SAVAGE 3

12.

"We do not."

Malcolm shot her a look. Jersey's whole aura was off. She looked upset, very distressed. Her arms were crossed, lips were pursed, and her eyes were slitted.

"Look...I didn't come out here to argue with you."

Jersey rolled her eyes and continued to purse her lips.

"So, lose the attitude. We're both grown, and...we have a son together. We need to have a serious conversation."

"I tried to have a conversation with you back in Brooklyn...." Jersey started. "But you ignored me. You ignored my reasons for not wanting to be around your side business."

Malcolm stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"Exactly." She jibbed at his quietness.

"And I should've listened then." He remarked.

There was silence.

"You said you wanted to talk ." She urged him, not really interested. "So talk away."

"All right." He nodded his head stiffly. "I umm...I've been running my side business for almost ten years," Malcolm admitted while clasping his hands. "I just turned twenty-seven, so I started pretty early. Seventeen...going on eighteen."

Jersey didn't speak. She just sat there listening with an unbothered expression on her face.

"It's not something I wanted to do." Malcolm shook his head and said, "But I didn't want to live from paycheck to paycheck anymore. I wanted to live a comfortable life. Live lavish."

Jersey eased her eyes on him.

"Before getting into the business, I had a regular job. It wasn't paying enough. I helped my moms with the bills, but I couldn't do other shit." Malcolm continued. "So, I did what I had to do. I made enough money to start my own business and enroll in school because I wanted to obtain a degree. A few years later, I created Givin' Back, and now I have two bars and a marketing agency."

"Hm."

"And over the past few years, I accumulated a lot of money from all of my businesses. I've made millions of dollars." Malcolm looked Jersey in the eyes and said, "Most of my money comes from my legitimate businesses. I'm well-known in New York and New Jersey. People support me wholeheartedly, and whatever I put out, they'll take it."

"So...you've had this side business for over ten years?"

"Almost ten years...." He corrected her.

"Hm..." Jersey hummed again while looking off. "And nothing has happened to you."

"Not exactly."

"Explain why you were attacked at your old apartment. Explain the bullet would that's in the back of your head." Jersey rambled on. "Explain every fucking thing."

She was on the edge of exploding. Malcolm could see that. Her eyes threw daggers at him, her mouth snapped into a pout, and her nostrils flared in anger.

"Seema." Malcolm pushed out with a stiff nod. "The woman who's in federal custody for sex trafficking tried to have me killed. Actually, it was her and the guy who fights at Newts with you brother—Catcher."

Jersey looked at him coldly and asked, "Why?"

"I wouldn't work with them, and I did some other shit...." He trailed off, thinking about when he destroyed Carl Mahone's cargo. "So, they retaliated back."

"I've been through stuff like this before." She shook her head and said, "Retaliation."

"You don't have to worry about them. They're in federal custody, and they don't have access to shit. I made sure of that. With these sex trafficking charges, they'll never be free."