Page 1 of Only You

PROLOGUE

Brice Washington

The bourbon in my hand had gotten watered down by the ice cubes that floated inside. I’d held it so long that the glass’s perspiration ran down my fingertips. I wasn’t a heavy drinker. The last time I’d gotten drunk was four months ago. I woke up with a mean ass hangover and tried to push all the things I’d done that night to the back of my mind. Even though I would never forget, it was seared into my memory. I guess that was my fault for mixing henny with tequila.

The buzzing of my phone brought me out of my daze. I looked down at my phone, watching the familiar number appear on the screen until it vanished. It was the hospital, and it would go unanswered. Then there was the ding letting me know that a voicemail had been left. I ignored that as well. It was the third one. I wasn’t on shift or call and had used my vacation time. The reason for their call would never be known as far as I was concerned. I set the phonebeside me, then turned up the glass, swallowing the remainder of the liquor.

As I leaned forward to set the glass down, my locs fell into my face. I flipped them back and sighed before sprawling back onto the couch. It had been silent recently as far as the streets were concerned. I had ensured that the men I’d chosen to lead had it under control. But I didn’t trust it. When it came to the streets, niggas were bound to step out of line given the right opportunity. I would wait patiently but not ignorantly for anyone bold enough to cross the line.

Finding out what had happened to my father was an eye-opener. I didn’t want to believe someone close to him could orchestrate a hit. I needed a break from it all, and work had been kicking my ass. Because of that, Tayla and I had been at my home in the Canyons for the past week. It was quiet here, too fucking quiet, But I welcomed the reset. This house was what they called ultra-modern. It even had the tall ass glass windows that outfitted the rear of the home. They took the place of the wall in the living room where we were.

As I sat, I stared into the darkness, seeing the moonlight reflect off the pool. It was beautiful, but it felt more like the calm before the storm. I was fighting for something to take my mind somewhere else before my attention was drawn to Tayla. She walked into the room and began pacing back and forth. Aside from my sister, Jourdan, Tayla was my best friend. She knew almost everything there was to know about me. Except that I was one of the two who ran the drug empire that supplied the US. I couldn’t trusther with that specific aspect of my life. Most of the time, I felt I couldn’t trust anyone; I wasn’t sure I would ever. Looking over your shoulder was a part of the game, now more than ever, and I didn’t want to do that with her.

Tayla had been acting weird all day today. She wasn’t telling me what was wrong, and I was afraid to ask. It seemed like life just kept throwing me one fucked up situation after the next. First my mother, then my father, this shit with my sister all last year, and now something was up with her. I couldn’t handle anything else, so I tried not to harp on the fact that something was off.

She’d called my sister all afternoon, but Jourdan hadn’t answered. That wasn’t unusual, especially if she was on what she called a mission. But ever since Steph had helped her solve my father’s murder, I thought she stopped all that extra shit she was doing. Besides that, Steph wasn’t having that. He’d looked out when I asked him to keep his eyes on her. I think they are even dating now.

Now that she’d found someone, she thought I needed to do the same. For the past year, and even more so after Steph, I had to hear how Jourdan thought Tayla and I were messing around. It couldn’t have been further from the truth. I didn’t know if she was projecting it or if it’d grown from her delusions.

Tayla stood before me, wearing a graphic tee and bike shorts. The shirt was so oversized that I wasn’t sure if the shorts I thought she wore underneath were present. She tossed her long, luscious locs over her shoulder. I loved them on her; it was why I’d grown mine. I continued my scan down her tawny, thick brown thighs toher toes, which were adorned with purple polish, and feet, which were currently wearing a path in the plush rug. This was the third time I’d watched her pace before I grabbed her wrist, pulling her down on the couch beside me.

“Tay, Baby, you need to relax. I can help you with that.” I spoke in a tone that I’d never used with her. Tayla had always been beautiful, but I couldn’t look at her in the way that I just had.

Why in the hell did I say that? Maybe it didn’t come out how I meant it. Damn, did I mean it like that? Shit!

“I’m sure she’ll call you back,” I said quickly, firing off my next thought. I rubbed my hand up and down her back to comfort her, scorching my fingertips.

Fucking alcohol!

“Not right now, Brice,” she said as she jerked away from me, standing defensively. It was enough to cool my touch.

What in the fuck is going on?

I sat on the edge of the couch, perched my elbows on my knees, before deciding to step in. I took out my phone and called my sister. It rang only once before going to voicemail.

I know she didn’t just send my shit to …

I was dialing her number back before I could even finish my thought. I hated it when she did that. She wanted me to pop up. Because that was what always happened when she went too long without answering my calls. My sister was all I had left, whom I could trust regarding blood. And if something was wrong, I needed to be the first to know. I didn’t give a damn if she had Stephon.

“Tay, tell me what’s wrong,” I pleaded again.

“Brice, you and JoJo are going to…”

Before she could finish the rest of her statement, I heard the keypad beep on my door. I knew who it was before she even stepped in. Jourdan was the only person who had access to my house, and she always knew where I was. She stepped in with Stephon, only a step or two behind her. However, the person who walked through the door wasn’t JoJo but The Lioness. I knew by her demeanor and her all-black cargo and long-sleeve t-shirt. Steph stood behind her, wearing the same.

“JoJo, what in the hell is going on?” I asked.

“Ask this lying bitch,” Jourdan said with venom in her tone. I knew this was serious. Jourdan and Tayla never fought, and calling a woman out of her name in that respect was something she didn’t do, not even as The Lioness.

“Tay,” I said, waiting for an answer. Someone needed to answer me quickly before I went the hell off. I could feel my anger rising rapidly. If my sister had a problem, then so did I.

“Tayla, tell my brother how you, your mother, and father, Julius Miller, had my father killed,” Jourdan said. My mind was racing.

“What in the fuck is she talking about Tay?” I asked. There was silence as Tay looked between me, my sister, and Steph. She wore just as much confusion as I did. But something in her eyes told me she had a semblance of what was happening. I’m guessing it was why she’d been desperately trying to get in contact with Jourdan.

“Fucking answer me!” I boomed out into the room. Tay jumped, but I knew her well enough to know she wasn’t scared. She was weighing her options in her head. From where I was standing, she had none. She was outnumbered, so her chances of getting out of here alive would be slim to none if what Jourdan had just said was true.

Before I could get the answers to the questions that I had, Jourdan had discharged her gun and had fired two quick shots at Tayla. Tayla ducked, dodging the first shot. She tried to do the same with the second but got clipped in the arm. Tayla winced in pain but turned and quickly made her way out of the glass window that my sister had just shot through. Jourdan started behind her before Steph stopped her.

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