you are going down to that clubhouse again,” my mom said as she entered my bedroom. She took a seat on the edge of the bed.
I glanced at her through the mirror on my vanity and felt sad. I could see the stress lines on her face. I even noticed a few new gray hairs.
Angela Harris used to be the happiest woman in the world, at least to me. Now, she just seemed like a shell of herself since my brother passed. I couldn’t recall the last time she even smiled.
I turned around to face her after I put my earrings in.
“Mommy, I’m doing this so we can get justice for Rameek. Don’t you want that?”
“Of course, I do. But I don’t want to lose another child in the process. You don’t know what any of those people are capable of. And before you say anything, yes, we took money from them for your brother’s funeral, but we really didn’t have a choice. Your father and I were never financially prepared to lose either of you. The money from the club came in handy, but that doesn’t mean I want you around there. The few I did meet were nice, but you seemed convinced that one of them killed your brother. What makes you think they won’t kill you?”
I had no real answer for her, because I wasn’t sure. Except for the dirty looks I’d gotten from multiple women, everyone else had been nice to me. It had only been a few days, but I felt comfortable. Kane sat at the bar almost the whole time I worked. If he wasn’t there, Tech or Slider was. Slider was my favorite so far because he kept me laughing in between customers.
I wanted to think none of them did it, but I still wasn’t sure. I’d watched enough documentaries to know that killers liked to pretend to be nice until they weren’t. I needed to continue to build trust with them so I could uncover the truth.
I walked over to the bed and sat next to my mother. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and hugged her.
“Nothing is going to happen to me. I need you to spend some time with Daddy and enjoy yourselves for a change. Don’t stress over me.”
“I worry about you regardless of where you go; that’s just what a mother does. I’m even more worried now after losing your brother, but I also know I have to trust you. Just promise me that you will be safe, and if you feel like you are in danger at any time, get out of there.”
“I promise you I will.” I stood, then kissed her cheek. “I have to get out of here before I’m late.”
I picked up my bag from the floor, then grabbed my coat, and walked downstairs.
Some days, I hated that I moved back home because at least one of my parents was always around, so one of them would see my comings and goings. I knew they worried about me, but they couldn’t tell me what to do. I was an adult, and as long as I didn’t disrespect them, they had to let me do my thing.
My mother hated me working at the clubhouse, but she always packed me lunch like they didn’t have food there. She also made sure my water bottle was full. I guessed that was one of the perks of living at home. I hadn’t cooked since I moved back.
Once I had everything, I left the house and headed to my car.
As I drove to work, I couldn’t help but think about Kane. He’d been nicer than I thought he’d be. I still didn’t fully trust him, though. I hadn’t seen him entertain any of the women who tried their best to get his attention, but that didn’t mean anything to me. I wasn’t trying to be anything more than an employee of his. He was nice to look at, though. Every time our eyes met, my body warmed. It had been a minute since I dealt with anybody, so maybe I just looked for the attention I lacked. Whatever it was, I needed to forget about Kane. I wasn’t trying to be a part of his stable.
It didn’t take me long to get to work. There weren’t too many people there, but I knew how quickly that could change.
“Who do we have here?”
I turned around and faced the person who asked the question. It was a guy who looked older, but still fine. He had some gray streaks in his full beard. His locs were black, but therewas a patch of gray hair near his temples. His eyes looked like pools of tar. He made me feel a little uneasy, but I played it off. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where.
