SAVAGE

7

Rudy's eyes fluttered as he stirred a little. He opened his eyes wide and noticed Jersey sitting beside him on his twin-sized bed.

"Hi." Jersey spoked while placing her hand on Rudy's face. "You're finally up."

"What are you doing over here?"

Jersey sighed as she watched her cousin slide from the blankets. He sat up straight and wiped his eyes.

"I'm here to check up on you, to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah..." Rudy trailed off. "Well, this is where your boyfriend put me."

Jersey rolled her eyes and said. "Please...Malcolm is not my boyfriend. He's my boss and... I asked him to help you."

"I would've been better off hiding somewhere else."

Jersey blew out a raspberry and said, "Be thankful he's helping you. It took a lot just to convince him."

Rudy wrinkled his nose at his cousin while standing up. "What am I supposed to do out here? I don't have a phone; I can't listen to my music—plus I don't have any video games."

"Well, Malcolm doesn't want you with a smartphone. He says it will probably give your location away to Marcus. Just sit tight for now."

"Landlines are traceable though." Rudy reasoned.

"Well, I'm guessing that Malcolm has his ways. He must've had something special installed to the telephone because it's untraceable. Plus, he gave you a burner."

"Them niggas don't know nothing about technology anyway." Rudy commented dryly.

"I think you should leave the smartphones alone for a while. There's a telephone right in the kitchen." She instructed him. "And cut your hair while you're at it. There should be some clippers in the bathroom."

Rudy scoffed before saying, "Is that all?"

Jersey gave him a long look and said, "Just, stay safe."

Rudy being the unemotional person he was, just nodded his head. Jersey stood up and grabbed her purse.

"Has my mom asked about me?" He questioned Jersey. Lisa was on his mind heavily and he wanted to see her.

"I talked to her yesterday. She asked me if I had heard from you. Of course, she doesn't know what's going on, but I told her that I haven't seen or heard from you."

Rudy dropped his head.

"You should call her from the telephone. Just don't tell her what's going on or where you're at. Lisa doesn't need to be worried or worse...caught in the middle of this situation."

_____________________________

"Look at you..." Malcolm trailed off as he eyed Aaron. He was one of Malcolm's workers. Aaron was in charge of the profits. He made sure every dealer who sold drugs on the streets gave a correct percentage back to Malcolm.

Lately, he had been abusing the little authority Malcolm granted him. Aaron had a habit of taking money from the other workers and writing them down as a shortage. Because of this, many dealers ended up with harsh punishments and even worse—dead.

"Why'd you do it?" Malcolm interrogated him calmly.

Aaron just sat in the chair with his arms and legs tied. He had been brutally beaten. His eyes were swollen shut while his face was puffy and covered in bruises. Aaron sat there in a daze as his head bobbed from left to right. Clearly, he wasn't purely conscious, but Malcolm didn't care.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Malcolm bellowed as he grabbed Aaron by his jaw roughly. He yelped out as he tried to bear with the pain, but he could feel his aching jaw being crushed by Malcolm's large fingers. "Why did you do it? Why did you take from me? Why did you turn on me?"

Aaron's eyes drooped as he nodded in and out.  Malcolm removed his hand from his jaw and allowed him to speak.

"I-I..." Aaron stuttered as he looked at Malcolm with his one, good eye. "I'm sorry."

"Nah..." Malcolm shook his head furiously. "I don't want to hear no damn apology. I want to know why you betrayed me."

"Nieko..." Aaron managed to say as his chest heaved up and down.

"Nieko..." Malcolm reiterated. He thought about that name. His temples throbbed with rage as he kicked over Aaron's chair with his foot.

Malcolm looked over at Arthur and said, "We need to get rid of him. Fast and quick."

Both Arthur and Malcolm handled Aaron this time. He had a friend who disposed bodies for him, but luckily, he knew how to kill and dispose the proper way himself. It wasn't something he was proud of; he didn't even do it most of the time.

Aaron's started crying which caused Malcolm to kick him in his chest. He wheezed and coughed from the impact. Malcolm didn't care about his cries, he had other s**t to worry about.

Nieko

"What's the move after we finish him?" Arthur questioned Malcolm.

"Let's play it cool for right now. I'mma have a talk with Nieko." Malcolm stated casually. "I want to see where his head is at."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Arthur asked while raising an eyebrow. "He just tried to rob you and he turned your worker against you."

"Everything will be cool." Malcolm reassured him while looking down at Aaron.

Nieko wasn't no ordinary man. He owned a restaurant out in Bed-Stuy. The soul food restaurant that his grandmother left him was just a cover up. He ran a drug organization right from the back.

Malcolm grew curious about it since Nieko was so public with his dirty deed. The law never tried to f**k with him at all. They stayed away from Nieko and his goons. Malcolm assumed Nieko had a couple of law enforcers on his payroll. But it was more to it.

_____________________________

"Park right there." Jersey instructed her friend.

Jersey and Kelli got dressed and headed straight for the jazz club. It didn't take much to convince Kelli to come since she wanted to meet the mystery guy Jersey had mentioned.

Both girls were dressed nicely, but Jersey managed to play it safe while Kelli went out the way. Since the guy was interested in her, she managed to doll up in a tight-fitting dress and some heels that showed off her pink pedicured toes. Jersey, on the other hand wore a pair of jeans, a regular shirt, and a hoodie that matched her old Vans. She wasn't trying to impress anybody, so she stayed comfortable.

"You should have dressed up. We look tacky together." Kelli stated bluntly as she looked out the window.

"Girl please..." Jersey trailed off. "I played it safe and besides, I hate dresses and heels. Look at everybody—they're dressed casual Kelli."

"Well..." Kelli shrugged her shoulders. "I like to stand out so this guy better be worth it."

