Page 37

Bailey

T he cut on my face stung with each tear that fell down my cheeks.

Thank goodness my rideshare driver paid me no attention as I sat in the backseat trying my best not to have a Lifetime movie breakdown right now.

I’m sure when he picked me up outside of Titan’s gates I looked like a battered woman when I approached his car with bandages on my face, blood on my blouse, and my foot wrapped with a damn maxi pad.

When the driver dropped me off in front of my building, Fred looked like he was ready to call the police on me. Then his eyes widened when he recognized that it was me who just stepped out of the backseat, bandaged and barefoot. He immediately rushed to my side and helped me into the lobby.

“Bailey, sugar pop what the hell happened to you? Do I need to call the police?” He fussed over me while looking me over, checking for other injuries.

“No Fred, I actually feel better than I look.” I gave him a weak smile and kissed his cheek before I hobbled toward the elevators. I called out to him before the doors closed, “I’m not taking any visitors.” He called something back to me, but the doors closed before I could hear him.

As soon as I opened my door my heart sank because I saw Anthony’s big ass bent over in my kitchen rummaging through my refrigerator pulling out leftovers.

Shit.

That was probably what Fred was trying to tell me a moment ago. I let out a sigh of frustration because I knew shit was about to hit the fan if he saw me right now. I silently counted the seconds in my head until he noticed me as I quietly closed the door behind me.

“Hey, sis, I stopped by for some dinner before I went to my office tonight. I have a security contract coming up in Germany.” His head was still in the refrigerator, getting the last container of food I had stored. I used that distraction to tip toe as quietly as I could toward my bedroom.

“Oh, that’s fine you know I always cook extra just in case you or Dante come over.”

I was just a few feet away from my bedroom when I heard my refrigerator door slam so hard the bottles inside rattled and I cussed under my breath because I knew Anthony was looking at me.

“Why are you limping?” His voice was eerily low. “More importantly, why the fuck are you barefoot with a damn pad on your foot?”

It felt like my heart was about to fall out of my ass and my spine was ramrod straight with fear not for me but for Titan. Even though I was pissed at him I didn’t want him hurt so I had to stall Anthony for as long as I could.

“Oh, you know those heels I wear can be so high my feet were hurting. When I took them off I stepped on some glass,” I said as I walked the last few feet to my bedroom.

Once I was inside my room I went straight to my bathroom and turned on the faucet so my brother couldn’t hear me going through the drawers in my vanity.

I looked for my concealer and a foundation so I could quickly cover the cut on my cheek before I faced my brother.

“You know,” I clutched my chest because Anthony’s sudden appearance in the doorway of my bathroom scared the shit out of me.

It was amazing how a man so big was so light on his feet.

“The only thing I believed out of your mouth just now was that you stepped on glass and why haven't you looked at me yet?” Now he was standing right behind me, and I tensed when I felt his large hand on my right shoulder before he turned me around.

As I turned I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes to brace myself for his reaction.

When I was fully facing him I heard his breath catch and felt his hand shaking on my shoulder.

“I just talked to you before I came here, and you said you were with Titan. Did that nigga do this to you?” Murderous was the only way I could describe his voice, and my heart felt like it wanted to beat out of my chest and run away.

“It’s not what you think Ant,” I said, opening my eyes and I flinched when I saw his soulless gaze staring back at me.

The light bounced off something shiny that caught my eye.

When I looked down my eyes almost jumped out of my head when I saw the handle of the two Glocks my brother had in the shoulder holster underneath his jacket.

When I saw the long ass knife he had sheathed and strapped to his left thigh, I felt the color drain from my face.

“You have five seconds to tell me everything before I’m out the door and at Titan’s making his family plan his funeral.”

I took a deep breath and quickly explained everything that happened at Titan’s house.

When I got to the part about giving him space so he could resolve his issues with his ex-wife, I was sobbing.

Anthony hated seeing women cry, so although he was pissed he hurried up and embraced me against his chest.

“It’s going to be ok baby girl, sit down and let me get you cleaned up.

I know a thing or two about cuts.” He kissed my forehead and guided me to sit on the toilet lid before he took the bandage off my cheek.

