Jersey spent three hours on a bus with a sore behind, headache, and a growling stomach. She had stashed herself some snacks, but she needed something more filling. She was on her way to see her grandmother, Vivienne, who was currently locked up on drug trafficking charges.
She was fourteen when her grandmother got knocked by the police. Jersey could remember the cops slapping handcuffs on her grandmother's wrist and hauling her off to jail. That was the day her aunt Lisa had to pick her up. After that, Lisa had to fight hard in order to gain custody of Jersey. The judge had sentenced Vivienne to eighteen years in prison, so she wasn't getting out anytime soon.
After getting off the bus, Jersey got checked in and was granted access in the visiting room. She sat on the cold, hard chair and waited for the guard to bring her grandmother out. The steel doors opened and out came Vivienne who didn't look different at all. She ambled over, dressed in her prison attire. Her hair was combed into a ponytail and she sported smooth skin that was filled with freckles.
When she noticed her granddaughter she smiled, showing off the gold in her mouth. Vivienne was a gorgeous woman, but her rough lifestyle and attitude caused an impact on her.
"Look at you." Jersey spoke as she gave her grandmother a warm smile.
"No, look at you." Vivienne replied while surveying her granddaughter. "You cut all of your hair off?"
Jersey touched her short, curly hair and nodded her head. "I did. I got tired of wearing my hair long..."
"Well, that hairstyle suits you. You look just like Terrie. I wish she could see you right now."
Jersey looked down and eventually brought her attention back to her grandmother. People were always telling her that she looked so much like her mom. Unfortunately, Terrie didn't get to watch her daughter grow up.
Terrie Coleman was raised by Vivienne in the same brothel Jersey lived in. She learned the entire drug business from her mom. At a young age, Vivienne taught her daughter all about crack since it was a demanding product then. Terrie learned how to cook it, bag it up, and sell it. She eventually met Jersey's dad, they only stayed together for a year due to his infidelity and jealousy. People on the streets showed her mad respect because she was a real street bitch and easily liked; Terrie not only sold drugs, but she also gave back to her people. Eventually, she moved on and ended up getting pregnant for a married man. Their relationship didn't last, Preach's dad was long gone before he was born.
Terrie's last relationship was with this man from Cuba. Together, they teamed up and tried to take over certain areas of Brooklyn. Their productivity was so great that it caused a lot of connects and dealers to run dry. Terrie was aware of the people she had beef with, but she wasn't worried about it. It was on June 9, 2007 when Terrie dropped her kids off by her late grandmother's house. She was on her way to Philly when she was murdered. The results after the shooting was pitiful. When the cops examined her body, they noticed that she had her pistol wrapped loosely in her hand. She was slumped back with her eyes open, with bullets riddled into her body; A lot of people in Brooklyn took her death hard.
Jersey shook the thoughts from her head and looked over at her grandmother.
"How are they treating you in here?"
"Like a prisoner." Vivienne replied quickly. "I'm not expecting to be treated like I'm living in a palace."
"I wish you were out..." Jersey told her honestly.
Vivienne wasn't the best grandma, but Jersey didn't care. She just felt alone in the world. Her mom was dead, she didn't know her father, and her distant brother was way in Georgia.
"It's going to be a while before I get out..."
Jersey sighed as she thought about her grandmother's sentence. Vivienne had only served eight years, she had ten more years to go.
"I'm going to try to get you out of here..."
"Don't even bother. I know what I did was wrong." Vivienne replied. She felt like applying for an appeal would be a waste of time. She had already served five years in the eighties for a previous drug charge. This drug charge only put the icing on the cake. When Viv was busted, they found boatloads of drugs in her house that could've sent her away for life.
"I don't care..." Jersey replied as she shook her head.
"I'm still gonna try."
"He's not fooling anyone...definitely not me."
Tilly cut her eyes over at Detective Newton. They both walked inside the crowded auditorium. People were everywhere due to the bike drive. Tilly's eyes darted towards Malcolm who was on stage talking through the microphone. Her heart fluttered as she studied his handsome face. He was such an outlaw, but at the same time, he cared for community.
"I want to thank everybody for coming out. This event is something I've been wanting to do for the kids in this community for a long time. Today I'm giving away two thousand bikes—."
