17. Mali
A few weeks later
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“I missed you too, Otis.” I rubbed the happy fur baby as he waggled his tail and barked with excitement.
Between the move and the crazy idea I had to open a second location, my days were busier than ever.
I spent most of my time touring locations and talking to my financial advisor and assistants.
Today was a rare occasion where I could squeeze in some time with my OG clients.
Each one of them greeted me with excitement and love.
It truly warmed my heart. I couldn’t wait to get the second location up and running so I could get back to my roots.
I really loved the employees I had because they all worked so hard and kept the place running smoothly.
I’d also added a social media manager to help promote the business and upcoming expansion.
Social media was a powerful tool that could really make or break a company, depending on how they interacted and appealed to the masses.
Our social media manager, Arielle, was straight out of college, so she provided a fresh perspective on trends and marketing.
Since she’d joined the team, we’d seen an influx of bookings.
“So you just gon’ switch up on me like that, Otis?” Dominique asked as I led Otis to my workstation. “She abandoned you, and I was there through the broken nails and dry coat. I brought you the best experience you’ve ever had.”
“Otis knows where home is,” I rebutted as I grabbed the brush to start his service.
“You sound just like those birdbrained bitches sprung on a trash-ass nigga,” Dominique teased.
“Nah, I hate a he knows where home is woman for real. It’s too many diseases out here to ever happily accept a cheating man back into my home.”
I could not and would not ever take back a cheater. Juda was no exception. He lied about his infidelities for years. He played me like a country fiddle. I knew my worth, and letting a nigga come back to my bed after rolling around in fleas all day was a hell naw for me, dawg.
“Say that shit louder for the bitches in the back,” Dominique hollered.
“Dang, Nique. You done dropped a hell of a lot of B words today. You feeling froggy? Somebody got you fucked up?” Kira asked as she swept the fur into a pile on the floor.
“My bad. I’m a little animated today. My emotions are a little high, but I’m chilling.” Dominique chuckled. She tied a bow into the curly hair of a teacup yorkie.
“What’s going on, mamas?” I asked as I glanced at her.
She shrugged. “It’s nothing, really.”
“It doesn’t sound like nothing,” Kira added.
“But we won’t pry,” I countered.
“Right. When you’re ready, we’ll be here.” Kira swept up the rest of the fur before heading back to the front.
I turned up the volume on the speaker and focused on giving Otis the best spa treatment of his little life.
I sang along to the R&B playlist while I gave Otis boops and rubs throughout the whole process.
My favorite part of the treatment was always rubbing his coat and toe beans down in coconut oil.
“You did so good, Otis.” I tied a bandana around his neck and led him back to the front. I gave him a rope toy to play with until Eric came to pick him up.
The door chimed as I marked Otis ready for pickup on the iPad behind the front desk. My gaze lifted, and the blood drained from my face as if I’d seen a ghost.
Juda’s mother, Marisa, and sister, Jade, walked in with identical expressions. They had their hair pulled into buns with baggy clothes on like they came to fight me or something. It would be in their best interest to turn around and get the fuck out of here, for real.
Just as Juda hardly interacted with my family, I was the same way with his family.
I never had an interest in building a connection with them.
I never cared to get to know them, because the tension had always been present—like they wanted to date Juda instead of being his sister and mother.
It was weird and yet another thing on the long list of red flags with him. Enablers surrounded him.
“Please don’t come into my place of business on no bullshit,” I warned.
“Bitch, you better slow your mothafuckin’ roll.” Jade rolled her eyes.
“Aht, aht. Don’t come in here getting feisty, bitch.” Dominique came from the back with a broom in hand.
While behind the front desk, I hit the alarm to let the on-duty security guard know there was a situation inside.
“Fuck all the bullshit. I want my ones with this bitch. It’s all her fault my brother is fucking dead.” Jade stepped closer to me, but Kira stood up from her seat and acted as a barrier between the two of us.
My eyebrows knitted together in pure confusion as her words played in my mind on a constant loop.
Her brother was dead.
Juda was dead.
“What happened? How did he die?” I asked in shock.
“Bitch, don’t act concerned now. You pressed charges on my baby, and they killed him in jail. It’s all your fault—”
“Boy moms like you are the worst. Instead of holding your fire-starting offspring accountable, you choose to attack and blame his victims.” I shook my head.
“You should have left. You stayed with a man who fucked and sucked everything walking. You were the dummy, bitch,” Jade spat.
“Y’all knew he was unfaithful and smiled in my face. Y’all are the worst type of women.” I chuckled.
