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“Yes. Just me.”
“Isn’t this a Sinclair mission?” I stared into his eyes a second too long before blinking away the effect he had on me.
“Not anymore.” I felt my thoughts shifting as I spoke. Even if my mother didn’t want to give me any more missions, I could go rogue.
Going rogue was a cardinal sin in our family but if I was going to keep getting shot down around every corner, then why not? It wasn’t like I was losing out on anything. Clearly, Mother didn’t want me to be a part of our family’s business anymore. Maybe it was time to strike out on my own.
Bakari lifted an intrigued eyebrow at me. He shrugged on his coat and licked his lips like he knew how much I wanted to feel his lips on me. I schooled my expression and gave him my best poker face.
“You’re going to try to take down Junior on your own?” He lowered his voice and the rough timbre of it sent a chill ripping through my core. The fact that he at least had enough sense to be quiet in public let me know he wasn’t as dumb as I made him out to be.
“I don’t have any other choice. My mother said after missing the mark, she wasn’t going to give me any more missions.” I shrugged like I didn’t care but beneath my barbed exterior, I was a hurt little girl. I hated her. She made me feel weak.
“You can’t do that shit on your own, Sanai.” There was something in Bakari’s eyes that I hadn’t seen there before. It was warm and inviting.
“I can and I will. So steer clear and go on about your business, okay?”
“At least tell me your plan of action so I can…”
“Help?” I laughed. “You save lives. I take them. There’s nothing you can do to help me, Doc.”
“I can if Junior so happens to come back to the Temple for anything.” His words made me stop laughing and shut up and listen.
“That would mean you believe me,” I said quietly.
“Maybe I’m leaning toward believing you.” He looked at me, letting his eyes drop to my hard nipples. It was cold as fuck outside but that one glance set me on fire. “Here.” He took his coat right back off and draped it around my shoulders. “I knew if I handed it to you, your mean ass wouldn’t take it so I’m putting it on you.” It was probably the liquor, but I wanted him to put it on me in more ways than one.
He gripped my arm and helped me slide into the warm coat. “I know how to put on a coat, Bakari,” I huffed, wrapping the thick material around myself.
“Good. Act like it.” He looked at me from head to toe then said, “You look good in my coat, Sanai.” His eyes were already dreamy as fuck, then he had the nerve to wink at me. I had to get the hell away from him while I was tipsy like that.
“Mmm,” I grunted, rolling my eyes and stifling a smile.
“I’ll take that as a thank you,” he said, laughing. “I see that smile.” He reached out and touched my chin. “Hit me up tomorrow when you sleep off your liquor.” He didn’t give me a chance to protest before he disappeared into the parking lot. I opened my mouth then shut it again.
I guess I was going to reach out to him and see what the fuck he wanted to talk about.
Five
“You believe her now?” Hakim asked, taking a bite of a sandwich. “What changed?”
“She’s willing to take on Junior by herself without her family. You know how they roll, man. The Sinclairs don’t do shit without each other.”
“They don’t do shit without a contract,” Hakim noted. “So for them to act on their own at all says something.” He reached over and grabbed a bottle of water, downing it and then pulling in a long breath. “I’ve been thinking about that shit since yesterday. We all know what the Sinclairs are all about. Money, blood, and business.” He took another big-ass bite. “So, if killing Junior isn’t about any of those things, then it’s personal.”
“Right.” I nodded, scrubbing my chin with the heel of my hand. “I told Sanai to hit me up today but you know she hates me, so we’ll see if she follows through.”
“You want her to follow through, don’t you?” Hakim grinned at me and I flipped him off. “I don’t know why the fuck y’all keep fronting.” After he finished his food, he locked his fingers behind his head. “Yo, how did that date go with the waitress? You smash?”
“Fuck no. Messing around with Sanai and her sister. I kept sending drinks to them at the bar. My half-assed way of apologizing for how things went at the bookstore. My date didn’t like that shit. She ordered her food to go and left.”
Hakim brought a fist to his mouth and barked out a loud laugh. “Oh nah. Not you. Motherfucking certified lover boy over here.”
“Fuck you, Hakim. That shit was Sanai’s fault. Sitting there looking good as fuck in that damn church dress.”
“Or maybe your game is slipping, my boy.” He stood up and rubbed his stomach then tossed his trash. “Tell me how things go with Sanai. I have three surgeries lined up today. Three brothers got caught in a house fire and I’m doing all three of their skin grafts.”
“Damn, so you’re busy as fuck after this.”