Malcolm couldn't even finish his sentence since the crowd broke out in applauses. The community had so much respect for him and he knew it.
"As I was saying, I'm donating two thousand bikes today. I also teamed up with the creator of the Scholarly program in order to help kids who need extra tutoring." Malcolm stated as he pointed at the woman who was over the program. She stood there with a smirk on her face as if she was starstruck by him. He handed the microphone to her and she cleared her throat before speaking.
"Yes—The Scholarly program has teamed up with Malcolm and we are giving out scholarships to students who attends the program. It's a six-week program and you must attend every day in order to earn a scholarship. Children who are fifteen and under gets three thousand dollars and sixteen and up gets five thousand dollars."
"Where is he getting all of this money and shit to afford this?" Newton continued while adjusting his belt.
"I'm sure he works hard for it."
Newton slid Tilly a cautious look. "I've been investigating him for a while Tilly. It doesn't look like he's working hard to me. He has everybody working for him while he makes his drug runs."
"Just...try not to start anything." Tilly told Newton as she rolled her eyes.
"I believe that education is important. It's very important to have." Malcolm stated.
After the speech, kids started picking out the bikes and signing up for the program. It was amazing to see so many kids with big smiles on their faces. A lot of parents were thanking Malcolm for his generosity. He just wanted to help low-income parents who couldn't afford to buy their children bikes. He'd witnessed too many kids stealing and fighting over them. He just wanted the younger generation to think positive and be positive.
"This is nice." Tilly commented.
Malcolm looked over at her and eyed her suspiciously. "What you doin' here girl?"
Tilly smiled and said, "I told you that me and a few other police officers would be here to chaperone. It's my job."
Malcolm nodded his head as he peered over at Newton. He stood there in his police uniform looking all flushed. He spent many stressful years as a detective on the police force. Now, he sported grey hair and wrinkled lines on his forehead.
"That pale motherfucka came just to mess with me. You better tell him to be on his best behavior or I'll fuck him up. Now, I'm trying to stay positive—for the sake of my reputation, but I won't hesitate to handle him."
Tilly scoffed while wrinkling her eyebrows at Malcolm. "Just stop it. You cannot hurt an officer in the public—matter of fact, you can't even touch an officer of the law at all."
He gave her a stern look and said, "Shit, you want to bet?"
Tilly waved him off and said, "Look, don't worry about Newton. Just enjoy your event. I got him."
She turned around to leave and that's when Malcolm got a clear view of her backside."Yeah, and I'mma enjoy that view, too."
Tilly peered over at him and smirked as she walked off.
_____________________________
"You have to start pulling your own weight around here."
Rudy looked over at his older brother as they sat inside Marcus' living room. He lived in a small apartment that was in the projects. His apartment needed to be fixed and cleaned. Marcus wasn't the cleanest man on the planet, and it showed. Roaches were everywhere crawling, the sink was filled with dirty dishes, and he barely washed his clothes. The apartment's scent smelled like urine and ripe garbage, but his brother and friends didn't seem to mind it.
Marcus pulled from his blunt as he sat slumped over on his tattered couch. "I want to know what happened to the money."
Rudy's heart drummed as he thought about the twenty thousand dollars.
"Like I said, I gave it back to Malcolm." He lied.
Marcus scoffed while sitting up straight. "I don't believe you..."
"Well, that's what happened. That nigga fucked me up behind that money. I wasn't about to lose my life over twenty G's."
Marcus grabbed his gun off the coffee table and aimed it at his little brother. His friend looked over at Rudy nonchalantly. He wasn't bothered by Marcus' threat at all.
"Tell me why I shouldn't bust yo' shit open?"
Rudy wasn't a punk, but his adrenaline rushed as his brother cocked and aimed the gun at his head. He sat there with a hardened expression on his face. Marcus continued to aim the gun at his brother as he talked more and more shit to him.
"Come on Marcus—get that gun out of my face man."
Marcus sported a stern look on his face as he held the gun in his hand. "I could've had that money in my hand right now if you had done what I told you to do. I told you to leave no witnesses behind—you let Aaron leave. That was some dumb ass shit!"
