Page 31 of Deuce

She kissed her teeth and finally started moving. We headed upstairs to the long dimly lit hallway where my office sat at the end. I noticed her footsteps ceased and turned back.

“Whatchu’ waiting for?” I asked.

She shook her head. Her arms wrapped around her torso as she hugged herself.

“I’m not going down there.”

“Stop playing and bring your ass.”

“Fuck you! You might as well fire me now.”

“You’re acting like youwantme to fire you.”

“The last time I was in the dark ass hallway with you, you put a gun in my fucking face.”

I sighed heavily. We were back on that shit. I decided to do some shit that I rarely did and that was apologize. I walked over and stood in front of her, peering down into those beautiful brown eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry about that, okay? I shouldn’t have pulled my gun on you. I was never going to shoot you, but I shouldn’t have tried to scare. In all honesty, I was trying to keep you out of harm’s way. If somebody else on my team had seen you down there, they would’ve put a bullet in your head, no questions asked. What were you even doing there?”

“I was hiding from the masked men with guns running around the club. People in my hood might walk around with guns for show, but nobody is carrying an AK-47 assault rifle. The last thing I wanted was to end up with a bullet and bleeding out. That would’ve killed my mama. She’s gone through enough medically. I won’t have her having a heart attack because someone killed her child. I’m sure you can understand that. You have a mother, don’t you? A caring mother?”

“I do.”

“If someone took you out, that would kill her.”

“It would. Her last words to me are always be safe and I love you.”

“Even as arrogant an asshole you are, somebody cares for you.”

I smirked. “I’m cared for by many people. There’s an army behind me.”

She crossed her arms. “Like your sisters? The little one squared up at me.”

“Who, Mia?”

“Yes.”

“She didn’t tell me that part.”

“Did you put them up to inviting me to lunch?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You tell me.”

I chuckled. “Make no mistake. I don’t need help from my little sister when it comes to women. I can have any woman I want, including you.”

“Especiallynot me. Do women really find your arrogance attractive?”

“Most of them come for the dick. If I put this shit in your life, I guarantee you’ll overlook my arrogance.”

She scoffed. “I would never fuck you.”

“You wouldn’t, because I do the fucking.”

I stepped back, allowing my eyes to trail her frame from head to toe. Salima was a bad muthafucka, and she knew that shit.

“You are a beautiful woman, Ms. Navarro.”

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