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The dumbass caught his breath and immediately went right back to talking.

Some people really did need repetition to learn.

I squeezed again.

This time he started coughing like he had swallowed a whole chicken bone, and even Lakelyn was looking at him like he needed to make a doctor’s appointment… then he crossed the wrong line.

Lakelyn slapped the shit out of him before I could even decide what I wanted to do next, and if I still had a regular heartbeat, I swear that mothafucka would’ve skipped from how proud I was.

That’s my girl.

But apparently getting choked by something he couldn’t see and slapped by the woman who wanted him gone still wasn’t enough encouragement for Chalis to leave, so I gave him something else to think about.

That brand-new Bentley he had pulled into my driveway seemed like a good place to start.

It took more concentration than moving a bottle or flickering a light, but once I focused on the electrical system beneath the hood, I could feel something respond. One spark became another, and before long thick smoke started rolling from the front of the car.

I made damn sure nobody was close enough to get hurt. I wasn’t stupid enough to set my own property on fire over that clown.

But his Bentley?

Fuck that Bentley.

I watched Chalis take off down the driveway like somebody had set his bank account on fire, while Lakelyn stood on the porch telling him to call 911 and get that shit off her property.

I laughed so hard I almost lost my form.

Then Willow came downstairs, finding humor in the most inappropriate situation possible. But hearing her and Lakelyn laughing together did something to me.

Lakelyn hadn’t laughed much since coming back to Hallowridge, not the way she used to. So if burning up one bitch-ass nigga’s Bentley put a real laugh back in my woman’s chest, then every ounce of energy it took was worth it.

Lakelyn turned away from the stove and reached into the seasoning cabinet, bringing my attention right back to her. I watched her for another moment before my thoughts shifted toward the hallway.

My son was somewhere in this house, and I wanted to see what that little nigga was getting into before dinner.

I gave Lakelyn one last look. “Soon, baby… real soon.”

She continued cooking, completely unaware that I was standing only a few feet away.

I left the kitchen and headed upstairs toward Kaidence’s room.

When I stepped inside, he was sitting at his desk with crayons spread across the top, a coloring book pushed off to one side, and several sheets of paper scattered around him. His little feet swung beneath the chair while he concentrated on whatever he was drawing.

I moved closer, but before I could say anything, he looked up and his entire face lit up.

“Daddy!”

I quickly pressed a finger to my lips. “Shhh.”

His eyes widened, and he immediately covered his mouth with both hands.

I almost laughed. “What’s up, little man?”

“You came back,” he whispered excitedly.

“Told you I would.”

He started climbing out of his chair, but I shook my head. “Stay right there.”