Page 34 of Juliet's Echo

Court? My baby? I'd love to see him try that with two broken legs.

"I ain't — but if there's one thing my pops taught me, it's that love is business. Make the right business decision and you'll live happily ever after."

"What does that even mean?" Duck asked.

Christian started to respond, trying to end the conversation but I tapped his chest quickly. I wanted to hear this myself.

"Dating her alone gets me a top line spot with Mu Beta Xi when pledging opens — guaranteeing me a strong foot in the door in the law field. I'll propose right before law school, but only after I get her pregnant. Her pops has a basketball empire, her mom is a legend in the acting world and all three of her brothers are billionaire celebrities. Gotta keep that kind of money attached to my family name permanently," he said, slapping five with what appeared to be one of his lap dogs.

My jaw locked and my blood went cold. The Clarkes were known schemers — so the ignorance in his words didn't surprise me.

"Naz, you'll be a dead man before you can even take that girl on a date," Duck laughed.

"How you gonna communicate with her non-hearing ass anyway? She probably sounds like a seal when she's fucking." His lap dog clapped his hands together and made seal noises.

Yeah. It's time for them to go.

Nazir frowned. "Shut up, dummy. She can hear — sometimes — I think. And all my girls sound like some kind of animal when I'm hitting it from the back."

Between the laughter and Nazir's physical imitation, my skin tightened. Everything around me went black and white except him. He was in full color. Unmistakably my target. My glass hit the bar counter before I realized I'd let it go, sending everyone's attention in my direction.

"Aye, what's good, P?" Christian asked, voice heavy with concern.

I stared at my target, venom pouring from my eyes. Then I glanced at Duck and the rest of the group.

"Party's over," I said flatly.

"P, you serious? For what?" Duck asked.

"Dead ass — and because I don't want to have to break your homeboy's jaw."

Nazir laughed uncertainly. "Nigga, what the fuck for? I know the popular Psalm ain't tripping over pussy. She ain't yours."

My legs began carrying me toward him, eyes never blinking. Nazir may have been top dog in his circle — but in the lion's den, I was king.

"Because I said so," I said, my voice dropping low.

He must have thought I was joking because concern never reached his face. Not until I pushed the table out from between us. Food, drinks and expensive tableware hit the ground. My mother was going to kill me — but it would be a small price for this opportunity. Realizing I wasn't stopping until our foreheads were touching, Nazir stood and squared his posture, ready to defend himself.

"Aye yo, Psalm — I was just talking. Ain't even that serious, unless she's yours or something."

Not in the business of explaining myself, I said nothing. Five feet away from rearranging his face, I took a quick glance downto make sure my sneakers were tied. I'd be damned if I lost a fight in my own house because a loose lace sent me sideways. It wasn't until I came out of my retro jersey that it registered to this clown exactly what was about to happen.

"Aight, I don't want no problems," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. Then he glanced down at my wrist, where my G-Shock rested, with a smirk. "I just got my AP, fixed."

Oh, this nigga thinks he's funny.

"You know what they say about a broken watch?" I asked.

"That it's right twice a day," he replied, vexed.

"No. That it's on the wrist of a broke nigga. Now get your barely making ends meet ass out of my house."

He hit me with the coldest look as he gathered his things. Everyone else — excluding Christian — followed suit, reading the room correctly. Within seconds the pool area was cleared of guests but the tension stayed right where it was.

"You want to explain to me what the hell all that was about?" Christian asked.

"No."