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“Yeah.”
He went quiet again, which was unusual because he always had something to say.
“We’ve been boys since we were kids,” he said, merging onto the expressway. “I’ve been riding with you forever and never questioned a move you made. But I need to know that you’re completely sure about this.”
“I’m sure.”
“Hm. To me it looks like you’re making a permanent decision because you’re in your feelings.”
I ran my tongue along my teeth and looked out the window. “This isn’t that.”
“Do you love her?”
I cracked my knuckles and kept my eyes on the road going by.
“I don’t know.”
He laughed dryly. “You don’t know and you want to marry her? Plus, she hates your guts.”
“She doesn’t hate me.”
Marco laughed harder. “My nigga, she snuffed the shit out of you after you put a ring on her finger. She definitely hates you right now. Not to mention the theft of it all—that’s a deep hole to dig out of.”
“I’ve dealt with worse.”
“Not with a woman you actually gave a fuck about.” He switched lanes. “With all this other shit—Solomon, the family—you’re being strategic. With her?” He shook his head. “You’re moving off emotion and I’ve never seen you do that before.”
I looked at him. “So should I kill her? Take the money back and let her go? I can’t do that after what she did, Marco.”
“I got you regardless, bruh. Whatever you need, however this plays out. That’s never gonna change.” He looked at me again. “But as your friend, as your brother, I just hope you know what this could cost the both of you.”
I know it made me a fucked up nigga, but I’d rather have her shut in my penthouse hating me than not have her at all.
27 LA’BELLE EVANS
OCTOBER 2026
Dez knocked on the guest room door and came in before I could answer. I was in bed watching a movie on my tablet because I refused to be in the living room while he was home—too much opportunity for him to try and chat me up.
I didn’t look up from the screen. “What.”
“We’re going to a cocktail party. We’re leaving at 8:00 p.m.”
I looked down at my tablet. “It’s 5:45.”
“You have enough time.”
My eyes flicked toward him. Every day I wanted to stab him in his fine ass face for this bullshit and today was no different. He was standing there shirtless, tattooed umber skin on display, gray sweats sitting low on his hips, his v-cut leading down to that demon dick that I had no business thinking about right now.
“What’s this for?” I asked, ignoring the warmth growing between my thighs.
“I’m introducing you formally to my colleagues. They want to meet you before the wedding,” he explained.
The wedding. A wedding I didn’t even know the date or location of. I still hadn’t told Siani or my mother. I’d finally answered Siani’s texts after a few days of radio silence but had been very vague about how the conversation with Cardez went, because there actually hadn’t been one.
“So I’m dressing up to play the dutiful fiancée?” I sat up ready to argue.
“Something like that.” He turned to leave. “Wear something that won’t make them second guess you.”
