Page 89 of Omar

"He's dedicated."

"He's insane and dedicated." She almost smiled. "He didn't say a word, Ash. Not one. He came through that door and I didn't even hear it open. Just felt the air change. Next thing I know there's a man crouching in front of me with a blade cutting the ties off my wrists and he hasn't made a single sound. Scariest and most beautiful thing I ever saw." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "He walked me out, put me in a car, drove me here. The whole time he was calm. Calmer than anyone's got a right to be after taking down three armed men."

I held her tighter. Her body was warm against mine, real, present, breathing.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "This happened because of me."

"Stop." Her voice was firm. "This happened because of Supreme. Don't you ever put his actions on yourself, Asha Cole. I helped you get out because you're my person. I'd do it again tomorrow. Supreme snatching me up doesn't change that."

The apartment was quiet around us. Omar's apartment, with his sparse furniture and his clean counters and Portia's food in the fridge. The man who'd rescued my best friend was downstairs in a car heading to his brother's house to plan the next move. My best friend was alive, breathing against my shoulder, her wrists raw but her voice strong.

I found the blanket on the arm of the couch and pulled it over both of us. Nene adjusted herself against my side, her head finding the spot on my shoulder where it fit.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"His boy James? The one who came in through the back?" She paused. "He fine as hell."

I laughed. It came out wet and ragged but it was real. "Nene. You've been kidnapped for ten hours and you're checking out the rescue team."

"Girl, I been looking at concrete walls all day. Let me appreciate something." She closed her eyes. "We're gonna be okay, right?"

"Yeah." I pulled the blanket tighter around both of us. "We're gonna be okay."

She fell asleep within minutes. I stayed awake, my arm around her shoulders, listening to her breathe. The ice was melting in the dish towel on the coffee table. The streetlight was coming through Omar's blinds.

My best friend was safe. The man I loved was out there handling things. Supreme didn't know his leverage was gone yet.

Tomorrow everything would change. But tonight Nene was asleep on my shoulder and that was enough.

After a while I shook her gently. "Come on. Let's get you to bed." She mumbled something incoherent but let me pull her up from the couch and walk her to Omar's bedroom. I found her a towel and one of Omar's t-shirts. She changed without opening her eyes fully, crawled under the covers, and was gone again before her head hit the pillow. I took the left side, pulled the blanket over both of us, and closed my eyes.

Chapter 35

Asha

Iwoke up to the sound of cabinets opening and closing in the kitchen. Nene's side of the bed was empty, the pillow still dented where her head had been, Omar's oversized t-shirt gone from where she'd draped it over the headboard.

I got up, pulled on a hoodie, and walked out to find Nene standing in front of Omar's open cabinets with her hands on her hips and an expression on her face that I recognized from every apartment she'd ever stayed in.

"Where does this man keep his mugs?" she demanded without turning around. "I found plates, bowls, glasses, a protein shaker, and something that might be a vase. No mugs."

"Top shelf. Behind the cereal."

"Behind the cereal." She reached up, found them, pulled two down. "Who puts mugs behind cereal? That's psychotic behavior."

"He lives alone, Nene."

"That's not an excuse. It's a diagnosis." She filled the kettle, plugged it in, then turned around and leaned against the counter. The t-shirt hung past her knees. Her wrists were still red where the zip ties had been, the marks visible against her skin like bracelets she hadn't chosen.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked.

"Like somebody who spent ten hours tied to a chair." She rubbed her left wrist absently. "My shoulders are killing me. You know they tied my arms behind the chair for the first few hours? Then one of them came in, looked at the ties, and moved them to the front. Said 'the boss wants her comfortable.' Comfortable. Like comfort was even on the table at that point."

"Nene."

"I'm fine, Ash." She held up her hand. "I'm processing. Let me process."