Page 48

Titan

“ B aby, I don’t know where you’re at but please just call me.

I love you,” I said desperately, leaving Bailey another message.

This was the sixth time I called her since I saw the news online of those dumb ass reporters in her face asking those dumb ass questions.

I was at work when I got the blog alerts on my phone.

At first I was going to ignore it, but I had Bailey’s name, and her company set on my notifications.

When I opened the link to the first blog and saw the video of those fucking idiots just hurling her sexual assault in her face, I damn near broke my phone, slamming it against my desk.

Then the final question about her sleeping with me to get my business, had me out of my office and on my way to her.

I yelled at Royce to reschedule my day when I ran past him.

Bailey looked unphased by the question, but I saw the pain flash in her eyes before Giada closed the passenger door on her face.

I broke every traffic law to get to Bailey and when I pulled up to her building I saw Fred outside with the police getting reporters away from her building.

Luckily I was in my black Aston Martin, and it blended in with the other luxury cars that were coming and going from the underground parking garage of her building.

I quickly pulled out the spare parking pass Bailey gave me and let myself into the garage.

Her building came with two assigned spots, and I parked next to her BMW XM.

I knew she wasn’t home, but I would wait for her.

She was probably waiting until it was safe for Giada to bring her home.

At least that what’s I thought until I called her phone repeatedly and my calls went unanswered.

Wouldn’t she at least send me a text or better yet answer my fucking calls to let me know she was ok?

I was now pacing her living room, wearing a track into the hardwood that led from her bedroom to the front door.

I lost count on how many times I went back and forth but I paused when I heard the robotic voice from her alarm that said the front door was open.

I quickly left her bedroom and stopped when I saw her brothers standing there.

“Have you heard from her?” Dante was the first to speak. He was wearing a black Actively Black sweatsuit with black crocs and somehow he looked disheveled. I saw the worry in his eyes and I’m sure the look in my eyes mirrored his as I shook my head no in response to the question.

“I’ve been here maybe three hours waiting and she’s not answering my calls or texts,” I said, running my hands through my hair.

“What the fuck is going on? I’m suddenly getting calls asking about working with Giada and my sister being accused of fucking her way to the top.

Not that I would judge her, but I know my sister ain’t like that.

Anonymous calls asking about her sudden departure from her old job.

I don’t even know how these muthafuckas got my damn number.

” Anthony looked murderous and ready to fight in his black jeans and hoodie, his heavy boots was stomping across the floor as he ranted.

He looked the way I was feeling inside. I wanted to hurt whoever put these lies out about my Bailey.

“I know it’s more to the story about why she left Davis Advertising because she never talks about it, but I know it ain’t got shit to do with whatever the fuck they saying,” Dante said, his worry now replaced with anger as he pulled out his phone and called Bailey, “Where the fuck is she?!” he yelled after he hung up. “Her voicemail is full now.”

“I got calls out to all of my connections to see where these bastards getting their information. I know journalists don’t reveal their sources but for the right price some can be morally gray,” I said.

“Yeah, I’m looking into this shit too. My man Gig works for me, he is a computer genius and he’s finding some back door channels into this bullshit,” Anthony said, and I felt some of my anxiety lessen.

We had just sat down on the large sectional in Bailey’s living room when we heard the buttons on the keypad of her door beeping.

I narrowed my eyes because Bailey always used her key.

When we heard the buzzer to alert that the code was wrong, Anthony and Dante quickly stood up and pulled out guns and my head jerked back in surprise.

Not from Anthony but for some reason Dante seemed too polished and uptight to carry a weapon.

I guess I shouldn’t judge a book by the cover because I owned a gun too, but I never carried it.

“Shit, what she say? Was it 827? Or 728? I need to stop smoking.” We all looked at each other when we heard a female voice mutter on the other side of the door before we heard the buttons beeping again. This time we heard the bell that it was correct, and the door swung open.

I was surprised to see Kiara walking through the door.

She had her head down looking at her phone in her left hand with an empty duffel bag dangling from the crook of the same arm.

She hadn’t noticed us yet, or at least that’s what I thought before she reached under her motorcycle jacket fast as hell and pulled out a big ass handgun and aimed at us.

“What the hell you doing here?” Anthony yelled as he quickly lowered his gun and reached his arm out to lower Dante’s just as fast, but he didn’t look bothered as Kiara still had hers aimed; in fact he looked…happy?

This man was nuts. I thought shaking my head.

“What the hell are y’all doing here?” She said, sweeping her gun at the three of us. I saw Anthony’s eyes slowly looking her up and down as he stood there unbothered that a gun was being pointed at us. I put my hands up and slowly stood up.

“I’m looking for my woman. You know where she at?” I sounded desperate and Kiara stared at me for a few seconds before she finally lowered her gun, and I lowered my hands.

“No, I don’t,” she responded quickly, and I saw flashes of diamonds in her mouth before she lowered her head to put her gun in the holster she was wearing under her jacket.

“Then why are you here?” Anthony and Dante asked in unison.

“I came here to borrow some clothes.”

I narrowed my eyes because I knew she was fucking lying, but the ease of how the lie rolled off her tongue could easily have me second guessing if she was telling the truth, if I didn’t know how to trust my instincts.

“What clothes are you borrowing from Bailey?” Anthony said, tilting his head, but his eyes never stopped roaming her body.

Kiara’s hair was wild, and she was dressed simply in a black motorcycle jacket, baggy ripped jeans cuffed at the end, a crème cropped shirt with Sade on the front, and a pair of black Doc Martens boots.

She looked like she could be the lead singer in a grunge band, but Anthony was drinking in her appearance like she was water in the middle of the desert.

“What you mean?” Kiara’s head snapped back like she was offended.

“Girl, Bailey 5’4 maybe 5’5 with shoes on, yo’ ass 6’1, what clothes could you possibly be borrowing from her short ass?” Anthony said, smirking.

“Why you body shaming?” She snapped, and my eyes widened.

“How the fuck am I body shaming?”

“You know what? I don’t have time for this,” she said, adjusting the bag on her arm and before she walked away Anthony walked up beside her and grabbed her hand.

“Let me talk to you real quick,” he said, pulling her toward Bailey’s room. I heard Dante chuckle and when I looked at him he was looking at Anthony and Kiara.

“What?” I asked confused.

“His ass in love,” he shared, shaking his head when Bailey’s door slammed.

“What the hell? How you know?” I saw the way he looked at her. Did he want to fuck? Yes. But in love? I wasn’t sure.

“Because he didn’t shoot her ass for having a gun aimed at him.

You see how quickly he made me lower mine?

I think by the time he leave that room we’ll know where Bailey is,” he said, leaning back on the sectional getting comfortable.

I was still confused about his reasoning, but he knew his brother better than I did, so I sat down too and hoped Anthony would get answers.