Page 44 of Free to Fall

Reluctantly, I pulled my phone out, scrolled to Nate’s contact hit the number. Then I put the phone on speaker. He picked up on the third ring.

“Well, well, look who decided to call,” he said, voice laced with smugness.

“You wildin’, bro,” I said, tone sharp. “What the fuck is you doin’?”

“Aw, you mad I talked to the press? Nigga, you had that comin’. You ghosted me.”

“I offered you money.”

“I told you that wasn’t enough.”

Lenox cleared his throat. “Nate. This is Lenox Bradshaw.”

Nate chuckled. “Ohhh, the rich puppet master. Damn, Nas—you really got your little benefactor makin’ your calls now?”

Lenox ignored him. “Let’s stop the bullshit. How much do you need?”

Nate paused. “Five mil.”

My stomach dropped. I clenched my fist.

“What the fuck?” I muttered.

Lenox didn’t blink. “Done. Where?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then Nate laughed. “Actually... make it fifty.”

“Bitch, what?!” I grabbed the phone, took it off speaker, stormed across the room. “You out your fuckin’ mind. You think I’m ‘bout to give youeverythingI got? Nah. Fuck you, Nate. You not gettin’ adime.You hear me? Not…A… Fuckin’... Dime.” I hung up, my hands trembling.

Lenox was still by the window, arms crossed. “He’s gonna come harder now,” he said. “You ready for that?”

I looked him square in the eye. “At this point, Lenox, it’s one or the other. Either I end him... or he ends me.”

Lenox stared back. Quiet. Then nodded once. “Then prepare yourself, son. Cause the next move he makes... might be war.”

I heardthe knock on the door and already knew it was her. Egypt always knocked three times, light but deliberate like she ain't wanna seem pressed. I opened it, still coming down off the heated ass convo with Nate and there she was standing there looking like the calm I needed.

“Papa Lenox,” she grinned when she saw him behind me. Her whole face lit up. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Was just leavin’, baby girl,” Lenox said, pulling her into a hug like she was his own blood. “Be good, now. You already know how much this one means to me.” He nodded in my direction before giving her that fatherly shoulder squeeze and heading down the hallway. I stood back and let her walk in.

“You good?” she asked me the moment the door clicked shut behind her. She wrapped her arms around me from behind, pressed her face to my back like she always did when she was tryna ground me.

I didn’t answer right away. My mind was still racing. My fists still tight from everything. Her touch helped, but it didn’t erase what the fuck Nate was trying to do.

“My team want me to put out a statement,” I said finally. “About Nate.”

She moved around to face me. “A statement saying what?”

“That I ain’t do the shit he accusing me of. Basically, say it’s all lies.”

She studied me. “Is it?” I turned away. “Nas.” Still, I didn’t respond. “Nasseem.” Her voice was firmer this time, eyes sharp. “Did Nate take a charge for you?”

I let out a hard breath through my nose. “Why you askin’ me that?”

“Because I’m standing in the middle of this storm defending you. I got people DMing me, reporters emailing my team, everybody askin’ questions, and if I’m gonna stand beside you, I gotta know what I’m standin’ on.” I could feel the edge in her voice. The way she was pressing for answers.

“I ain’t ask you to stand beside me,” I snapped, regretting it soon as it came out. She flinched. But I kept going—stupid. “We been fuckin’ for what, a few months? And now you think you entitled to know everything that go on in my life? Like this shit ain’t new?”

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