“He might be trying to protect you,” Rene said after a moment. “He blames hisself for what happened to Therese.”
“Why?”
“Girl, if I knew …” He gave her a warning look.
Adrienne sighed. Every day since the journal arrived, she crept a little closer to learning more about her sister.
“I miss her,” she murmured. “I just want to know what happened when she came to New Orleans.”
“I don’t remember much,” he said. “She was real pretty and real nice. She sang at the church, too.”
Adrienne smiled, comforted by the image in her mind and happy to share something with her long gone sister.
They continued walking. They weren’t far from her block, and she soon recognized her bus stop when they passed it.
“Hey.”
She turned, surprised by the familiar voice. Rene tensed instantly, reaching towards the weapons at his waist.
“Back up,” he ordered.
“It’s okay,” Adrienne said.
“You know him?”
She nodded, a smile crossing her face. Jayden stood before her, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His dark eyes went from Rene to her, and he offered a small – if tense – smile.
“Your daddy and I have been looking everywhere for you,” Jayden said.
“Really?” she perked, warmth spreading through her.
“We’re good, man,” Jayden said to Rene, gaze wary.
“Whatever,” Rene muttered, moving away. “Remember what I said, girl. Stay out of the alleys.”
“Not until your brother returns my property!” she called after him.
He flipped her off without turning.
She rolled her eyes then faced Jayden.
“I, um … what’re you doing here?” she asked.
“We have a study date. Remember?” He smiled, eyes sparkling.
Adrienne nodded, her heart somersaulting. Jayden had come to rescue her, without knowing much more about her than she was a scholarship student who sang.
He was incredible.
Jayden’s attention settled on her scraped temple. Almost absently, he reached into his pocket and pulled free a Band-Aid. He drew near her and opened it.
Adrienne froze, once again amazed by his height and strength. He was strong enough to fling a football a hundred yards with no effort, yet his touch was gentle as he pressed the Band-Aid to her temple with long, slender fingers. He smelled good, like woodsy cologne.
“I have three sisters, two little ones,” he explained. “My dad is known in the tech world as the black Steve Jobs and my stepmother is on more charity boards than I can count. They live in meetings. I pretty much raised the little ones, with the help of my stepsister. I should’ve bought stock in Band-Aids.” Despite his wry words, there was affection in his voice. He lowered his hands, his body close enough for her to feel his warmth.
“Thank you,” she murmured, face hot.
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “What’re you doing out here alone?”
She sighed. “I know. Stay out of alleys.”
“I just met you. I don’t want you disappearing before we get to know each other.”
Of all the lectures she’d gotten about being careful, Jayden’s reasoning was the only one she agreed with. Her insides hummed with excitement.
“Okay?” he asked. He reached forward to tuck her hair behind one ear. The touch ratcheted up her body’s awareness to how close he was.
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Let’s get back. Your daddy was a mess when I left him.” Jayden started walking.
“Oh, god. Was he nice to you?” she asked. “I’m so sorry if not. He’s um, well … a little old school.”
“He was fine after the initial … introductions.” Jayden cleared his throat.
Adrienne laughed, mortified of what her father must have said to make Jayden uncomfortable. Light glinted off the necklace he wore. Wanting to change the subject, Adrienne focused on it.
“Those almost look like dog tags. But round,” she said, squinting to see the writing.
“They are. I guess back in the day, they were round,” Jayden said, looking down. “My grandmama gave these to me. Said my great grandpapa wanted me to have them.”
A troubled look crossed his face. He shook his head and smiled once more.
“She’s into voodoo and talking to dead people or whatever,” he explained.
“Oh. You don’t believe in that stuff?” Adrienne asked cautiously.
“No way. Superstitions like that are for the ignorant,” he said firmly.
She felt her face warm for a different reason. Her mother’s family was highly superstitious, and although her father hated voodoo, he respected it. He was born and raised in New Orleans, a city where magic was integrated into the community. She, too, believed in the power of her ancestral spirits to help her, magic and gods, even if she was a practicing Baptist.
“What did the guy take from you?” Jayden asked.
“Oh, nothing really,” she murmured. “Just a journal.”
“You confronted a gang member over a journal?”
“It was my sister’s,” she answered shortly, not about to drive him away by telling him about the journal and its connection to voodoo. “She died five years ago.”
“Call me next time you want to do something like that, Adrienne,” he said firmly. “My dad is a personal friend of the Chief of Police. They’ll help you.”
“Wow,” she said, gazing up at him. “Thank you. Oh, you can call me Addy. None of my friends never call me Adrienne.”
He smiled.
They walked quietly towards her building. She sneaked a look at him, wondering what he thought about the rundown apartment building. Had he seen her father’s apartment? Would he think less of her because she was poor?
Why was he interested in the first place?
“How did you get my address?” she asked suddenly.
“Called in a favor to the student who helps with records in the admin office,” Jayden admitted. “I wasn’t sure if you forgot to provide it or were joking or …” He drifted off, waiting,
For the second time in five minutes, she was speechless. He was indirectly asking her a question he hadn’t answered.
“Adrienne? My god!” her father’s exclamation saved her from answering.
“Hi Daddy,” she said.
He wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. Adrienne hugged him back, hearing how fast his heart was beating.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded, pulling away and shaking her lightly. “There are gangs in this neighborhood. Do you have any idea how many bodies the cops find here in a week’s time?”
He was angry and scared, a combination that almost made her smile. As lost as he sometimes seemed, he really cared about her.
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she murmured. “I’m okay. Promise.”
“What happened to your head?” His sharp gaze rested on the Band-Aid then went to Jayden. “Did someone hurt you?”
“No, Daddy,” she half-lied. “I fell and hit my head in one of the alleys. Kinda knocked me out. Jayden bandaged me up.” She twisted to smile at Jayden.
“Jayden? The kid you’re tutoring from school?”
Her mouth fell open.
“Yes, sir,” Jayden said. “I can’t have my mentor bleeding to death before I pass Algebra.”
“You won’t be doing no tutoring in our home, Addy. You take him to the library.”
Adrienne gazed at Jayden, dismayed. She was grateful her daddy hadn’t just sent him away and to Jayden for letting her dad think she was smart enough to tutor anyone in math.
Jayden winked.
She grinned.
“Come on,” her dad said. “I have to be in to work early and dinner won’t make itself.” He started towards the entrance of their building. “Go home, boy. Don’t you come by again.”