Page 25 of Tangled Hearts

Once they caught their breath, Noir and Knycole went over to the table to pour themselves a drink.

Although Knycole wasn’t a heavy drinker, she was going to turn up a little more than she usually would since it was her birthday.

She also needed a drink to wash away the hurt of Rock calling her to at least wish her a happy birthday.

That had her in her feelings all day, but she decided not to let it dwell too long.

She smiled thinking about Nick calling her earlier. That made her day so much better. Knycole didn’t remember the last time he actually remembered.

When Hov walked up behind her, goosebumps rose on her melanated skin and her breath caught in her throat. “You good?” his deep southern drawl spoke to parts of her body that had never been spoken to.

Everything about Hov was panty wetting and euphoric. He created a high that most never wanted to come down from.

She could only nod. Knycole was having a hard time, but whenever he got close, life stood still along with her plights.

Hov created a calming safe space around her.

He’d been doing that for her ever since she kept his secrets as children.

Her eyes assessed the club taking in all the carefree teens and adults.

Knycole longed to be able to be like them.

Yes, life was looking up for her, but her heart still hurt, and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get past it.

Kehlani’s song The Way shook the floor with its bass. Knycole had been obsessed with the song lately. A mischievous smile was planted on her face when she looked at Hov.

Without warning, she yanked Hov onto the dance floor without asking him if he wanted to dance. That was her new jam, and she wanted to show out. Taking his arms, she wrapped them around her waist, twirling her ass into his dick.

Hov was stuck. His mind told him to stop, but his heart would surely break if he broke their connection. She had a hold on him that he was never able to shake. Knycole was the forbidden fruit. Still, like his ancestors, he was going to take a bite and deal with the consequences later.

Rocking her juicy ass on him, Knycole turned around to face him.

Her round eyes smiled with a captivating lust in them.

“He say he the king where he came from. Take a young queen just to know one.” The words were just lyrics, yet somehow, they matched up to how she felt.

It was just the way he did everything for her.

Hov hadn’t skipped a beat when it came to her wants and needs since she first stumbled on the unkept little boy with the pretty eyes.

His strong hands gripped her ass, squeezing all the juice out of her pussy like a lemon.

Briana watched from the wall fuming. If she could hate Knycole anymore than she already did, she would.

As far as she knew, Knycole was with Rock, but she just had to have all the good boys in the hood.

Just like her friend, Noir, who was standing in the corner arguing with Christian—someone else Briana had a big crush on.

To add to her bruised heart, she took notice of how Hov and Knycole were dressed alike.

While Briana thought she was doing something by sporting new Jordans, they were decked out in designer.

Hov was getting to the money, and instead of him glowing up, he shared his spotlight with Knycole.

For his age, it was commendable and gave her more reason to pursue him.

God didn’t make men like Hov anymore. He had to be the last of his breed.

After the song ended, Hov’s dick was rock hard, and he didn’t know if he was able to deny himself access to her. “Let me know when you’re ready to go,” he spoke into her ear. The vibration of his voice sent shock waves over her body.

Knycole felt dizzy from the lust in his voice and his demeanor. “I’m just waiting for Cash to go on stage, then we can go. You’re staying with me, right?” Her question meant so much more than the simple question.

“Is that what you want?” Hov asked, thrusting his pelvis into her. All that not crossing the line shit, was slowly dissolving.

Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, Knycole’s eyes squinted, scared to leave his cognac-colored eyes.

“Quameek,” she mouthed his government name.

“I want you so bad. Is that wrong?” She was silently pleading for him to agree with her need to betray their friendship.

Knycole needed love more than she needed air in her lungs or food in her belly.

Like her, he had an internal battle, but love was the winner for him.

And he loved her—had been loving her since he was ten and she was eight.

He loved her even when she was in love with the only brother he had.

“If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right,” he joked, but as they say, ‘ all good jokes contained true shit.’ And Hov was speaking nothing but his real feelings.

“Westside in this bitch!” Cash got on stage yelling, which drew their attention to him. “Y’all ready to cut the fuck up with me?!”

The crowd went crazy. Cash’s new single “Out The Trenches” was picking up a lot of traction.

Everyone was saying he was up next, and he felt it in his bones.

A few local record companies were starting to contact him, but he wanted to go big or go home.

He was only taking meetings with the big execs.

Anything below that was a no go for the hungry up and coming artist. He knew what he had was real and raw talent and wasn’t going to be bought with chump change.

Noir stopped fussing with Christian to give Cash her attention.

She was so proud of him and prayed he got everything he deserved.

Like always, her heart skipped a beat when she locked eyes with the tawny-colored, tatted up, curly head who’d stolen her heart at the age of five when he asked her to be his homeboy.

The bass shook the floor, and Cash rapped until his soul was content. His stage presence couldn’t be matched, and neither could the hunger in his eyes. He was getting a little illegal money, but he was ready to put the city on his back and check the biggest bag he’d ever seen.

“Out. The. Trenches. I got this shit out the muthafuckin’ trenches. It’s my time, time to get up off them benches,” Hov rapped along to his lyrics before the song ended. He was just as proud.

The club was going crazy. Everyone in the city loved his music.

“I see y’all niggas fuckin’ with that one.

Y’all know the ladies be on me hard, so I got something special for them too.

Let me give the ladies something to vibe out to, but I need my special friend to come up here.

” He licked his pink lips, watching Noir like he was a hawk, and she was his prey.

Everyone’s head jerked in the direction where Cash was looking.

His down-turned, magnetic brown eyes were locked in on Noir.

