I looked away from the phone on the floor to her, shaking my head. I was officially creeped out. As a matter of fact, I was way past that. I began to look around frantically before there was yet another knock at the door.
I didn’t move toward it, but instead away. Oden’s voice continuously calling my name broke the trance I felt like I had been forced into. I couldn’t focus because then the door was open and Ava was speaking with somebody outside of it. It wasn’t until she closed it with a vase of red roses in her hands that I felt extremely ill.
“Jade, answer me.” Oden’s heavily worried voice filled the AirPod.
“Somebody sent me a video of myself coming into my building. Then texted welcome home,” I said to him, then looked at her. “What does the card say, Ava?”
Confusion was etched in her features when she looked up at me. “Sorry for the fire. I promise to make it up to you soon. Your secret admirer.”
Chapter 8
Oden
I heard everything, even the fear in her voice when she told me she’d call me right back and she didn’t need me to come. I didn’t like that at all. So before I knew it, I was on the road headed back to the city. I wasn’t doing normal speed either; I was flying through traffic. What was normally a four-hour drive only took me two and a half hours due to me speeding and swooping in and out of traffic. I did at least eighty all the way to the city and eased off the gas when I was a few blocks from her building.
I didn’t pull into her garage. I pulled up in front of her building and parked there. I then rushed into her building to the elevator. The receptionist desk was a joke because the nigga didn’t even attempt to stop me and ask for ID. He was too busy on the phone. I was in the elevator for all of fifteen seconds before I stepped off and went straight to her door. Just my luck, when I was about to knock it open, I was face to face with Rennix.
“Damn what’s up, O?” he said, confused as to why I was at his sister’s door at this time of night. We shook hands, him still confused, but he stepped to the side to allow me in.
“Shit, apparently your sister.” I shook my head before stepping through the door and going straight to Jade. Of course, she was standing at the island with a tall glass of wine. It was her favorite wind down after work and now, I guessed, something to take the edge off with everything going on.
“Nah, Jade. Yeen staying here. A motherfucker just sent a video of you walking to your spot. This is beyond a couple text messages.” G was glaring at Jade who stubbornly rolled her eyes to the fucking ceiling. Then he looked at me. He didn’t seem confused or anything, like he already knew.
She looked from me to her brothers like she didn’t know this was bound to happen at some point. “What are you doing here? I thought you wer?—”
“I’m here now,” I assured her, my attention falling on her just as I pulled her entire body into mine.
“I know this is a serious moment, but I can’t wait to tell Rem about this shit.” Then, without another word, he went through the house waving a device, searching to see if there were cameras inside.
I laughed but my attention stayed on her in my arms sniffling. “I told you to stay at my spot for a while.”
“I know but I missed my own place,” she mumbled into my chest. When she lifted her head, her eyes were red from the tears she'd shed into my shirt.
“Miss it all you want. You can’t stay here until this shit is sorted out. ’Cause how the fuck them people don’t know who got access to their systems? Nah, that makes no sense to me.” G shook his head with his phone still against the side of his face. “Yeah, Beyah. I know. No, I’m not going to let her stay here. Call her yourself. You know she’s stubborn as fuck. You know your girl.”
“Go get a bag. You’re going back to the condo with me,” I said, not giving a fuck what her rebuttal was about to be.
She sighed. “Fine. But I have to take Chauncy. I can’t keep leaving him on Ava.”
I was shocked that she didn’t fight me. “Aight, then pack his shit up too while I talk to your brothers.”
She finished her glass of wine before retreating to her bedroom.
“You found cameras here?” I asked, looking around her living room.
Rennix looked from G toward the back. “Yeah, even though whoever is fucking with her only sent her footage from outside the door. Has to be a motherfucker with access to her crib. Don’t tell her though.” Rennix shook his head.
“She doesn't need to be obsessing over this. I told her not to come back here yet.”
Dimitri laughed. “I’on know how long y'all have been together but she has been bullheaded since we were kids.”
Rennix spoke. “I’ma get to the bottom of this though. I got somebody who can run these cameras and trace them all the way back to who bought them. Credit card number and billing address.”
I had someone as well, but I’d wait until I spoke with her before speaking on it.
“Bet.”
I nodded, then felt both of their eyes on me. “How long?” G finally asked.
