Tony carried Tracy inside, and the moment her mother saw her bruised face, she screamed and swung at him.
"STOP—stop! I didn't do this to her!" Tony protested, blocking her hand.
Tracy's mother paused, studied him… then hit him again anyway.
"I know you didn't," she snapped. "But you let somebody put their hands on my baby!"
Tony lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I took care of the dude best I could. If Tracy hadn't stopped me…I would've killed him."
Tracy's mom looked shaken. Tony, for once, looked small.
"I want to stay and help," Tony said quietly. "I'll sleep on the couch."
At first Tracy's mother refused. But Tracy was hurt, shaking, and she couldn't stop looking at Tony with this strange mix of fear and comfort.
Finally, her mother sighed. "Fine. You can stay. But you're on that couch."
Tracy covered her face to hide her laughter. Imagining Tony—big bad Tony Montane—sleeping on their tiny lumpy couch was too funny.
They drove to Tony's house so he could grab clothes.
"Let's go shopping," Tony said suddenly, brightening like a little kid.
Tracy laughed. Shopping really is his favorite thing to do…
She agreed.
At the mall, a tall, confident man approached Tony and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Look at you, boy," the man said. He turned to Tracy. "You must be Tracy."
Tracy blinked, unsure. "Um…yes."
"I ain't never heard my nephew talk about a girl the way he talks about you. Name's Charles, but you? You can call me Uncle Charlie."
Tracy flushed.
"Hey, Trace—can you go grab us something to eat?" Tony asked.
"I can pay for it," she said quickly.
Tony smiled, kissed her, and she headed off.
As soon as she walked away, Uncle Charlie slapped Tony in the back of the head.
"What the hell happened to that girl's face? You better not be hittin' her."
"Damn, why everybody keep hittin' me?" Tony muttered. "Of course I ain't put my hands on her. The dude she was talkin' to did it, 'cause he didn't like her leavin' him for me."
"You handle him the Grisham way?"
Tony smirked. "You mean the Montane way. And yeah—we stomped him. Tracy stopped me from killin' him."
Uncle Charlie nodded. "Good. Means she got sense. She'll keep your hotheaded ass on the ground."
Tracy returned with food, smiling. "I didn't know what you wanted, Uncle Charlie, so I got pizza."
"Didn't I tell you to call me Uncle Charlie?" he chuckled.
Tony dug into Tracy's food without asking, and she slapped his hand. Uncle Charlie laughed loudly.
⸻
Tony called Tracy's mother to tell her where they were. At first she didn't believe him—until she heard Tracy laughing in the background.
Tony kissed Tracy's shoulder; she wrinkled her nose.
"Stop. I'm eating."
He kissed her frown lines instead. This boy stays doing the most… she thought. But secretly she liked it.
After dessert, Uncle Charlie stood to leave.
"Ok lovebirds, I get it. I'll let y'all have your moment."
"No!" Tracy protested. "Sit down—we'll behave."
Tony grinned…and licked her face.
"TONY!" Tracy squealed.
Uncle Charlie howled with laughter.
⸻
Shopping continued for hours. Tracy picked out her dresses for Sunday church, and Tony tried to skip buying himself an outfit—until Tracy insisted.
"Tony, you're going to church. With us."
He groaned but let her style him.
He loved how her eyes lit up when she found him a matching suit. And then he bought matching outfits for her whole family.
Tracy burst into laughter imagining them walking in as a color-coordinated squad.
By the time they got home, dinner was already started. Tracy nearly sprinted inside, talking so fast no one understood her until she pulled out the clothes.
Violetta squealed, spinning in her new dress. Tracy's mom hung everything carefully in her closet.
Little Bobby walked over and pulled Tony's pant leg.
"Up, up!"
Tony picked him up without hesitating.
"You don't have to sleep on the couch," Tracy's grandmother said. "Jason's off to college. You're taking his bed."
She then pointed at Tony.
"My name is Granny. Her name is Mama—not Mrs. Smith. You got it?"
"Yes ma'am," Tony answered, smiling.
⸻
After dinner, Tracy searched Tony's spare clothes so he could put on pajamas. Then she and Tony curled up on her bed—clothes on—reading a book. His arm rested around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, baby," Tony whispered. "Nobody's ever gonna touch you like that again. I swear. I'll kill anyone who tries."
The pain in his voice made her chest ache. She kissed his cheek softly.
"It's not your fault. And…it doesn't hurt that bad because you were there."
They fell asleep that way, sitting up with the book open in Tracy's lap.
Violetta found them and froze before running to get her mom. Tracy's mother gently woke Tony and sent him down the hall to Bobby's room.
A few minutes later, she peeked in and found Tony asleep with Bobby curled against him.
⸻
The next morning felt different—warm, safe.
"Good morning, Tracy," her mother said, smiling.
Tracy sat at the table, waiting for breakfast.
"Trace, you covering up those bruises?" Granny asked.
"Nope," Tracy said proudly. "I want him to see exactly what he did. And that it didn't break me."
"You just wanna show off that belly ring," her mama teased.