Rudy never flinched, he just sat there and allowed his brother to vent. When he had robbed Malcolm's worker, Marcus had specifically told him to kill Aaron, but he didn't have the heart to.
"Aye, put the gun down man." Marcus' friend, Jamar, commanded with a light chuckle.
Marcus sucked his teeth but lowered his gun anyway. He made sure to keep his eyes locked on Rudy who casually sat on the couch.
"Killing him won't do us any good." Jamar continued.
"Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do? Nieko wants his fucking money!" Marcus exploded as anger took over his body.
Recently, he had borrowed money from his cousin, and he vowed to pay it back. Marcus didn't want to take advantage of the opportunity since he knew his cousin was about his money. Nieko was a dangerous gun trafficker and businessman. He owned a restaurant that was located right in Bed-Stuy.
He grew nervous at the thought of owing his cousin money and not being able to pay him back. He had tried to make a profit out of the borrowed money, but he failed. Now, he was looking for ways to earn the money back. His first plan was to rob Aaron—one of Malcolm's workers. Unfortunately, that didn't go well. Now, he was right back at square one.
"I need to get that money...Nieko has been sending his goons over here to see if I got it. Now If I don't give it to him by next week—that's it for me. He doesn't care about me being his first cousin—he'll kill me."
_____________________________
"I don't have enough ass for that dress." Jersey commented as she stared at the mini dress Vena had pulled out for her. It was black—of course—and short without sleeves. Jersey did not want to wear the dress at all. In fact, she hated dresses—she favored pants and shorts better. Jersey grew up a tomboy which is why her style was always sweats and jeans.
"Please..." Vena trailed off while chewing her gum repetitively. "You're going to look good in it. Who cares if you don't have any ass?"
Jersey scoffed while looking through Kelli's closet. She stayed wearing cute shit, so Jersey was going to find something much better than the dress Vena had offered her. She pushed each hanger as she went through the process of elimination. When she found the right outfit, she paused for a minute and nodded her head in approval.
It was a sleeveless jumpsuit that she could definitely pull off. She pulled it out of the closet and thought about her day. She spent most of time in bed asleep until Vena barged inside the apartment screaming about going out and getting fucked up. Jersey had turned down the offer, but Vena had persuaded her into going.
"I'm going to wear this." Jersey announced while holding the jumpsuit up. Vena turned around to look at the outfit as she stuck her bottom lip out.
"I mean it's cute...but I was trying to get you to wear something different. Mamita, if you want a man...you have to do your part by dressing sexy."
"She has a man already." Kelli broke in as she sauntered into the room. She noticed that Jersey had been through her clothes, but she didn't say anything. They were always stealing from each other.
Vena jerked her attention towards Jersey and said, "Who? And why am I just finding out about this?"
Jersey rolled her eyes and scoffed. Dean was not her man at all. She thought they were going to hit off it at first, but he started tripping suddenly. He informed Jersey that they shouldn't fuck with each other because he was back with his ex-girlfriend. She was thankful that he wasn't trying to lead her on, but part of her was crushed. She thought she had met somebody she could be with. Unfortunately, Dean was just like the rest of the niggas in Brooklyn.
"I'm not dating nobody..."
"What about the man that works at Malcolm's bar?" Kelli instigated which made Jersey give her a tight frown.
"Oh yeah." Vena surveyed Jersey carefully, "I forgot that you ran into that problem with Malcolm after we told you not to go up there."
"I know..." Jersey trailed off.
"I already lectured her about it, Vee. You don't have to do it."
"I know that but...I just hate that you got yourself mixed up in Rudy's business."
"Well it happened and..." Jersey trailed off while looking elsewhere. "And I can't take it back—I screwed my life up. That's what I get for trying to help him."
"Come here." Vena spread her arms out and Jersey wasted no time hugging her. "You didn't mess your life up."
"Why does it feel like I did?" Jersey questioned her as she looked around. She didn't show any signs of being sad.
Vena looked over at Kelli and shook her head. "You didn't mess up your life. All we have to do is get the money and pay Malcolm. You won't have to work for him then."
Jersey pulled away from Vena and said, "I believe Rudy has the money, Vee. He just won't give it up. I don't know why his stubborn ass is holding on to it."
