▲▲▲
"You're fighting that Irish motherfucker in two weeks..." Frank trailed off while pushing a cigarette into his mouth. He held it at the corners, placing his attention on Preach as he kindled the cigarette. "Jack Boland."
Instead of placing his attention on Frank, Preach decided to focus on the punching bag in front of him. He stood there in a prowling stance as he kept his eyes on the bag. Before Frank could spit out another word, he went at it. His long arms extended out, tossing the bag around in the air as the strikes caught it.
"Look, I'm only trying to help out here." Frank raised his voice.
"By doing what?" Preach quipped, glancing over his shoulder. "Fuck up my flow?"
"Your flow?" Frank reiterated, pulling the cigarette from his thin pink lips. He stood in front of Preach, invading his personal space as he looked around the room. They weren't alone. They were at Venturi's restaurant. He had a couple of extra rooms and he turned one of them into a boxing area for his fighters. The rest of the rooms were used for his other work: Like the illegal booze, meetings, interrogations, and so much more.
"Listen. I'm only trying to help you out. Get your mind right. The Don has a lot of money on you, Preach. A quarter of a million dollars. Do you know why he put that kind of money on you?"
Preach stayed quiet, allowing Frank to rant.
"Because you're good. You showed him at Newts that you're able to win every fight. The Don wasn't feeling you until he saw you in the ring. Your footwork, your stance, your blows are what made him change his mind. Don't you understand? He's counting on you to win this fight and double his winnings."
"Alright..." Preach trailed off, not thinking about the possible consequences.
"Alright..." Frank reiterated once again with a slight chuckle. He touched his clean-shaven face as he put out the cigarette. "You don't get it. You have two hundred and fifty thousand dollars on you. Don Venturi has never put that kind of money on a boxer before. The maximum was thirty thousand dollars, and he was lucky enough to get that back plus more."
"So, I'll win him his money back." Preach spoke with confidence.
Frank stared at the young kid for a while and eventually nodded his head.
"Alright, I like your confidence. But if you don't...there will be consequences. It's not about the money, Preach. The Don takes pride in his reputation, his winnings. He hates losing, and if you lose..."
"Yo...I don't need you coddling me and shit. I know what I'm doing."
"I would hope so." Frank quipped, backing away. "Jack Boland is lethal."
Preach shook off the negative energy and went back to the punching bag.
▲▲▲
It had been a while since Jersey had the pleasure of being out with a friend. She and Alesha decided to catch up with one another. After a soothing experience of being pampered at the spa and doing a little shopping, they headed straight to a nearby restaurant.
The restaurant wasn't overly luxurious, but it was costly. Jersey didn't mind spending money since she was out with her friend.
They ordered their drinks and appetizers. It didn't take long for their orders to arrive at the table. Jersey nibbled on her crab cakes as she chatted.
"Are you sure you're fine?" Alesha asked Jersey after sipping her Pinot Noir.
Jersey didn't tell her about the pregnancy, but she did run her mouth about her lovely vacation in Aspen—minus the baby incident. She cleared her throat while chewing on the food in her mouth. Jersey eventually said, "I'm great. Why?"
"Well..." Alesha trailed off as she picked up one of her barbeque shrimps by the tail. She looked over at Jersey and shook her head before speaking. "You remember the detective who took you to the police station when I was with you?"
Jersey nodded her head stiffly as she thought about that embarrassing moment. She felt like her humanity had been stripped away from her when they hauled her off to the police station.
"Detective Newton?"
"Yes."
"W-what about him? Jersey stuttered, studying her friend's body language. Alesha didn't seem to be all perky and excited.
"Well, he showed up at the library." Alesha spilled, dropping her shoulders. She felt relieved to tell Jersey about it. The situation had been on her mind for days, but she felt the need to tell her in-person. Besides, Detective Newton told her not to speak on his little visit. Alesha knew it was a threat from his facial expressions and the tone of his voice.
"What? Why is he even showing up?" Jersey badgered her with questions as her eyes fluttered in confusion. "W-what did he say? What kind of questions did he ask you?"
Alesha pressed her lips together as she contemplated speaking. She looked around and placed her brown eyes on her friend. "Jersey...are you in trouble?" Alesha whispered, "Like...are you mixed up in Malcolm's illegal situation?"
