Nope. All the stories were absolutely true.
Hell, the rumor mill didn’t know the half of what he’d done over the years. Based on some things she’d picked up on, her man was dangerous. If people had any inkling of what Tristan was capable of, they’d run screaming in the other direction whenever they saw him.
“Camille,” her friend Shandra yelled out.
“What? Damn, Shandra, why are you yelling?”
Sucking her teeth, her friend flicked her hand at her. “Because your ass ain’t listening. You went to lala land some damn where. Did you hear anything D was saying?”
Chagrined, she looked over at D who had a curious look on his face. “Sorry, D. What were you saying?”
“Word on the street is that Marco called in some dudes from New York. He wants to change the game. Your boy better be careful.”
Not sure how much to tell her friends, she hesitated. This issue was something Tristan wanted to handle, but she knew D could help. He had more connections on the street than people knew about. He could feed them information. Plus, Shandra had her little girl to worry about. What if something happened to her friend because she’d kept this secret from them? Her parents and the two people sitting in front of her were the most important people in her life. She didn’t feel right keeping this from them.
“He knows,” she finally admitted on a heavy breath. “He’s got some things moving. I don’t know all the details, but I’m okay with that.” She looked up at Shandra when the other woman sucked her teeth. “I am, Shandra. I promise. Plus, I can’t be involved in everything. There’s some shit he does—let’s just say I don’t want to know everything he’s involved in.”
“Have you told him everything?” Shandra asked in a serious tone. Although D had an inkling of what happened, there were parts of that situation they chose to keep from him as well. If he knew everything, he’d burn the whole state down, and they didn’t want him caught up in anything and hauled off to jail.
She shook her head. “No. It’s not my story to tell. Not all of it. I’ll respect that as long as you need me to.” Reaching over, she grabbed her friend’s hand and squeezed it tight. “I love you, girl. I got you. Even when you get all stupid and yell my name for no reason.”
They both started laughing. The feeling of tension and heaviness blanketing the moment was broken. Glancing at D, she saw him shake his head at the two of them. Since there was a smile on his face, she knew it was all good.
“D, if you don’t mind tapping into your folks to see what you can find out? Not for him, but for me.”
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he looked at her with a hooded gaze. “You really love this dude, huh?”
Thinking for a moment, Camille knew her life was irrevocably tied to his. Even if they didn’t last beyond the right now, he’d still hold her heart. Her feelings for him were beyond love. There was intense need. Devotion. Want. Desire. She would do almost anything for this man. Love him?
“Yeah, D. I really do love him. He’s good to me. Treats me like a queen. I never want for anything. He doesn’t try to control who I am and what I do.” At their raised eyebrows, she amended that statement. “Okay, he doesn’t do it much. Only when he feels it’s necessary. And okay, he does get a little iffy about me trying to dodge my security detail. I mean, damn. Can a girl get a coochie wax without two big ass Italian dudes standing in front of the door?”
While she and Shandra laughed, D shook his head. “TMI, Camille. I don’t wanna hear about that shit. Girl, you ain’t changed a damn bit.”
“Nope,” she popped her lips at him like she used to do when a teenager. “And I never will. All right, I need to go see my parents. Shandra, my mom’s been asking about her ‘grandbaby’ and when you’re going to bring her over there to see them.”
Calling the waiter over to their table, they continued to talk while D paid the bill.
“How about next weekend? My parents have her today and tomorrow since they just returned home from their cruise. Claimed dibs on my baby since they missed her so much.”
“You know you love it when they babysit. Gives you a break so you can be fast and go out dancing.”
Shaking her head, Shandra gathered her purse as they got up from the table. “Not lately, and I kinda like it that way. Since you’ve been hanging out with your boo, I’ve been chilling at home whenever they take her for the night. I like going out like everybody else, but I like spending time with myself better.”
Turning to look at her oldest and dearest friend, Camille couldn’t hold back the smile on her face. “I like this new you. How about we plan for a night out in two weeks? That way, you have time to find a sitter.”
“Let’s do it. D, you should take your new arm candy out on the town,” Shandra mentioned.
“Not yet, fam. She’s not ready for that type of introduction yet. When I find the one who’s worthy of meeting you two, I’ll let you know. Until then, your boy is just having fun.”
Camille felt good about today. She was hanging with her two best friends. In all the years they’d known each other, nothing had pulled them apart, and for that she was grateful.
She heard the car before she saw it. The engine was loud, and it seemed like someone had pressed down hard on the gas pedal. Tires squealed, which caused all three of them to turn their heads towards the sound. The weapons, the loud cracks, and the smoke wafting up from the muzzles of the guns were all noticed within a tenth of a second.
“Get down!” D was yelling at them, grabbing at both of their arms to drag them down to the ground. People all around them screamed in terror. Everyone was trying to get away from the bullets flying through the air.
Camille wondered why they hadn’t stopped shooting. Who the hell were they going after? The stupidity of that thought hit her just as she felt a burning sensation along her neck. It felt like fire, and she screamed out in pain.
Tristan. She had to reach him.