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I take a slow, calming breath before I speak to her. “I tried to. You did not answer your phone.”
“Are you serious about her?” Ashanti’s voice is quiet. Prying. She pulls her bottom lip into her mouth and chews.
“I am.”
She makes a strange sound in her throat, a mixture of surprise and disappointment. “You are not usually so transparent.”
“We agreed to let each other know,” I say. And also, I want to make it clear to both her and my mother about Dejonae’s place in my life. “I have intentions of marriage.”
Ashanti’s eyebrows flutter. “Marriage. Wow.”
I check my watch. “If I have sufficiently answered your question, then—”
“I want to meet her.”
Warily, I glance behind me and study Ashanti’s face. She tilts her chin up. Her eyes survey mine with a desperate calculation.
This is a trap.
A dirty trick.
A thorny path.
I grind my teeth together. “Why?”
“Why do I want to meet your girlfriend?” Ashanti walks toward me. “Isn’t it obvious? She’s going to be a part of my daughter’s life. If she’s involved with Niko, then I deserve to know who she is.”
I face her cautiously. Fighting Ashanti on this will only allow her to become more stubborn and more creative in her schemes. Better to introduce Dejonae on my terms, rather than have my mother and my ex-wife spring themselves on her.
“Alright,” I say slowly. “I will speak to her. And if she is interested, I will bring her to the house.”
“Perfect.” Her lips curl up in a victorious smirk. “I look forward to meeting her.”
* * *
I keepmy eyes on my tablet as Akira drives me to the foundation. When I feel her gaze on my face, I glance up and she quickly looks away.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Did Niko’s mother take her to school this morning?”
“She did.” I close the tablet.
“And how did Young Niko react?”
“She was happy. Her mother has been away for a long time.”
Akira adjusts her fingers on the steering wheel. “How did Miss Williams react?”
“Akira.”
“Are you going to say it is none of my concern?”
“You seem uniquely interested in Dejonae’s feelings.”
“My job is to protect Niko. I left everything behind to do so.” Her eyes stray from the road. “I see things becoming very tense in the future. And this would not be good for Niko. She has taken a liking to Miss Williams.”
“I won’t let anything happen to my daughter. Or to Dejonae.”
