SAVAGE

13

Malcolm sat back and observed every single thing. There was dinner—lamb chops served over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, garlic-sautéed asparagus, and some fancy red wine. He didn't eat much, instead he ate pecks of it and consumed most of his Cabernet. There was also a game of poker that seemed to involve everyone in the room—one woman and three men. Seema, Nieko, Andre, and Octavio. Malcolm took his time to observe each and every one of them.

There was Seema, she wasn't what Malcolm expected. In fact, he wasn't expecting her at all—a female. When he arrived, she was introduced to him as the big boss and CEO of the company, Seem. Seem was a legal company owned by Seema Devoe. Through that company customers can purchase firearms, hunting products, outdoor products, and ammunition. 

Her million-dollar company was going well, but she had an extra hustle on the side. Apparently, she sold unmarked weapons to people who wanted it for illegal reasons.

Seema's bossy and determined demeanor brought her to the top. She called the shots and gave her people the go on certain moves. Besides her power, she had an unsettled personality with a spitfire characteristic. From what Malcolm witnessed, she bossed people around as if it was normal.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Octavio yelled out as he slammed his meaty, brown hand on the poker table, making the poker chips jump lightly. He sat there laughing out loud, people could see his gold that covered the sides of his teeth. "Give it all up!"

Malcolm watched as Octavio scooped the stacks of chips near him. Nobody bothered to stop him. He was Seema's older brother and if you messed with him, you would definitely have something to deal with. Fortunately, Octavio could handle his own battles. He stood about 6'6 and was built all brawny like an ox. His figure and stance got him a permanent job as his sister's bodyguard.

"Lucky nigga." Andre commented under his breath. He was a friend of Seema. Nieko told Malcolm that he was married with kids—he had two kids by his wife. Unfortunately, he wasn't faithful to his family since he was secretly sleeping with Seema. Nothing was special about him at all. He was tall, ripped, and held tattoos all over his bald head, neck, and arms. "Take all my money."

"Don't be mad Andre." Seema commented with a smirk across her dark-skinned face. She had the prettiest, thickest lips ever. "My brother brought his good luck charm with him—me."

"If you say so." Andre replied with a scoffed.

Nieko sat there with his oxygen tank. He didn't fit in at all, he just didn't belong. Firstly, he was way older the the group. Secondly, Seema kept him around because he was easy. He wasn't really a target that police officers went after. Whenever the cops spotted Nieko, they assumed he was just an ordinary, old man who ran a restaurant. He sat there with his five o' clock shadow, which showed hints of grey hairs. He would limp to get where he was going and that sometimes was a hassle for him.

"Let's play again, double it." Nieko offered.

"It's getting pretty late." Seema spoke up while clearing her throat. "I have other things to do, Nieko. I did not come to New York to play poker all day."

Malcolm was happy to leave; he was tired of losing his money anyway. Octavio was a professional gambler, so he wasn't going to win any money playing against him.

"We should leave." Nieko told Malcolm as he stood up slowly.

Seema darted her eyes over at Nieko and said, "You go ahead. I want to have a little talk with your friend."

Nieko stood there looking confused, but he didn't dare ask Seema why she wanted to speak with Malcolm. He just nodded his head and proceeded to leave out with Andre and Octavio. They sparked up a conversation—which is what Seema wanted them to do.

Seema sighed while clasping both of manicured hands together. She leaned over and eyed Malcolm for a while. He felt uncomfortable and awkward, so he looked over at the paintings on the wall. He didn't understand why she wanted to talk to him.

"I heard about you, Malcolm."

He looked over at her and asked, "Through Nieko?"

"Before Nieko even mentioned your name." She stated honestly with a smirk. "I heard you doing big thangs in Brooklyn. Some say you're untouchable—that's nice."

"Who's talking about me?" He asked openly, wanting to get to the point. He didn't crack a smile at all.

"There is no particular friend, Malcolm. Your name is ringing everywhere, people are noticing you in the streets. You're moving weight without the law being alarmed I think that's dope. I want you on my team." She admitted.

"I don't work under nobody." He refused while shaking his head.

Seema gave him a stern look before speaking. "Look, Malcolm...I know that you have your own thing going on and I wouldn't want to jeopardize it. That's why I want you as a partner."

Malcolm didn't know Seema good enough to get on her team. He wasn't the type of guy to jump headfirst. He would have to seriously take his time and consider her offer. Seema would just have to understand that.

"Look, we're not in the same category." Seema spoke up. "I distribute weapons, you distribute drugs. If we team up, that'll be hella powerful. Don't you think?"

