Page 97 of Juliet's Echo

My stomach tightened.

“Cousin?”

“Some nigga named Alonse Robertson.”

Optimus let the name roll off his tongue without a care in the world, but the shit made my body turn cold. It wasn't fear, it was something else. More like attention grabbing. The feeling sat with me for a few seconds and as I attempted to shake it off, I heard a soft whisper. A voice so familiar, it made my chest tighten.

It's him.

My head snapped toward the back seat, hoping to see her sitting there. Hoping for something I knew wasn't possible. But the seat was empty.

Of course it was. I was tweaking.

“Bro, you good?” Optimus asked. “We gonna find her. Trust me, she safe.”

I swallowed hard.

“What’s the cousin’s name again?”

“Alonse.”

The cold returned. So did the whisper.

It’s him.

“Spell it,” I said, my voice deep and uneasy.

“What?”

“Spell the name out loud.”

Optimus frowned but complied.

“A... L... O... N... S... E.”

With every letter, it felt like we were playing a twisted game ofWheel of Fortune.

When he finished, silence once again filled the truck. And I was sure this time my brother from another mother felt that same cold, attention-grabbing energy I felt. We looked at each other, and it was almost as if we both had the same game envisioned in our minds.

The realization hit at the exact same moment.

“Sloane.”

The name left both our mouths together.

Psalm

The first thing I noticed when I pulled into Flip’d was Lucky’s Jeep.

The second thing I noticed was that she parked it crooked as hell.

“Little greedy ass couldn’t wait to fly in here and eat,” I laughed, climbing out of my truck.

The whole parking lot was packed. People sat on and inside their cars, music playing just loud enough for their own little private parties. A couple of people waved as I sauntered through the crowd. Others gave me a head nod, letting me know they saw me, but the vibe was too high to be interrupted by actual conversation.

Inside was even more congested.

The atmosphere felt less like a restaurant and more like a house party. Loud music, food, laughter, and energy flowed through every corner of the building. A few people invited me to join them at their tables. Seeing as there wasn't an empty one insight. I politely declined every invitation because my eyes were searching for one person.