"Let's go and find out." Jersey commented as she hopped out of Kelli's car. They sauntered towards the opening and took in the scene before them.

The Jazz club, known as The Bordeaux, was filled with all kinds of people, mainly Blacks and Latinos. The savory smelling food taunted with Jersey's nose as she walked further inside.

"Oh my God—the food smells good." Kelli gushed. "I always ignore this place. Man, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

The Bordeaux didn't look too good outside. The chipped painting and graffiti lured some people away. However, the inside was beautiful. The owners of The Bordeaux managed to fix the place up nicely. The wall had vivid paintings of famous singers. Exquisite statues decorated the place as well as the tables and chairs.

"This place is so beautiful." Jersey commented as she looked around. The music and the black people were beautiful. 

"Man, this guy better be paying for my food because everything is expensive in here." 

Jersey was walking around with Kelli when she noticed Ryder walking towards them. She pulled Kelli's hand a little and whispered, "That's the mystery guy."

Kelli looked over and eyed Ryder quickly. He was handsome and way better looking than Travis. Ryder was tall with a cinnamon complexion. Kelli could tell that he was biracial—she assumed he had to be an Afro-Latino. He had coal, black hair with large curls and his beard was very healthy and nice looking. He didn't have too many tattoos, but he was built as if he worked out—a lot.

"That's the guy who owns that club..." Kelli trailed off. She eyed him carefully as she breathed in and out.

"I finally get to see you again." Ryder told Kelli as he eyed her cautiously. He was digging the dress she had on. It showed off the little figure she had.

"So, you're the mystery guy that Jersey told me about?" Kelli made sure she put a little seductiveness in her voice as she spoke.

"I am..." Ryder trailed off while looking at Jersey and her tomboyish attire. "Good looking out Jersey."

Jersey breathed out before replying. "No problem." She had a look of boredom on her face and Ryder peeped it out too.

"I got us a table, follow me." He instructed them and they did just that. 

Jersey noticed Malcolm sitting in his seat on his phone. Kelli furrowed her eyebrows and gave her friend a look. Jersey just rolled her eyes and took a seat beside him. He glanced at her and went back to his phone. She clasped her hands together out of nervousness.

"Do you take every woman you like here or am I special?" Kelli questioned Ryder bluntly. She had a habit of being blunt which irritated Jersey at times.

Ryder gave her a small smirk and said, "Consider yourself special. I don't usually take females out anywhere."

Kelli smirked. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack." Ryder answered.

She blushed and said, "Well now I do feel special."

Jersey rolled her eyes at their corniness and checked her phone for messages. She had a missed call from an unknown number and some messages from her Auntie Lisa. She leaned over and a little and whispered to Malcolm.

"Have you checked on Rudy?"

He looked over at her and said, "That's not my responsibility. You wanted me to help put him in a safe place—I did that. It's up to you to keep check on him, not me."

Jersey tried to straighten her face, but Kelli caught on fast and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

Kelli eyed Malcolm for a second and rolled her eyes hard. She didn't care for him at all. She didn't even understand why he was there. He was raining on their parade and plus, he had a debt on Jersey.

The waitress walked over to their table and they ordered their choice of food and drink. Malcolm had to be the one to buy the alcohol, he ordered an expensive bottle of vodka with a bucket of ice.

Soon, they were all sitting at the table with their food and choice of drink in front of them. Jersey looked down at her Creole Pasta. She had a glass of water since she didn't care for carbonated drinks and alcohol was something she tried to stay away from.

They sat there and watched some poets perform on stage since it was poetry night. As of right now, a plus-sized black girl was on stage performing. She was dark-skinned with an Afro.

Looking like a woke, black, sister. The crowd cheered her on as she spoke her words to life.

"Y'all can order as much as you like. It's on us, we're paying for it." Ryder spoke. Jersey could tell that he was freehearted, although he looked like he was hiding something.

"Since it's on you, I was hoping I could get another drink." Kelli replied with a smirk.

"It's whatever you want."

Malcolm's phone started ringing so he excused himself from the table. After Kelli consumed her drink, she and Ryder left to go buy some cigars. Jersey just sat there by herself.

Honestly, she wasn't comfortable at all. She had to make sure she didn't embarrass herself since people stayed eyeing Malcolm and Ryder. They acted as if the two men were celebrities or something.

Jersey watched her surroundings carefully until Malcom ambled back to his seat. He looked around until his eyes landed on Jersey.

"Where they go? To the bathroom?" He questioned her.

"They went to buy some cigars, but that's probably their next stop." Jersey replied as she watched him take a seat.

"You want something to drink?" Malcolm asked her. She realized that Malcolm was an alcoholic.

"Uh, yeah." She grabbed her empty glass and held it out for Malcolm to fill up. Malcolm took the vodka bottle and poured the liquid into the glass.

"I'm not supposed to drink but I need one bad." Jersey explained. She gulped the liquid down and couldn't help but to hold out her glass again.

"Damn, you can drink." Malcolm commented.

"You can too." Jersey retorted back. "There's always a liquor bottle beside you."

"Yeah, well...it's the only thing that can keep me sane."

Jersey watched as he gulped down his drink. She scoffed while stirring hers a little.

"I used to think like that too, but I realized that it only makes things worse." She spoke softly.

Malcolm eyed her and realized how pretty she was. Jersey was a pure natural beauty. She didn't have on any makeup and her clothes weren't fitting her tight. She was sitting right beside him with regular clothes on and she still looked better than the females who went out their way.

"Well, it's different for me." He reasoned.

"Do you come to places like this all the time?" Jersey asked him, wanting to skip the alcohol situation.

"Nah..." He answered. "This is what Ryder is into. His pops used to play in a jazz band."

Jersey furrowed her eyebrows at him and asked, "You don't like jazz music?"