"What about Nieko?"

Seema frowned a little, feeling offended. "What about him? He buys unmarked weapons from my company to sell, that's it. Besides, we're not partners. He's only around because he brings me a great profit."

"Let me sleep on it." He replied coolly and looked over at the doors. Both Octavio and Andre lumbered inside. "Because I've been working with him lately."

Seema sat up straight in her chair and said, "Sounds like he's going to be a problem. I don't like when problems get in my way."

"I'm not saying he's the problem, Seema. I just need to think about it first. I hardly know you—I just can't say yes right now."

She nodded her head while darting her eyes over at the door. "Think about it as much as you can, but just know that the window of opportunity will be closing soon. You can see yourself out."

Malcolm smirked inside a little, but he didn't dare crack a smile on his face. Seema inspired him—attitude wise. She didn't take s**t from nobody and that was something he liked about her.

_____________________________

"Jersey, wake up. Jersey, wake up."

Jersey stirred in her sleep, but she eventually opened her eyes. They fluttered before opening all the way. Her vision cleared and that's when she noticed Rudy standing before her. She jumped a little, but he didn't seem to notice her scariness.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" She asked, sitting up. "You're dead!"

"I want to show you something." He replied with a smirk on his face.

"But you're dead!"

Rudy didn't have a hint of attitude. He just walked closer towards Jersey and said, "Let me show you something."

"Show me what?"

"Get up." He instructed her.

Jersey just sat there with her eyes bugged. She was not about to follow behind Rudy.

"I'm not going to hurt you, just follow me." He held his hand out and waited for her to grab it. Hesitantly, Jersey did grab it and he pulled her out of the bed.

Her brown feet hit the floor and instantly melted into the plush carpet flooring. It felt nice and soft to her skin. She lumbered near her new closet and stood right there.

Rudy held a finger up to his mouth and then looked around before placing his attention back on his cousin.

"This is for you cousin." He stated while placing his hand on the knob. "For you."

Jersey stood there feeling impatient yet freaked out as she watched her cousin open the door. 

Her mouth flew open when she noticed the horrible, terrible scenery before her. Rudy laughed evilly as he watched his cousin back away from the closet. She tripped over her sneakers and fell on her back.

Both Terrie and Vivienne were in the closet. Both women were covered in dirt and had maggots digging in and out of their skin. Jersey noticed the bullet holes that were riddled into her mom. She even noticed the rope marks around her grandmother's neck. Rudy just stood there laughing as he darted his eyes from Jersey to the dead bodies cramped up in the closet.

"Ahhh!" She screamed as she scrambled to get up.

Suddenly, she blacked out and found herself in bed again. Jersey was under the covers. Slowly, she sat up and realized she had sweated out her gown. She looked around her room with a scared expression written on her face.

"These f*****g nightmares, yo." She trailed off while wiping her sweaty forehead. She eased out of the bed and took large sips of her water that sat on the nightstand.

Jersey walked towards her closet door and slowly opened it. She took a deep breath once she realized nothing was inside. It was only a nightmare.

Still, she was a little scared to leave her room since Kelli called herself leaving early. She had some shopping runs to do with Vena. Jersey was welcomed to tag along but she decided to stay home and catch up on her resting.

Instead of lounging around, she decided to take a shower. The bathroom was across from her room, so Jersey eased out of the bedroom and went right into the bathroom. She showered for what seemed like hours, and eventually got out to brush her teeth and moisturize her body.

Malcolm stood outside the apartment knocking. He furrowed his eyebrows in suspense. He wondered why they weren't answering the door. Instead of waiting any longer, he decided to unlock the door with his key. He walked right inside and noticed that the apartment still looked the same. Empty and quiet. He dropped a plastic bag that contained something on the couch and looked at the hallway.

Before Malcolm could call out in the quiet house, Jersey walked out of the bathroom and that's when he placed his eyes on her. He was cool as a cucumber. However, Jersey yelped out while trying to cover up her naked body.

He openly eyed her as she quickly walked into her room. She had the slimmest, interesting body ever.  Jersey was average height, 5'7 to be exact. She had the small breasts, wide hips, toned-flat stomach, long toned legs, and a small butt. Her body was naturally athletic for no reason since she didn't use it as an advantage.

Malcolm laughed to himself as he gave her time to get dressed. He took a seat on the couch and checked his messages on his iPhone. 

can i stay at your place? me and mom are not on good terms. June

Be ready by three. Malcolm

Malcolm was crazy about his baby sister. Whenever she needed him, he was going to come to her rescue. Yes, he was still upset about her putting her degree on hold for social media, but she was grown.

