Neo 🩷🌸
With a chuckle, I bit down on my bottom lip as he sat next to me. “Yeah, I know.”
His hand caressed my shoulder, and unlike usual when his touch would calm me, it irritated me. I didn’t want him touching me, knowing there was a woman in his home, in his life. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Merc was fine as hell. His tall, muscular frame was covered with chocolate colored skin the same as mine. He had a tapered fade and short beard that was always shiny and neatly trimmed. Tight, dark eyes and skin-colored juicy lips often fought for my attention.
Casually, I removed myself from his touch. Releasing a sigh, I stood and headed toward the closet where I’d been storing my things.
“Wassup witchu?” His tone had deepened. His expression hardened. Avoiding his eyes, I sat on the edge of the bed and put on my shoes. I was dressed casually in a form fitting cream sweatsuit, and I paired it with cream platform sandals from Tory Burch to match since it wasn’t too cold outside. The weather was up and down right now, and I wanted to take full advantage of it being in the sixties.
“Nothing,” I grumbled.
The chuckle he released was more irritated than amused. “If you don’t want to talk about it, say that, but don’t lie to me.”
“Fine, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why not?” he asked, following me out of the room.
“Because it’s not worth talking about.”
“Anything concerning you is worth talkin’ about.” He gently gripped my wrist, stopping my movement. “Wassup?” he asked again, this time softer.
I wasn’t sure how to even broach the subject without sounding crazy. How was I mad that he had a woman when I had a man too? We might not have been on the best of terms, but still. I was in a relationship.
“Are you in a relationship?”
His brows wrinkled as he processed my question. They relaxed and he smiled. Releasing my wrist, Merc chuckled.
“No.”
“Okay. Are you attached to a woman or having a consistent sexual relationship with her?”
His laugh was a little louder. “Neo…”
“Or a man? No judgment here.”
“Aight, na. You goin’ too fuckin’ far.”
His flaring nostrils made me smile.
“Are you?”
“No,” he responded firmly. “Where is this coming from anyway?”
“I was just wondering. I’m starting to get a little attached to you, and I don’t want to do that if you’re in a relationship.”
“I’m not in a relationship, nor am I attached to a woman or fucking one consistently. Or a man. But you shouldn’t get attached to me anyway.”
This time, it was him leading the way down the hall. Relief filled me, and I couldn’t stop the comfortable smile that kept my lips spread as I followed him.
“Why not?” I took his hand into mine, making him chuckle and shake his head.
“I’m a gangsta, Neo. Ain’t shit about my life set up for a romantic relationship. Plus, don’t you have a man? Well, he ain’t really a man, but that’s a topic for a different conversation.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I know enough.” His crisp tone and serious expression made me pout and feel even more stupid because he was right. Merc had picked up on Steven’s energy in one night; meanwhile, it had taken me two years. But to my credit, our relationship wasn’t always like this.
I was so caught up in Steven that I almost overlooked what he called himself.
A gangster.
YOU ARE READING
Merc (COMPLETED)
RomanceFor a man like Merc, his reputation has always preceded him. Known for his allegiance to the criminal underworld as a protector, the gangster only shows love to his family... and his son and the woman who birthed him are at the top of that list. Whe...
