Page 27

“Anyway, I’m not calling no man. I’m finna call my sister.”

“And how I know that?”

“Because I don’t have a man.”

“Uh-huh.”

He stared at me for a few seconds like he was trying to decide whether he believed me before finally reaching into his pocket.

“Here.”

He held my phone out.

“Thank you.” I snatched it from his hand.

The second I turned to walk away, his hand closed around my arm.

“Unh-uh. Where you going?”

I looked down at his hand before looking back up at him. “Upstairs.”

“Nah. Call your sister down here and put that shit on speaker.”

“Excuse you?”

“Nah, excuse you.” His eyes stayed on mine as he pointed toward the phone in my hand. “Call your sister and put that shit on speaker.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Why you acting like you own me or some shit?”

A low laugh left him before he bit down on his bottom lip and slowly ran his tongue across it. His eyes traveled over me before coming back to my face.

“News flash, ma.”

He stepped closer, and the faint smell of liquor hit me.

“I do own you.”

My face twisted.

“I paid seven million dollars for you. So technically...” His smirk deepened. “Yeah. In a way, I do.”

“And again, you didn’t have to pay that.”

“Nah, I didn’t.” He shrugged. “But you ain’t wanna end up with that old-ass man, did you?”

I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes because, as much as I hated to admit it, he had me there.

“Whatever.”

“Yeah, whatever, Shakaylen.”

My eyes immediately snapped back to his.

Hold the fuck up.

“How the hell you know my name?”

“Your name was on the auction paperwork they handed me with your purse.” He paused, his eyes staying on mine. “Shakaylen.”