He went through a couple of messages and eventually got up to check on Jersey. She didn't have the courage to leave out of the room after getting dressed. Malcolm neared her room and knocked on the door.

"s**t, s**t, s**t!" Jersey cursed in a low breath as she paced the floor. She stood there in her tank top and joggers. She didn't know why, but she was so embarrassed because Malcolm witnessed her naked.

"Jersey?" Malcolm called out.

His deep voice made her straighten up. She cleared her throat and said, "Hold on." Jersey walked up towards the door. She unlocked it and opened the door for him.

Malcolm stood there looking at her. Out of nervousness, she pulled the string from her tank top. Jersey didn't want to lock eyes or talk to him. He noticed that she was avoiding eye contact, so he decided to speak up.

"I don't know why you’re getting all shy with me now." Malcolm stated honestly. "I've seen you naked before, I know how you look."

Jersey looked up at him and pressed both of her lips together.

"I'm not saying it to be disrespectful. I'm just saying, we had s*x together." He continued.

"I always try to forget about that night because you regret sleeping with me." Jersey admitted, meekly. Slowly, she pushed her shyness and embarrassment away.

That brought back some bad memories for Malcolm. After he found out Jersey was an ex-drug addict, he went crazy. He remembered his behavior vividly and how he acted towards Jersey. He belittled her, put his hands on her, and treated her like she was s**t.

"I didn't mean to treat you like that. I overreacted; you know." Malcolm voiced while looking at her face. Jersey just stood there with an observed expression as she clasped her hands together.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I've been told worse." She replied while walking past him. The mood was awkward, and Malcolm didn't like that. He stood there for a minute and watched as Jersey made her way to the front.

Eventually, he followed her in the kitchen and watched as she searched for food. "Why are you here?"

"To check on you and Kelli. I just wanted to make sure y'all are straight. Where is she anyway?"

"Kelli went out to do some shopping with Vena." She replied while furrowing her brows. She couldn't find anything in the small kitchen. The fridge and cabinets were empty. All Jersey had was a pack of water beside the counter.

Malcolm wasn't worried about Kelli being out in Manhattan by herself. She wasn't the one who was in great danger—Jersey was. He just felt like it wouldn't be safe for her to stay in her apartment back in Brooklyn.

"We're not straight in here." Jersey replied while leaning on the counter. "We don't have any food."

"Damn." Malcolm cursed. He forgot all about the food for them. His main goal was to get them over to Manhattan safely. "You for real?"

"Yes. The fridge and cabinets are empty."

"Alright, I can't take you grocery shopping because I got some business to handle." He replied while pulling out his phone. In reality, Malcolm still had doubts on being seen in public with Jersey. He looked at his phone and noticed that Arthur had sent him a text, so he decided to reply.

"I setup an arrangement for you to move around with someone who works for me." Malcolm announced. "That's another reason why I came over here."

Jersey held a look of disappointment as she eyed him. "What?"

"It's for your protection. I haven't found the person who has Rudy's phone yet."

"No." Jersey declined while shaking her head. "No Malcolm—I appreciate you helping me out and bringing me here, but I don't need a chaperone."

"Yo, I'm not tryna coddle you. I'm just doing you a favor and protecting yo' ass. You think these people playing with you? Jersey they out for blood and they want yours. So, you better think wisely and take the f*****g guard." 

Jersey was taken aback by his sudden rant. She knew that Malcolm had a mean streak, but he had calmed down on her a lot.

She held a tight frown on her face as she stood there stubbornly. Malcolm was about to address her until a knock on the door grabbed their attention. He walked over and looked through the peephole. Arthur stood on the opposite side, so Malcolm allowed him to come in.

Jersey secretly rolled her eyes when she noticed Arthur. She didn't care for him since day one. Just like Malcolm, he was rude and arrogant. He also scared and bossed people around with his physical appearance.

"How you doing, Jersey?" Arthur asked as he looked over at her. Malcolm laid his eyes on her as he waited for a response.

"...Fine." Jersey replied uninterested, she looked elsewhere to avoid further questions from him. Arthur took that answer and left her alone.

"Like I was saying..." Malcolm trailed off. "I got you a bodyguard. He's not going to be around here all the time, just only when you need him. His name is Sawyer."

Sawyer was actually one of Malcolm's workers. He dealt with the drugs and sold them to people. After that meltdown and argument, he had with Nieko, Malcolm took him off the corner and put him on a suspension. Of course, Sawyer was upset about it. He was losing out on his money. When he went to Malcolm about his finances, he was told that he wasn't ready to be back on the streets.

