“I—”
I’m interrupted by an abundance of women laughing and cheering as Danger, and I turn to the entrance of the VIP lounge to see an entourage filing in through the door. I roll my eyes when America’s leading rapper, Debt Money, moves in with a girl on each arm. Surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women and a crowd of oversized men, the VIP room has gone from relaxed and calm to buzzing and overcrowded in an instant.
I look to Danger and curl up my lip in annoyance.
The women in his entourage are definitely groupies, and I’ve been there, done that, bought and worn the fucking T-shirt. I don’t have the time or need for that shit anymore. Plus, Tillie is the only woman on my mind. I turn, shaking my head, and take another turn at the pool table, wanting to continue with my game. Suddenly, a hand slaps my ass, and I jolt, missing the ball completely. Danger chuckles and then coughs, choking on his laugh as another woman runs her hand up his chest. I stand as the ass-slapper does the same to me.
“Can we play with you?” the girl asks Danger as he pulls her off him.
I gently pull the blonde away from me, too.
“Not tonight, ladies. It’s boys’ night. Sorry.”
The girls both grunt in annoyance, then stand back, glaring at us with their arms crossed over their expensive fake tits.
“Don’t you know who we’re here with?”
“Yeah, but that means jack shit to us, darling. We prefer rock over rap,” Danger replies, and I laugh, fist-bumping him.
The girls both smirk and run off. I shake my head, looking at Danger, who rolls his eyes, taking his turn and potting another ball.
“That was fun,” I murmur.
“Yeah, not! Let’s not tell Lunar about that. She’ll hunt them down and gut them.”
I laugh, knowing that that’s probably true, when I turn to see Debt Money sauntering over toward us with a goon on either side of him.
“Harmony and Melody said you disrespected them and my music, dog.”
I’m dismayed at not only the girls’ names but the hoodlum way Debt Money talks, so I attempt to hide my smirk.
“Um, no disrespect…dog, but me and my bro here, are trying to play some pool. We’re not getting in the way of anyone,” Danger says.
“Yeah, but you’re inmyVIP lounge, dog. So youwillbow down to my demands or get the fuck out.”
“Excuse me?” Danger snaps, throwing the pool cue on the table. I step up, putting my hand on his chest as he rushes toward Debt Money, who flashes his gold-toothed grill at us while his two goons step forward.
“I think I told you to get the fuck out.”
“Fuck you!” Danger snaps, and Debt Money smirks.
“I don’t think pasty white boy is my thang.”
“Good, then get out of our faces and let us play our game. You go back to Harmony and Melody, and everything will be peachy,” I say.
He looks at me and tilts his head. “Did this bitch say peachy?”
“I think he did,” one of his goons says.
“Well, thisbitchain’t going nowhere,dog. You got the 411 there,homeboy?” I say, not knowing why I’m talking like a prepubescent teen.
Debt Money raises his eyebrow and growls like a dog, literally baring his teeth. “You dare mock me, son? Well, I’m gon’ showyou bitches who the mac daddy is right now! Beau, Jangles… sick ’em.”
I smirk at his goons’ names, but it quickly falls as I see Jangles’ fist flying right for my face. I don’t have time to duck before his fist—the size of a dinner plate—smashes right into my nose. A sharp pain radiates right through my face as I groan out loud, hunching over while another blow lands in my stomach, forcing my knees to give out, and I collapse to the floor. I hear muffled moans coming from Danger, too, and I squint, opening my eyes to look at him.
He’s on the floor, his face covered in blood.
“Oh, you showed them, Debt Money. You’re my big teddy bear, Daddy,” Harmony or Melody—I don’t know which one she is—jumps up into his arms as he rumbles with laughter above us while the other girl records it all on her cell.