"It's alright..." he trailed off. "I could listen to it, but I like rap music."

"What?" Jersey wrinkled her nose. "Don't tell me you're one of those guys who discredits good musician for shitty trap music."

"Not at all..." Malcolm replied. "I always give musicians the credit they deserve. I don't f**k with that trap music s**t though." He stated honestly. Malcolm was way too intelligent to walk around mumbling to some dumb music.

"That's good to hear because I don't either. I love R&B."

"So, who is your favorite R&B musician of all time?" Malcolm questioned her.

"My favorite R&B musician of all time?" She reiterated with a smirk on her face. Malcolm just nodded his head. "Uh—that is so hard because I have a lot of favorites. But I would probably say, Luther Vandross."

"Why him?"

"Because...he has hits. His music is just so beautiful. Believe it or not—as young as I am—I could actually vibe to his music all day."

"I like his music too...I grew up listening to all kinds of R&B musicians—Smokey Robinson, Barry White, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, and the list goes on."

"Great taste." Jersey commented while sighing. "They don't make good music anymore."

"You mean my grams' had great taste." He corrected her. "She was the one who introduced me to the good music."

Jersey and Malcolm continued their lively conversation. They just sat there talking and drinking together. About twenty minutes later, they were leaving out of the club.

"Where did Kelli go? I don't see her car?" She questioned Malcolm.

"They left..." He trailed off. Ryder took Kelli's car and they left with the quickness. He made sure to let Malcolm know. Jersey, however, was out of the loop.

"What? She just left me—with you!" Jersey raised her voice as she leaned on the wall.

"Keep your voice down. I'll drop you off if you want me too."

"Please..." Jersey begged while fluttering her eyes. "Because I'm so drunk."

Malcolm guided her to his car and helped her inside. He wasted no time hopping in and heading to Kelli's apartment.

Jersey sat on the passenger side singing to Ella Mai's song, Shot Clock. He couldn't believe how free and loud she was being. Normally, she would be composed, but the alcohol had her acting different.

"What you waiting on lil' daddy, I ain't got that much time!" Jersey serenaded with her eyes closed. She was really feeling the music and Malcolm couldn't help but to shake his head.

They eventually made it to Kelli's apartment. Malcolm helped her out of the car and guided her up to the apartment. He knocked on the door for almost two minutes. There was no answer.

"Why isn't she answering the door?" Jersey asked while grabbing her phone out of her bag.

 She called Kelli's phone, but her girl was ignoring her. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked over at Malcolm. 

"D-Do you think something is wrong with Kelli? Y-your friend probably did something to her." Jersey ranted.

"Ryder isn't like that—" Malcolm stopped talking when he heard a muffled noise. He listened carefully and shook his head.

"Listen closely..." Malcolm told Jersey.

"Wh—?"

"Shh..." Malcolm shushed her.

She placed her ear to the door. Muffle sounds of moaning could be heard. Whatever Ryder was doing, Kelli liked it since she was showing off her vocals. Jersey removed her ear from the door quickly and stood there.

"They're fucking..." She trailed off. "And she locked me out—I don't have my keys—I don’t even have a key to her place. Where am I gonna go?"

"I'll take you to a hotel room. She can pick you up tomorrow."

"I don't have any money for a hotel. I'll just sit out here."

"It's too much s**t going on. You can't be out here like that. I'll pay for the room, just come on."

Jersey hesitantly walked with Malcolm. They made it out of the building and got right in his car. It didn't take him long to find a nearby hotel. He checked her in and guided her to the room. Malcolm was thankful for the empty halls. He didn't want people looking at him crazy for holding up a drunk woman—or a teenaged looking girl.

"I'm about to leave. Don't let no stranger in here." Malcolm instructed her as he guided her towards the bed.

"Don't go." Jersey told him in a drunkenly way. "Stay here with me, I don't want to be alone."

Malcolm furrowed his eyebrows at her and watched as she pulled herself up from the bed. She lumbered near him, stood on her tippy toes, and tried to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I want you to stay here with me." Jersey said in a breathy voice as she eyed him seductively. She gave him a come-hither look that made Malcolm feel some type of way.

"Nah." Malcolm declined.

"Why not?" Jersey asked him as she started to breath hard. "I'm not your type or something?"

"You're drunk." Malcolm stated bluntly while moving her arms. "You need to chill out and just go to bed, sleep that liquor off."

Jersey dropped down on the bed and kicked her shoes off. She looked over at Malcolm and asked, "Can you just stay here with me? I don't want to be in here by myself."

Malcolm hesitantly nodded his head yeah and took a seat on the bed. Jersey stripped down to her shirt and panties. Malcolm took a quick glance and noticed how nice Jersey was built underneath her clothes. She was small but her structure was pretty neat.

Jersey crawled on the bed and got closer to Malcolm. His back was facing her, so she wrapped her arms around him and placed kisses on his neck.

"Jersey, what are you doing?"

"Huh?" She replied in a breathy tone.

"Chill out. I'm not about to f**k you—I don't even think about you that way."

She stopped and slowly eased away from him. Malcolm fixed his jacket and got up from the bed. Jersey watched as he slammed the door on his way out.

_____________________________

Morning rolled in quickly. Jersey laid in bed fast asleep. She stirred a couple of times before finally waking up. Her eyes looked around in confusion since she was in a strange place. She pulled herself up slowly and looked around the room.

Hotel room. That's right, I'm at a hotel.

And Malcolm was gone.

She sighed hard while searching the bed for her phone. When she found it, she realized she had a low battery with multiple missed calls from her Auntie Lisa, Kelli, and Vena.

She started off with Lisa, who called her eight times. Jersey sat on the toilet while rubbing her sore head.

"Where is Rudy?" Lisa asked her niece.

"Auntie, I don't know." She lied.

