Page 31 of Cove City: Vol. I

The phone rang a few times before he picked up. “Mr. Jackson,” he called out.

“What’s up. How is he doing?”

“I haven’t seen him, sir. He has been doing his own thing since getting that bike.”

“I’m paying you a lot of fucking money for a reason. Now where the fuck is my brother?” I snapped.

I wanted to give him a chance to live his life out there without bugging him or my family. I knew my cousin wasn’t his keeper, but merely there to keep an eye on him. I had gotten Dio the crib, so he didn’t have to feel confined to the space my cousin offered. My gut told me something wasn’t right, but I knew I could overreact sometimes. “I need you to watch him. The moment shit seems out of place let me know. Has he been with his family?”

“He’s been with people, but I’m unsure if it’s family.”

It had to be because Dio didn’t know anyone in New York. I finished up with the driver and sent my cousin a text. I finished up the call, sliding my phone back in my pocket. Between being worried about Dio and trying to keep shit straight with Freckles I was on the verge of losing my fucking mind. Preach came over to me, “Shit is good inside, you straight?” he asked.

Preach had come with me to help if I needed it. He had always been the voice of reason, and honestly, whatever he had to say, I wanted to hear it.

“I don’t know. I feel like shit with Dio is ok but needs to be better and the shit with Freckles,” I paused. “I love Shorty, but her and this nigga, man they got this bond that I can’t compete with.”

Preach placed his hand on my shoulder. “Look, Zu, I’m not perfect and maybe not the right nigga to be giving advice, but you can’t be soft with Dio. You need to put your foot down. You don’t want to be the bad brother, but being soft is gettingyou nowhere.” He dropped his head, then raised his eyes to me. “Beat his ass. I mean give him an old school big mama ass whopping. Let me do it.” He laughed.

A light chuckle came from me. “The nigga does need his ass whopped.”

He raised his brows in agreement. “Now, with Sasha, listen to her. For once, try to understand where she is coming from because we all have a past that we are not proud of. You love her, right?”

“Duh, nigga I said that.”

“Nah, don’t do that with me. Seek God and ask him for guidance. You want married life but can’t get it by being selfish.”

Preach always knew how to bring niggas to a point of peace. He was the glue to the Zoo; without him, it wouldn’t be what it is. We were getting ready to leave when a man in a suit approached us. The nigga was clean. He glanced around before his eyes landed on us. A sinister smirk eased on his face, and I knew he was on some bullshit.

“Business not open yet!” I shouted before he reached us.

He rubbed his hands together while ignoring what I said. “I didn’t ask if you were open. I came to talk to the owner.”

I stepped forward. “I am the owner,” I grumbled.

He extended his hand, “Naheem Avery.”

“Zeus Jackson.”

I could see his judging eyes. I didn’t know if he was expecting some overweight white man to own this place, but it was a true hood nigga in the fucking flesh. “How can I help you?”

“I wanted to know your objective for,” he paused as he pointed around. “This place.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m going to try to be as professional as possible when I say this. As a black man coming to me asking my objective is pretty off-putting.”

Preach tapped my shoulder, “Nigga what you know about off putting,” he whispered.

It was rare that I did this, but one thing I didn’t like was when someone treated me like I was uneducated because of the way I look. “There is a reason you’re here, and knowing my objective isn’t one of them. I presume you want to know what lengths I would go to allow you to have your hands in this business. So, what is it that you’re offering? Huh? Money laundering, running drugs through my business, what is it, Mr. Avery?”

He slowly nodded, then pointed. “You’re dating Sasha? Sasha Clemson. A broken woman with a mother who's an addict and a father who’s probably not her father. The girl, the entire city knows what’s between her—”

I went to swing, and Preach stopped me. “It’s her past.”

I ran my hand through my locs. “Mr. Avery, the man I want to be, is the one who pulls my gun out on you and blows your face open. However, the man I’m going to be is different. See, niggas like you are the ones who finds themselves alone, with no one. Not a bitch, not a child, not a fucking friend. You’re the type to sit in your house, with a glass of the most expensive whiskey, praying to God to see you through before you blow your brains out. Sasha is my woman, no matter what she’s been through. So, you bringing her into the equation only makes me believe you had a motive. If one hair on her pretty ass head gets touched,” I stepped into his face. “You’re not going to have to worry about my objective because when you see me, you will know. This is a promise. There is no fluff, lies, gimmicks, only pure truth.”

He nodded as he smiled and walked off.

“Preach we need to figure out who that nigga is. He’s going to be a problem. This place is fucked up and I don’t know who to fucking trust.”

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