Page 61 of Creole Kingpin
My hands ball into fists. Desiree made me promise I’d leave my heat in the car, so I don’t have a gun. But I will beat him to death, no matter how many bullets he puts in me, if he won’t get out of the fucking way and let her come to me.
“Making sure you’re fucking safe,” Rhodes says.
His gaze is sharp and flinty blue, and from the confident way he holds the gun, I’m guessing he’d have no problem pulling the trigger. We stare hard at each other, and I take a step forward.
He raises the gun a few inches, ready to point it directly at my chest, no doubt. “Not another move until you calm the fuck down, man. It’s not what you think. She’s just here playing chess. Not shit else. All we ever do is play chess.”
His words are meant to defuse my temper, but they stoke it higher and hotter instead.All they ever do is play chess?Betrayal slashes through me, and I step toward him, silently daring him to make a move. He doesn’t disappoint. The Glock comes up, out of instinct, I’m guessing from the way he moves. But I don’t stop. I walk straight up to the barrel until the metal presses against my shirt.
“Goddamn it. Both of you need to back the fuck off,” Magnolia says, but we ignore her.
I bare my teeth and speak with a clenched jaw. “I don’t give a fuck why you’re here. You’re between me and my woman, and I’ve got no problem going through you to get to her.” I level my unblinking stare on him. “So you’d best decide right the fuck now. You willing to die for her? Because I am.”
I hear a sharp indrawn breath from behind him, but I don’t look at her face. Not yet. Because I’ve got a point to prove, and clearly, so does he.
“Not moving if you’re gonna hurt her.”
I squint and my jaw rocks. “I’d cut off my own fucking arm first.”
He studies my face for a beat, and Magnolia steps around him.
“If he hurts me, I’ll cut off his fucking balls.” She crosses her arms over her chest and pops her hip to the side. “You’ve made your point, Moses. You got in. Now, what do you want?”
“We’re leaving.” I hold out a hand, keeping everything I’m feeling locked down.
“But I’m in the middle of a game.”
Bull-fucking-shit you are.I take a step to the table, scan the board, and move a piece I assume is Magnolia’s. Then I pivot to look at both of them.
“Check-fucking-mate, mama.”
Thirty-Seven
Magnolia
Moses moves so fast.
Rhodes doesn’t have a chance to react before I’m lifted into the air, landing over Moses’s shoulder.
“Moses!” My screech fills the room, and Rhodes steps toward us, his gun at his side. “No. Rhodes, back off. Don’t fucking shoot him. That’s something onlyIget to do. Now, put me down!”
Rhodes stills, but Moses doesn’t listen to a word I say. He turns for the door and stalks out of it.
From my upside-down vantage point, I see Desiree with her jaw practically on the floor, and Moses’s man, Jules, with a big smile on his face.
Assholes.Because the only way Moses could have gotten into the club was if someone let him in. I just never expected one of my own people would betray me like that. Then again, I’m well aware of how persuasive that Creole Casanova can be. It’s those fucking eyes and his silver tongue.
And his voice.
And his scent.
And his smile too, if I’m being honest.
Okay, Desiree didn’t have a chance.
Moses stomps out of the club with me bouncing on his shoulder as we pass curious onlookers. Not one person does a single thing to stop him.
I want to scream and rage and cuss them all out, but that would be beneath me.