Lisa sighed and said, "I talked to him yesterday. He said he was in a safe place and not to worry about him."

"Well, you know how Rudy is. He's always into something."

"That's my boy and I love him. I'm just so worried about him Jersey."

"I'm sure he's safe. I'll be at your house soon because I plan on getting my bed."

"Okay."

After talking to Lisa, Jersey moved on to Kelli.

"b***h, where are you?"

"I'm at a hotel." Jersey spoke while wiping herself and flushing. She put her phone on speaker and started washing her hands with soap. "You and Ryder left last night—leaving me stranded."

"Girl, I'm so sorry about that. But the opportunity window was closing. He wanted to f**k, and I did too, so we left."

"I guess the d**k was more important than me." Jersey commented as she thought about last night. She was drunk but she could remember every single thing that happened. Including embarrassing herself in front of Malcolm. She had tried to bait him, but he wasn't biting.

I don't even like him... Jersey thought to herself as the embarrassment replayed over and over in her head. She knew that she didn't like Malcolm.

He was way too aggressive, mean, and cold hearted but the alcohol brought out the horniness in Jersey. She hadn't been touched in years—Quintin was the last and only man she had s*x with. She wasn't the type to just go out and hop on d**k because it was hard for her. Honestly, Jersey was awkward with no kind of s*x appeal (when sober)—which is why men barely approached her.   

"The d**k was splendid—thee best I ever had but, I do want to apologize for leaving you like that." Kelli aired out.

"I could've been r***d or worse—killed. s**t, I could've been r***d and killed." Jersey reasoned. 

"Malcolm wasn't going to let anything happen to you." Kelli stated honestly. "You see you're in a hotel."

"But...that was irresponsible of you. I know I'm a grown ass woman but we're friends. I was drunk, Kel. Malcolm could've taken me off and r***d me."

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again. Ryder got in my head girl." Kelli stated. "So, what happened between you two last night?"

"Nothing..." Jersey replied while rolling her eyes. "I embarrassed myself last night in front of him."

"What did you do?" Kelli asked.

Jersey sighed before speaking, "I tried to sleep with him."

"WHAT?" Kelli yelled with her mouth gaped.

"I did that dumb shit." Jersey stated while palming her face. "And I feel so stupid. I was drunk and I get horny when I drink a lot."

"Wait a minute, so you wanted to f**k but he didn't?"

"Basically...he brushed me off."

"Oh, well maybe he didn't want to sleep with you while you're drunk."

"No." Jersey shook her head. "He told me he doesn't think about me that way. I'm assuming I'm not his type."

"I'm glad he didn't hit it anyway. Did you see him last night? He sat his antisocial ass beside you and didn't speak at all."

"Well, we talked a little when you and Ryder left to buy cigars."

"Still..." Kelli trailed off. "You don't need a man like that in your life anyways. Remember he put a debt on you."

Jersey just nodded her head as if Kelli could seem her. Her friend was right. She had no business trying to give up the kitty to Malcolm when he had a debt on her.

"Can you pick me up? I'll be over at this bar across the street—I need a drink. He took me to this cheap ass hotel called Sleep Inn." 

"Stay at the hotel...I'll be right there to pick you up."

Jersey ended the call and gathered her stuff. She called up Vena and talked to her as she made her way to the bar. The called ended by itself since her phone was dead. So, she ordered herself a drink and patiently waited on her friend to pick her up.

She ordered her favorite—a Black Russian. Jersey used her finger to trace over the glass as sat there thinking about her life. She was twenty-two with no kind of life goals. Part of her wanted to go back to school, but her other half was way too scared. She was afraid of signing up and being laughed at. Her anxiety f****d with her a lot.

She thought about not getting accepted into the college she wanted to attend.

She thought about not being smart enough to pass the required tests.

She thought about the younger students taunting her for being twenty-two-year-old freshmen.

AND

She thought about all the student debt she would be in after finishing college.

Jersey finished up her drink and paid for it. She made her way out of the bar and noticed Kelli's car parked by the meter. Immediately, she hopped inside and buckled up.

"I hope this drinking thing won't become a habit..."

Jersey looked at her suspiciously and asked, "It's not. I've been doing good."

"I'm just saying..." Kelli trailed off. "You just walked out of a bar and... you know how it is with recovering drug addicts. They tend to replace an old habit with a new habit."

"Well I'm not trying to replace my old drug addiction with alcohol—if that's what you're saying. I just had a drink—a Black Russian. That's all."

"Okay." Kelli nodded her head. "I believe you."

Jersey sighed while touching her head. "I need to shower and head to U-Haul."

"U-Haul? For what?"

"I need to go over my aunt's apartment and get my bed."

Kelli furrowed her eyebrows and said, "How you gonna get that bed out of the apartment though?"

"Shit..." Jersey cursed. "I don't even know."

"I can call my brothers, maybe they can come over and help."

"Please..." Jersey begged with a small smirk on her face. She went inside her purse to look for the key to her aunt's apartment. She furrowed her eyebrows and scoffed. "I can't find my keys." 

_____________________________

The pole lights illuminated the streets of Brooklyn. The cool, night air tussled and whistled around with the abandoned trash. Malcolm stepped into the alley wearing all black. A black skully with the matching peacoat and gloves.

"Finally, for a second I thought you was setting me up."

Malcolm looked over at Chief Stanley and scoffed. "Let's cut the bullshit, alright?"

Chief Stanley raised an eyebrow as he shifted his weight. Stanley was tall and flabby with a potbelly. He sported copper brown skin that was smooth—except for the black spots on each side of his face. He had thick hair that he kept short and curly.

"What do you want?"

"Newton. He's sniffing around me again. I'm supposed to be off limits."

Chief Stanley sighed and said, "I'll talk to him."