Instead of letting him go without making money, Malcolm decided to hire him as a bodyguard, chaperone, and chauffeur for Jersey. Sawyer bitched about not being back on the streets, but he took the job anyway. He had to eat, regardless.

Malcolm retrieved the plastic bag from the couch and walked towards Jersey.

"I'm going to give you this burner that I picked up on the way here. I just need to open it." Malcolm stated as he searched the drawers for some scissors. Unfortunately, he couldn't find them, so he had to use a nearby kitchen knife. Jersey cringed, but there was no regular knife nor scissors available.

She stood there and watched as he opened the phone. It was one of those cheap, touchscreen phones. Nothing was fancy about it. It wasn't better than her previous phone she had. Before, Jersey was sporting a touchscreen phone from AT&T. It was one of those off-brand Galaxy phones that needed to be retired. The phone had cracks on the screen and dents on the side. She didn't miss the phone at all, but it had more advantages than the burner.

Malcolm removed the phone with no problems. He reached into his pocket to retrieve a chip and inserted it in the phone. Jersey thought it was weird since the phone already had a chip to come with it. He powered it on, activated it, and added Sawyer as a contact.

"Sawyer's number is in the phone. So, if you need to run anywhere, call him. He'll be here to pick you up and take you. My number is in here too, if you need anything."

Jersey watched as Malcolm slid the phone towards her.

"I don't even know him. What if he can't protect me?" She questioned him. 

"He can protect you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have given him the job." He replied with confidence. Sawyer complained about a lot of things, but he was highly skilled in shooting. In fact, he would probably be better off as a bodyguard or hitman than selling drugs.

Malcolm gave Jersey a look as he reached into his pocket. He retrieved his wallet and noticed that he had money inside, mostly twenties. He pulled the money out and placed it on the counter.

"Do whatever you want with it, make groceries—I don't care." He told her with a shrug.

Arthur was surprised to see Malcolm being generous with a woman. He was only generous and open with his mama, sister, and grandma. Not only did he give Jersey money, but he emptied his whole wallet out—just for her.

"Thank you but I don't need money." She replied, pushing the money towards him. Malcolm placed his hand on top of hers and pushed the money back.

"Nah, you keep it." He replied sternly while eyeing her. "I'm about to leave out, I need to see about that phone."

Jersey just nodded her head and watched as Malcolm left out with his own personal bodyguard/friend. As soon as they walked out, she locked the door behind them and ambled towards the counter. A burner with both Malcolm and Sawyer's contact number in it and six hundred dollars that he had left her.

Her stomach started to growl, and she contemplated on calling up Sawyer. She didn't know anything about him, so this was going to be hard for her. Jersey had a hard time talking to people she didn't know and that held a big impact on her life. She felt like she could never get things done because of that problem.

Social anxiety and shyness do not mix.

She tapped her natural nails on the counter as she eyed the phone. Jersey had to call him and let him know that she needed a ride to a nearby grocery store.

"How about I text him..." she trailed off while grabbing the phone. She tapped on the contact and messaged him quickly.

This is Jersey. Malcolm told me to let you know if I need to be taken anywhere. I need to go by the nearest grocery store. Jersey

She waited for Sawyer to reply back, but he never did. Instead, he called her up. She just stood there looking at the phone as she contemplated on answering it. Her heart drummed rapidly as she tapped the green button and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Yo, is this Jersey?"

"Uhh..." Jersey trailed off while clearing her throat. "Yea—yeah."

"Didn't Malcolm tell you to call me?"

"He did but...I didn't want to."

Sawyer sucked his teeth before answering her. "I'm not gone hurt you, ma'. I know we don't know each other and that's cool. I'm just tryna do my job and take you where you want to go. You understand?"

His voice was soothing and attractive. He had Jersey wanting to blush, but she decided against it. She just nodded her head as if he could see her.

"Yeah."

"So, you need to go to the grocery store? Which one?"

"I'm not sure. I don't come out here often. I guess just the nearest one." Jersey replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"I got you. I'll be there in a minute."

Jersey didn't think about changing since she was only going to the grocery. Also, she didn't want to impress anybody, so she just tightened up her hair and put on her slides. It didn't take Sawyer long to come. He knocked on the door and she cautiously looked through the peephole before opening the door.

When the door opened, Sawyer instantly locked eyes with Jersey. He eyed her attentively, taking her beauty in. She was just his type. Sawyer went for women who were slim and chocolate.

