Page 13 of Rich and Rotten

What started as an ordinary day turned chaotic as I rushed to Tatiana’s condo, catching her right before she was about to shower, then hurriedly brought her and Nazira back to my place. I always protected them, but now I felt an even stronger duty since Karim was no longer here. I’d kill for them without hesitation.

Yaya flopped into a chair with her purse still on her shoulder, staring at Tatiana.

“Shit. Is he alright?”

“His security has taken him to a safe location until they can figure out who would want to hurt him.”

I scoffed while pacing near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking FDR Drive and the Brooklyn Bridge.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Yaya’s voice drew my attention from the view to her sexy, pink, pouty lips.

“There’s a long list of niggas who would want to get at his ass,” I replied.

I could feel her doe-shaped eyes following my every move, but she quickly looked away when I turned to meet her gaze. Yalina liked to play games. She would try to act like she wasn’t interested, but the way she sucked in her breath whenever I was near told me that she wanted me. One time, my body brushed against hers while I was grabbing a cup from the cabinet, and I swore I heard a moan escape her lips. It was no secret I wanted her just as much as she wanted me––well, maybe to her. I only allowed the games because I knew Yalina wasn’t ready for what I was ready to give her, and one reason was because of Sav. She was the one thing standing in the way of Yalina and me having what we truly wanted––each other. Yalina, being the loyal type, I knew she wouldn’t just leave her years-long relationship with Sav for an uncertain future with me. But I also knew––based on the phone conversations I overheard between them––that Yalina wasn’t happy. Whenever I was around while she was on the phone with Sav, Yalina always sounded withdrawn and never excited.

“Jonah,” Tatiana said, gently squeezing my forearm.

“Tati, I’m not going to front. Your pops has his hands in a lot of shit––some shit even Raphael didn’t know about. So, there’s no limit to who might want to hurt him,” I said. Then, as I walked back over to the windows, I muttered, “Hell, I want to get at his ass, too,” making sure to say it low enough so she wouldn’t hear me.

I wasn’t a big fan of Malcolm Rich, and honestly, I didn’t trust him. He was always doing too much. Karim shared the same feeling when he was alive and wasn’t crazy about the guy either. We only tolerated him because he was Tatiana’s father. Malcolm may have clawed his way out of the trenches, but a nigga never forgets what he did to get to the top. He found a way to leech off every possible person higher up than him.

She groaned as I returned to her side. “Am I supposed to hide in the house for the rest of my life because of whatever he has going on?”

“No, but I’m getting security for you and Nazira. I’m not taking any chances.”

Tatiana looked up at me. “Someone with us all the time, following behind us everywhere we go? You know how I feel about that. I argued Karim down about it.”

“Um, that’s what security is supposed to do, Tati.” Yaya chuckled as she slipped her bag from her arm and placed it on the floor beside her feet. “Jonah is right. We don’t know what your father is mixed up in, and with you basically being the head of the Sterling family, we can’t take any chances when it comes to your safety.”

I looked over at Yalina. “Well, I’m glad you agree––because you’re moving into my crib in Greenwich so I can make sure you’re safe, too.”

She choked on her words. “Excuse you?”

I looked over at her while licking my lips. “Don’t believe I fucking stuttered, Yalina. You live alone, and you’re Tati’s best friend. You don’t think they would come at you, too? Shit, we don’t even know who they are.”

She folded her arms and poked that sexy-ass lip out. “You’re not the boss of me, Jonah. I’m a grown woman who is capable of taking care of myself.”

“I don’t care how grown you are––I’m gonna make sure no harm comes to you. You can have all that ‘independent woman’ shit, but when you’re in my presence, kill all that noise,” I replied.

She looked away from me, breaking our intense staredown.

Tatiana looked at Yaya and then at me. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Nah,” I responded, never taking my eyes off my baby.

She was trying hard not to look at me because she knew I was right. Sav was in prison and couldn’t protect her. What was she going to do from behind bars? Hell, she hadn’t done much of shit for Yalina besides stress her since she was sent away.

If she had listened and taken the damn lawyer I offered her, she wouldn’t have gotten as much time as she did. Instead, she followed her paid lawyer’s advice and is serving more. Sav’s pride was as tall as Shaq, and that shit irritated me. Always puffing out her chest like she was the biggest thing walking the earth, but she was only put on because Karim had a soft spot for her. She was homeless and staying with friends until Karim offered to help change her life.

Tatiana sighed. “I guess I should call my father and ask him to send over some of his security for me and Nazira.”

“Negative,” I said, glancing at Yalina as I pulled out my phone to check the text message I received.

“What do you mean?” Tati questioned.

Yalina finally looked at me as I was replying to the text.