"No, you need to do better than that." Malcolm corrected him. "Because talking to him isn't working. I pay you good money to keep my name away from that department."

The chief rubbed the side of his chubby face and said, "Malcolm...you have my word. I'll make sure Newton doesn't mention you."

Malcolm sized him up and shoved the black briefcase into his hands. "Here." He started to leave but came to a halt when Chief Stanley started speaking.

"How do you know Newton is investigating you?" Chief Stanley asked while giving him a suspicious look.

Malcolm only gave him a once-over and walked away.

_____________________________

"You okay?" Dean asked Jersey who was staring into space. Quickly, she darted her eyes over at him and said, "I'm fine. Just ready to leave."

Jersey had to work, and she dreaded coming in. After her drunken behavior the other night, she was too embarrassed to face Malcolm. Fortunately, he didn't come to the bar at all.

Dean eyed her cautiously and said, "Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

Jersey nodded her head and plastered a fake smile on her face. "I'm fine."

"I know you went out two days ago with Ryder and Malcolm. To that jazz club—The Bordeaux."

"Yeah..." Jersey trailed off. She looked over at Dean and noticed the bothered expression on his face. "Dean, it was nothing. Matter of fact, it was boring. Malcolm didn't even bother to talk to me at all."

"Well, you should've brought me instead. I thought we were trying to do something here. I like you and you like me."

"Well...y-yeah." Jersey stuttered awkwardly. "But Ryder had already made plans, so I just went along with it."

"I could've taken you to The Bordeaux. You know I just got a new ride. You still have to test it out." Dean told her as he continued to clean out the mugs.

Jersey couldn't help but to admire him. Not only was Dean handsome but he had a great personality. Jersey just felt like he was always playing second to Malcolm. Dean didn't have a backbone to even stand up to his cousin. He was always following his commands and that didn't sit well with her.

"How about..." Jersey trailed off. "You take me somewhere after work?"

Dean's eyes lit up as he eyed her. He was surprised to hear her say that. "For real? Like where?"

"Well..." She started while looking around. She leaned over and whispered, "Can I trust you?"

Dean eyed her for a second, but he eventually nodded his head. "Yeah, why?"

"I can't really talk around here because of the customers. I'll tell you about it later."

Jersey felt like she could trust Dean. He just had trustworthy behavior. He was respectful and he showed good manners.

After work, she informed him about her cousin Rudy. She told him that Malcolm was hiding her cousin in a safe place and she wanted him to take her there.

_____________________________

Rudy looked at the camera that was installed in the house and noticed Jersey with some unknown man. She held a bag in her hands as she continued to ring the doorbell.

He ambled to the door and unlocked it.  Jersey barged in with her friend which caused Rudy to become suspicious. 

"I brought you some burgers from Copes, I know you're tired of eating the same ole' stuff." Jersey spoke while placing the bag down. "Oh, this is my friend—Dean."

Dean spoke politely by giving Rudy a what's up and vice versa. They spent most of their time watching a movie, playing monopoly, and eating snacks.

The sun has started to come out, so Dean suggested they leave. He was tired and ready to go home and shower. Jersey hesitantly agreed and grab her things to live. In the process of doing that, she stopped and noticed the sad expression on her cousin's face. She placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, "You okay?"

He just shook his head while biting down on his bottom lip. "I'm just...tired."

"Don't be." Jersey encouraged him.

"I can't even move around how I want. People are after me, Jay. I'm not safe."

"Yes, you are." Jersey assured him while touching his face. She eyed her cousin and realized he had cut all of his hair off. Now, he looked handsome—just like the old Rudy she knew.

"Malcolm is taking care of everything. He's going to catch Marcus and Jamar."

Dean looked over at them cautiously. Hearing every single thing.

"Yeah but—"

"You're safe, here. I promise." Jersey cut him off.

Rudy wanted to believe his cousin, but he felt like something was off. Instead of arguing with her, he just nodded his head and said, "Okay."

Jersey and Dean left and got back on the road. It was morning time, so the sun was now out, and traffic was piling up.

"This is why I dreaded on buying this car." Dean explained as he stopped. "The f*****g traffic is always terrible."

"It would've been terrible either way. I prefer the car." Jersey replied with a smile. She looked around Dean's brand-new car and couldn't help but to run her hands over the material. She loved the graphite leather and wood trimmings.

Dean gave her a once-over asked, "You like this, huh?"

Jersey nodded her head yes. "This is an Infiniti, right? This is a nice car Dean."

"I didn't want to go over the top...so I got this."

"It's still an expensive car. I can't afford one." She replied while sinking into the leathery seats. He had put the seat warmers on, and Jersey was in love.

"Spend a night with me." Dean suggested out of the blue.

"What?" She questioned him as she stared at the side of his head. His gorgeous hair was individually braided. He had nice biceps that showed off the tattoos on his arm.

"Stay with me tonight. It's too early to be going way back to your spot. I need some sleep. You know I don't live in that area."

Jersey sighed while looking out of the window. She didn't know if that was a good idea. She didn't have nothing on her. No hygiene products, no clothes, and no phone charger.

"I don't have—"

"I got you, don't worry about that." Dean broke in. "I got something at my house you can put on. It probably won't fit you, but it'll work."

Jersey pursed her lips to keep from smiling. Dean was trying his best to get her to stay at is place.

"Come on." Dean coaxed while nudging her. "I got extra toothbrushes and s**t like that."

She chuckled and said, "I'll stay with you."

_____________________________

They arrived at this nice building that had a contemporary design. Manicured trees were everywhere as they walked along the path. Dean grabbed Jersey's hand and together they walked inside and headed up to his place with the help of the elevator.

"You okay?" Dean asked her. He realized how quiet Jersey was. She was basically taking everything in before her.

Jersey nodded head and said, "This is really nice. I bet your rent is expensive."