Jersey took him in as well. In her opinion, he was handsome. He looked young, but she didn't know his exact age. He was average height and slender as well. Sawyer was a honey color with freckles in his face. He wore his hair in shoulder-length dreads. She noticed a couple of tattoos on his arms and that was it.

"Hey." Jersey greeted him awkwardly.

"Hey, you ready to go?" He asked, pulling up his sagging jeans.

"Uh, yeah." She replied while carrying her wallet in her hand. Jersey didn't care for purses at all. She walked out of the apartment and locked the door before leaving.

They stayed quiet and walked straight to Sawyer's ride. He was pushing a nice Lexus. Jersey loved the car since it was a coupe and it looked very sporty. Sawyer's ride was royal blue with tinted windows and nice rims.

He opened the passenger door for her, which caught Jersey by surprise, because she was going to sit in the back, and he was being a straight up gentleman. Sawyer allowed her to get in before making his way over on his side. After buckling up, he took off.

"You shy, huh?" He questioned her.

Jersey shrugged her shoulders and said, "Only a little."

"Nah... you’re not that shy, I heard about that fight you had with Malcolm's cousin."

Jersey couldn't help but to shake her head. "I was in a situation then and she wasn't making it easy for me."

"Let's be real, she deserved that ass whooping. Her mouth be smart for no reason."

"You're right." Jersey concurred while smiling.

Sawyer glanced over at her and noticed her deep, slanted dimples that caved into both sides of her jaw.

"Damn, you got dimples." He replied bluntly, not caring. "That’s beautiful."

"Thank you." Jersey responded while touching the side of her face. She looked over at him and noticed how he kept glancing over at her.

"Yo, I can't speak for no other nigga, but a woman with dimples be driving me crazy." Sawyer honestly. "So, let me ask you a question."

Jersey nervously cleared her throat and said, "Go ahead."

"What's up with you and Malcolm?"

That did it. That killed the mood.

"What do you mean?" Jersey asked while furrowing her eyebrows. Her smile was gone, and she was now eyeing the side of Sawyer's head.

"Y'all dating or what? He’s helping you out and s**t. I'm assuming you f*****g with him."

"We're not dating at all. He's just helping me out because I used to work for him, that's all."

"Well then..." Sawyer trailed off while glancing at her. "You single?"

She smirked a little and said, "I am."

"s**t, since you available...what's up?"

Jersey shook her head and said, "I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I just want to focus on making myself better."

She was actually being honest. A relationship was the furthest thing on Jersey's mind. She wanted to gain some kind of stable ground before getting in a relationship. She had a lot to work on.

"Damn." Sawyer cursed as he stopped at the red light. He peered his eyes over at Jersey and licked his bottom lip. "But I'mma respect you. I understand that you want to get yourself right."

Jersey didn't reply back, she just felt a great pressure of nervousness rushing over her when she locked eyes with Sawyer for a quick moment. She had to pull away and gain some calmness.

They stayed quiet and listened to the radio. Soon, Sawyer pulled up to the nearest grocery store. He got out and told Jersey he would be behind her. She looked around the huge store and decided to head to the produce aisle since it was on the right of the store.

It took Jersey about an hour and thirty minutes to shop for food. She made sure to fill the bucket up to the top. After paying for the groceries, she walked back to the car with Sawyer in hand. He helped her load the trunk of his car and they skedaddle back to the apartment.

It took a minute for them to bring the groceries up to the apartment, but they managed to get everything done. He talked to her for a minute, but he eventually left.

Jersey flopped down on the couch and reclined her head. She sighed in exhaustion while looking around the apartment for what felt like the hundredth time.

Rrring, rrring rrring

Suddenly, a corny tone started to croon through Jersey's burner. She dug in her jogger pocket for the phone and noticed that Malcolm was calling her. She sucked her teeth but answered anyway. 

"Hello?"

"You good?" Malcolm asked, checking on her.

Jersey was caught by surprise. Her mouth gaped open as she tried to speak. "Uh, yeah. I am. I just came back from buying groceries."

"Cool." He responded. "Sawyer was nice to you?"

She furrowed her eyebrows in suspense. Jersey wanted to know why Malcolm's energy was so...positive with her. She assumed he was only being mean because he didn't have his money. Now, since she gave it back, she was on his good list.

"Yeah, he was nice."

"Well, okay. Just call him if you need him."

"Alright, bye." She ended the call and tossed her phone on the coffee table. Instead of lounging around longer, Jersey decided to fix her something to eat.

_____________________________

It was in the middle of the day. Malcolm had picked his little sister up and dropped her off at his place. Of course, he had to hear his mom and sister argue for thirty minutes—the usual. He headed straight for Tilly's place since she sent him a text, asking to see him with the eggplant emoji.

