Page 13 of Safe Word
“Yeah, I was thinking about that. I don’t want anybody figuring out where I am by tracing my transactions. Those people have access to every fucking thing. Can I send you the money and have you order what I need?”
“I don’t mind paying for whatever you need to get, Carteay. It’s cool.”
“I’m already imposing.”
“You made breakfast and fucked me into a coma last night. You’ve earned a little bit of shopping.” I winked.
“Fuck you, Kannon!” She laughed.
“I wanted you to, but I was kinda scared to ask after I put you through the ringer all night,” I joked.
I had to laugh because if I didn’t make a joke of it, I was going to pick her up and carry her back to my bed. Nah, I didn’t need to go to my bed when there was a counter right here. I shook the thoughts off knowing that if I let them take over, there was no telling where the road might end. Instead, I opened my delivery app and passed her my phone.
“Thank you again, Kannon.”
“Anytime, C,” I assured her as I pushed off the stool and tore myself away from her eyes.
She was trying to read me. I didn’t want to be read right now. I had to think about Carteay and what she really needed. I wanted to protect her. She didn’t need me ogling and lusting over her. She needed someone to keep her safe from whatever had her so afraid to face the world.
In order to do that, I needed to keep myself busy. I did the dishes and cleaned a kitchen that was virtually clean. While I was taking out the half-filled trash bag, I noticed the delivery driver pulling up. I let him put the bags at my door before walking back up the driveway and taking them inside.
“That was quick. I’m definitely ready to take a shower and change,” she said, accepting the bags from me.
“Yeah, I’m sure you are.”
It was all I could offer with images of beads of water rolling off her tawny skin under the stream of the shower. My chest rose and fell as I took a deep breath. Thankfully, she walked away, making a beeline for my spare bedroom.
I needed to take care of a few things of my own, so I headed back to my bedroom and made my bed before showering and getting dressed myself. Finally, I picked my phone up from my nightstand, preparing for the shit storm that awaited. Whatever it was wouldn’t come to Carteay, not yet anyway. Not ever if I could help it, but I knew that some things were out of my control.
I had over twenty missed calls. Surprisingly, ten of them were from my oldest brother Kross. I didn’t even want to start to imagine what the agency wanted. I wasn’t interested in talking to them. I would return my brother’s call though.
“What, nigga?” I asked as soon as he answered.
“What’s your problem, boy? You were supposed to call me after you left your assignment last night. I was about ready topull up on you, but I figured you probably brought a nice little female companion home with you.”
“Oh, shit, I thought something happened. Your ass doesn’t call ten times.”
“I was about to suit up and come find your ass,” he told me.
“Yeah right, nigga. You ain’t got it no more. Janelle’s ass done made you a marshmallow.”
“The fuck ever. Don’t make me show you.”
“It’s cute that you checked on me. That woman gave you a heart.”
“Don’t patronize me, Kannon. Is that fucking girl with you?” Kross asked, finally cutting to the chase.
“Ah, so now we get down to business.”
“I take that as a yes.”
“How bad is the media?”
“I actually haven’t seen anything, and Doc didn’t ask me about it, so I’m thinking they’re trying to keep it contained. One of my sources reached out to me last night.”
“She just needs a break. Her and her dude got into it, and I pulled her out of there before it got out of hand.”
“You fucking her, bro?” Kross asked, catching what I didn’t say.