Her breathing hitched in her throat from both flattery and uncertainty.

Although she and Christian were on the outs, she knew how the peaceful night could turn deadly because of disrespect.

“Noir, don’t make me wait too long.” Cash’s hand squeezed the microphone while his expression was pleading, or more like beckoning her.

She wasn’t sure which one, but her feet carried her towards the stage as the crowd clapped and cheered for the mere fact that he was about to rap another song. Most of the people in attendance were familiar with Noir and the others didn’t care one bit.

“I’m going to kill you,” she mumbled under her breath when he wrapped his arms around her. His masculine scent warped her nose, leaving her floating.

The grill in his mouth shined when he smiled at her. “As long as I can say I got the baddest girl in the city to grace the stage with me, I’d die a happy man.”

He was always so flattering and extremely charming. Noir was just as charming, which made for a bad combination.

Finally able to tear his eyes from her, he addressed the crowd. “Make some noise for the baddest bitch in the club tonight!”

Her cheeks warmed as a red pigment danced on her face. “You’re showing out,” she mouthed when the music started to play.

“I just want to fuck the baddest bitch in the club.” His raspy singing voice crooned through the mic directly to her middle.

Girls in the audience screamed and hollered as he rapped the raunchy lyrics to Noir, who was oblivious to Christian. His light skin was on fire.

“This nigga got me fucked up,” Christian spoke through gritted teeth, damn near chipping them.

Hov placed his hand up to Christian’s chest. “You gotta chill. That’s my little nigga, and your issue ain’t with him. It’s with Noir, but you ain’t about to put hands on her either. So, I advise you to just smoke some green and chill.”

Christian’s nostrils flared. He was pissed and didn’t like the way Hov was trying to handle him.

At the same time, he knew he was telling him right.

Never in his life had a woman had the power to make him want to put a man in the dirt.

Noir had that, plus more. It was clear to him that his feelings for her were blossoming into something real.

A deeper connection was being formed and Christian knew it was time for him to take their situation to the next level.

Noir was the type of girl you either locked down when you had the chance or sat back and watched another nigga wife her up. She was just that special.

Christian could only nod his head at Hov ‘cause no matter how upset he got, putting his hands on him wasn’t something he was going to do. The love he had for Hov was deeper than what they’d built. It was a part of their DNA.

When the song ended, Noir wrapped her arms around Cash’s neck. “I’m still going to kill you,” she joked.

“And I’m never gonna stop trying to claim your hot ass.” He held onto her ass while the crowd watched. It was evident the two of them had history because the chemistry they had was unmatched.

Noir was so stuck on Cash she didn’t notice the death glare Christian gave her.

“Make some fuckin’ noise for my future wife. What’s your Instagram so the people can follow your pretty ass?”

Taking the microphone, she called out all her social media handles, and within seconds, her phone was blowing up with new followers. She cut her eyes to him. “And I want to wish my best friend a happy birthday. Happy Birthday, Knyc!!!”

“I told you I was gonna bring you with me.” He winked before ambling to the back of the stage.

Needing to catch her breath and process what just happened, Noir took her time getting back to their VIP section.

Cash had left her flustered.

“I see you like to play games.” Christian growled in her ear once he had her pinned to the wall.

She ran her tongue over her teeth. “It ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun, huh?”

“It won’t be fun when that lil’ nigga’s blood is on your hands.” His pulse slammed in his neck while the vein protruded, bringing attention to it.

“Get the fuck off me,” she said, using her body to push him off her. Thinking about the threat he’d made to Cash’s life didn’t sit well with her. “And I wish the fuck you would touch him. Your problem is with me... let’s keep it there.”

As soon as they were past the threshold, they engaged in an intense stare down.

Knycole imagined herself melting, sliding onto the floor in a puddle of lust and she would’ve bet her last dollar Hov could hear her heart beating.

She knew what she wanted to do, yet she wasn’t sure she should do it, or how.

Knycole was no virgin, she’d lost that to him—a story they kept between the two of them for years.

Still, something about him made her uncertain of her sexual wants and needs.

Everything about Hov screamed he was going to fuck your life up and leave you so high, no other man would ever be able to compare.

He already cared for her on another level.

Taking it further was terrifying because what if it didn’t work out?

Knycole couldn’t live in a world that didn’t include Hov in some capacity. He meant that much to her.

“You’re okay, right?” Hov broke through the awkward moment to ask.

She nodded. “Are you?”

“No.” His bedroom voice shocked her center with lust.

Her eyes bulged. “You’re not okay?” Now her nerves were even more rattled. Hov was stressing her the fuck out.

Slowly, he strutted closer to her. Hov’s lips crashed into her thick, glossy ones and snatched her breath. To say he took her breath away was an understatement. With just one kiss, he owned her mind, body, and soul. She knew it and wasn’t willing to deny it.

Hov had known her since he was ten. Knycole was his soulmate, and although his best friend would beg to differ, he wasn’t going to let her go unless she told him to.

Keeping her eyes zoned in on him, Knycole studied his neck while her fingers traced his tattoos.

His mother’s name stood out. Her eyes misted thinking about how much Hov loved his mama and wanted her to love him too.

Instead of letting her tears fall, she pulled him down to her and placed gentle kisses along the name he wore like a scarlet letter.

Silently, she was vowing to protect him from all that would taint his heart.

That night, so many words were exchanged without verbal communication.

Knycole needed his love just as much as he craved hers.

At the young age of seventeen, she knew she’d witnessed love in several forms, but without a doubt, she knew his was the best one by far.

It was clear to her that if he ever left or was taken from her, she’d be ruined.