Page 58 of Falling Into Gravity

Malik ran his hand down his face, agitated with her. His long legs had him at her car in no time. He went to the passenger side, moving so fast, he didn’t notice her right behind him when she should’ve been in the driver seat ready to pull off.

Aku yanked on one of his braids, tipping up to smash her lips into his. Malik stumbled, caught off guard. It didn’t take long for her tongue to find his, tangling like long lost lovers.

“Aku,” he mumbled, willing himself to pull back and get her outta there in case shit popped off.

She shook her head, her hand groping his dick that seemed to come alive at her touch. “Come home with me,” she suggested, her lips still on his.

Malik shook his head. Wasn’t no reason for him to leave the devil he knew, to walk into the den of a lion he had no knowledge of. He’d asked around ’bout Bu with not much coming back since he wasn’t a west coast nigga. He heard he was close with those Mexicans, but that wasn’t telling him much either—besides they banged red.

“My real house, Malik,” Aku added, feeling his apprehension about going back to the beach house. “Madison Heights.”

“Why you just can’t leave, cuh?”

The block was quiet now. Only a few shooters ducked off in the shadows.

“Just come home with me.” Her gut had her begging him when that wasn’t her. “One night, Malik.”

His jaw tightened. “Just get in the car,” he fussed, seeing the car doing a U-turn.

She crossed her arms. “Not without y— The fuck!” Aku swallowed her words when she was shoved into the car.

Malik pushed her stubborn ass in the passenger seat, running fast to get to the driver’s side. He jabbed the start button and burned rubber out of there.

“What the fuck, Malik!?” Aku yelled, looking back at her rearview mirror.

Malik didn’t say anything, just drove like he was in a NASCAR race.

“Now you can’t hear?” Her next words were caught in her throat when a string of gunshots rang out in the distance. Aku’s eyes bucked, neck twisted to look out the back window. No one was behind them, but the sound felt so close.

She could feel her heart thudding against her chest. “Malik,” she called his name, unable to fully process what could’ve happened.

Still he said nothing. He checked the mirrors every few seconds, until they were completely out of Crescent Park and on the main road. “Tell me where I’m going.”

“What the fuck was that, Malik?”

“Just tell me where the fuck I’m taking your stubborn ass!” he yelled, finally allowing his brewing anger to bubble over. “If I tell you to do something, that’s what the fuck you do.”

“Nigga, you ain’t my daddy!” Aku yelled back. “Watch how you talk to me.”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you, Malik!”

He gripped the steering wheel so tight, his fingers started to ache. “Just tell me where I’m taking you so I can get the fuck from ‘round you.”

Instead of saying anything, she put the address to her condo in the GPS, and it connected automatically to the CarPlay.

Malik let out a slick chuckle, already tired of playing games with Aku. His life wasn’t set up for bullshit like that. This was a good enough reason why he needed to put some distance between them. It didn’t matter how much she ran through his mind. Being with him was a matter of life or death—and everyone close to him paid the price for his reckless behavior.

They rode the late night streets in silence, neither of them said a word. Aku had been texting on her phone a mile a minute and Malik knew it was about him. Too bad he didn’t give a fuck.

Malik pulled the jeep up to the curb where there was one space left to park. Her building was grand like he knew it would be. Aku was the type of girl that breathed luxury air—gentle, soft, glamourous, and perfect.

As he pushed the door open to get out, Aku’s tiny hand gripped his arm. Her soft eyes, blinked slowly. “Come in for a little.”

He could see the desperation on her face. She was trying to save him from something. “Doro

thy, the story ain’t really about Oz. She’s the main character… this your world…go in the house.” He got out, rounding the corner to make sure she walked her ass into the building.

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