You made sure they were safe.
Even if it cost you everything.
“When are you delivering it?” Raymond asked.
“This afternoon.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“No.” I picked up the folder and stood. “This one’s mine.”
Raymond stood as well, gathering his legal pad and pen. “Amai?—”
“Don’t,” I said, cutting him off.
“I’m just going to say—be careful. This one’s different.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
He nodded slowly. “I feel like you’re going to get more than you bargained for Amai.”
“I’m not,” I said. “But if I do, is that such a bad thing?”
Raymond left, closing the door quietly behind him.
I walked back to my desk and sat down, staring at the contract in front of me.
I’d built an empire on leverage, on power, on making sure I always had the upper hand.
But this contract gave Truth Renois everything.
And it gave me nothing but hope.
Hope that she’d sign it.
Hope that the pregnancy would take.
Hope that nine months from now, I’d be holding my child.
Hope that maybe—just maybe—I could be something other than what I’d always been.
I picked up my phone and texted Priest.
Clear my schedule for this afternoon. I’ve got something to handle.
His response came back immediately.
Copy.
I set the phone down and looked out the window at the city below.
New Orleans in the morning light—beautiful, broken, and mine.
Just like the woman I was about to give this contract to.
