Kell didn’t clutch his chest, but he wanted to because his heart suddenly felt like it was going to leap out of his rib cage. No one had ever said anything to him like that before. His sensei commended him all the time, but this felt different. His sensei had watched him grow up, and raised him to manhood, he knew Quick also possessed a kind of fatherly love for him as well. But, never had a person met him as an adult and treated him with respect… only his young students. It meant more to him than Ty could know.
“That might be the best compliment I’ve ever received. Thank you,” he admitted. Then with a slight smile, he added. “Since it was so nice, I’ll let it slide that you were also worried I wasn’t going to be able to make it out here when you first laid eyes on me.”
“We’re partners. And this job has the potential to be very dangerous. From what Brian tells me, it’ll probably get real at one point. So, we can’t half-step. I’ll always keep it ’a’ hundred with you, Kell.”
Kell frowned and Ty grinned. “Meaning I’ll always be honest. One hundred percent real. So, yes, I admit when I first saw you I was concerned… but I wasn’t worried.”
“Well, are you still concerned?” He glared unconvincingly.
Ty laughed softly. It was calming instead of patronizing. It had such a melodic sound, a smooth bass-filled rhythm that made Kell’s glare loose most of its heat. He straightened his back, pushing any distracting thoughts away. Kell had to stay professional. He must have a wife at home or, at minimum, a steady girlfriend. He was too amazing and handsome not to. Kell was about to open his mouth to demand an answer until Ty said as smooth as molasses…
“Oh, I’m concerned all right. But it’s not about your skills.” Ty reached up and slowly removed Kell’s hood until it rested on his back. He seemed to do it just because Jake wasn’t permitted to. Ty’s look turned smug and beautiful at the same time. “Don’t bother asking what those concerns are. I’m not ready to let you in my head just yet, Kellam Knight.”
Ty
Since he was leaving at six in the morning, Ty had to take a Lyft from the hotel to his mother’s home in Buckhead. It wasn’t just any home. She lived in one of the most expensive assisted living facilities in Atlanta. Ty was sure that Tyler Perry had a home somewhere nearby. Nothing was too good for his mother, she was a queen. With his father gone, he was the only man she had to depend on and he did not waver in his duty. He wished he could’ve taken care of her himself after her stroke, but his skills weren’t proficient enough to provide the level of care she deserved. Her heartache and grief had overtaken her body. She’d missed his father so much she’d barely been able to go on. The lack of answers the military had given them did damage. They’d needed to know how he died, they’d both wanted his father’s body. With an empty casket and a slew of unanswered questions surrounding his death, it had left his mother wondering if her king could possibly return. They had no body, so they had no proof. Therefore, his mother had no closure.
“Son, you’re sixteen. You are a man. In my father’s village you’d be married already with two wives.” His father laughed joyfully when Ty made a horrified face. “I understand, son. One queen is enough. I leave you my special gem for you to protect while I’m away. I know I leave her in capable hands because you are my son and your mother is the only woman that holds your heart until Allah sends your queen. Inshallah (if Allah wills). Protect her with your life. And if she needs it, son. If it ever comes the time… provide her with comfort and peace.
Ty’s chest ached any time he thought of his father. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday. His rite of passage. Another milestone in his manhood. A test of endurance and survival. At sixteen years old he’d hiked one of the most challenging valleys in the country. That trip to the Canyonlands in Utah had been one of the best times of his life. His father had let him navigate the entire time and when he’d gotten them through that deadly maze safely, twenty-nine days later, the look of pride his father had given him would be forever branded into his memory. He’d been a good son to him, so he was able to mourn in a healthy way.
He watched out of the window as his driver flew down I75. The cracked streets and dilapidated neighborhoods of the south side turned into freshly paved roads, thriving communities hidden behind ten-foot privacy fences and booming businesses on the north side, where everywhere was a tourist attraction. It was a part of the city that was cared for and catered to with lush landscapes, museums, and culture-filled eateries. It was where the rich and affluent resided. Ty paid an astronomical amount a year for his mom to live there, when there were plenty of other senior facilities that were a lot cheaper.