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“By the way, who is Jinx’s mother? She seems as impossible to find as you.”
My mouth turns down at the mention of the woman. “You’ll find her at Glenfield Cemetery. Her headstone reads Mo’Monet James.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.” He removes his sunglasses and rubs his face. “Although my gut tells me she’s mine, I’m not dumb enough to eschew a DNA test.”
“Understandable, but you’re jumping ahead of yourself. You need to sell me on why you should be a part of Jinx’s life.”
“You’ve got some balls to talk to me like this. You must have forgotten what I said the last time we met.” He leans forward, his presence filling the room and swallowing all the oxygen with it.
“That you’d kill me?” I shrug off the threat. “I’m not the kind to cower at anyone’s feet. Never again,” I mutter the last without realizing what I’ve done. “I’ve faced worse monsters than you, I’ll be fine.”
“So you know I’m a monster, yet you’ve put Jinx and yourself on my radar. Don’t you know, I’ll make sport of hunting you down until I get my daughter?”
I smirk, knowing what I’m about to say will have him seeing red, and loving his constricted pupils and flaring nostrils as the words fall from my lips, “You’re assuming you’re capable.”
CHAPTER 6
Sansone
My cock hardens at the challenge Zakiya issues. This is neither the time nor the place for my body to react to her questioning my capability. Despite the seriousness of our conversation, I want to drag her over the table and crush her mouth under mine until I subdue her rebellious nature.
I silence the little voice inside my head warning me against doing anything that will remind her of her vow to never cower again. I squash the voice, not because I want to throttle the person who put her in the position, but because I’m not the first to do it, I assure myself.
Before I allow her to distract me with her inflammatory comment, I lean forward. “Stop wasting my fucking time. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t intend to be the father Jinx needs.” Because of her skeptical frown, I find myself doing something against my better judgment, divulging something only a few close people know. “I grew up with a man who saw me as a means to an end. Everything he did was the opposite of what a good father should do. So when I tell you I’m prepared to be Jinx’s father, I already know what not to do.”
She taps her finger on the tabletop as she mulls over my words. “If I sense you only want her because of some misogynistic need to declare ownership over her or some misguided notion that donating genetic material makes you her only option, we’ll disappear. And you won’t find us.”
“Few people have the resources to evade me,” I warn, aware she’s done an excellent job until now.
Her finding me instead of the other way around is a humbling experience, but not one I’ll wallow in for long. I’ll get more skilled people on my payroll to ensure Zaki—Jinx won’t escape me.
“Consider me a member of the few,” she says, folding her arms with a confident smirk that plays havoc with my body’s equilibrium.
My immediate reaction is to threaten, but I stop myself before I make the same mistake twice. As I evaluate my options, one thing becomes clear. “You need me for something.”
Her body tenses, confirming my suspicion.
“Spit it out,” I demand.
She furrows her brow and unfolds her arms. “Although I can and will disappear with Jinx the second you pose a threat to her physical, emotional, or mental wellbeing, I don’t relish exposing her to a life on the run.”
“You’re still holding something back. Since you know her mother, you must have considered other relatives as options. Yet you showed up on my doorstep.”
“My employer insisted.”
I watch her for any hint she’s lying, but I don’t know her well enough to discern the difference. Not to mention, the sunglasses she hasn’t removed prevent me from evaluating the slightest twitch of her eyes. Regardless, I file her response away for further study.
“Speaking of which, I’ll need to contact your boss. Since your background remains a mystery, I need assurances you’re the best candidate for this position.”
Zakiya snickers until my growing rage makes it to my face. “Oh, you’re serious. Instead of questioning my employer, you need to get on your knees and thank them.”
“My knees don’t touch the ground for anyone.”
“You say that without understanding the situation in which they found Jinx.”
“And what were her circumstances?” Tension tightens my voice as various scenarios flit through my mind.
Unlike many people in Douglas, I’m immersed in the underworld. No level of humankind’s depravity will surprise me. Yet I find myself waiting to hear the extent of my daughter’s exposure to a world she should sit atop instead of being an unwilling participant. Zakiya’s hesitation to disclose the information worsens my body’s reaction. In addition to stiffening muscles, acid rolls around my stomach.