"It's not too expensive. I'm broke so I try to stand within my budget." Dean stated honestly.

"Yeah right, you're not that broke..." Jersey trailed off as she looked up at him.

Dean only gave her a smile and she couldn't help but to look elsewhere. His looks were very contagious and if she wasn't careful, she would probably end up sleeping with him.

They got off the elevator and headed straight to his place. He unlocked the door with his key and allowed Jersey to go first. She scanned his roomy living room and couldn't help but to notice how plain it looked.

Dean had no kind of taste in decoration and it showed. His living room was only occupied by a sectional couch, a coffee table, and a large television.

Jersey wasn't going to judge him and his taste since she didn't have a pot to piss in herself. She just held her bag close to her while waiting for Dean.

"This is my place. It's not much." Dean explained while locking his door.

"Please." She scoffed. "It's more than what I have. I like it."

Dean knew that Jersey wouldn't be down to sleep in the same bed with him, so he gave up his bed. He was going to sleep on the couch.

Like the living room, everything else was plain. Dean wasn't trying to decorate his apartment at all. Instead of worrying about it, Jersey just grabbed the clothes he gave her and showered.

"Thanks for everything." Jersey thanked him. Dean had looked out on her with the clothes and hygiene products.

Dean looked up from his phone and noticed Jersey. She looked comfortable in his shirt and sweatpants. It was baggy but she was definitely working it.

He welcomed her and suggested she sit beside him. Jersey nervously swallowed her salvia and took a seat on his couch.

"This apartment is so nice."

"It needs decorating though." Dean commented.

"It does." Jersey spilled with a smile. "I didn't want to offend you Dean, but you need a decorator."

Dean eyed her carefully and said, "Maybe you can help me decorate."

"I don't know how to decorate." She told him honestly while softly shaking her head. "But I'll try to help you."

"I want to ask you something..." Dean trailed off while rubbing his hands together.

"What?"

"Uh..." He started. "What's up with me and you?"

She shifted on the couch and asked, "What do you mean?" She knew exactly what he meant, she just wanted to act clueless.

"I tried to listen to Malcolm at first. He told me not to f**k with you because of that s**t with Rudy."

Jersey cursed silently in her head. She just knew that Dean was going to bring Malcolm back up.

"But I can't. You know I like you. I just want to know what we're doing?"

She shrugged her shoulders while fidgeting with her fingers. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure." Dean reiterated. He leaned his head to the side and shook it.

"I just...don't know about us being together." Jersey stated honestly.

"Why? Is it because you have feelings for Malcolm?"

"Hell no!" She snapped. "I don't want him."

"Well why did you go to the club with him?"

"I told you already, Ryder had already made the plans. I didn't know if he wanted to switch up or not."

"You didn't even ask me if I wanted to go. Ryder wouldn't have cared if I'd went instead."

"Well, it's done now—I went with him instead—so what. Malcolm and I barely even talked to each other that whole night." She tried reasoning with him. Jersey managed to lie as well. She and Malcolm did have a long conversation, but it wasn't about their personal lives.

Dean just sat there with a nonchalant expression on his face. He wasn't buying what Jersey was saying. He felt like she was covering something up.

"Malcolm likes you..." Dean trailed off. "You probably find that hard to believe but he does. The nigga just doesn't know how to show it. He covers his emotions really good..."

"He does not like me." Jersey objected while shaking her head.

"Yes, he does." Dean corrected her. "Look—he's always looking out for you. Like with that Rudy situation. I'm surprised he helped your cousin after he stole from him. I'm telling you the truth Jersey...Malcolm likes you."

Jersey shook her head and said, "Well, I don't like him. I like you. Since day one, you've shown me respect and I like that about you."

Dean took in the sight of her. She looked beautiful with her natural appearance. Her soft, brown skin looked delectable enough to eat.

Suddenly the both of them clashed together as one. Dean's pink lips pressed against Jersey's brown ones as they made out. Dean took his hand and placed it on the side of her face as he deepen the kiss. Their tongues danced together in harmony.

"Mmm..." Jersey moaned out as she grew hot. The butterflies grew in her stomach when she felt Dean's hand inching towards her lower half. Suddenly, she pulled from the kiss, trying to catch her breath. He eyed her with lust filled in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He questioned her.

"Uh..." She trailed off while touching her lips. "I can't—I can't sleep with you Dean. I'm sorry."

He eyed her for a minute and then started looking elsewhere. Jersey watched as he clasped his hands together.

"That's cool..." Dean replied lowly.

"Are you sure?" She asked him.

He nodded his head while getting up.

_____________________________

Jersey rolled over in comfort as her eyes fluttered. The sun was peeking through Dean's white curtains. She sighed while searching the bed for her phone. As expected, Kelli managed to call her multiple times. Vena and Lisa were right behind her.

She got up from the bed and went straight in the bathroom to brush her teeth. While she was handling her hygiene, Dean was in the front playing his video game.

Suddenly, his phone started to ring. He sucked his teeth but eventually paused the game to answer. It was Malcolm of course.

"Yeah..." He answered as he looked at his cousin through FaceTime. Malcolm was never at home, so judging from his background, he was in his car.

"I need you to come to the bar a little early. Dock needs help with the inventory check."

"Hey, Dean...do you have any bottle waters?" Jersey asked as she walked inside the living room.

Malcolm furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at his cousin. "Is that Jersey? What is she doing over there?"

Dean looked over at Jersey who mouthed sorry. He darted his eyes at the phone and said, "Yeah...she's over here."

To be honest, Dean was glad to let his cousin know that Jersey was over his house.

"Tell her to come in early too..." Malcolm stated and ended the call.

"Is he mad?" Jersey asked.

"Seems like it." Dean replied while tossing his phone on the coffee table. "That only proves my theory. He likes you and doesn't want me near you."

