Page 85 of Love & Vendettas

If Bayleigh had it her way, this is who our son Zayn would be dating, but the two are just good friends and nothing more.

Aaliyah moves from my arms to Jamal’s and hugs him.

“Must be payday,” Aaliyah declares, pulling away from his hug.

“Why did you say that?” I ask.

“You came through, my brother came through, and Uncle Parker’s back there with Adam,” she explains, pulling her phone from her back pocket.

I chuckle and send her five hundred on Cash App, and Jamal moves to send her some money, also.

Whenever we come through this store, we hook her up. She’s Jamal’s little sister, but I consider her the daughter I never had.

“Thank you, Uncle Z. You need to learn from your bossman, J. You reap what you sow. When you sow little seeds, you get flowers. When you sow big seeds, you get trees,” she teases, sticking her tongue out at him again.

“Gon’ with that corny ass shit. Besides, I happen to like flowers.”

“How much is he short, Liyah?” I roll my eyes at Jamal.

“Two-fifty.”

I turn around and glare at Jamal before he sucks his teeth and pulls out his phone. Her face lights up when he sends her another two-fifty.

I head to the back office where Adam and Parker are while Jamal continues shooting the shit with his sister.

I walk up to Adam’s office just as I hear Parker say, “I run this muthafuckin’ town!”

“Nah, nigga. I run this mutha’ fuckin town,” I proclaim in a quietly controlled voice.

“Aye, yo, Z! Wassup?” Parker asks, laughing and turning around with surprise written all over his face.

“Zaire! I didn’t expect to see the top man today. What’s up?” Adam asks, standing and walking from behind his desk.

“Nothing but inflation, cat,” I reply, dapping the Italian man up and giving him a one-armed side hug.

“Is everything okay?” Adam asks.

“We’re heading through on our way somewhere else. J wanted to see Liyah, and I came to holler at my right hand,” I explain, nodding at Parker. “Everything good, G?”

“We cool,” Parker confirms.

“Take care, Adam.” I turn to walk back down the hall.

“It’s always a pleasure doing business with you, Zaire,” Adam expresses, following us to the front of the store.

“Deuces, Adam,” Parker calls out, holding up two fingers and heading for the door.

“A’ight, Liyah. You be good, girl. I’ll see you around,” I comment.

“Okay, Uncle Z.”

I hear her mumbling something to her brother as I follow Parker out of the store.

“What’s up?”

“After I got off the phone with you, I got word about some nigga who was beefin’ with Ghalen. Malik hemmed his ass up, and I’m ‘bout to roll over there. Come on, roll with me.”

“Cool! I wanna see who this li’l nigga is running around bodying a Knight,” he remarks.

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