“What time did you all want to come?” I asked Marc.
I was in the hospital sitting next to Jazmyn. Her eyes were fluttering but they hadn’t opened yet. I wanted to track down the Crimson chick and all of the other people involved in putting her here, but I’d be damned if I wasn’t around when she woke up.
“I can’t say exactly. We’re going to fly in just long enough for Alexis to see her. Is she awake yet?” he asked me.
“Not yet, but I called you guys because I have a feeling she will soon. Her eyes are moving and the doctors said she could wake up any minute now. I’m staying here until she does.”
Jazmyn looked more fragile than I’d ever seen her as she slept in the hospital bed. Her make-up was off, her chocolate skin looked as pale as I’d ever seen it and, for once in her life, her hair was undone. None of that stuff fazed me at all. I just wanted her to wake up and tell me everything that I needed to know to get revenge for her.
“Okay. Well, I can’t tell you too many details, but we’ll be there.”
I was confused with all the secretive stuff that Marc had going on. You would think that he was the President of the United States of America or something.
“Alright, bruh. Well, I’ll see you when I see you.” I hung up the phone and looked at the time.
It was ten at night and I hadn’t slept more than a couple hours in over three days. It had been about a week since I’d been at Jazmyn’s apartment and I felt like I was losing time. I should have been in Miami tracking down Crimson but, instead, I was here. But I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else in case she woke up.
“Sir, you need anything?”
I jumped from surprise and turned to see a thick, curvy sista with thick cornrows that went into a curly afro staring at me. She had sexy, olive-shaped eyes and plump, pouty lips that she licked slowly to let me know that she was asking me if I wanted more than just what was on the menu she was holding in her hands.
“Uhm, no. I’m good. Thanks,” I answered her. I yawned loudly and stretched my arms over my head.
“Maybe a pillow? Covers?” she asked again.
“No, I’m good. I think I’ll be fine here,” I said to her as I rubbed my eyes.
“Well, if you need anything….anything at all…just know that I’m here.”
“Okay, but I think I will be fine.”
“Well, you look like you could use a massage or something…”
“Bitch, just leave,” a small voice mumbled.
I turned towards Jazmyn as my heart jumped within my chest. “Jaz?” I jumped up and walked over to the bed. “Jaz, are you awake?”
“Hell, yeah,” she coughed.
“You need some water?”
“No, hand it to that thirsty bitch.” She started coughing again and I grabbed the water that I had been drinking and stuck the straw between her lips. She jumped at first and gave me a deep frown before relenting and drinking the liquid. It was almost as if I could see the color return to her face immediately.
“You better, baby?” I asked her once she released the straw from between her lips. They were dry and cracked. She looked tired and wore out. She was at her absolute worst but all I felt was love.
“I’ll be better once her ass gets out of here,” she croaked, shooting daggers from her eyes at the nurse.
I turned towards the woman. “Okay, that’ll be it.”
Jazmyn continued to stare at her until she left. I sat back down in the chair next to Jazmyn and leaned over, grabbing her hands in mine.
“Listen, Jazmyn. I love you and I’m sorry how everything happened between us. I’m sorry that I didn’t pay attention and that you thought that you couldn’t trust me. But believe this…I am going to get the person who did this to you. Starting with Crimson.”
Jazmyn’s eyes widened once she heard me say Crimson’s name. I could almost see her thinking as I watched her. She was trying to figure out how in the world I knew who Crimson was.
“I know all about everything. I know she made you kill… I know what she made you do to Shanice. I know you didn’t want to but she was threatening you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you from her then, but I promise I will now,” I promised.
Jazmyn continued looking at me with her eyes open as wide as can be. Then she started blinking quickly and smacked her lips together a few times.
“Water, please,” she whispered, her voice raspy from the dryness in her throat. I grabbed the cup and bent it so that she could sip from it. When she was done, she released the straw and laid back on the bed. “I’m just tired, Kingston,” she admitted as she pulled the covers up around her neck. I stood up and helped her get comfortable, tucking the comforter around her body to keep her warm.
“Alright, baby. Get some rest. We’ll talk about all this later.”
“Kingston,” a woman called my name. The voice seemed familiar but I wasn’t sure. Something about it I recognized but there was a lot about it I didn’t. My brain was tired of trying to figure it out, so I gave up and fell back into my state of restful sleep.
“Kingston,” the woman called more forcefully. The tone of her voice jerked me out of my slumber and I flicked my eyes open. My hand swiped to my side where I was holding a nine millimeter handgun that I’d found at Jazmyn’s apartment. When I focused on the face in front of me, I relaxed.
“Alexis,” I said. I rubbed my face and stood up, pulling her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re here.” I stared at her for a minute. She looked different. Her hair was cut short and dyed brown with blond highlights. If I didn’t know better, I would think I was looking at Halle Berry.
“You look beautiful,” I told her. She smiled at me. I turned back towards Jazmyn. “She woke up earlier. She’s just taking a nap.”
“Thank God!” Alexis said loudly, then covered her mouth. “Oops, sorry!”
“No need to hush now, bitch. You already woke me up,” Jazmyn grumbled. She turned around to face Alexis with a smile on her face. Alexis dove forward and wrapped her up in a hug. I smiled as I looked at them.
