He nods and walks out.
Remembering I took a recent picture of Alisha, I take my phone out of my pocket and go to the image. I hand her mom the phone, and she gasps, one hand going to her mouth.
As she studies the image, she says, “She’s so beautiful.”
“Yes, she is.” I flip to another image of me and Alisha. I’m kissing her forehead, her eyes are closed, and she has a content smile on her face.
“Thank you again,” she says. “I don’t know how I will ever repay you—”
“Thank me by getting healthy for her.”
She grins at me and nods excitedly. “I want my baby girl back.”
“Angel, behave tonight, okay? You will be assigned to a prospect who will make sure you are safe. If you want to leave at any time, call me and I will come get you.” Jordan is giving me a speech on safety, how I shouldn’t leave my drink lying anywhere where someone can put something in it, and all of this other stuff.
For his sanity and mine, I decided to just wear white, tight skinny jeans and a tight, black V-neck shirt that settles on my curves.
“I will be safe. I promise.” I rise up on my tiptoes and kiss him fully on the mouth.
“Come on!”
The front door slams open. I turn around and see Kayla, Jean, Chrystal, Myra, and the woman Butch followed out of the restaurant. I walk away from Jordan and over to the girls.
Chrystal grabs my hand and looks over at the girl from the restaurant. “This is Shaylin.”
I smile at her. “I’m Alisha. Nice to meet you.”
She smiles back, steps forward, and pulls me into a hug. “Nice to meet you,” she says squeezing me. She lets go and steps back.
“I’m guessing you’re with Butch now?” I can’t help but ask.
To my utter shock, she bursts out laughing, holding her stomach, her head thrown back. My eyes widen, and I look at the others. They are now laughing too. Am I missing something?
She quits laughing and wipes under her eyes. “Lane is my brother. I would have approached you all at the restaurant the other day, but he told me not to.” She stops and smiles a wicked grin. “As for Butch, he’s been stalking my ass since then. He sleeps on my porch. He follows me to my bakery. He sits at the seat closest to the door. He never says a word. Ever.” She looks behind her, out the front door. “Like now, I bet he’s at the front of Techy’s gate, waiting on me.”
We all look out the door, and what do you know—there’s Butch. I burst out laughing and look over at Jordan, who’s doing the same. How can we not? It’s such a crazy Butch thing that you can’t not laugh.
“Girl, you’re so in trouble!” Jean taunts before cackling.
I nod because she is so screwed. At any minute, Butch is going to claim her because there’s no other way a man like Butch will go about it.
“Come on! Let’s go!” Myra yells and walks out the front door.
Turning to Jordan, I say, “Bye. Love you,” and he smiles.
Parked in the driveway is the huge-ass Hummer the kids were riding in the other day. Jordan told me all about it. That thing is made to withstand everything: bullets, explosions, you name it. Everything.
Climbing up the steps, I look inside. There are three rows of back seats. It’s so much bigger than I thought it would be. I’m sitting in the row closest to the driver’s and passenger’s seats, which both have prospects in them. In the main back, there are two more prospects. Locke isn’t a prospect, but he is following on his bike.
The Hummer starts up and we’re off. When we drive out of the gate, I get a closer look at Butch. He’s staring at the window behind me—Shaylin is sitting behind me. Grinning, I look at Jean who is beside me, and she is grinning too. She saw the same thing I did.
Two motorcycles start up, and I can hear them moving up close fast. Butch is riding right beside Shaylin, and Locke is in the middle on the other side.
Shaylin looks out the window and then looks at all of us. “Told you.”
I laugh and shake my head. Kayla laughs along with me. Kayla met her man a couple of months ago, and now, she’s pregnant. Her man, Torch, rescued her from being kidnapped. He took her home with him—well, kidnapped her because she didn’t want to go. I can’t imagine how it is for her, being blind. Now, she’s pregnant and married. These men move fast. That’s all I have to say.
“I give it a week before his patch is on her back!” Jean yells through the Hummer.
I shake my head. “I give it four days.” I hold up four fingers, and everyone laughs, including Shaylin.
Shaylin grins out the window at Butch, waving her hand. Butch jerks his chin in her direction like the total badass he is.