“Hell yea. We got a lot of catching up to do” Cannon replied.
Behind Cannon came Riot and Creed King—his half-brothers from his mother’s side, which made them no blood relation to me but family all the same. Cannon was the bridge between two empires, the Banks and the Kings, and having him in our circle had opened doors none of us expected.
Riot ran a winery upstate New York that had been gaining national attention. Creed, Riot and Cannon owned a security and logistics firm. Both of them were sharp, ambitious, and building generational wealth the same way we were.
“Wsup.” I shook hands with both of them. “Glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Riot said. “Not when we’re about to make history with this casino deal.”
Serenity appeared then, looking better than she had in weeks. The dark circles were gone. Her dress was stunning—deep burgundy that complemented her skin. And when she hugged me, it felt real. Not the distant, performative affection she’d been giving us since the whole Julius situation.
“You look good, sis,” I said.
“I feel good.” She smiled, and it actually reached her eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve been so… absent. I needed time to figure some things out.”
“And did you?”
“I’m getting there.” She glanced at Zainab, who Camille was now pulling toward the dessert table to show off her cinnamon rolls. “She seems sweet, Prime. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Ren.”
She squeezed my arm and went to join the other women, leaving me with my brothers and the Kings.
The business conversation happened naturally,the way it always did when you put ambitious men in a room together.
Riot’s winerywould be one of the main wine suppliers for the casino—a deal worth millions over the next decade. Creed’s security firm would handle all the surveillance systems, from the gaming floor to the hotel suites. Cannon’s hotel empire would partner with us on the resort side, and in exchange, every one of his properties—hotels, Airbnbs, vacation rentals—would be stocked exclusively with Banks Reserve spirits.
It was a web of mutual benefit. Black excellence multiplied.
“To building empires,” Quest said, raising his glass.
“To building empires,” we echoed.
We laughed, and for a moment, everything felt right. No threats. No drama. Just family and business and the promise of a future we were building with our own hands.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about Zainab. About whether she was comfortable. Whether Vivica had cornered her somewhere to deliver one of her condescending speeches about “appropriate matches” for the Banks men.
“I’ma go check on my girl,” I said, setting down my glass.
Quest smirked. “Whipped.”
Riot, Creed and Cannon all laughed as if they could relate. I wasn’t whipped though. Just needed to make sure she was good.
Shit. Maybe I am.
I made my way through the crowd, scanning for that emerald dress. The ballroom was packed now—politicians, business leaders, celebrities, all the people who mattered in DC and a few who only thought they did.
I spotted Vivica first. She was standing with her assistant and lover, India. They were doing a good job playing off the truth oftheir relationship. But that shit wasn’t any of my business. I just needed her to stay out of my way. Last I heard she was divorcing her husband and he was none the wiser of her secrets.
Then I saw Farah.
She was angling toward me, that desperate smile on her face, already raising her hand to wave me down. Her cream-colored dress was probably chosen specifically to stand out, to catch my eye, to remind me she existed.
I looked right through her and kept moving..
In my peripheral vision, I saw her face fall. Saw the flash of anger and hurt that she quickly tried to mask.
Good. Maybe she’d finally get the message.
