Page 124 of Tainted

I nodded, absorbing his words and feeling them resonate within me.

“Maliah was special,” I agreed because he was the happiest when he was with her. Now that she was gone, so was the hope in his eyes. “Too special. Shit, I still don’t know why she settled for you.”

“Me either,” Kross smirked, likely recalling the wedding ring he never got to give her.

“Have you checked on Mila lately?” I asked, referring to Maliah’s daughter.

“Outside of Ms. Brooklene thanking me for the monthly deposits, no.”

“You might want to go see her. She’s already lost her mom. She shouldn’t lose you too.”

“Does she know?” Kross asked, changing the subject.

“Nah,” I dragged, scratching my head, “That’s what the argument was about. A bunch of shit I can’t tell her. I don’t know how to fix it, but I want to. Even when she makes me so fuckin’ mad, and I tell myself she has to eat that consequence, I save her anyway because I can’t take the thought of her suffering. Maybe I shouldn’t have her, but I can’t stop dreaming of all the ways I could.”

“Damn. That was sweet. I’m a ‘lil shocked, but you have always been a trick,” Kross shrugged to complete his statement.

“This is why I don’t tell you anything. Your black ass hasn’t helped yet.”

“What about her job?”

“What about it?”

“Don’t make me say it unless you can handle hearing it,” Kross warned.

“Speak your peace,” I groaned, knowing I wouldn’t like it.

“She’s a stripper, and we both know what comes with that. Can you handle it?”

“I doubt it,” the corner of my mouth lifted, half-smiling at how Zara made me so jealous by just existing. “But I can’t judge her for doing what she gotta do. How can I when I’ve done worse?”

Plus, Zara loved to dance, and I loved her enough not to stand in the way of that. At least for now.

“We all do what we have to do,” Kross reasoned, trying to ease my guilt.

“True, but what makes my shit any different from hers?”

Kross's expression softened slightly, but the protective edge never left his eyes. “Javier hit me yesterday asking if we considered his proposition.”

“I don’t know yet,” I replied before he could even ask.

“You need to sooner than later.”

Rajah stormed in like a hurricane, her face twisted with that all-too-familiar scowl.

“You better get your girl! She’s got one more smart comment before I hurt her damn feelings,” she spat, glaring at me.

“I’m going to hurt your feelings if you keep walking around here like you’re running shit,” Kross scolded.

“If you want this place shut down with a murder investigation, that’s on you.”

“You heard what I said,” Kross replied, causing her to suck her teeth.

“Surprised you even gave her that,” I chimed in.

“Me too,” Rajah complained, sinking into the empty chair beside me, “But she’s kinda like that annoying little sister. You wanna whoop her ass and remind her who’s boss, but you love her, so you don’t.”

“Iono, why you’re making yourself comfortable,” Kross fussed, pointing at the door.

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