Chapter 15

Steam floated from my ears as I marched from Anya’s apartment to my car. I felt like I was in flames as I hopped in and floored it out of the parking lot. I knew I needed to put some distance between us. I could understand why she was suspicious of me. Of course I showed up fast. I damn near broke my neck to get to her every single time she needed me. I had shown up at the coffee shop and scared her and her so-called boss shitless.

Anya was special to me. I didn’t have a problem showing that every chance I got. I damn sure didn’t have an issue letting a nigga know that she belonged to me. It was one thing to look, but I didn’t like seeing another man outright lusting after her.

She might have called what’s his name her boss, but she didn’t see how he was looking at her. I could tell he wanted her. I couldn’t blame him for seeing what I saw. Just like he couldn’t blame me for telling him to move the fuck around.

Dialing the one person I knew for sure would understand, I held my breath and braced myself for the bullshit. I already knew what to expect when it came to my brothers.

“What’s up?”

“You got a minute? I need to talk.”

I knew not to pop up on Syre. These days, he was greeting people at the door with the strap, even family. I couldn’t blame him for being protective over his wife and son. I felt the same way when it came to the woman I loved. Love made you do some crazy things.

“I’m actually at the gym getting in a little work.”

“You in your home gym or at the spot?” I quizzed.

“At the spot,” he confirmed.

“I’m about to come through.”

I made a U-turn and headed toward my baby brother’s gym. I worked out there from time to time, but most of my visits were strictly to see him. I was so proud of the man he was growing into. I knew that at least 75 percent of his progress was because of the love he had for Royelle. The rest of it was probably from my aunt’s nagging voice ringing in his head telling him to straighten up and fly right. No matter what brought it on, I was appreciative of the change.

I walked into Syre’s gym just as he was hopping off a treadmill. Using the towel around his neck, he dabbed at the sweat drenching his face.

“What you looking like a sad puppy for?” he asked with a disgusted scowl.

“Man, fuck you. Ain’t nobody looking like a sad puppy.” I forced a chuckle.

“Well, something drug you out here looking ugly as hell and pitiful.”

“I knew as the official family screw up, you would be able to offer some expertise on the subject of screwing up. I fucked up, bro.”

“That doghouse is one hell of a place. Ain’t it?” He grinned.

“Man, tell me about it.” I shook my head.

“What you do?”

“How much time you got?”

“Elle and her mom are out shopping for the nursery. You know that’s gon’ be an all-day affair. I’m going to pick Sir up from Divine in about an hour.”

“Nigga, why you don’t ever ask me to babysit?”

“You ain’t no babysitter.”

“What you mean, boy? I practically raised you.”

“That’s why I’m not leaving you alone with my son. I still have nightmares from the way you and Bish tortured me.”

“You were just soft as hell. We were trying to toughen you up.”

“How you like me now?” he asked with a chuckle.

“I admit we overdid it.” I laughed.

“Back to my question. How bad did you fuck up?”

“I think I mentioned to you one day that Anya feels like her ex has been following her and doing stuff to make her paranoid. She thinks he’s trying to scare her into coming back to him.”

“Let me guess. You beat his ass.”

“I’ve never even met him. She left my house to get ready for a trip. We agreed that she would be back in two hours. I booked us a flight to Rome, made dinner reservations and everything.”

“I see you finally taking a page out of my book.”

I shook my head but couldn’t help but smile. “Anyway, she didn’t come back. She didn’t know about my plans, so I called a couple of times, trying to put the press on her without ruining the surprise. Three hours passed, and she didn’t answer the phone or call me back. So back to the ex who’s been doing all this crazy stuff to her car and driving her crazy. I start thinking the worst. I hopped in my car and drove to her apartment. Her car was there but not the one I had just bought her. I gave her the necklace I had you to get for me. When I noticed her car wasn’t home, it occurred to me to check the tracker.”

“Don’t tell me you tracking the girl, Psalm?”

“The fuck you thought I wanted the necklace for? There’s a nigga out here following her and vandalizing her car. You think I’m not going to know her whereabouts after what happened to Royelle?”

“You ain’t no better than the nigga following her, bro! You following her too!”

“I’m not following her. I’m protecting her from whoever’s following her.”

“I just hope she don’t find out.”

“She kinda already did.”

“What did you do?” He sighed.

“Pulled up on her and some dude sitting in a coffee shop, skinning and grinning. Here I am thinking that her ex finally got to her, and she’s just giggling in some nigga’s face.”

Syre swiped his hand down his face. I was sure he already knew how the rest of the story went.

“Let me ask you this. Did she know you had a tracker on her before you showed up at the coffee shop?”

