Page 52 of Cannon
“Thank you,” I said, meaning it for once.
Javi stood up, but instead of heading for the door, he lingered near the couch, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. I recognized that look. It was the same one he’d worn when he was trying to convince me to give him a second chance after I caught him cheating.
“You know,” he said, voice dropping into that soft tone he used when he wanted something, “I’ve been looking at some three-bedroom apartments in Riverdale. Nice neighborhood, good schools nearby.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“And maybe… once I’m settled in, ZaZa could stay with me sometimes. Split her time between us.” His eyes lit up with something that looked like genuine hope. “It might be good for her to have both parents actively involved. A change of scenery when things get tense here.”
I let out a short laugh. “It’s always been best for her to have both parents actively involved, but you let me carry the weight all those years. Then when you couldn’t take the pressure, you cheated on me.”
His face fell. “This time is different. I’m serious about stepping up.”
“Right. Just like you were serious about coming to her high school graduation? Or visiting her at college more than once a semester?” I shook my head. “I’ll believe it when I see the lease with your signature on it.”
“I’ve changed, Queen. These past few years without you both… they’ve been hard.”
“I’ve missed you,” he said quietly. “Not just ZaZa. You. Us.”
My body tensed. This nigga really thought he could waltz back into my life after all this time? After everything?
“I’ve got things to handle,” I said, standing up abruptly and moving toward the door. My voice was ice cold, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
He didn’t move immediately, just stood there staring at me like he was trying to find the woman who’d once loved him. Good luck with that. My love for him ended when he dismissed our daughter’s diagnosis. And the nail in the coffin was him cheating.
“Right,” he finally said, following me to the door. “I’ll call tomorrow to check on ZaZa.”
I opened the door wide, making it clear our time was up. “Text only.”
Javi nodded, stepped into the hallway, but then turned back one last time. “We made a beautiful daughter together, Queen. That has to count for something.”
I closed the door in his face.
Leaning against the cool wood, I shook my head. The audacity of that man never ceased to amaze me. Several years divorced and he still thought he had a claim on me.
I would never give my all or trust another man again. Especially not the one who betrayed me. Hell, I was just starting to feel sexual desire for someone after five years. But my focuscouldn’t be on men, not with ZaZa sleeping just down the hall. Trouble had a way of finding her, and I had the sinking feeling it was about to find me too.
Chapter 20
Cannon
I’d die or kill for my family. That wasn’t even up for debate. As soon as the boys told me that they heard their parents fighting, I had my guard up and was ready to go to war. Seeing that bruise on Reese’s face sealed the deal. Why would that nigga even try it, knowing my reputation. Did he think I wouldn’t find out?
I’m sure Reese has told him about the times I’ve put niggas in their place for her. I’m sure she’s shared about the nigga who thought he could get away with trying to steal her innocence. So why would he bother? Why would he jeopardize his life? It was crazy to me but maybe he didn’t believe the rumors. Well, they were true. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I let something happen to the women I loved without retaliation.
I tracked Gage down to his fancy downtown office. The club was closed for the night since it was a Wednesday, and I wasn’t about to waste it.
The parking garage was almost empty, just a few cars scattered across the concrete wasteland. I sported a black hoodie pulled over my head so that no cameras could catch my face. I positioned myself between two concrete pillars, the shadows swallowing me whole despite my size. And I waited.
My mind kept replaying the image of Reese’s face, that purple bruise she tried to hide with makeup, the way her eyes darted away when I asked about it. It was irritating that she even tried to hide it from me. I get it, she wanted to protect the father of her children but with me around they would never want for anything.
The elevator dinged across the garage, drawing me out of my thoughts. I felt the fiery rage rush through my body as I sensed him coming. There he was, in his expensive suit, briefcase in one hand, scrolling through his phone with the other. Looking so fucking normal. So clean. Like he didn’t go home and put his hands on my sister.
He had no idea I was there. No idea death was watching him from twenty feet away.
I let him get almost to his car, a black Benz that cost more than most people make in a year. Just as he reached for his keys, I stepped out, my footsteps echoing in the concrete chamber.
“Cannon?” His startled voice bounced off the walls. Then he forced a laugh, like we were old friends meeting for drinks. “What the hell are you doing here?”
