Chapter 22

Leila POV

I sat at my desk, trying to focus on my work as I typed up a dossier.

I had slept like shit lately.

I'm interrupted by my door flying open and Marc walking in with coffees.

"Hey Beautiful..." He said placing mine down in front of me "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired, why?"

"It's just that you're not wearing makeup..., and you're in a Tupac t-shirt and jeans, not exactly your usual get up, actually come to think of it unless there are meetings, you've been pretty casual and relaxed"

"I just said I'm tired, I slept through my Alarm today and had a document deadline and didn't have time to do my make up, is there a problem?"

"Whoa, whoa, I'm not coming for you Leila, I love you casual, you're a queen" Marc said with a frown sitting down across from me "But you gonna tell me what's up with you?"

"Like I said, I'm just tired" I snapped.

"Okay, I get it, sorry I asked, anyway, wanna brief me on the new target?"

I nodded sliding the folder across from him "A narcissistic piece of shit, fuckin' all over Detroit, his wife knows but needs solid evidence"

He nodded with a sigh picking up the folder towards himself, and starts to read.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap"

-----

Marshall POV

"My house" by Flo Rida boomed over the speakers as people stood around chatting and catching up.

I stood looking around the room at Denaun's, Stella laughing as he told one of his corner jokes.

I had bought her to the party with me to introduce her to some of my closest friends, we had been dating for a few weeks now and things were going great.

Like really great, I don't think I've ever even been in a relationship this easy before.

It was fun, peaceful and I was happy.

There was no heartache at every turn, I'd never imagined life could be like those, but here I am.

I mean shit, I'm even enjoying this party.

"She's cool" I hear Alecs thick Detroit drawl come from next to me "Good girl next door, would never have seen it coming"

I turn to him giving him a side glance as he smirked at me.

"Yeah she's great man, it's what I needed"

"Calm, not chaotic, I'm happy for you, really"

I look at him as he shrugged.

I always felt a weird vibe come from him, like I almost knew him.

"You sure we never met before?"

He shrugged nonchalantly "In passing maybe, I've run with Trick and his boys since I was 16..."

Weird.

"Hey" Monica said coming up hugging me, then turning to Alec "Alec! Good to see you, how have you been? Wheres Leila?"

Alec shrugged "She ain't spoke to you? She said she wasn't coming"

"No, I spoke to her earlier but she rushed me off the phone, Have you noticed her acting weird lately?"

Alec looked at me, then back to Monica "Maybe a little, this isn't the only real oddity, I mean it's not like that woman not to come to a party just to flaunt"

I stood confused, listening to the conversation.

I had noticed the lack of the force that was Leila at the office and when she did come in she wasn't there when I was.

I told myself it was because I now had a girlfriend and maybe she was the type of woman to respect that.

"You need another drink Mon?" Alec asked nodding towards her.

"Yeah, I do actually" She smiled at him, as he turned to me.

"Let's go hook us up then!" He said with a smirk "Catch you later Marshall"

I waved them off as Monica waved at me, arms wrapping around me from the side, looking down to be greeted by Stella's grinning face.

------

Alec POV

"Yoo she's home, I hear her music pumped" I said removing my seatbelt, climbing out of the car.

Monica followed behind me closely as we walked up to the front door in the dark, knocking and waiting for Leila to answer.

The music was pretty loud.

Was that Jump around by House of Pain?

I frowned when there was no answer and started to.dig through my jeans pocket for my keys.

"What are you doing? Are you sure she's home? Maybe she out with Laura and left the music on"

Nope, that's not how my cousin works.

"Nah, I got this, chill" I said as I put the key into the door and opened it, walking into he house, Monica behind me closing the door

"What if she has company..."

We both stopped in the walkway of the lounge room as Leila came into view, sitting on the couch, alone drinking, singing along to Jump around loudly and terribly.

"LALA" I yelled over the music.

I couldn't handle it anymore.

She doesn't hear me, so I walk into her view and turn it down.

"Alec, don't touch my shit" Leila groaned and stood up and swayed.

