Chapter 31

~ Gabrielle ~

“Come on, Dani.” I grabbed my purse from the table and walked around the corner, where Danny sat on the couch watching television. “We’re going to go.”

He glanced up and muted the sound. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. We haven’t seen Kat in a while, so it will be good to catch up with her. Besides, you’ll be locked away in the studio all night, so you won’t even notice we’re gone. We’ll be back before you show your face again.”

He crossed the room and pulled me against him. “That’s not true. I’ll know you’re gone the whole time, and I’ll worry until you’re back safe and sound.”

I squeezed him tight. “Nothing to worry about, especially with all the extra security.”

“I worry about you, baby. You can’t fault me for that.”

I gave him a quick kiss on his lips. “You’re right, I can’t. I love you.”

“I love you too. Hurry back.” He turned when Dani came around the corner. “Come give your old man a hug, baby girl.” She smiled as she launched herself into his arms and laughed when he gave her a loud smacking kiss. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets like it was killing him to let us leave the house, but he didn’t try to stop us. “Have fun with Kat.” He watched us walk out, and when I glanced over my shoulder, he gave a little wave. “Hurry back.”

After loading Dani into the backseat of my car, a new Cadillac CTS Sports Wagon—which Danny insisted on buying to replace my old beater despite my protests, claiming I needed to think about Dani’s safety rather than my pride—I drove down the driveway with my security detail in tow. I chuckled about how Danny believed he’d slipped it by me. One day, one car followed me, the next day, two, and both stuffed with men. I wasn’t sure what prompted him to make the change, but I’d stopped questioning him or protesting the protection, especially after strangers had approached me while shopping. People recognized me, much to my dismay, and I was never sure how they would react when they did. The last time, to my horror, when an older woman yelled at me about raising a young girl with the devil, I was thankful my security had jumped in to pull the screeching woman away from me. I’d been so shocked by her outrage that I hadn’t been able to turn away, frozen in place by her anger.

Danny must have had a good reason to ask for a couple more guards on my detail, and I assumed the motive behind the increase was due to extra publicity around us. I didn’t like it, but understood it came with being a part of Danny’s life. Moreover, I wanted all the protection I could get for Dani’s sake. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.

~ Danny ~

“D!” Big T came rushing into the studio.

I turned off the beat I was messing with. “What?”

“Did G already take off with Dani?”

“Yeah, they left a little while ago.” I frowned, taking in T’s concerned expression. “Why? What’s going on?”

“I just got the information you were asking for. About Terrell.”

I shot up out of my chair. “And?”

“He’s back, hanging in the old hood, and people are saying he’s dissing you, blaming you for everything because you disrespected him.” He shook his head. “I don’t know, D. I don’t think we should assume it’s safe. We need to warn everyone that he’s hanging around. Especially G.”

“Fuck.” Apparently, Terrell held grudges, and for a very long time. I sighed and hung my head. “I need to let G know.”

I grabbed my phone off the counter and dialed.

~ Gabrielle ~

The car phone rang, and Kat’s name and number appeared on the in-dash display.

“Hey girl, what’s up?” I answered. “We’re on our way.”

“Oh, good. I’m running a little late, but let yourself in. I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

“Okay, sounds good.” A beep sounded through the speakers. I glanced down and Danny’s cell number blinked on the screen. “Sorry. Danny’s trying to call.”

“I’ll let you go.”

“Oh, it’s fine. He’s probably calling to tell me he misses us already. I’ll call him back when we get to your place.”

Kat giggled. “You two are silly.”

I smiled. It was nice to feel wanted and loved. “Anyway, we’re almost there. We’re looking forward to girl time together.”

“Me too!” she squealed. “I’ll see you soon!”

I hung up and a few minutes later, we pulled into Kat’s complex. I walked over to the lead car of my security detail where they were parked on the street.

“She’s not here yet, but we’re just going to go in,” I told the head of my security team, Joe.

“Okay. We’ll be right here if you need us.”

“Thanks, Joe. I hope you guys don’t get too bored hanging out here all night.” I always felt guilty that they spent their time watching my less than exciting life. “You should go get something to eat and come back.”

“We’ll be okay, Gabby. This is what we do. You enjoy yourself and let us know when you’re ready to go.”

Using my key in the front door, I ushered Dani inside. “Make yourself at home, kiddo, but don’t touch anything.”

“I know, Mom.” She headed to the couch and hopped up. “You tell me every time.”