Jersey just didn't believe it. He didn't even want to have s*x with her, so she knew he didn't like her.

_____________________________

"Who's going to help my dad with inventory because I won't be able to do it?" Morgan asked Malcolm as she poured herself a glass of scotch.

Malcolm looked over at his cousin and said, "Dean and Jersey should be on their way over now to help."

Morgan gulped down her drink and eyed her cousin. "What? They're coming together?"

Malcolm didn't reply back.

"But...I thought you said they couldn't date?"

"I did..." He trailed off. "But Dean wants to do his own thing."

"They can't stay away from each other." Morgan smirked. "You might as well let them date."

Malcolm slid her a look which Morgan caught. She knew that he wanted her to shut up, so she grabbed her glass and moseyed to the other side.

Before he could walk towards the back, both Dean and Jersey walked in. He eyed them both with a hardened expression. Jersey noticed the irritated look on his face and tried her best to avoid him. Dean, on the other hand, didn't pay him any mind. He was used to it.

"Jersey...let me talk to you in my office." Malcolm spoke.

She looked up at him and nodded her head. Before leaving, she glanced at Dean who stood there with his eyebrows furrowed. Morgan was on the other side nursing a drink.

Jersey walked inside Malcolm's office and tried her best to control her emotions. She didn't know what he was about to tell her. She was already embarrassed from trying to sleep with him and being over Dean's house only put the icing on the cake.

Malcolm walked towards his desk and pulled out a key that was attached with some kind of floral key holder. Her eyes bugged as she inhaled out relief. Jersey assumed she had lost her keys at the jazz club.

"Thank you so much." She said while grabbing them. "I thought I lost them at the club..."

Malcolm only nodded his head.

"Oh, and uh..." she trailed off. "I'm sorry for that night—I was drunk, and I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright..." He broke in. "I didn't pay you no mind."

"Good." Jersey commented quickly.

"So, what were you doing at my cousin's apartment?" Malcolm questioned her. He eyed her cautiously. From her head to toe.

All of a sudden, Jersey grew nervous. She didn't like the third-degree Malcolm was giving her. 

"He took me to see Rudy...it was too late to take me home, so I stayed at his place."

Malcolm's eyebrows drew together as he thought about what she had said. "He took you over there. Why the f**k did you tell him about that s**t?"

"I-I didn't know it would be a problem."

"Well it is." Malcolm retorted back. "Look, I'm trying to help you and cousin but you're making it hard for me to do that. I told you to keep this s**t between us. Now, Dean knows everything."

"What's wrong with him knowing?" Jersey asked while shrugging her shoulders.

Malcolm kept a hardened expression on his face, but he managed to say, "He's not to be trusted."

Jersey wrinkled her nose because she didn't believe it. Dean showed no signs of being a treacherous person.

_____________________________

Jersey was tired from helping Dock with inventory check. Of course, she had help from Dean, but it was so much to do. She was about to leave out when Dock stopped her.

"Jersey, I need you to stay behind. I have something else I want you to do."

"But we're done with inventory check and my shift is over." She claimed while looking over at Dean for help.

"Last time I checked, you worked for Malcolm. Not voluntary but involuntary, so you're going to do what I tell you to do."

She looked over at Dean for help.

"What do you need her for?" Dean questioned him.

Dock casted Dean a curious glance and said, "Malcolm wants her to organize the files he has piled up on his desk."

"I can do it instead."

"Nah." Dock objected. "He specifically wanted Jersey to do it."

Jersey sighed in irritation. She knew that 
Malcolm was only being petty.

"I'll wait for you." Dean informed Jersey.

"Okay."

"Take your ass home." Dock ordered his nephew while giving him a look. Dean eyed him with a hardened expression which caused Jersey to grow suspicious. He gave Jersey one last look before walking out.

"Come on." Dock led Jersey to Malcolm's office, and she looked at the mess before her. He had a lot of files piled up on his desk. 

"I have to put away all of these files?"

"Put them away in that file cabinet. Don't touch nothing else." Dock instructed her. "I'll be in my office. If you need me, just knock."

Dock left Jersey inside Malcolm's office. Jersey looked around and noticed how neat everything else was. He had an executive-styled office that matched his attitude. An expensive water cooler sat beside his desk and he even had a couch with the matching coffee table.

Jersey eyed the powerful painting that sat behind his chair and between his bookshelf. It was a painting of a black man reading.

"This must be my punishment for staying over Dean's." She said to herself and shook her head. "I'm too grown for punishments..."

Nosily, Jersey started grabbing the files on Malcolm's desk. She couldn't help but to take a peek at them. She thumbed through the papers and sucked her teeth. Malcolm didn't have anything interesting going on. It was just boring paperwork.

Suddenly, she noticed one of his old bank statements. Her eyes bugged when she noticed the amount of money he had in his bank. Malcolm wasn't stupid enough to put every red cent of his in the bank. He made sure to have at least the amount of money he was expected to make in the bank.

"And he's holding me for twenty thousand dollars." She whispered to herself.

The sound of someone clearing their throat startled her. Jersey looked over and noticed some man standing by the door. He didn't look friendly at all and that made her nervous.

He wasn't as tall as Malcolm, but he had height. He had caramel colored skin with baby locks at the top of his head; the rest was faded and shaped up. A piercing sat on his right nostril. Jersey took in his juicy lips and those many, many tattoos of his.

"Who the f**k are you?" He asked Jersey while stepping into the room.

"I—uh my name is Jersey." Jersey stuttered. Quickly, she placed the bank statement into the bank file and pushed into the cabinet.

"I told you her name was Jersey." Malcolm intervened as he pushed the unknown man back.

"That broad was going through your s**t. I'm standing right here looking at her."

