King of Diamonds

Cressida did

with every breath. Mia Lennox had been in heels since 8 a.m., running through open houses in Northside condos where the ai

was on h

stand on 143rd floated in the air like perfume. Mia walked with purpose, her purse bouncing against her hip, curls pulled into a messy pineapple puff,

passed had som

you workin'

you a drea

it the corner and spotted the hand-painted sign of Jasmi

ugh the glass d

ir grease, mango b

pressing a teenager's roots with one hand and texting with

muttered, kicking off her heels near the door. "You k

lynn lifted her phon

Rae said, legs crossed, baby hairs laid, acrylics

like sugar and something with a warning label. Rae was the

toward the empty

bless this head. You want

d. "Big. Bounce. 'I make

d. It felt

to Jasmine's expert hands. The feeling of warm water

em through the mirror. "Gue

ne and Mia sa

He said he mis

ay?" Mia asked, alr

sed it too. The

near dropped

re a d

h standards,

ard she had to c

ing listings, surviving commission checks, and holding her shit

ret lingerie side hustle, Jasmine's latest sneaky link with a marr

eyes just as th

ia Mo

ades, and an off-shoulder white tee with a graphic of Biggie on it. Her dark hair w

in a mock-royal acce

" Rae said, grin

onably

ir in a cotton tee. "Where you been, Le

in Montclair dealing with my mother's latest breakdown. Lucia w

all h

ed a comb. "

pectable' in my life. As if I'm n

ia's stomach twinged-b

Mor

s older

uth Cressida circles. The man who ran casinos like card tricks, who cleaned blood o

er seen him

d him-and from Alessia's random cryptic menti

was Alessi

ig d

e out tonight? There's a soft opening for one of Ro's new spots dow

mine both t

hesi

She had laundry. She had...

laughter, at the way the evening light made the

new spot lingered in her min

a said finall

t, the night star

e salon two

jeans and a cut-out crop top. Jasmine shut down the shop early, sliding on glossy red lipstick in the rearview of her p

ers queuing outside velvet ropes. But when they pulled up to Velour, there was no line-

the air

hrummed through the floor like a heartbeat. Every server was dressed in black silk. Every guest looked lik

rounded by men in suits and women in

n Mo

opped

no tie. His hair was slicked back, his jaw carved like ancient sin, eyes a cool storm beh

ooke

t at

ia forgot the city, forgot her curls

, Ro looked at her lik

't even sai