“I never said you’d beat it without getting scathed! You ain’t God! You don’t just get to do wrong and think you won’t be touched at all! There’s a consequence for every decision we make, you spoiled motherfucker!”
I burst out laughing.
They’re imploding because they’re just as stupid as Rich says they are.
“Give it to her,” AJ blurts. “Just give her the money.”
“AJ—”
“Get her the fuckin money.”
“You’re…you’re just gonna let her shake you down?Wow.”
AJ looks up at the barrel against his forehead with tears falling from his eyes.
“I don’t even have a speeding ticket to my name and you want me to wake up with my face on every blog tomorrow?” he asks shakily.
“Nigga, are you serious?” Blake yelps.
“Just make this go away, man.”
Blake groans, then lays on his horn. “Get the fuck out my way! It’s a green light!”
“Blake,” AJ grits out.
“Okay…okay. How about one mil and a signature?”
“Three, Blake, and no NDA,” I murmur. “Or I go downstairs right now and have Gianna at the front desk call 911. I’m fine with rolling the dice on what kind of cop we’ll get this time. I’m not scared.”
His ragged breaths crackle over the line.
“Blake…” I sing out.
“Fine! Three mil, no NDA, but that’s it. There’s no more?—”
“I want it today—in cash.”
“This ain’t a movie, girl. I just can’t get that much money on a day’s notice.”
“Well, make some calls and figure it out, super agent.”
He growls out an incoherent jumble of words under his breath.
“AJ?” he calls out. “You good, playboy? I’m…I’m pulling in downstairs.”
“How good can I be with a gun to my head?”
“I want the gun off his head, Lovie.”
“And I want the three mil you promised. I think we’re fine just how we are. You can hang up, AJ.”
And just as God and Mama would have it, my phone vibrates next to us on the floor right as AJ hangs up.
Both of us look over at it.
Rich’s name covers the top of the screen.
“How convenient,” AJ mutters sarcastically.
