Javi scrambled for the door, his face contorted with rage. “You dumb bitch! Throwing everything away for some young dick. You’ll regret this!”
The door slammed behind him, and I lowered the gun, my hands starting to shake as the adrenaline ebbed.
“Mom! What happened? Was that a gunshot?” ZaZa burst into the living room, her eyes wild with fear.
I quickly tucked the gun into the back of my leggings, trying to steady my breathing. “Your father and I had a disagreement.”
“A disagreement? You fired a gun at him!” She looked at me like I’d lost my mind, and maybe I had.
“He had it coming,” I snapped, my hands still shaking with rage. “Your father thinks he can show up here spreading lies about Cannon, trying to manipulate me into taking him back.”
ZaZa’s eyes widened as she stared at the splintered doorframe. “You could’ve killed him, Mom.”
“If I wanted to kill him, he’d be dead,” I muttered, tucking the gun more securely into the waistband of my leggings. “I don’t miss when I aim to hit.”
ZaZa backed away from me slowly, like I was a wild animal she didn’t recognize. “You’re scaring me right now.”
The fear in her eyes cut through my rage, bringing me back to reality. What the hell was I doing? I’d just fired a gun in my own apartment with my daughter home. This wasn’t me. Or maybe it was exactly who I’d become—a woman with her back against the wall, lashing out at anything that threatened what little I had left.
“I’m sorry, baby,” I said, softening my voice. “I shouldn’t have done that. But what your father said about Cannon… I lost it.”
“What did he say?” ZaZa asked, still keeping her distance.
“That Cannon’s been arrested for beating his sister.” I shook my head firmly. “It’s a lie. I know it is.”
But did I? The doubt crept in like poison. I barely knew Cannon, when I really thought about it. A few weeks of intense connection didn’t mean I knew what he was capable of.
No. I pushed the doubt away. I’d seen enough men with violence in their souls to recognize it. Cannon was protective, possessive even, but he wasn’t the kind to hurt a woman. Especially not his sister.
“I need to make some calls,” I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. “Your interview is soon, right? You should get going.”
ZaZa hesitated, clearly torn between concern for me and her own plans. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’m fine. Go to your interview.” I tried to smile, but it felt brittle on my face. “We’ll talk when you get back.”
After she left, I paced the living room, my thoughts racing. If Cannon really had been arrested, he’d need a lawyer. A good one. My first thought was to call Nori—she knew the best criminal defense attorneys in the city. Her cousin Jerome had gotten off on three separate weapons charges thanks to a lawyer Nori recommended.
I pulled up her contact, my thumb hovering over the call button. Then I remembered our last conversation. The accusations I’d hurled at her about stealing from the club. The way she’d hung up on me. The crack in my phone screen from where I’d slammed it down in anger.
“Shit,” I muttered, closing her contact. After accusing her of theft, I couldn’t just call and ask for a favor. I tossed my phone onto the couch and walked to the window, staring out at the city skyline. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the buildings, but I barely noticed the beauty. All I could think about was Cannon sitting in a jail cell, alone.
I needed to help him, but how? Without Nori, I’d have to find a lawyer on my own. I grabbed my laptop and sat cross-legged on the couch, searching for “top criminal defense attorneys NYC.” Thousands of results popped up, the names blurring together as I scrolled. How was I supposed to know who was actually good versus who just had a flashy website?
Part of me still wanted to call Nori. She’d know exactly who to contact, which lawyers specialized in cases like Cannon’s, who had the best relationships with the DAs. But my pride was a stubborn thing. After accusing her of stealing thirty thousand dollars from my club, I couldn’t just reach out like nothing had happened.
And I still wasn’t entirely sure she didn’t steal from me. I had to figure this out alone.
Chapter 38
Cannon
I stared at the blank concrete wall of the holding cell, counting the cracks like they were tallies marking time. Five fucking hours. Five hours of sitting on this metal bench with my back against cold cinder block, watching roaches scatter across the floor like they had some place to be. My jaw ached from clenching it so hard, but that pain was nothing compared to the rage building inside me.
“Hey, Price! Visitor,” a guard called out, his voice echoing off the walls.
I didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge him. Just kept my eyes fixed on that spot on the wall while my mind ran through all the ways this could play out. They hadn’t even let me make my phone call yet, which meant Queen probably had no idea where I was. And that’s exactly how these pigs wanted it.
The cell door clanged open, and I finally looked up.
