Page 11 of Kobalt

“Oh, fa sho. Did you tell him what’s going on?”

“No. I feel like the less people that knows the better.”

“I feel you on the need-to-know, but he’s def in that group, Sis. If you’re staying on that man’s farm, he needs to know what’s up. You don’t want him to be caught off guard.”

“I’m not worried about trouble following me, EJ. Jaziel made sure that I was safe.”

“You never know. Tell the man, or I’ll call and tell him myself.”

The last thing that I wanted was Kobalt worrying about me in addition to everyone else. I knew that he could be a protective ass, and if he knew, I wouldn’t be able to breathe. At least, this way, if I wanted to go into town or something, I could. He would remove my ability to make my own decisions, and I valued my independence. Yet, I didn’t want to argue with EJ or take the chance that he would tell Kobalt himself.

“Fine, I’ll tell him.”

“Cool. In the meantime, we’re keeping our ears to the ground and watching your house in case that fool comes back. We’re on the lookout for a blue Charger, and one of your neighbors came through—not to dem folks, but to us. When my boys and me went knocking on doors⁠—”

“Oh my God, EJ! Tell me you didn’t?”

“What? If they can’t get the job done, my boys can.”

I could only imagine the fear they instilled in my poor neighbors as they ran up on them in their homes.

“Please tell me y’all behaved.”

“We did the work. Got a video on a security cam of the car that had been parked there for days, and we got the license plate number. Like I said, we’ve got our ears to the ground. We’ll figure out something.”

“Thanks, baby bro. I love you.”

“Not as much as I do you.”

I wrapped up the call with my little brother and headed downstairs to find something to eat. Twenty minutes later when Kobalt walked in, hamburgers and fries made from fresh potatoes sat on a platter.

He used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his face. From the look and smell of him, he had been doing some manual labor.

“Eeww.”

He smirked. “I just finished shoveling the stalls.”

“And your first stop is the kitchen?”

“I smelled something good that warranted my attention. Can’t blame a man for following his stomach.”

“That stench needs to follow the shower, sir.”

He chuckled and removed his shirt completely. Despite the scent he emanated, a ribbon of desire twirled in my belly and settled at my core at the sight of his washboard abs and dark skin. He was a sexy-ass creature.

“Don’t worry. I used protective gear that covered my body and my face. I don’t have anything on me physically.”

“You may not have any physical residue, but that scent is on you.”

“I’m about to take a shower. You think I can get one of those plates when I finish?”

I wanted to tell him that he could have anything that he wanted, but I fought the urge to say that. As much as I wanted Kobe, I kept my mouth shut about what all he could have. My time at the farm needed to be for security as well as a period of reflection and refreshment.

So, I kept my reply focused on the subject at hand. “Sure, you can grab a plate when you finish showering. It’ll be on the warmer.” I pointed at the stove, and he smiled at me, which shot another frisson of pleasure down my spine and lit up my core with fire.

Niagara told me that after Kobalt’s first title fight, he took his winnings and upgraded the farm for his grandmother from three to five bedrooms, and two full baths to four and a half bathrooms. To the kitchen, living, and dining rooms, he had added a den, a theater room, and a library. Yet, in spite of all the space, I doubted that I would last much longer in this house with him.

Last night after I returned from mucking the stalls, Kaimera had cooked a simple dinner, but one that smelled and tasted so good. When I finished showering, I’d hoped that she would still be in the kitchen or dining room and that we could eat together.