Jersey shook her head and said, "What? No. I'm great, and Malcolm is legal. All of his businesses are legal."
"The detective claims Malcolm is distributing drugs all over Brooklyn," Alesha remarked. "And...he went on about the homicide that happened at his bar."
"Malcolm is not into drugs." Jersey quipped, expressing her attitude. She didn't want to get snappy with Alesha, but she was pushing a nerve. From what Jersey could understand, Malcolm didn't deal with drugs. All of his businesses were legit, and she didn't know much about the homicide at his bar. He didn't speak on it, so she didn't question him about it.
Alesha didn't say anything after Jersey made the snappy reply. Jersey pushed out some air and looked over at her friend after taking a sip of her wine.
"I didn't mean to get all peevish with you. I'm just saying that...Newton does not like Malcolm. He's trying his best to take him down. Malcolm is not into drugs, and...he's not a murderer either."
Suddenly, she felt a cold wind after claiming Malcolm wasn't a murderer. A flashback of him asking her how she wanted Quintin to be handled clouded her brain. Jersey blinked a few times as the uneasy feeling showered over her.
"Jersey, are you alright?" Alesha asked, holding a look of concern as she watched her friend blink out.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Jersey nodded her head. "It's probably this damn wine." She glanced over at her glass of Pinot Noir.
"What kind of questions did he ask you, again?" Jersey asked.
"He just asked me about my relationship with you and Malcolm and if I saw any unusual activity going on when being around you two."
"And what did you say?"
Alesha shrugged her shoulders and said, "I told him that you guys have nothing unusual going on."
"Okay..." Jersey nodded her head. "If he comes by again, don't tell him anything. He's just trying to find ways to hurt Malcolm."
Alesha nodded her head, but she still had questions.
▲▲▲
When Jersey arrived at her apartment, she realized Malcolm wasn't home. Paul walked her up, and as soon as she entered her domain, she went straight to the shower.
Work was laidback today, but she had issues to deal with. Her aunt, Lisa, was still nagging her about contacting Abshir. Jersey kept pushing it back because she wasn't ready to meet him. He'd been an absent parent in her life—basically neglecting her. She was sure Abshir knew about her mom being pregnant. He just failed to be there. And Jersey wasn't sure if she wanted to open those can of worms.
Alesha informed her about Detective Newton and his nosiness. She knew that he would be back to bother her. Jersey closed her eyes as the water ran over her face. She didn't have time to deal with drama.
She just wanted to vanish into thin air. Suddenly, her eyes peered down at her growing belly. Instead of rubbing it, she just rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and pushed out a deep breath.
After showering for what seemed like an hour, she dried off and moisturized her body. Jersey slipped on some pajamas and slid right into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, her iPhone started to ring.
She sighed hard and patted around the massive bed until she found it.
It was a FaceTime video call from Malcolm. She wasted no time answering it. Within seconds, his handsome face appeared on the screen. Jersey could feel the butterflies fluttering around in her belly as she shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable.
Malcolm was sitting down in a chair as he leaned his head back, studying her. "What you doing?"
"I just got out of the shower," Jersey muttered, running her fingers through her misty hair. She would have to comb it in the morning. "Now I'm about to go to sleep."
"Without me?"
"You're not here." Jersey pushed out with a subtle expression on her face. "Where are you, anyway?"
"I'm over at Dock's house," Malcolm replied coolly. "We had some important business to handle."
"Well, what are you doing now? Are you finished? I don't like being here by myself."
"I'm about to head out now," Malcolm stated as he pushed up from the couch. "I'm just waiting on Morgan. She wanted me to see her blueprints from her interior design."
"Oh..." Jersey trailed off, obviously disinterested. She didn't care for Morgan, and he knew that.
"You had a good day at work?"
She nodded her head. "Yes, it was great. Lesere is a sweetheart."
"I figured you would like her. She's a great intern." Malcolm replied.
"I have one issue, though," Jersey announced.
Malcolm raised his eyebrows and said, "What's that?"
"Radhika." She replied, "I still have yet to receive those requested documents for the benefits enrollment. She won't give them to me."
