When I opened the door, Lockhart Mills, Brad’s brother, was standing in the doorway. I jumped at the sight of him, then backed slowly away. This son of a bitch scares the shit out of me. He always had. He also hated me back in the day, for putting his brother through some shit, and I really didn’t blame him. But as it seemed throughout the years, he hadn’t lost that hatred. I could see it in his eyes, as he looked me up and down, disdain evident on his face.
“Stay away from my brother, Peters.”
I leaned on the door to keep from passing out. He made me nervous in general, but now my nerves have escalated to extreme levels. “Why do you hate me so much, Detective?”
“You’re not to be trusted, and I know for a fact you’re into some shit.”
My brows furrowed, and I looked frantically behind him, hoping no one else was around. How could he know?
He nodded his head. “Yeah, trying to figure out how I know, aren’t you? Understand I will be watching you like a fucking hawk; you and that shit low life brother of yours. It always comes down to that and him. No matter what he’s into, he drags you down with him. But I refuse to let you drag my brother down with you again.”
Lock pointed his finger down into my face. “If you get my brother wrapped up into your shit, I swear to God, I’ll figure out a way to bring you and your brother down. Do you understand me? Just like you, I’ll protect my family at any costs.” With his threat sowed, he left me standing there.
I forgot all about the offensive cologne smell as I closed the office door. I did not intend to see Brad after tonight, and even though the temptation was strong, I knew it was too dangerous. Lock was right; what I was into was very dangerous, and I would never get Brad mixed up in it.
My situation wasn’t just messed up; it was pretty much fucked up, excuse the French.
The rest of the night, I stayed my butt in the office. I was afraid to run into Lock, Ramone or Brad. Once I was done with my paperwork, I climbed into my Ford Focus and made my way home. I lived in Carrollton, the northern part of Dallas, in a questionable apartment complex. The actual apartment building that I lived in was close to the entrance of the complex, which was great. I didn’t run into people I had no business being around, and I was able to escape very quickly if I needed to as well. I lived on the second floor of my building, so I also didn’t have to worry about anyone breaking into my place either, not that I had much for anyone to steal.
As I walked inside, I started peeling out of my clothes. I ran a bath and poured some lavender soap to help soothe my anxiety from earlier. I grabbed the wine from my fridge, uncorked it and took it to the head.
Today was stressful and tonight would be even worse. I needed to try to soak away the memories I had and prepare for the memories I would undoubtedly get tonight. I brought my IPOD docking station into the bathroom and played some Sade as I submerged my body into scorching hot water. As I got comfortable, my mind drifted back to my Bradley. He hated when anyone called him Bradley. He hated Braddock, which is his full name, even more. But he never complained when I did it. It was my name for him and in turn, he called me Ana, which hardly anyone else does.
Our friends and family never understood our relationship growing up. We hung out all the time when we were kids, told each other everything, but we never dated. We had gone to high school for two years together before his mom found another man to marry. Then they were off and lived in an area that screamed money. Bradley’s new step-dad used his money to win him over, and Bradley took it. When he turned sixteen, Bradley got a black Yukon truck with leather seats, fully loaded, with rims and a sound system that definitely let you know he was in the neighborhood.
Despite the move, he and I remained the best of friends, but way deep down, in the pits of my soul, I was in love with Braddock Mills.
Let me clarify here… Back then I was so head over heels in love with him that it was sickening. I would sometimes think about how it would feel to have his arm around me lovingly and not just as a friend. I wanted him to look at me the way he looked at his girlfriends. I wanted him to want me, but he never did. I think he only thought of me as just a home girl, that buddy that you could play basketball with, talk sports with and drink beer with.
I thought at one time if he saw there was more to me than that, maybe he would think of me differently. On my prom night, Brad said he wanted to see me before I left the house. I thought, finally, here was my chance to get him to see me as more than a gal pal. But when he laid his eyes on me, there was nothing in them. He took pictures with me for my mom, and when my date, my boyfriend, Donnell, came to the house, Bradley and Terrence became my big brothers. They threatened Donnell before we left, telling him to treat me with respect or they would “ice” him.