Page 13 of Certified Pressure 4
He sat on the edge of the bed, speechless, his mind clearly racing to catch up. I poured another drink, this time without sipping it, and stared at him over the rim of the glass.
“I don’t want to destroy you, Mr. Charm,” I said softly. “But I will if I have to. I only want one thing. I want your daughter brought to me… alive.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know where she is. I swear, I’ve been calling her, leaving voicemails, trying to get her to answer. I haven’t heard from her since—since your son left her at the altar.”
I sighed, set my glass down, and turned toward the door. “That’s not good enough.”
Reaching for the handle, I opened the door slightly and spoke without looking back. “Nathan, come in.”
When Sterling’s eyes met his, his face drained of color.
“Nathan?” he said weakly. “You—what the fuck you doing here?”
Nathan was Sterling’s business partner, who turned on him at the blink of an eye. He didn’t answer Sterling. He just stood beside the door with his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes unreadable.
Before Sterling could speak again, I raised my hand, cutting him off. “You don’t get to ask questions,” I said. “You only get to listen.”
He stared at me, his breathing uneven. “Please, I don’t know where she is.”
“Then you will find her,” I replied smoothly. “Until then, think of yourself as collateral. If you want your company, your freedom, and your reputation intact, you’ll bring Kashmere to me.”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. I could see the fear beginning to settle into his bones, and the reality of who he was standing across from.
“Get dressed,” I said finally, picking up my purse. “We’re leaving.”
The room was silent except for the sound of the ice melting in my glass. I didn’t look back as I stepped into the hallway, my men falling into formation behind me. I didn’t need to threaten him further. The real fear came from knowing exactly what I was capable of, and that there wasn’t a single person alive who could save him from me.
Trill-Land Royal Care Hospital.
Ihad just got my discharge papers, and the nurses was movin’ around me like I wasn’t the same nigga who damn near died almost a week ago. My arms was wrapped tight, my chest covered in thick white bandages, and my leg felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, but I wasn’t about to complain. I was alive, and that was all that mattered.
Kay’Lo was right next to me, talkin’ to one of the guards while the rest of security surrounded the room. This nigga been here from the jump, barely left my side, and now that I was gettin’ released, I could tell he still wasn’t lettin’ me out his sight. When I looked at him, I saw that fire in his eyes, a rage that only come when somebody you love get hurt.
“You already know, bro,” he said low as he pushed the wheelchair closer to the door.
I smirked, but it wasn’t ‘cause I found it funny. I just knew exactly what he meant when he said that shit. I knew my cousin.
He nodded once, his jaw tight, and pushed me through the hall. Cameras flashed, people whispered, and nurses froze like they was seein’ a ghost. It felt like everybody on this damn island knew my name.Pressure Mensahgettin’ shot shook the whole Trill-Land.
Pluto was in a wheelchair too, holdin’ my baby close against her chest. She looked tired but beautiful, her face soft under the hospital lights. The whole time I was laid up, she never went home. She slept on the futon beside my bed, only gettin’ up when the nurses made her. Now they was wheelin’ both our asses out at the same time, and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. We looked like some beat-up lovebirds rollin’ out the hospital.
She glanced over when she heard me chuckle. “What’s funny?”
I smirked a lil’. “Just crazy how both our asses in wheelchairs right now.”
Her lips curved into that smile I been missin’, and she shook her head. “At least we rolling out together.”
“Yeah,” I said low, reachin’ for her hand. I slid my fingers through hers and gave it a light squeeze. “Together.”
I promised her before all this went down that I would come home to her. I told her I would be with her, Prestyn, and Zurie. I kept my word. But now, instead of the new house I got her, I was headin’ back to my mansion. I wasn’t runnin’ from shit, and I wasn’t lettin’ no bullet or a woman make me hide.
Once we made it to the black SUV, security spread out across the lot. The doors opened, and Kay’Lo helped me slide inside while Pluto climbed in after me with our baby. Renza andBlaqson was close behind in the second truck, watchin’ the area like hawks.
The ride was quiet. All I could hear was the engine and the sound of Prestyn’s soft breathin’ as Pluto rubbed his back. Every time I looked at her, I felt somethin’ inside me twist. I kept thinkin’ about what happened, andabout how Kashmere went from sayin’ she loved me to pullin’ that trigger. I understood why she did it, but that didn’t make it easier to swallow.
I stared out the window with my mind racin’. Kay’Lo had already been to the crib earlier to make sure everything was straight. He said he found her dress in the hallway, broken glass in my room, and shit missin’ from my drawers. He knew my room just like I knew his, so when he told me she stole from me, I believed him.
“She took ya shit, bro,” he’d said earlier, his voice hard. “Went through your shit like the IRS. I know what you had in there, and she took a lot.”
