Page 79 of Real's Love

"Y'all ain't cooked yet?" Shep groaned.

I couldn't answer, felt my mind leaving the kitchen. And then Targen was there, his back to my front as he sheltered me behind him.

To protect you, he'd said. And the tension in his long, muscular body told me he was ready to do just that.

"Who the fuck are you?" he growled.

Shep's spoiled ass decided to test him.

"Man, who the fuck is you, asking questions in my granny's house?" he snapped.

"Some dude yo' cousin fucking, look like. All this shit she done caused, and she being a ho just like Chauncey said, weird ass," his friend Kemp spat.

I jerked violently and before I knew it, Targen was across the kitchen, his hand wrapped around Kemp's neck as he knocked his head into the wall.

"Say, nigga—” Shep started.

But his ass stopped when Targen pulled a gun from his back and aimed it at him in one smooth move, his eyes never leaving Kemp's suddenly scared face.Bitch ass nigga, I thought. The gun should scare me. I knew that. I didn't know this man and I had already sensed his violent nature. He had my younger cousin about to piss on himself in our granny's kitchen. It was too much. But it felt like just enough, having someone defend me against Kemp's words, words that had been whispered for so long now.

"Sounded like you called my shorty a ho. That can't be right, huh?" Targen asked calmly.

My eyes widened at his possessive statement, but I was not about to challenge it.

"Let me go, man. I wasn't saying nothing," Kemp whined.

"We can agree on that, pussy ass nigga. I'on give a fuck who invited you," he grilled Shep over his shoulder before looking back at Kemp. "You not welcome here. You not welcome anywhere Theory is."

"But it's a small town. I?—"

Targen banged Kemp's head into the wall again, silencing him.

"I don't give a fuck how small this shit is. You see her, you turn the other way. I'm not gon' ask if you understand, cuz I kinda hope you don't. I want a reason to slump yo' ass," he spat.

"I understand. I swear, I understand," Kemp said quickly.

The smile Targen gave him was not the one he had blessed me with. This one was dark and twisted, the slash above his lip making it scary.

"Good. You about to walk out this door and I'ma have one of my guys meet you to make sure you don't get lost getting off the property. Don't ever bring yo’ ass back here."

He squeezed Kemp's neck as Kemp tried to squirm away. Shep looked at me, and I shrugged helplessly. Only when Kemp stopped struggling, his body starting to go limp, did Targen let go. Kemp fell. It took him a minute to right himself and struggle to his feet. He sucked in a couple of deep breaths before running out the second back door. Targen pulled out his phone and called someone named Juvie to grab Kemp and make sure he left. Then, he turned to face Shep, gun still aimed.

Shep threw up both hands, his eyes bucking.

"I ain't know he was gon' be on that bullsh—" my cousin started.

"Get the fuck outta here," Targen ordered.

Shep scrambled his way into the hall, his footsteps fast as fuck as he headed toward the front. Targen looked at me as he slid the gun into his back holster. I waited for fear to wash over me. Instead, all I felt was the throbbing between my thighs as my pussy reawakened. His actions were crazy... and sexy as fuck.

"I'll do the eggs. That's my best breakfast food," he offered.

I swallowed hard, ignoring my body's desires.A man is the last thing on my mind, I vowed silently. I wasn't setting myself up for any moreincidents.

"Th-the eggs. Yeah. That's fine," I whispered.

Breakfast was...strained, to say the least. PawPaw had come back from his night at one of the other houses. He was already aggravated from having to spend a night away from Granny. Seeing me with a strange man and three other newcomers had him pissed the fuck off, a sawed-off shotgun resting across his lap. I prayed it wasn’t loaded. It didn't help that one of the newcomers, Targen, couldn't keep his eyes off Theory. He was the guy I'd seen at Rarity with Real. I assumed they worked together, but he didn't look like he was into real estate. I wondered again about the darker side of Montréal Hamilton.

Calanthe cleared her throat. All this tension was probably too much for her sweet spirit.

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