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“Submit the paperwork and Kyenna will look over it,” he said.

“I ain’t got time for all that.”

“Looks like you should’ve handled this before it got this far.”

I went quiet for a second because I knew he wasn’t wrong.

“Send me the forms I need,” I said before hanging up.

The nerve of Rah for playing in my face. This shit was embarrassing and now I had to submit paperwork to the same bitch that didn’t like me. Before I knew it, I was pacing again. I wasn’t about to lose this house. Lloyd had sent the forms to my email, so I opened them to look them over. I had to explain my hardship, send proof of arrears, my mortgage statements, and send bank statements. I thought that shit was a little too personal for them to release a small portion of money. I could fill the shit out and wait for Kyenna bitch ass to sit behind a desk and decide if she wanted to approve it or not. I thought of a better idea. I could go to her personally.

I wasn’t about to sit around and wait for someone to approve something for me. I grabbed the foreclosure notice, folded it, and shoved it in my purse. Then I went upstairs and changed into something decent. If Kyenna wanted to play gatekeeper with money that should’ve never been hers to control. I wasn’t filling shit out before I talked to Kyenna. If she wanted all my statements before she released money that belonged to Rah’s daughter, she could look me in my face and tell me why. Royal Flush was only twenty minutes away. I had already called to see if she was in today.

CHAPTER 26

KYENNA

My intentions were not to come in today. I had planned on going to get myself a massage and facial. Those plans changed when one of my managers called and said that a bartender was caught trying to give her friend and her crew free drinks. I had told her to fire her at first, but then I thought about what Rah would’ve done. I decided I would meet with her instead. I wasn’t dressed in my usual business suit because I didn’t plan on staying. Instead of coming through the front and everyone seeing me, I came through the back and told them to send her up to my office. She walked in shaking. I softened my face a little.

“You can have a seat,” I told her.

She looked back at Grif and then back at me before sitting. I opened her file and went over it. She had three children and had been a bartender for years at some of the local clubs. She had been at Royal Flush for a year. So, she was hired right before Rah died.

“Do you enjoy working here?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Please, you don’t have to add ‘ma’am’ on the end. We’re close in age.”

“Okay.”

“How long have you been giving them free drinks? They frequent here often.”

“That was my first time.”

“You sure? I can’t help you if you’re lying. I’m not Rah, and he let a lot of shit slide because he had love for y’all. Not saying I don’t, but I know how to take my emotions out of this business.”

“I’ve done it three times.”

I nodded. “Okay, and how do you think I should handle this?”

“I’m willing to turn my tips in at the end of the night so you can take a percentage of it until I pay it back.”

“You hear yourself? I don’t even take y’all tips from y’all, and y’all still get a paycheck. I appreciate you offering it, but money is not the issue here. It’s trust. My question is, can I trust you not to do it again if those damn friends come in?”

“I’ve already talked with them. It will never happen again.”

“The next time, I will personally fire you. Are we clear?”

“Yes. And thank you for being understanding.”

“Thank your kids when you get home,” I told her.

I nodded for Grif so he could walk her out. My operational manager had sent me an email that she needed to meet with me before I left about an event that someone was trying to book. This would be the first event since I had taken over. I wanted everything to go as it was supposed to. This was going to bring so much money in. As we were in the office going over the contract that I wanted to send, I could hear yelling downstairs. At first, I ignored it because that’s what I had security for. They needed to do their job. Royal Flush was full of grown people with money and alcohol around them. Loud didn’t always mean there was a problem. Then I heard Grif’s voice, and that got my attention because he never raised his voice. He was more of an action man. The yelling got louder, and then I heard my name.

“Please don’t let this be who I think it is,” I said, closing my eyes.

“You want me to go see?”