“There was a pot,” I said, looking at him. Amethyst’s expression was blank, which worried me. Whenever he got like this, it was hard as hell to reach him. I licked my lips and rubbed my hands down my thigh. “Five million each. Quincy agreed to pay off the debt if I agreed to marry Grant, and I did.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me so I could take care of it?” He stepped back and shook his head.
“Because I knew you were struggling too,” I answered, and his face twisted in anger. “It was a reason you were working for Grant. You’d told me plenty of times that you didn’t want to go to your brothers or daddy for anything, and five million dollars is a lot to ask for.”
“Ten,” he said, and my brow damn near connected. “It would’ve been ten that I asked them for—five each. I would’vegone to my people or paid that shit off myself. That wasn’t for you to decide to handle.”
“I know, but I did what I thought was right.”
“You did what you thought was right?” he laughed and stepped back. “You can’t be serious right now. How?”
“I did what I needed to do to save your life. The deal was with the Franklins.”
“I didn’t ask you to save my fucking life, Yale!” he yelled. “I’m a grown ass man. Shit, I was a grown ass man even then, and you decided to just enter a fucking deal on my behalf without telling me?”
“Am, let me explain.” I got up from my chair and tried to approach him, but he stepped back. He threw his hands up in surrender and shook his head. “Really, Am?”
“Explain what?” he questioned with a laugh. “The fact that you decided shit on my behalf? Nah, man, ain’t shit to discuss. You made the decision, lived your life, and then what? Decided you were done playing house with that nigga and confessed?” he laughed humorlessly. “What did you say to me the other day?” he snapped, then nodded. “Oh yeah, you chose me? Nah, you chose yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard what the fuck I said,” he replied.
“Amethyst, I’m going to walk away right now because obviously you are trippin’,” I said, standing. “Go to work, get your mind right, and we will talk later. I have a doctor’s appointment I need to get to anyway.”
Chapter twenty-three
Amethyst
Isat on my back porch watching Toddles move through the yard, trying to find the perfect resting spot. My mind was fucked up. The shit with the Kilmores was more complicated than I thought. The main thing that kept running through my mind was the accident; even back then, something didn’t feel right about it. Shit was moving too fast, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. Now I knew it was a setup. Quincy and Grant’s bitch ass had set up Yale to take the fall for the death of Xavier. If it were anyone else, then I wouldn’t trip off it, but this hit too close to home. Xavier was a St. Thomas.
“Fuck,” I groaned as I stood. This was going to cause a rift that possibly could never be repaired.
I picked up my phone from next to me and dialed Tulane’s number.
“What is it, young buck?” he answered.
“We need to talk,” I said as I leaned back.
“I assumed, which is why you called,” he chuckled. “What can I do for you?”
“Nah, in person,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me. “This is a face-to-face conversation.”
“Come see me then,” he suggested. “I’ll be back in town shortly. I had to go clean up a situation with my oldest daughter.”
“Nah, you come to me,” I replied. “I can’t leave Yale on her own right now.”
“Is she okay?”
“I got her, Tulane,” I grunted. “Don’t try to play doting father now. This shit is on lock.”
“Not if you’re calling me,” he countered. “Look, Amethyst, we may never see eye to eye when it comes to my daughter, but don’t think for one second I didn’t stay out of her life for a reason. I moved how I thought would be better for her and her sisters.”
“Keep the speech.” I wiped my hand over my hair. “When can you get here?”
“I’ll have my pilot reroute to come there,” he said. “Give me a few hours.”
“Send me the landing time, and I’ll meet you at the strip,” I said, then hung up. I swiped through my contacts, then pulled up Xayne’s number and called him.
