Page 24

“Then what did you call for?”

“I knew from the moment KiKi told me you’d protect them how you must feel about Topaz. Then I met you, the one nigga who might be more whipped than I am,” he began.

I scoffed but didn’t bother denying it. It wasn’t worth the time or the lie. “And?” I pressed.

“And I know what Topaz said about workplace romances being a no-no. And I know how stubborn her annoying ass can be.”

I drummed my fingers impatiently on the desktop, waiting for him to get to his point. But Damien Montana moved at his own speed. My Apple wasn’t the only stubborn one in that family.

“But I ain’t never understood you, Masters. Dream tried to run, and I ran right after her. Refused to let her leave me.”

“From what I understand, y’all had history at that point and a baby on the way. You can’t compare our situations. She’s my employee. I push too hard, she quits, or she gives in because she’s worried about her job. You think I want either of those? And there’s no bedroom history, no baby tying her to me. She also has connections with unlimited resources, remember? I ain’t pushing her to disappear on me.” I shot back.

This nigga had me heated. He didn’t understand, hadn’t been in my shoes. There was nothing I wanted more than to drag Topaz Waters to my estate and keep her here, beside me, beneath me, until she understood that she was mine, that she was wasting her time thinking I’d ever let one of these niggas truly have her. Ultimately there would only ever be her and me.

“Excuses,” he chided.

“Fuck you, Montana. If all you called for was to tell me how⁠—”

“She cried last night.”

Everything in me went still, my irritation fading silently.

“I know,” I said quietly.

He paused, then, “You know?”

“I went by her house.”

That earned me another silence, this one longer. I leaned back in my chair and rubbed a hand over my beard. I could still see her standing behind that barely open door, eyes lowered, trying like hell to hide from me. Her tears… they made me feel like the little punch I’d landed on Milhouse wasn’t enough.

“She didn’t answer when I called, so I went by. I just thought she needed… Fuck. If she let you see… how bad?” I asked quietly.

“Bad enough that I sat my ass on KiKi’s porch swing for twenty minutes with her and didn’t say shit,” he muttered.

I almost smiled. “Damn. That bad, huh?”

“Exactly.”

“I hate that shit. You think she want that nigga back?”

His answer came immediately. “No.”

I didn’t even realize how tense I’d gotten until he answered. I felt my shoulders relax. “She said that?”

“Yeah, but she didn’t have to. I’m not a complete asshole. Four years of arguing, I still know my cousin. She hurt because he played in her face. Nigga embarrassed her. Then some bullshit he said outside the restaurant got in her head.”

My jaw tightened. I’d been trying not to think about Adam’s accusations because every time I did, I got pissed off at how easily I had let him have it.

“He tried to make her feel like what he did was her fault. She falling for it?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

Silence settled between us. Then Montana said, “She needs a break, Masters.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”