Page 65 of All In

“My auntie Kormia live in one too,” he said proudly.Jackie’s shoulders stiffened, already sensing where this was about to go.“Well… she used to,” Max added, thinking it through. “Now she live in her nail salon.”He paused for a second before continuing. “My mommy said her bum-ass—”Max caught himself mid-word.“…daddy won’t move out her condo.”Jackie’s head snapped toward the back seat so fast it damn near gave her whiplash.“Maximus. Really.”Her voice came out low and sharp as she stared at him for a long second.Max blinked at her, clearly confused about what he had said wrong.

“I’m not telling our business—” he tried to say.Jackie shot him a look so sharp it cut the rest of his sentence clean off.“Mind your business and stay outta my mouth.” Max sank back into his seat, mumbling something in audible under his breath—and for a second, the car went quiet again.

Jackie kept her eyes fixed forward, feeling the heat crawl up the back of her neck.Cash didn’t say anything. But in the rearview mirror, she caught the corner of his mouth twitch, like he was fighting back a laugh. Jackie shot him a quick look, andCash lifted one brow slightly before turning his attention back to the road.“Kids be messy,” he said calmly.“And so do adults,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.Cash threw one hand up in mocksurrender, the corner of his mouth lifting.“Look, don’t nobody care your cousin live in her nail salon,” he said, unable to hide the smirk.“She don’t,” Jackie shot back quickly, though her eyes met his for just a second too long.Cash didn’t even look at her.“She absolutely does,” he said evenly, eyes still fixed on the road. “So before you open your mouth to lie…”He paused just long enough for the words to land.“let’s just not.”Jackie turned toward him, ready to argue.

But before she could— “Coach!”Fat Daddy’s voice burst through the car from the backseat.Both adults looked up at the rearview mirror, and Max was leaning forward between the seats again.“What floor of the skyscraper you live on?”Cash didn’t hesitate. “The forty-second.”

“Forty-second?!” Max repeated, turning toward Jackie like he needed a witness.

“Like… four-two?”Cash glanced at him in the mirror. “Yeah. Like four-two.”

Max leaned back slowly, shaking his head.“That’s high, Coach.”Jackie’s eyebrows lifted slightly despite herself.“You live in the penthouse or something?” she asked before she could stop herself.Cash shook his head lightly. “Nah.”He turned the wheel smoothly as they crossed another intersection.

“My building goes up to the fifty-seventh floor.”

“Fifty-seven?” Max whispered, sitting there quietly for a second, processing the number like it was something mythical.Jackie watched him for a moment before letting her gaze drift back toward Cash.Forty-two floors.She didn’t say it out loud again, but the number sat differently in her head now. Because Jackie had grown up in this city, and even she knew there weren’t many people in Philly living forty-two floors up.The rest of the ride settled into something quieter, but not uncomfortable.At least not anymore.Jackie let her head fall back against the seat for a moment, finally allowing herself tocome down off the edge she’d been on all night.Her car breaking down again had pushed her past her limit. Then, like an idiot, she left her house keys sitting in the middle console. And if she were being honest, she didn’t have it like that right now to be paying for a locksmith.

Which meant Kormia needed to answer her phone. Andsoon.Jackie sent Kormia a text earlier when they first got in Cash’s car. She assured her the situation was under control and Cash was bringing them home. After that, Kormia’s notifications were immediately silenced, and her phone was clearly onDo Not Disturb.Which was typical Kormia.Jackie pulled the phone from her lap and glanced down at the screen again.Still nothing.She sighed quietly before locking it and setting it back on her thigh.

That was when she snuck a glance over at Cash.Just a quick one.Her original plan tonight had been to keep it cute, accept the ride home, and not say shit to him if she could help it. She wasn’t over the club shit, and seeing him with Zambia today confirmed it.

That, compounded with the apology on the field and them looking like a power couple, unearthed feelings from that night she thought she reconciled.Still, he showed up for her.Handling shit.Like it was nothing.And she couldn’t lie… it softened her a little.Jackie knew Cash didn’t need a damn thing from Target. Everything in those bags had been for Max. The book, the pajamas, even the damn deodorant.Her eyes lingered on his profile for a moment before she looked away again.

Jackie hated how easy it felt being looked after, especially by him.She had already experienced it once today, with Najee coming to her rescue.Now Cash was swooping in to save the day.That made something in her chest loosen in a way that felt both comforting and dangerous.Because the last time she let a man take care of her completely, Marcus had made sure he took itaway from herindefinitely.Cash turned off JFK Blvd and eased the car toward the riverfront towers that lined the edge of Center City.The building itself looked like something out of a movie, it was chrome, glass, anddamnnear futuristic. The architecture was stunning, and all Jackie kept thinking was,damn. So this is how the other half lived.Jackie lived in a condo once, but it was nothing like this. Fat Daddy’s father, Maximillian, owned a condo in Center City, but his was nowhere near the riverfront.It was definitely levels to this shit, Jackie thought as they finally arrived at his building.

A security gate lifted after Cash tapped a key card. Then they drove up to another checkpoint and passed another guard booth. By the time they passed the third checkpoint, Jackie realized this place had more security than some hospitals. Cash drove them down into the underground garage, and Jackie’s eyes widened before she could stop them. The place looked like the fucking auto show. Rows of luxury cars lined the garage like they were on display. Maserati’s. Porsches. Bentleys. Ferraris. Even the lighting down there was different—clean, bright, reflecting off polished paint and chrome.