Malcolm accepted her invitation. Of course, he wasn't in the mood to give her d**k. In fact, he was going over to confront her about interrogating Jersey. He parked across the street from her apartment building and wasted no time walking over.

After using the elevator to go up, he finally made it to her apartment. Two knocks later, he was looking dead in her face. She gave him a smile, showing off her pearly whites. Tilly looked cute with her loungewear sweater and shorts.

"Finally, you're here." She effused. "I was just about to text you."

Malcolm never replied, he just closed the door behind him. As soon as he turned around, Tilly wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him on the lips. He jerked back and that caused her to frown.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You is what's wrong with me." He replied while moving her arms from around him.

Tilly stood there clueless with her brows darted in. "What did I do? I thought we were on good terms, Malcolm. I made you dinner and I have the night planned out for us."

Malcolm eyed her closely with a hint of despise. He walked up close to her and said, "Stop probing Jersey. I know that b***h Newton is behind all of this s**t. If you want your partner to stay alive then you better tell him to stay out of my business."

"I didn't want to do it." Tilly replied while trying to look him in the eyes. "Newton made me talk to her. He keeps saying she's an informant."

"That's what he's telling you, I know my employee. She wouldn't f**k over me."

Tilly eyed Malcolm for a minute. She noticed the animosity and angriness he held against her. All of this was because of Jersey and Newton. Mainly Jersey—in her opinion.

"You're f*****g her..." Tilly answered with doubt.

Malcolm shook his head. He wasn't f*****g Jersey but yes, he did f**k her. However, that wasn't Tilly's business at all.

"I'm not."

"Then why are you so protective of her?"

"Don't flip this s**t on me because you had no business questioning Jersey about me and what I do at my bar."

Tilly scoffed and said, "You're not understanding me, Malcolm. I had to do it or else Newton would be up my ass."

"You didn't really have to turn in a real report. You did it because of the person you are. You don't know s**t about being loyal."

Malcolm turned to leave and that's when Tilly grabbed his hand. He pulled back and told her to move. Instead of doing that, she decided to grab his hand again.

"Please, stay. We can talk everything out."

"Tilly, I'mma ask you this one time, yo. Let go of my f*****g hand." He gave her an intense expression and that caused her to drop his hand.

"Are we done?" Tilly asked before he could leave out good. Tears cascaded down her face as she thought about Malcolm leaving her alone for good. She just couldn't stomach that at all.

He looked over her and said, "You need to choose a side...before you get hurt." After saying what he had to say, he left Tilly there with tears in her eyes.

_____________________________

Malcolm met up with Nieko since he requested him to do so. When he arrived at the restaurant, it was late. The employees were busy cleaning up and putting away everything.

"So, how do you like Seema?" Nieko asked him.

Malcolm touched his beard and said, "I think she's alright. A little bossy but that's bound to happen when you're CEO of your own company."

"I said the same thing." Nieko replied while shaking his head. "That woman is something else but at least she can run that business. I wouldn't trust anybody else with it."

Deshawn walked inside and darted his eyes over at Malcolm. Still, the young guy gave Malcolm the cruelest look ever. He walked towards Nieko and said, "Marcus isn't answering his phone."

"Then call Jamar."

"I tried...he's not answering."

"What about..." Nieko trailed off, trying to be secretive.

"He's not answering either."

"Shit." Nieko hissed while looking up at his nephew. He looked over at Malcolm for a split second and placed his attention on Deshawn. "Where the f**k are they? I'll tell you what—I want you to find them niggas. Bring them back to me, alive."

Malcolm sat there unbothered with a calm expression on his face. He wasn't stupid at all. He knew that Nieko was referring to Marcus, Aaron, and Jamar. Unfortunately, he will never find the three men. As of right now, they were chopped up to itty bitty pieces and burned to ash. Thanks to Micah, their bodies will never be discovered. Malcolm didn't want to be that cutthroat, but they pushed him there. Additionally, Nieko pushed him there too. He was the mastermind behind the whole plot. He instructed the boys to rob Malcolm for the second time, but they failed to actually do it.

Nieko was not only upset with Marcus because he failed to rob Malcolm, he was also upset with him for not paying his money back. He gave Marcus money to start his own thing, but he f****d most of it up. Instead of using it for business purposes, Marcus bought himself a brand-new wardrobe and he bought his friends drinks and drugs. Nieko assumed his cousin had skipped town in order to avoid him and his severe punishment.

Deshawn left out and that's when Nieko turned his attention towards Malcolm. He sat there with his tongue hanging out as he tried to catch his breath. Clearly, he was doing too much.