"I was just making sure everything was in its right place." Jersey lied.

"Bullshit." The unknown guy commented.

Malcolm gave Jersey a look, but he never addressed her nosiness.

"I'll handle it." Malcolm assured him.

The unknown guy gave Jersey the cruelest look ever and said, "I told you about letting these random bitches work for you. You know what happened the last time."

Jersey hated to be called a b***h by a man. It bothered her, it triggered her

"I'm not a bitch." She snapped while scowling at the unknown man.

"What are you then?" He taunted her.

"Yo, get the f**k outta' here. Let me handle her." Malcolm suggested but his friend just kept on picking at Jersey.

"Get another job with your nosy ass."

"Micah!" Malcolm raised his voice. "Get the f**k out man. Go in the front."

Jersey rolled her eyes as she continued to put the files in alphabetical order. Micah eventually left out which caused Malcolm to shut the door.

"You can't be going through my shit."

"I apologize for that." Jersey replied.

"Still..." He trailed off. "I'm giving you the opportunity to make more money. Don't f**k it up by being nosy."

I had no idea I was being paid to do this. She said to herself.

Jersey just nodded her head. She didn't feel like having a heated debate with Malcolm.

He noticed the angry expression on her face and said, "I'mma deal with Micah's disrespectful ass too." After that, Malcolm grabbed something out of his drawer and left out.

After putting up the files, Jersey grabbed her bag and left out of his office. She noticed both Malcolm and Micah having a conversation with some man. From the looks of it, they were doing a business.

"Open it and see if you're satisfied." The unknown guy spoke.

Malcolm signaled for Micah to open up the duffle bag. Jersey nosily peeked around the corner and took in everything. Her eyes grew big when she noticed the money that was inside the bag. She pulled herself to the side and took a breather. She had never seen that much money in her life.

"What do you think?" Micah asked Malcolm.

"It'll do... But remember one thing Roland, I want my payments on time. When I loan you money, I expect to get it back on time."

"I understand."

"I won't be so easy on you the next time." Malcolm informed him.

Out of curiosity, Jersey took another peek and was able to see the unknown man. She silently gasped and noticed that Malcolm was doing business with the Puerto Rican guy, Roland, who owned a restaurant. She stayed visiting the restaurant with Kelli and Vena.

She waited until Roland left to walk forward. Jersey clenched her bag as she walked past Micah who had his eyes glued on her. 

"You finished?" Malcolm asked her while setting the duffle bag aside.

"Yeah." She replied while opening the door. She walked outside and tried to look for Dean's brand-new Infiniti. He was nowhere to be found. She knew that he had left since Dock told him to go home.

"So weak..." Jersey said under her breath as she shook her head.

"That broad..." Micah trailed off as he sat in deep thought. "She looks really familiar."

Malcolm glanced over at Micah. "You f****d her or something?"

"Nah..." Micah answered. "She...look familiar like I've seen her somewhere before."

Malcolm made his way outside and noticed that Jersey was walking down the dark street, trying to get home.

He walked behind her, trying to catch up. She felt someone behind her and speeded up her walk.

"Slow your ass down, girl." Malcolm stated as he matched her speed. Jersey recognized his voice and halted. She turned around and looked up at him.

"You need a ride?"

She only nodded her head.

"I'll take you home." He stated. "Let me close up the bar first."

Malcolm was cruel on a lot of things, but Jersey was growing on him. He didn't want her trying to get home late all by herself. Strange people did strange s**t at night.

She followed him back to the bar. Still, Jersey was surprised he even wanted to take her home. Dean made sure she got back to Kelli's place every night, so she was used to him doing that.

"Oh, you taking shorty home now." Micah addressed while shooting Jersey another look. She tried her best to avoid him while Malcolm locked up everything. She didn't know what he had against her because she didn't know him at all.

"You live around here?" Micah questioned Jersey.

"...Yeah." She answered.

He nodded his head while putting two and two together. Before he could get any results, Malcolm shut everything down and they went their separate ways.

Jersey found herself sitting in Malcolm's Jaguar again. He offered to warm her seat this time and she said yes. He pulled off and headed to Kelli's place.

They didn't talk to each other at all. Malcolm was too busy watching the road while Jersey stayed on her phone.

I guess you left. Jersey

She looked over the text as decided not to text Dean. She wanted to be petty with him but she decided against it.

Suddenly, she got a text from Kelli.

You still at work? Kelli

I'm on my way home now. Jersey

Good. Girl I was worried about you. Kelli

I'm fine. No need to. Jersey

Malcolm came to a complete stop. He shifted his gear and unlocked the doors for Jersey to get out. She grabbed her bag and turned to look at him.

"Thanks for the ride."

"Hold on before you leave." Malcolm stopped her and went inside his glove compartment. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Jersey. "That's for putting my files away for me."

Jersey peeked inside the envelope and noticed the money inside. It wasn't too much cash, but it was enough to help Kelli with some overdue bills.

"Thanks."

He only nodded his head.

_____________________________

The next morning Jersey was fast asleep. She was trying to get a lot of rest since she worked really late. She laid on her uncomfortable air mattress and snored away. She wasn't able to get her bed since she didn't have the key to get in her aunt's apartment.

Her phone kept ringing and ringing, causing her to shift and stir in her sleep. Out of aggravation, Jersey grabbed her phone and answered the call.

"Hello?" She answered softly yet with some tiredness in her voice. Her eyes were still closed.

"Jersey..." Lisa sniffled into the phone as she tried to control her voice.

"What's wrong?" Jersey asked her while slowly opening her eyes.

"It’s mama...she's dead."

Jersey felt like the wind had been knocked out of her body as she laid there trying to process everything in. Her throat grew a lump and her eyes were watery.

"W-What?" She asked with a crackling voice.

She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe that her grandmother was dead.