“I’ll be right back, baby. Just rest,” he said as he stepped into the hallway with Monte. I watched them through the small window in the door. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, it had Kellon clenching his jaw and staring angrily off into space. His whole demeanor had changed. He wrapped up the conversation quickly and entered the room like nothing had changed, but something had changed.

He slid into the bed beside me as carefully as he could, curling his body around mine. One hand rested gently on my belly. He was quiet like he was deep in his thoughts.

“What did Monte say?” I asked. He hesitated before leaning over to kiss my cheek.

“Nothing you need to worry about. Just focus on looking pretty and getting better.”

I stared at him. I knew Kellon. I knew when he was holding something in. I saw it in his eyes just like I’d seen the way my attacker was aiming for my stomach.

This wasn’t a robbery.

This was Reggie.

Chapter 24

Phileigh hadn’t even been out of the hospital for twenty-four hours, but the media was already swarming on her story. I had Ma working on getting the security camera footage of the incident taken down. The articles flew in from every direction, and every new headline felt like I was reliving the nightmare over and over again and failing to protect her. I never thought I’d see the day when Hollywood Tea Room had the most respectful headline. I stared down at my phone, shaking my head.

@hollywoodtearoom: Attendees, looks like Kellon’s Barne’s pregnant girlfriend Phileigh Read was attacked in broad daylight. Sources say it was an armed robbery gone bad. Attendees, send your prayers for the couple.

I swiped out of social media and threw my phone onto the passenger seat like it burned. The headlines were everywhere, dissecting Phileigh’s trauma like it was their business with no regard for what she had been through.

My eyes locked on Reggie’s house as we pulled up.

“In and out,” I muttered, cracking my knuckles.

“In and out,” Lolo repeated beside me, greasing her hands with cocoa butter like she was prepping for an old fashioned street fight.

Monte opened the car door for us, giving me a silent nod. This wasn’t his first rodeo helping me handle business. The first time it was that drunk bastard that had ran his eighteen-wheeler into me and Jeronee. We marched up the driveway like we owned it and slipped through the side garage entrance.

Reggie’s housekeepers didn’t so much as blink when they saw us—just pointed upstairs with a glance and stepped aside. I’d paid them good money this morning not to see or hear shit, and they were earning every dime.