“Alexis, is Marc here?” I asked her. I wanted to give them a little private time.
‘Yes, outside,” she said, not even bothering to look at me. She sat down on the bed right next to Jazmyn and they started chattering away. I took one last look to make sure that Jazmyn didn’t need me and walked out the door.
Once I stepped out, I saw there were three men dressed in all black with shades on, like they were the Secret Service, standing by the door of Jazmyn’s room. I frowned my face as I wondered what that was about.
“Kingston, what’s happening, man?” I turned sharply towards the voice and saw Marc walking up to me with his hand out.
“Hey, Marc. Not much.” I grabbed his hand and shook it. “Just glad my baby made it through.”
“Yeah, Alexis wasn’t going to let me see tomorrow if I didn’t fly her ass down here to see Jaz.”
“Yeah, I bet,” I chuckled. “What’s with the militant looking motherfuckers at the door? Y’all become the First Family overnight or some shit?” I laughed as I looked at Marc. His face stayed serious and my face went neutral as I sensed something was up.
“There are a few things you don’t know but just know that I need to keep my family safe and these men are here to help me,” Marc responded.
I nodded my head, thinking about Jazmyn. “I know what you mean. Jazmyn has something similar going on with her and I am going to protect her. Some people made her do this shit to herself and I won’t stop till I crush their asses.”
“You’re an attorney, right?” Marc asked me. I nodded my head. “And a pretty good one, too?” I nodded again. “And you’re saying that Jazmyn is in trouble and you need to find out who all was involved so it can be handled, right?” I nodded again. Marc thought for a minute. “I think we can help each other.”
Before I could respond, I heard heavy footsteps heading our way. I looked up and saw Zo walking towards us with Kaylen next to him. Both of them had sour looks on their faces and were walking so far from each other that you couldn’t even tell they were a couple if you didn’t already know. Once Kaylen saw us standing up front, her eyes lit up.
“Hey, Marc…Kingston,” she greeted us. We both nodded at her before she turned her attention to Jazmyn’s room. Without another word, she opened the door and darted in. We heard a collection of squeals coming from the women in the room.
“The gang’s back together, huh?” Zo said. He reached out to shake my hand, then Marc’s.
“Yeah, from the looks of it. What’s going on with you, though?” I asked him, cutting my eyes to Kaylen with a smile on my face. He smiled back at me with a little chuckle. Marc joined in with the laughter.
“Man, you know women. Kaylen’s ass has been at my throat for the past few days. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. I’m like, damn! Can I live?” Zo put his hands in the air as he asked the question.
“Man, join the damn club. Alexis found out that I have money she didn’t know we had and she’s pissed at me because of it. What woman in the history of the world would get mad because she has an elevator in the house and a salon downstairs? Only my damn wife,” Marc laughed. Zo and I laughed along with him.
“No offense, Marc, but that’s some backwards shit. I wish Jazmyn’s prissy ass would find out I had some hidden riches somewhere. Her ass would be on a shopping spree spending up the cash before I had a chance to show her a damn elevator.” We all laughed again. “But in all seriousness though….an elevator? Y’all hit the damn lotto?”
“Naw, not exactly. But you know what? I’m glad both of y’all are here. I was thinking on some things and I need to talk to you both about it. It’s concerning business,” Marc said quietly.
Zo gave me a look and I shrugged as I looked back at him. I had no idea what Marc wanted to ask us. Marc and I had exchanged words from time to time, but we weren’t best friends or anything. Our girls were and we hung out because of that. Same with Zo. I knew of him and met him from time to time, but for the most part, we didn’t talk about anything below the surface.
“There aren’t that many people who I can trust. But I know you love Jazmyn and you love Kaylen. Alexis loves the both of them and I’m sure that won’t ever change. Anyways, Alexis wants to take Jazmyn up to New York with us if she agrees.”
“To New York, but—” I started, then I shut my mouth.
“Jazmyn will need time to recover and around the clock care. We have staff that can help with that, plus Alexis will be home to help her. Thing is, I want you to come, too, Kingston,” Marc revealed. He paused as he waited for me to respond. I looked at Zo who was frowning as he tried to figure out what was going on.
“You want me to move to New York?” I asked him. I was confused.
“I have a need an attorney who I can trust to do a few things that will work to the benefit of my company. I can fly you up next week to discuss details,” he added.
I sat quietly and let the thought circle in my head for a moment. There wasn’t anything holding me to Atlanta. With everything that happened concerning Shanice, LaShea, and now Jazmyn, all I had here were bad memories. It was definitely something to think about.
“As for you,” Marc said, turning his attention to Zo, “you have a booming restaurant in the New York area, right?” Zo nodded his head.
“Yeah, it’s doing okay. I actually need to go up there more often to check on it,” he responded.
“Well, I may want to make a big investment in it. But I’ll need to discuss the details with you as well. Can you both fly up next week to discuss?” he asked us.
“Anything to deal with business, I’m down,” Zo answered, he held out his hand to give Marc some dap and Marc returned it.
“And you?” Marc asked me.
“I’m down. As for the job, I’m interested. I’m ready to get the fuck out of Atlanta.”