Little Things (Second Chances 1)

Fuck yeah, I did it. I found him. I send another text to Davis telling him the address and to start calling the guys at the precinct. Hopefully, within the next few hours, this place will be overrun with police.

I make my way to the house, blending into the bushes and trees to remain inconspicuous. At that moment, my phone starts to vibrate. David is calling so I hit the green button.

I whisper, “Davis, I can’t talk. I don’t want to be seen.”

“Duke, get your ass out of there now!”

“What? No! I’m so close.”

“You don’t understand. Once I made the call into the station, they told me that this case is out of their hands. It’s been taken by the feds.”

“The feds. They know about Alder?”

“Listen to me, son. Get out of there now. I’m not sure what’s about to happen, but if the feds are involved, some shit is about to go down and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“No, I can’t leave now. What if she’s here?”

“And what if you risk this operation? Can you live with yourself if you screw this up? The feds will chew your ass and charge you with obstruction and a bunch of other shit that you won’t want to deal with. Now listen to what I’m saying and go.”

I glance at the house and let out a deep breath, “Fine, but I’m not coming home yet. I still want to trail Derrick.”

“I’ll call you with any other details that come up.”

I hang up the phone and make my way back to my car. As I get inside and turn the key in the ignition, I take one last glance at the house, thinking that maybe I’m making the biggest mistake of my life. Should I walk away when I’m so close? I don’t want to jeopardize her safety. If Davis knows anything, it’s the law. So I turn the car into a U-turn and head back into the city.

Raya

I soak my body in the warm water as I wash away my nerves and insecurities. Tonight is another auction for me and Derrick said this one has a high-end client attending, so I can’t fuck this up. I soak in the tub for a few minutes and gather my thoughts. Once my skin is wrinkled, I make my way to my room and get dressed. Once Trish left, I decided to handle everything on my own. I figured there was no point in getting another coach if nothing matters to me anymore. What’s the purpose of looking my best if it’s just going to be ripped off of me anyway?

I decide to wear a red mini skirt with a black lace bra—that’s it—nothing else. I don’t give a shit about what Derrick says. I’m tired of playing his games. He doesn’t like it? Then he can get rid of me because I don’t give a flying fuck. I dry my hair and wrap it up in a tight bun and place a few bobby pins to hold it in place. I apply a dab of lip gloss and a streak of liquid eye liner to accentuate my eyes. No shimmer, no blush, no eye shadow.

I slip into a pair of black pumps and look at myself in the mirror. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight. My ribs are easily visible and the bruises all over my body stand out. They are no longer hidden underneath my provocative clothing. A few minutes later, there’s a knock on my door and West enters the room, shutting the door behind him.

I grunt, ‘What are you doing here?”

He slowly walks up to me, “I just wanted to see you. It’s been a while.”

I huff, “It’s been two weeks. It hasn’t been forever, West.”

He smiles, “So, you’re keeping track. I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

I slap his arm, “Shut up. Now leave before Derrick finds you here. Remember you’re still in hot water for breaking those winners’ legs.”

He scoffs, “That was eight months ago. I doubt he’s still mad at me over that.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised. The man knows how to hold a grudge. Trust me, I know.”

He lowers his saddened eyes to the ground, “I’m sorry you had

to go through that. I tried to talk him out of it.”

I step away from him, “What’s done is done. No point in bringing it up again.”

He steps behind me and wraps his arms around my body. I try to resist his touch but I give in to his calming nature. No matter how hard I try to deny it, I need West. He keeps me grounded and whole. I still have a huge void after the loss of Layla, but having West around slowly fills that void. I rest my head on his shoulder as he cradles me into his strong arms.

He whispers into my ear, “You look gorgeous tonight.”

I sigh, “I look like a slut, that’s what I look like.”