Page 21 of Back in Blood

I had made it to the foyer when I heard footsteps behind me. “Before you run out of here, I was hoping I could get your number,” Sage stated.

Rolling my eyes upwards, I fixed the frown on my face before turning around to face him. “I’m not sure if Gemini told you anything about me, but I’m recently separated, and I just lost a child. I’m really not in the head space to date even casually. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I absolutely respect that,” Sage gave me a genuine smile causing one of my own to spread across my face.

That was easy, and I appreciated him not doing the most. I could kind of understand a man that was interested not giving up easily and applying pressure, but I hated having to constantly tell a person that I wasn’t interested. It was annoying and anything but flattering. As I walked out to my car, I thought about the love that Gemini and Scott shared. Yes, it would be nice to have one day, but I wasn’t rushing it. I wasn’t going to make healing my broken heart a job for someone else to do. I would heal myself and then if it was meant to be, love would find me.

A few days later I was leaving work and saw someone leaning against my car with a hood on his head. I was almost certain from the height, build, and mannerisms that it was Sintonio, but my heart still drummed in my chest as I walked slowly towards my vehicle. No one should have been on my car including him. When he heard me approaching, he lifted his head, and it was indeed Sintonio. He also looked like shit. The bruises on his face from Capri’s beating were fading but still visible. His left eye was droopy, and it looked as if he hadn’t shaved in weeks. His beard was the complete opposite of sexy. Scruffy and scraggly were better descriptions.

“Why are you on my car?” I snapped.

Sintonio tossed me a weary expression that almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. “This shit is getting out of hand.” Tears swam in Sintonio’s eyes. “The house was burned to the ground. Nothing in that muhfucka is salvageable. I know you hate me right now, but you’re actually dealing with the person that is doing all of this to me?”

“Not that I owe you any explanations, but I’m notdealingwith him,” I lied. No matter how I felt about Sintonio, I couldn’t reveal to him that I’d been intimate with Capri. Hell no. “I’ve been at two different places minding my business and ran into him. As crazy as it sounds, I think he feels sorry for me, and we can relate to one another. That’s it that’s all. And I’m not sad about it. I’d rather have his empathy than for him to be gunning for me behind something you did. You know why he left me alone? Because I told him that if he killed me, it probably wouldn’t hurt you the way he assumed it would. Wasn’t thatsome sad shit to have to admit?” I looked Sintonio up and down with disgust.

His face crumpled. “You can be mad at me and think I’m the cruddiest person in the world but saying that is just wrong. I know you can’t believe that.”

“I absolutely do. And I believed it even before you were caught out at a bar flirting while I was missing. Get off my car, Sin,” I seethed as the memory of his betrayal hit me like a ton of bricks, and I grew angry all over again.

“Nobody knows the shit I’ve been going through. I didn’t mean to do what I did. That shit eats at me every day. I lost my child too. A child that I wanted. I lost my wife and now my house is gone. Like bro, what the fuck?”

“And I can’t do anything about any of that. Deal with the pain the same way that Capri and I have to.”

Sintonio’s brows furrowed. “Yo.” He took a step towards me with a deep glower. “You going real hard for that nigga. You act like you care about him way more than me, and I doubt it’s just because he lost a kid. Let me find out you fucking that nigga.”

“And what would you do?” I cackled loudly. “We damn sure know you can’t beat his ass,” I smirked before my brows lifted. “Oh wait, you’d try to beat mine? Most men that can’t beat other men resort to hitting women. My father and brother fucked you up once, and I know they’d be delighted to do it again.”

“You a dumb ass bitch,” Sintonio growled as he stalked off.

“Takes one to know one,” I called out and got in my car with a sigh.

