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“The hell was li’l G thinking?”

“I don’t know, Parker. This shit couldn’t have come at a worse time. With the police on my back, somebody fucking up my business and taking a hit on our income the way we have, not to mention all the shit his mother and aunt have been going through, this was the last thing we needed.”

“You gotta knock some sense into that boy’s head. He can’t be out here having babies that he can’t take care of.”

“I know.”

“Li’l spoiled ass nigga assuming his daddy’s gonna come through for him. That’s what it is.”

“Nah, that’s Bayleigh’s show.”

“Nah, the way I hear it, Bayleigh ‘bout kicked both their asses.”

Frowning, I stare at him and ask, “How do you know that?”

Shrugging, he answers, “Think I heard Zech say something ‘bout it this morning when I came over, and we were kicking it.”

I recall that he was talking to Zechariah when I came outside to meet him this morning before we left. We had some business to handle out of town, and he rolled over to my place to ride out with Ghalen and me.

We stopped back at my place around one when we got back in town this afternoon so that he could pick up his car. Then, we rolled to my building to meet with the team.

“Yeah, she was pissed as hell. But she’ll get over it in time. Her ass will be the one spoiling the hell out of this kid. Shayna and Zayn might not even get to see their baby by the time Bay lays her hands on the kid.”

Parker laughs with me.

“You gon’ make him quit school? Get a job?”

“Nah, that li’l nigga gon’ finish school and then get a job.”

“He still got three more years of that, though.”

“I know, man. But this is why I hustled hard all those years. So that my kids wouldn’t have to struggle the way we did, and they wouldn’t have to worry about their pops getting taken away from them. Not just the drugs, but the legit businesses made that shit happen.”

“You did have it rough growing up.”

“For a while, I did. But I worked that shit out in my favor. He ain’t got that weight on his shoulders, so he doesn’t know what it means to hustle and hustle hard. This only confirms for me that he’ll never be the one that’s sitting in my seat running this empire.”

“Can’t blame you on that one, boss. Besides, I don’t think Zechariah would go for that shit, anyway.”

“Nah, that li’l nigga be bossing up,” I agree, heading out of the building.

“He’s planning on running your shit one day. You know you're getting up there in age, OG.”

I laugh at him calling me the nickname my oldest son has been calling me since he was three, after hearing one of my homies call me that.

“Forty-six ain’t that bad. It’s the new thirty-six.”

Parker slants his eyes at me and then laughs. “Who told yo’ dumb ass that corny shit?”

Laughing, I say, “It’s true.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Then that would mean yo’ old ass need to be out of the game too. You’re a year older than me,” I reply, staring at my phone.

“What’s up?” he asks, nodding his head at my phone. “Everything good?”

“It’s a call I need to take. Give me a minute.”

Parker nods, pulls a joint from his pocket, and lights up as I walk away to the edge of the parking lot.

“Hey, Damascus. What’s up?”

“I’ve been looking behind the scenes at a few things. We need to talk.”

“A’ight. I’m finishing up a meeting now. When and where?”

I glance around and see Parker still smoking while texting something on his phone.

“I need to finish up a couple of things down here at the station. I should be free in about an hour and a half. Can you roll by my place?”

“Yeah. I gotcha.”

“Make sure you come alone, and don’t tell anybody you’re coming.”

“Everything good?”

No, big bro. It’s not good at all, but we ain’t chopping it up right now.”

“A’ight.”

“Aye. Watch your six, Z.”

“Cool.”

I end the call and head back to Parker.

“You good on everything you need to do?” I ask him.

“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to tell you but didn’t want to say it in front of the others because I know you didn’t want them to know you’ve been checking into them. But Marisa checked out good. She ain’t got shit to do with none of this.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Okay.”

“I’m not so sure about Noble, though, Z.”

“Why?”

“Spotted him leaving Essence’s office yesterday.”

“Why the fuck I’m just now hearing about it?”

“You were with the family yesterday, and I told you everybody else was around this morning. Didn’t want to kick it with you then. This is the first chance we’ve had to talk.”

Fury rolls through my veins because I don’t trust that bitch, and everyone knows it.

“Let me find out that nigga in collusion with that bitch, and I’ma fuck up his life!” I roar.

Parker nods. “Yeah, I’ll keep looking into it, but it’s looking like him more and more.

Also found out that a cousin of his is on the police force.

Your boy might’ve been the one who dropped a dime on you.

After all, he is the one who works on your systems. It would’ve been easy for him to hack into their database and send files their way about what’s going on in your business. ”

My fists and jaws are clenched so tightly that they both hurt. I feel pain and fire blazing throughout my body. But I can’t make a move off emotion alone. This could be why Damascus wanted to meet with me.

“Listen, get me some proof before I move on this thing, Parker. You feel me?”

“Yeah.”

“A’ight. I’ll holler at you later. I’m about to roll out with Ghalen.”

“Okay, Z. Watch yourself out in these streets,” he warns, dapping me up and looking over my shoulder.

My phone rings. A smile tilts my lips when I see that it’s Bayleigh.

“Hey, baby.”

“Hey, sugar. I know that we’re keeping a low profile, but do you think you can pick up some Ricci’s on the way home? I have a taste for Italian tonight, and I don’t feel like cooking. And since we can’t go out . . . ”

“Anything for you, baby.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

“Will I be rewarded for going off the beaten path?”

“Of course. I’m about to get in the shower now. I want to get it all prepped for you.”

“Damn, woman. You keep my dick at attention.”

“Just doing my job, sir,” she replies with a sweet giggle.

I can’t wait to head home. We chat a little longer before I turn back to see Parker’s car pulling out of the lot across the street.

“All right, keep it wet and warm. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Love you, baby.”

“I love you the most, Bay.”

“You ready?” Ghalen asks, stepping out of the building as soon as I end the call.

“Yeah. Let me run back up there and grab my laptop. I’ll be right back.”

“A’ight. I’ma go grab the SUV from across the lot.”

Our parking lot is getting restriped and repaved this week, so everyone is parking in the lot across the street. My car is the only one remaining in the lot since everyone else has left for the day.

Nodding, I head back into the building to grab my laptop.

I hadn’t planned on doing any work from home tonight, but with this new information, I have to get focused.

I know if I leave my laptop, I won’t be able to work from home because the files on my office work laptop aren’t the same as the ones on my home work laptop.

I step out of the building just in time to see my SUV across the street explode. It takes only a few seconds before the adrenaline hits, my laptop crashes to the ground, and I’m racing across the lot.

I barely dodge cars going down the street as my arms and legs pump furiously, drawing me closer and closer to the nightmare.

“Ghalen!” I shout.