Read Online Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette - Free Book Online

nothing to do with you, ”he said truthfully. His words stung, insulting her and embarrassing her at the same time.
    Feeling stupid, Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes as she put her hands on her hips. “Nothing to do with me?”she repeated in disbelief. “I’m not buying that. I don’t know a nigga in the world who would catch a body over somebody they didn’t give a damn about.”
    “Let me make this real clear for you, little girl. I don’t have time for you. I already got a lady in my life and I don’t have love for no female but her. She has my heart ... all of it. You could never compete with her,”he said before turning his back on her.
    Raven shook her head in dismay as she walked back up the steps, enraged and near tears. She couldn’t wait to get out of Ethic’s presence. She had never been shot down like that before and it bruised her ego, making her feel like she was lacking something that the next chick had. She did not know that what she was feeling was inadequacy. If she were really as grown up as she claimed to be, no man, not even Ethic, would be able to shatter her confidence. Poise could not be broken so easily in a real woman, and her salty disposition over Ethic proved that she was trying to grow up too fast. If she paced herself, she would eventually flourish into that woman, but she had a long way to go. She was missing all of the qualities that it took to be the type of woman Ethic would be attracted to. He was not the average hustler. He wasn’t married to the streets like most young men his age. He knew that selling poison to his own people was wrong, and he promised himself that when he made his first million he would exit the game and go legit. His focus was on his hustle, nothing more and nothing less; which was why it would take more than Raven’s pretty face to distract him.
     
     
    When Raven returned to her house, everything was cleaned up and restored as if none of it had ever really happened. She hugged her father tightly, and he told her to go wait for him in his office. He came in and closed the door, then took a seat behind his mahogany desk. Stress was written all over his face. It seemed as though he had aged overnight. Deep lines of worry creased his forehead and bags rimmed his stern, red eyes. His heart was heavy at the fact that his beautiful family had been in harm’s way. He was fully aware that in the blink of an eye he could have lost everything. The silence in the room was deafening to Raven. She hated when her father got like this. The anticipation of not knowing what was on his mind was killing her. He leaned over and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath.
    “I don’t want you to see that boy again. If I even see him around our home it’s not going to be good for him,”Benjamin said in a low but clear tone.
    “What? Daddy, why not? What does Mizan have to do with any of this?”she asked.
    “I’m not sure that he has anything to do with it, but he was the only outsider here yesterday. I’ve never had anyone foolish enough to run inside my home. All of a sudden when this kid shows up, three men in masks appear and put my family in danger. I don’t believe in coincidences, Raven. You are not to see him again,” Benjamin stated.
    “But Daddy!” Raven whined. “He was next to me the entire time.”
    “This is not up for debate, Raven,”Benjamin replied sternly. “The nigga is bad news and I don’t want you around him. I can’t be held responsible for my actions if I see him again so I advise you to not disobey me. If you do, his blood will be on your hands.”

Chapter Three
     
    It had been a long time since Benjamin had put in work of his own. Murder had been his game as a young kid, but as a distinguished head of a ruthless Midwest drug connection, he now had people to carry out his homicidal intent. As he looked into Raven’s room and watched her sleeping peacefully, he knew it was time to get his feet wet again. This was a