"I'm sorry about that." Nieko apologized as soon as he caught his breath. "I'm looking for my nephew for a while. It's like he disappeared on me."

"That happens...a lot." Malcolm replied calmly.

Nieko paid his comment no mind. He just decided to switch the subject. "Why did Seema hold you back? What was discussed?"

Malcolm furrowed his eyebrows a little. He assumed the old man wasn't getting enough oxygen to his brain. He didn't know why he'd ask him a question like that. What he and Seema discussed was their business, not his.

_____________________________

"Wait a minute, he got you a driver named Sawyer?" Vena asked in her thick, Spanish accent. A smile danced across her lips as she sauntered towards Jersey. Vena looked cute in her long sleeve Fendi sweater and black pants that showed off her shapely lower half. Her hair was down and flowing nicely. 

Both Kelli and Vena were finally back from shopping. They spent their whole day buying and stealing all kinds of stuff from the clothing departments. Unfortunately, they had Vena's little sister, Natalie, right in the middle of it. She was sixteen and already following into her big sister's footsteps.

"Yeah, Malcolm really hooked everything up for me." Jersey replied with a head-nod. She sat on the couch with her legs crossed. The day grew older, so she had managed to shower and change her clothes. She was dressed in her old senior shirt and some shorts.

"And he got her a phone." Kelli added, as she sat there still dressed in the clothes, she had gone out in. She paired her jumpsuit with a denim jacket and some Balenciaga sneakers. Kelli had a long ponytail that stopped at her hips.

"Wait a minute..." Vena trailed off. "Are you f*****g him, again?"

Natalie's eyes grew as soon as her sister spoke. She had no idea that Jersey was messing around with Malcolm. From what she could understand, he was single.

"You and Malcolm are a thing?" Natalie asked nosily.

Jersey gaped her mouth while eyeing Vena who was standing there with her hands over her mouth. She looked over the room and realized that everybody was eyeing her. She eased her hands down slowly and said, "Dammit, Jersey I'm sorry."

"This is why I don't tell you anything. You're always repeating stuff." Jersey ranted with a frown.

"I didn't mean to and it's no big deal anyway. It's just Natalie, she's not going to say anything."

"I'm not." Natalie concurred with a shoulder shrug. "I'm just shocked because I thought he was still single."

"He is." Jersey replied honestly. "It was just a one-time thing between us, that's all."

Kelli eyed Vena sternly and asked, "Why would you even blurt that out?"

"I don't know what I was thinking." Vena replied. "I apologized already—Jersey do you forgive me?"

Jersey shrugged her shoulders and said, "I guess so, I don't even care, really."

"There you have it. Now since Natalie already knows about the situation, we need to finish this conversation right now." Vena continued while placing her hand on her hip. "I think he likes you girl."

"I don't know..." Jersey trailed off.

"What do you guys think?" Vena asked.

"I don't know enough about their situation so..." Natalie replied with a shrug.

"I knew it since day one and now he's finally showing it." Kelli replied with a head nod. "He put you in this nice apartment—rent free, got you a phone, and a driver. b***h, you better get your man."

"Or better yet, call him over and suck his dick." Vena voiced openly. She didn't care about her sixteen-year-old sister being present in the room. Natalie was no amateur nor virgin in s*x. She lost her virginity at fourteen, had two abortions—one at fourteen, the other one happened in January, and she was already on her fourth body.

"No..." Jersey trailed off while shrugging her shoulders. "I don't think he's really checking for me. You know Rudy just died and my grandma died not too long ago...he's just been generous, that's all."

"Are you stupid?" Kelli quizzed her. "It's more to that."

"Right, like..." Vena trailed off as she scrunched her face up in confusion. She wanted Jersey to snatch up Malcolm.

"I don't want to get in another toxic relationship." Jersey stated honestly. Vena didn't know how Malcolm treated her when he found out she used to do drugs. She wasn't going to tell her anything at all. "I want to work on myself before I date anyone."

"Quintin treated me good when we first got together, but s**t went left eventually. I want my next relationship to work the right way. I'm talking about no heavy arguments that'll lead to me getting hit, no busting up the walls, and definitely no calling each other out of our names."  Jersey continued.

"I understand where you're coming from. I've been in two abusive relationships." Vena replied with a head nod.

"Travis and I used to fight." Kelli added. "We get along better living in separate houses."

Vena curled her upper lip as she studied Kelli. "You and your man are mad weird."

"How are we weird?"

"Y'all don't live together, I know he’s cheating."

