Page 11 of Kissed By the Trillest Thug 2

My heart started beating faster. This was stupid. This was definitely stupid. But the second the gate started opening, I put my car in drive. The person in front of me rolled through like they belonged there, and I stayed close enough behind them that there wasn’t time for the gate to close between us. My whole body was tense as I crossed through, waiting for a horn, a camera flash, a security guard, or something to tell me I had been caught. But nothing happened.

The gate closed behind me. I let out a shaky breath, glancing in the rearview mirror like I expected my father’s truck to appear out of nowhere. It didn’t. This wasn’t the kind of thing that Idid. Yes, there were nights when I did sneak out, but Tahari’s car was always posted outside of those mansion gates. This was different. This was me being beyond risky, and although it shook me to the core, I had to admit that it was also thrilling.

The community was quiet, too quiet for how loud my thoughts were. I drove slowly through the lot, passing rows of cars and buildings that all looked the same in the dark. I had been here enough times to know where I was going. But I drove slowly, hesitantly. Like every turn was taking me closer to something I wasn’t ready for. When I finally pulled into a parking space near his building, I sat there for a second without moving. The apartment complex looked normal. Peaceful, even. Most of the windows were dark, and nothing about it gave away the feeling tearing through me. I checked my phone one more time. Still nothing. My throat tightened.

“Okay,” I whispered to myself, even though I didn’t feel okay at all.

I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the car. I made sure to lock the doors behind me before making my way toward the building. I would never lock my car doors when parked in the driveway at home. However, I knew that although Tahari’s community was nice, somebody would still rob in this part of town without thinking twice. The closer I got to his building, the more my nerves started acting up. Every step made me think about turning around, but the thought of going back home without answers made me keep moving.

The hallway was quiet when I stepped inside. Too quiet. My footsteps sounded louder than they should have against the floor, and I held my keys tightly in my hand as I moved down the hall. I knew his door before I reached it. I knew the little mark near the frame and the way the number sat slightly crooked. I stood in front of his door for a minute. I had stood there too many times waiting for him to unlock the door for us. He alwayshad a smile on his face when he brought me over here, even if it was just for an hour. Tonight, there was no smile waiting for me.

Just a closed door. My chest was rising and falling with a breath I couldn’t quite control. After attempting to get my breathing under control. I lifted my hand and knocked.

TRIGGA

My eyes opened the second I heard the knocking. For a moment, I just stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out if I had actually heard something or if the medication was messing with me. The apartment went quiet again. Then it came back.

Knock. Knock

A frown pulled at my face as I shifted in the bed. Instantly, pain shot through my arm.

“Shit.”

I squeezed my eyes shut for a second before opening them again. The throbbing settled right back in, and it was deep and constant. Getting shot wasn’t something you forgot overnight. I reached over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. 4:24 a.m. My brows pulled together.

Who the hell was knocking on my door at four in the morning? Nobody came over here.

After I had gotten a little bit of strength, Ghost had taken my car to a self-carwash to clean all of my blood out of it. My baby was nice and spotless now. After that, he had driven me home with Ms. Gia trailing behind him to take him back, but that was hours ago. He left my car outside of his spot and toldme he would clean it up for me. Outside of him, there wasn’t anybody that knew where I had lived. The knocking came again. It wasn’t banging, it was steady. Almost patient-like, whoever was standing outside had every intention of waiting me out. I sat up slowly and listened. Another knock followed. I sucked my teeth. They weren’t leaving. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and pushed myself upright. The room tilted slightly before settling. I waited a second before moving toward the dresser. I slid the top drawer open and my fingers wrapped around the pistol resting inside.

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was somebody at the wrong apartment. But one thing I wasn’t about to do was answer a door at this time in the morning empty-handed, not after the kind of yesterday I’d had. I adjusted my grip before making my way out of the bedroom. The apartment was dark and quiet as I moved through it.

Knock. Knock

The sound echoed again. I frowned. The whole situation felt strange. The closer I got to the front door, the more that thought stuck with me. Whoever was standing outside wasn’t there by accident. They came for me. I stopped beside the door and listened. But I heard nothing. There were no voices and no movement.

When I moved into this apartment, I thought it was odd that the peephole was painted shut, but for the price and the area I didn’t question it. Now I regretted not having one. I unlocked the deadbolt. Then I pulled the door open. The second I saw who was standing there, my grip loosened around the pistol.

“Maliah?”

For a moment, I honestly thought I was still asleep. Because there was no way Maliah Browne was standing outside my apartment at four o’clock in the morning.

For a second, neither one of us moved. I just stood there staring at her. And she stared right back at me. The hallway suddenly felt a lot smaller, a lot quieter. After everything that happened yesterday, she was probably the last person I expected to see standing outside my apartment. Her eyes moved over my face slowly, almost like she was checking to make sure I was real. Then I watched something in her relax. The tension that had been sitting in her shoulders eased slightly, and for the first time since I opened the door, I realized exactly what I was looking at.

It was relief. I could tell that she had been worried, really worried. The realization hit me harder than I expected. She really loves me. I could see the tears build in her eyes, and I had to turn my head away for a second so that I didn’t get choked up my damn self.

“Thank God.”

Her words came out so quietly I almost missed them. Before I could respond, her expression changed. The relief disappeared almost as quickly as it came. Her brows pulled together, her eyes were narrowed, and just like that, the anger showed up.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

I blinked.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?” she asked.

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. Because honestly? It was a fair question.