Aged Love Affair

Chapter 12

Dezurae

Within the hour the guests were gone. Jordan, Kita, Jacob and Trey were all that was left. Fran was sick of the bullshit. Hell I'm with you girl. Two minutes away from his deadline William was banging on my door. Trey opened it to him.

"There was a wreck on the way. I made it though. Do I still have my job? I've done everything Mr. Hollister told me to do. Please don't fire me."

"Put in your damn password," I snapped.

"Its Mr. Hollister's. Its your name. See?"

He opened he laptop and put it in before turning it to me. I took the laptop and sat on my loveseat. I looked through the records year by year. And the more I saw the more I knew my father. The records of the past thirty years were clear. My father's company started the day after I was born. And they don't add up in the least to a legit business. I pushed the laptop from my lap and William dove to catch it before it hit the ground.

"Am I fired?"

I looked down at him.

"Get out of my house and back to your damn job."

He scurried out the door. I looked around to everyone.

"What happened, Dez?"

I looked to Kita as she approached me.

"My father..."

I took a deep breath.

"My father was a hustler."

She covered her mouth in shock.

"And I knew nothing about it. How can a man hide his entire life from someone under the same roof as him?"

"Dez, its not your fault."

I scoffed.

"I was too busy spending his money to care where it came from."

She watched me as I paced a moment. They all were waiting for some epiphany moment. But now that I knew now what?

"What y'all want from me?"

I looked to Jacob, Jordan and Trey.

"I know. Now what?"

"You Hollister daughter right," Jacob spoke up.

I nodded.

"So be his daughter."

"I am not a hustler," I objected.

He chuckled.

"You right about that. I don't mean hustle. Let the money keep flowing through the company. And let the handouts keep coming to the hood like he started."

"So you just want my money," I rephrased. "Right. Because that's what this is about. Not mine and my child's life. What you want payment for sending me to hide in the house? I'll write you a check. How much for your security services?"

"Listen lil rich girl," he gritted.

"Listen lil hustler boy," I snapped back. "Fuck the money! But you not about to think you can run me!"

He went to step toward me and Jordan pulled me back against him.

"Listen," Jacob started calmer. "Your father helped a lot of kids with what he gave to our people. Now maybe you can't relate growing up here. But I'm sure Jordan can clue you in. That money doesn't go to me. Or any other hustler. It goes to the community. Other Jordans who didn't luck up into a program that landed them under the same roof as a possible billionaire. You can't shut that down."