Jersey lowered her brows while swatting Vena on the leg. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, but her homegirl talked entirely too much. She was always saying the wrong stuff at the wrong time. "Vena."

"What? I'm just saying..."

Kelli shrugged her shoulders and said, "It is what it is. I won't be mad."

Jersey looked off in exhaustion, she was still trying to figure out Kelli. She didn't like the fact that her friend was in a love triangle. In her opinion, it was dangerous, and she wanted Kelli to get out of it soon.

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The temperature dropped in the night later causing people to run to their homes for warmth. Malcolm's Bar was closed but his extra employees weren't done with their work.

Malcolm had one company truck that brought in his liquor. Of course, he did side jobs with the truck as well. But tonight, his truck was clean, and his workers planned on parking it after making a drug run. The two men had been in Jersey all day.

The Latino, whose name was Fred, parked behind the bar; Malcolm owner a decent amount of land and had an exclusive parking lot in the back. Fred pulled his skully down a little and looked around before walking towards the back of the truck.

The passenger door slammed on the truck and suddenly, his partner, Kevin, screeched out in pain. Fred wasted no time running on the right side. His eyes grew big when he noticed his partner lying on the ground with blood seeping through his throat. It happened so fast, which had Fred confused.

"Run." Kevin managed to say as he choked on his own blood. He shook and tried his best to stay alive, but he was losing too much blood.

"I'm gonna get you some help man, hold on." He stood up, turned around, and was immediately greeted by a gun. Fred looked down at the barrel of the weapon and up at the guy who was wearing a face mask.

"You're making a big mistake." Fred stated honestly. He was trying his best to talk the man out of robbing him. All hell would break loose if he did. He eased for his gun and noticed that the man had his finger on the trigger. With just one false move, his blood could be sprayed all over the truck and concrete.

Fred decided to wrestle with him. As suspected, the gun dropped, and they started fighting each other. Punch for punch, choke for choke. Fred held a busted lip and burning eye. They scuffled for a good two minutes until Fred hit his head on the metal pole that was on the truck. He dropped to the ground and moaned from the pain. Blood dropped down his forehead as he tried to get up.

The mysterious guy recollected himself and grabbed his gun off the ground. He neared Fred, pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger. He shot Fred right in the head, spraying his blood on the concrete. Kevin laid on the other side with his throat split.

Quickly, the guy jumped in the truck and started the ignition. Dock was still inside the bar counting the inventory with Dean. They noticed that the shooting sounded really close, so they decided to investigate it. Dock grabbed his gun and made his way towards the back of the bar with Dean.

As soon as they opened the door, they noticed two of their men laying out on the cold concrete, dead. The man in the truck noticed them, so he started letting bullets fly. Dean crouched over, trying his best to stay safe.

Unfortunately, one bullet hit Dock right in the chest, causing him to double over in pain. The mysterious man took that opportunity to leave. He skirted out of the parking lot and left.

"Hold on man, I got you." Dean told his uncle.

"I'm good, I just need to get this bullet out of me. Call Rueben, tell him I've been shot." Dock ordered. "And call Malcolm, tell him to get his ass over here quick. We've been hit."

Dean noticed something lightening up beside the dead bodies. Instead of focusing on it, he decided to help his uncle inside the bar. Afterwards, he made two quick calls and waited for something to happen. It didn't take Dock's close friend long to get to the bar. Malcolm made it a little while after him.

"Who in the f**k would be that bold to do some s**t like this?" Dock ranted while in pain as he sat there with no shirt on. Reuben was busy sewing him up.

"A lot of people." Malcolm replied while pulling his phone out. Here it was, four in the morning. He had to deal with one of the oldest and grimmest tricks in the book.

"What did you do?" Malcolm asked Dean with a nonchalant expression.

"Not shit." Dock answered for him as he clenched his teeth. "I don't why he decided to come outside. All he did was duck."

Reuben started laughing, causing Malcolm to give him a look.

Dean felt some kind of way as he held a frown. "You didn't do s**t either but get shot."

"Oh, but I was about to let his ass have it."

Dean noticed Malcolm walking away so he decided to follow him. Eventually, they started talking.

"What are we going to do?" Dean asked Malcolm in a low tone. "There's two dead bodies in the back and I don't want s**t to get suspicious around here. We're running out of time."

"Leave them there." Malcolm replied bluntly. Dean looked at him as if he was crazy. "And call the police."

"You alright man? You sure that's a good idea?" Dean asked.

"I'm positive." Malcolm replied while looking off. He held a calm composure and Dean wanted to know why he wasn't panicking like him.