AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Anyway.” Roc’s gaze traveled to me sitting at the sink bowl with the towel still wrapped around my head, my hair forgotten. “What’s up, Atlas? Fuck did you do to my boy last night?”
“Nothing he didn’t deserve,” I shot back. “But did he also tell you he tied me up and locked me in his trunk?”
Roc’s brows shot to his hairline, telling me all I needed to know. Rowdy had conveniently left that part out.
“Stop playing games with that man, and maybe he won’t have to act so crazy.”
I shook my head at his ignorance. “Roc, you and I both know Owen was crazy before he met me. I am not responsible for his complete lack of respect for human decency.”
“Oh, Owen, huh?” Roc said, completely ignoring everything else I’d said. “Yeah, okay. Sounds to me like he’s not the only one playing crazy.” He dismissed me and regarded Demi. “Did Golden say where he was going? He’s not answering his phone.”
“No, Roc. Contrary to what you must think, I do not keep your best friend or anything concerning you in my back pocket.”
“Yeah, all right.” He frowned as he lifted his phone and dialed Golden again with no answer. “Fuck, man,” he spat as he hung up. “Come on, baby girl. We got to go.”
“Noooo!” Halo, who had been silently playing with Demi’s supplies, ran to hug her leg from behind. “I want to stay with Demi.”
“Well, you can’t, but if you come with Daddy, I’ll get you some ice cream.”
“No. I don’t even like ice cream.”
“Oh, word? So I should just throw out all those ice pops you made me buy when we get home, huh?”
Halo seemed to consider it for a moment before looking up at Demi. “Demi, you buy me ice cream?”
I chuckled under my breath. Halo had to be the most cunning four-year-old I’d ever met.
“Hmmm.” Demi pretended to think. “How about this? You be a good girl and go with your father, and I’ll fix your ponytails before you go.”
“Umm… you buy me Starbees next time too?”
It took me a second longer to realize Halo meant Starbucks.
“Of course.”
Demi’s offer was apparently better than her father’s because Halo yelled, “Yay!” before running to Demi’s styling chair and trying unsuccessfully to climb on top. Her father saw her struggling and helped her into the chair before moving to stand next to her.
I was still watching them when I felt Demi gently touch my shoulder.
“You can sit under the dryer while I take care of her. You don’t mind, do you?”
I shook my head and followed her to the overhead dryer.
Demi set the timer and then moved over to fix Halo’s hair as she’d promised. I could see Roc’s lips moving as she worked and Demi giving him short responses in return, but the dryer was too loud for me to hear what they were saying. Eventually, Roc gave up when he realized he wasn’t getting anywhere with Demi and focused on his daughter, who was eating up the attention.
I’d already surmised Halo was spoiled rotten. I guess being the daughter of a King had its perks, and with uncles like Rowdy, Joren, and Golden at her beck and call, I almost felt a little envious.
The dryer shut off while Demi was putting the finishing touches on Halo’s new hairstyle.
Halo now had nine plaits twisted halfway in rows of three, each decorated with blue butterfly clips with the untwisted ends secured inside the ponytail Demi had created with the back half of her hair.
“This should last her the rest of the weekend. And Roc, your daughter may be half White, but all of this—” Demi gestured to Halo’s gorgeous mane of hair —“came from you, so stop letting her go to sleep without a scarf on her head.”
I heard the unmistakable sound of Roc slapping her ass before he lustfully said, “Thanks, baby.”
“I’m not your baby, and keep your hands off my booty, Rochendrix.”
Rochendrix?I burst out laughing, interrupting their not-so-subtle flirting and drawing their gazes over to me. “I’m sorry, but what kind of ghetto-ass name is that?”
