villa all by myself. Trina was ready to hit the casino before she even unpacked her bags. I told her to go ahead. I was one who could do without the casino. I was calling the masseuse to bring me some vanilla-scented candles and to arrange for my full-body massage. It was about to be on right there in the next room.
“I feel lucky, sis! You sure you don’t want to go?” Trina was standing at the front door, ready to get her gamble on, and was trying one more time to get me to hang out with her.
“I’m sure,” I told her as I waved her out the door. I was anxious to enjoy some solitude. No kids, no Kyra, and No Trae.
• • •
By ten thirty, Trina was back and all gambled out. I had ordered a birthday cake and took the bubbly from our bar, and she’d managed to get some weed from somewhere. We celebrated Stephon as if he was there. We danced, we laughed, we cried, we drank, and we even prayed. We celebrated our cousin’s birthday until two in the morning. I didn’t even think about Trae or start to miss him until I woke up the next day around noon.
I felt around for my phone to see if I’d missed anything and saw my text messages. The first was, of course, from Trae: I’ll be in tonight u better have ur ass home. Kyra’s said: Marva called the kids r fine. I sent Marva a text: Keep an eye on Caliph.
I pinned my hair up and ran me a nice bathtub of bubbly water. The hot tub was big enough for four. Before I got in, I called room service and ordered myself some blueberry pancakes, a vegetable omelet, and fried potatoes.
I didn’t know where Trina was, but again, she left me all alone, and I had no problems with that. She was acting like a kid who had just arrived at Disney World. Silly ho!
I stepped into my pool of bubbles and actually relaxed and got my weed on. The water was nice and hot, and my vanilla-scented candles made the atmosphere just right. I was feeling real nice, and my muscles were relaxed. The massage I had was just what the doctor ordered. I closed my eyes and began to erase everything. I soaked until my fingertips began to wrinkle up, which was my cue to get out. Before I could oil my skin down, our personal butler was at the door.
“Perfect timing!” I mumbled as I tightened the towel on my head, wrapped and tied a knot in the towel around my body. I went to the door, stood behind it, and opened it.
“Room service!” the slim butler in full uniform announced as he pushed the cart inside, handing me the slip to sign.
“Thank you,” I told him. “Your tip will be on here, too.”
“Will there be anything else, madam?”
“No, thank you.”
“I’m just a call away,” he reminded me as he took the slip and disappeared out the door.
As I went to close the door all the way and lock it, I was stopped. Trina had finally decided to bring her ass in. “Where have you been?” I asked, walking over to the food cart and noticing the bottle of wine and two glasses on the cart, items that I didn’t order.
“I was wondering the same thing about you.” His voice was a whisper, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. I damn near snapped my neck as I turned around and stood face-to-face with Kyron. Here I was standing naked except for a towel wrapped around the top half of my body. I didn’t know whether to run or scream. As if he was reading my mind, Kyron said, “Relax, Shorty. I’ve seen you naked before.”
“What are you doing here, Kyron? I want you to leave.” I went to the door, and he moved in front of it. I was trying my best not to panic.
“Not before you have a drink with me,” he whispered. He turned around and put the lock on the door. He took off his jacket that went with a three-piece Armani suit. There was a burner tucked down in the front of his pants. He folded the jacket and laid it across the back of the sofa.
“Kyron, please. I need you to leave.” I started trying to figure out why he was here. How he knew I was here, how he got