“We never owed you loyalty, stupid bitch. We never even liked you.” Jade chuckled.
“Congratulations. I’m prospering, and y’all finna plan a funeral. I hope you have money for a good graphic designer so you don’t have to Photoshop that bastard of a man in front of them ghetto-ass clouds. Get the fuck out of my store before I stand my ground and shoot both of you bird-ass bitches.”
Jade lunged at me, but security finally entered the store and grabbed her by the arm.
“Y’all can leave willingly or unwillingly. The choice is yours.” Christian’s deep vibrato pierced through the room. Jade and Marisa both smacked their lips but knew better than to put up a fight against security.
“I banned them. If either of them comes within one hundred feet of my establishment, I’m shooting them. I don’t care. Stupid-ass bitches confronting me about a nigga who tried to kill me. Oh, bitch!” I paced the floor, fuming with rage.
“Why don’t you go home for the day, boss lady?” Kira asked as she kept her distance. “The animals can feel your rage, and it’s making them restless. A lot just happened, and we don’t want the customers to see you like this.”
“We can hold it down for you,” Dominique added.
I took a few calming breaths but nodded. “Thank y’all so much. I’m sorry y’all had to see me like that.”
“It makes us respect you even more. You’re a badass, for sure.” Kira grinned.
“Text me if y’all need anything.” I went into my office and grabbed my purse, phone, and keys. I sent a quick text to Artez asking him to meet me at my house, before I headed out.
The whole ride to my house, Juda plagued my mind.
It wasn’t my fault they killed him in jail. It was the direct consequences of his actions. He was a serial arsonist. I wasn’t the first and probably wouldn’t have been the last victim of one of his fires if he hadn’t been caught on camera.
Juda was an evil man.
His death directly resulted from karma not being a forgiving person. Karma was a bitch, and death was her sister.
When I got home, Artez was already inside, waiting for me. He had gotten a key weeks ago when we both realized he was here more than he was at his own home. I didn’t mind at all, though. I loved waking up and going to sleep in his arms.
I set my purse and keys on the table by the front door and made my way to the living room.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Those bitches tried to jump me today. Can you believe they showed up to my fucking place of business with bullshit?” I paced the floor. I tossed my hands into the air and let out a frustrated breath.
“Whoa. What the hell are you talking about? Who tried to jump you?” Artez stood up and grabbed me by the arm to stop my movements.
“Juda’s sister and mother pulled up to the shop and blamed me for his death.
Mind you, I didn’t even know the nigga was dead.
I’m not gon’ cry over spilled milk, though.
He was a horrible man, and if someone felt he deserved to die because of his actions, then so be it.
I’m just so pissed they came to my job on that bullshit.
Trying to jump me instead of asking God to forgive them for the role they played in pacifying a man as evil as Juda.
” I ranted to my man as he held me in his arms.
One thing I loved about Artez was how grounded he made me feel through all my heightened emotions. He always gave me the space and freedom to vent to him without feeling judged or a burden.
“Sit down with me, baby.”
Artez tugged me over to the couch and set me in his lap. He rubbed my back soothingly as he took a deep breath.
“Are you about to ruin my day too?” I asked with a pout at the stressed look in his eyes.
“Maybe.”
I let out a huff. “Please don’t break my heart, Artez. I really fucking love you, and I can’t handle losing you today . . .”
“I love you too, Mali. More than I’ve ever loved a woman in my entire life. I want to spend forever with you, but I can’t keep secrets from my future wife. You can do with this information as you please, but I really hope you still choose me.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Rip it off like a Band-Aid. I can’t survive the suspense.”
“I saw the pain Juda put you and your family through. I saw the depression and the heartache and the tears. I couldn’t let him continue to hurt you.
I couldn’t put my full trust in the justice system because niggas like him always evaded the true consequences.
So . . . I took matters into my own hands.
I made a call and made sure Juda didn’t make it to a court of his peers.
I made sure he got his justice a different way.
If you hate me for my actions, I understand, but know I did it all for you. ”
I didn’t know what I thought he was going to tell me, but this was definitely not on the list. Artez was one of one, for real. I was shocked to hear him explain everything to me, but a part of me felt pride and . . . arousal?
“You paid someone to kill Juda?” I clarified.
Artez nodded.
“You risked your freedom for me?”
He nodded again.
“You would kill for me?”
“Baby, I’d go to war behind you.” He pecked my lips.
“I’m shocked, for sure, but I’m also grateful. I’m grateful you put me first. I’m grateful you choose me. I’m grateful you love me.”
“Forever and always.”