Malcolm shook his head as he looked off. He'd told Radhika to give the documents to Jersey, and she was refusing to do so. That only annoyed him because she was just a replaceable recruiter, not the assistant CEO of Givin' Back.
"I'll handle it." He assured her. "You'll have those documents on your desk in the morning."
"Great." A smirk appeared on her face as she eyed her boyfriend. "She likes you and despises me for being with you."
Malcolm shrugged his shoulders. He never took Radhika's little crush seriously. He never paid her any mind since she wasn't his type, and he didn't like mixing business with pleasure.
Or did he?
He ran his thumb across his hairy chin and said, "That's her problem."
"These are the blueprints." The familiar voice called out.
Before Jersey could identify the person, they popped up on her screen. Her instantly mood soured when she realized it was Morgan. She stood there with her hair in long faux locs. She wore a graphic shirt with some sweatpants. Jersey could see the tattoos that decorated her arms, and her long, manicured nails were painted in a candy apple red.
They glanced at each other but didn't say anything. Morgan was still salty about getting whooped by Jersey at the bar, and of course, Jersey was still upset about how the woman treated her.
"Well, I'm going to bed. I'll see you when you get here."
"Alright..." He trailed off.
After ending the FaceTime, Jersey pushed her iPhone underneath her pillow and searched for a good movie on Netflix. After settling on a movie, she watched it for about fifteen minutes and eventually fell asleep.
▲▲▲
Malcolm didn't bother to wake up Jersey. After taking a shower, he decided to hop in the bed. When he peeled the blankets back, he realized Jersey was wearing Bugs Bunny pajamas—the matching shirt and pants. He furrowed his eyebrows and watched as she stirred in her sleep.
Instead of wasting more time, he decided to slip into bed. Instantly, she moved toward him and pressed half of her body over his.
He pressed his lips against her forehead and roamed his hands toward her lower end. Malcolm rubbed all over her booty until he fell asleep. He didn't bother to wake the television up since he liked sleeping in a quiet room.
Morning rolled in, and Jersey woke up early. She would be going to work late since she had a doctor's appointment. Her baby seemed to be progressing great. Jersey was a little worried about it since she did lose one twin. There was still a chance of losing the other one.
"Want some orange juice?"
"Yeah," Malcolm replied, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. He rinsed it out in the sink and pushed the glass toward her. She poured the OJ in the glass, and he wasted no time chugging it down.
"What was up with them pajamas last night?" Malcolm questioned her, fingering through his book. He'd recently stopped by Barnes and Noble and decided to purchase some books.
Jersey stared at him before speaking, "What?"
"The pajamas...with Bugs Bunny on them and shit."
"Oh..." She trailed off, placing a smirk on her face. "You don't like them? I bought them from this small black-owned business online. It's for adults."
"Right." He quipped. "I mean, they're cool when your period is on, but you won't be expecting that for months."
Jersey leaned against the counter and said, "So I'm supposed to wear sexy clothes all day, every day?"
"That's not what I'm saying." He shook his head.
"That's exactly what you're saying, and I'mma let you know now that I am not the one. Okay? I can get sexy. That's not a problem. But I want to be comfortable. I wore that pajama set because I wanted to, not for you. You didn't seem to have a problem with it last night. The way your hands were on my ass."
"Alright, damn. I was just teasing you. I like your pajamas." He lifted his hands in the air as he neared her. Malcolm went straight for her neck, attacking her there, and then he brought his lips toward her ear. Gently, he placed a soft kiss against it.
"I love you..." He trailed off, sliding his hands around her waist. They eventually ended up around her belly.
"I love you too," Jersey replied as she turned around to look up at him. He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. She ran her hand over the back of his head as they engaged in a hot smooch.
Reluctantly, he pulled back and said, "How much time do we have?"
"I have to be at my doctor's appointment in two hours."
"We have enough time then." He pushed out as his lips found hers. Malcolm picked Jersey up and set her right on the counter. He wasted no time pulling the string to her robe, revealing the masterpiece underneath it. No matter how many times he looked at her nude body, he always seemed amazed by it.
Jersey's breasts were full and perky. Her brown nipples were rigid and in need of some sucking. Malcolm's eyes traveled down to her stomach that seemed slightly pudgier. The baby was growing rapidly and causing Jersey's body to go through some changes.
