Chapter 6 #2
Women eyed him hungrily as he moved past, their eyes flicking between me and Monica, then back to Cash and Jelani. They were sick. I’m sure they were wondering how the two of us managed to pull the biggest ballers in here.
I flipped my hair over my shoulder, trying to ignore the voice in the back of my mind screaming that this was a bad idea. I had no business getting mixed up with a man who allegedly moved in illegal circles. Old school drug money? I’d watched Power—none of this would end well for me.
But knowing better didn’t mean I was leaving.
Monica dipped off with Jelani to a private bar in the back. Cash dropped down onto one of the couches and pulled me straight onto his lap. I tried to get up, but his arm locked around my waist.
“Nah, you good right here,” he murmured, his nose grazing the back of my neck.
I squirmed, trying to shift out of his hold. “I can sit next to you.”
The drinks I’d had tonight were catching up, and with the blunts going around, I was definitely about to catch a contact high.
“You could,” he chuckled. “But I promise—you right where you need to be.”
His hand slid up my thigh, fingers lingering high enough to make my pulse jump.
“Money, you good?” a familiar voice asked.
I glanced up and saw the dude who’d helped Jelani bring Cash into the ER that night.
“Oh shit, it’s the nurse!” he grinned.
I groaned. “Can y’all not call me that?”
“I’m straight, Slim. Just grab me another drink,” Cash said, waving him off before turning back to me. “You want something?”
I shook my head. One more drink and I’d be waking up in this man’s bed butt-ass naked.
“So how come all my boys met you at the hospital, but I didn’t?”
“Because I called out for, like, two weeks after that,” I said. “Did you miss the part where your brother pressed a gun to my head? That shit was traumatizing. I wasn’t exactly pressed to see either of y’all again.”
“What the fuck, Money?!” a woman screeched, interrupting our conversation. A tall, brown-skinned woman was glaring down at us with fire in her eyes.
I started to get up, but Cash’s arm tightened around me.
“Princess, what’s the problem?” he asked, sounding bored.
“Are you serious? You brought me here—now you got some cheap-looking bitch sitting on your lap?”
I scoffed. “I could never give cheap, sweetheart.”
I wasn’t trying to start shit, but she wasn’t about to talk sideways to me.
“Chill with all that, P. You’re drunk. Go sit down,” Cash said, stifling a yawn.
“You know what?” I said, untangling myself from him. “Maybe I should just go.”
Princess folded her arms, lips curling into a nasty sneer. “Yeah, maybe you should, wack bitch.”
I stood up so fast her face dropped.
“You really tryna start shit over a nigga that clearly doesn’t respect you?” I said, getting in her face.
She blinked, clearly not expecting me to say anything.
“If it was like that between y’all, he wouldn’t have brought me up here and had me on his lap in front of you. You not embarrassed?”
“Oh shit,” someone nearby muttered.
“Ain’t nobody worried about you bi—”
She wasn’t about to call me a bitch again.
Pop!
My fist met with her mouth. She screamed, stumbling into the table behind her and sending a hookah crashing to the floor.
“I’ma fuck you up!” she screamed, scrambling to her feet.
Her friends rushed over to help her up at the same time I heard the click of a gun cocking.
My stomach nearly fell out my ass seeing Cash’s Glock pointed at Princess and her girls.
What was with these niggas and pulling out guns?
“I told your ass to sit down,” he laughed like this was a big joke. “Now look at you. And y’all not about to try and jump her.”
My jaw dropped. This nigga was insane.
“Monica!” I yelled, spinning around looking for my friend.
She was in a corner with her tongue halfway down Jelani’s throat. I stormed over and yanked her off of him.
“We’re leaving,” I snapped, dragging her towards the stairs.
“Call me!” she giggled, waving at Jelani over her shoulder.
Cash stepped in front of us, blocking the way like he didn’t just threaten to knock Princess’s head off five seconds ago.
“Where you going?” he asked with that arrogant smile still plastered on his face.
“Move, Cash!” I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge. He was enjoying this a little too much.
“Why you in such a rush?”
“Because I’m going home, nigga!” I shouted. “This is too much—got me in here about to fight your funky ass girlfriend! I don’t do shit like this!”
His smile faltered. “You serious?” He genuinely looked confused, like he really couldn’t understand why I was mad.
“Do I look like I’m playing? Fuck out my way!”
I pushed past him, dragging Monica behind me. My chest tightened as we hurried down the stairs.
I should’ve listened to that little voice earlier, because it was obvious nothing but drama came with Cash Banks.
“You good?” Monica asked once we were outside, pulling out her phone to order an Uber.
“I just want my bed,” I muttered, rubbing my forearms. I was still trying to figure out how the night spun out of control so fast.
“Me too,” she sighed, glancing back at the club like she was debating running back in.
“You can go back in if you want,” I told her, feeling a twinge of guilt.
“What? No! It’s fine, Jas. Really.” She slipped her phone back in her purse. “But don’t front…you know you had fun.”
I exhaled, shaking my head. “It was aight… ‘til it wasn’t.”
“Girl, bye! You were definitely getting cozy on Money’s lap.”
I was too tired to answer her—my ears were ringing, and I felt a dull headache forming at the base of my skull. All I wanted to do was shower and scrub the memory of Cash off my skin.
His hands.
His voice.
That damn cologne.
My curiosity had been satisfied.
I never needed to see him again.