AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterNine
The bumper-to-bumper evening traffic was as thick as usual, and a steady rain pelted the windows while Myles maneuvered through the streets of Atlanta.
So far, the thirty-minute drive was being done in almost complete silence, and Laz appreciated the quietness. No beeping machines, no one asking him fifty million questions, and no one throwing his past indiscretions back in his face.
Laz stiffened when Journey, sitting in the back seat next to him, placed her hand on his thigh without saying anything. He stopped himself from moving away. It was bad enough the way he had snapped at her in the hospital. He wouldn’t allow himself to make things worse by jerking his leg away.
He had never loved another human being the way he loved his wife, and that made the tension vibing between them even more frustrating. Something had to give—and soon.
If only he knew how to fix them and their marriage….
“Daddy….” Arielle whined in her sleep, her tiny voice squeezing his heart with so much love. She snuggled closer to him while fisting the front of his shirt but didn’t open her eyes.
Laz held her tight to his torso. “Shh, you’re okay,” he said, gently rocking her and hoping she wasn’t having a bad dream. His moves weren’t as fluid as usual since he was wearing an arm sling, but Arielle settled back down.
Everyone always talked about how resilient children were. He hoped they were right. He hoped she’d be able to forget what happened and continue being the sweet and lovable kid he knew.
Laz laid his head back and closed his eyes as exhaustion settled deeper into his body. His shoulder throbbed, and he was either going to have to get drunk or break down and take a pain pill to ease some of the agony he was experiencing.
“Do you want me to hold her?” Journey asked quietly.
“No,” Laz replied simply and turned his head to look out the dark tinted window.
Usually, he would never allow Arielle to ride in a vehicle without being buckled into her car seat, but he needed to hold her. He needed her close. Every few minutes, he had flashbacks of the shooting. All he could think about was that his child could’ve been killed. He wasn’t really a spiritual man. Yet, he had sent up more than one prayer today for her safety.
Finding those involved in putting him in the hospital would make him feel better and more at ease.
Was there a hit out on him? Possibly. He needed to know who and to learn why. Either way, the motherfuckers were going to wish they had never heard of him. His only concern was how he could take care of it and not land his ass in jail.
The conversation with Journey back at the hospital came to mind. He hated the way he had talked to her, but how dare she throw his stint behind bars in his face. He’d been in the wrong back then, but she seemed to always forget the part of him ending up in that situation because of trying to protect her honor.
Laz straightened in his seat when Myles neared their neighborhood. He had no doubt the former CIA agent was alert and knew they didn’t have a tail. However, Laz was a creature of habit. He discreetly glanced around as Myles made a few extra turns while creeping down the quiet streets until he finally pulled into Laz’s driveway.
Not even a second later, two other SUVs pulled in front of the house. The extra security might’ve been overkill, but Laz wasn’t taking any chances with his family. He knew Parker and Nelson were in one vehicle, and he assumed Angelo was in the other.
Before Myles could put the car in park, the front door of the house opened, and Journey’s parents stepped out. Laz was surprised to see Geneva and Collin, her and Myles’s preschooler son, with them.
Myles cursed under his breath at seeing his wife, who was only six months pregnant but looked as if she was going to deliver at any moment, right there on the porch.
Laz almost smiled. He’d been crazy protective when Journey was pregnant with Arielle, but Myles had taken his protectiveness to another level. As a hair salon owner, Geneva was on her feet for much of the day, which was a bone of contention between her and Myles. He had gone as far as hiring extra help for her and had even hired security to follow her around.
Of course, Geneva—being the uncompromising person she was—shot that shit down real quick. She kept the extra salon workers but fired the security personnel.
Myles opened the back door for Journey while Kenton opened Laz’s door.
“You need a hand?” Kenton asked as Laz slowly exited the vehicle, carrying Arielle in his good arm.
She might’ve been a lightweight, but with the pain charging through his shoulder and arm, it was like he was carrying a two-ton boulder. Instead of saying that, though, he said, “I’m good.”
“Well, you look like you’re about to keel over. You need to rethink your plans for this evening,” Kenton said quietly. “We can start—”
“Not happening. We’re sticking with my plan,” Laz said just above a whisper, not wanting Journey to hear. “You’re taking me to Supreme as soon as I pack a bag.”
Kenton sighed loudly and shook his head, probably calling Laz all types of a fool in his mind.
Laz didn’t care. As long as he could stay awake, he had every intention of starting his search tonight. Journey would pitch a fit when she found out he planned to stay at Supreme for a few days. Again, he didn’t care. As angry as he was at her right now, she was lucky he wasn’t moving out of the house for good.
Laz eased up the walkway toward the large two-story colonial they had purchased years ago. He loved this house and had always felt safe, but right now, his nerves were stretched thin. Until he knew whether the shooters had been after him or Nazir, he wouldn’t rest.
