Chapter 23 Ayanna
twenty-three
Ayanna
Ikissed my mama goodbye on the front porch, promising her I’d be back in a few days now that I wasn’t being held hostage.
Well… hostage was a bit of an exaggeration. I wasn’t tucked away in our home anymore staring at the four walls. So, I called that a win.
Today I was out handling business with my security, Sham and Arlo.
Visiting my parents and checking on my father’s progress was just one of the many things I had planned today.
Not to mention stopping by my former assistant’s home, and maybe even grab a drink with my girl Tasha later in the day. That is, if time permitted.
“Bye, baby. I’ll call you if anything changes.” My mother squeezed my hand, reminding me of the reason for my visit.
She had been feeling discouraged.
While she tried to put on a brave face, most days I wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure me, or herself.
The constant worry had been in her eyes since the day the doctor told us it would be a long road for my father.
The silent cries hadn’t been so silent. And the courage hadn’t been so unwavering.
Honestly, I had been preparing myself for the unthinkable but had been trying to keep a positive outlook for the sake of my Mama.
Because Antoinette Reed was our rock and if she was shook, then our whole family would crumble.
“Okay, Mama,” I smiled softly, trying to portray a strength I didn’t quite feel, looking past her to the front window, where my father used to peer out just to make sure his goons watched over his favorite daughter.
“And tell my son-in-law I said thank you... again. For the flowers in the garden.” This time she patted my hand.
“That husband of yours is something else. Never forgets a thing. And always finds a way to make even the smallest gestures feel huge. Tell him it’s keeping me busy and my mind occupied. I appreciate it.”
I blinked, surprised. “He didn’t say anything to me about that.”
She smiled faintly, folding her arms over her waist. “Doesn’t surprise me. He’s just like your father. He saw an issue and he just handled it.”
It wasn’t a secret that my mother enjoyed gardening.
It’s why her lawn was always immaculate.
She’d been that way for as long as I can remember.
And now, he was making sure she had something to focus on while we basically waited for my father to either improve or sadly pass away.
It was comforting to know that Teo was so attentive to her needs, even when I wasn’t around.
“Anyhow, they just showed up last week... hydrangeas, lilies, and peonies. You know how much I love those blooms? Tell him I appreciate it.”
“I’ll tell him, Mama.” I told her, walking down the steps and to the waiting car where Sham and Arlo stood speaking to the men that guarded my childhood home.
This was one of the biggest adjustments since being a teenager — having grown men follow me around like I was some kind of high-profile figure.
I hadn’t had this level of security since I was eighteen, back when my father was still grooming my brother, and I was able to dream about living a quiet life.
A life that I managed to carve out but never seemed quite complete.
Back then I could pretend this lifestyle didn’t touch me, but not so much these days.
Taking a deep breath, I slid into the car, preparing for my next destination.
Sham was quiet, easing himself into the passenger side of the Escalade.
And Arlo, my newest addition to my security team, took his position in the driver seat.
Both of them were scary, but in different ways.
Where Sham was a massive man cloaked in a suit and tie, he was intimidating in a formal, almost silent way.
Arlo, on the other hand, had a more casual demeanor.
Just looking at him you’d automatically place him in a category that didn’t scream killer.
But that smooth baby face will fool you. He was formidable as they come.
“Arlo, could you take me to Constance’s place next?” I asked, leaning back into the seat and crossing one leg over the other.
He glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “Address?”
It was clipped but not rude. I’d learned over the past few weeks that Arlo didn’t do small talk. Which was fine with me. I suppose years in this life had hardened him in ways I’d likely never fully understand.
“I got it,” I murmured, already reaching for my phone to pull up the text Constance had sent me last week.
Sham’s attention was on me. Likely waiting to see what side of town I wanted to visit, so he could assess.
And determine if that area was a threat.
I already knew once I told him, he was going to advise against it.
But that didn’t matter because I wasn’t asking for permission.
I needed to see her before I left town again.
Calling and texting wasn’t doing anything for my guilt. I owed her an apology. In person.
My employees were never supposed to get caught up in anything outside of bridal gowns, engagement rings, and brides saying, ‘I do.’ The least I could do was show my face, look her in the eye, and offer a sincere apology.
