“I’ma try and make it back for Mom’s surgery, okay? Let her know I’ll call her soon.” I didn’t care what I had to do to make both notions true but I would. I didn’t care what Kairus said or how he reacted.
With a heavy heart I walked down the hall to the front door. I hated to leave my parents’ house not knowing when I would be able to see them again. My stomach twisted around a ball of ice. I wished I was able to take my parents and go somewhere Kairus couldn’t find us.
“So wait, let me get this straight. Not only were you not out of town, but you were kidnapped and now you’re technically beingheld hostage, but you managed to sneak out? What the fuck you got going on, girl?” Jatavia expressed loudly.
I picked up my lemon drop and took a large sip. “Say it a little louder, why don’t you?” I narrowed my eyes at her.
We were currently at the bar up the street from my house. I was able to stop by and get some things to take back to my prison.
“Azeira, this is serious shit. I’ve heard the rumors about Kairus Navarro. He’s vicious and ruthless and doesn’t hold back when he feels someone betrayed him. I don’t want something to happen to you.”
Sighing, my shoulders fell forward. “Well there’s nothing else I can do, Jatavia. I can’t just let him kill my dad.” I licked my lips and looked around the bar. What I didn’t admit to her was I didn’t fear being held by Kairus because I thought he would kill me, even though I probably should be. I was more afraid of how my body reacted to him when he touched me. How his cruel ways turned me on.
“And you’re really trapped there for the next six months? I can’t believe your dad would get you wrapped up in all this.”
I shook my head. “Well it’s more like five and half now, but yeah, I am.” I looked back at the bar. “I’m fine though. All I have to do is keep the house clean. Being a maid isn’t that bad.”
She gave me a worried look but I ignored it. Checking the time on my phone, I saw it was going on nine. I had to prepare for my date.
Thankfully I was still on the roster and able to receive jobs from Elite. I was working with limited time, but I had to continue to build my savings so I could try to help my dad pay his debt back faster. I had gotten dressed for the night before leaving my house to meet Jatavia at this bar.
“Look, I gotta go. As soon as I’m able I’ll reach out and we can meet up again, okay?”
I stood up. “Azeira.”
“Seriously, Jatavia, don’t worry about me. Just do me a favor. Keep an eye on my mom? My dad’s working all the time and I want someone she’s familiar with at her side.”
She sighed. “You know I love your mom. I just hate you have to go back to that man’s house. Is it horrible? Is it full of torture devices?”
I snickered. “What? No! It’s a normal mansion. Big as hell with too many damn rooms.”
I grabbed my phone off the bar. My date was simple. He needed me for a three-hour dinner party. When I was finished I would rush back to the north side of town and sneak back into Kairus’s house before anyone knew I was gone.
My nose twitched at the smell of salt water and fish as I walked out of the warehouse at the docks with Nolan and Rock behind me. I walked to my truck, opened the back passenger door, and tossed the duffle bag inside.
“Ay, before you go, I have something I wanted to talk to you about,” Nolan called out and waved to Rock to wait for him in his car.
I shut the door and turned to face him. “I got word that Zylus is looking to do business with you.”
My brows furrowed. “What kind of business? I highly doubt he needs a loan.” Zylus ran a shipping company that transferred firearms in and out the city. He was the guy you went to for heavy artillery.
“He’s looking for more ways to clean his money. Apparently he had to take out the last guy who was helping him.” I scratched my cheek. My forehead creased in thought.
My phone chimed before I could respond. Pulling it out my pocket, my mouth turned down in a frown as I viewed the screen.
“I’m out,” I said, turning to get in my truck. I didn’t give him a chance to respond before I turned the truck on and skirted out the parking lot.
From how hard I clenched my teeth I was surprised they didn’t crack. I rubbed my thumb across my steering wheel, sitting across from the banquet hall, watching people file out of it. My eyes went to the glowing numbers on my dash. It was nearing twelve at night.
When I looked back at the crowd, I zeroed in on Azeira. She was smiling and clinging to a man’s arm. The two looked like the perfect couple. She leaned on him as he spoke to another man. Dressed in a red sleeveless dress that went past her knees but wrapped tightly around her body, her honey blonde hair was pinned up in curls, showing off her round face. Azeira laughed at something the guy they were talking to said and looked up at the man she was hanging onto. When the guy leaned down and pecked her lips, my eye twitched and my stomach filled with fury.
Not only had she left my house without permission but she also allowed another man to put his lips on her. She thought when I told her she was mine and no one else was to touch her it was a joke. She was beginning to taint the pureness in her and that was something I couldn’t have.
The man spoke to the guy a little longer before reaching out and shaking his hand. They turned around and headed down the street. Throwing my car in drive, I pulled from the curb, doing an illegal U turn in the middle of the street. Cars blared theirhorns behind me but I didn’t care. They could all crash and burn for all I cared.
I followed the couple until they approached an alleyway. The man walked Azeira to her car on the other side of the alley. They spoke lowly before he kissed her on the cheek and opened the door for her. His feet stayed planted until she pulled off, on her way back to my mansion I was sure. I pulled my phone out and hit a button just as he turned to walk back the way he just came.
“Grab him,” I said as soon as the call was picked up. A thin layer of fog covered the dark night skies. The streets were bare from anyone but those two.