Cash didn’t slow down. He just kept driving until they reached the top section of the garage, where it opened into a quieter level. Up here, it was almost empty. Just three cars parked across the wide concrete space. An all-black Rolls-Royce Wraith. An all-black Hellcat. And the final car—a matte black Range Rover Jackie had seen on an episode ofKeeping Up with the Kardashians.

Cash pulled into his spot and killed the engine. Before the car even fully settled, Max was already moving in the backseat, practically vibrating. Then suddenly— “Mommy… I’m itchy.” Jackie turned around, and Max was scratching his arms like his skin was on fire.Those fucking leaves.Jackie closed her eyes forhalf a second and prayed this boy didn’t have poison oak. Max scratched harder.

“I probably need to get in the tub.”

“You don’t say,” Jackie replied dryly as he kept scratching like a little dope fiend. Cash opened the door, and cold air rushed in from the garage. Jackie and Max climbed out right after him, Max immediately looking around like he had just stepped onto another planet. “Mommy,” he whispered loudly, eyes wide. “Look at all these cars.” Jackie glanced around again. She had already seen them. She was just trying not to stare. Cash shut the trunk with his hip after stacking the takeout containers like he’d done it a hundred times before. “C’mon,” he said simply. Max had already started wandering toward the line of cars. “Maximus,” Jackie warned. “I’m just looking!” he shot back.

Cash led them toward a private elevator tucked behind a glass security door, and Jackie followed, stepping into the building lobby behind him. Even that space was quiet.Too quiet.No yelling neighbors. No loud music bleeding through the walls. Just soft lighting and polished marble floors that echoed lightly under their steps. Everything about this place screamed safe.

Max bounced into the elevator first. “Whoa,” he said aloud, noticing the entire back wall of the elevator was glass. And not a small window either, but a full floor-to-ceiling panel facing the city. Jackie’s breath caught as the doors slid shut and the elevator lifted smoothly upward. Center City stretched out beneath them almost immediately. Buildings rose beside them as they climbed. The skyline glowed against the dark sky. Traffic crawled below like thin streams of red and white lights.

Max pressed both hands against the glass. “Mommy, look!” Jackie stepped closer despite herself. Philadelphia looked different from up here. The Ben Franklin Bridge lit up in the distance, and the Schuylkill cut through the city like a dark ribbon, catching light from the buildings along its edge. Maxturned toward Cash. “We goin’ to forty-two, right, Coach?” Cash nodded once, letting him press the button. Max looked back out the window, like he was counting something in his head. “Damn,” he whispered. Jackie started to pop his little ass, but low-key she was thinking the exact same thing.

The elevator slowed smoothly before opening into a quiet hallway. Cash stepped out first, and Jackie followed, holding onto Max’s hand as he led them down the long stretch before stopping at the very last door. He tapped the key card, unlocking it, then paused. “Shoes.” Max looked down at his sneakers. Jackie nudged him lightly. “Take them off.” She slipped hers off too. Cash stepped inside first, setting the food down on the kitchen island before returning with two pairs of footies. “Here.” He handed one pair to Max and one to Jackie. Max barely noticed. He was too taken aback by the space.

The living room stretched out in front of them in one open sweep of glass, steel, and soft lighting. The entire wall facing the river was floor-to-ceiling windows. The Schuylkill River glowed below them, reflecting the lights of the city and the cars moving along the expressway like tiny streams of fire. Max slowly turned in a circle. “Mommy…” His voice came out like he had just walked into a museum. Jackie didn’t say anything. She was taking it in too.

The condo felt modern in a way that almost leaned futuristic. Clean lines. Smooth surfaces. Stainless steel everywhere. The kitchen appliances looked brand new, sleek and high-end—the kind she’d only ever seen on HGTV. The entire space wrapped around the windows in a wide-open layout that made the city feel like part of the room. But what stood out most was how intentional everything felt. Near the living room wall sat a neatly folded prayer rug. A digital Azan clock hung nearby, softly glowing with the next prayer time. Subtle Islamic patterns were woven into the wall art and decorative pieces aroundthe room. Quiet reminders of the household. Max had already moved further into the living room. Then he saw it. The circular sectional. The massive couch wrapped nearly around the entire living room like a giant ring. In front of it sat the biggest TV Jackie had ever seen outside a sports bar. Max’s eyes widened. “Oh my GOD.” Then he noticed the sculptures. Two life-size KAWS figures stood near the corner of the room like silent guards. Max looked from them… back to Cash… then back to the sculptures. “Coach…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “You rich?” Jackie closed her eyes for half a second. “Max.” But Cash just smirked slightly as he started unpacking the food.

“You can put him in the tub if you want,” he said calmly. “I know he said he was itching. The guest bathrooms down the hall, and it’s stocked with everything. This food needs to be heated up anyway.” Jackie hesitated. “You sure?”

Cash didn’t even look up. “Yeah.”

“I can put on my new pajamas, Ma,” Max added, already wandering deeper into the living room. “Coach Cash… you got games on your TV?” Max asked. Cash looked up briefly. “After dinner.”

Max nodded like that was a perfectly fair deal and turned slowly in a circle, like he was trying to memorize everything.

Jackie lingered near the doorway. Taking it all in. Jackie knew Cash had money. But this wasdifferent.No wonder Zambia was trying to get in where she fit in.Jackie wasn’t even mad at her.She was trying her hardest not to let the awe show on her face. Because if she let herself really think about it…she might start wondering just how far away Cash’s world actually was from hers.“Alright,” she said finally, pushing the thought down.

“C’mon, Max. Let’s get you washed up.”She started down the hallway toward the bathroom when her phone vibrated in her pocket.Bout damn time.She slipped it out, already assumingKormia had finally hit her back.But when the screen lit up, it wasn’t Kormia.It wasNajee.