They all settled in their thoughts as they tried to come up with a solution.
"Look, let's just put this shit aside." Kelli suggested. "Right now, we need to focus on getting ready for the club."
The girls agreed and decided to get ready. They were all dressed in black since they wanted to walk in all coordinated and shit. Both Kelli and Vena wore their mini dresses while Jersey stuck with the jumpsuit. She paired her outfit with some old jewelry she had lying around, and Vena was kind enough to beat her face.
They packed inside Kelli's Hyundai, grabbed a couple of drinks from this shop, and went straight to the club. By the time they walked in, they were loose and ready to turn up. Jersey looked around and noticed how crowded the club was. Vena suggested this club called—Ryder—she said all types of ballers partied there. Not only was the club popular but it had a beautiful scenery. The owner made sure his establishment was clean and filled with up-to-date furniture.
"Damn, look at all of these cuties...with money." Vena purred in a lustful voice. "My pussy is wet just from looking at them." Kelli laughed and Jersey couldn't help but to shake her head. They pushed past a couple of people and tried searching for an empty booth. Fortunately, they were able to grab the last one.
While scooting over, Jersey noticed a group of girls walking up to their booth. She looked over at Kelli awkwardly as she waited for the scene to play out.
"This is our booth." One of the girls claimed. She had three other girls with her—an Asian chick and two other black girls. They were dressed as if they were going swimming. Jersey wasn't feeling the bikini and jacket combo. In her opinion, it looked a hot mess.
"Really? I didn't see a reserved sign on it." Vena retorted.
"Look." The Asian chick broke in. "Y'all need to get up. Ryder reserved this booth for us"
"Let's just get another seat." Jersey suggested but Kelli objected.
"Hell no, I'm not about to let them punk me like I'm a little bitch. I'm staying right here."
"Then we'll just have to get Ryder over here."
"Get him." Vena challenged the black girl.
The girls stormed off and that's when Jersey decided to lecture her friends. "I came here to have fun...not to start fights with random bitches."
Vena waved her hand and said, "I don't want to start no confusion either but I'm not about to get up because they told me to. Like I said, there's no reserved sign—therefore this booth is free for anyone to sit in."
Kelli agreed with Vena and that's when Jersey decided to throw in the towel. They were always trying to agree with each which burned Jersey up. She looked to her right and noticed that some lithe-shaped man was marching over with the same girls right behind him. Jersey cursed in her head as she sat up straight, she grew nervous as they walked closer.
"Vee..." The guy started with a surprised expression on his face. He gave her the once-over and said, "What's up, girl?"
"You know me—the usual. I just wanted to enjoy your lovely club but them clucks behind you won't let me be great."
Ryder looked back at the girls and noticed their frosty looks.
"They're bothering you, huh?"
Vena just nodded her head and that's when Ryder looked around the table at the beautiful women. Vena—he knew since she used to work for him. Kelli—he had no clue on who she was, but he thought she was gorgeous. Jersey—she looked a little uncomfortable, but she was beautiful. For some reason, she looked familiar to him.
"How about this...you all can give this table up and I'll get you another one."
"But there aren't any booths left. Your club is super crowded." Kelli spoke up.
"I can take care of that..." Ryder announced while looking toward the exclusive section. "I can get you all a table in my section."
"What?" The other girls fumed in a unison. They couldn't believe that Ryder was giving them an exclusive table.
Jersey, Kelli, and Vena looked at each other and agreed to switch tables. They gathered their things and got up. Before leaving, Kelli stopped and turned to look at the other girls.
"Y'all can have your little booth back. Now we got a table in VIP and we didn't have to fuck a nigga for it."
Ryder shot Kelli a look and said, "Come on."
They all traveled to the exclusive section and sat at their table. Jersey was even more relaxed when she noticed how well-put the section was. They ordered a bottle of champagne and their favorite drink. Jersey made sure she ordered herself some vodka and a couple of shots to go with it. Kelli noticed all the alcohol her friend ordered and felt the need to warn her. She knew that Jersey had a history of alcohol and drug abuse. Kelli just didn't want her to go back to that old habit.
"Jersey...you okay?"
Jersey narrowed her eyes and said, "I'm fine, why?"
