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I walk over and take her hand “Come on He doesn’t deserve a second of your ti”
While she’s hugging s over her cash “Three hundred forty thousand dollars for a girl who calls herself ‘Hard Knocks’ I don’t think that fits you anymore After our cut, you have three hundred thirty-three thousand two hundred”
“Give him three hundred thousand” She points at Monte “Now, you bastard, now I have paid you back for the seven years that you think I owe you Tell me I have your word that you and I are even”
“You trust his word?” I laugh
“Yes In business, his word is good Monte, look at me and tell me my debt to you is paid in full”
“It’s all here We’re square Have a nice life with this fucking player He’ll leave you for someone who’sain, you whore When he drops you for so to find the next warm bed—”
“Baby, go outside;I’ll be out as soon as I kick his ass”
Hesitantly, Hailey leaves as I move to the next round I am placed at the table to play Monte and Wheels
“You ever look at her again, and I will poke your fucking eyes out If you talk to her like that again, you lose your tongue She paid you a debt that was complete and utter bullshit Now you leave her the fuck alone”
“I have receipts for everything I paid for, so there is no bullshit involved She never worked a day in her life and had the world by the balls—”
“Then you fucked around on her and lost the only fucking thing that matters—family Someday, your little check-and-balance sheets will be all paid up, and no one will ever have to deal with your sorry ass again Then ill you be left with?”
“Why, Marisa of course,” he says in a malicious tone
“Bullshit Hailey just ensured—”
“If she wants to ith my kid, she needs to pay the kid’s tab, too If not, I’ll see them in court”
“You sick son of a bitch”
“The kid’s tab isn’t as much Two hundred seventy-five thousand is all”
“Then I’ll buy that one right here, right now”
“You don’t have the chips, Aces”
“I’ll go get the rest,” I hiss, and start to stand
“No, sit your ass down and earn it This will be the last game you ever play”
“It’s not about playing the ga it all”
The stakes have never been higher Hailey bought her way out, but the little one is still on the table Her daughter is the prize, and Hailey didn’t even know it If I have my way, she’ll never have to know just ho her ex really went
In the first hand, the motherfucker calls aame; Marisa was
As I stand to leave, Wheels stops me
“Man, I know you got two Gs in your pocket, so play it”