That was easy. “You move in with me.”
Chapter 20
Devi~
Ifelt stupid.
Like not my normal stupid, but really stupid. Like when you know you’re in over your head but it’s too late to back out. That kind of stupid.
It’s only been a week, but I was still a bit of a mess. Not being used to a life of crime, every day I was certain the police were going to break down the front door and arrest us all. I wasn’t a total basket case, but I was close. While everyone else seemed to be handling everything well, even Kim, I couldn’t shake the bit of paranoia that made random appearances throughout the day. It seemed the only time I wasn’t a looking over my shoulder was when I was with Cassius.
When I was with Cassius, everything felt right with the world.
Kim and I had both taken the next two days off from work, where Kim got some much-needed rest, and me…well, I had been busy packing my stuff, so I could move in with Cassius. Granted, there hadn’t been that much to pack, but it had been such a crazy demand, that I finally understood the term ‘whirlwind romance’, because that’s what my relationship with Cassius felt like. I had moved in with a man that I only met a week ago, and if that wasn’t fucking crazy, I didn’t know what was.
But it felt right.
And now, in Cassius’ nice, spacious, high-rise condo, Atticus and his girlfriend, Pryce, were coming over for dinner, along with Xavier and his lady friend, Rochelle, who happened to be good friends with Pryce, if I was understanding the dynamics Cassius had explained to me when he had agreed to a family dinner, so I could officially meet everyone.
And because Cassius was more observant than I had given him credit for, he had even invited Kim and Keith. While it was already apparent that I could trust Atticus and Xavier with my life, Kim was my friend. She was my comfort.
And Keith was the only family I had, no matter how troubled he was.
While Tuesday and Wednesday had been spent resting, Kim and I had gone back to work on Thursday with new provisions put in place. The Alto and The Tenor had bouncers and security guards because most bars did, but Cassius had hired security guards for his restaurants, and all employees-both men and women-were escorted to their cars after their shifts. But more obvious than anything, money was going into The Opera’s parking lot, and soon, it will be enclosed employee parking. If I insisted on continuing to work, then I was going to be protected at all costs-Cassius’ words, not mine.
And, of course, I would continue to work. I wasn’t one to not earn my keep. Besides, if life has taught me anything, it’s that I always need to be ready to land on my feet. I had nothing against Cassius wanting to keep the wolves at bay, but I will always have an innate need to know I’ve got things on my end covered.
A pair of strong, warm, manly arms wrapped around me from behind. I leaned back, and just enjoyed the feel of Cassius’ body heat comforting me. “Mmmm…this is nice.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” he whispered against my ear. “Let’s cancel dinner and hide away in the bedroom for the rest of the weekend.”
“What about all the food?”
“We can box it up and leave it by the front door. We’ll write their names on the boxes, so they’ll know which one is theirs.”
I laughed. “Because that’s not rude, at all.”
“The guys are lucky the girls are with them, or I’d do just that.”
“Thank you for inviting Kim and Keith,” I told him again for the millionth time.
“You don’t have to thank me,” he replied again for the millionth time. “Kim’s your best friend and Keith’s your brother, Devi. Of course, they’d be invited.”
While Kim and I had gone back to work Thursday, Cassius had spent some quality time with Keith that day. And though neither would tell me the details of their conversation, a lot of seriousness had gone down between the two. Cassius had just kept telling me that everything would be okay, and Keith wouldn’t say anything. I didn’t push him either. I couldn’t fight his demons for him, and everyone knew that you couldn’t help someone who wasn’t ready to be helped. I could only pray that this horrible situation has been an eye-opener for him. If not, well…if not, then not much would change. Keith and I would just keep doing what we’ve always done.
Get by.
A knock on the door put a stop to the boxed dinner idea, and Cassius let out a dramatic groan as he gave me a quick kiss on my cheek before heading towards the front door. When Cassius opened the door and I saw Kim standing on the other side, I let out a grateful breath.
The woman knew me well.
She walked right on in, and when she threw her arms around me, she whispered, “You got people, too.”
I hugged her back as I laughed. “Love you.”
“Love you, too, weirdo.”
We pulled apart, and she looked over at Cassius. “Nice digs.”
