Page 2 of Omar

"Agreed," Kadeem said.

"So here's what I'm proposing. Your people take the northern entry points, mine take the southern. Anything moves through that corridor, both sides hear about it within the hour. We share Devon's contact."

Kadeem was quiet for a moment, reading something in Supreme's face. "That works."

Supreme nodded once. "Stone."

"The arrangement makes sense," Stone said. "One thing on the reporting timeline. Within the hour is tight depending on position. Make it two hours, standing exception for active movement, and both sides have more flexibility without losing the thread."

Supreme considered it. "Two hours."

Kadeem nodded.

Chairs scraped. Hands went around the table. I stood and reached for my jacket, and that was when the side door opened.

She came in from the left with a dark coat on, buttons open, a bag on her shoulder, already talking.

"Premie, I didn't know you were still..."

She stopped.

Her eyes came across the table and found me. Her face froze. My hands gripped the back of the chair I'd just stood up from. Fourteen years, and I knew her shape before I'd processed what I was seeing, knew the silence she was holding around her mouth.

She swallowed.

Supreme looked at her. Then at me.

"Y'all know each other?"

She put her eyes on Supreme. "No." Even, steady. "I thought you were done. I came to ask about dinner."

Supreme looked at me.

"Nah," I said, quietly, eyes on Supreme. "Never seen her."

He held the two of us in the same look for a long beat, going from her face to mine. Then he leaned back in his chair.

"Come here," he said, looking at her.

She came around the end of the table toward him, expressionless, her chin up, her bag still on her shoulder. She stopped beside his chair and waited. He took his time looking up at her, letting the room watch him take his time, then reached for her wrist and tugged her down onto his lap. She came down without resistance, with the same easy give I'd seen her use on her father at sixteen when she didn't want a fight. Supreme settled her against him, one arm around her waist, his other hand going to her thigh. He said something low against her ear that I couldn't catch. She said something back. Whatever she said put a slow grin on his face, his hand moving up from her thigh to the side of her neck, holding her loosely with his thumb against her pulse.

The room was moving now, his men off the wall, Kadeem on his feet, handshakes going around the table. Supreme stood with her still leaning against him, his hand sliding from her neck down to the small of her back to steer her toward the side door. Just before she went through it, he brought his palm down hard across her ass. The sound of it cracked across the whole room.

"Y'all see that jiggle?" he said to his boys. "That's mine right there."

Two of his men laughed.

She went through the door without breaking stride or looking back.

I picked up my jacket from the back of the chair and took my time pulling it on. By the time the second sleeve was settled, the heat in my chest was something I'd already buried under a half inch of nothing.

Outside, Kadeem went to his car without a word. Stone fell into step beside me and walked with me as far as the corner.

"Good meeting," he said.

"Yeah."

Stone looked at me for a moment. "You alright?"