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I hang up before he finishes, already making my way to her. When I reach her, I take London’s hand in mine and ignore the slight flinch. Whatever happened between our phone call and now has her scared.
It’s like seeing that lost little lamb all over again from the first night at the club.
Shifting my eyes to Mariah, I level her with a hard stare. “What happened?”
“She had a visit to the house.”
The moment those words seep through, my vision gets hazy and red. Anger rushes through every limb, and I have to take a few steps back. I don’t want to make things worse, but the way I feel right now is nothing less than murderous.
“Shawn Hayes was at the house?” It’s a barely contained snarl, and Mariah is smart enough to close the door to my office. She nods in confirmation. “What did he do?”
My eyes are on my cousin, but it’s London that answers, pulling my attention toward her. She takes a few steps my way with a look on her face that I can’t quite decipher. “He gave me these at the gate, and before you ask, when we were on the phone, I took a walk down the driveway, not really paying attention since I feel safe there. When I hung up with you, there he was. Looking at me and quite honestly, giving me the creeps.”
“Show me.” Yet I make no move to touch her. I’m shaking. Hands clenching.
“I’m not looking at those again.” When I make no move to take the envelope, a flash of hurt crosses her soft features. She hides it under a mask of indifference, but I see it. All of her, while with trembling hands, she places them atop my desk. “Please look and explain, Malcolm. All I want is an explanation of why that man did this.”
Nodding, I walk to my desk and open the now-worn manila packet. The second the first photo falls into my hand, I have to take a moment to breathe. That son of a bitch has no idea what he’s just done.
“Empty this floor and the three beneath, Mariah. No calls or interruptions for the rest of the day,” I say with my back to them, leaning with my palms flat on my desk. The pictures scatter in front of me, yet it’s the one with her face, bullet wound on display, that I focus on. There’s an eerie calmness taking over my body. Scenarios playing out and plans forming.
Shawn Hayes just signed over his life to me.
“Of course. I’ll be with Javier downstairs if you need us.” The door opening and closing follows, leaving just the two of us inside my quiet office. Her breathing and mine are the only sounds within.
On my next inhale, she’s behind me. Close, her hand presses against the center in a supportive gesture. “Talk to me. Don’t shut me out.”
Not moving. Just touching. Her warm touch begins to thaw the ice flowing through my veins, but it’s not enough. I’m going to kill this motherfucker myself. My face will be the last he sees.
“Before I explain, I need to know—”
“For a few minutes, yes, I did.” Her tiny fingers move up my back, digging a bit into the tense muscles. “But I’m here, Malcolm. I’m here, so you can explain to me why this man sought me out. Why no one at the house...why security never came to remove him.”
At her words, I turn around and lock eyes. Green on blue. “You’re not upset about the dead woman?”
“Oh, I am.” Her eyes flicker to the photos and then back at me. There’s fear in them, but for some insane reason, it’s not with me. “Something happened with her and you were involved, there’s no denying that. Your reactions confirm it, but my question is why? Why did he personally deliver these? Why did he say that you took her from those that love her? Not past tense, but present.”
Holding a hand out, I give her the option to take it and follow me. When she does without a second of hesitation, I feel some of the tension leave my body. With her hand in mine, I walk us to the seating area and sit with her beside me.
London makes a noise of disapproval at the back of her throat and lifts my arms so she can crawl into my lap. “Much better. Now talk.”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “You’re one of a kind.”
She shrugs. “I am.”
“Okay, before I explain, I need to know a few things.”
“Shoot.”
“What were his exact words, Twirl? When he showed you those pictures, what did he say word for word.”
She takes ahold of my hand and begins to play with my fingers. “He said you killed your last girlfriend. That you, and I’m quoting him here…”
“Go on.”
“Look at what he did to her. Karina Hughes is dead because of him,” Twirl whispers, pleading with me to set things right. “Now, my question is quite simple. Did you—”
“I did.” I’ll give her credit for not getting up and running for the door. Instead, my girl gave a nod and kept her eyes on mine. Waiting for the rest of this story. “The girl in those photos is someone I dated for a while. It wasn’t love or anything special, just a companionship based on our mutual needs. Hers for money and mine for appearance sake.”
