Alani Jason's house was a whole lot bigger than what I remembered. He flipped on the light switch and put my bags in the middle of the living room floor. "I redecorated after Sarah left so that's why everything is so dark I guess.." He scratched the back of his head and looked around. "Mi casa, su casa."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I honestly didn't know where to look first. Everything looked the same, but then again different? He had gotten new furniture, which was a plus, and it didn't even look bad. "I had my decorator put stuff in here that I thought you would enjoy and I remember your favorite color being burgundy so.." He nodded and leaned against the arm of the chair. This was breathtaking.
"Jason, it's gorgeous." I walked over to him and hugged him, my bump slightly getting in the way. He reached down and rubbed it softly. "I started on the baby's room but it's not finished yet. All I did was set up a crib and all of that extra shit that babies need. I figured you would want to pick out the color scheme and what not for her since you're her mother and stuff-" He said. "We can always take it back if you don't like it." I shook my head no. "I'm sure I'll love it. Destiny will too."
He grabbed my hand and helped me up the first flight of stairs. "I knew that this was going to be a pain for you as you got further along so I had an elevator installed for when you're here alone. Until then, I'm here to help." We walked down the hallway hand in hand and we stopped at a pink door with the letter D on it in glitter. Jason had to have did it himself because there was literally glitter everywhere on the floor and the door handle. He opened the door and turned on the light. "It's not much I guess but hey, I tried."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Jason..." I whispered and looked around the room. Everything was so beautiful. Even down the curtains on the windows. "I left the walls blank cause I didn't know what color you would want them so the decorator just recommended me to leave them a neutral color until you decided. The floors are still the same though." He stood at the door while I walked around the nursery. There was literally everything I needed in there. "Declan brought in some of the baby's clothes and the rug. I hated the damn thing personally but he insisted it be in his daughter's room at our house because he has the same one for her at his house."
I sniffled and wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. Jason came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "You don't like it?" I shook my head no and turned around in his arms. "I love it, Jason. Thank you." He leaned down and kissed me. "Hey, don't thank me. Anything for my girls." He leaned down a little more and gave Destiny a kiss too. She moved a little and he smiled widely. "She said for you to stop crying because it's making her emotional too." He said and stood back up. "Oh so you're a baby whisperer now?" I asked. He led me out of the room, turned the light off, and shut the door. "Something like that." ~~~ Jason Both crews assembled in the theater room and I shut the door behind everybody so that Alani wouldn't wake up in the living room. "Okay, listen up y'all," I started off, getting everybody's full attention. "Declan found some way for us all to be one step ahead of his father's killer." Declan nodded and leaned against the wall. "Basically, all we're going to do is make sure that nobody else gets hurt. That's all we're focused on right now. Getting revenge can come later in the game but right now the only thing that matters is keeping your families safe. When we're not in town, Jason and I will need someone to look over Alani. Any volunteers?" Literally every one of these men raised their hand. Declan and I looked at each other and shook our heads no. Never in a million years.
"You know what, Za will watch over Alani while we're gone." I said. Declan nodded. "And Blake." Blake and Za nodded at each other. "For the rest of you, you're going to be sent to separate states to track this man down. We're not stopping until he's stopped." I said and Declan picked up the glass bowl with the state's names on them that we made earlier. He shook the bowl up and held it out. "Who's first?"
Khalil stood up and reached in the bowl, pulling out a piece of paper. "East coast here I come." He stuffed the paper in his pocket and stepped back, letting everybody have a go. We had gotten down to two pieces of paper and Declan and I both grabbed the last two. He put the bowl down and opened his. "England." I nodded and opened mine next.
Florida.
"Fuck," I mumbled to myself and showed Declan the paper. He frowned. "That's on the whole other fucking coast with Khalil." I folded the piece of paper up and stuffed it in my pocket. "I guess I'm going to Florida then." But it wasn't that simple. I had just gotten back into Alani's life and now I was forced to leave her again for I don't know how long. This wasn't going to be easy. ________________________________________________ Alani's chest rose and fell slowly as she slept on the sofa. She wrapped herself around the biggest pillow I had up there somehow and was cuddling the shit out of it. I smiled and sat down in the floor in front of her. "Lani.." I whispered and touched her arm. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a couple of times. "Baby, I have to tell you something, okay? This isn't easy for me either." She just stared at me. "I have to leave you again, but it's only to catch the killer. If my crew wasn't counting on me then I wouldn't go but they are and I can't let them down."
Lani sat up straight and stretched her body. "I get it, Jason. You don't have to explain to me. This is what I signed up for, remember? I know how dangerous your job can be and I can only be here to support you at all times. Just know that I'll be here when you get back." I leaned over and kissed her. She giggled and pulled away. "You might want to pack for the hot and the cold. Florida is just like Cali except their weather is more bipolar." I nodded. "Note taken." I stood to my feet and kissed her forehead. "Did I ever tell you that I'm deeply and madly in love with you?"
She nodded. "Hm possibly. But it's always nice to hear you say it again." I blew her a kiss and ran upstairs to pack.