"You're drinking pretty heavy tonight."
"I'm fine...I just want to unwind and relax." Jersey assured her.
Suddenly, a couple of men made their way inside the section. The girls sat there with bugged eyes when they noticed Malcolm ambling inside with his bodyguard. Ryder met him halfway and they greeted each other with a brotherly handshake and hug.
"Oh God..." Jersey mumbled under her breath.
"Girl, why is your boss here?" Vena questioned Jersey who gave her a look.
"I don't know, and I don't care."
"You want me to go and talk to that nigga?" Kelli questioned her. Knowing damn well that she wouldn't even confront Malcolm. Vena, on the other hand would do it.
"No." Jersey replied quickly. She didn't want her friend getting involved in her situation at all. "I don't want you two in this mess. Let's just enjoy our night—we'll be cool."
Malcolm surveyed his surroundings as he looked over the section sternly. His eyes lingered over to Jersey who was gulping down her drink. He quickly surveyed her and noticed how good she looked. She wore a black, sleeveless jumpsuit with some pumps. Her short hair was moisturized and curly, making her look even prettier.
Instead of bothering her, he decided to head over to his booth. Ryder was his best friend—in fact, they had been friends since they were in middle school. Malcolm was a new kid at school and some niggas tried jumping him. Malcolm wasn't scared at all, but he knew he couldn't fight off four people by himself. Out of nowhere Ryder was right there helping him kick ass and they've been tight ever since.
He put in his order of alcohol and decided to get comfortable.
"It's packed in here; I see you're finally doing something right." Malcolm taunted Ryder who had took a seat next to him.
"Nigga where you been...productivity has been going way past well." Ryder bragged as he looked over his place of business. "We just added food to the menu—you know niggas be wanting to feed that liquor."
Malcolm looked over at his friend and said, "I'm proud of you..."
Ryder nodded his head in appreciation. Their drinks had finally arrived at their table, so they wasted no time drinking their poison. Malcolm cracked open his bottle of Henny, poured it into his glass, and gulped it down. The strong liquid burned his throat and surprisingly—he loved it.
Ryder laughed lightly and said, "Aye, look who's here tonight—by the bar."
He looked over and noticed Tilly sitting by the bar. She was dressed in a plain dress but luckily her shapely body brought some pizazz. Tilly's bouncy hair looked beautiful next to her golden complexion.
"Shit." Malcolm cursed under his breath.
"The fuck is she doing here? Newton must've sent her ass to spy on me." Ryder assumed.
"I doubt that..." Malcolm trailed off. "I'm seeing way too many familiar faces and shit."
"Like who—besides Tilly?"
Malcolm looked over at the table where Jersey was sitting with her girls.
"That girl over there—with the short hair. She works at my bar." Malcolm spilled to his friend. Ryder looked over and noticed Jersey.
"Yeah, yeah—I noticed her earlier. I gave her and her friends that table." Ryder continued while narrowing his eyes at her. "She looks familiar to me."
"Let me guess—you fucked her or something?" Malcolm questioned him.
"Nah man..." Ryder replied. "I just remember her from somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it." He looked over at Kelli who was busy running her mouth and said, "But I want to see what's up with her friend."
"Let's go and dance while we can." Vena suggested. Both Kelli and Jersey decided to take Vena upon her offer. They ambled downstairs and hit the dance floor just in time. The DJ Ryder hired was playing hits after hits which created a live dance floor. Jersey leaned over and shook her ass. Vena and Kelli made sure to hype her. They knew she was highly influenced off the liquor because Jersey rarely ever danced in crowds.
Malcolm looked over and noticed her dancing as well. Her movement was amazing. She was shaped thinly but the way she gyrated her hips was beautiful. His eyes stayed glued for a while until he realized she only had a little to shake. He wasn't going to front and act like she wasn't fucking it up because Jersey was definitely doing that. Her butt wasn't large at all, it was small and fat—and Jersey was making that thang move. He just couldn't believe how free and loose she was acting. At the bar—she barely even spoke, and he was one hundred percent sure she didn't breathe when he was around her.
"I'm going to get another drink, I'm thirsty." Jersey announced to her friends as she spoke over the music.