"Tony told you!?" Tracy shrieked.
Tony walked in lazily. "Yeah, I told her. I'm being honest with my new mother."
Granny cut the laughter. "You got the bricks beat out of you, so you first in the shower."
Violetta groaned—it was supposed to be her turn.
Tony waited until everyone else went before showering.
Tracy put on a cropped jacket, a fitted tank, her new Timberlands, and styled her hair in a messy bun with her bruises visible. Tony matched in his own Timbs.
Her mother stepped back and laughed. "Oh look, matching set."
Even Granny snorted.
Tony drove them to school, Violetta riding shotgun and pushing every button in the truck. Tracy was annoyed, but Tony kept encouraging her, showing her even more buttons.
Once Violetta was dropped off, Tony helped Tracy across the seat.
"Ow," she whispered.
"Oh! Baby, I'm sorry—"
She kissed him. "I'm fine."
⸻
When they pulled up at Tracy's school, Tony got out too.
As soon as Tracy stepped out, the whole courtyard froze.
Tony scanned the students. His voice boomed:
"Yeah, look at her. Not one of you sorry niggas lifted a finger yesterday. Let that clown beat on her while y'all watched. And listen—anyone who work for me? You fired unless you wasn't here. And I want proof."
People stared at the ground.
Booter walked up quickly and hugged Tracy.
"You good, baby girl?"
Tony hadn't seen who touched her—he turned with fire in his eyes until he saw Booter.
Then Tony hugged him tight.
"Thanks, man. You had my back and hers. That's love."
"We family," Booter said simply.
Tony's visit caused the entire school to shift. People apologized. People moved aside. People acted like Tracy was royalty.
She ignored them all. Fake. Every single one of them.
Steve came later to collect his homework. His face was destroyed—broken nose, two black eyes, limping badly. He glared at Tracy like she'd destroyed his life.
"Bitch," he hissed.
Tracy stopped walking.
"What's that? I'm assuming that was 'I'm sorry,' right?"
"Fuck you, bitch!"
Before he finished the sentence, she kicked him in the kidneys and spit on him.
People gasped. Tracy didn't care.
He staggered up like he wanted to swing.
Tracy didn't flinch.
"Come on then. You wanna act big? Hit me again. Remember—YOU breathing because of ME."
Steve backed down first.
Alexis clapped. Booter cracked up.
"You and Tony are something else," he laughed.
⸻
After school Tony was waiting, smiling.
"Baby, I bought you something."
"Tony, you need to stop buying me stuff—"
He handed her a tiny white puppy with a pink bow.
Tracy melted. "Awwwww!"
"So the dog gets a kiss and not me?" Tony pouted.
She kissed him long and deep.
Then Tracy surprised everyone by saying, "Tony…don't treat these people like they treated me. Be the bigger person."
"Why?" Tony frowned.
"It's better to have people with you than against you."
Tony actually listened. And withdrew his threat.
When Violetta saw the puppy she nearly screamed.
Tony smirked. "How 'bout I take you shopping tonight? Just you."
Tracy hated the idea but stayed quiet. Her mom laughed at Tony.
"You keep spoiling her like this, she's gonna expect it forever."
At the pet store, Tony found out Tracy planned to dress the puppy in outfits.
"You're not dressing our pitbull," he warned.
"HE is mine," she said, "and I will dress him how I want. The dogs we share won't wear clothes."
Tony shook his head, defeated.
He took Violetta shopping next.
⸻
Hours later, Tony woke Tracy up to show Violetta's new outfits. Tracy peeked with one eye, unimpressed until Violetta opened a little jewelry box.
Inside was the prettiest diamond tennis bracelet and matching earrings Tracy had ever seen.
"For me?" she squeaked.
Tony nodded.
Tracy leaped into his arms and kissed him hard. Violetta rolled her eyes and left the room.
⸻
By Sunday, Tracy's bruises were fading, and Tony had become a permanent fixture in the house.
The whole family entered church in matching outfits. Heads turned. Whispering started. The preacher even motioned Tony up during altar call.
Tracy held Tony's hand and walked him to the front.
Tony fought tears as the preacher prayed over him. He didn't want Tracy caught in his dangerous life. He knew one day his enemies might come knocking.
After church they went to dinner, changed into casual clothes. Tony introduced her as "my baby" to everyone—including a guy named Bentley.
When Tracy got harassed by some dudes near the bathroom—one even grabbing her—Tony was on him instantly.
But after that…Tony shut down. At home he didn't read with her. Didn't joke. Didn't smile.
Tracy curled next to him on the couch, and he wrapped his arm around her automatically.
He fell asleep like that.
But the next morning, when Tracy woke up—Tony was packing.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I said I'd stay and nurse you back to health. You look fine now. I'm leaving."
"Fine," Tracy said, hurt slicing through her like glass.
She walked to school alone for the first time in days.
After school, Tony wasn't waiting for her.
She picked up Violetta instead.
"Tony said…he won't be around for a while," she whispered.
And just like that, the houseguest was gone.