Page 100 of Serenity
He flipped the lid off the old Magnanni shoe box. “This ain’t shit. These are old tapes. Most of them are from my younger years, before I even got married. Most except—”
“The one of you and her.”
Absently, he shook his head. Unable to place if it was disappointment or frustration, I didn’t address it.
“Did you watch any of them?”
Wildly, my lashes fanned my face. “No. I can’t handle that.”
“You handled it just fine when you were at Genevieve. Or when you were swiping through my phone that night,” he clipped, reminding me of the night we met. “What’s so different now?”
“What so different?” I scoffed. “Nigga, the difference between now and then is I love you, and I don’t expect my man to be keeping these types of things stored in the closet we share. I don’t expect my man to keep this type of shit from me.”
“Bee, the motherfucking tapes are old. Some of them even show me with longer hair, and all of them show me without a gray patch clinging to my chin. These tapes and the bitches on them don’t mean shit to me.”
He rose, causing the chair to scrape the floor as he did so. Ambling to the bedroom, my eyes stalked his presence until I could no longer see him. Indistinctly, I heard him on the phone before he returned to where I was still sitting. Collecting the tapes and stuffing them under one arm, he outstretched his free arm in my direction.
“Come on.”
“Where—”
“Serenity,” firm and even, he said my name. It wasn’t a request.
His tone. I’d heard it over Zoom calls. Phone calls. In all matters of business, he’d put it to use. Seldom did he use it with me. It was both startling and arousing. And I hated my pussy for responding when we were supposed to be upset. From where I was seated, I looked up, chancing a gaze into fiery cinnamon eyes.
“Now.”
Patience depleted, the fire deepened.
Grabbing his hand, I followed behind as he stalked toward the front door. Not bothering with the hard bottoms he’d worn earlier, he slid into his Gucci slides and motioned for me to put on a pair of shoes as well.
The slamming of the penthouse door caused me to jump once we were on the other side of it. Duke, noticing my discomfort, dragged me closer to his frame. Down the hall and elevator, we ventured until we made it to the front lobby.
Outside, Reed awaited us near the black SUV.
“Where are we going, Duke?” Again, I sought to satisfy my curiosity as my ass slid against the leather seats.
“To put your fears to rest.”
EXTORTION
In silence, we rode toward Anderson Mills. My attention was focused on the outside world, but my fingers were tangled with Serenity’s. Every attempt to free herself from my grasp was met with willful refusal. Tightening my grasp, I asserted my stance. I wasn’t letting go. Never letting go.
Reed came to a stop at the massive family estate boasting several houses on the property. At the gate, he entered the access code, prompting it to open and allow us entry. In the center of the wraparound drive was a large fountain. Three massive homes were stationed across the property. We pulled into the drive of the smallest one. My home on the estate before I’d gotten married.
For years, it sat unoccupied. My desire to maintain my privacy was the cause. Despite having a separate home from my father and grandfather, they still were able to be a pain when they got ready. To rectify the problem, I opted for the penthouse after selling the mansion. Healthy maintenance of our relationship required distance.
Without hesitation, I exited the backseat, grabbed the box of tapes, and reached for Bee’s hand. Following my lead, she stepped out of the back and waited for what was yet to come.
With the press of a button, I opened the garage, causing her to jump yet again. A frown disfigured my features in response, but that didn’t stop me from eating our distance and grabbing ahold of her waist.
Peaches and hibiscus.
The scent of that shit could put me in a frenzy. The prospect of losing her—losing that scent to some bullshit had already catapulted me there.
“Why you so jumpy, hmm? You think I’d do anything to hurt you?”
I knew the reason for her shifty behavior. She’d never witnessed this side of me. The side of desperation. The side of exasperation. Of frustration. It was new territory for us both.