"No." Kelli shook her head. "We don't need to be splitting up and besides, you don't need any more drinks."
Jersey waved her off and said, "I'm fine. I'll be right over there—just dance."
Jersey marched towards the bar and ordered herself another drink. After gulping it down, she had to go pee. Part of her wanted to let Kelli know that she was going to go to the restroom, but her lower half couldn't wait. She pushed past people as she tried her best to find the restroom area. When she noticed the restroom sign, she wasted no time going in. Two women were inside freshening up their makeup, so she quickly released her urine into one of the toilets.
When Jersey walked out of the stall, she noticed that she was the only person inside. She walked towards the sink, washed her hands, and dried them off. She heard the restroom door slam as she primped in the mirror. Quickly, she looked over her shoulders and noticed the last person she wanted to see. Her eyes bugged as her stomach knotted up immediately.
This tall, dark-skinned man prowled near Jersey as he surveyed her carefully. Jersey took in the sight of him and noticed how good he looked. He was casually dressed, and his body was in great shape. Jersey still couldn't believe the man was looking this good. Three years ago, the drugs had really fucked his appearance up. Now, he looked as if he belonged on one of GQ's magazines.
"You can still do that thing I like with your hips..." He spoke while observing her. Jersey felt a hint of nervousness as she turned her eyes elsewhere. "I saw you dancing out there."
Jersey's eyes fluttered before she spoke, "What do you want, Quintin?"
"I'm here with a couple of friends and I noticed you with your friends too. I just want to talk to you."
Jersey just stood there with her arms folded. She knew why Quintin decided to catch her in the bathroom. He knew that Kelli and Vena wouldn't let him near her at all.
"Look, we ended things the wrong way and I just want to make shit right between us."
She shook her head no as their memories swarm through her brain.
"Just listen to me, please." Quintin begged. "I should've treated you better, but you know I was going through a lot around that time, Jay."
Jersey slid him a guarded look as she listened to him. Quintin's brother died a year after they got together. From what Jersey could remember, Quintin was the cause of his brother getting killed. They had an argument with some guy and he ended up killing Quintin's brother. After that, shit went sour and Quintin started using heavy drugs. He eventually rubbed off on Jersey and their relationship went downhill.
Jersey shook her head, "That's not an excuse. A lot of people lose their siblings and they don't turn to drugs."
Quintin frowned at her and in his eyes, he held a haunted look. That same look that she used to freak her out when they were together. She knew that Quintin was still doing the same shit, he was just trying to cover up his old habits.
"I did it because that was the only thing that could make me feel good." Quintin reasoned. "I just want us to be better than this. We used to be crazy about each other, Jay. Remember that? Remember how we used to make love?"
Jersey stubbornly avoided his gaze as she tried not to think about them being together. He was the first guy she'd ever been with. Quintin had showed her a lot of tricks that eventually led to turning her out. She felt him palming her right hand and couldn't help but to jerk away.
"Come on Jay, I still love you." Quintin stated as he tried persuading her.
"Just leave me alone, Quintin." Jersey tried walking away, but he blocked her from doing so.
"I can't do that." Quintin replied while clenching his jaw. "We need—"
"No, we don't need to do anything!" Jersey snapped while looking Quintin in his eyes. "I don't want to go down that road with you. Quintin, you used to beat me and talk to me any kind of way. I don't want to go through that again!"
He just stood there with a hardened look.
"And let's not forget that we used to do drugs together...We were hooked on drugs so bad that we lost everything. I missed out on the opportunity to use my full-ride scholarship for college." Jersey continued with so much hurt in her heart and voice. "I don't want to be with you...so let's just end this now."
Jersey tried to walk away again but this time Quintin grabbed her and pushed her hard into the wall. She looked at him as if he had two heads and said, "Quintin...get away from me. Now!"
"Go ahead, scream. Nobody can hear you—the music is loud out there."
Jersey looked into his eyes for sympathy, but she couldn't find any. "Why are you doing this? Just let me go."
"I'll never stop fucking with you." Quintin snatched on the jumpsuit Jersey was wearing and ripped the front of it. She gaped her mouth open as she tried to pry his hands away from her clothes.
