Affinity

Chapter 44: In Jay We Trust

"Fuck." The word came out reflexively as I jumped and dropped to a crouched frame within an instant. A look to my right showed Jay standing tall, not a mark on him, just fury clenched in his jaw and sown into his eyes.

" Just a warning shot to set the tone, settle down ya'll." Hakim's words were laced with false comedy as he tried to hide his true emotion of anger. There was no doubt in my mind that he was pissed that I was walking in with Jaylen, and not alone as he'd specified. He should've known by now I didn't care to cater to his emotions anymore. Where once our sibling bond had been magnetic, now only the polar ash of opposites remained between us.

" You funny." Jay pointed to Hakim in obvious false humor before turning towards me with an extended hand, " get up sis, he ain't bout nothing." I latched onto his hand and stood to my feet, dusting my ass off to ensure nothing ruined my dress fucking around with this man who called himself my brother.

" I told you to come alone." His gaze shifted towards me once more and I huffed in response.

" And I'm getting sick and tired of you attempting to dictate my life, nobody cares about what you want. Now sit the fuck down and let's get this bootleg ass meeting on a roll, I got places to be." I stalked closer towards the long conference table that sat in the middle of the room. Eight people were seated around its length, with my brother standing at the helm opposite where Jay and I stood across the room. Seeing as how no one moved when Hakim shot at us, usual business decorum had long gone out the window, I could speak however I wanted to.

" Congratulations on the degree sis, I knew you had it in you." My eldest brother sidled around the table one patented-leather shoed foot in front of the other only to be stopped by my favorite brother about four paces from where I not sat in a mesh backed swivel chair.

" You high if you thought you was bout to touch her." I couldn't have said it better myself.

" And you must've did a whole line if you thought someone was scared of ya ass, sit down lil boy."

" The pissing contest is officially over, sit down so we can get this over with." I directed my words to Hakim, who only smirked at my cadence, while I pulled Jay's shirt sleeve until he sat in the seat beside me. I knew the 'lil boy' comment had the potential to set Jay off like a firecracker, and that was not the show I'd gained entry to see on this particular day. If I kept him close enough to me no harm could be done to him and we could both walk out of here alive and together, at least that's the logic I latched on to in order to plow through this meeting without fear over taking me and choking any words from flowing out of my mouth.

" Now that all board members are present this meeting is now in session. Ms. Secretary would you like to tell us the agenda for today." Hakim returned to his position at the head of table and took in the sight of Jay and I's united front as he spoke, his voice dripping of hidden intentions as he did so. I hated that in this moment I could look at Hakim from across a table and still see the parts of us that proved we were related. Nobody told him he could covet my smile or posses my cheekbones, I wished our relation would evaporate.

" Mr. Ever thank you for giving me the floor. We are here today to discuss the actions of the new owner of this company, with whom we hadn't met until this very moment....Ms. Ever."

" First the fuck of all don't speak as if I'm not sitting here. Second, I have the paperwork to prove I'm the only owner of this company, and nobody gave ya'll permission to use shares to rebuild. I sold this shit off for a reason, and I intend to remedy the mistakes you all have made in my absence. I do not, I repeat do not have to be present in the dealings of this company because this is a joke! This is the shit that never was."

" So all ya'll need to pack up camp and be on ya way. I was given this company as a gift and used my earnings from my motherfucking shares to fund my other endeavors so ima need ya'll to hop off this board, dissolve the shit, and move on with ya'll lives. The legal actions against me your attempting to use is pseudo legal logic at its best and nothing more. No matter who all of you are, I'm sure by this point you've deduced that this is all a ruse that stems from issues between my brother and I, count yourself out the family drama while you can." Unsure glances were shared by the individuals in the room to whom I was not related, whispers of uncertainty passing between their lips in rushed tones.

" Your brother?" The woman who'd led us to the room upon our arrival looked up from her seat off to the side of me, with confusion in her eyes.

" Yes, my brother." I answered her question with attitude before the truth in her question finally dawned on me.

" Hold on, you told them I was what....ya wife Hakim? Something along those lines hmmm?" I gripped the armrests of my chair and dug my nails into the material as I saw Hakim using me as a pawn once more.

" He told us you were his wife, that you were trying to divorce him, hijack the company and take his children from him." A white man three seats down from me ran a hand down his blotchy face as he put all the pieces together, they were as much a pawn in Hakim's scheme as I was.

" Anddddddd, I thank you all for your services in erecting this great company, but your talents are no longer needed."

Hakim motioned for two men who'd previously been stationed outside the room to come in. Once inside they, along with Hakim, brandished weapons and went about picking off all those who sat at the table.

" Ab!" I was frozen into fear as Jay rose form his seat and pulled me along with him, screaming my name in an effort to snap me out of my daze.

" Bullets have names Abla, and this...." Jay and I were at the door and almost home free as Hakim finished his sentence, " this one here has the pseudo Ever's name on it." Before I heard the bullet fire I was pushed by Jay through the doors and flat onto my face. I didn't have to turn around to know the thud behind me was a life draining away, I just prayed it wasn't that of the brother I'd only just found. 

There are only a couple chapters left......

More to come....