Me and Sintonio’s relationship was so foreign to me. No one could have ever made me believe this was where we’d end up. We were supposed to be newlyweds and new parents. Instead, we hated one another. He wasn’t the man I fell in love with, and I’d damn sure become another person. It was crazy how life could change in the blink of an eye. Despite working a twelve-hour shift and being tired, I didn’t want to go straight home. I wanted a drink, and I also wanted shrimp and catfish. Sage’s lounge was the only place I’d found that wasn’t at least thirty minutes away that had perfect catfish. Most places didn’t fry it hard enough for me, they didn’t season it well, or both. The fish I had at his lounge was so damn good I bit my tongue twice while eating. I really wanted some more, but I didn’t want to chance running into him. After a few minutes of contemplating, I decided to go. Sage wasn’t that bad that I’d deprive myself of something that I really wanted just to avoid him. I’d been thinking about that catfish for days. Plus, just because he was the owner didn’t mean he had to be there every second of every day. Maybe he wasn’t even around.

Honestly, all I wanted was good food and a few strong drinks. After a shower, I was sure to sleep like a baby. Being back at work got me out of the house every day, and it wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but I wouldn’t be mad at being rich and being able to take six months or so off work. That was wishful thinking, however. I did like being exhausted at the end of the day. I didn’t have any trouble falling asleep, and I was less likely to wake up in the middle of the night. As the hostess showed me to a seat near the rear of the lounge, I did a quick scan and was relieved when I didn’t see Sage.

I wasted no time ordering a strawberry lemon drop and the food I’d been thinking about for a few days. By the time my food came out, I was on drink number two. Three pieces of shrimp, a handful of fries, and two pieces of fish were all I got to consume before I spotted Capri and Sage at the bar talking. Fuck! I wasn’t sure why the Universe kept throwing Capri in my path, but the shit was getting creepy. But not creepy enough for me to forget the sexual experience that I shared with Capri. My clit swelled as I reminisced on his strokes.

All I wanted was to finish my food and high tail it out of there before either one of them spotted me. Too late. I looked away for all of two minutes before I inadvertently looked in their direction, and they were both looking at me. My face flushed as heat radiated through my body. They were talking about me. Capri didn’t strike me as the type to kiss and tell but what if Sage had expressed his interest, and Capri had made it known that he slept with me? Essentially, it didn’t matter because I had no plans on sleeping with Sage but still…

I looked away and searched the vicinity for my waitress. I was taking the rest of my food to go. “Check please,” I stated with an anxious smile. “And a to go box.”

“Your tab has been taken care of. I’ll be right back with your box.”

My lips parted into an O shape. I wasn’t sure if it was Sage or Capri that paid for my food but if I had to guess, I’d say it was Sage. Which meant it would be rude if I didn’t thank him. Groaning inwardly, I searched my wallet for cash, so I could leave the server a tip. It didn’t take her long to bring the container for the food and a plastic bag to put it in. I thanked her and hurriedly packed my leftovers into it. When a presence loomed over my table, I already knew it was Sage.

“Hi,” I looked up and gave him a small smile. “Thanks for the food.”

“I didn’t pay for it,” he replied studying me intensely. Once again, I was stumped. So, it was Capri. “Seems like I’m not the only admirer that you have.”

“I guess not,” I mumbled surprised that Capri would pay for my food. But more than likely it was because I’d covered his tab at the bar the night that he put hands and feet on Sintonio.

“I’m glad to see you enjoyed the place enough to come back. I didn’t come to harass you. I just wanted to say hello, and thank you for coming in.”

“No need to thank me. Whoever you have in the kitchen is doing a great job. The catfish is chef’s kiss.”

“I’ll be sure to let her know. I have one person that does each dish.”

I smiled and Sage nodded his head before turning to leave. Again, that wasn’t so bad. I could appreciate a man that let me know he was interested but didn’t do the most. I gathered my things and walked out of the lounge. I heard retching, and my first instinct was to frown. As I saw the car door open on a Denali, I knew the person throwing up in the parking lot was Capri. I had a weak stomach when I first started nursing school, but that went out the window quick. I had literally seen and smelled it all. A little throw up was nothing, so I made the decision to go check on Capri and make sure he was okay.

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