Pop! Pop!
I let off a few rounds and dropped him.
“I had that,” she snapped, panting.
“Teamwork,” I retorted, yanking open the door.
We flew down the stairs and burst into the parking deck just as Marcus was shoving Jasmine into an idling Yukon.
“Marcus!” I bellowed, gun raised.
He froze, turning to face me, his expression twisting into an angry snarl.
I took a step forward. “Let her go!” I ordered
“Fuck you,” he spat. He yanked his piece from his waistband and aimed it at me. “Ain’t nobody fucking scared of you, Money!”
“This shit’s between me and you. Leave Jas out of it.”
Marcus sneered, dragging Jasmine forward. “She don’t even want to go back with you! Go on, tell him!”
Jasmine’s tear-streaked face looked at me. No words came out of her trembling lips.
Marcus shoved her hard. “She said it herself—she’d be better off without either of us. So what now, huh? You take her, and she gon’ leave your ass anyway. Then what?”
I shook my head. “And you over here snatching somebody who ain’t want your ass in the first place,” I fired back. “You’re a fucking clown, Marcus. Now, I don’t like repeating myself. Let. Her. Go.”
Marcus laughed again. “You not gon’—”
Bang!
He jumped back as the warning shot ricocheted off the concrete near his foot.
“I won’t miss next time,” I warned.
Jasmine used the moment to slam her heel down on Marcus’s foot.
“Shit!” He hissed. His grip loosened enough for her to wrench free and scramble away from him.
I charged him, slamming my shoulder into his chest. Both of us went down.
“Fuck off me!” he growled, throwing an elbow into my ribs. I ignored the pain flaring through my side as we both scrambled to our feet. I shrugged off my suit jacket as I rolled my shoulders.
Marcus squared up before lunging and swung for my face. I ducked and moved to hit him, but he caught me first with a punch to my gut that knocked the wind out of me.
“This all the infamous Money Banks got?” he taunted, as I staggered back. “You soft, nigga.”
I wiped my mouth, spitting on the pavement. “And you New York niggas talk too fucking much.”
I was ready when he rushed me again—this time, my fist into his nose. Blood poured down his face. Adrenaline surged as I grabbed his jacket and slammed his head against the truck’s window.
Marcus groaned, but still fought to break free. I yanked him up, ready to ram his head again, but he twisted out of my grip and dove for the gun on the ground.
“Nah, nigga,” I snarled. My hand closed around his collar as his fingers brushed the handle of the gun. I pulled him back with everything in me, sending us both tumbling to the ground.
Out the corner of my eye, I saw Jelani start to move, but Nairobi threw her arm against his chest—this wasn’t his fight, it was mine.
Marcus landed on top of me. Stars exploded behind my eyes as he punched the side of my head. I put my hands up to cover myself as he rained down punches.
