“I’ll trust you with food. I’ll give you that.” She nodded and took another bite.
They ate in silence for a moment before Haze asked, “For real, though, why you ain’t ever find me? I thought we had a connection.”
Fuck was that?Haze wasn’t used to being vulnerable with women, unless they were in his family. He immediately felt stupid, and her next words only made him feel bad.
She cut her eyes at him. “My best friend, Emilia, got shot that day atyourblock party.”
Haze’s heart dropped. “Damn, ma. Is she good?”
He didn’t hear about any deaths from that day, only injuries that he had to pay the police department and hospitals off from asking too many questions.
Devyn shrugged. “She survived. She had some complications, but she’s alive, so . . .”
Haze dropped his head. “I’m sorry ’bout that. We ain’t ever had no beef with no other motorcycle clubs until that day. Those niggas came out of nowhere and ain’t let up since.”
“So, it’s still an issue?” she asked, her tone sharp.
“Ain’t really an issue. My people are handling the shit.”
“Three years is a long time to be handling something, Haze.”
“You ain’t wrong ’bout that.” And she wasn’t. He was more than ready to nip this shit with the Blue Boyz in the bud.
Their conversation kind of hit a lull. Haze had the sense that he had disappointed her, and he didn’t really understand why. When they finished, she stood.
“I have to get back to work. Thanks for lunch, though.”
Haze stood and dwarfed her with his height. He caressed her chin before putting his hands into his pockets to keep from feeling her up. “You promised me your number.”
She looked away from him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“That was the deal,” he reminded her.
She blew out a breath. “Haze?—”
“Henry,” he blurted out. “My name is Henry. Henry Junior.”
Her eyes grew wide before she tested the name on her tongue. “Henry.” She gazed up at him and shook her head. With a very small smile, she said, “I like Haze better.”
His heart leaped. He wasn’t sure why, but that felt like a compliment coming from her.
“So, can I get your number, Devyn Frost? I mean, unless you want me to go back to your place of employment and tear shit up some more since you tryna go back on our deal,” he joked. Really, he would never do that. Now that he knew that place was hers, he would respect it. That was how much he liked her.
She peered at him for several seconds. “I can’t have any harm coming my way.”
He frowned. “I would never allow anything to happen to you.”
This time, he allowed his hand to find her cheek so he could make her look at him. When she did, she reminded him of something vital. “My best friend was shot at one of your functions. It very well could have been me. Bad enough it was someone I cared about.”
Internally, he cringed. On the outside, though, he looked as cool as a cucumber. “I respect it, but I’m telling you, ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to you. Besides, giving me your number ain’t shit. You could always block me.”
The laugh inside his head sounded ridiculous.She can try to block me. She ain’t ever gonna shake me.
With a huff, she rattled off her number quickly, probably in hopes that he wouldn’t remember it. He pulled his phone out and captured it quickly before sending her a text.
Haze:
Lock me in, love.
