Page 265 of The Wright Man

The sound echoed off the sidewalk, off my skull, off Gavin's ribs. He went down like his knees forgot their job. Wheezing. Folded. Confused.

Maleek didn't stop.

He bent over, grabbed Gavin by the collar, and dragged him up just high enough to get a clean shot.

BAM. Fist to cheekbone.

"I told you—" WHAM. "Told you twice."

THUD. Head bounced off the pavement like a dropped melon.

Gavin tried to crawl, actually tried to crawl, like there was anywhere on this earth he could go to escape Maleek Wright when he was this angry, this focused. Maleek followed him.

"Just had to keep running your mouth." Maleek snarled. Another rib-shattering hit. "You better learn to eat through a straw, nigga."

Gavin coughed, choked, curled.

SMACK. Jaw.

"Still wanna talk slick?"

POP. Nose.

"Talk to me. I'm listening."

He slammed Gavin against the fender of the truck so hard the alarm chirped. Gavin whimpered, face leaking blood, panic, and whatever last shred of ego he came with.

Maleek stood up, chest heaving slow and controlled, like he could go for ten more rounds and still walk away smooth. He looked down at Gavin and let him go with a sneer.

"You ain't worth the full promise," he said, low and final. "But I know you heard me."

Andre strolled over like he was coming back from brunch. Wordless, cool as ever, pulling a travel bottle of hand sanitizer from his jacket.

He held it out. "Here. Wipe the bitch off."

Maleek took it, chuckling darkly. "Appreciate you."

Andre glanced down at Gavin, who was groaning in the fetal position with Jasmine crouched uselessly beside him. "You two wanna wrap this up, or should I transfer some bail money from my savings?"

Maleek opened the truck door for me like he didn't just break a whole grown man's body. Helped me inside like a gentleman. Got in on his side like it was just another Tuesday.

He looked at me with a smile. "Alright, baby. You're a free woman. What do you wanna do?"

I peeked at Gavin, still wheezing on the sidewalk like a defeated villain in a low-budget superhero movie. Thought about that thrill of petty satisfaction as Andre picked him apart earlier, the look on Maleek's face when I told him I loved him. The fire in my chest right now.

I felt like I was seventeen again. Stupid. Free. His.

I turned to Maleek with a grin. "I wanna do something fun. Something impulsive. I wanna get in trouble with my best friend."

He smirked, eyes heating. "I'm all in. As long as we're back in time for my surprise."

I raised a brow. "Oh? What kinda surprise we talking about?"

His gaze slid over me like a hand. "The kind that'll make your legs shake."

Thighs clenched. Panties soaked. Immediately.

Yup. I was absolutely not going to bed un-fucked tonight.