Page 34

ADIR

Going these last few days pretending like everything was cool ate at me.

It ate at me so badly.

However, I had to be patient.

Blood was due to me, and I had to make sure the one who owed it was none the wiser.

I’d let him think shit was sweet, just to douse a bucket of acid on his ass.

My phone rang, breaking my thoughts and reminding me that I was with a patient.

“Excuse me,” I said to her.

Stepping from the exam room, I answered Humble’s video call.

He wouldn’t interrupt me unless it was an emergency.

My guard was up.

“Pops,” he answered, then switched his phone so that I could see the view of Pretty.

“Pretty has been in the backyard walking and crying for the last twenty minutes. What you want me to do?”

“I got her, baby. You and Peace make sure the boys are in for the night.” I knew telling Pretty the news over the phone wasn’t a good idea.

I had to get that shit off my chest though.

Lying to her or keeping it a secret wasn’t in me.

“Aight, cool.”

Hanging up with him, I called Zel.

“‘Sup, Boss?”

“Do me a favor and bring my wife to me.”

“Of course. She’ll be there shortly.”

My next call was to Pretty.

“Hey, baby,” she answered, trying to disguise the sadness in her tone.

“Hey, my love. Put ya shoes on. Zel is about to bring you to me.”

“You’re at work—”

“Missin’ you,” I smoothly replied. “Come see me.”

“Okay.”

Hanging up with her instantly had me on edge. Until I had her in front of me, I’d stay on edge. Walking back into the exam room, I apologized to my patient. A battered woman, Nina Storm, walked in minutes before Humble called. Nina was beautiful and reminded me of my mother in some ways. Her soft dark brown skin shouldn’t have been so bruised up, but it was.

“No worries.

” She tried to chuckle.

“I have a daughter, so I completely understand.”

After examining Nina’s injuries, I squelched a heavy sigh and propped myself against the counter to study her.

“Who did this to you, Miss Storm?”

I knew my answer.

I needed her to open up to me.

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over.

“Nina, please,” she said and glanced away.

“Detective Gunner said that I could trust you.”

“Is that how you knew to come here?”

She nodded.

“I drove two hours because I needed to have this on record. No place I’ve gone to before will even report what my husband is doing to me.” She sniffled and wiped at her blackened eyes.

“I left him six months ago and recently filed for divorce. Everywhere I go, he finds me.”

“Where’s your daughter?” I questioned while my blood boiled.

“She’s with a friend of mine here in the city. She’s the one who convinced me to go to the Detective Gunner. While he beats my ass, he would never hurt our daughter. Still, I try and be careful.”

“Okay,” I replied.

“What’s ya husband’s name?”

Timidly, her eyes scraped over me.

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It does…”

She gulped.

“His name is Richard. Detective Richard Storm, Perdido Breeze County Sheriff’s Office.”

“Do you have life insurance on him?”

Her eyes bugged.

“I do…but no! Please, no! I don’t want anything like that. It would destroy me. Even if you don’t say it out loud, I know what you are. And I’m not judging you.”

I simply watched her fight her emotions.

“As hateful as he is, I can’t bring myself to wish anything bad on him.”

As she talked, all I could think about was ripping that nigga’s tonsils through his chest. However, I smiled.

“Okay. I’m going to have my nurse come in and clean you up and get some bandages on the open wounds. I’ll give you something for pain and should you ever need me… you know where to find me.”

“Thank you,” she replied.

Leaving the room, I quietly shut the door behind me.

Bianca stood there waiting for me with her hands on her hips.

“Well?” she questioned.

“Well, get her cleaned up for me.”

“Aren’t you gon’ do something?” she whispered.

“She doesn’t want me to, so I won’t.”

“Adir,” Bianca called to my back.

“Thank you, baby,” I said to her and continued to the nurses station.

Minutes later, Pretty arrived.

Even as I signed the documents for Nina’s medication and discharge instructions, I held out my hand for Pretty to take.

She had on a pink lounge set and slides, looking delicious as hell.

My baby had her stomach poking out showing our growing baby.

That shit made me smile.

I pulled her close, kissed her lips, and locked her to me with my arm around her shoulders.

She buried her head into my chest, smelling me as if this was all she needed.

Once I completed Nina’s paperwork, I ushered Pretty inside my office.

Only then did I give her the proper greeting she deserved.

I kissed her fully and deeply, grabbing handfuls of her ass to bring her as close as I could.

I tasted the tears she’d shed on her lips, which angered me.

Going to my chair, I sat down, then brought her into my lap.

She planted her hands on my chest and came in for another kiss.

I let her have it before settling my hands on her hips and peering at her.

The puffiness in her eyes compounded on the war going on inside of me.

“I upset you, and I’m sorry,” I said.

She gulped and nodded.

“I trust you, Adir. And I know you truly didn’t know that her baby was yours.”

Something in her tone caused me to study the uneasiness in her eyes.

“Tell me what’s got you anxious.”

Pretty was good at maintaining eye contact.

So, when her gaze dropped to her hands positioned on my chest, I tilted my head to the side.

“One of the many things I love about you, Pretty, is ya ability to look into my eyes…” I lifted her chin until her watery gaze was back on me.

“…Even when I’m deep inside you, making you blush… those eyes stay glued to mine.”

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, “You saved me and Quilo, Adir. This family welcomed us with open arms.” A few tears escaped.

“I don’t want to be the reason there’s friction between any of you.”

Interesting , I thought.

“You know how much I love my people, Pretty. Do you know how much I love you?”

Without hesitation, she nodded.

“Nah, I don’t think you understand how much I love you.” I wiped her tears and stated, “If there is friction between me and you, my spirit is unsettled. Besides our sons, you’re the only person who is capable of wounding a part of me that would never heal should it be broken. If you understood the depth of my love for you, you wouldn’t be afraid to tell me anything about anything and about anybody.”

Silently, she blinked, then nodded.

“Okay.” She took another deep breath and exhaled it while gathering her emotions.

“I uhm… I think I know… No, I know I know … ”

Whatever it was about, it was tearing Pretty apart to have to tell me.

I braced myself for whatever came from her lips.

Shit it couldn’t have been worse than what was already on my mind.

“Genika’s baby isn’t yours.”

Her soft admission contradicted that of baby boy’s face.

However, this was my wife.

On a spiritual level, Pretty was easily someone I trusted.

While most women would’ve said that out of bitterness, jealousy, or envy, I knew my wife.

She possessed none of those things and had no reason to.

“Her baby belongs to the same person who ordered the hit on me.”

“Who?”

Although she whispered it, hearing her say it caused my eyes to close as my brain processed what my gut knew was the truth.