Inhaling a low, measured breath, I slowly release it.
And smile.
“The fuck are you smiling about?” Michelle snaps.
“Just thinking about your question.” I tilt my head. “By the way, do you have any idea the number of poisons that are tasteless and odorless? Just imagine it. You’re eating dinner or lunch…or maybe having that must-have after-dinner old-fashioned, and suddenly your chest tightens to the point of excruciating pain. Then your eyes start to tear because they’re on fire while your lungs collapse, and you drown in your own fluid. And all that is before your bladder gives up the ghost and you wet yourself like a geriatric with incontinence. Just asking though.” I smile again. “But hey, be careful out there.”
Michelle’s lips part, and I canseeher need to snap back at me. It’s in the fierce frown darkening her expression. The hike of her shoulders. The digging of her nails into her thighs. But I also spy the flicker of fear in her gaze. And the power that rushes through me… It’s fucking euphoric. It’s a high that hits harder, is more addictive than anything that we could possibly peddle on the streets.
“We’re done here,” Asad says into the tension-filled silence. “Kareem, I’ll get up with you later. Michelle, I’ll call you.” He bends down and brushes a kiss over the crown of her head, but the thread of steel in his voice leaves no room for argument.
Kareem slaps hands with Asad, and then they pull one another in for a half hug. For the first time since I entered the room, he gives me a small smile, then turns to his mother and cups her elbow. “C’mon, Mom. I’ll walk you out.”
“I don’t need to be handled, Kareem.” Michelle snatches her arm out of her youngest son’s grasp. “Asad, we’ll talk later.” She doesn’t bother glancing my way before marching from the room with Kareem trailing behind her.
The door shuts, leaving me alone with Asad. At one time, this would’ve been my biggest nightmare.
It still is. But for far more complex reasons now.
I turn to him, and we face off.
“Is there something else you needed to say to me? ’Cause if not, I need to get back to my lab. And somebody needs to come get the dead person on aisle one,” I say into the stifling, taut quiet, tipping my head back.
He doesn’t immediately reply to me, but that stormy gazeruns over me, and I force myself not to flinch from the nearly physical touch of that too-intimate survey. My muscles quiver with the effort. But I already ceded a battle to Asad when I submitted to the greedy, bloody lust he elicited in me last night, transforming me into an insatiable creature I didn’t recognize—one I cringe just thinking about in the cool, too-clear, and accusatory light of day. Letting him know just his eyes upon me affects me as much as his hands on my skin is another skirmish I can’t afford to lose. Not when I intend to win this long-standing war between us.
“What did you see today?”
My head slightly jerks back, and I frown. “Huh?”
Yes. A Mensa member, holder of several degrees, and a leader in my professional field, and all I can come up with is “Huh?”
Asad arches a dark eyebrow. “If you can ‘huh,’ you can hear. Answer my question.”
Muthafucka.“I…” Still frowning, I pause and gather my whirling thoughts and parse them. Inhaling a breath, I shake my head. “Shock at the changes, of course. But a quicker acceptance among the younger street bosses than the older ones, but that’s to be expected, I would think. They’re accustomed to the traditions of Cross being patriarchal, and the addition of women is going to take longer for them to accept. You will probably have to handle a few more how you did ol’ boy though. And not to just make an example out of them, but because they won’t be able to take orders from your enforcers and resent women being street bosses and having the same level of authority as them. They’ll end up being a problem. And problems either become snitches or competition. Both need to be eliminated.”
“Go on.” Asad nods, sliding his hands in his pockets, exposing his powerful chest and abs. My clit thumps, and my pussy, even though sore and still a little swollen, clenches around phantom dick. Like a fucking ho.
“For the most part, everyone in the room seems receptive of your leadership. Which isn’t very surprising since they’refamiliar with you. Doesn’t hurt that you also promised them more money with a new product and a new distributor,” I point out.
“And you said ‘for the most part.’ So that means not everyone.”
I perch on the edge of the conference room table and study him, scrutinize each strong, masculine piece that congregates to form a beautifully brutal picture. What does he want from me?
“I think you already know, but okay, I’ll play along. Xavier and Deacon. Malcolm didn’t seem to be bothered at all. If anything, he appeared… relieved. I almost believe he’s ready to sit it down. He’s about Marcus’s age and might be ready to get out of the game. But not Xavier and Deacon. They hate you. And want you dead. It’s just my opinion, but of the two, I believe Xavier is more dangerous. He’s the type to stab you in the back while asking how the fam’s doing to your face. A Judas. Matter of fact, I’m surprised his ass didn’t kiss your cheek on the way up out of here.”
Asad snorts. “I never did trust him like that. But Marcus did, and neither him nor Deacon gave me a reason to think they were moving foul.”
“Until now.”
“Until now.”
“Just out of curiosity, why are they still alive? I can’t lie.” I hike a shoulder up. “I was shocked as hell to see them sitting at this table when I walked in here. Not telling you how to do your new job or anything, but I would’ve thought they would’ve been more dead with a lot less limbs by now.”
A gleam enters his gray eyes, and it reminds me of the glint that brightened his gaze as he stared down between my legs last night while his dick slowly muscled its way into my pussy.
Pleasure.
“’Cause it’s fun.” When I just stare at him, he smiles, and though it’s twisted and mean as fuck, my breath catches in my throat and my pulse echoes in my clit. “You asked why’re they alive. Because it’s fun,” he explains. “After some more time withCarter”—from the quiver of his lips, I can just imagine what that quality time entailed—“I got all the info I needed to confirm that yeah, Xavier and Deacon are behind that hit. Now I’m not naïve enough to believe it hasn’t gotten back to them that Carter’s named them. Until I clean house, I don’t know who’s loyal and who isn’t, so I assume everyone, except my own handpicked people, can’t be trusted. So they sat here today knowing I’m aware they tried to have my ass taken out.”
