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“I was only?—”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Jenelle, but you have too much going on upstairs.” I referred to her crazy head. “So, find some self-respect and go look for someone else to lust over.”
“Aren’t you forgetting your pattern with women, Grim?” She scrunched up her nose and rubbed her arms. “You play with them, chuck them, then you call me.” I wanted to lash out, I wanted rip her head off for even thinking she could talk to me like that, but there were too many eyes on me, including her father’s.
I heard her father earlier as he name-dropped about people who he thought we should have invited. I couldn’t care less who he thought was a better fit; we were way past our goal and the night was far from over. I only humored him because he was a good man to know in this city. He knew a lot of people who were connected to my people. I played extra nice with him, but I could see now what a mistake that was.
“Grim, we’re going to marry.” She looked at me with melty eyes. “You can run from it all you want, but we’re meant to be together. I’m being patient. I know you still want to have sex with other people, and I’m okay with that. But I don’t want you to hurt someone while you do it.”
“Are you fucking mad, woman?”
“It’s what you do when you love someone, Grim.”
“Fuck me.” I stopped talking before I did something I’d regret. I tuned in to my brother’s voice.
“Grim!” Leo called, “Tom Harris is on his way here!”
“What?” My head spun.
“He just called looking for Kenna, he wants to sign, and so do four friends!”
Holy shit, she did it.
“Where’s Kenna?” I looked around and scanned the crowd. “Min,” I called, “where’s Kenna?”
“She left.” She gave a pointed look at Jenelle, who shrugged and gave me a look that said I told you so.
“Why would she leave if she didn’t care?” Jenelle smiled and blew me a kiss over her shoulder as she headed toward her father.
I grabbed my cell and punched in her number, but it rang and rang.
“Shit.” I closed my eyes for a second and tuned out the room. When I opened them again, I spotted my dad at their table. He watched my mom as she laughed at something someone said. Now, that was the face of someone in love. I made my way over to him and sat down.
“Hello, son.” He smiled, but up close he couldn’t hide that he looked tired.
“You okay?” I kept my tone breezy; the time wasn’t right to pry.
“I just spun your mother across the dance floor, and now I’m taking a breather.” He patted my hand. “Now, enough small talk. Who are you looking to kill?”
“Besides Cameron Tame?” I made him chuckle. “I need you to text Kenna to come to the twentieth. Because of her, Harris and his friends want to sign on with Secrets.”
“Son, that’s wonderful, but why can’t you text her?”
“Let’s just say Jenelle was pissed at me, and Kenna somehow got caught in the crosshairs. Just a misunderstanding but Kenna took off and won’t take my calls.”
“I see.” He tried to hide his smile as he pulled out his phone and handed it to me. “Do what you must, but I never gave it to you.”
“Thanks.” I sent off a quick text and waited, but there was no response. That was odd. She always texted my father right back. I stood and buttoned my jacket, and Dad pulled my arm to get me to sit down again.
“When have I ever stepped into your love life and commented?”
“Never.”
“There’s a first time for everything. Be careful with Jenelle. She’s in love with you, and her father’s a powerful man. She knows it and will use it to her advantage, and so will he. Just make sure you know what you really want, son. Jenelle just might crawl inside that head of yours and create a fog so you can’t see anyone else.”
Jesus. Money, sex, and power were dangerous in a world like ours.
“Ten minutes too late.” I snickered.
