Kayla #4
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Every set of eyes turned my direction at once, and for the first time since arriving in Vegas, I suddenly felt very small.
“This my girl, Kayla.”
Yayo motioned for me to step forward. “Bae, this Queen, and her sons—better known as the triplets who run this city. Rook, Bishop, and King.”
“It is so nice to finally meet you.” Queen smiled.
“Don’t forget about me.”
I looked toward one of the nearby cabanas just as a beautiful woman stood and adjusted the oversized sunglasses resting on top of her head.
The second our eyes met...recognition hit us both.
A slow smile spread across her face. Mine disappeared.
This was the same bitch who thought dancing all over my man at the club was a good idea.
Standing beside her was that same busted-ass friend from Memphis.
“Well look what the wind blew in,” she teased, walking over. Yayo chuckled under his breath.
“That’s our annoying little sister, Princess.”
“Favorite sister,” Princess corrected before walking right past me and throwing her arms around Yayo’s neck like she’d known him forever. Yayo laughed, wrapping one arm around her shoulders long enough to give her a quick squeeze before stepping back.
“You still extra as hell.”
“And yet...” Princess looked over at me with the sweetest smile she’d probably practiced in the mirror. “We’re still his favorite customers.” I sized her up for a second before redirecting my attention, thoroughly unimpressed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for having me in your gorgeous home.”
“I like her, Yayo.” Queen looked me over approvingly before winking. “She’s beautiful...and she has taste.”
“Thank you.” I returned the gracious nod, appreciating the compliment more than I expected to.
“Please,” Queen motioned toward one of the shaded cabanas overlooking the rooftop. “Sit. Enjoy the food and something to drink while we discuss business, yes?”
“Of course. Thank you.”
I offered another polite smile before excusing myself from the group and making my way toward the cabana Princess had been sitting in just moments before.
The outdoor seating area was just as extravagant as the rest of the penthouse.
White linen curtains swayed gently in the breeze while oversized sectionals surrounded a marble coffee table covered in fruit, charcuterie boards, imported cheeses, and enough expensive liquor to stock a private bar.
Off to the side, a chef worked over an outdoor grill while servers floated around silently making sure nobody ever reached the bottom of their glass.
Taking a seat on the far end of the couch, I crossed my legs and pulled out my phone. If Yayo wanted me to sit back and stay out of the conversation...that’s exactly what I planned to pretend to do.
Opening my Myles Tech email, I scrolled through messages, deleting junk mail and pretending to answer a couple work notifications while my ears remained locked onto every word drifting across the rooftop from the meeting. That little plan lasted all of thirty seconds.
“Cute bag, girl.”
I looked up just as Princess strolled into the cabana. She casually dropped onto the opposite end of the sectional, crossing one long leg over the other before looking me up and down the exact same way I’d looked at her a few minutes earlier.
“I bought the same one last year.”
There it was: the subtle competition, the smile, the fake sweetness. I recognized the type all too well.
“Thanks.” I kept my answer short and went right back to scrolling through my phone as if she hadn’t said another word. Truthfully, I was far more interested in whatever conversation Yayo and Queen were about to have than entertaining Princess and whatever game she thought she was playing.
Queen folded her hands across the table, her composure never wavering as one of the servers refreshed everyone’s drinks.
Unlike the men surrounding her, she wasn’t in any rush to fill the silence.
She let it settle naturally before speaking, knowing full well everybody at that table was waiting on her next words.
“We’ve always honored your word, Isaiah. My husband respected yours, and because of the relationship the two of you built over the years, we still do.” Yayo gave a single nod.
“And you know I ain’t never let y’all down.”
“No.” Queen agreed without hesitation.
“You haven’t.” From the cabana, I lowered the brightness on my phone and continued pretending to answer emails while my ears stayed glued to every word. Princess wasn’t finished trying, though.
“So...” she smiled, leaning comfortably into the couch.
“How long y’all been together?”
“A little while.”
“That all?”
“Mhm.”
She waited, but I didn’t care to elaborate. Apparently realizing she wasn’t getting much out of me, she picked up a strawberry from the fruit tray and quietly watched the meeting with the rest of us. Queen took another sip of her tea before setting the cup back onto its saucer.
