Page 2 of To Love and Protect
“I’m good. I was wonderin’ if I could take you out to eat and give you a break from cookin’ for everyone else?”
Remedie shifted her weight to one side as she thought of what to say. She decided to be direct and get him out of her driveway so she could finally rest. “I got a man, Rich. Here’s your food though.”
Rich grabbed at the back of his neck and smiled down at her. She noticed he had freckles scattered across his nose, and she quickly decided she also didn’t like them. She didn’t know why . . . She normally loved freckles. But there was something about them on him that looked . . . dirty. “If you ever change ya mind, you got my number. I’ll be back for your next sale.”
Remedie simply smiled and nodded her head. She brushed past him and went to the black car. She quickly handed the foodto the lady who had three kids in her car before she thanked her and walked back toward the front door of her townhome.
She exhaled a long breath as soon as she was back inside, immediately thankful that she had already cleaned the kitchen.
Zayden now stood by the window, and when she realized he was glaring at her, she rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed was for Zayden to be on his bullshit, but she knew him well enough to know that was exactly what was coming her way.
“What, Zay?” she asked as she pushed away from the front door and walked toward her bedroom. All she wanted to do was shower and get in bed so she could calculate how much she made for the day. She needed to pay the rent, which was now late by two days.
Zayden followed behind her. “Who was that nigga?”
“A customer,” she replied as she entered her room and sat on the queen-sized bed to pull her socks off.
“A customer, huh? Looked like he was more than that. Why he get out of his car for?”
“Zayden . . .” Remedie drawled his name out, completely exhausted from the day, “Rich is just a customer. He got some food and that’s it.”
Zayden cocked his head to the side. “So the nigga’s name is Rich? What, he got money or somethin’? That’s why you like him? You think he gon’ pay yo’ bills now that you can’t?”
Remedie’s left eye twitched. That right there was her final straw. She shot up from the bed and pointed a finger in his face. “Are you fuckin’ stupid? Since you seemed to forget, I can’t pay our bills anymore because you decided to come up to my very good job, at the best upscale soul food restaurant in town, and act a complete ass.”
She poked him in the chest with fire in her eyes as he frowned down at her. He sucked his teeth. “Man, fuck all that. You know what you did.”
Her eyes widened. “I wouldn’t buy you a car? You did the shit because I told you I wouldn’t buy your bum ass a fuckin’ car. So, you brought your grown ass to my job, caused a scene, and threatened my boss. And then what happened? I got fired.” She screeched the last word as her body shook with rage. “And let’s not forget thatyouare supposed to be the man in this relationship.Youshould be paying the mothafuckin’ bills, you fuckin’ bum. I do everything for you, and you know what? I’m done with that. You need to get the fuck out.”
Zayden stared at her. She could tell she bruised his ego.Good. Finally, he took a step back from her and shook his head. “Nah, I ain’t gettin’ out. By law, this my house too. I get mail here and been here for a year. This my shit.”
Tears of frustration gathered in Remedie’s eyes. All she wanted was to be rid of this leech. “Fine. I’ll leave then.”
She turned to go to her walk-in closet, but Zayden snatched her back by her arm. A searing pain zipped up her shoulder blade, and she cringed. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere either. You mine.”
Zayden wrenched her arm behind her back, and she cried out. He’d shown signs of anger in the past, but he never put his hands on her. Fear touched her icy veins as her heart beat wildly in her chest.
“Zayden—”
“Nah, you need to listen.” His voice dropped, and his breath was hot against her neck. “You been walkin’ around here like you’re better than me for a long time now, and I don’t appreciate that shit at all. You ain’t better than nobody. I’m the one that helped you through that expensive ass culinary school. You owe me, so act like it.”
He let her go and shoved her to the ground. Angry tears fell down her face as she quickly stood and rubbed her arm. They eyed each other for several seconds before Remedie broke thesilence. “Here’s what’s about to happen. I’m leaving, and you’re going to let me. If you don’t, then I’ll call the police. I’ll tell them about everything you been up to in the last year, and if I have to lie and make some shit up to get you the fuck up out of my face for good, I will. You got that?”
His eyes widened in disbelief. “You snitchin’ now?”
“I don’t have to if you let me leave.”
Zayden clenched his jaw before he scoffed and turned to walk out of the room without saying another word.
Remedie slowly sat down on the bed again as she processed what had just happened. If things between her and Zayden weren’t over before, they sure as hell were now. She never had a mama, but she was sure if she did, the woman would have raised her to never allow a man to put his hands on her in any form. Unfortunately for Zayden, he had officially crossed the line of no return.
CHAPTER TWO
The punch Nico just threw landed on his opponent’s jaw like it owed him money. In a way, every punch he threw owed him money because this was exactly how he paid his bills.
A cocky grin spread across Nico’s face as the crowd cheered for his alter ego.
“Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare!”
