Page 234 of When a Soul Cries

“Eventually.”

Something had clearly been occupying his attention before I interrupted him. I studied him for a second. “What were you doing?”

“None of your business.”

My eyebrows lifted.

Well, shit.

A grin pulled at my mouth. “Oh, you was doing something. Was Sol still up?”

His jaw tightened just enough to make me laugh. I didn't know what the hell had been happening before I called, but clearly my timing had interrupted something.

“I knew that woman had something to do with why you took forever.”

“You called me twenty minutes ago.”

“And it should've took ten.”

Rome stared at me until I reached for the folder.

“Aight. I'll mind my business.”

“You should try that more often.”

“Don't get disrespectful.”

I handed him the folder, my amusement disappearing. “This shit goes deeper than we thought.”

I let him read before explaining what Darius had uncovered—the company tied back to Desmond, the false qualifications, the questionable projects, and the warehouse we were currently watching.

Rome looked through the windshield at the building.

“This is personal,” I told him. “Desmond been telling people we still owe him from back in the day. He thinks because he did business with us, he had something to do with what we built afterward.”

“He made money with us,” Rome said. “He didn't build anything for us.”

“Exactly. Which is why your normal legal-business shit ain't enough this time.”

“No.”

“You don't even know what I'm about to say.”

“I know you.”

“That's profiling.”

“Kai.”

I smiled briefly before getting serious. “I'm not saying we go back to doing dumb shit. Nobody gets touched. Nobody gets threatened, and neither one of us is going back behind bars. I'm saying we move like we used to—quiet, calculated, and before the other nigga realizes what's happening.”

Rome glanced at the folder.

“The final Hollis decision is tomorrow,” I continued. “We don't have time to wait around while Desmond walks in there with enough bullshit to steal the contract.”

“So we expose it.”

“Exactly. Darius verifies everything tonight. Tomorrow, we show up.”