“Bullshit!” Cash snapped. “You know damn well ain’t nobody else got the reach—or the fucking nerve—to move like that on me.”
“Yo, Cash,” I interjected. “This ain’t the time.”
“Fuck you mean this ain’t the time?” he barked, getting in my face. “You told me you were helping her handle her shit. So how the fuck they make it to my mama’s house?”
“I’m still working through what Bruno sent. I’m sifting through thousands of gigabytes of info?—”
“I don’t give a fuck!” he roared. “Jasmine’s back there going through early labor. My baby girl wasn’t supposed to come into the world like this.”
“I didn’t know they would do this,” Nairobi said. Her voice cracked, but she held his stare. “You know me better than that. If I’d known some shit was up, or that security should’ve been tighter, I would’ve said something.”
He let out a cold laugh. “Nah, you been too busy pussyfooting and laying up under this nigga.”
“Cash—” I warned again, heat rising in my chest.
He spun toward me. “You saying my name like that’s supposed to mean something, nigga.” His eyes were wild. “You defending her while my wife is in a hospital bed, crying through contractions, and you expect me to be calm?”
I saw his anger, but beneath it was something clearer—fear. It was choking him from the inside out. He wasn’t thinking straight.
“Bruh, I know you’re scared,” I said, hands up, trying to diffuse the situation. “We’re all worried about her. But this ain’t what you wanna do. We’re not the enemy.”
He shoved me hard in the chest. “You busy protecting her like my mama’s house wasn’t just shot the fuck up!”
This nigga was trying my patience. I felt my chest get tight. “Money, you need tochill.”
Sharp pain hit me as his fist connected with my jaw.
I stumbled back, momentarily stunned. But I came back swinging. Chairs scattered as I slammed him against the wall, my forearm pressed against his throat.
“Yo!” Jelani jumped, grabbing Cash from under me and dragging him back. “We not doing this shit here!”
Cash was still lunging, trying to break free like a rabid dog. His eyes were wild. “If anything happens to my wife or my baby behind this Order shit, I’m coming for both of y’all!”
“I’ll fix it,” Nairobi said, voice smaller than I’d ever heard before. “I’m sorry, Cash. I’ll sort this shit with them.”
He froze—nostrils flared as he turned his gaze on her.
“Your ass should’ve never come back.”
He ripped out of Jelani’s grip and stormed off toward the elevators without another word.
The silence left behind was louder than the fight that just happened.
Nairobi’s eyes were glassy, but she didn’t cry. She just stood there frozen, her lips parted like she wanted to speak but couldn’t get the words out.
I flexed my jaw, still aching from the hit, and stared at the floor. My heart pounded as adrenaline still pumped through me.
“Give him a minute,” Jelani said, resting a hand on my shoulder. “You know he ain’t got no sense when it comes to Jas. It’s like her pregnancy hormones rubbed off on him. Nigga been extra sensitive and shit.”
I let out a dry laugh, but my chest still felt heavy. I hated that it felt like I was going to have to choose between Nairobi and BC.
14 /CASH “MONEY” BANKS
Aspen Sydney Banks.
Seven pounds, five ounces.
After three hours of labor, my baby girl came out screaming and let the whole world know she was here. Despite everything that happened that day, Jasmine handled that shit like a champ.