"The fuck-" I said standing back confused "Are you drunk? By yourself?"

"That's none of your damn business- oh hi Monica" She said squinting and pointed between Monica and  "Yall fuckin? you fucking my cousin now are you?"

"Don't do that" I snorted at her "What the fuck Lala"

She dropped her arm to her side, still holding the bottle of champagne.

"I'll go get some drinks" Monica said, disappearing into the hallway.

"Lala, what wrong?" I said sitting down next to her.

She shook her head "Nothing at all, I'm fantastic"

"You ain't fantastic, since when the duck do you drink yourself drunk by yourself?... Shit, when do you ever get this wasted?"

She shrugged.

I looked at her and tilted my head "Are you jealous of Stella?"

"As if Alec, what the fuck would I be jealous of her for, look at me?"

I chuckled "Not of her Lala, because she's with Him"

She snorts at me but then just sighs.

I knew she was.

I watched her change since he started to date the other woman.

Leila rejecting him was just a ploy and it backfired, I'm sure of it.

I'll walk east if this woman wasn't interested in him.

Back in the day you would literally see stars in her eyes whenever his name was mentioned.

"All men are pigs except you, fuck him" She continued "Maybe I am jealous of Stella, but I don't get it, she is nothing special to look at, she's nothing but a farm maiden ass looking bitch"

I sat back, nodding, letting her get it off her chest.

"I gave them everything I had, I'll never get that back, they tell you everything you want to fucking hear, tell you your beautiful, make you feel special so they can fuck you, then turn on you like you are nothing but some two-dollar whore that walks 8 Mile Road"

I frowned.

I knew we had crossed paths before, but it almost sounded like she had too.

"Is it me?" Leilas slurred voice came "Is it my fault?"

"Nawh Lala, don't be like that, any man that has you has got to be lucky as fuck, it takes a strong-willed man is all, and in this case, maybe he wasn't down for the battle beside you at war" I said wrapping my arm around her "You just gotta learn to let go of some of that hate, I know you're hurting but you're just dancing with the devil and asking why you're still in hell"

"But I want to dance with the devil"

"Then you gonna have to start picking your battles"

I reached over pulling from the stack of CDs on the table, flipping it over on my hand.

"We waited all night in line to get this damn album"

"I know, Tommy was so hung over from the night before"

"He would roll over in his grave if he found out you were sitting at home having a pity party, ruining his favourite songs and crying over Slim Shady" I said with a laugh "You better stop this mess or he's gonna get up and haunt Marshall"

She laughed and shook her head "I hope he takes a ghost shit in his all- bran"

"That's the spirit" I said rubbing her shoulder "Just remember, you're still the deadliest piece on the board, just gotta wait for your checkmate"

She smiled up at me, nodding.

"Wheres Monica? I wanna say sorry"

"I think she was giving us a moment, I'll go find her"

"Wait... Thank you"

"Lala I know you better then you know yourself, just come to me ok? Want me to tie him buck ass and string him up in the middle of Detroit? Coz I will"

She laughed and shook her head "No, it's okay"

I nod to her and go find Monica who's sitting in the kitchen.

"She okay?"

"She will be"

"Marshall and Stella?"

I nodded "Shes has never taken rejection well, well she's never gotten rejected"

"I was surprised they didn't end up doing something together"

"Well, they kinda did... But I get what you mean" I laughed and then sat on the stool next to ber "So, I wanted to ask..."

"What's that?"

"Well, I kinda noticed you came to a lot of things by yourself... You gotta man?"

She went pink and then kinda looked down "Um no"

"Hey, you don't gotta get shy, it's just me" I laughed turning her to look back up to me "I figure we should get to know each other more, I mean Leila only asked if we were fuckin', she didn't freak out so safe to say that's kinda an approval... Of sorts"

"Are you always this forward?"

"I'm from the streets of Detroit baby, if you're not straight forward you get eaten alive, but hey at least you already know what you see is what you get" I said leaning back, giving her a wink "So what you say? Wanna go out sometime?"

She bit her lip and smiled "I'd love too"