Her Kind of Man (23 page)

L
ater on, Allina suggested they meet their friends at the Ice Box for dinner. When they walked in hand in hand, she suddenly felt nervous.
Would they know?
It had been on her mind on the car ride over and she wondered if her friends would be able to take a look at her and see that she and Kent had done it.

The crew was already seated at their private booth. Morgan and Red were in a heated discussion about the NBA playoffs and Cali and Syd were discussing wedding stuff.

Syd noticed them first and waved them over. “Hey, guys! Get on over here. We were wondering when you two would show up.”

Allina felt a blush creep up her neck when she thought about why they were late. Kent had decided to teach her a little lesson in sixty-nine. She didn't think she'd be able to see after that experience. She found herself looking forward to his teachings. She wanted to learn everything he wanted to teach her.

Allina slid into the booth next to Syd and Kent pulled up an extra chair and immediately rested his hand on her knee.

“Girl, you look radiant,” Cali said, taking a sip of wine. “You're glowing. What have you been doing?”

As if it wasn't bad enough that Cali had called her out in front of everybody, the table descended into silence as every single one of her friends sat there and studied her like she was a lab specimen.

Morgan frowned. “Cali is right, for once. You look good, girl.”

Red winked at her. “Mmm-hmm. Looks like someone showed someone else that leg.”

Allina's gaze darted to Syd's smiling eyes, then to Red's smirk, and finally Cali's mischievous grin.
They know
. Her eyes snapped to Kent. He shrugged at her, but she hadn't mistaken the glint in his eyes.

Sinking down in her seat, she yelled, “Stop looking at me like that, shit!”

That made matters worse because they all fell out laughing—even Kent.
Traitor
. She pushed his hand off her knee.

“Come on, baby,” Kent said, picking up her hand and giving it a little squeeze. “I didn't mean to laugh, but you cursed. And that
is
funny.”

He stood up, planted a scorching kiss to her lips, and motioned for the fellas to join him at the bar.

Once they were gone, Cali leaned forward. “All right, now…spill.”

“Yes,” Syd agreed, fanning herself. “Because Kent just laid one on you and it was hot!”

Oh Lord
. “You two need to quit,” Allina said. “What happened between us is nobody's business.”

Allina knew her friends wouldn't let it go, so she braced herself for the barrage of questions.

“Oooh, you did it,” Syd said, wiggling her eyebrows. Her friend tapped a nail on the table. “Look at you, Allina. You're relaxed…you even walk different.”

“And you got your hair all out, on full display,” Cali added.

Allina rolled her eyes. Cali had been telling her for years to let her hair free and stop wearing buns and ponytails.

“Okay,” Allina admitted, glancing behind her for Kent. “I did.”

Cali and Syd gave each other a high five and burst into another fit of giggles. Allina whispered to the ladies about her night with Kent, making sure she checked over her shoulder for the guys because she'd hate for them to hear her.

Once she finished her story, she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “So, there you have it. No more details.” Allina wanted to keep the best parts to herself.

Syd gave her a hug. “I'm so happy for you. More importantly, I'm happy that you are happy.”

Allina was happy. It was the happiest she'd ever been. “I am. I remember in college when you two would talk about sex, I would think about the person special enough to pop
my
apple.”

Cali's mouth fell open. “Your apple?”

Allina's gaze darted back and forth between her two best friends. “Yes. You know the saying…popping your apple?”

Syd snickered. “Allina, baby.” She patted Allina's hand gently. “I really am so ecstatic that you've experienced something so wonderful with the right person. But I think you mean ‘cherry.'”

Her friends once again laughed at her. She jumped when her phone vibrated. Shaking her head at her giggling girlfriends, she answered the call. It was her father's number.

“Hi, Daddy,” she chirped. Allina had wanted to call her parents all day, especially her mother, because they could talk about anything. But she hadn't gotten around to it.

There was no answer. “Dad?” she called again. Hanging up, she frowned. She had a fleeting thought about the time Isaac had called her from her mother's phone, then dismissed it. Isaac was in jail. Or at least she hoped he was.

