Page 80 of Kove and Xiah
She lifted onto her toes and kissed me.
“Kove, let her fucking breathe and come get your ass beat on this table, nigga.” I looked over Xiah’s head toward where Smalls was set up with the cards.
“You really want me to take your money like that?”
He smirked and brushed a hand over his head. “Nah fam, I’m trying to take some of that NBA money. Bring yo’ ass so I can embarrass you in front of your girl.”
“You gonna come sit with me while I hit this table.”
She nodded. “I’m wherever you need me to be but you better win.”
I gripped her chin, and kissed her. “I’m a fucking baller, Xi, winning is all I know.”
Chapter 18
Xiah
I lookedat the last two cards we had and grinned, knowing this was a wrap. I was holding the ace and king of spades. Smalls frowned at his last two and I was trying incredibly hard not to gloat.
Kove pushed one hand between my thighs and tightened his arm around my waist before he dropped his chin on my shoulder.
“Hurry up and put that shit down so I can take your money, nigga,” he said in a lazy, deep drawl that vibrated against my shoulder.
Smalls’ eyes were barely open because he put a blunt in the hands of everyone who sat at the table and fired up with them, enjoying one of his own. This was his day, so whatever he wanted, his people provided without hesitation.
“You ain’t taking shit. Your girl has been playing your hands this entire game. Whatever money crosses that table is going in her pocket.” He flashed me a smile and placed both cards on the table at the same time, knowing there wasn’t anything he could do with a six of clubs and nine of diamonds.
I turned and exposed the cards in my hand before I dragged his two toward me. Kove kissed my neck. “What you got, Xi?”
“Eleven.”
“That’s eighteen hundred. Let her get her money,” Kove said smoothly.
They played for money. Each game was worth thirteen hundred. One hundred dollars for every book secured and we were on our fourth game. I claimed eleven of the thirteen and he only secured two, so Smalls had to pay up the difference, which meant he was in the hole by nine hundred for just this game alone.
“We ain’t gonna count that shit.” Smalls was already reaching for the stack of hundreds next to him.
“Nah we’re not. I know how to do math. In four hands you were only up once. My baby won all them shits. You owe us eighteen bills. Run that.” Kove spoke with an arrogance and command that had my thighs closing a little to curb the ache between them.
“Aight, she got that, but let’s be clear, you didn’t do shit. Your girl won them hands.” He pushed the stack of bills across the table and lifted his cup. “That’s yours, Xi. Don’t let him touch your money.”
I reached for the cash and folded it, leaning back into Kove’s chest so I had enough space to push it down into my pocket. “We playing another hand?”
“Hell nah…” Smalls laughed. “I’m not fucking with you like that.”
I grinned and Kove chuckled, kissing my neck. “We need to head out anyway. I have practice in the morning and that drive is about to kick my ass.”
“Aight, family. You know I would be there if I could but they got me boxed in for the next six months.” He tapped his thigh and lifted the leg of his jeans, exposing the ankle monitor.
“And what the fuck you gonna do when they make you pee in that damn cup? You been in the clouds since you toucheddown., Tyriq said with a lazy grin. Everyone around the table was currently high. Well, at least the men. Teaira, Rebel, and I didn’t smoke but we got tipsy as hell from the drinks Emma sold us which were basically fruity death traps. I barely made it through half of mine before I had to bail.
“I’m fucking my PO until this shit is done so she has me covered.”
“Bruh…” Kove chuckled, shaking his head.
“Three-year bid and you still ain’t learned shit.”
Smalls flashed his grill and nodded. “I learned some shit. I learned that I should have been fucking ol’ girl who refused to claim that key I had on me when I got pulled over and I wouldn’t have done that bid.”
