Page 24 of Love & Vendettas

“Where’s Riley?”

“In the Atlanta suite,” she answers softly.

When she designed each of the guest suites in our home, she used major cities in Georgia as the theme: Atlanta, Savannah, Helen, and Tybee Island.

The Savannah suite has a mural of the majestic Spanish moss trees famous in the area, along with a large fountain carved in the rear wall to emulate the Forsyth Fountain found in the park of the same name.

The Helen suite has a German theme, the Tybee suite has a beach theme with a lighthouse mural, and the Atlanta suite has a garden theme representative of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, with peach being its primary color.

“What did Madison say?”

“She tried to convince her to go to the hospital, but you know Riley,” Bayleigh explains with a resigned sigh. “However, she had a major point in that avoiding the hospital allows her to avoid having the police called since she knows that you were probably handling the situation.”

I nod, but there were ways around that too. I’m too tired to argue the point now, and I doubt it would do any good.

“So, Dr. Madison gave her a prescription. From her preliminary checkup, she couldn’t see any long-term injuries, any internal bleeding, or anything like that. But she is worried about Riley’s vision.”

“How is she mentally?”

“A wreck, as you can imagine. She keeps breaking down crying at the most unexpected times. She fell asleep whiletalking to me. Did she tell you what happened when you were talking with her in the car?”

I nod and drag my hand down my face. “She did, but that shit’s still not okay. I don’t care what she did to his car. I can’t say I blame her. I think I’d be vengeful as hell if I found another nigga driving the car that I was paying for.”

Bayleigh loops her arms around my neck. “Well, that’s something you’ll never have to worry about, my love.”

I place my hands on her waist and stop her from drawing closer.

“You’re not off the hook that easily.”

She leans in and licks my lips. I groan as my dick instantly reacts to her attention.

“No, Bayleigh. We have to talk.”

She sighs, drops her hands, and drops down on the settee. My eyes go heavy looking at the way her silk robe parts to give me a glimpse of those beautiful, luscious thighs.

“I know that I was wrong.”

“You were. Bayleigh, you can’t go off half-cocked around the city with a gun like you’re about to do something to somebody.”

“That is my sister, Zaire.”

“I don’t care if it was your mother. That’s what you got me for?” I thunder, slapping my hand against my chest. “You put everyone at risk with a move like that. If something happened to you, what are the boys and I going to do? What will happen to your sister then? Or how about your parents and brothers? How are they supposed to feel? Did you even consider where that might leave your staff if they lost you and their jobs?”

Bayleigh drops her face in her hands and groans. “I know. You’re right.”

I sit down beside her and lift her thighs onto my lap. Gripping one tightly, I massage it. “Listen, that could have goneall kinds of wrong. You kill Kenny or vice versa. You’re risking drawing unnecessary attention my way, which you know is some shit that I don’t need. If things had gotten out of control, you know the forces of hell would be waiting to rain terror down on my ass. Everyone knows you’re my woman, and they know how I feel about you. You left us in a vulnerable position, baby, and I can’t have that.”

“You’re right. I didn’t think about that.”

“Right, and that’s not you. You’re a smart, beautiful woman with class and strength. I know we come from that, but we’ve worked our asses off too hard to get away from that. What I do in the streets is one thing, but I do what I do so that you and the boys don’t have to. I do what I do so that a certain lifestyle is no longer yours. Coming out of the hood was hard, but it’s easy as hell to fall back there. Don’t let that be us, Bay.”

“You’re right,” she replies softly, resting her hand on mine.

I turn our fingers over and intertwine them briefly before unlinking them and tracing the diamond that she wears on her left ring finger.

We’re not married by law, but we are by heart and soul.

“Come here,” I demand, reaching for her.

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