I grabbed Fabe’s hand and looked back, hoping that Rah saw his brother holding my hand lovingly, and he had just as Fabe was leaving out of the door and pulling me through it.
 
 Rah being denied bail made me feel free and celebratory. Once me and Fabe got back home and Junior took a nap, I poured me and Fabe some drinks and turned on an R&B playlist.
 
 I hadn’t been drinking much because I would have to pump and dump. Junior was drinking both formula and my breast milk. But that afternoon was a cause for a drink and some weed.
 
 I stood in the living room, smoking an indica pre-roll, sipping from my red cup, and rolling my hips slowly to Summer Walker. Fabe sat on the couch, comfortable, shirtless but wearing Nike shorts, big legs propped wide open as he cooly watched me feel finally free.
 
 I looked at him through the haze of smoke that I blew out of my nose. “What are you looking at?”
 
 “The sexiest woman in the world.”
 
 My headed tilted as I fell in love with the sincerity in his eyes. I hadn’t known what love bombing was or that that was what Rah was doing to me until I experienced the genuineness of Fabe’s sentiments and compliments.
 
 Now, I knew the difference.
 
 And appreciating that difference, I walked over to my man and straddled him, causing my short, cotton teddy and lace accents at rise above my big booty. He groaned as I slide my pantiless pussy against where his erection lay against his thigh under his shorts.
 
 As his bushy brows met together with lust, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
 
 “Thank you.”
 
 His brows curled tighter. “For what.”
 
 “For not being a weird nigga like your brother.”
 
 That made him crack up. Our laughter cut through the lust.
 
 “And for loving me,” I added through my giggles. “But,most importantly, for not being a weird nigga like your brother.”
 
 Staring at one another, our laughs faded, and the lust returned. He grabbed the back of my neck and brought my mouth to his and kissed me so deeply that I forgot where he ended and I began.
 
 Gripping my hair, he pulled my head back so that he could look into my eyes. “You know this ain’t temporary, right?”
 
 “I never wanted it to be temporary,” I breathed before he pulled his dick out and slipped inside of me.
 
 He whispered my name against my mouth as I began to ride him.
 
 “You’re mine?” his rough voice asked.
 
 I didn’t answer with words; I didn’t need to. Every touch, sigh, and shiver said it for me.
 
 33
 
 KAHLANI
 
 Icouldn’t breathe as Moses hung up the phone, ending the call with his mother. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to know.
 
 “What did she say?” I asked eagerly.
 
 “They didn’t give him bail. He gotta fight his case from the inside.”
 
 I was so relieved. It was like the monster had finally been captured and everyone didn’t have to be scared anymore. Sure, Rah could beat the case, but for now, we were all safe from his lies, manipulation, and murderous hands.
 
 At least for now.
 
 Moses slumped back in the passenger seat with his head tilted back against the headrest. I sat behind the wheel, trying to catch my own breath. The relief that Rah didn’t get bail was like finally getting air after drowning.
 
 “Hold up…” I had thought the familiar sound was coming from somewhere outside, but no, it was coming from the radio. Ihad turned it down when his mother called, so the music coming from it was muffled. I turned it up and the car suddenly filled with Moses’ song.