Page 22 of Stolen Moments with a Bad Boy

“Ro, we’re having a picnic?” Erie’s eyes widened, and she smiled dreamily.

“Yes, ma’am.” Mentally, I patted my back because I was killing this date. We held hands and chatted all the way there. First, we stopped in front of the Crown Fountain. The Crown Fountain was two big fifty-foot towers that displayed images of the Chicago citizens. The fountain was one of Chicago’s most recognizable art pieces. Only during the summer could everyone waddle through its reflecting pool. If they were daring enough, they would stand under its waterfall.

Children and adults splashed around in the water. I nudged Erie a little, encouraging her to partake in the water action. She turned to me, and I gave her a nod. My Bella slipped out of her sandals and handed them to me.

She freed her wild mane, and it was in its full glory again. My eyes stayed glued on her. She padded to the tower and splashed around a bit. Erie’s feet and ankles were submerged in the water, and I snapped pictures of her.

“Join me!” she instructed with a wide grin.

We snapped a few selfies together. Next, we moved over to Cloud Gate, or what we Chicagoans called “The Bean.” It was the largest sculpture in the world. The bean had an oval shape and looked just like a bean. When you walked in front of it, your image was distorted, and you could be all shapes and sizes. We snapped a few more selfies.

Erie leaned down, having a blast looking at her weirdly shaped body, but when she rose, she stumbled, and I caught her.

“Bella, you good?” I quizzed, looking into her eyes.

“I think so. Whew.” Erie shook her head, leaning against my chest. “I grew dizzy all of sudden and lost my balance.”

“Maybe you’ve had too much fun for one day. How about we find a shady tree and rest?”

“Okay, baby.”

We found a nice shady spot and rested on a thick blanket. We watched the waves of Lake Michigan slap against the huge boulders. The feel of her thick body and the warmth she exuded comforted me in more ways than one. Erie didn’t know this yet, but she helped heal me with one hug, one kiss, and a smile per day. I couldn’t get enough of her.

“Ro, I’m having a wonderful day with you. Thank you for this amazing date. We really needed this chill time together.”

“I’m glad I could do this for you, baby. I’m having a great time. Seeing that smile on your face made today worth it,” I replied.

“Is that right?” Erie straddled my lap and kissed me. She knew just how to persuade and relax me. The way she rolled her waist had me harder than a brick. If I didn’t stop her, we’d definitely get in some trouble. I patted her ass and broke the kiss before things got out of hand.

“Time for some lunch, hot girl.”

Erie giggled. “Okay. What are we having?”

I pulled the cooler over to us and removed our lunch contents.

“Baby, this looks amazing. Mm, and it smells so good. When did you find time to do all this?”

“While you were sleeping last night, I prepared everything. We have turkey and provolone cheese sandwiches on Ciabatta bread with cold gazpacho soup. There’s also a mix of your favorite sliced fruits, kiwis, blueberries, and raspberries. The mixed berry tea is from your café. I love the drinks you offer.”

“Aww. Thank you, my love. This was such a beautiful gesture. I can’t wait to dive in,” Erie beamed. Her plump lips wrapped around the jumbo orange straw as she suctioned up the fruity tea. “Yum! So good.”

I watched as she took bites of her sandwich, then scarfed down her fruit. Erie had a hearty appetite, but I had never seenher eat so much. I didn’t want to mention it to her out of fear she’d think I was calling her a big back, but I made note of the dizzy spells and increased appetite. I kissed her forehead and enjoyed the rest of our day.

It was Thursday evening. I worked in my shop, while Erie made sure her staff was on point for fifty cent wing night at her lounge. Thursday’s brought in a lot of revenue for her because guys came to eat and watch the big screens while ladies drank and flirted with them, boosting their male ego. My phone pinged with a text from Erie. She walked out her store and locked it up. Erie had been so tired lately and under the weather off and on that I wanted to get her to my place so she could relax.

She was a hard-working woman and deserved to be pampered and taken care of. I took my place in her life seriously. There was nothing she needed or wanted that I didn’t provide. Her constantly feeling ill was why she had an appointment tomorrow.

It’d been that way since our picnic weeks ago. If I hadn’t made her, she would’ve still put it off. I cut my office light out and grabbed my jacket and keys so I could let her in the front door of my shop. As soon as I made it to the door, she smiled.

I attempted to grin back when the familiar sounds of screeching tires filled the night air. My stomach did back flips. Some young niggas hung out the window of their car and fired in our direction. I snatched the door open as soon as gunshots rang out.

Instinctively, I pulled my custom BK6 semi-automatic from my waist, and I let my bitch clap. Two of the masked men took chest shots while the third guy took a head shot. I poppedthe tires, and the getaway driver swerved and hit a light pole, causing the car to catch a fire.

They were gone now for good. I turned around abruptly and searched for Erie. I didn’t see her, but gurgling noises filled my ears, which led me to an old school brown Cadillac. She must have tried to take shelter, but she was hit before she could. My little Bella bled from her head and chest.

“No!” I roared from a very foreign place. The beast was awakened and out for blood. “Fuck! Baby, stay with me, Erie. Please don’t leave me, baby.”

I placed her head on my lap while I called for an ambulance.

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