by Tya Marie
His chin pointed at Kelsey, who was sitting in the car, staring out the window. Funny how he was asking me a question that should’ve been directed toward her. As far as I was concerned, Kelsey was playing games with me since inducting me into The Trust. Over the last six months she fed me with a long-handled spoon, keeping me on a need-to-know basis although I showed her every chance I got that I was worth paying attention to. I moved more weight through my assigned territory than anyone before me. You would think with those kind of numbers I would get more than a simple “Good job, Peace.” For a hot minute I considered the chemistry we shared in DC had evaporated since she got back with her ex. However, her visit to the hotel to have dinner said different. I still had a chance, I just had to strike while the iron was hot.
“What took the two of you so long?” Kelsey asked, her brow furrowed with suspicion.
“We were checking the place to make sure there was no surveillance footage. Burna thought he saw a camera in the foyer,” I lied easily, putting the car in drive and pulling off. “Burna already put the word out that we’re looking for G’s sons. It won’t take long for somebody to figure out where they are.”
“I thought you said using a BOLO is amateurish?” Kelsey quipped.
I rolled my eyes. “For the product, yes. To locate a person, no.”
“Well, it might not be needed. I spoke to Nicole and she has a good idea on how we might be able to flush out whoever stole the weight. She wants to meet at the bank.”
Nicole. Fuck. I should’ve known better than to drag this out. Kelsey was easy to manipulate. Her standing within the organization made it easy to convince her to step back and let everyone else handle everything for her. Nicole didn’t play by those rules. She was a legend amongst the hittas to come before and after her, acting as Urban’s enforcer for as long as I could remember. While niggas were tryna come up and get their feet wet in the game, Nicole was focused on damage control. She never wanted work, or to take over property—her heart was in protecting Urban. It was the reason why she couldn’t be bought with promises of a piece of the pie, which made her the most dangerous person to cross paths with. I had to improvise on the fly by making sure nothing came back to me.
“You don’t trust my capabilities?” I questioned her, trying to flip the script. “I got us this far, and other than G being dead it’s more than you had an hour ago.”
Kelsey cut her eyes at me. “Peace, it wasn’t my intention to offend you, but this is bigger than the both of us. I need to find my shipment, meaning I need every extra pair of hands I can get. You know Nicole, and I know you know her track record. If we do the impossible and get this shipment back, it’s a good look for all of us.”
“You’re right,” I admitted, because she was right.
Gaining Kelsey’s trust was the point of this heist, and if I could impress Nicole that was a plus. Aside from Urban and Koi, Nicole was an unofficial gatekeeper to The Trust. She was the one who vetted prospective members, digging up every piece of pertinent information she could find, and she was the one to sever those ties as well. Unlike Kelsey, Nicole had an eye for deception. Both of hers were transfixed on me as we entered Marsecco’s, the restaurant used by The Trust in the event of an emergency. The members came from different walks of life—from teachers to priests—and no one would think twice at any of us stopping in for a sandwich.
“Good afternoon,” Kelsey greeted the group, going into business mode. “Sorry for interrupting your weekend, but we’re suffering from a crisis. The shipment was stolen.”
There was a collective gasp throughout the room. Mrs. M, a hair salon owner based in the Bronx, was the first one to raise her hand. Unlike the last set of Trust members, this time around Kelsey made sure there was plenty of female representation. These members understood the changing of times, how black women were cornering all markets in terms of entrepreneurship, and respected it.
“What does this mean for business? I’m prepping to open another location and I can’t afford a delay,” Mrs. M said in her thick Bronx accent.
Nicole took the floor. “We have two options: we can pay for the shipment in full so we can be sent another one”—noises of dissent erupted in the room—“or you all can pitch in to help find it.”
“Find it?” Mr. D, an older gentleman from Flatbush, exclaimed in a thick Jamaican accent. “Listen, we have plenty to worry about without doing your job for you. I was promised opportunities beyond what your competitors are offering. This is unacceptable—”
Kelsey’s face turned to granite. “Be sure to quote me correctly. I promised you the opportunity to be part of a team like no other, the key word being ‘team.’ If your main focus is yourself and your bottom line, maybe you don’t need to be here anymore.”
“Plus, there’s an incentive for finding the product,” Nicole added on, her eyes resting on every member. They lingered on mine a second longer than I appreciated. “Whoever is able to come up with information leading us to the shipment will be rewarded with twice the amount of their order—for free.”
Ms. K, a cat-eyed woman who moved her product through Coney Island, clutched her literal pearls. “You mean—”
“Yes, you get twice as much product, which is twice as much profit,” Kelsey said, leaning back in her seat. “Do we have a deal?”
“Yes,” chimed throughout the room as the members shuffled to their feet, whipping out their phones to send mass text messages all over the city.
Nicole noticed I was the only one not making a mad dash for the door. “What’s wrong Peace, double the profits not good enough for you? With the way you move work I figured a payday like this might motivate you.”
“Yes, the money would be nice, but it’s not the most important thing to me,” I said, glancing over at Kelsey, who was staring at me, her expression unreadable. “I know what it’s like to be at someone’s mercy. Kelsey has worked too fucking hard to go out this way. I’m on her team; if I recover the product I don’t want shit but what I’m paying for.”
Nicole nodded her head, impressed. “My apologies for underestimating you. Kelsey, from the looks of it, none of them were behind this; they were too excited to find that product. However, this works in our favor because instead of the three of us searching, we now have an entire network. New York City is both large and small; someone knows something and they’ll spill it.”
