Page 14 of Lennox Lane

Tariq wheezed. “So, let me get this straight, you mad because he knows punctuation?”

“I’m mad because Lane got the nerve to go to dinner with him,” Lennox raised his voice.

KC’s smile widened. “The nerve?”

“Yes,” he responded matter-of-factly.

Tariq looked at KC and KC looked at Tariq, then, in perfect unison, both men said, “Nigga, does she know she’s yours?”

Lennox glared as Tariq fell back against the couch, howling. KC shook his head, really not believing his audaciousness.

“You’re stalking her, L,” KC added.

“You can’t stalk what’s yours,” Lennox said.

KC pointed at him. “First of all, yes, you can. Second, Lane is not a possession. Third, if Cadence hears about any of this, I’m not defending you,” he made sure to add that last point.

“I’m not saying she’s a possession.”

“You just said she’s yours,” KC reminded him.

“She is mine,” he rebutted defensively.

“Again,” Tariq said, raising one finger from the couch, “does she know that?”

Lennox leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his mouth. That was the problem, Lane didn’t know or maybe she did and she decided to punish him for for breaking all the promises he made in St. Barts. Either way, she was moving like a free woman, which was technically accurate but inaccurate in his eyes.

“You hacked into her private accounts, Lennox,” KC’s amusement faded just enough for him to remind Lennox how this situation looked.

“I told you, I have safety protocols⁠—”

“No,” KC cut him off, “For Cadence and me, that’s agreed upon. We know what you monitor and why. Lane didn’t agree to that.”

Tariq agreed as Lennox looked away, knowing KC was right.

“I know that,” Lennox muttered.

“Do you?” KC asked.

Lennox’s fingers tapped against his closed laptop. “Lane has enemies she doesn’t even know about.”

“Why not offer her the same protections, the right way?” KC asked.

“She’s stubborn as hell, K.”

“Then that’s her choice,” KC said.

“If something happened to her and I could’ve prevented it, you’d be telling me something different,” he said, looking at his best friend.

KC held his stare. “If something happens because you violated her and she can’t trust you, that’s on you too.”

That reality check was delivered like a body shot, landing harder than Lennox expected it to. The kitchen went quiet except for the faint music still playing from the living room speakers. Lennox heard everything his boys were saying, but his mind was made up.

Tariq broke the silence first. “So now that you’re cyberstalking the woman you ghosted, what you about to do?” He asked, though Lennox said nothing, averting his eyes.

Tariq sat up slowly. “Oh, you already planning something. Look at him, KC. This nigga got villain posture.”

KC sighed. “Lennox, leave her date alone.”