Page 143 of Rather: The Therapist

“There’s an appointment for Valentine at twelve thirty this afternoon.”

There was a brief pause.

“Ah. Yes. In about thirty minutes.”

“That appointment needs to be pushed back slightly.”

“Oh no. I have a one thi–”

“Cancel it.”

“I’m sorry, who is this I’m speaking with?”

“The man that is on his way down to your place of business to make a hefty contribution to your operations. Will five figures get that appointment canceled and this one pushed back?”

“Most certainly.”

The response was almost instant. There was nothing else to talk about. I ended the call and handed the phone back to Rather.

“You have an hour to get dressed and to your fitting. Your life is too precious. Don’t risk it for the sake of tardiness. Whatever is waiting… whoever is waiting can keep waiting.”

Kofi had almost lost his life speeding that night. I couldn’t fathom visiting a hospital room and finding Rather patched up with machines keeping her amongst the living. The lesson I’d just given was one I needed myself, but I was always careful. Always.

I doubted Rather could be under the circumstances and with the guilt of our night at the forefront of her mind. She was bound to make a mistake or become a casualty to someone else’s.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Would you like me to take you? I’m headed that way anyway, I guess.”

“No. Kleigh is meeting me there. I have to text her and tell her it’s been pushed back.”

I made a mental note to warn the person I’d spoken with to keep our arrangement underwraps. I didn’t need Kleigh hearing about what had transpired during their appointment.

“Alright. Come on. We have to get going.”

I pulled her into my arms and carried her into the bathroom where I started the shower. We’d both bathed, but after I finished with her this morning, we’d need a good scrubbing. Because we were crunched for time, sliding into her as we showered was my only option.

THIRTEEN

It had been seventy-nine days since Rather appeared again.

For sixty days, I’d been deep inside her, in every position and every chance I got.

In eleven days, she’d be walking down the aisle and I wasn’t the man she was marrying.

Considering the code of the Triad and Kofi’s pending marriage is written in stone, there’s absolutely nothing left for me to do but accept my permanent position in hell. The life of leisure and liberation I once lived would be no more.

Images of her in the white dress brought a smile to my face. Kleigh had snapped the photos the day she met her at the fitting and sent them to the family’s group she created without Kofi. Rather was stunning.

Her hair was swept out of her face and her smile was beaming. She looked happy. That’s exactly what I wanted for her, happiness so grand she couldn’t contain it. Seeing her walk down the aisle would crush my spirit but it would feed my soul.

There was someone I loved dearly benefiting from the nuptials that were sure to knot my stomach a hundred times over. But, if I had to choose between love and my brother’s life, I’d choose him a hundred times over. It was easy math.

Maybe one day I’d find someone as magical as Rather. Maybe I wouldn’t. What I did know was I’d only get one Kofi and it was time that nigga sat his ass down. A kid and a wife was exactly what The Triad of Ara prescribed. He was a liability to us all.

The Chemist had managed to shake himself loose of the unwanted attention, but Kofi was barking up an entirely new case with the government. Unlike Chem, he wasn’t fucking a Fed. He was fucking basic, busted women who had nothing to lose but sleep at night with his dick all up their back.

His honeymoon was set to last six months. They wouldn’t return to Clarke until he was tanned the color of tar. That would give us time to clean up the messes he was leaving all over the city and set him on the straight and narrow. Hopefully by then, Rather’s womb would be expanding and preparing to bless the family with a child.

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