“Who the fuck sent you?” He shouted in the man’s face. Teonny had only ever seen him sweet and gentle with her. She’d never seen him like this, but it didn’t scare her for some reason. Given her history with Kevin, it probably should have, but it didn’t. She’d known Prosper was in the streets, which meant he probably had a mean streak. Nothing about him scared her though. She could admit now that with Kevin, there had always been signs that he was sick in the head. She just ignored them. There was nothing to ignore with Prosper because he never gave off one red flag.
“Ghost sent us to knock you off, man. Please let me live. My mama?—”
Prosper put a bullet through the man’s head before grabbing Teonny’s hand and pulling her toward the back exit. She tried desperately to process what had just happened, but her mind felt like it had suddenly turned into mud.
When she realized they had gotten into Prosper’s truck, she said, “Wait, my car?—”
“I’ll have someone come get it.” Prosper already had his phone out and tapped away on it. A moment later, a voice sounded on the speaker.
“Yo.”
“Aye, get clean up to the gun range off Temperance and Lexington.”
“You good?”
“Yeah. I need you to pick a car up too.” He glanced at Teonny. “What kind of car, love?” She rattled off her car’s description, feeling like she was on autopilot. She hadn’t even realized she was crying until Prosper reached over and wiped her tears with his thumb. “Drop the car off at yo’ spot. I’ll come get it in a few days.”
He disconnected the call.
“What just happened?” she asked, trying to understand why she had been so unlucky to be shot at twice in her lifetime.
“Some street shit. Nothing for you to worry about, okay? I’m sorry you got caught up in that. You gonna roll wit’ me to my safe house. Ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to you.” Teonny could only stare at his profile as he drove. After a few minutes, he said, “You saved my life, Peanut. You know that?”
She blinked at him. “He was going to shoot you.”
Prosper lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “But you got him first. You gotta let me take you out on a date now. I insist.” Teonny couldn’t help it. She laughed. Like, really laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“We just survived a shootout, and you still aren’t lettin’ up on that date?”
A crooked grin graced his face. “Ain’t nothin’ ever gon’ make me come up off you, especially now.”
“You are ridiculous.” She stared at him in wonder before she whispered, “But damn, you just might be worth it.”
And she didn’t tell a lie there. Something about what had just happened shifted things for her. Life was so damn fragile. Why should she suck all the happiness out of her life because she suffered a devastating loss? She didn’t know, but she understood that she definitely had a lot to think about because, suddenly, she wanted to start living again.
“What makes this a safe house?” Teonny asked in a shaky voice.
His jaw clenched before he stepped over to her. He hated that she was so shaken. Since he met Teonny three years ago, all he ever wanted was for her to feel secure in his presence. At least secure enough to go on a date with him. Now, seeing her outside of the gun range had to be forced. Another thing he hated.
Lately, he could tell he had been chipping away at whatever pain she experienced in her life. He wondered if this would set him back.
“Don’t nobody know about it but me,” he explained as he followed her into the living room. He loved her curious nature. Despite her frayed emotions at the moment, she wasn’t shy about being nosy. Teonny walked into his safe house like she had been there a million times before.
After taking in the bare walls, black leather couch, and mounted TV, she turned to look at him. “And that makes it safe?”
Prosper chuckled. He could tell Teonny was a ’round the way girl from the many talks they had. He knew she grew up in the Ellway Projects, but she really didn’t know shit about the kind of life he lived. He hoped he could put her on though. Understanding the rules he lived by could benefit anyone from any walk of life.
“We was just hit up at a place I frequent every day only because of yo’ pretty ass. I definitely say coming to a place nobody knows about is safe.”
She had no idea that he tried to never be a man of routine. Routine for someone of his stature almost always led to misfortune. She was worth breaking the rules, even now.
She nodded slowly. “Why were they after you? I still don’t understand. I . . . I killed two people . . .”
Prosper cupped her cheek. Being affectionate with her had never been hard for him, which wasn’t normal. He loved women but typically only loved them for one thing. With Teonny, it was different. He found himself wanting to touch her whenever she was near.
“Come on, Peanut. You gotta know by now I ain’t yo’ regular street nigga.”
She nodded slowly. He could see her pretty mind working. That was one thing he liked about her. She always took her time before speaking. She chose her words carefully.
