“Baby girl,” Quick cried out, closing the distance between them. He sat on the coffee table in front of her.
All I could do was study her from where I’d posted up by the fireplace. I had to fold my arms across my chest to keep my sweaty palms from being exposed. I wondered what was going through her mind. Was she happy to see me? Did she ever think about the last time we saw each other the way I used to?
From the first time I laid eyes on Harlo, I knew she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Her toffee skin used to be greased up to the max, and even now, her skin looked radiant. Her hair was up in one of those high ponytails, leaving her perfect features on display. Those almond-shaped amber hued eyes filled with tears almost brought me to my fucking knees, and I hated that for me. I would never be hers . . .
I watched Lo’s bottom lip tremble. They were so perfectly plump and full that I almost forgot what kind of house call this was. It was crazy how she didn’t have to do anything to fuck with my head. It was those damn high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, and her little button nose that got to me. And then the birthmark of a rosette on her jaw damn near made me feral. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to race her face from my mind, but then she spoke, and I knew there was no going back to a life without her in it.
“Hi, Daddy,” she said in the sweetest voice I’d ever heard. She fell into his arms before the gut-wrenching sobs followed.
Quick consoled her without pause. I had to ball my hands into fists to resist the urge to do the same. Keem stepped closer to them, but he remained quiet. Lee sat on the other side of Lo when she came into the room. The three girls huddled together in the most adorable way. I inwardly chuckled to myself,remembering we used to call it the Ransom Huddle when they got together like that.
When he finally released her, he pushed her hair out of her face. I could instantly feel the anger radiating from everyone in the room. Keem showed his by cursing and sending his fist through the wall. Mo shook his head with a look of disgust. Even Prada was quiet, and that almost never happened unless she was plotting murder. Quick somehow managed to keep it together.
Lo kept her chin to her chest as if she was ashamed about the damage done to her beautiful face. Despite the conflicting emotions I was feeling, I remained quiet, but my eyes couldn’t veer too far away from her. Even with her swollen eye, she was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
“He did this to you, baby girl?” Quick’s voice was so empathetic that I envied not having more time with a caring father in my life.
From where I was standing on the right side of the room, I could see her fidgeting with her hands. She was nervous to answer him, and I was curious to know why. “Yes,” she finally whispered.
“Was this the first time?” He followed up with another question.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, and I swore I could see the wheels in her mind turning. The soft shake of her head came before her voice followed. “No.”
Another bomb of anger went off in the room. None of us were fans of violence against women, so much so it went against CCB regulations. Any man known to put his hands on a woman was stripped of his honor immediately after we beat his ass, and he’d better pray he made it out of that ass whupping alive.
But with Lo, I think the worst part was knowing she could’ve been called us to handle this, and she didn’t. I knew it wasn’t right to blame the victim, but this girl knew a handful ofcutthroat ass niggas that would do a bid behind her. Abuse was not a fate she had to suffer.
“Do you want out?” I understood that question because a person who didn’t want to be saved would always go back. The instinct to protect his child was there, but he had to make sure she wanted it in the first place.
“I do.” Her voice cracking ripped open my heart. I had to shift my weight around so the pain didn’t get trapped in my body. “I can’t do it anymore,” she admitted before her face fell into her hands. “But he’s the governor, and he knows people. He’s going to find me.” She started to hyperventilate with each fear she expressed.
“Shh, calm down and breathe, baby girl. I got you,” her father assured her. He pulled her face into his chest and sighed. Every time he stroked her back, I wished it was my hand instead of his, which made no fucking sense. Harlo walked away from me, not the other way around. Yet it didn’t negate the fact that I was jealous he got to hold her while I was forced to do what I always did, . . . stand there and watch.
The longer I watched her, the more I couldn’t understand why any man would want to ruin someone so precious. Lo was so petite and innocent looking that I already knew Quick was going to ask us for protection. On cue, his eyes shifted to me. I folded my arms over my chest, waiting for his request to hit the air.
“I need your help,” he admitted shamelessly.
For the first time since I came into the room, she allowed herself to be brave enough to look at me. I could feel her amber eyes studying me and wished I could read her mind. “In what way?” I asked to clarify.
“She needs protection, and you know I can’t do it on my own. Not even just me and Keem.”
She frowned, returning her attention to her father. “Wait, why are you asking Dior for help?”
I smirked because baby girl had no clue how much things had changed. For some reason, I was glad she didn’t know I was the key to her problems yet. I stood taller while waiting for Quick to respond.
“Dior is the president of CCB now, and you know I need his approval to get you the protection you need.” He returned his attention to me. “You know I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t necessary. Her husband is a governor, so she’s going to need around-the-clock security.”
I stroked my beard, hearing his request and already knowing I would agree, but there was nothing wrong with making them sweat a little bit. Especially Harlo’s ass. Before I could reply, Hakeem spoke up. “Come on, Qua. You know I don’t do no begging, but this nigga has to be dealt with. My sister needs us.”
Oh, now she needs me . . .I tsked with a nod. “Let’s say I agree to this; what’s in it for me? And you know it’ll cost to have around-the-clock security, right? We don’t work for free, OG. You know that.”
Quick cursed under his breath because we both knew he wasn’t as financially secure as he used to be. Thanks to Lee’s gambling debts and paying for Angel’s wedding, I knew he was scrapped for cash right now. Did I really need the money? Nah, but it was about the principle. Everything in life had its cost, and I was not about to make things easy for Harlo. She ended up in the situation she was in by trying to run from the things she didn’t understand.
“She can race for CCB,” Quick finally said in a rush.
Harlo shook her head. “No, Daddy, what? I haven’t touched a bike in years.”
“And it won’t matter. I taught you everything I know. You will be fine.”
