Page 91 of Tainted

This wasn’t the playful, flirtatious Kenyon I was used to. It was darker and more intense, and I didn’t know how to respond.

Grabbing the shot, I chugged it and backed away from him, trying to get the fuck out of the matrix.

Romello strolled back to our group, a cold drink in his hand and a grin plastered on his face.

“What did I miss?” he asked, glancing between me and Kenyon. My heart raced again, this time with a jolt of panic.

“Nothing,” I replied too quickly, forcing a smile that felt like a mask.

We clinked our glasses together, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more than a casual night out. Romello lined up for his turn, focusing on the lane ahead, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Kenyon.

Romello and Kenyon were deep in a battle of the lanes, going back and forth, while Sydney and I were dead last. Romello didn’t know it, but Kenyon’s competitiveness had nothing to do with the game. Romello had taken something that didn’t belong to him, and he had to pay for it.

“Is everything okay?” Sydney asked.

I lied, nodding yes.

“It doesn’t look like it. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always down to help a friend.” She smiled before jumping back up for her next turn.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen. It was a text from Kenyon. His message was short but carried an unmistakable weight.

Kenyon: He better not make it past your doorstep tonight.

16

Kenyon

Driving to the hotel, my mind drifted back to Zara and everything she said at the bowling alley. Every time I thought we were making progress, she’d move the damn goalpost. One minute, it felt like we were finally getting somewhere and having real conversations just for her to say it wasn’t enough.

My brain told me to stop chasing after something that wouldn’t happen. God knows, there were plenty of reasons to let it go.

But I couldn’t.

Every time I told myself to forget about her, that I was done with the back-and-forth, something pulled me back in. It didn’t matter how hard she pushed or how many times she threw up those barriers. There was something about her, something I couldn’t shake, even if I wanted to.

And, right now, I wanted to. Sydney’s so-called surprise tonight was another distraction, especially after discovering that John was behind Miyan’s traffic stop. His ambitions were becoming a pain, creating more problems I didn’t need.

I walked through the lobby, pushing Zara’s wishy-washy behind to the back of my mind.

“Wassup?” I laughed at the giddy ass smile on Sydney’s face as she opened the door.

She grabbed my wrist, pulling me inside. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Why are you so turnt right now?” I asked, turning the corner, and the sight that greeted me stopped me cold.

Zara sat on the sofa in a black lace outfit, leaving nothing to my imagination, or Sydney’s, for that matter. The woman I told myself I didn’t care about anymore was standing in front of me like some twisted joke. Like the universe was throwing her in my face, daring me to pretend I didn’t give a damn.

“Surprise!” Sydney stood beside her, eyes glinting with mischief, a smug smile like she’d pulled off the ultimate trick. I had dreamed of having Zara more times than I would admit, but not like this. She couldn’t even look me in the eyes because she knew she had no business here.

“Get up!” I barked, sucking all the positive energy out of the room.

“What’s wrong, Keyes?” Sydney asked, trying to piece together my anger.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed the distance between us, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her outside to the patio.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

She smacked her lips, staring over the balcony to avoid looking me in the eye.

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