“A’ight,” I said. “I’m gonna tell you something and I want you to hear me clear. You ain’t safe,” I told him. “But you ain’t my primary enemy. Trell is the problem. And I’m finna solve him. You know how I’ma do that?”
Ramónshook his head emphatically. I stepped closer to him.
“You gon’ give me every single detail you know about where that bastard is hiding. Every routine. Every man. Every move.”
He nodded quickly.
“And when I find your daughter, you gon’ owe me. You gon’ pay both debts.”
Ramón’s shoulders sagged like a man finally releasing a weight he couldn’t carry.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
Ajani moved toward us. “Start talking.”
He did.
Everything. Possible locations. Contacts. Patterns. The group who had his daughter. Things Trell had said about me.RamónBlack had a wealth of information. And when he finished, I only said one thing.
“Good. Now we going hunting.”
I was quiet on the car ride back to my place, my mind working overtime. Seth shared what we’d learned with Tex, and I knew Ajani was already working. This shit was about to be over. My little thug and I could breathe, figure out what came next.
The screech of tires pulled me out of my reverie. Seth was halfway in the intersection, stopping for a red light he miscalculated.
“You still can’t drive for shit,” I turned to frown at him
That probably was why I didn’t see the car coming. There was just the tearing sounds of the crash, my body jerking against the seatbelt, the sharp pain in my head…
And darkness.
It wasa little after nine p.m. Khayla had just left for the evening, and Mekhi still wasn’t back. I was stretched out on the couch, my textbooks splayed open on the coffee table even though my eyes weren’t focused on a single sentence. The house felt too quiet without Mekhi. I kept telling myself he was fine, but my stomach had been in a knot since he walked out the door. I didn’t realize how tightly I’d been holding my breath until Steel cleared his throat.
“Uh… Farrah?” he called from the foyer. “You got a visitor.”
I sat up, frowning. My parents and my cousin Ajani knew where I was, but they would’ve called first. “Who?”
Before he could answer, I heard heels tapping across the marble.
“Mekhi’s mother,” Gillian called lightly, like she was strolling in for a tea party. “Hello, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart?” I mumbled.
She must be drunk.
She stepped into view looking polished as always—bun sleek, outfit flawless, makeup immaculate. She smelled like something soft and floral. That was a contrast to the venom she usually spat out. She looked sweet; I didn’t believe that shit for a minute. Steel wasn’t falling for it, either. He was quiet but tense beside me.
I rose slowly. “Gillian… is everything okay?”
Her smile slipped just enough to worry me. Then she let out a soft, anguished breath.
“It’s Mekhi,” she whispered. “Something’s happened.”
My heart dropped into my shoes. “What?” I rushed toward her. “What do you mean? Where is he?”
“He’s… he’s at the hospital,” she said, voice quivering, messing with my nerves. “He didn’t want you panicking, so he didn’t call. I just came to get you. I know we don’t see eye to eye, but I have to put that aside now. My baby comes first.”
I felt my legs wobble. “Hospital? Is he hurt? Oh, my God?—”
