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“You want your baby back?”

“Yeah.”

She handed Carter across the table.

I took her.

Then glanced down at Collin.

Sleeping peacefully.

I looked at Heather again.

She was already reaching for her food like she hadn’t just dropped some weird-ass shit in my lap.

Interesting.

Very fucking interesting.

And just like that, Xay wasn’t the only person I had questions for anymore.

LEVIN

I was at Freckles that evening doing payroll and shit, trying to keep my footing.

Going on eight months being back, and I was still trying to keep my ass out of shit. I did seven years already. I wasn’t trying to give the state another fucking day if I could help it.

I closed the laptop a little after nine, pushed back from my desk and grabbed my phone.

Freckles was already jumping when I stepped out.

“Shake It Fast” by Mystikal was blasting through the speakers, bass damn near vibrating through the floor. Lights flashed over the main stage where Cinnamon was upside down on the pole, legs split wide while a nigga at the rail threw hundreds like dollars.

“Okay, bitch!” one of the other dancers screamed.

Cinnamon dropped down into a split.

The whole fucking section went up.

I chuckled, walking past.

Bad bitches everywhere.

Natural bodies. Bought bodies.

One bitch walked past me in nothing but a silver thong and clear heels with an ass so fat I turned my head for half a second.

“Hey, Lev.”

“What’s up?”

“You ain’t been coming to see me.”

“You see me right now.”

“That don’t count.”

I laughed and kept walking.