Still, the feeling lingered in a way that made it hard to ignore completely. I exhaled softly and shook my head, brushing it off before it could turn into something bigger than it needed to be. I wasn’t about to let my mind run with something I couldn’t even explain. I reached for my phone, unlocked it, and then pulled up Tahari’s name. My fingers moved quickly across the screen as I typed out a simple message.
I can’t wait to see you
I hit send and stared at it for a second before placing my phone down beside me, letting out a slow breath as my eyes shifted back to the outfits lying across my bed. Whatever that feeling was, I wasn’t about to let it ruin tonight.
Chapter 24
Bleek
“Ifeel like you showed me every shop in the city, Mr. Browne.”
“Almost, this is the one closest to us, though,” I responded to Tahari before popping the door to my car and leading the way into the shop on 25th Terrace.
After getting to the bottom of this robbery, it was time to stop thinking about it and actually address it. Tahari followed behind me while I walked up to the closed establishment. After unlocking the brand-new front door, I held it open for him, looking closely as he stepped inside. There was a slight hesitation in his movements, something small enough that most people would overlook it. Still, I noticed everything when it came to situations like this.
“This is smaller than the other spots,” he said while looking around.
“Yeah, way smaller.”
I let the door close behind me, and when it did, it made that loud thud that echoed through the shop. The sound caused him to jump slightly before he turned around to face me, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
“It’s a new door,” I said casually. “It makes that weird noise when it closes.”
I walked past him and moved behind the counter like I had done a hundred times before, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. And he should have been watching me. Because I had been watching him for a while now. The crazy part about all of this was that I had really started to warm up to him.
Somewhere along the way, between him showing up for my daughter, standing ten toes when it mattered, and actually taking an interest in something real with that shop, I had started to see him differently. He wasn’t just some young boy around my house. He was starting to become somebody who could actually become a part of it. I had opened doors for him that I didn’t open just to anybody. I let him into spaces that were built off years of blood, sweat, and decisions most people wouldn’t survive making. I had started teaching him, showing him things, and giving him opportunities that most people would have had to earn over time.
And the whole time…he was playing in my face. He was playing in my family’s face. I could feel my blood boiling as I looked at him. Moving without emotion is how I had always done things, but this one was different. It felt different. This one actually hurt. I rested my hands on the counter and looked at him for a moment without saying anything. I let the silence stretch just enough to make him feel it. Because I knew he felt it.Yeah, nigga I know.I thought as I stared him down.
TRIGGA
Something felt off the moment that door closed. I couldn’texplain it and couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but the way the sound of the door closing echoed through the shop made everything feel different. Still, I tried not to read too much into it. Mr. Browne moved like everything was normal. He walked around me and went behind the counter like this was just another one of his shops.
I followed him with my eyes while trying to keep my expression neutral, even though something in my chest had started to tighten up.
“This shop is special or something?” I asked.
My voice came out steadier than I felt. Mr. Browne looked at me for a second before answering.
“Yeah, it is.”
There was a pause before he continued, and the way he carried it made me focus a little harder.
“The reason I wanted to show you this shop is that it’s kind of special.”
I nodded slowly, waiting for him to keep going.
“Months ago, this place was robbed.”
My brows pulled together slightly.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were robbed, Mr. Browne.”
“Mmhmm,” he responded, his tone was calm, almost too calm. “The place was trashed. Whoever did it knew what they were looking for, too… They went straight to that supply closet and took something out of there.”
My stomach dropped when he nodded toward the closet that was behind him, but I forced myself to hold eye contact with him, even though my mind and heart were racing.
“I’ve been trying for the longest to figure out who was behind it,” he continued.
