Page 51 of Heightened Assurance
“That motherfucker is still stalking her?” G asked out of nowhere.
I shook my head, because apparently, she hadn’t told them about the break in.
“Yeah, but I got an idea who it is. I hate it took for him to break in and vandalize her shit for it to be figured out.” I shook my head.
“Vandalize her shit? When did that happen?” Rennix looked confused and so did Dimitri. She damn sure hadn’t told them about that.
“Last week he broke into her place and trashed her car. I was there yesterday with a friend of mine. You remember something about her internet being down so often?” I asked both of them before my eyes went to the doorway. I was determined not to bother her with shit. I didn’t want her worrying about it anymore than she already did.
“Nah, but I remember Rem saying the lil creepy motherfucker was always at her spot,” G responded.
“Yeah, well from how it was explained to me, he has her spot set up for his viewing pleasure. I found it strange that he was only stalking her from there but besides the two flower arrangements to her shop he only had access to her place. Since she's been staying with me, there hasn’t been anything but that and a video sent to her by Ava.”
“She didn't tell me about that. She’s always on that independent shit.” Dimitri shook his head.
“So, it’s the IT nigga?” Rennix asked.
“Yeah, I’ll have all his information real soon. I'm going to talk to him.”
Laughter broke my thoughts of exactly what talk meant in my mind. “I thought you were the calm one between you and your brother.” Rennix had a grin on his face that had me shaking my head.
“Yeah, right. Just hit me up if you need something because I was damn sure going out of my mind trying to figure out where those cameras came from. When I had that trace run, they were purchased through a company, one with a private employee base.”
I nodded.
We talked about it for a while longer before Jade and Aja entered the living room letting me know they were ready to go. It baffled me how easily my life had become theirs. This wasn’t a forced change, but instead a gradual necessity I clung to because somehow it was the way I breathed easier with less darkness surrounding me. My daughter and Jade were what kept me grounded when I felt the darkness surrounding me. I had yet to feel even the slightest desire to use the code word Jade and I had established. I didn’t feel like I needed it because I had her and a burning desire to stop living in a past that didn’t suit me. Iwas now building a future that suited me in ways I found myself attempting to get used to.
“Why are you so quiet?” Jade’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Just thinking baby, you good?” I squeezed her hand.
“Yes, but you’re quiet. Do you want to talk about it?” I felt her eyes as I kept mine on the road.
“Somebody came by the restaurant this afternoon and told me he’s my father. Well, me and my brother’s father.”
“And how do you feel about that?” Jade was forever asking me how I felt about something. At first I didn’t understand, not until I realized it was how she deemed a subject or situation approachable or not.
“Like I’m too damn old to be looking for a father.” I found myself reiterating Kinga’s words. “But part of me wants to know.”
“Then find out. You are entitled to the truth regardless of how old you are when you get it. Ross didn’t tell Reminisce and Rennix about me and Dimitri until years ago. So don’t cheat yourself out of knowing who your father is, even if you don’t need anything from him.”
I squeezed her hand again, grateful for her words and her ability to ease my mind when I was clearly overthinking.
When we made it back to the house, I couldn’t get Aja to her room in bed fast enough before I had Jade pinned against the wall in my bedroom. My craving for this woman was abnormal; shit set my whole fucking soul on fire with the way I needed to be inside of her.
Chapter 13
Jade
My phone was ringing yet again, from the same private number. This time I couldn’t block it because my stalker had gotten smart. It was no longer an unknown number I could block. Instead, they called me private over and over again for an hour, stopped, then started back again. I had yet to tell Oden because he not only had to get Aja to school, but he also had to get to the restaurant and get ready for his night to cook. I didn’t want to be a distraction even though he assured me daily I could never be one.
“So, you love that big nigga, huh?” I looked up from my laptop and my eyes landed on my brother. Reminisce was forever pulling up on somebody.
I laughed. “Very much, why?”
“No reason. I just had to ask. I saw it in your eyes last night.”
I nodded, smiling hard as fuck. “Why do you seem like you’re here to deliver bad news?”