He used his finger to trace the dark line, which caused Jersey to shiver. Instead of wasting more time, he leaned over to pull one of her nipples into his mouth. She bit down on her bottom lip as she enjoyed the warm suction he created with her sensitive nipples.
Jersey felt him spreading her legs and expertly running his thumb across her clitoris and slit without looking.
"R-right here on the counter?" She pushed out.
"Yeah." He breathed out, catching her mouth. Malcolm wasted no time slobbering her down. She allowed him to do so until his head went down south.
Jersey silently gasped as her head fell back. Malcolm's tongue went to work. He paid close attention to her clitoris, wanting to get her soaking wet and aroused. He did everything she liked: kissing her second pair of lips sloppily, sucking and teasing her clitoris until she could feel that particular spark in the pit of her stomach.
She placed her hand on the back of his head, wanting to push him away for making her so sensitive. After doing his work, he stood up completely.
Jersey grabbed his head and pulled him closer to her face. She could smell her scent that was polished across his face and beard. It was alluring and exciting. Feeling impassioned and horny, she hungrily kissed him and sucked on his tongue. Jersey liked tasting herself and licking up the remains from across his lips.
Malcolm grabbed his stiff rod and pushed inside of her tight canal. They both pushed out muffled moans, allowing themselves to enjoy the friction. Malcolm's honeyed eyes were low as he looked at Jersey, who kept closing her eyes and opening them to look at him.
His mouth parted while continuing to penetrate her deeply. A mixture of feelings rained over Malcolm. With both hands planted on each side of Jersey, he continued to move his body in a motion that drove her crazy. He knew she was enjoying the pleasure from the look on her face and her beautiful whimpers.
"Don't stop." She told him repetitively while muttering some more words that Malcolm couldn't quite understand.
He didn't want to stop at all. If he could, he would live right between her legs. It felt like paradise, like a temporary place he could go and block out all of his problems. Nothing could fuck with him.
Malcolm closed his eyes for a brief moment as a groan slipped from his lips. Jersey used her vaginal muscles by tightening them around his shaft. She was already saturated, warm, snug, and now she decided to pull that move.
"S-sshit." He stuttered, obviously stuck.
Jersey looked up and realized what she had done. Malcolm leaned over and pushed out a heavy breath. She smirked and moved away to get another look at him.
"Did you nut?"
"I couldn't help it." Malcolm breathed out, kissing the side of her face.
The intercourse didn't last three minutes. Instead of getting upset, Jersey laughed. She had three orgasms from getting head. Malcolm ejaculating so quickly didn't bother her. After all, she did tighten her muscles on purpose.
"What's so funny?" Malcolm asked, standing up.
"Nothing." She tried to cease her laugh, but it was hard.
"You did that shit on purpose?" He pushed out with a head nod. "I got something for you, though. This shit is not over."
Jersey pursed her lips and said, "We'll see about that."
▲▲▲
"It's time for some changes," Malcolm announced as soon as they got on the road. The appointment went well for the couple. They were able to see their baby and hear the heartbeat.
Both Malcolm and Jersey didn't seem moved by it. They looked at each other and back at the screen, trying their best to figure out where the baby was located. Hearing the heartbeat was okay, but it didn't bring them to tears. However, the baby was healthy, and they were satisfied with that.
Okay, minuteman. Jersey said to herself, looking off.
"What kind of changes?"
"We're about to have a baby..." He trailed, shaking his head. "We need a bigger ride."
Jersey looked at the side of his head and watched as he expertly operated his car.
"So, what are you going to do? Buy another vehicle?"
"I'm actually going to trade this one in and just pay the difference."
Jersey blinked a few times as she turned her head toward the window. Hearing that Malcolm was willing to change his ride due to the baby almost scared her. She clenched her hand around the seatbelt, wanting to go home and crawl into her bed.
"You're willing to give up your Jaguar because of the baby?" She questioned him with her eyebrows raised.
"Yeah." He answered, not understanding her tone. "And besides, I'm tired of riding low. I want something bigger."
"Like what?"
"A Tesla."