Just as the address pulled up on my screen, a different name lit up across the top. The notification lit up my phone and damn near covered the text I was looking for.
karleystillthatgirl added to her story... view now
I didn’t click it right away.
My thumb hovered over the notification, completely making me forget about my actual task.
Visiting Constance was a goal of mine, but this Karley chick had been on my radar since my cousin told me she’d been boosting my stolen goods across the city like she didn’t know whose last name I held.
Before I was a Donatelli, I was a Reed. People around these parts knew not to fuck with my family.
Even if I hadn’t been in the game, enough people knew to steer clear of my boutique. It had been that way since I opened it.
It was already bad enough I had been violated, and the store was vandalized over someone on a power trip. But what made it worse is that Karley, likely and unsuspecting soul, had no idea she’d inserted herself unknowingly into a war, and selling my stolen jewelry was going to be her downfall.
Making a quick decision, I clicked on the notification and smiled at her newest story. I’d been watching her IG like a hawk for a week now, hoping she’d pop up in an area my family ran. I was pleasantly surprised when she told the world her location.
“Ayeee! Y’all already know what time it is,” she cooed into the camera, running a manicured hand through the 36-inch honey-blonde bust down. “Back by popular demand... y’all been blowing up my shit asking when’s the next two for one. And I got y’all... my babies.”
Her soft waves bounced over her shoulder as she tilted her head with a smug little grin.
Turning her camera, she caught the front of a freshly painted salon with a bright pink and black sign reading Glitz N Glamz Beauty Bar.
A sandwich board stood by the door, and in bold colorful letters, it said: TWO FOR ONE FRONTAL SPECIALS!
Underneath looked like a menu, but it was actually the salon’s list of services and price list. If I wasn’t so annoyed with the woman whose face filled my screen, I may have been inclined to check out the services myself.
When her face came back into the frame she continued. “Shoutout to my cousin Jasmine, y’all. New shop just opened up and yes, baby she is booked and busy. Seats are filling fast. I need y’all to buss up. She got some of the baddest stylists in the city ready to get you right.”
She lowered her voice, leaning closer to the phone like she was about to tell some ground-breaking secret. “If you tryna get right or just tryna keep up with me... you know where to find me. Don’t act like I ain’t try to put you up on free game. Pull up.”
The story ended with her blowing a kiss to the camera and giving a little finger wave. As the camera faded to the next story, one particular stylist in the background looked real damn familiar.
“Arlo, change of plans. Take me to Glitz N Glamz Beauty Bar on Hammond.” I told him pulling up my brother’s contact and calling him.
Arlo didn’t even question my moves, just made a quick U turn and headed straight for the salon.
The phone barely rang before my brother answered. “What’s good Yanna?”
“Hey... quick question. You still fucking with Jazzy?”
There was a short pause. I could practically hear him blinking on the other end. “Who?”
I sucked my teeth. “Nigga.” And he laughed.
“Don’t play dumb, Bash. I’m talking about Jasmine with them cheap ass lashes and tight ass catsuits. Looking like a damn discount stripper.”
This time his laugh was loud. “Damn Yanna. Why she gotta be all that?” Another chuckle rumbled through the phone. When he calmed down, he said, “Yeah... I let her slide through every now and then. Why, what’s up?”
I exhaled and went into how she was connected to the chick that stole from my boutique.
It took a minute, but I ran down everything.
From seeing our cousin at a club, the night before my wedding, then to finding Karley on social media, all the way to how I had to convince Teo I had this under control.
Especially with everything else going on.
He didn’t need to worry about me in this instance.
If I was going to stand by his side, as his equal, he had to trust me to handle small shit like Karley.
She wasn’t nothing but a two-bit hustler. Light work really.
Once I finished, he was quiet. Not for long but enough for me to understand he was processing, and likely contemplating moves to handle Karley himself. But he also had to let me stand on my own two feet. If this was the life I was destined, I had to prove that I could handle it.
“I got it Bash. Just like I told Teo. Just tell me if that shop is one of ours?”
“Yeah.”