Page 27 of Lavish

I took a deep breath.Stay in control. Calm.

“Mm, whew, chile, that’s a handsome man right there. What’s his name?”

I glanced over my shoulder and froze. Miles had followed me. He stood at the top of the stairs, his expression unreadable.No.He shouldn’t see her.

“Nobody.”

She shrugged. “Get in.”

The smoke burned my eyes, but I turned to follow her lead but paused midstep, my eyes betraying me as they flicked back to Miles.

Remember what he did to you. Remember why you’re in this position now.

“You don’t think I’m too old for him, do you?” Jenese slipped into the driver’s seat with practiced ease, adjusting the rearview mirror as if she had all the time in the world.

“You’re old as dirt. Now drive.”

The engine roared to life, the rumble grounding me as I scrambled to push past the chaos in my head.

“Oh, Serena,” she said with a laugh. “Wait till you get to my age. Now, buckle up.”

CHAPTER 6

Miles

SIX YEARS AGO…

Bam!Bang! Boom!

I jolted awake, heart racing, reliving the night’s events. Pops hit Vincent. Out of nowhere, he attacked him, and I didn’t get it.

I frantically searched for my ringing phone. It buzzed incessantly with texts from Serena, Erik, and countless unknowns.

“Miles!” Ma called from downstairs.

Without a second thought, I ripped the blankets off, ignoring the chill as I bolted out the door barefoot and shirtless. I sprinted down the long hall.

“Ma!”

A cacophony of sound—the urgent blare of sirens and a sea of shouting voices—suddenly surrounded me. I pushed myself faster, the marble cool beneath my feet as I spun to the top of the grand stairs.

My eyes fell upon the overwhelming number of police officers in our entryway, their faces grim and serious.

They had a grip on Pops. Dragging him out of the mansion.

“Lemme go! You don’t know what the hell you’re doing. This is my house!”

Spit flew from his mouth. His eyes were wild, bloodshot as he twisted and turned like a rabid animal in a cage. They were pulling him out the front door while Ma was screaming, trying to pull him back before more cops stepped between them to break them up.

Frozen on the stairs, I gripped the banister. My heart jackhammered. A metallic taste filled my mouth.

“This is a goddamn setup!” Pops bellowed. “It is!”

He thrashed once, hard enough to knock a vase from the entry table—it shattered like gunfire. I jumped into action.

“Wait!”I said.

Pops fought as they took him out of the front door, I pushed through the cops who were holding Ma back.