Chapter 11
Lyric
“I’m Not One of Your Options”
Iwas mad as fuck at Ares.
Not because he broke up with me…
But because he lumped me in with the circus he created.
Me.
The real one.
He could’ve told me privately, by myself, the way he brought me into his life when my brother died… when his best friend died.
But no. He sat me at a table with four bitches who could never hold a candle to what we had and dismissed me like I was just another pretty face on his roster.
Now he thought he was gonna pay me off?
Nah.
My heart didn’t work like that.
So I went looking for him.
Downtown penthouse first … he wasn’t there.
Then his beach house … empty.
By three in the morning, I was parked outside one of his safe warehouses, the one only his closest people knew about.
A foolish move.
Especially with weed and liquor settling heavy in my bloodstream.
At some point, I dozed off.
Next thing I knew, a strong-armed white dude was yanking my car door open.
“Walk straight and don’t do anything stupid,” he warned, gripping my arm tight.
“Please don’t hurt me. I just need to talk to Ares,” I blurted out, voice cracking.
“Shut up,” he said simply. And I did.
Because I knew his men, and I knew they would kill me if I breathed wrong.
They dragged me inside the cold warehouse, past crates and dim lights, until we reached his office. When the door opened, I broke away, charging toward him with my chest hot and my pride on fire.
I had never raised my voice or my hand at Ares before, but tonight I was furious.
He stood by his desk, arms crossed, eyes dark and unreadable.
“What the fuck, Lyric?” he asked, calm in that way that made the world feel like it was ending.
“You really gon’ do me like that?” I snapped. “I was your first! Before the fame. Before the Delacroix name. Before all the bitches. You brought me into your life when my brother died. You told me you’d always look out for me. And now you break up with me like I’m nothing?”
Ares sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
“Lyric, this breakup is deeper than you think. It ain’t about you, or Bianca, or a damn fight. There’s things happening around me that you can’t see. Things I can’t tell you yet.”
“Bullshit,” I spat. “Then tell me why. Tell me why you push me out after everything we been through.”
“When the time is right, I’ll explain. But for now… I need you to focus. I need you to learn how to live without me.”
The words knocked the air out of my lungs.
Learn how to live without him?
Anger rose like smoke.
“So you don’t wanna fuck me anymore? That’s what this is?” I asked, stepping closer. “Ares, I thought I was your favorite. Ain’t you gon’ miss me calling you Lil Ghost when I’m riding your dick?”
“It’s not about that,” he said, jaw clenching. “This ain’t sex.”
“Oh, but it could be,” I said, voice low, taunting. “Maybe I’ll go fuck one of your enemies then. Let them give me what you trying so hard to throw away.”
In a blink, he grabbed my chin, fingers firm but not painful, eyes blazing into mine.
“Try that shit if you want,” he said slowly. “And you won’t make it past the front gate. When I said walk away, I meant it… unless you want to walk straight to heaven or hell.”
A chill shot down my spine.
He wasn’t threatening me.
He was warning me.
I swallowed hard, then laughed. A broken, demonic little sound.
“You can’t get rid of me, Ares.”
His mouth curved into a smirk. “I know.” He let me go, stepping back. “Leave quietly. And wait for my call.”
I hated how my chest tightened at the word wait.
Like I’d been doing that my whole life with him.
Still, I turned around, pushing past his guards, and walked to my car with my head high.
But when I got home, the moment the door closed behind me, all the pride drained out of my body.
I slid down the wall.
And I cried.
For him.
For me.
For the fact that even if he pushed me away…
I knew damn well I’d never be done with Ares Delacroix-Jackson.
And the worst part?
He knew it too.