Page 76 of Collateral Love
“Nah,” he said. “You were protecting your fucking self.”
That landed like a punch.
“Say what you gotta say,” I muttered. “Then we can fix it.”
“I already fixed it,” he replied.
My eyes snapped open.
“What do you mean?”
“I told the plug it was my call,” he said. “Told him I pulled the routes to test a new distribution arm, and it backfired. Said you told me it was too soon,n and I pushed it anyway.”
My mouth went dry.
“You… what?” I whispered.
“I ate it,” he said simply. “I took the L. He docked my percentage. Said if I ever move that recklessly again, he will reevaluate our whole relationship.”
My chest felt tight.
“Why would you do that?” I asked, throat burning. “This was my decision. My mistake. I should’ve?—”
“No,” he cut in. “You shouldn’t have. That’s the point. We don’t get to do solo hero shit anymore. You move, I move. Or we don’t move at all.”
My vision blurred.
“But the plug will blame you for months,” I protested. “You just gave him leverage over you. Over your name.”
He hummed once, low.
“That’s what you think I’m worried about?” he asked.
I didn’t answer.
“Kenya,” he said quietly, “you’re the brain of this whole operation. You’re the blueprint. If he starts seeing you as the one making structural calls instead of me, you know what happens?”
I did.
The world didn’t respect women as powerful. It punished them as threats.
“He blames me, he comes at me,” Zay continued. “He blames you; he starts looking at you longer. Starts asking who you are, what you touch, and how you got this far. You don’t get to stand in front of his line of sight. Not while I’m breathing.”
My hand shook around the phone.
“That wasn’t your call to make,” I whispered.
“Yeah, it was,” he said. “Because I’m in this, too. You don’t just get to be the architect, Kenya. You’re my liability now.”
He paused.
“I’m yours, too,” he added, even softer.
I couldn’t speak.
“You still mad?” I asked finally.
“Hell yeah,” he said. “I’m fucking furious. But I’m more invested than mad. Those little Niggas touched what’s ours. And I’m not letting one mistake turn us into amateurs.”
