Page 100 of Addicted

And I meant it with everything in me.

I loved this crazy, possessive, dangerous man, and there was no going back.

Chapter 19

Stone

Two months had gone by since that day at the crash pad when Indie told me she loved me. Two months since I’d said it back. Two months since everything changed.

I gripped the steering wheel of my Bentley, cruising down the highway toward the estate. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. I had the windows cracked, letting the cool evening air flow through the car.

My mind was on everything and nothing all at once.

Business had been running smooth as hell lately. No more robberies. No more security breaches. Money was flowing in from all the traps, product was moving, and my soldiers were staying in line. Everything was operating exactly how it should.

But that original leak that led to the shipment robbery months ago still hadn’t been identified. And that shit made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like not knowing who the fuck had been running their mouth in my organization.

Wes was still putting in work. Still showing up and handling his business. But something about that nigga still felt off to me. Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it was instinct. Either way, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right with him.

But Kenzo had been keeping an eye on him, andwe still didn’t have solid proof. I trusted Zo to handle it. So, for now, Wes was still breathing. Still working. Still being watched.

I switched lanes, passing a slow-moving truck, my mind drifting to Indie. It always drifted to Indie these days. After we said “I love you” to each other, I’d started letting her come to LA once a week to see Aurora.

I understood that she needed it. Needed to get out of the estate, see her best friend, feel like a normal person for a few hours. And I couldn’t deny her that.

Not when she looked at me with those big brown eyes and demanded it, refusing to take no for an answer. Not when making her happy had become the most important thing in my life.

So, every week, I had Javion and Troy take her to the city. They stayed with her the whole time. They were armed, alert, and ready to handle any threat. In this game, niggas would try to come for her to get at me, and I couldn’t let that shit happen.

Sometimes Ishmael went with her. Got to see his old friends from his previous school, hang out in the city for a bit. The lil’ nigga was doing good. Better than I expected, honestly. He’d adjusted to his new school, was making friends, staying out of trouble. And he respected me now.

I could see it in the way he looked at me, the way he talked to me. He knew I’d spared his life when I didn’t have to. Knew I was taking care of him and his sister. He was grateful.

I took the exit toward the estate, my thoughts still on Indie.

She had me wrapped around her finger in a way Inever thought was possible. Never thought I’d allow.

I was Stone. Maximus “Stone” Wright. The coldest, most ruthless nigga in Southern California. I didn’t do feelings. I didn’t do attachments. Didn’t let anyone get close enough to have power over me.

Indie was the one soft spot in my life. The one weakness. If she wasn’t happy with me, I couldn’t even relax until we were back good. I couldn’t focus on business, couldn’t think straight. It fucked with my head in a way nothing else ever had.

I couldn’t believe I’d let someone have this much control over my emotions. That I’d allowed myself to fall this deep. But here I was, completely in love with this woman.

I was hooked on everything about her. The way she smiled, the way she breathed, the way she existed. I’d kill for her without hesitation. Die for her if it came to that. And that realization that I’d put her above everything, even my own survival, should’ve scared me but it didn’t.

Because loving Indie felt right. It felt like the only real thing in my life.

I pulled up to the gate of the estate, nodding at the armed guards as they opened it for me.

Home.

I parked the Bentley in the driveway and killed the engine, sitting there for a moment.

Tonight was the night. I was going to tell Indie and Ish about the trip I’d been planning. A surprise getaway to St. John in the Virgin Islands. Four days at a private villa with a full staff. We were flying out on a private jet this weekend.

I’d invited Kenzo, who was still messing aroundwith Aurora. That nigga was sprung as hell over her, which was perfect because I knew Indie would want her best friend there. Indie didn’t know yet, and neither did Ish. But I was about to tell them.

I grabbed my phone and got out of the car, heading toward the front door.