Chapter 14: Breaking Bread

DeSean stood on the porch, watching Mercedes storm off. He shook his head, a low chuckle escaping his lips. "She’s a firecracker," he muttered under his breath, crossing his arms as he turned back to the house.

Elsa leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed, a sly grin tugging at her lips. "You were staring at her ass," she teased, her tone playful.

DeSean shot her a withering glare. "Mind your business, Elsa."

"Hard not to when you’re so obvious," she retorted with a laugh, stepping aside to let him in.

As DeSean walked into the living room, Gary emerged from the bathroom, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. His eyes widened the moment they landed on DeSean.

"Uh… hey, man," Gary said awkwardly, drying his hands on his pants.

DeSean didn’t even spare him a glance. "Gary," he said curtly, moving to stand by the kitchen island.

Elsa grabbed the takeout bag DeSean had brought and set it on the counter. "Breakfast is served," she announced. "Gary, sit. DeSean, you eating?"

"No," DeSean replied flatly, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. He watched as Elsa and Gary opened the bag and started pulling out food containers.

Gary sat down, his movements cautious under DeSean’s icy gaze. "So, uh… what brings you here?"

DeSean ignored the question and got straight to the point. "Why were you and Mercedes at the club last night?"

Gary blinked, taken aback by the sudden interrogation. "Uh, it was her idea," he admitted. "She said she needed to unwind a little."

DeSean’s jaw tightened, and he frowned deeply. "Unwind," he repeated, his tone laced with disapproval.

Elsa, now sitting beside Gary, glanced between the two men. "What’s the big deal? People go to clubs to unwind all the time."

DeSean ignored her comment and focused on Gary. "Did you at least talk to her about the case? Did you get anything useful?"

Gary shifted uncomfortably under DeSean’s scrutinizing gaze. "She told me the same thing she told you. The alley. The two guys trying to rob her. Ronnie losing it and killing them. Him trying to kill her. And... well, the brick."

DeSean nodded slowly, processing the information. "She’s not giving us the full story," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Maybe that’s all there is," Elsa chimed in, taking a bite of her food.

"No," DeSean said firmly, his eyes narrowing. "There’s more. There has to be. Her body language, the way she avoids certain details—it doesn’t add up."

Gary looked down at his plate, his appetite waning under the weight of the conversation. "She did seem... off," he admitted hesitantly.

DeSean straightened up, his mind made up. "I’m going to have her come to my office again. We need to get to the bottom of this before the trial starts."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "You sure you’re not just looking for an excuse to see her again?"

DeSean shot her another glare, but this time there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Stay out of it, Elsa."

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Just saying."

DeSean pushed off the counter and headed for the door. "Gary, finish your breakfast. Then get back to work. And for God’s sake, stay out of clubs for now."

Gary mumbled something under his breath, but DeSean was already out the door, pulling out his phone to draft a message to Mercedes.

As he walked down the driveway, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Mercedes was hiding something—and he was determined to find out what it was.