She licked her lips before whispering a tremulous, “Who?”
“That snake ass cousin of yours—Shep,” I confessed. “I haven’t liked him since he brought that nigga around who talked crazy to you. I’d slump his ass… happily.”
Her reaction was immediate, and it wasn’t just fear. She went still, so still shit worried me more than yelling would have. Then she exhaled, her breath warm against my lips before she pulled back to stare at me, eyes wide, then narrowing into tight little lines.
“He’s my family—” she started.
“He’s your blood. That don’t make him family,” I corrected.
“Targen,” she said, and my name didn’t sound soft in her mouth this time. It sounded like she was drawing a line. I kinda liked that shit. “Donotthreaten my people to control me.”
I stared at her, caught off guard by the calm in her voice.
“You not hearing me. He put you in danger. That nigga been—” I argued.
She raised her hand. “I heard you. I lived it. Shep did me dirty. He let somebody say foul shit to me in my granny’s house. I know exactly who he is.”
Her chin lifted. Her eyes stayed locked on mine.
“But you don’t get to use him like a button you can press to make me obey,” she said.
“I’m not—” I began.
“You are. And if you want me to stand beside you like your wife, you don’t threaten my family to keep me in line. Ever. Because then, what’s the difference between you and any enemies?”
Silence filled the backseat. Her voice was softer, but it hadn’t lost its edge. “Shep ismyproblem. You don’t get to use him against me.”
For a long moment, I just watched her. My future wife was pissing me off… and earning my respect. Mymilayawasn’t shaking or begging. She was telling me what was what.
“You think I’m doing this to punish you?” I asked, my voice low.
“Right now, everything with you is… it’s just… control. Threats. Fear. And you keep telling me you not gon’ hurt me, but you keep making me feel like everybody around me is one decision you don’t like away from dying. You don’t think that’s pain, Targen?”
Her eyes dropped down to the ring in my palm, then back up.
“You should want me to stay because I chose you, not because I’m scared of what you might do.”
That did something to me, made me feel guilty in a way I didn’t like admitting. My shorty was quick and vicious with it today. I leaned in, not touching her, just close enough for her to feel me.
“A’ight,” I said finally.
She blinked, but she held my gaze.
“I’m not touching Shep to make you do shit. I don’t need him as leverage. You hear me?”
She nodded once.
“But if he puts you in danger again, if he brings another Kemp-type nigga anywhere near you again, if he opens his mouth about you again… then I’m handling it. That’s protection, not control. And you don’t have problems anymore. They all mine,” I added, voice turning to stone.
She watched me, thinking hard.
“You gon’ protect me without becoming what I should be scared of?” she asked quietly.
My jaw flexed. “I’m trying. You get choices, decisions after this one. But let me be clear, Theory Grace. You walking down that aisle to me Saturday. That,milaya, is not up for debate,” I said.
Hurt dimmed her eyes before they grew cold.
“I’ll hate you for this,” she whispered. “This marriage… it will be in name only.”