Meanwhile, Malcolm was having a conversation with Ryder about his business. He nursed a drink in his hand as he proceeded to talk.
"I'm supposed to meet Freddie tomorrow..." Malcolm trailed off.
"You still going to meet him, huh? I know somebody in Flatbush who can hook you up."
Malcolm shook his head as his eyes darted towards his drink. Their conversation was cut short since Vena and Kelli decided to interrupt them.
"I don't mean to interrupt Ryder, but have you guys seen our friend?" Vena questioned them.
"The girl with the short hair—she was wearing a sleeveless jumpsuit." Kelli co-signed.
They both shook their heads no.
"We don't know where she's at." Vena stressed out while trying to call Jersey for the sixth time.
"She might've gone in the bathroom." Ryder suggested.
"We tried to go in, but the door is locked." Kelli explained.
"Give me the keys, I'll check." Malcolm volunteered.
Ryder slid his friend a curious look but handed the keys over to him anyway. Malcolm marched downstairs and headed to the bathroom with Kelli and Vena right on his track. They weren't too fond of him but right now they were trying to find Jersey.
While traveling downstairs, Malcolm noticed Tilly walking his way. She narrowed her eyes at the girls before placing them on Malcolm. Of course, she was upset about him walking around with two bitches. From her understanding, they were working on being together.
"Malcolm..." She spoke.
"I can't talk right now. I'll hit you up later. Just order yourself another drink at the bar—on my tab."
Vena shot her a frosty glare.
Instead of making a scene, Tilly just nodded her head and parted through the crowd.
Malcolm shooed the women who were in line trying to use the bathroom away. Before opening the door, he placed his ear to it and listened. The screams and pleads were definitely not from any pleasure. Malcolm heard a deep voice yell shut up and that's when he quickly unlocked the door.
They witnessed Quintin trying to fuck Jersey right in the restroom. The front of her jumpsuit was ripped, and her makeup was smeared. Quintin's pants were unfastened, and he had ashy scratches on his forearms and face from Jersey.
Malcolm took in everything as his nostrils began to flare. He didn't like the scene before him—he didn't like that shit at all. Malcolm hated men who didn't take rejection well. He hated niggas who raped women. He wanted to blow Quintin's head off but decided against it.
"The fuck you doing to her?" Malcolm bellowed as he walked closer on Quintin. Malcolm managed to push Quintin and cause him to stumble.
"We were just doing our thing in here man." Quintin replied nervously as he turned to look at Jersey, "Right Jersey?"
Jersey just stood there with a horrified look on her face. Her friends cuddled up against her and tried to make sure she was straight. Fear clawed through her when she noticed the menacing glare in Quintin's eyes.
"Did he try to hurt you, Jersey? You better tell the truth." Malcolm commanded while eyeing her as well. "Look at me and not him."
Her lips shivered in fear as she eyed Malcolm. She nodded her head and said, "He—he tried to rape me."
Both Kelli and Vena started to go off until Malcolm intervened. He grabbed Quintin by his collar and slammed him into the wall. Quinton's mouth gaped open as he tried to catch his breath. He dropped down and that's when Malcolm knocked him across his head with a close fist.
Jersey just stood there looking at the horrible scene before her. She had no tears in her eyes at all—just fear. She watched as Quintin laid there trying to catch his breath. Blood leaked from his nose and mouth profusely. Malcolm had fucked him up. He was a tall, ripped dude who lifted weights, so he had a lot of strength.
"Let this be a lesson to you. You better not try this shit on her and no other female. If I hear about you trying this shit again, I'll find you and beat you to death myself." Malcolm threatened him while kicking him in his side. "Now get the fuck out of here and I better not catch you near this club again."
Malcolm looked over at Jersey who was looking pitiful. He walked near her and examined her again.
"You alright?"
Jersey just nodded her head while holding her jumpsuit up. He noticed her ripped clothes and pulled off the hoodie he was wearing. He offered it to her, and she rejected it.
"Take it." Malcolm pressured her with authority. "Trust me, you don't want to go out there with your clothes all fucked up."
Jersey thanked him and pulled the hoodie over her head. She looked over at her friends and said, "I want to go home." They wasted no time walking her out of the restroom and the club.