Page 47 of Judgments of Fire and Desire

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too, sis. Never forget that.”

He ended the call, leaving me questioning his last line. I couldn’t help but worry about him now. It was like he knew something was about to happen or that he was about to be exposed. I wondered if Detective Johnson had questioned him about something. Taking a deep breath, I gathered my things to call it a day and head to Kyrie’s house.

I needed to talk to him about how all of this was affecting me. I could barely focus on anything else. He had a lot he was dealing with already, but I could tell that it was slightly bothering him that I hadn’t been able to totally express myself to him. I had a bad habit of bottling things in at times, because, in my mind, Ifelt like people didn’t want to hear it. They didn’t truly care about your struggles, even if they were mental.

As I grabbed my purse, I decided that I would go see my friend first. Micah had been off work due to being on bed rest. She was threatening to go into labor way too early to say she was only twenty-two weeks along, so the doctor took her off her feet. She was nearly in her second trimester when she found out she was pregnant. I missed her already, and it had only been a couple of weeks since she’d been home. Just as I was getting to the door to leave, I heard someone say, “Chief.”

I turned to see Bransford. While I wanted to roll my eyes, I gave him a concerned look. I knew he was only being this way because my brother had threatened him. I didn’t know what was said, but it had to be pretty bad if it caused him to change his attitude.

When he approached me, he said, “I forgot to ask if I could be relieved of duty Monday. My wife is scheduled for a colonoscopy, and she’ll need someone to drive her home.”

“That’s fine. Email me so there will be record of your request.”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

I did the same then left. My gut was telling me to be cautious about everything, and I didn’t like how that felt. Any and everyone could be involved in what was going on with Kyrie, and until Johnson pieced things together, I needed to watch my back, front, and sides, because a hit could come from any direction. That fact had me slightly jumpy, and all I could do was pray that it wouldn’t show tomorrow at my mama’s house for Sunday dinner.

When I got to Kyrie’s house, my nerves heightened. Talking about my issues with him shouldn’t have been affecting me this way. He was the man I loved. Micah could tell something was bothering me as well, and I didn’t know how to express it without giving too much away. She seemed to be doing fine, so I chose to focus on her and her health and delivering a healthy baby.

I got out of the car and felt the tremble that coursed through my body. Taking a deep breath, I headed to his back door just as the bottom fell out. It started pouring. Cats and dogs had nothing on what was coming from the sky. I quickly ran to the back, ducking under the covered patio. I huffed and wiped my eyes with my hands.

When I could focus, I saw Kyrie standing there with his walker, staring at me through the glass door. He was progressing quickly. Before long, he would only need the assistance of a cane. I smiled softly at him and made my way to the door. Once I was inside, I went to him and kissed his cheek. “Hey, baby. You look to be feeling good today.”

“Hey. I’m feeling okay. I just need to move around. I gotta get back to work in the thick of things. The justice system needs me, girl.”

I chuckled as I playfully rolled my eyes. He continued. “Plus, I could have taken full advantage of you in this state. We gotta get these wet clothes off of you. You know that would have led to other things. Two weeks isn’t nearly long enough for me to be able to handle you like I want to.”

“Right. I miss making love to you, Kyrie.”

He moved closer to me and reached out to place his hand at my hip. Pulling me to him, he brought his other hand to the back of my neck. My breath seemed to get caught in my throat and refused to come out.

“You are so beautiful, Genesis. I really wish I could show you just how much I love you by making this body feel the excitement it excretes whenever I’m inside of it. However, I did the next best thing.”

I frowned slightly as he released me and turned to walk toward his dining room. That was when I smelled food. This man had to be the one if I missed the smell of food because I was distracted by his presence. After entering the room, I sucked in air. There were flowers everywhere with flickering candlelight. It was so beautiful. He smiled at me as I admired the room. The wooden dining table was set with covered plates sitting on their designated chargers.

I turned to him. “How did you do all this? It’s beautiful.”

“I got my mama to do it before she left. You deserve all this and more. I figured the least I could do is ease your soul by being the man you needed in this moment.”

“What man do I need in this moment?” I asked.

“A romantic, sensitive one. We both know I can be hard. I’m that way more than I’m soft. You need the man I was in New York, minus the alcohol.”

I smiled slightly as I went to the table and lifted the lid on the plate. When I saw the blackened fish, rice pilaf, broccoli, and baked potato, my mouth watered. “Kyrie, this looks delicious.”

His walker pressed into my rear end as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I closed my eyes as he softly kissed my neck. His lips went to my ear, and he asked, “Do you want to eat first? I know that stomach growling.”

I chuckled softly and turned to him. After kissing his lips, I said, “Yes, I want to eat first. Do you know me?” My sarcasm made him smile. “I’m ready to talk, but I know I won’t feel like eating once I’m done. We surely can’t let this food go to waste. I would never forgive myself.”

He playfully shook his head with a small smile on his lips. Still trying to be the gentleman, he made me step aside so he could pull out my chair. Resting my hand on his cheek, I stroked his beard and said, “Thank you.”

He nodded then walked around the table and sat in his seat. He scooted a bit, and I watched him wince as he tried to get comfortable. I admired his strength and tenacity. He refused to let his circumstances keep him from doing what he wanted to do. That was why it was killing him to stay home as the doctor ordered. I would have to draw from his strength after dinner.

He reached across the table, so I placed my hand in his. I knew even that gesture was somewhat painful for him, but he did it anyway to bless our food. He bowed his head, and I followed suit, realizing he was being a very effective leader at this moment. He was teaching me how to triumph over adversity. I knew how to do that in my career, but with my family, it was a totally different story.

Once he was done blessing our food, he released my hand and stared into my eyes. He smiled, then asked, “What?”

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