Page 103 of The Wright Man

"Let's take a picture to send to Daddy..." I paused. "And Maleek."

Their eyes lit up like Christmas.

"Bitch," Bella whispered.

Tina grabbed my phone out my hand, switched to portrait mode. "Lemme get my good side for Maleek so he knows I'm still the fine sister."

We posed like goddesses in a skincare commercial. Mid-sip. Mid-laugh. Hair bouncing. Chests out. Petty on full blast.

Bella whispered, "It's about damn time you brought evil Angie back out. I missed this bitch."

Tina added, "Keep going. With any luck, Gavin'll have a stroke and we can go to Aruba with the life insurance money."

We sent the photos to Daddy and Maleek, giggling the entire time.

The boys clocked it immediately.

"Maleek?" Theo asked. "Her little boy toy from high school?"

Boyd shook his head. "Oh, that's why she all mouthy and shit. She got her bodyguard back."

Gavin muttered under his breath, "She gonna need a bodyguard if she keeps playing."

Record scratch.

The air turned razor-sharp.

"What the fuck did you just say?" I asked, low and lethal.

Bella stood up. "Do you remember my father is a former police captain? I can make your murder disappear by Tuesday."

Tina was less subtle. She leaned across the table and asked, "Do you wanna die tonight, Gavin?"

He smirked, smug again now that he had a reaction.

"I'm just saying... Maleek or no Maleek, Angelica should remember who the fuck she belongs to."

And then...

My phone buzzed.

FaceTime: Maleek Wright

I answered so fast I nearly dislocated my thumb.

His face filled my screen, smiling wide, warm, and familiar.

"There's my girl," he said.

It was too perfect.

Tina and Bella screamed like church mothers on resurrection Sunday.

"Hiiiii Maleeeeeek!" they sang in unison.

Gavin didn't say a word.

But his face said plenty.