“But...business is business.” The entire rooftop seemed to grow quieter.
“My investors are nervous. My distributors are nervous. Memphis has become unstable, and instability creates unnecessary attention. Attention costs money.”
Yayo’s posture stiffened.
“The pipeline has become unpredictable.”
“It ain’t unpredictable,” Yayo answered evenly.
“It’s delayed.”
“To you, perhaps.” Queen tilted her head. She reached for a folder resting beside her chair and slid it across the table.
“I was contacted.”
My thumb froze over my phone screen. She never said by who but she also didn’t have to. The way Yayo’s jaw tightened told me he already knew who she was talking about.
“I don’t conduct business in chaos,” Queen continued.
“Not when I have families depending on me, employees depending on me, and an entire operation that requires stability to function.”
Princess leaned a little closer toward me. “You don’t talk much, do you?” I kept my eyes on my phone.
“Depends on who I’m talking to.”
“I like you.” She laughed softly.
“I’m sure.”
Across the rooftop, Queen continued. “The current shipment, we’ll take as promised, especially since it’s already been paid for.” Yayo relaxed a little.
“But after that...I’m putting our business on hold until your business in Memphis settles.”
“What?” Yayo’s chair scraped against the stone as he leaned forward.
“Queen, we’ve been doing business too long for you to pull some shit like this.”
She remained still and never raised her voice. “Isaiah.”
“I built this relationship with your husband.”
“And I intend to honor it.”
“You know ain’t nobody moving product with the quality the way I do.”
“I do.”
“You know I’m the reason—” She gently raised one finger, halting whatever he planned to say next.
“You are still my preferred supplier, however preferred isn’t permanent.”
Even from where I sat, I watched the color drain from his face. Queen folded her hands together again. “My loyalty belongs to my husband’s legacy first. That loyalty is the reason we’re honoring the final shipment as agreed.” She leaned back in her chair.
“You have until my warehouses empty. After that...” Her eyes locked onto Yayo’s. “I’ll find someone whose war isn’t bad for business.” Yayo opened his mouth, but for the first time since I’d met him...he didn’t have an answer. Queen stood from her chair.
“The clock is ticking.” She looked toward the cabana.
“Princess.”
Princess stood, smoothing down her dress before casting one last curious glance in my direction.
She studied me for a brief second, almost like she was trying to figure me out, before rejoining her mother and brothers without another word.
One by one the triplets rose from their seats.
The meeting was over because Queen had decided it was over.
I slipped my phone into my purse before walking across the rooftop until I came to stand beside Yayo. His eyes never left the skyline in front of him as the Vaelorian’s disappeared back inside the penthouse, leaving the two of us alone with the weight of everything that had just been said.
The ride back downstairs was eerily quiet.
Neither one of us said a word as the elevator descended through the building, and by the time the doors opened in the lobby, I could practically feel the frustration radiating off Isaiah.
The same security guards who’d greeted us earlier returned his weapons without so much as a second glance.
He checked each one out of habit before holstering them again and motioning for me to keep walking.
The valet had the truck waiting by the time we stepped outside.
Neither one of us spoke during the drive back to the Bellagio.
Vegas rushed past the windows in a blur of flashing lights, luxury cars, and tourists chasing a good time, but Isaiah never looked up once.
His fingers tapped impatiently against the center console while his jaw remained locked so tight I thought he might crack a tooth.
Every now and then he’d glance down at his phone before tossing it back down with an irritated grunt.
I didn’t have to ask what was bothering him.
Queen had just put his entire operation on pause.
Whatever business he planned to expand out here had been ripped right out from underneath him because of everything happening back in Memphis.
She hadn’t questioned the quality of his product.
She hadn’t questioned his integrity. She questioned his stability, and judging by the look on his face, that hurt him more than anything she’d actually said.
By the time we got back to the hotel, the tension between us had become suffocating. Isaiah walked into the suite first, tossing the keycard on the kitchen island before pouring himself a drink. He didn’t even bother taking his jacket off. I watched him for a long moment before finally speaking.
“You know...maybe she’s right.” He stopped mid-sip.
“What?” I slowly walked farther into the room.
“I said maybe she’s right.” He turned toward me, glass still in his hand.