Page 68 of Love & Vendettas

“Hmm,” she mumbles.

“I gotta go make a run. I’ll call you as soon as I get a chance.”

“Is everything okay?” she asks, waking up and frowning at me.

“Yeah, baby. It’s all good. Go back to sleep. I just need to check on some things.”

I kiss her lips, and she turns back over, burying deeper under the covers.

I have no idea who’s out to get me, but I’ll burn this city down before I allow my family ever to feel unsafe again.

31 – ZAIRE – FAMILY MATTERS

I’m tired as fuck, but this is some bullshit.

“What’s going on?” I greet Parker when he calls me.

“The arson investigator has cleared us of arson. They’re saying that it was started by faulty wiring that had gone unnoticed.”

“That’s bullshit. We just had that wiring installed two years ago, and it passed inspection three months ago.”

“Yeah, that’s the other thing,” he blows out a long breath.

“What?”

“They’re not saying it, but there are insinuations made like maybe we paid somebody off or some shit like that, to pass us for inspection.”

“Fuck that. Have Marisa call the insurance company to get shit started. Now that we know they’re not claiming arson, we need to get this shit going as soon as possible. I’m losing money, Parker. I can’t have that shit. I’m calling a connection I have so that he can get someone over there right away to look at the property and give me an estimate on what we’re looking at for a rebuild.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear something from the insurance company. How’s shit going over there?” he asks.

“This bullshit. They’re interviewing the girls right now. They are still on this old prostitution ring shit. I’m not having that. None of my girls are being prostituted, and if they are fucking these niggas in these streets, shit ain’t got nothing to do with the Garden.”

“What’s Frances and Marc saying?”

“I haven’t spoken with them since the cops started interviewing the girls. They sat in with me on my interview. They’re taking the girls back two at a time, so Marc and Frances are back with each girl representing them.”

“You spoke with Bayleigh yet?”

“Nah, why?”

“She’s been calling Kim and Janel since she couldn’t reach you. They’ve called me several times because Bayleigh’s blowing their phones up. This shit’s on the news.”

“Fuck!”

I knew Bayleigh had been calling me, but I sent her a text several times telling her that I was busy and I’d get back to her as soon as I could. She never asked what was going on, nor had she said anything about the news.

“She’s probably worried as hell.”

“She is.”

“A’ight. I’ll call her now and then hit my realtor guy up.”

Ending the call, I call Bayleigh.

“Hey, baby.”

“Zaire Bryshere Knight, what the hell is going on? You’ve got one business burned to the ground and another being raided for an alleged prostitution ring, and your ass hasn’t said boo to me or called me!” she snaps.

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