Chapter 8

Leona:

More about myself? Is he still a stranger?

No, he is not a stranger, but he is my best friend's husband.

" You are not a stranger to me Mr. Smith"

"Please don't call me Mr. Smith, I'm Jeremiah to you"

"You are no longer a stranger Jeremiah, you are my friend now since you are married to Jessy"

"So I am your friend?"

If you weren't married you would have been mine now.

He raises his brows and smirk. That always looks good on him.

"Yes you are ", I'm getting nervous about where this conversation will go.

"Okay", why is he so persistent?

"I'm Leona from nowhere"

"From nowhere?"

"I don't like talking about my stepfamily. I'm kind, beautiful, helpful and I trust easily. I am different, I go to church. I have never disobeyed my mum and I don't plan to. My mother is strict and a priestess"

"A priestess? Like a woman priest?"

"Yes a woman priest"

"No wonder you are a good girl", I chuckle soft, what did he think a priestess is?

I carried on eating.

"Leona we have to go. Now."

Now? Why now? I'm still enjoying my crisped fried oysters.

"No Jeremiah, I'm still eating. Why do you want to go now? Carry on eating"

~

Jeremiah:

Damn girl! I knew we were being followed. These guys that just came in, are Nicolas' men. I have to protect her, let me send Jerd a message.

Me: Jerd we are being followed, I need your help. I'm at your favorite restaurant. Come quickly

I hope he reads this message.

"Okay. Excuse me, can I have a bottle of red wine?" I shout my order. I need to get alcohol in my system.

"Are you going to drink the entire bottle?"

"No", I won't be able to finish it, because by then we would be disturbed by these men.

"Leona, what is your favorite color?" I need to keep the conversation going to pass time.

"I don't have a favorite color but I like black, red, yellow, blue, purple, and red"

Strong colors? Is her favorite.

"What is yours?"

"I don't have a favorite color"

"What?"

"What what? I don't have one", I like all colors

"You've got to be kidding me?" She looks cute now.

"Brother what are you doing here and where is Jessy?"

Thank goodness he read the message. Now he will protect my woman. I see, his friends also tagged along.

"Jerd, Teddy, Brady, and Kim, please come and join us", she looks at me, then smiles at them.

They dragged chairs and joined us.

"Leona, this is my brother Jerd, and his friends", she smiles and they exchange greetings.

"So you are his girlfriend?"

If I don't stop Jerd now he will reveal the truth unknowingly.

"She is...", This girl loves to cuts me off.

"I'm not his girlfriend. He has a wife, Jessy, my best friend. I am only his friend", they exchange looks and smiled. Looks like they caught on to what I did.

"So where is Jessy?" Teddy asks wiggling his brows.

"She went to the mall with the others", I said looking at my brother

"What is your name again?"

"I am Leona", she answers Jerd's question

"Yeah, so Leona how did you and my brother meet?"

If Jerd doesn't stop with his questions, then he will make her uncomfortable.

"We met at the car wash, I work there. He came to wash his car, but he ended up taking me to the hospital", she says, ending her sentence with a smile

"At a local car wash? Do you work there?"

"Yes Brady, I work there"

My clever has been looking between me and her, I look at him and he smiles.

"Brother Xavier, I like her"

"Well. Well. Well. What do we have here?"

He grabs Leona and points his dirty gun at her. We also stand up and take their guns out.

I can't take mine out, it will blow my cover.

Nico will pay dearly for this. No one points a gun at my girl. No one.

"Let her go, Nicolas", I grit, he starts laughing

"Looks like Xavier has a weakness? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Hey Nico, leave my friend alone", Kim is the only girl in Jerd's squared, she is also kind when it comes to their women. She says

"What do you want Nicolas?"

"You know what I want?"

I will never let my sister love a man like you

"I will never allow you to even get close to my sister. She will never love you", I will protect my sister with my life.

Who does he think he is? I will never let Reina be his. Never!

"If you don't make her love me, then this little precious thing will be in danger", he pulls the trigger, and she gasps.

This is new for her.

"Jeremiah", she whispers, she is trembling in fear.

"Okay fine, we give you our word. Now leave her", Jerd! You are risking our sister's life.

"That's good then because I know the Smiths always keep their word. It was nice meeting you baby girl", he laughs and they walk away

"Take me home", she is scared. God, please don't let me lose her.

"Jerd, thank you, but this was the last time you come and help me", he knows what to do next, he will kill them

"Let's go, Leona"

~

Jessy:

Hi! I am Jessy Reina Smith. Jeremiah is the older brother. I am so happy that my brother is in love with my best friend. My friend is not like the other women he has dated, she loves herself and she is true to herself, she is a church girl and she is beautiful.

The problem is she is too good for Xavier. Brother doesn't deserve her, my brother is a gang leader, and she is a church girl. Those two can't come together. Does Xavier love Aphile? Will she change him? How will my brother react when he finds out the truth about Leona, that she is Aphile Leona Cadsway, that she is related to that man that killed our sister.

Leona is the stepdaughter of that man. That man that Xavier wants to kill. I hate that man a lot, he killed Ressa, our sister, Xavier's twin.

I know it's not Lee's fault that her mother married that feared gangster in Africa, she doesn't even know that her stepbrother and stepdad are gangsters. I will never tell Aphile the truth, and I will support their relationship.

God, please be with them

"Guys I can't wait for tomorrow", tomorrow it's Lee's birthday party

"Me too Landell, we are going to have fun"

"Don't forget about our promise to her"

"Did I forget to tell you guys that I have an identical twin, maybe he was the one who promise not to drink tomorrow. I didn't promise her"

"Tristan we all. promised her. Don't go back on your word", we all love alcohol, so this will be hard for us.

By the way, we are dining at Taste Sweet, it's a bakery. We are relaxing, the things we bought will be delivered home.

"Excuse me", I stand up and I was walking towards the bathroom when someone grabbed my arm and dragged me outside.

Him? What is he doing here?

"We need to talk!"

Can't he ask?

¥

Love Nqobile Aphile