Page 12 of Defending the Post
“Get yo old nasty ass pizza.”
I reached for the box and tugged it in my direction, but he wouldn’t release it. My stomach growled again at the smell.
“I’m calling Jhae,” I announced, and he smirked.
“Jhae fucking right now. She’s not worried about you.”
Marquise released the pizza box and stuffed the rest of his slice inside his mouth.
“You’re disgusting,” I said with a contorted face.
He chewed the rest of his stolen pizza slice while resting his leg on the ottoman.
“If you had a man, you would understand.”
I caged the insults I wanted to say behind my teeth.Don’t let him piss you off.
“Jhae asked me to come down here and check on you. And to give you the rules.”
I tightened the grip on the pizza box and steadied myself.
“Rules?”
“Yes rules. No men or overnight guests. No staying the night at anyone else’s house. You need to check in with somebody before you leave. All items need to be delivered to the penthouse or the front desk. Last, you stay upstairs in the guest room when we’re on the road,” he said.
I almost tossed this pizza box at him as he quoted those ridiculous rules.
“Get out,” I said.
Marquise sat back on the couch and signed in withhisinformation onmygaming console.
“Helllooooo,” I said.
Marquise continued to select his player.
“Get used to me because I’m going to be around,” he said.
I stomped to the bedroom, locking the door behind me.
Chapter Four
Breaking the Rules
Erin
“Rules? Girl, I did not say any of those things,” Jhae said, and my chest relaxed. “I told him to apologize and occasionally check in on you. You’re twenty-six years old. Why would you need rules?” she asked.
Last night, I knew he made that shit up, but I wanted to double check with Jhae. I texted her this morning, and she invited me up to their penthouse condo. When I hesitated, she told me Marquise wasn’t home. The twins were both at the training facility getting treatment.
“Keep him away from me,” I said, as I opened my tablet, ready to work.
She placed her hand over my tablet and smiled.
“Marquise is harmless. He barks more than he bites, don’t back down from him. Snap on him every time like you did in the elevator. When he gets rowdy, challenge him. I’ve seen you in action. I know you can do it,” she said, and I agreed with a head nod.
“I don’t want to put my job in jeopardy or rub Malcolm the wrong way,” I said.
Jhae scrunched her face as her head jerked backward. “I’ve seen your professionalism, but you have my full permission to put Marquise in his place. Disregard his rules, but it’s not a bad idea to check in with someone. L.A. can be dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be Marquise,” she said.
