“Wow.”
Her head shook slowly, curls brushing her cheek.
“For you to let it go this far and me to plan a wedding, buy a dress, tell my family, and send out invitations just to have thisrevelation now because you realized you are a hoe is crazy work, Hawk.”
Her voice sharpened, venom creeping in.
“Maybe you really are just an ignorant, ghetto nigga who’s irrational, and my mama was right. Maybe you were only ever meant to be a security guard just like your fucking father. She said you were dumb just like my father.”
My foot shifted, weight settling heavy. Heat crawled up my spine. I swallowed it down, knowing if I let it loose, there’d be no taking it back.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Shit, we don’t even have to split the company. Just give me the money that I earned opening new clubs, reviving dead ones, and I’ll be gone. You can have all this shit.”
She stood up fast, heels clicking as she closed the space between us again, arms folded tight across her chest.
“Listen to me, Hawk Proctor! I don’t care what you say. You and I are getting married next week. We’re making this relationship work, or you are leaving with nothing. Absolutely nothing!”
Her eyes burned.
“I’ll make sure that if that contract is broken, you don’t see a dime. Not one fucking dime my father is responsible for.”
My muscles tightened. The look on my face made her step back.
“You’re a dirty bitch, Nina. I really thought you had more class than that. More confidence. You carry yourself like you that bitch, but you’re just a weak little girl hiding behind paperwork. Grow the fuck up. A piece of paper doesn’t mean shit to a real nigga. Remember that.”
Her lips curled.
“I bet it will when thatreal niggais homeless. Look around you, Hawk. Are you really going to trade all of this for some self-discovery bullshit? A shelter, a bed? Fuck that. You’re Hawk. The CEO of Kansas Enterprise, and that’s who you will be until you die. Whether you like it or not.”
She turned away, already feeling victorious.
Her footsteps faded down the hall, and I stayed where I was, heart pounding, jaw tight, staring at everything that suddenly felt like a cage.
I didn’t know if she’d won or not, but for the first time, I was done letting someone else decide.
This wasn’t about another woman. It was about realizing I’d been played. Controlled, and that shit wasn’t sitting right.
I have to find a way out, even if it means burning everything down right before Christmas.
I left the condo and, before I could make it to the elevator, I was on the phone dialing the lawyer I had on retainer for contract negotiations for the club and casino talks.
“Heather Holly’s office.”
“Hello, this is Hawk Proctor. I need to speak with Heather ASAP.”
“Transferring you right away, Mr. Proctor.” She replied, and the phone rang instantly until the line was picked up.
“Holly Hollis.”
“Yo, this is Hawk. I need you to look into something for me.”
“Yes sir. How can I assist you?”
“It’s a contract I signed. I need to know if there are loopholes in it. How soon can you look into it?”
“I can get to it for sure by next week.”
“Nah, nah, I mean, how soon today. This shit needs to be handled, and I need answers by nightfall.”
