Page 19 of 10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace

I could overlook a lot of shit, except stealing from me. I was very generous with my team, and they knew as long as I was eating, they would be too. When I took over Case House, my uncle had them eating scraps. He was always deducting money from them for some stupid ass reason. The houses that we owned for Case House, he had them paying him rent, as if they lived there.

The houses were only used when clients didn’t want to go to their own hotels. We never allowed the girls to go to a client’s personal home. It was either one of our homes, where there was security and privacy, or they would use a hotel, where security and privacy was also an option.

There was never a reason for anybody to steal from me. Not when I would give the shirt off my back for my girls. I would do anything for them because of their loyalty and how they made sure Case House remained the best.

The reason I was so passionate about Case House was because my father was. Aside from his kids and wife, his love was Case House and making it what it was until my uncle stepped in. That nigga turned it from high class escorts to a damn brothel.

No health care for the women, paying them whatever he wanted, and the condition of the houses were deplorable. I remember visiting the first house after everything was transferred to me, and I made one of the girls go to the nearest store and get cleaning supplies.

I cleaned that bitch from top to bottom. Cleaning calmed me and centered me. In that moment I needed to be centered because I wanted to kill my uncle for the second time, and he was already dead.

“I went to meet with Ryan while he’s in town, and he showed me the amount of money they’re making… this ain’t no little shit,Mens.” Landon looked at me. “How do you want to proceed with this?”

“What do you have?” I relaxed in the chair, and listened to my brother break everything down. Landon was like Core and could find anything out with just a few strokes of a keyboard.

He was a headache any other time, however, when he had a computer in front of him, it was a sense of peace that I saw in him. “Nigga was sending the money to his bitch… and she was sending it to her friend’s account. Stevie Raye… you ain’t gonna believe what the fuck I found out.”

“What?”

“She’s related to Skyler… that’s her cousin. I knew the name sounded familiar, so I went and looked her up, and she’s the one that’s been receiving the money into her account.”

I stood up and started pacing with my hands behind my back. “Now Core gonna be all in his feelings because I killed Skyler’s cousin.”

Landon laughed and I turned to look at him and he dropped the smile. “Mens, you dead serious?”

“She fucking stealing from me… hell yeah.”

Landon relaxed back in the chair. “I don’t think she knows about the shit. She really thinks she’s helping a friend out.”

“A friend is sending you large amounts of money and you don’t question the shit?”

Landon raised his eyebrow. “Have you ever met Stevie? She would help a burglar rob her damn house.”

“I want them brought to me… her included.” Before I could even call her, Jeffie came into the room with my smoothie.

“What’s that look that you both giving me?”

“You know Stevie, right?”

“Yes… Skyler’s cousin.” She slowly dragged her words while looking between me and my brother.

“That bitch a thief.”

“She’s not,” Don added.

Jeffie handed me my smoothie and looked between us. “What are you talking about? Stevie is in the Bahamas right now living her best life.”

“You know all that information and ain’t tell me? I thought we were family, Jeff?” I looked at her with a serious expression and she shook her head, dug in her pocket and put a napkin onto the desk.

“Good looks. Lupita makes the best fucking macaroons.” Don tore into the napkin and devoured the first one.

Mymacaroons that my chef made just for me. “Jeffie, why the fu?—”

“I knew Landon was coming over and had Lupita make a few extras. The seventeen you always request are in the kitchen, Maverick.” She cut me off and sat on the edge of the desk. “About Stevie, what does she have to do with anything that you have going on.”

“The bitch is a thief,” I repeated for the second time. She was acting like she couldn’t hear or something.

Jeffie cut her eyes at me and turned toward Don for answers. “I don’t think she knew she was transferring stolen money into her account.”

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