She turned around in her seat, as far as the seatbelt would allow her, and looked at him with her eyes bugged.
"A Tesla is freaking expensive." She replied.
Malcolm shrugged his shoulders.
"It's alright."
"Well, I'm against it." She commented, sitting back in her seat.
Malcolm cut his eyes at Jersey, but he didn't speak.
"I'm not trying to tell you what to do with your money." Jersey continued. "It's just that I don't think Telsa's are safe for babies, and...they're too expensive, Malcolm."
"What vehicle do you recommend?"
"I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Come on..." He urged her. "Think of some. I'm sure you can come up with something."
Jersey glanced at him with her eyes narrowed.
"Don't get sarcastic with me."
"I just want to know what you can recommend." Malcolm touched his chest and said, "I'm being mature about it. Think of a bigger ride that'll be safe for the baby. Google some shit right now."
"Okay." She pulled out her phone and googled some luxury vehicles for expecting parents. After tapping on the screen, she found a website and scanned through the vehicles and their speculations.
"I think I found something," Jersey announced, looking at the vehicle that was on her screen. Something simple, yet posh." Jersey commented. "Like...a Lincoln Nautilus, Range Rover, or-or an Audi Q8."
"Let me see." Malcolm continued to drive while looking at Jersey's phone. He nodded his head, checking out the rides that she managed to pull up.
"I don't like the way the back of the Audi is made." He complained. "But the Lincoln is decent, not something I like."
"I think it's nice."
Malcolm slid her phone back in her lap and continued to keep his eyes on the road.
"Let me think about it. I'm going, to be honest with you, I still want the Tesla."
"Well, it's completely up to you, Malcolm. It's your money."
▲▲▲
Jersey was knocked out until she heard her phone ringing. She laid there, hoping it would stop, but it didn't. After sucking her teeth, she snatched her phone up and realized it was Ashanti.
She checked the time and realized it was almost five in the morning. She didn't understand why the young girl was calling her. Instead of rejecting the call, she answered it.
"Hello?"
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Ashanti?"
"Y-your fucking aunt is messy!" Ashanti yelled.
"Wait a minute." Jersey looked over at Malcolm, who was still knocked out. His left arm was towered over his head as he lightly snored.
Slowly, she left the bed and went into the living room.
"What happened?"
"Lisa wants me to get a fucking DNA test for Arionne." Ashanti blurted out. "She's claiming that my daughter is not Rudy's because she's light-skinned!"
Jersey stayed quiet; she knew about the situation. Lisa managed to rant to her as well.
"Like...how dumb are you? I'm light-skinned! She has my fucking color!" Ashanti continues to fuss. "So, we've been beefing ever since about the situation. Yesterday, she texted me with the same shit and even threatened to get Shaye to fight me. I'm not scared, I didn't back down, so I'm going back and forth with her. Now, Shaye involves herself, and we're arguing. So I'm out with my friend, right? And them bitches caught me! They jumped me!"
"Shit." Jersey cursed underneath her breath. She rubbed the sides of her temples, not being able to take on another situation.
"This just happened?"
"Yes!"
"Where's Arionne?"
"My dad has her." Ashanti continues. "My fucking knees and elbows are skinned up. They dragged me all over the concrete."
"That's fucked up, really fucked up." Jersey looked around her apartment. "Do you need me to come and get you?"
"No, I'm at home now," Ashanti answered as she sniffled away, starting to cry. "I'm just upset because they did this to me, Jersey. They fucked up my face and had some other girl record it. I didn't think the situation would lead to this. Your aunt will never see Arionne again!"
"I'm sorry that happened, Ashanti."
"Don't be. It's Lisa's fault, not yours."
"Do you need anything?"
"I only needed an ear. Thanks for listening." Ashanti continued, trying to control her sniffling.
"You're welcome. I don't like what they did to you, so you already know what I'm about to do."
"...Yeah."
"I'm going to call you later and check on you."
Jersey eventually ended the call and walked into her bedroom. She didn't have Shaye's phone number for obvious reasons. However, she needed it. She wanted to wake Malcolm up and ask him for Dean's number, but she felt it wouldn't be appropriate at this hour.
