“I love you,” he said. “Stubborn ass and all.”
“I love you too.” I smiled against his skin. “Overprotective ass and all.”
We fell asleep like that. Wrapped up in each other, the argument settled, the fear still present but manageable now.
Tomorrow, I was going to Baltimore.
Tomorrow, I was going to face my father alone.
But tonight, I was exactly where I needed to be.
14
PRIME
I’d dropped Yusef off at school an hour ago, watched him walk through those double doors, then headed straight downtown. The drive gave me time to think—about Zainab confronting her father today, about Zoo sniffing around, about all the threats circling us like vultures waiting for something to die.
By the time I pulled into the underground garage at Banks Reserve headquarters, my head was swimming. But I pushed it down. Compartmentalized. That’s what I did. Handle what’s in front of you, worry about the rest later.
The conference room was already full when I walked in. Quest was at the head of the table looking like the CEO he was—tailored suit, fresh lineup, that quiet authority that made people sit up straighter when he entered a room. Justice was to his right, laptop open, already running through numbers. A few other executives filled the remaining seats—AJ from Operations, Mia from Marketing, two guys from Legal whose names I could never remember.
“There he is,” Quest said as I took my seat. “Thought you might be late.”
“Traffic.” I poured myself a glass of water from the pitcher in the center of the table. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothing yet. Still waiting on the event planners.” Quest checked his watch. “They should be here in ten. We’re discussing the casino groundbreaking and the holiday party. Combining them into one event.”
Made sense. Banks Reserve didn’t do anything small. If we were breaking ground on a casino, we were gonna make sure everybody who mattered knew about it.
“Speaking of which,” Quest continued, leaning back in his chair. “We need to talk about the guest list. Vivica has to be there.”
I felt my jaw tighten. “Why?”
“Because she’s the mayor. And we’re about to break ground on a major development project in her city. Having her there, supporting it publicly, is good optics. Good business.”
“Just keep that bitch away from me.”
“I’m aware.” Quest’s expression didn’t change. “But business is business. We can hate her in private and smile for the cameras in public. That’s how this works.”
He wasn’t wrong. That was exactly how this worked. Didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Fine,” I said. “Whatever. It’s your call.”
The conference room door opened before Quest could respond.
And in walked Farah.
She was wearing a cream-colored pantsuit that hugged every curve, her weave in long waves down her back, makeup flawless. Professional on the surface, but I knew better. Everything about her was calculated—the way she walked, the way she smiled, the way her eyes found mine immediately and lingered a beat too long.
“Good morning, everyone,” she said, her voice all sunshine and professionalism. “I’m Farah with Dynasty Event Planning.Thank you so much for choosing us for your holiday celebration.”
She had an assistant trailing behind her—some young girl with a tablet who looked nervous—but Farah commanded the room like she owned it. Passed out folders. Made small talk with the executives. Worked the table like she belonged there.
Like she belonged here. In my family’s company. In my space.
When she got to me, she paused.
“Prime.” She smiled, all teeth. “So good to see you again. How’s the penthouse? I still think about how beautiful those finishes turned out.”