“I tell you every time, because every time, you pick up something you’re not supposed to.”

She worked at the buckle on one of her shoes and rolled her eyes, letting the shoe drop to the floor.

I threw my purse on the table and pulled out my cell phone. Danny had called again and sent a text message. I frowned, wondering what could be the emergency, when a noise caught my attention. I turned toward the hallway at the same time a silhouette emerged from the guest room. When the shadow became solid, the blood drained from my face and spots clouded my vision, my cell phone slipping out of my grasp.

He shouldn’t be here. Why was he here? How did he get in here? He was supposed to be in jail, not standing here in front of me. My mind whirled, trying to make sense of what my eyes were showing me.

He couldn’t be here, not when Dani was with me. I wanted her nowhere near him. Somehow, through the fear racing through me, locking me in place, the thought of my daughter propelled me into action.

“Run, Dani!” I shoved her toward the door.

She hesitated, and that slight pause cost her. I pushed her again, but she tripped over her sandal on the floor and hit the deck.

Terrell strolled over to stand in front of the door with a sneer on his face. “You ain’t going nowhere.”

Tall and thin, with an evil glint in his eye, nothing about him had changed. He’d lived hard and aged, but he looked the same; even gave me the same leering smile as he had in the past. “Hello there, sugar. Long time, no see. I’ve missed you.”

I found my voice as I reached down and shoved Dani behind my legs. “What do you want?”

He glanced down and smiled at Dani, who peeked out from around me. “Well, hello. You must be little D. You look just like your daddy.”

“Don’t talk to her,” I snapped at him, catching him by surprise. “You leave her out of this!”

“Well, well. Aren’t you the little protective momma? I like that, I like that.”

I breathed hard and my gaze followed him as he wandered around the room, like he was out for a Sunday stroll, and when he turned at a wall, I didn’t miss the gun stuffed in the back of his pants. “Please, just leave us alone,” I begged, hoping to reach his compassionate side, if he even had one.

He pretended to think it over. “I could do that.” He saw my eyes dart around the room, searching for something to use as a weapon, or a way out. “Don’t bother trying anything.” He smiled and patted his gun. “I won’t hesitate to use this.”

He paced again and rubbed his chin with his long fingers, as if he was contemplating something. “You see, the way I see it, sweetie. You owe me.”

“Why do I owe you?”

“Well, first you took my boy from me.”

“I didn’t take him from you. He didn’t want to be a part of anything you represented.”

“True, true,” he agreed. “At first, yes, but he would have come around.”

I scoffed. “You wish. He despised what you stood for.”

He lunged at me, his stale breath hot on my cheek, thrusting me back to the night in front of the dance studio. My throat tightened and my head swam.

“He would have come around!” he yelled.

We eyed one another, both of us breathing hard for different reasons—me, because of fear, and him, because of rage—before he inhaled and leaned away.

He cleared his throat and paced again. When there was space between us, my muscles relaxed, but only a fraction.

“Secondly, you and I, we didn’t finish what we started.”

My stomach churned. I dreaded where this was going. “We didn’t start anything.”

“Oh yes, we did, honey. You and I, we gonna finish.” Terrell peered down at Dani and smiled again. “And she gonna watch.”

“You won’t get anywhere.” I tried to put conviction into my voice, even though I wanted to curl up into a ball. “Kat will be home any minute now, and I have a whole security detail right outside the door. One word from me and you’re dead man.”

He shook his head again, like I was a sad little girl. “We won’t be going out that way.” He nodded toward the back bedroom of the apartment. “We going out that way. They won’t even see us.”

I swallowed hard. If we went with him, who knew how long it would be before anyone noticed we were missing. I glanced down at Dani and tried to think of an escape, but my mind was empty. I had nothing. All my hopes of getting away depended on going out the front door, but he was going to make us climb out a window and go straight into the woods that lined the back of the apartment complex.

He pulled the gun from his pants and pointed it at Dani, should there be any thoughts on my part of trying anything. “Let’s go.”

Dani cried out and gripped my legs. I pulled her into my arms, her little body shaking with fright. “Please don’t point that at her.”

“Any funny business and she’s…poof.”

“You’re sick.” When he lifted the gun again, I held up my hands. “Okay, okay. We’re going.”

I willed myself not to let the tears fall as I led the way out of the apartment. I had no idea what lay ahead for Dani and me, but one thing I knew for sure. The nightmare was only beginning.