Page 61 of All's Fair In Love & War

My breath stuttered, my lips parting involuntarily. I could see it already—the dark gleam in his eyes, the slow, measured drag of his belt leaving his waist, the quiet command that always left me trembling.

I exhaled, forcing my voice to stay steady. “No, my king.” I tried to whisper, but Riley heard me anyway.

Her jaw hit the fucking floor, and she stared at me, clutching her chest as if I’d personally wounded her.

“Oh, bitch—” she whispered-shouted. “Not. My. King! Who the fuck are you right now?”

I ignored her, my pulse hammering as I waited for Naeem’s response, but only silence stretched between us.

Then— “That’s what I thought. Now, get your ass home, and don’t make me have to call you again.”

And then—click.

The line went dead.

I stood frozen, my phone still pressed to my ear as I tried to process what the hell just happened.

However, that didn’t last long because Riley smacked my arm. “Girl, what the fuck was that?”

I blinked, shell-shocked, my brain still rebooting like a glitchy-ass computer. “ I-I don’t know.” My voice was foreign, even to my own ears. “I think I just got mind-fucked.”

Riley snorted, shaking her head. “He got you fucked, period. You folded like a goddamn lawn chair.”

I scowled and shoved my phone into my bag. “Shut up, Riley. Damn!”

She grinned. “Nah, my king.”

I groaned, dragging my hand down my face, knowing she was never gonna let me live this down.

Riley crossed her arms, tilting her head. “Sooo… does this mean our plans are canceled? Because last time I checked, whenNaeem says ‘get your ass home,’ it usually means your ass is on a one-way trip to Lockdown City.”

My eye twitched. I couldn’t let Riley be right. Not when she was calling me out. Besides, I did say Naeem didn’t run shit, right? Okay, maybe he did, but time with my girls was worth the risk.

I lifted my head high, forcing my lingering nerves into submission. “No! We’re still going,” I replied, and Riley’s lips pursed, her eyes narrowing.

“Are we really?”

“Yes.” I tossed the pregnancy test in the trash and pulled my purse higher on my shoulder.

“Girl! Pick that up! That can go in my baby’s scrapbook.” Riley unrolled some tissue and broke off a piece before retrieving the test from the trash.

“You keep it then. I plan to tell Naeem, but not right now. I want to live a little before he finds out.”

“I hear you, but let’s be real. Naeem is observant as hell. He probably already knows your period hasn’t come. It’s best you go ahead and tell him.” She wrapped the test in more tissue while shaking her head.

“If he knew, he would’ve said something by now, so I’m good.”

“Um-hmm. We’ll see. Don’t fuck around and find out.” Riley replied as she dropped the test in her Birkin. “Anyway, let’s get out of here before yourkingpops up. He probably got a tracker on that ass and you don’t even know it.”

I shot her a glare. “Whatever. I told you Naeem doesn’t own me.”

Riley raised her hand like she was about to pray over my delusion. “Hold on. Let me record this real quick.”

She pulled out her phone, hit the screen to record, and looked at me with a straight face.

“Go ahead and say it again. I need this on video, because in about an hour, when he calls and your whole voice switches up, I want to remind you that you said this with your whole chest.”

I grabbed the phone and stuffed it in my bag before she got too comfortable. “Let’s go before I change my mind and leave your ass here.”

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