Her father had told her that he would fight to have bail denied. Knowing Judge knew plenty of people made her feel secure.

“Is everything okay?” Syd asked, the glee in her eyes replaced with concern. “Was that your dad?”

Allina shrugged. “It was his number, but when I picked up, no one was on the line.”

“Maybe the call dropped or something?” Cali suggested.

“Yeah, you're probably right,” Allina said. “I'll call him later. Better yet, let me use one of the offices to call him now. Do you mind?”

“Sure,” Syd said. “Use mine.”

Allina got up and headed toward the back of the bar where the offices were. She hoped everything was okay.

Kent watched as Allina got up and went to the back of the bar. He'd asked the guys to join him at the bar specifically because he thought Allina might need a minute with her girls. He was curious about the conversation because of all the laughter. At one point, he'd seen Cali and Syd throw each other a high five and he wondered what exactly they were chatting about. Obviously, it was about him and Allina, but he would probably never know what Allina had shared with her friends.

Although he'd had every intention of moving slowly with Allina, in the end he couldn't do it. She'd let him make love to her. She'd trusted him with her body. He had to live up to it. That's why he'd confessed his love to her. He felt she deserved to know his true feelings. And he'd meant every word he'd said to her.

Now what?
It wasn't like they had specifically determined they would live together, get married, and start a family. She was already staying there, but knowing Allina, she wouldn't want to live with him permanently. Kent wanted her to stay; he wanted her with him every day. As far as he was concerned, they'd wasted enough time. But he figured he had to let things come organically if he wanted their relationship to last.

He felt the smack of Red's hand on his back. “So, you and Allina? Together or nah?”

Morgan barked out a laugh and gulped his beer down. “I would say together, judging by that public display of affection earlier.”

Kent shook his head. “Whatever. Shut the hell up. Did I clown you when you were chasing after Cali's ass, Red? Or you, Morgan, when you were sleeping with your brother's ex?”

Morgan scowled. “Low blow, brother.”

Kent knew Morgan wasn't really hurt or offended. Throwing barbs, showing no mercy…that was their way of bonding. But they always told the truth to each other, no matter what. It was a code he tried to live by in everything. The truth hurt only when you tried not to face it. It was best to take the pain with the punches, and keep it moving.

“Yeah, man.” Red asked the bartender to bring them another round of beer. “When did this become about us? For once,
you're
in the hot seat. I seem to remember you gladly dispensing your opinion when I was going through with Cali.”

“Oh, yeah,” Morgan agreed. “He had a lot to say when I was dealing with my shit.”

Speaking of Morgan's
shit
, Kent asked, “Did Mama tell you about Den?” On their way to the bar, Mama had called Kent to tell him that Den had checked himself out of the hospital and disappeared. “She can't reach him.”

Morgan grumbled. “Yeah. I'm not sure what she expects me to do. When I wanted to go see him at the hospital, she told me not to because she thought it would set him off. Honestly, I don't want to see him anyway.”

Morgan had basically put his own life on hold multiple times for Den, and Kent couldn't blame him for feeling the way he did. But he also understood why Den didn't want to see Morgan. He hated being in the middle, but his main concern was his mother.

“Mama's worried. I don't want her stressing herself out. She's getting older, tired. She started smoking again. I don't like that,” Kent said. His mother was the ultimate caregiver. It made her feel good. To know that she couldn't help her own son was driving her crazy.

“Yeah, she even called me,” Red confessed. “Even knowing I can't stand Den. She asked me to check in with some of my contacts in the police department. She said she'd be willing to pay someone to find Den.”

It didn't surprise Kent that his mother had called Red. She was desperate. “Well, if it makes her feel better, help her.”

“I couldn't tell her no,” Red said. “I'm going to make a few calls—for Mama. But I'll tell you this…if Den does anything else to hurt Syd, I will fuck him up. I'm sick of him.”

Kent nodded. He understood Red's frustration with Den. Shit, he was frustrated with his brother and growing weary of Den's antics.

