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“Love you guys. Talk later,” Lakia sings.

“Love you both. Kiss Isaac for me. Later, Dean,” Kaye says.

I hang up and move to the floor-length mirror in the closet. As I look my hourglass figure over, I have to ask myself what I’m doing? In the beginning, I promised I would tell Ronan the truth, but here we are eight months later and I haven’t come close to telling him an ounce of the truth.

Ronan doesn’t strike me as one to tolerate lies and bullshit. If I want to keep him, I need to take a moment to think about what I want and what I’m doing.

I’m thirty-two. Do I want to be a mother? Do I want a husband like my friends? Is any of that possible in this life?

“Can Danika Peoples and Dean Foxx coexist?” I murmur to myself.

I shake my thoughts off and grab my calf-high boots. As I’m zipping them up, my phone rings again. I roll my eyes.

When I see it’s my mom for the second time today, I pick up quickly. She’s been doing well with her treatments and has remained in remission with no flares so far. I clench my chest, holding my breath as I answer.

“Hello, Mom, is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. You didn’t sound like yourself earlier. I wanted to call back and check on you.”

I sigh in relief. I guess I did sound off this morning. I woke up cold and grumpy because Ronan wasn’t in bed with me. I thought I was hiding it, but I guess I wasn’t.

“Mom, you shouldn’t be worried about me. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”

“But you haven’t said that you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Nothing is wrong.”

“Have you finished the book?”

“No. I have some other things on my plate at the moment.”

“Then maybe it’s time. I spent the day packing after having lunch with Dayton and Byron. I think we should head to Vegas.

“After seeing them together, I want you and I to bond some. While we’re there, you can finish the book and maybe you’ll find someone who can put a smile on your face.”

Hearing the worry and concern in her voice keeps me from denying her request. I don’t want her to worry about me. If I’m with my mom in Vegas, then I can’t be here moping about Ronan.

“Okay, Mom. I have something I need to do before we head out, but I’ll pick you up after I’m done. We can fly out tonight.”

“Good, that’s my baby. You need to enjoy life once in a while. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

After hanging up, I stand in my closet, staring off into space. It’s not like my mom doesn’t still speak to Dayton, but why the fuck was he and Byron having lunch with her?

My mind doesn’t want to let the thought go. My mental claws have dug in. However, my phone rings yet again.

Seeing its Lyric, I get my head in the game so I can go handle business. It’s time I pop out and remind these motherfuckers who I am and what the horsemen are around for.

***

I usually don’t stick aroundfor reactions, but this one is a work of art, and I would be remiss if I didn’t see the look on Franko’s face. Headlights from outside shine through the windows of the house his crew operates from. When you take from me and disrespect me, I take from you.

Franko is about to learn a powerful lesson. I don’t even know what possessed him to pull the shit he has. Why would a low-level asshole like him have the balls to challenge me and mine?

In this case, I plan to fuck shit up and ask questions later. I can’t say I care what his answer will be. He’s a dead man either way.

As I stand in the shadows, I tighten my grip on the crossbow in my hand. A voice approaches while I stand in silence and a grin comes to my lips.