His face was now a mask of anger as he looked at my cut, but he was silent as he squatted down to unwrap my foot.

I could tell there was something on his mind.

“I can hear the gears in your mind turning from here.” I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming in pain when Anthony started to poke at the skin around the cut on my foot to inspect it.

“You know I never want to tell you what to do.” He leaned over and opened a drawer in the vanity. After he moved some stuff around he pulled out tweezers.

“Negro…since when?” My voice was louder than usual because I was trying to hide the pain I was feeling now that he was pulling out small pieces of glass with the tweezers.

“Ok, maybe I do tell you what to do, so why stop now?” He smirked at his own joke then frowned.

“This cut is deeper than I thought, and you don’t have a first aid kit.

Let me see your face.” He grabbed my chin and moved my head back and forth, after a few moments of poking and prodding around the cut he spoke.

“This cut looks worse than it is, you may have a tiny scar.”

He filled my sink with warm water and grabbed a clean washcloth from the linen closet behind my door. After he soaked it with soap and water, I hissed as soon as he put the warm rag against my face and gently cleaned it. After he was done, he put some ointment on the cut.

“I still want to beat Titan’s ass. He may not have intentionally hurt you but because of his actions you’re hurt and going to need your foot sewn up. Let me properly wrap your foot and I’ll take you to the ER.”

I was about to whine and tell Anthony I didn’t want to go but the look on his face halted that thought. So, without any further ado, I got my ass up and went to my closet to change clothes.

A n hour later my brother checked me into the ER, and I was fortunate that I didn’t have to wait long for a room.

Anthony chose to wait in the waiting room, so he could return calls to his security team.

I was on the bed swinging my legs back and forth when I was greeted by a megawatt smile and a smooth baritone voice.

“Well at this rate, I’m going to have to get you a punch card for visits to the ER.”

“Hey Dr. Williams.” I smiled when Giada’s fiancé shook his head and frowned at the formality of my greeting.

Then I felt my cheeks get hot from embarrassment because this was my second visit to the ER for myself in three months.

Not to mention I was just here with Titan when he had his medical emergency.

Hell at this rate, just reserve a room for me.

“You can call me, Devin. The way my boo speaks about you, shit you’re practically family now, ‘cause my baby don’t like nobody,” he said smiling again and I smiled too.

I looked over Devin and could definitely see why Giada didn’t play about him.

He was a fine piece of chocolate, and his laidback demeanor immediately put me at ease.

But I wasn’t suicidal, so I stopped my thoughts about how attractive Giada’s man was.

I watched as he put a pair of gloves on, and I appreciated that he asked if he could touch my face before he did so.

I knew he was about to ask what happened, so I started telling him everything.

I told him about Eva, I even told him about breaking it off with Titan, and I told him what my brother said about my foot.

I knew I was rambling but something about Devin’s quiet and calm demeanor made me want to spill my guts.

Devin just nodded and listened silently and when I was done, I felt emotionally raw. When he started prodding my cheek with his fingers, I noticed he had a similar expression on his face like my brother did before he brought me here.

“How bad is it?” I asked, wincing at the pressure I felt on my cheek.

“Huh? Oh, uh the cuts? Well your brother was correct; you’re going to need about six sutures on your foot.

Your cheek will heal fine, after I clean it just let it air dry.

” He looked distracted. “I’ll just order the supplies and come back with the nurse and get you straightened up.

” He was smiling down at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes, for some reason he looked conflicted as he took his gloves off.

“Is there something else?” I asked confused.

“No, at least not about your health,” he chuckled, “look, I know you don’t know me enough to ask my opinion, but you mentioned the reason you broke up with Titan.

Me and Gigi went through something similar.

She left and I was a mess because I hated thinking that those women won.

I saw you and your boyfriend when he was here and the way you two looked at each other, I recognize the purity of that kind of love anywhere, because that’s how my parents look at each other and that’s how me and Giada look at each other.

If the relationship is worth it, please talk to each other, and don’t lose that love over some bullshit.

” When he was done he gave me a small smile and walked out.

I was too stunned to speak.