“Enough talking about that asshole,” Red said. “You just need to come out with it. What's going on with you and Allina?”

“Shut the hell up, man,” Kent said. “I'm not telling you shit.”

“Well, how about I tell you something?” his friend said. “Don't fuck it up. Allina is a good girl. She's like a sister to me. I'll have to kick your ass if you hurt her.”

Kent snorted and waved his friend off. “Please.”

“I'm serious,” Red said.

“Bruh, are you sure you know what you're doing?” Morgan asked. “Women like Allina are not to be played with.”

“Did I say I was playing with her?” Kent opened his new bottle of beer and took a swig. “I know who Allina is, better than you and Red. I know what I'm doing.”

“Just go ahead and admit you're so gone.” Morgan twirled his beer bottle in circles on the bar top. “You know you love that girl.”

Red laughed. “Exactly.”

Kent glanced at his watch. It had been more than a few minutes since Allina went into the back. He'd wait a little before he went to check on her.

“I told y'all, I'm not telling you shit.” He tipped his bottle toward them. “Drink up.”

A few minutes later, Kent knocked on the office door and peeked in. The office was in shambles; papers were strewn everywhere. The chair was tipped over, drawers were pulled out. And Allina was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees.

Rushing to her, he knelt down in front of her. “What's wrong?” He brushed her curls back. When she peered up at him, he noticed her tearstained cheeks and puffy eyes. Clenching his jaw, he asked, “What happened, Allina?”

“I called my dad.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Isaac was released on bail. Well, actually on personal recognizance. I guess his father pulled some strings in the governor's office.”

He clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together. The thought of that man running free made his blood run cold. “Did your father say anything else?”

“Just that he would put his guy back on him, to keep an eye on him.” She peered up at him, through wet lashes. “I thought it was over. I thought Isaac was out of my life for good.” She let out a bitter snicker. “Basically, he really is making my life a living hell.”

“Son of a bitch,” Kent grumbled, cracking his neck from side to side.

“When I got the call from my dad's phone and he didn't answer, I was so worried that something had happened to him. Will it always be like this?” she cried.

He pulled her into his arms, stroking her back tenderly, whispering words of comfort to her. If only he could punch a wall or somebody's face, anything to relieve the tension that had set into his bones. Somehow he didn't think his partners would understand if he stomped out to the bar and started a fight with one of the patrons.

“Isaac threatened my father,” she murmured.

Jerking his head back, he frowned. “What?”

Allina disclosed the details of her phone conversation with her father. “When Isaac was released from custody, he phoned Daddy and threatened him, my mother, and, of course, me.”

Fortunately, Judge wasn't easily intimidated. The protective husband and father had threatened to slap Isaac with a Personal Protection Order if he didn't stop harassing them.

“But knowing Daddy, he probably issued a threat of his own,” she continued.

Kent glared at everything, but nothing in particular—the wall, the stupid little calendar Syd had on her desk with that old lady saying stupid things about men, the plant that was almost dead on the windowsill.

He inhaled deeply as she finished her story, hanging on to the little bit of control he had left. His temper was dangling from a short, thin piece of thread and he was liable to blow.

“Something in me just snapped,” she explained, gesturing to the mess around them. “I'm so damn frustrated,” she shouted. “I want him out of my life.”

Her eyes were fierce with determination as she went into her plan. Kent listened as she told him she still wanted to go back to Cleveland in the next week. She wanted to go to the church to speak with Isaac's father, Bishop Hunter. If he couldn't get Isaac to back off, no one could. If that didn't work, she'd press charges herself for harassment.

“I'm done hiding from him,” she hissed. “I'm not going to take this lying down anymore.” She stood up and brushed off her clothes. “I uprooted my whole life, left my stuff behind to get away from him. He thinks he can just control me with fear and intimidation.” She paced the office, swinging her arms out in frustration. “I'm happy. I'm finally content with my life and he can't take that from me. I won't let him. Damn it, he will not win this fight.”