Page 30 of When Darkness Comes Knocking
“Now, it was lost on us why he killed the Packers. It’s come to our knowledge that they knew him. He looked different, and hisname was different. Myron has gone by many names. David Cost and Myron Burrs is just a couple of the aliases he used.
“Myron Burrs is Antwan Price. Your home used to be his home. It was this very house that they were thrown out of.”
“Wait, come again?” I probed in total confusion.
“Antwan Price used to be a prominent figure in this community. He was a pastor. One night, his wife was killed in a tragic car accident. She died instantly.
“After Naya’s passing, he clearly lost his way. He neglected everything, including his son, and turned to the bottle. That explained why he took over the Packer’s house. It was next to your house, his old home. He wanted to go back to his house where I guess the memories of Naya’s were.
“After reading over your reports, it makes sense why he targeted you and your family. He wanted you out of his house. Antwan used fear. What he didn’t expect was the mama bear he’d run into.”
I smirked. “Thank you, Detective Mills. I didn’t want things to get that far, but Myron, I mean Antwan took things too far.”
“He did. I hated the way things turned out for him, but actions have consequences. Thank you, Ms. Powers, for your help again. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.”
We stood together, and I walked him over to the door. “I won’t, Detective.”
The last officer walked out with him, and I closed the door. Fortune didn’t miss a beat. He wrapped his arms around my waist and cuddled me to his chest. “Are you okay, baby?”
I sighed. “I’m much better now.” I turned in his arms. “Thank you for being the man that you are. I’m really blessed to have you in my life, so blessed that I want you to have this.”
Fortune’s arms slightly loosened around my waist. I dug in my pocket and removed a single key. His brows merged at the sight of the gold key.
“Babe, what’s that key to?”
“My heart and home. I want you here every day. If you want it to be, this can be your home too. Waking up to you is the highlight of my day. But it also turns this tragic day into a beautiful memory.”
Fortune leaned forward and held me tightly. “Waking up to you is the highlight of my life. I know we’ve only been together for a short amount of time, but I know my forever lies with you,” he replied. “I love you, Perrae.”
I grinned harder than a kid at a dental office. That was music to my ears. “I love you too, Fortune.”
Chapter
Nine
Fortune
A year later
“Woo hoo! Let’s go! That’s my boy! That’s my son!” I cheered loudly.
JJ walked across the stage smiling and posing as he accepted his high school diploma. He’d worked so hard to get to this point in his life. JJ was ranked fifth in his class and heading down south to college.
I continued to record him while Perrae and the girls screamed in my ear. They were all so proud of their big brother, including Madison.
They were sad he’d be leaving after the summer. I had a feeling they’d cry, too, but they’d eventually get used to it. JJ ran over to us, and Perrae grabbed him in a tight hug.
Her tears sailed down her face, and I caught the full moment for her. I empathized with her emotions. JJ was not only her firstborn, but her best friend as well.
JJ was now on the road of discovering his manhood and life without her. Perrae had every right to feel the way she did. They grew up together.
“Aww, Son. I’m so damn proud of you. You worked so damn hard. I’m proud to be your mama,” she stated, dabbing at her tears.
“Thank you, Mama. All of this is possible because of your hard work and sacrifices. That diploma is my thank you to you, Mama,” JJ responded.
They hugged tightly once more. JJ turned to me. We gave each other a tight bro hug.
“I’m so proud of you, kid. It’s been an honor guiding you as best as I can. I’m grateful to stand in this moment with you.”
