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“And you don’t find that concerning?”

“Of course I do, Daddy. I was the one he followed.”

“That’s exactly my point.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms against his knees. “Whatever is going on between that man and MJ’s family, I don’t want you getting caught in the middle of it.”

“I understand.”

“And I don’t want MJ putting himself in danger trying to handle something that should be left to the authorities.”

I lowered my eyes for a moment because that was the part I couldn’t promise him. MJ had been furious when he found out Ghost followed me home. He tried to keep his voice calm, but I’d heard the change in it. I knew how much his family meant to him, and after everything Ghost had already done, I couldn’t imagine him simply sitting back and waiting for somebody else to find him.

“Has MJ told you what he plans to do?” Daddy asked.

“No.”

He hadn’t told me anything, so my response wasn’t a lie, but honestly, even if I did know something, I didn’t think that I would share that information with my father.

“I believe he wants to protect you, sweetheart. I’m not questioning that. What I’m questioning is whether he’s thinking clearly with everything that’s happened to his father.”

I didn’t have an answer for that, so I stayed quiet. Daddy sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Listen, I know you care about this young man. And from everything you’ve told me, he seems to care about you too. But I don’t want either of you doing something you’ll regret because you’re upset.”

“I know.”

“Good, because Marcus and my security team are going to continue doing their jobs. If they find anything else, we’ll turn it over to the proper authorities.”

I nodded, although my mind was already somewhere else.

“And Penelope?”

I looked up.

“I still want to meet him.”

He smiled, and for a moment, the conversation felt normal again. But even as we moved on to something else, I couldn’t stop thinking about what he had said about MJ thinking clearly. I trusted MJ with my heart. I trusted him to protect me, and I knew he’d do anything for the people he loved. What I didn’t know was how far he was willing to go. And that was what scared me.

Chapter 25

Trigga

Ihadn’t been to the fairground in years. The last time I remembered being there, Pops was still alive, and Ghost was somebody I looked forward to seeing whenever he came around. I remembered a picture we’d taken here. Pops had stood between us with his arms around our shoulders, smiling like he didn’t have a care in the world. Ghost was grinning too, and I remembered being more interested in getting back on the rides than standing still long enough for somebody to take the damn picture.

Funny how much things could change. The place looked nothing like it had back then. The fair had been shut down for years, and most of the rides had either been removed or left behind to rust. Weeds had grown through cracks in the pavement, old concession stands sat boarded up, and the Ferris wheel stood motionless against the dark sky. Half the lights were missing, and the metal looked like it hadn’t been touched in forever. I pulled my Impala into the vacant lot and cut the engine. MJ looked through the windshield.

“This is the place?”

“Yeah.”

He glanced toward the Ferris wheel, and he looked around for a bit. You see, he wouldn’t know shit about a place like this because he grew up with that golden spoon in his mouth. Places like this is where kids like me and Ghost used to beg our parents to take us to.

“Damn. How long this shit been closed?” he asked.

“Years.”

I checked the time. We were early, and that was intentional. I wanted a chance to look around before Ghost showed up, and I damn sure wasn’t about to pull into some unfamiliar situation without knowing what I was walking into.

MJ got out with me, and we stood beside the car for a moment. I could tell that he was taking in what was left of the place.

“You sure he coming?” he asked.