Jersey crawled back on her side and felt a tinge of nauseous. She placed her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes tight. Malcolm felt her shifting and decided to toss his arm over her body and pull her into his embrace. Quickly, the sickness went away. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
▲▲▲
When the couple woke up, they decided to have some breakfast. Both weren't in the mood to cook, so they settled on a bowl of cereal. Malcolm was halfway finished with his when Jersey wrapped her arm around his torso. He glanced over at her before piling his mouth with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch and oat milk.
"Can I have Dean's number?"
Malcolm paused for a minute, trying to process her question. Before blowing the situation out of proportion, he looked over at Jersey and said, "What you need Dean's number for?"
"Some stuff happened earlier this morning between Lisa, Shaye, and Ashanti."
Malcolm stood there, not asking questions. He didn't want to hear about the female squabble. It wasn't his business. Instead, he scooped another spoonful of cereal in his mouth.
"They caught Ashanti off-guard and jumped her. I didn't realize how bad the situation was until I woke up to a video of Ashanti being jumped and pictures of her fucking face and body. She has bruises everywhere, baby."
Malcolm chomped on his cereal while looking down at Jersey and her dramatic explanation. He wanted to focus on the situation, but she was very alluring. Her whole energy just did something to him.
It gave him a stiff dick.
She stood there dressed in a regular t-shirt. Her belly only had a slight pudge from her pregnancy. The shorts she wore were comfortable and showing off her tiny waist and booty.
Jersey's dark brown complexion was glowing due to her pregnancy. Short, thick curls decorated her head and she wore her tennis bracelet.
He couldn't believe she had used the word baby. Jersey never responded with affectionate pet names. She usually called him by his name, Malcolm.
Jersey dropped her hands and said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're beautiful." Malcolm pushed out, tucking in his bottom lip. He eyed her and couldn't help but to check her out for the hundredth time.
"Focus," Jersey smirked, showing off her white teeth. "I'm talking to you about Ashanti. Rudy's girlfriend. Lisa and Shaye jumped her. I need Dean's number so I can get in touch with my cousin."
"That's right. He's fucking with your cousin now." Malcolm pointed at her. "He brought her ass to the Thanksgiving party."
"Exactly."
"Yo, I remember my grandpops calling her ugly." He added, shaking his head.
"Which was uncalled for." Jersey blurted out. "But call Dean for me, please."
"Just call your aunt." Malcolm shrugged his shoulders.
"Lisa is not going to tell the truth. And besides, I want to talk to Shaye first."
"Alright." He pushed out. "I'll text him for you."
"That's even better. Thank you." Jersey stood on her tippy toes to kiss his jaw. "Oh yeah, I meant to talk to you about something."
Malcolm typed away on his iPhone, but he managed to respond. "What?"
"Detective Newton decided to visit Alesha at the library days ago." She stated. "He asked her a lot of questions about us."
Malcolm set his phone on the counter and said, "What kind of questions?"
"Questions about our behavior when she's around us. He even asked her about your drug trafficking business and the homicide that happened last year at your bar."
"Shit." Malcolm cursed, looking off.
"I told her not to answer his questions the next time he visits her. Where is this detective getting his information from? You're not into drugs, and the homicide wasn't your fault. This is a whole new year, and he's still on your dick." Jersey ranted cluelessly. "It could be that Tilly woman. The cop you used to have sex with."
"You told Alesha right." Malcolm nodded his head, ignoring some of her assumptions. "I'll deal with it."
"Okay." Jersey looked him in his eyes and eventually diverted them over to his phone. Dean had sent him a text message with Shaye's phone number.
"Here." Malcolm slid the phone over and allowed his girlfriend to copy the number. Afterward, he put his phone to sleep and washed his bowl in the sink.
Jersey was busy saving the number in her phone when a call popped up, interrupting her process. She frowned, inspecting the number.
"You gone answer it or what?" Malcolm asked, looking at her.
Jersey sucked her teeth but proceeded to answer the call.
"Hello?"
There was silence.
"Helloo?"
Silence again.
She pulled the phone away and placed it back to her ear when she heard a deep voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
She frowned, looking over at Malcolm, who held a look of concern.
"Who is this?"
"Abshir. Is this Jersey?"
Jersey's mouth flew open.
TO BE CONTINUED