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What a reunion!
Hours later, after being grilled by my parents, chilling with my family, and enjoying myself, even though I didn’t get in the pool, I decided to try my luck with Targen again. He’d left the picnic before I did, and I could hear him moving around his room. I knocked and waited for him to respond.
“Yeah, what is it?” he asked gruffly.
Taking a chance, I opened the door and stepped in. He spared me a brief glance before his eyes went back to his phone. One hand rested on top of his head as he frowned. I swallowed, sensing this wasn’t a time to push him, but doing it anyway.
“Targen, I don’t want to keep bringing this up—” I started.
His eyes blazed at me. “Then, don’t Theory. Not right now.”
I recoiled, my feelings hurt, even though I brought it on myself. He was clearly not in the mood for my shit.
“I-I understand you’re busy, but don’t ever talk to me like that,” I told him before turning to walk out.
“Something’s wrong. Back home. Something’s wrong with my cousins. I told you they’re like my sisters. I didn’t mean to snap at you,malyshka,” he said quietly.
I whirled on him, but decided I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that that last word was an endearment in the Russian his parents had taught him. If I found out it was some trick’s name, though…
“What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to stay focused.
His eyes were glued to his phone as his fingers worked quickly across the screen. I heard the sound of ringing as he placed a call.
“I don’t know. I’m getting messages that one of them is hurt and one has been on a rampage. I’ma have to go to Kansas City to handle this. Monica better?—”
He stopped and I heard a woman’s voice say, “Hey.”
I moved closer, unapologetically curious about the person on the other end of the line. She was beautiful, even with the frown marring her face.
“Tell me,” Targen ordered.
The woman sighed. “Nicole was killed by her husband.”
“When?”
“Day before yesterday.”
They both sounded so… nonchalant. If this was Monica, I knew from our talks that Nicole was her sister. I knew Targen didn’t feel close to Nicole, but the level of unconcern was crazy. He stared at the woman for a moment.
“What aren’t you telling me?” he finally asked.
“Sasha was attacked. She’s in the hospital.”
“Let me see her.”
Monica switched the camera’s view away from her face. I stepped nearer to him and then gasped, moving my hand to cover my mouth as my eyes filled. Even with all the tubes and wires, I could see that the woman in the bed was ashen and badly bruised. Someone had hurt her seriously and that was just from what was visible. Targen’s mouth tightened, and he was silent for a long moment before telling her, “I’m on my way.”
I watched as he walked into the closet and returned with a suitcase and some clothes. I went to the dresser, sliding open a drawer to help him.
“I got it, Targen,” Monica said quietly.
Targen paused and watched the screen.
“This shit is on me,” she continued. “It was Fresh’s people.”
His face transformed then, the calm mask gone as a rage-fueled look replaced it.
“I told you about that nigga years ago. You were just too stuck in love to see,” he growled.