Page 66 of Love Sanctioned

I looked out of the window and sure as hell we were parked outside the community center. Moments like this let me know I got lost in Karsyn. It was like my mind went blank enough for me to only think about her. It was wild, and when we first met, it threw me off because I questioned how one person could be so damn mind-blowing. It was more than her features, but everything to do with who she was, her personality, and most of all, her heart.

I pushed thoughts of my baby to the back of my head as we exited the car. The three of us walked toward the entrance of the medium size building. Upon entry, I played the background, looking around, because we all knew Killah was the talker. I didn’t know what he said, but ol’ girl was smiling hard within seconds and pointing to the opposite hall from where we were standing.

When we reached the gym, my eyes found her easily. She looked just like her ID badge image in her file, down to the ponytail pushed neatly to the back of her head.

“Kal, take the track,” I said to him, motioning toward the stairs leading to a track above the gym.

“Tavern McDanial, right?” Killah said as we approached where she stood at the halfcourt line.

She scrunched her face. “Who wants to know?”

“Posydiann Murphy.”

She blinked several times before her eyes went to Killah who walked right past her toward the kids bouncing balls and lollygagging.

“What are you doing here?” She looked around, checking her surroundings. She knew she was outnumbered and realized she had about twelve kids with her, including her own, so she looked back at me.

“I heard you’ve been looking for me. Figured we could converse.”

She shook her head, eyes filled with fire. She didn’t like that I was able to come here and know where she was. “You coming here is mighty ballsy. But I can’t say I didn’t expect it.”

“Maybe, but your taskforce tearing up my shit, ain’t they?” I looked around, my eyes landing on the crowd of kids now surrounding Killah as he shot threes with one of the balls.

“I have no choice. Your name is on a list. But for good reason, I guess, because you’re here to threaten me, right?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m here to make you an offer.”

She looked me up and down. “And that is? Because I have no control over the names on that list.”

“Maybe you don’t, but you’re aware of the names that make the list and I’m sure there is some information you can float from time to time. Right?”

“I’m listening.”

“Who appoints the names to the list?” I asked, fully prepared to hear her tell me the police chief. He needed some gold stars for the city, so it was right up his alley.

“Mayor Winston. My taskforce is federally funded, so it’s all based on special requests to the governor made by him. He gives the names and we execute.”

“Oh really?” I pulled at the hair on my chin.

“May I ask you something?” Her attention was also on Killah with the kids.

I nodded. “Shoot.”

“How did you get my name?”

“Mayor Winston.”

“That fat fucker. He warned me about you only to warn you about me.”

I nodded. “It’ll be handled. Now how much?”

“However much my intel is worth. You seem like a fair man and you seem to be running a whole sector of a city.”

“Who else do you do business with?”

“From time to time, Kolton Curr, and that’s only to make sure he knows which radars his business is on, if any.”

I nodded, then pointed up to Kal. “He’ll be in touch.”