Page 90 of Dangerous Contract: Part 1

With a nod, Leo shoved his hands into his pockets and faced forward. “What have I missed so far?”

“The chaos is just getting started,” Raz replied.

And he wasn’t lying. The one called Toya was trying to talk to her friend, Temeka. Just as she’d done with Orazio, Temeka wasn’t looking her friend in the eyes. Temeka’s responses to Toya’s questions were vague and short.

Those clipped answers were only making Toya more upset. To make matters worse, Monique looked like she was about to cry. His heart clenched as he watched his Rosa try to talk to Temeka.

“Are you alright, Meka?” Rosa repeated the question Toya had just asked their friend.

Again, Meka only nodded. Cas, the idiot, stepped forward.

“She’s fine,” he told the women. “She’s just a little shy in front of me.”

Both Orazio and Leo groaned.

Monique glared at Cas. “We were talking toher. Notyou,” Rosa told his brother.

“I know,” Cas replied, not knowing how to read the energy in the room. “As her man, I’m more than happy to speak up for her. In fact, just ask me your questions, and I’ll answer them.”

“Her man!” Toya and Monique shouted.

Shock registered in both women’s eyes. Meka, on the other hand, stepped on Cas’s foot but still didn’t look up.

His brother simply patted Meka’s hand and whispered, “I told you I’d handle this for you, love. Calm down.”

Orazio and Leo groaned again.

“Meka,” Toya started, looking ready to kill. “You better open your damn mouth and tell me what’s wrong, or I’m shutting this entire casino down.”

Leo leaned over to him to whisper, “Is that considered a threat against the casino? Should I take action?”

Orazio shook his head. If Leo knew what was good for him, he’d stand down. Again, it was Cas who spoke up.

“Listen, ladies. There’s no need to shut down the casino. Meka is fine. She’s just shy and...”

Toya cocked her head to the side. “Motherfucker, when did I ever address you? Did I say your name? Did I ask you a question? Did I even look your damn way? No,” she said before Cas could answer her rhetorical questions. “If I don’t talk to you, don’t talk to me.”

“But you’re talking to my woman,” Cas tried, only to be talked over by Toya.

“When did she become your woman? You kidnapped her. And now that you’ve returned her, she’s suddenly mute. That only means one thing. You did something to her. And for that, I’m pressing charges. And I’m pretty sure there’s other illegal shit going on around here for the police to find once they arrive.”

“Go intervene,” Orazio urged Leo.

“Do you want me to knock Cas out?”

Orazio considered that option briefly but decided against it. “No. Don’t knock him out.”

“I hope you don’t want me to knock Monique’s friend out,” Leo stated.

“Of course not.”

“Then how am I supposed to intervene?”

“Go introduce yourself or something, shit.”

“I don’t want to do that,” Leo said, taking a step back.

“For triple pay, you better do something other than standing here and watching. Go introduce yourself to lighten the mood.”

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