Page 93 of His to Have
No answer.
Then I tried Arlo... then Sham. All with the same outcome.
Abruptly, I stood, knocking my seat over in the process. The pacing was almost manic as I tried to make sense of the situation. I hadn’t even wanted her going out this morning, not without me and definitely not by herself. But I settled for my top security accompanying her. And this is what compromising gets me.
My mouth opened to explode but no sound came out; only a silent breath of frustration and the overwhelming urge to burn the city down. Keem and Bash’s discussion about Isabella’s possible whereabouts came to a screeching halt. Their eyes were on me, but I was somewhere else entirely.
With my eyes locked on the screen, I quickly responded to the text.
Me: Who the fuck is this?
Keem and Bash were speaking, but I hadn’t registered one word. Yanna was my only priority at the moment. I stared at the phone knowing whoever it was, was too pussy to respond immediately.
“Aye, yo.”
“You good?”
Keem and Bash both spoke simultaneously, their eyes watching me as I walked the length of the room... back and forth.
Keem nodded down at the phone clutched in my hand. “Who is that?”
I couldn’t answer. Didn’t have time to answer.
Leaning forward slightly, the palms of my hands rested on my knees. I had to gather myself. I was spiraling, I could feel it. The blood rushing through my veins felt like molten lava. The rapid breaths... shallow. And the spinning room...
Amore mio
“We gotta move.” I barked, this time storming toward a hidden compartment in the moderate-sized stash house. It’s where I keep extra weapons for moments like this.
Punching in my code, I pulled open thelargedouble doors revealing a plethora of firearms and small weapons. Small pistols, large automatic firearms,and plentyof blades lined the walls. I snatched the large machete hangingfromthe side rack along with a small hunting knife.
My heart slowed as I grabbed a double holster with two Glocks, a full pack of bullets, and an extended clip. After strapping the holster around my shoulders, I grabbed the Smith and Wesson semi-auto rifle hooked against the wall, before sliding the strap over my shoulder.
I couldn’t promise I would make it out of this day alive, but I could promise one thing... there would be destruction in my path. People were about to die, and not in a pleasant way.
“Teo,” Bash called again, stepping toward me. This time with a little more bass in his voice.
My eyes snapped to him with what I can only describe as a volatile mix of rage and a bit of madness. I knew when I looked at him... when he took one look at me... that there wouldn’t be any need to exchange words. Not when it came to his sister, at least
He always knew.
Bash spent most of our youth and a good portion of our adulthood watching me love his sister from afar. He knew the lengths I would go to see her happy. To protect her. He watched me defend that woman for much lesser offenses, and this one was the most egregious.
“Ayanna?” His whole demeanor shifted as realization washed over him. “Nah, see I just talked to her.” His head shook like he was trying to dispel something we both already knew.
Something had happened. And it wasn’t good.
He pulled out his phone and went to call his sister like that wasn’t the first fucking thing I’d done. Of course, he received the same result as I did. No answer.
“When she called, she said she was going to see some bitch named Karley. And was asking about this bird I fuck with from time to time.”
His focus immediately shifted from me and their last conversation to making another call. A few minutes later his voice boomed into his receiver interrogating the person on the other end.
Meanwhile, my phone buzzed again, snapping my attention back to the screen.
404-555-2001: Don’t be dense. I heard you were looking for me.
Isabella
