Page 90 of Kissed By the Trillest Thug 2

“If he asked to talk to my daughter, I hope so.”

She rested against my side.

“You’ve gotten attached to him.”

I smiled to myself because, against my better judgment, I had.

“I respect him, and I respect the way he looks at her.”

My eyes never left the backyard.

“I just hope that whatever happened doesn’t change him.”

MALIAH

The second the sliding glass door closed behind us, I knew something was wrong.

Tahari didn’t say a word. He just kept walking toward the same spot Daddy always stood whenever something was weighing on him. I slipped my hand into his, and he squeezed it. But not the way he usually did. This was a firm one like he was trying to hold himself together.

“Tahari…”

He stared out across the backyard for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Ghost’s mother told me something today.”

My eyebrows pulled together.

“What did she say?”

He let out a slow breath before finally turning to face me.

“You remember how I told you my daddy used to look out for Ghost when we were growing up?”

I nodded.

“You said he treated him like family.”

“I thought he was just trying to help a little boy that didn’t have much,” he laughed once.

“Tahari…”

He looked away again.

“My whole life I thought my daddy was just being a good man. I found out today that wasn’t why.”

I didn’t interrupt him because I could tell he was trying to find the words. When he finally looked back at me, his eyes were glassy. I could tell that tears were on the verge of falling.

“Ghost is my brother.”

I frowned.

“You’ve always called each other brothers.”

He slowly shook his head.

“No, I mean he’s my biological brother.”

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.