“You can’t say more than that?” She was biting her lip like I should’ve automatically been interested in her but I wasn’t. The idea of being close to a woman turned my stomach since all this drama started. The only ones who could get close to me were the women who were like my family.
And Ling.
“Nah, I can’t.” I slid her hand off of me careful not to do anything she could run to the media and misconstrue to make me an even bigger team distraction than I already was. She might not normally be that type of chick but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t become one faced with rejection in front of her homegirls.
As expected, she immediately took offense and I was glad we were somewhere with plenty of people and a bunch of cameras so that nothing could be blown out of proportion.
Her almost nonexistent top lip curled up in disgust and I braced myself for whatever bullshit she would spew. “You wish you had a chance with somebody like me. You’re playing yourself.”
“You’re just mad cause you threw the pussy at him and he passed. Next time learn to have some sense about yourself and not put your hands on people when they haven’t asked you.” Chris spoke up with a scowl on his face and I could tell that he was trying to be a friend but this girl was only going to get rowdier.
“And who even are you? His bodyguard or something? I’m sure you’ve got a bunch of baby mamas just like he does. Had you played your cards right you might’ve earned attention from one of us.” Pink pants waved her hands to her friends like she was offering them up to us like party favors.
Chris rubbed a tattooed hand over his goatee before he responded to her supposed insult. “Nobody wants the type of attention you’re offering.”
“Says the man hanging out with the guy who got a bastard with a girl that wasn’t even famous enough to be a rapper’s side bitch.” Blondie burst out laughing but she didn’t realize she’d just crossed a line talking about my daughter.
“The fuck you call my daughter, bitch?”
Chris’ hand was now on my chest like he thought I was gonna yoke this bitch up in front of all of these people. “Money—”
Pink pants’ mouth closed quick as fuck realizing I wasn’t one of them niggas that was gone think her bullshit was cute. “You can’t talk to me like that!”
“You called my two-month-old a bastard. Only bitches would do that shit. Seems like the name fits.” I took a step back because I swore this girl was trying to press me to step out of character even more than I already had even following her up. Putting more space between the two of us protected us both. She looked like the type to resort to spitting and slurs since her pride was injured and that might make me cut the fuck up.
“That’s the term to call a child whose parents weren’t married when they were born.” Some bitch in light blue spoke up from the pack and I couldn’t even speak before Chris was on her.
“And you look like them bitches whose family tree is a wreath. Ol’ Hapsburg jaw, underbite ass bitch. Looking like the human form of a Pekingese.” Chris had walked over to keep me from doing something dumb but now I was patting his chest to get him to stand down.
The girl who had been big enough to talk shit wasn’t strong enough to take it when it was slung back at her and she immediately looked like she was about to cry. The other girls in the group went to comfort her but Pink Pants glared at us like we’d wronged her.
“Ignore them. They wanna be put on so bad but couldn’t even get more than a hello from either of us. They aren’t worth the headache they’d surely bring.” Chris glanced at me with a nod and a smile broke over his face. I was glad he wasn’t hyped up because giving them attention was the last thing I wanted.
“Facts. I would tell y’all ladies to have a good day but I’d be lying. Have the day you earned.” Chris chucked the deuces at them and neither of us gave them another look. They started talking shit as soon as we walked away but I was glad he was on the same type of time I was. The walk to the parking lot was quiet and I kept my ears trained behind me to ensure that none of the women from the rainbow group of birds was coming to bother us.
“Good lookin’ keeping your head. Women like that are far too plentiful.” His car was parked next to my truck and I was thankful that his car looked like it wasn’t brand new. Too many players let their agents convince them their wants were needs so that they had big bills to pay. It and you easier to control and would have you out here signing your name to whatever just to keep your bills paid.
He glanced back at the building and frowned annoyed at how easily they’d gotten under his skin. “Yeah it was easy to ignore them when I was in college but I’m sure they get worse now that more money is at stake.”
“Facts. But don’t forget about training. I’ll get that schedule to you as soon as possible. And I already sent that info over to you about my people. Get to them when you can.”
He smiled and dapped me up before unlocking his car. “‘Preciate it, Money. Get home to your people.”
We parted ways but the interaction with the flock of birds had me in my feelings. I’d known for years I would always be targeted by women because of the earning potential of my talent. But to have fallen victim to one and to be viewed as an easiercome-up made me feel like once again that bitch had taken something from me. Her death kept casting shadows over me and my reputation and now I had a new label thanks to her: sucker.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Can't buy me
STERLING
I WOKE UP out of my sleep and immediately looked at the baby monitor next to the bed. Ami was still sleeping soundly and when I checked the monitor on her foot it hadn’t alerted to anything that might be wrong.
But something had woken me up. I looked around and waited again to see if anything was wrong. I was sure that Aldrich had set the alarm but I picked up my phone to check the app. I didn’t get it open before I heard the sound again that sounded like a cry. With another glance at the monitor, I knew it wasn’t Ami so that only left one person: Aldrich.
His room was far enough down the other hall that I shouldn’t have been able to hear him doing whatever he was doing, but he was just that loud. When the sound came again I couldn’t just sit in the bed and not do something. The sounds were anguished, as if something was truly bothering his soul.
Tonight had been weird. He’d checked in all day to let me know when he’d be coming home, but when he got here it was like he was a different person. He’d played with Ami some but his mind wasn’t on her. He hadn’t wanted to hang around long after the dinner he didn’t really eat and had kissed Ami goodnight before heading to the opposite side of the house toward the exercise room. I got her ready for bed and didn’t ask questions because he seemed distant with me and I wasn’t in the mood to play that game with him today.
