My mouth wanted to drop open because I had never heard Bryan speak like this to anyone. Whatever had gotten into him I liked to see it. Billy sat back with a smile on her face probably happy that she didn’t need to play the bad guy.
Their lawyer blinked slowly like he was trying to figure out where he could still find a win for his clients but there wasn’t one. He knew that their daughter couldn’t be tried for what she’d done, but in the state of Texas her memory would be completely tarnished because of what she’d done.
“I don’t understand why you all aren’t willing to play ball with us here. There is still the tape—””
“Yes, the tape. That poses a problem.” Marcus was nodding his head and I wanted to speak up but I needed to let them do their thing. “What is it that you plan to do with it since you’re not going to use it against him for custody?”
The Zahrans looked confident again, as though this was something they could exploit for leverage.
“It can be leaked. My daughter is dead and the amount of shame that she brought on us within our community will follow us if we stay here. If you don’t want it leaked, then you will pay for us to move and start over elsewhere.” Mr. Zahran was nodding his head like his solution was the best one for everyone. It was like he was oblivious to the fact that he was still committing a crime by attempting to get money out of me.
“Your client is sitting here trying to extort money from ours. Do you want to advise him about why that isn’t a good idea?”
Their lawyer paled and glanced at the Zahrans who didn’t seem to care about the potential consequences of their actions. Marcus’ words meant something to him since he’d gone to law school and knew how they’d messed up.
“They are simply making a request—”
“Request denied.” Sterling interrupted and I saw Billy and Bryan both smile. Marcus was nodding as if Sterling had taken the words directly out of his mouth. She was looking at the Zahrans but was somehow looking down at them as well. It had to be something that generational wealth had to teach you because she had the look down. The way her shoulders were rolled back and neck was elongated in her cream suit jacket. She looked fine as hell and the wide-leg pants and dark pink shirt with her hair half up and half down.
“You don’t have anything to do with this.”
“I do, since I will legally be Amisha’s mother before the end of the year.”
“Over my dead body.” Mrs. Zahran looked like she wanted to spit at Sterling and if she did that I knew this old lady would get bodied. Sterling had been a nurse so even without the lifting we’d been doing together she was stronger than the average woman. But now? This old lady wouldn’t stand a chance.
My girl just smiled at her as though she were silently promising that her death could be arranged if she kept fucking with her.
Damn, she got the money to do something like that, too.
“You all will need to give us a minute so that we can discuss things with our client.” Marcus spoke up before Sterling could put words to her silent threat and the Zahrans and their lawyer looked pleased like they’d won another round.
I waited until they left before I turned to the people I trusted with my life. “What do you think they’ll do?”
“Honestly, Money, I think their only focus is getting paid and it’s clear they’re going to use whatever they have to get money out of you. We have the baby’s paperwork, but they don’t seem to be the type to stay within the confines of the law. They could easily try to have someone snatch her, which means Sterling needs additional protection than what she has now.” Bryan’s fingers were drumming on the tabletop and I saw Parker pull out his phone and start sending a message.
“I love how people assume that just because I’m from up north means I can’t handle a firearm. We want gun control not gun abolition. I appreciate that you want to have more protection for me and I won’t deny that in this situation it might be necessary. But I will kill anyone who tries to take my child from me.” Her tone was calm but her words held a deadly promise that had my dick rocking up thinking of how much she loved our baby.
“It wouldn’t come to that, Sterling, because we aren’t going to let them put you in that position.” I nodded at Billy’s words when Bobby turned to me.
“You know how this goes, Money. Anything that is salacious gets a headline. I hate that for us but that’s the reality.” Bobby was trying to lessen the blow but that shit still had me fucked up.
“What should I do?”
“Do you want people to know?” Billy posed the question and I knew she was trying to protect my feelings but I was conflicted about this shit. I didn’t feel like less of a man but I damn sure felt…something. Not weak but not strong. The memories I had of what happened were…planted. I hadn’t lived them but I’d witnessed them.
“I don’t care about people, but I have a problem with Ami finding out how she got here later on it life. What am I supposed to say to her, Billy? ‘I didn’t even know your mom so no you weren’t conceived in love?’ I got fucking trauma behind how my first kid got here. Some stalker took my dick in my own fucking house. I already gotta contend with how that shit makes me feel as a man. But now this little girl that I love more than myself has to understand how much I resented her. The fucking headlines of my denying her. How is that going to make her feel, B?”
When my voice caught I was glad I had Sterling here with me. I thought I could handle this shit solo but I couldn’t. I’d needed her. Needed the softness that she carried with her so I could retreat there just for a minute, knowing she wouldn’t judge me. The simple touch of her hand on my skin was enough to calm my nervous system but I still felt like shit about how my daughter would doubt my love for her.
Billy cleared her throat and I looked up, fighting the tears that I was feeling. She tentatively reached out her hand and I nodded my head, letting her know it was okay. I was fucked up that she even had to ask me that shit but I couldn’t lie that Iappreciated it. It had been hard as fuck for me to just exist in my own body and the only people that could be in my personal space without issue now were Ami and Ling besides my family.
She squeezed my hand as she spoke. “I can’t imagine how all of this is weighing on you. I wish I could fix it but I can’t. That girl did a terrible thing and had the nerve to up and die and leave us with her fuck up.” She was frowning up hard as fuck and I just knew she meant every word she said.
Sterling and I both chuckled at her words probably because we knew she meant them. “Got damn, Billy, that was harsh.”
“No, it wasn’t. If she were alive, me, Sterling and the women in your family would’ve had that bitch trussed up and in a ditch somewhere.” Billy’s face was a mask of almost deadly calm and my brows dipped even as I smiled because I was surrounded by a bunch of bloodthirsty women.
“Can’t go around committing felonies, Billy.”
