Page 26 of Krash & Bern

Where was my groundskeeper? Where was my butler? Why was my home unattended and accessible to be broken into? The only option was to install a new security system since the one I’d currently had didn’t do a good job.

“Krash!” Blake called out as he and the fellas entered my home.

I met them in the foyer as I crossed my hands. “They stole a couple paintings, clothes, a few watches, and shit like that. All myexpensiveshit was in the safe.”

“Do you know who did it?” Deionte asked.

I shook my head. “Nah. My security system was down. I need Gary and Blake to find me a new system by tomorrow. I need that shit installed immediately. I’m willing to pay whatever.”

“We’re on it,” Gary replied. “I’ll hit up some people to see what’s the top of the market company to go through.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you need us to do anything?” Nehemiah asked.

“I need y’all to call Steph to get the crew over here to clean up my home. I’m finna take a shower and go to sleep.”

Without another word, I moved through the mansion to the main bedroom. My mood had turned to shit because I’d never expected someone would think to ever rob me, but even I was susceptible to crime. I knew when I woke up, I’d be ready to file my report and find the mothafuckas who thought they could steal from me.

Being a celebrity opened my life up to more dangers than living on the Northside of Houston did. The target on my back was huge, but I was never the type of nigga to let someone get the upper hand. My biggest fear was my father, and when he died, I became invincible.

Niggas better watch out for Krash, because I’m not the type of nigga to let anybody scare me.

“Malaysia, can you cancel my three o’clock meeting?” I asked my secretary as soon as I stepped off the elevator.

“Yes, ma’am. Do you have a reason for canceling? You know how these people get about canceled meetings. They always ask me a hundred and three different questions,” she replied.

I laughed. “I don’t feel like talking today.”

The perks of being my own boss meant I could cancel any meeting I wanted, no matter the reason. I was Bernice James, founder of BerJam, Security. The security systems rivaled all other companies in the market. I’d graduated from the top tech school and created the headquarters in Massachusetts with a few tech friends. I’d patented all my ideas immediately to protect me from getting my ideas stolen. Once the systems were up and running, we began a soft launch to fifteen people. After we got our beta testers to note any bugs, we did a full launch a year later. Once I’d expanded, I decided to take my headquarters back to Texas. For the last two years, we’d been expanding our brand all over the state of Texas.

What set BerJam apart from all the competition was the user interface, usability, and overall success in response times. Unlike most security systems, we actually worked with law enforcement and city officials to guarantee our users had the utmost safety when they used my system.

Nine-one-one operators had direct lines to our systems to ensure no matter a person’s demographic or location, they would have adequate security.

“The meeting has been canceled. Don’t forget you have training courses lined up for Wednesday and Thursday,” Malaysia reminded me.

I nodded as I picked up a glazed donut from the box on her desk. I bit into the soft breakfast treat and hummed. “I know. I have those times blocked off. I’m hoping today goes by quickly so I can get home and soak my feet.”

“If you want me to call Honest Hands for a massage, I can set it up in a couple of minutes.”

“You’re the best, but Ihaveto have a productive morning to make up for canceling my meeting. If I get the massage, I’m going to be no good the rest of the day,” I explained.

Malaysia laughed. “I understand.”

My phone rang as I headed toward my office. I pulled the rectangular device from my pocket and swiped the screen. “Bernice James.”

“Hey, Bernie!”

“Lisa! Hey, boo! How are you?”

Lisa was a loyal client to BerJam. She’d moved from Massachusetts to Texas to be near the business. Her whole family uprooted to be here to stay close to the main headquarters. It made me feel like I’d done an amazing job at building a security system fit to protect people of all demographics.

“I’m good. I got a call from one of my cousins who has been in Texas forever. They work for a wealthy man whose home was broken into last night.”

“Oh?”

“I can’t give too many details, but the client is a huge celebrity who is in the market for a better home security system. I can give you my cousin’s name and number to get more details.”

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