It was a week later, and Jasmine’s mom, Vera, was staying with us until we found a night doula. Right now, Vera was over at my mama’s house—those two had become thick as thieves right after Jas and I got engaged. I knew they were already planning all the ways to spoil Aspen rotten.
I couldn’t stop staring at her.
Beautiful brown skin, head full of dark curls, her tiny fingers wrapped around mine like she knew she’d already become the center of my world. She had her mama’s eyes, but that mouth and nose? All me. She was perfect.
“Can you believe we did that?” Jasmine asked from the bed, her voice soft but full of awe.
I looked up at her as Aspen stretched across my chest.
“Yeah, I can,” I said with a smirk. “Told you I was finna put a baby inyou.”
She rolled her eyes with a tired smile. “You so damn stupid.”
Aspen started to fuss. I stood, handed her over, and watched Jas get the baby latched like she’d done this a thousand times.
“What’s going on, Cash?” she asked, looking over at me again.
I paused, halfway back to the chair. “What you mean?”
She gave me a look. “Money, my baby shower got shot up. Now’s not the time to act stupid.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, not even sure where to start.
On our first date, I told her I’d keep her out of my mess. That if it came down to it, she’d have a choice about how close she wanted to get to that part of my life. The Marcus situation made it crystal clear I couldn’t straddle both sides. I couldn’t live this life and risk having her in harm’s way. She never made me choose—but I did anyway.
I’d come too close to losing her once but as long as I had enemies, she’d always be a target.
So I fell back from BC. Gave the reins to Jelani and poured everything into the legit shit—real estate, development, anything that could wash our money. Every move was about keeping us safe. Keepinghersafe. I wasn’t trying to end up like my pops.
But then Nairobi came back and flipped all that shit. She came home to a mess she didn’t even make. And because Fontaine was always gonna ride for her, that mess was ours by default.
I knew it wasn’t her fault. But I still hadn’t called Fontaine. Or her. Not after I swung first and said some wild, hurtful shit.
“Cash,” Jas said again, more gently this time. She was looking at me over our daughter’s head. “You can talk to me.”
I sat slowly as I ran a hand over my face.
“It’s some shit with Nai’s pops,” I said finally. “He was tied into some stuff with a group no one knew about and owes them money. They’re trying to make her pay and since she’s tied to us, we all in it.”
She hummed, pulling Aspen off her chest and patting her gently to burp. “So you feel some type of way because you don’t know the threat and you’re not in control. You’re scared, because it’s bigger than BC—it’s me and the baby too.”
Her words hit me straight in the chest.
“But the thing is,” she went on. “I chose to stay. Even when you stepped back, I wasn’t naïve. You’re still Big Money Banks. I know what that means. Jelani might be the face, but everybody knows who built this empire. And at the end of the day, I know you’d jump in front of a bullet for me. I’m not scared, I’m just aware.”
“I would die if anything happened to you, Jas,” I said softly. “That shit would break me, forreal.”
“I know, baby.” She smiled at me. “But Fontaine’s your brother as much as Jelani is. You hit him because you were scared. I get it, I promise I do. But you lashed out at the people who’ve always ridden for you.”
I sighed, feeling the guilt heavy in me.
“Didn’t I tell you to let them find their way back to each other?” she asked. “They did. Fontaine’s just trying to figure out how to help Nairobi. You gotta be part of that too, not against it.”
I let out a frustrated breath because I knew she was right. He waited two years for a sign, and he’d finally got it when she came back.
“I like Nairobi,” she added, surprising me. “She don’t talk much, but she has good energy. You can tell she’s carrying more than she’ll ever admit, but I know she’s got a good heart. I like having her around. Plus, she owes me shooting lessons.”
I groaned. “You and this gun shit.”
