Page 52 of Rose
Ahzii scowled. “You could’ve ended up in prison, Maz. You were about tokillthat man.”
“Then I guess God was on that nigga’s side,” he replied without a shred of remorse.
Ahzii rolled her eyes. There was no changing his mind when it came to her. That protective streak ran too deep.
Kyre chimed in, a little reluctantly. “I really hate to agree with a man—even my own man—but Zii… Maz isn’t wrong. That dude disrespected you. Heviolatedyou. He deserved every hit, and let’s be real, I would have got my man out in an hour anyway.”
Ahzii shot her a look. “First, you side with my stalker. Now this? I miss when a bitch used to be onmyside.”
Kyre flipped her off with a grin. “Still on your side, hoe.”
“Wait…stalker?” A’Mazi cut in, his mood shifting instantly, jaw clenching as he mugged them both.
“Calm down, baby.” Kyre put a hand on his chest. “There’s no stalker.”
She turned back to Ahzii. “And I’m always riding for you. You know I got in his ass already. But you can’t fault Maz for doing what he’s been doing since y’all came into this world—protecting you.”
Ahzii exhaled, defeated. “Ihatewhen a bitch is right sometimes.”
They all chuckled, tension giving way to warmth.
A’Mazi stepped forward, wrapped his arms around his sister, and kissed the top of her head.
“Love you, sis,” he murmured against her hair.
Ahzii closed her eyes at the comfort. “Love you too, Boobie.”
He smiled at that—Boobie.She hadn’t called him that since they were kids.
For a while, the three of them just chilled, talking and laughing like the world outside didn’t exist.
But soon enough, Kyre had to get back to work, A’Mazi had clients waiting, and Ahzii’s next appointment walked through the door.
Reality resumed. But the love in that moment lingered just a little longer.
The day slipped by in a blur.
Now alone in her office, Ahzii wassupposedto be going over paperwork—but the sketch pad in her lap had other plans.
She’d been lost in it for hours, shading, refining, breathing life into a portrait she’d started months ago but never found the strength to finish. She only worked on it in pieces, in quiet moments when the grief didn’t feel like it would swallow her whole.
It was Willow.
Or at least, the vision of what she imagined Willow might look like now.
A perfect blend of her and William—his thoughtful eyes, her full lips, their shared smile. A child of their love, eternalized in graphite and emotion. Every detail held meaning. Every line felt like a prayer. She couldn’t rush it. Wouldn’t. Because in some small way, as long as the drawing wasn’t finished, Willow still existed somewhere.
This was her tether. Her daughter wasn’t here in the physical—but she lived in Ahzii’s dreams, and now, in this fragile sketch.
But her thoughts wouldn’t stay still.
Now that she knewSaviorwas the one behind the flowers and the donation, her mind refused to quiet down.
She didn’tknowhim. He wasn’t part of her world. He was just a handsome face tied to a chilling presence—a man who moved like danger and protection all at once.
And yet… he’d unraveled her. Not with words. Not with promises. But with a gesture that reached places inside her she thought had gone numb.
Her phone buzzed against the desk, snapping her out of her trance. She glanced at the screen.
