Wordlessly, I handed them to him. “You don’t have to whisper. No one is here. Even if somebody did break in, they’re gone. Ron saw a car leave and got the license plate.”
“You don’t know who might have stayed behind. Steel and I gon’ split up. You stay with me. Understand?”
I didn’t like that idea. We could cover the house more quickly if we all split up.
“I can?—”
“Or go wait in your car,” he cut me off. “Your choice.”
Sighing, I crossed my arms over my chest and waited as he opened the door. We walked in quietly. He pointed at himself, then pointed upstairs. Steel nodded and began to search the bottom floor. I followed Mekhi to the stairs. We crept up them slowly, trying to avoid making any noise. Mekhi was being careful in case anyone was in the house. The thought freaked me out. I grabbed his arm as I realized something…
The alarm hadn’t gone off, like someone had disarmed it or something. I knew I had set it the last time I was here.
What?he mouthed at me.
Shaking my head, I mouthed back,The alarm. He nodded as understanding dawned on him. I watched as he reached behind him and pulled a scary looking gun from the back of his pants. I gasped, then clapped a hand over my mouth when he turned around to scowl at me. Suddenly, I wished Ihadwaited in my car. This shit had taken a turn for the worst. I moved closer to Mekhi—I would’ve climbed inside his skin if I could’ve. I sucked in a breath as he slowly pushed open the door to the guest bedroom. He went in, gun aimed, and I trailed behind him. The main part of the room seemed empty. He even checked under the bed before making his way to the closet. He stood in front of the door, then gestured for me to open it. Standing behind it, I reached for the knob and yanked it open as he swept the smallarea with the gun in his hand. No one was in the closet or in the adjoining bathroom, either.
We moved to my room next. Again, Mekhi walked in first and made sure the bedroom area was empty, then the closet. Everything looked just as I’d left it. I breathed out a sigh of relief. But as we reached the bathroom door, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up. Something was wrong. Maybe it was the fact that the bathroom door was cracked, and I was sure I always pulled it closed. Maybe it was the bad feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Whatever it was, I knew something was off.
I grabbed the back of Mekhi’s shirt. He looked over his shoulder, and I guess my wide eyes and trembling lips communicated how I felt. He reached back and took my hand, holding it for a minute to reassure me. I was shocked; the last thing Mekhi was, was sentimental. Finally, he let go and opened the bathroom door. I flipped the light switch, and all the breath left me in a sharp exhale. There, on my counter, were dozens of tulips. In the midst of them, we spotted a white envelope. I grabbed it first and opened it. Hands shaking, I pulled out the sheet of stationery and began to read.
Dear Farrah,
You were even more beautiful close up than I realized. Mekhi is lucky. He won’t be for long. I can’t wait to see you again. Soon, pretty girl.
Love,
Trell
I let the paper fall from my fingers as I read the last words, fear stealing through me. Mekhi caught it and his eyes scanned the message quickly.
“Mekhi—”
“Don’t worry about it, Farrah. I got you,” he promised, pulling me closer to his body. I melted into his arms. “I swear, I got you.”
Sighing,I rubbed my temple as I listened to Tex. Nigga wasn’t saying shit I wanted to hear, but he had a point. It was two days after the break in at Farrah’s parents’ place and he still was at a loss when it came to “Trell.”
“I’m telling you. That nigga done set his sights on ya girl?—”
“She’s not my girl.”
Nah, as much as I was starting to feel her, she wasn’t mine. I wasn’t even sure I needed that headache, anyway. Plus, that nigga Ron had claimed he was her boyfriend, and she hadn’t said anything about it. She still hadn’t–
“Well, that’s not how he’s thinking, Khi.” Tex’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. “He thinks he got the key to getting to you, and he gon’ keep coming for her until he gets her.”
I shook my head, denying that bullshit. “Nah. That’s not happening. He’s not gon’ touch her. I promised her.”
Tex was quiet for a minute. “You shouldn’t have told her that. She just needs to be by herself for a minute, like she was at the gas station. She might be our only way?—”
“Find another way, Tex. I’m for real. I’m not leaving her by herself.”
“The license plate was the only lead we had, and it’s expired. It was last registered to a dead man.”
“You checking to see who he’s related to?” I asked.
“Of course. You know, for a girl that you claim ain’t yours, she shol’ got you going through hoops to protect her ass.”
Yeah, I was having the same thoughts, but I wasn’t about to admit it to him. “Just do what I said.”
