Chapter 12 KODY
KODY
Something like a knife sliced up my chest at the sight of Heir being seated across the restaurant with some bum-ass nigga.
On the outside, I was cool. On the inside, I was a raging storm ready to shower hail and fire all over this fucking restaurant.
Just last week, she wanted to give me her body and now she was in another nigga’s face.
You rejected her. Shit, I had to. Things were quiet between me and the Bells.
Fucking with Heir would regurgitate a rivalry that was better left dead.
As I peered across the low-lit restaurant, the side of Heir’s face should’ve caught on fire by now.
I was staring hard as shit, and her ass hadn’t noticed me once.
She must’ve felt me because she glanced around like she felt something off.
I was in the shadows, though, so she didn’t spot me.
Discreetly, Kim tapped my hand, breaking me out of the trance of watching Heir’s lips move.
Kim, along with Larry and his business partner, were looking at me.
For the past hour and a half, Larry had been trying to convince me of a business merger.
While money was to be made, I didn’t need Larry’s money.
I was a billionaire and off the back of my own family’s hard work.
There wasn’t an amount of money on this earth that would make me share anything with another muthafucka.
“We think a merger would be the greatest move for K. M. Wine & Spirits,” Larry said.
Tilting my head, I bit back a smirk. “You invited me to hear what you had to say, and I’m still not sold on doing business with you. As I stated earlier in the conversation, there’s nothing Fire Ridge can do for me or my company.”
Kim cleared her throat. “Thank you for considering a merger. However, you’ve failed to tell us why a merger is necessary. We’re doing well standing on our own.”
I tuned out again, finding myself back to staring at Heir. She was smiling at something ol’ boy said. I grit my back teeth, ready to rip her fucking teeth out.
“The offer stands. If you change your mind, you know where to find us,” Larry continued. I barely noticed him and his partner leaving the table. Kim waved her hand in front of my face, breaking my view of Heir.
“Stop it,” I drawled and still didn’t break my gaze away from the couple.
“No, you stop it. Why the hell are you staring so hard at Heir Bell?” she questioned. “You barely paid attention to the meeting.”
“I was paying attention,” I stated. I didn’t miss shit Larry or his partner said.
Kim clicked her teeth, briefly gaining my attention. She was irritated again, which bothered me. “What’s up wit’ you? Either be honest, or I’ma pay a visit to Chris.” Threatening her was the only way to get her to comply.
“For your nosey information, I broke things off with him this morning.”
“Why?”
“Why not? I don’t need a grand reason to drop a nigga. I wasn’t feeling him anymore. Things are as simple as that.”
I studied her, but I knew she wasn’t lying. “Good for you, baby.” Turning my attention back to Heir, I continued to stare.
“I see the wheels turning in your head, Kody. What the hell is going on?”
“That right there is the prime example of how dangerous a woman is.” Chuckling, I added, “I’m sittin’ here contemplating which one of them I want to kill first.”
Kim gasped. “What the hell? You better not touch her, Kody! Are you trying to start a war? A catastrophic war?”
I shook my head. “Nah…nah. Chill, aight.” Taking a deep breath, I signaled for the check. My fucking appetite was shot. After paying the bill, I stood and adjusted my dick. Staring at Heir had me ready to go. “Let’s get out of here.”
As I walked past Heir’s table, I couldn’t resist slowing my step. When her eyes collided with mine, whatever was on the tip of her tongue died. Her mouth parted in surprise, and her face flushed prettily.
“‘Sup, Heir?” I spoke to her. Because I couldn’t resist, and because I wanted to show this nigga that Heir was off limits, I ran my fingers over the back of her neck. I enjoyed watching the blood rush through her body. “How you doin’, baby?”
Speechless, Heir’s big-eyed gaze pinned on me.
I looked at ol’ boy. He looked like he wanted to get up from the table and run out of there. “Be careful wit’ her,” I warned him before leaving them there.
Outside the restaurant, my truck waited. Roy opened the door for Kim, while I went around to get in on the other side. Once I was settled inside the back of the truck, Kim stared at the side of my face.
“What is it?” I questioned.
“You like her,” she whispered like we were kids or some shit.
I shrugged. “She’s fine as fuck.”
“So are many other women you’ve messed around with. Heir is different. You just claimed her… Something you’ve never done with any woman.” Kim’s eyes were still on me seconds later, so I peered at her.
“What you want me to say?” I asked.
She shook her head and chuckled humorlessly. “You’re itching to start a war, Kody. I feel it.”
“Nah, I’m not, lil’ baby.” Internally, I was already battling a war.
Heir claimed too much of my day. I could recall on one hand how many minutes I spent not thinking about her since she and I met.
That wasn’t like me. Tina wasn’t even on my mind, not ever, and I fucked with her more than any bitch I had in rotation.
“Leave her alone,” she stated a few minutes later as we neared the condo she lived in. Our family owned the one-hundred-unit condo building, and it was more secure than any housing establishment in the city.
I didn’t placate her with a response. Instead, I held my hand out for her to shake. It was a handshake we’d performed since we were kids, and it was our way of telling each other see ya later and I love you.
When Kim was safely inside, Roy pulled from the curb.
And there I was, back to thinking about Heir Bell.
I couldn’t quite shake the conversation we had.
I couldn’t shake her presence off me. Her scent was still prevalent inside my nostrils.
Somehow, that shit branded itself to me.
To think, she was out here looking for a nigga to take her innocence.
She claimed that I was the one she wanted.
“Roy,” I drawled.
“Sir?” he responded.
“Take me back to Sunset.”
“Sure,” he replied with a touch of humor in his tone. As he turned the truck around, I mentally calculated just how foolish my ass was for allowing Heir to change the way I moved. I told her no and that my dick wasn’t the dick to break her in.
However, twenty minutes later, I propped myself against the front of the truck and waited for Heir to appear from the restaurant.
Parked in front of me was Heir’s security detail.
They exited their vehicle and eyed me suspiciously.
I threw my head up at them, then focused on the entrance of Sunset.
Checking my watch, another twenty minutes passed before I caught sight of Heir and that scary-ass nigga exiting Sunset.
They both wore smiles that disappeared once they saw me. With a flick of my fingers, I signaled Heir to come to me. She wore a bad-ass red dress that complemented her dark brown skin, and the heels on her feet made her five-foot-four-inch frame just a little taller. I still dwarfed her, though.
Hesitantly, Heir glanced at her security team, then ol’ boy.
“Tell him, good night,” I coached her. Her security was welcome to follow me home. I had no issues with them.
Nervously, she stated, “Good night, Dwight.”
I held my hand out for Heir as she hesitantly walked toward me.
Her eyes found her detail again. She knew like I knew that this was a bold move.
Then again, her boldness was what started this shit.
Like a gentleman, I helped her inside the truck.
Climbing in beside her, I closed the door and wrapped myself in the scent of Heir Bell.
Handing her my phone, I said, “Give me ya phone.”
Reluctantly, she placed it in my hand.
“51316,” I mumbled.
She put the code in my phone, and her eyes widened a bit when it flashed to my home screen.
She glanced at me nervously, then back at the screen.
While she meddled through my phone, I searched hers for what I was looking for.
Pulling up her MyChart, I noted the date of her last test results, then scrolled through each one.
Although she claimed to be a virgin, I wasn’t a dumb-ass nigga.
Once I was done, I went to her call log, then scanned her contact list. Nothing jumped out at me, so I locked her screen and gave her the phone back.
“Found what you need?” I asked her.
She nodded and handed me my phone.