“And? You didn’t want to just jump his bones right there?” she pressed.
Sighing, I looked up at her. “Kera?—”
“What, bitch?”
She stared at me as I sat silently. Finally, her mouth dropped open.
“Farrah!” she shrieked.
Steel and Jarell both turned sharply. Steel’s hand dipped under the table until I shook my head. He relaxed slightly.
Kera slapped both hands on the table. “Tell me everything! Was it good? Did you like it? Was it?—”
“Kera! Damn!” I hissed, blushing. “This is worse than talking to Hyacinth. You?—”
But my phone rang before I could shut her up. It was a private number. My stomach went cold. I answered carefully.
“Hello?”
“Farrah.” The thick Northern accent slid down my spine like something greasy. “I’m surprised he didn’t change your number.”
I swallowed, gripping the phone tighter. “I told you he wasn’t worried about you.”
He chuckled, his voice low, mocking. “He should be.”
I scoffed. “About a nigga who won’t show his face? Who harasses a woman like a coward? Please.”
Silence. Then a soft, amused sound.
“I’m a coward? We’ll see, pretty girl.”
I shivered at the determination in his voice. I didn’t know what he had planned, but I needed Mekhi to catch up with his ass before he could set anything else in motion. My eyes darted around, half-expecting to see him here. Kera was staring at me, her mouth wide open. Suddenly, she gestured for Steel to come over. I shook my head, but he was there in a second. Kera pointed at my phone and mouthed,Trell. Steel held out his hand. I shook my head again.
“What is it I’m going to see, Trell?”
“In due time, love. In due time.”
“Why are you calling me? Another message for Mekhi? Because I’d be happy to give you his number.”
He laughed again. “But if I call him directly, I don’t get to talk to you. That’s no fun for me.”
“Fun?” I laughed. “This doesn’t have a damn thing to do with fun. This is all about fear. Your scary ass is afraid of Mekhi.Instead of being a man and confronting Mekhi about whatever your damn issue is with him, you using me. Stalking me. Calling me. That’s ‘bitch nigga’ behavior. I can assure you that if Mekhi wanted your ass, he wouldn’t be stepping to no woman trying to get your attention. He would?—”
I didn’t get the chance to finish, drowned out by the staccato sound of bullets from the parking lot. Steel pulled me and Kera down forcefully, before jumping up.
“Stay y’all asses down!” he barked.
I could hear raised voices all around me. Head down, I heard laughter coming from the phone I’d dropped when Steel snatched me. Something inside me snapped. Suddenly, I was pissed the fuck off, tired of this sorry ass nigga trying to terrorize me, and for what? I heard Steel talking, clearing things with Jarell and the guy I didn’t even know they had in the parking lot.
Fuming, I stayed down until Steel grabbed my wrist and muttered, “Time to go.Now.”
His voice was flat and cold. Dangerous. He didn’t have to tell me twice, because I was feeling just like his voice sounded. I prayed for five minutes—okay, maybe two—alone with Trell. Bet he wouldn’t threaten anyone else when I finished with his ass.
Kera was busy moving, grabbing our bags under Jarell’s watchful eyes. We paid at the register, no arguments and no waiting. Steel walked us out the side door instead of the main one, jaw tight, eyes tracking. The warm air hit my face as we stepped into the parking lot. It was loud, customers running and screaming, scattered by the sounds of the shots. Two armed men were circling the lot, eyes no doubt checking for the shooter.
Steel stopped abruptly. His Chevy—newly repaired and armored—was across the lot, black, tinted, looking lethal. And the back window was spiderwebbed with bullet cracks. I felt terrible.
“What the hell—” Kera began.