“That’s beside the point!”

“So, she didn’t know, and you popped up out of the blue and showed your entire ass.”

“Not my entire ass. I asked her to get up so I could talk to her outside. The dude started running his mouth, and I politely asked him to shut the fuck up.”

“Let me guess, he didn’t.”

“You already know he tried to play tough, so I simply asked him again with my nine pressed against his temple.”

“Bro! You’re supposed to be the levelheaded one around here.”

“I swear I tried. I wanted to put it in his mouth since he refused to close it, but I showed restraint.”

“Bro, come on.”

“What was I supposed to do, Syre? Shake his hand? He had me fucked up, and you know it.”

“You’re sober, aren’t you? You out here acting like the old me. Is she making you quit smoking?”

“It was a personal choice. I’m not quitting. I just cut back.”

“Well cut that shit back on. I can’t have you out here playing Desperado. You’re about to have a niece to help raise.”

“You need to stay off that damn girl, Syre. Don’t y’all have other hobbies besides having sex?”

“None that are as fun.” He shrugged casually.

“I see.”

“Listen, I never thanked you for looking out for my family.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on with the games. I don’t call you Jimmy Neutron for nothing. You knew what I was hiding way before Bishop put it together and rolled up on me.”

“I actually didn’t know if you knew anything at all. Unlike Bishop, I knew for a fact that you wouldn’t cross the family like that. I wasn’t sure what I knew. All I knew for sure was that two plus two equaled four. Royelle wasn’t on the list, just like the other fake name. She had to know who shot Bishop. Since he had met her before, I knew it wasn’t her. Then I discovered that Layken was her bunkmate in prison. I don’t think we ever discussed that she went to prison, but I did a profile on her after everything went down. I did one on everybody. Even I was shocked to find out about Auntie. I’m actually glad I didn’t run my mouth to Bishop about it as soon as I put it together.”

“Me too. That had to be a heavy burden to bear.”

“You should know that better than I do.”

“I do. That situation took me through it, bro. Even when we were separated, I loved her so much that I couldn’t imagine letting somebody do something to her. I don’t think I could have let them get away with it. I believe I would have gone to war with bro behind my wife, Jimmy. She pulled a bullshit move, but that’s not her at all. Royelle is sweet and caring. She wouldn’t harm a fly. She was in turmoil behind what she did even before she knew it was Delilah.”

“She’s gotta be a saint to put up with your ass.”

“I know, right.” He chuckled.

“It had to be a relief to find out that it wasn’t her.”

“Man, what? I almost wrecked my truck trying to get home to her. I had no idea before that showdown with Deacon.”

“Leave it to Bish to play his hand close to his chest,” I mentioned.

“Always playing chess when everybody else is playing poker.”

“Always. He was probably working that shit out while he was in a coma.” Syre shook his head.

“So, what are you gonna do? You can’t just let your woman go. She got you wanting to be sober and present in the world. I’ve never known anyone to make you give up smoking.”

“I told you I’m not giving it up. I just cut back. She smokes too. Well, she used to.”

“How are you going to fix this shit, bro? We were all rooting for you.”

“I don’t know. She thinks I might be behind everything that’s going on. She went from accusing her ex to accusing me. I love the fuck out of her, but you know I’m not crazy.”

“She has the right to think you are, bro. Look at how you’re moving.”

“I have the right to want to protect her. I just wish I could prove that it’s not me that’s terrorizing her.”

“Honestly, I don’t think she believes that it was you. I think she’s just scared. Can you blame her?”

“What do you suggest I do, Bubba? You’re a professional fuck up. Tell me what to do?”

“If you gon’ start with that Bubba shit, I’m not helping your pitiful, stalking ass.”

“OK, man, damn.”

“If you think somebody’s really fucking with her, you gotta do what you do, Psalm. Figure out who it is and prove it to her.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“Ain’t you the brains behind the operation? You gotta learn how to think. Getting pussy is making you dumb, Neutron.”

“Go to hell. Can you just tell me without being extra?”

“I don’t even know why I gotta tell you this. You already know what to do. Go get on your computer and do your camera thing. Find out who’s messing with your girl, bro.”

“I wanted to scan her spot, but she wouldn’t let me.”

“Do it from the outside. Access the street cameras. First, you have to make your woman feel safe. You can’t have her out here scared, especially not of you. She needs to feel secure, even when she’s around your weak ass. Make sure she understands that you’re protective, not possessive. I understand the urge to protect what’s yours. Right now, she doesn’t know who to trust. You popping up on her and pulling guns on niggas ain’t helping your case. She needs to know that you’re on her side, even when she’s mad. Show her that she comes first, even over your foolish pride.”