Page 215 of Kentrell

The room cracked up again.

Zoe’s eyebrows shot up. Her head turned slow, like she couldn’t believe this man really had the nerve. “Wow.”

Wani grinned with no shame. “I mean… am I lying?”

Her lips curled into that sweet-but-dangerous smile I’d seen a few times before. The one that came with warning labels. “So what you’re saying is…you’re welcome. Because I’m good at what I do.”

“Yeah, talk yo shit,” Wani encouraged, nodding with approval before cutting his eyes back to me with a smirk. Just as his gaze flicked back to her, he added with zero hesitation, “That mouth gon’ keep you fed, I can tell.”

I glared at him immediately.

Wani just grinned harder like he lived for moments like this.

Zoe caught the tension—how his comment wasn’t just about food and how I wasn’t entertained by the double meaning. But instead of backing down, she raised an eyebrow and gave him a look like she wasn’t scared to return fire.

“I’m still deciding if I should be flattered or offended,” she said, her tone dripping with faux innocence.

“Nah, don’t do that,” Wani clutched his chest in mock pain like she broke his heart. “You tryna get my brotha to beat my ass—I see whatchu on.”

Zoe’s eyes went wide like she’d just been caught stealing, but it didn’t stop her from leaning over with that playful little smirk she got when she was about to get her way. “Bae, let me see your phone—I gotta see what’s out this way before I hook y’all up.”

I handed it over without protest, still giving Wani a side-eye like: Don’t start. “Don’t encourage him,” I warned as she unlocked the screen.

“Too late,” she said, already scrolling like she owned the joint.

Wave leaned over her shoulder, practically drooling. “Ooh, they got that lemon pepper hot mix?”

“Yup,” Zoe nodded, tapping through the app like she was placing an order for royalty. “I’m getting the hot lemon pepper too. All flats. Fried hard.”

The reaction was immediate—like she just hit a game-winner at the buzzer. Wave fist-pumped the air. Oshon clapped like they were courtside at a Bulls game.

Wani leaned back, chuckling low. “This gon’ run you two hundred easy,” he said, looking right at me with that familiar shit-eating grin.

Zoe didn’t miss a beat. She glanced over her shoulder at me, eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’d pay for it, but I know my man gon’ take care of it for me.” She winked, sending the whole room into another round of laughter.

I shook my head, fighting back my own smile even as my chest warmed from the way she said it. Bold. Comfortable. Holding her own like she’d been part of the family forever. And God help me, I was more turned on than I’d admit with a room full of witnesses.

“Damn, yo cake-ass don’t never wanna get me shit when I come see you!” Wani called out, snapping me out of it.

“You know that’s a lie,” I shot back, not even bothering to look away from Zoe.

“Yeah, it is, but still…” Wani started laughing before he could finish the fake complaint. “Aye, nah—you still be talkin’ shit while you doin’ it though. Zoe just rattling off orders and you over here like… ‘yes ma’am.’ Pussy.”

“That’s the going rate… whatchu got?” I fired back too quick, and the second the words left my mouth, the whole room exploded.

Oshon fell over laughing. Wave damn near choked on the donut he was still eating. Kensei just shook his head, wearing that quiet little grin like he’d been waiting on me to slip.

“My fault, bae,” I muttered, already reaching to pull her into my chest.

“Don’t even try it!” Zoe giggled, swatting at me with zero real effort behind it.

“It’s one of the perks.”

“That’s not any better!” she huffed, laughing harder now as she pushed me off and grabbed the phone again. “And just for that…I’m running up a check.”

“Do your shit,” I shrugged, ignoring the howls from my brothers as I flicked a finger under her chin, making her blush and roll her eyes at the same time.

About thirty-five minutes later, the doorbell rang.

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