“Let me see if Burna’s come up with any information…” I checked my personal phone and saw several missed calls from a correctional facility in DC. Nita must’ve been calling for an update on the lawyer I promised her. A single message from him was displayed on my screen.
Done.
“He doesn’t have anything new,” I said, feigning frustration.
Kelsey reached out, giving my hand a squeeze. “It’s alright; you’ve done more than enough, Peace. Whether today is a success or not, you came through for me. Knowing I can depend on you during times like this is important.”
Nicole cleared her throat. I cut my eyes over at her. She ignored me, instead turning her attention to Kelsey. “Koi is working his own contacts in Mott Haven to see if they might know anything. He wanted you to give him a call when the meeting was done.”
“Got it,” Kelsey replied, rising from her seat and making a beeline for the store’s exit.
The stare Nicole hit me with was hotter than the cramped room we were sitting in. She crossed her arms, glaring at me, her demeanor going from hitta to concerned mother. I let out a sigh of relief; this had nothing to do with business.
“She’s old enough to be your child,” Nicole said, her tone tinged with disapproval.
I smirked. “If I was fucking at fourteen. Besides…Kelsey and I are nothing more than friends. You think Urban would let me work with his daughter if I was some kind of sexual predator?”
“I know you were pursuing her in DC.”
My blood ran cold. “Where did you get that information from?”
“Doesn’t matter,” she
shot back. “Kelsey is a good kid with a chance at being the next Griselda Blanco if she wants to. You prowling around her—”
“Don’t make me out to be some type of sexual deviant—” I spoke over Nicole, who continued her speech.
“Telling her you’re down for her, that you don’t give a fuck about the business. You’re going to make her fall in love with you, and in return she’ll give you the world instead of the other way around. I am sick and tired of seeing successful women hand over everything they’ve worked for to a man, for him to run it into the fucking ground.”
A knowing light twinkled in her eyes. She knew. The only way I would be able to salvage my plan was to throw her off track. Sitting back in my seat I stroked my goatee, mulling over my next move.
“I met Kelsey when she was nothing more than a beautiful woman sitting at the bar. The feelings I developed for her are real. I found out she was Urban’s daughter the same time she found out I was his associate. Had I known, I never would’ve went there with her. I’m doing my best to contain my feelings for her,” I said, appealing to Nicole’s past. She wasn’t the only one that did their homework. “You never loved someone you couldn’t have? Didn’t you still want the best for them?”
Nicole’s eyes softened, hardening a split second later. I had her. “This isn’t about me. Kelsey deserves the world handed to her on a silver platter. She is above a work in progress, someone who has nothing and wants to cling to what she’s building. If the feelings between the two of you are mutual I’ll back off, I won’t say a word to Urban, but if I feel like you’re trying to use her for a come up I will hit you with one between the eyes myself.”
“Never that,” I said without hesitation.
I wasn’t lying either. Everything Nicole said in regard to Kelsey was the truth; she deserved better than a little boy who would never be on her level. With my business savvy and her connections, fuck her being on some Griselda Blanco shit: she would own this continent. I was a real nigga willing to do whatever it took to make sure she ate at the end of the day, until she was stuffed and couldn’t swallow any more. All I was asking for was my rightful place beside her, ruling her heart first, and the underworld next.
__________
At 7:53 p.m. the call came through. The U-Haul used to carry the shipment had been spotted coasting along FDR Drive, headed for Harlem this morning. It was returned full, parked amongst its fellow U-Haul trucks, and rented out six hours later. These niggas were crafty, hiding the package in plain sight. Everything could’ve gone wrong, but when you focus on the risks you lose motivation of the rewards. Handing Kelsey the keys to this beat up U-Haul ran through my mind as we approached the warehouse alongside the East River. My tip came through around the same time as Mrs. M’s, who had plenty of connections in Spanish Harlem. She was well acquainted with Mr. G’s operations, although she had never laid eyes on his sons, which was to my benefit right about now.
“According to M, there’s ten of them in there. Eight will be used to keep guard while the other two will be ready to drive once they hear the gunshots,” Nicole said, her eyes focused on the building. “We’ll split into two teams. Burna, you take point on one; I’ll take point on the other.”
“Bet,” Burna replied, setting his watch to five minutes.
Nicole peeped his time, nodding her head in agreement. “Peace? You ready?” I revved the engine of the car in response. “Bet. Let’s do this.”
Burna and Nicole hopped out, jogging to the group up ahead. They were alike in many ways, enough that if Nicole wasn’t happily married, Burna would bag her with no trouble. Shit, if he really wanted her he could easily murk her husband, who was as soft as they come from what I saw. I sipped on my White Castle milkshake, watching as they breached the perimeter. Placing the car in drive, I dipped over to the exit, parking perpendicular to it. The faint sound of gunshots invaded the night sky, too quiet to cause any problems with law enforcement. I jumped at the barrage of bullets coming from a machine gun. This wasn’t part of the plan.
“Burna, you need backup?” I asked through the walkie on my Apple Watch.
No reply.
The warehouse backdoors opened with a boom. Bright lights crept up the driveway, growing brighter as the U-Haul truck sped down the driveway. I blinked once, twice, rolled my window down, and lit up the cabin. The glass cracked under the hail fire of bullets, splintering and exploding under impact. I emptied the clip, reloading as the truck went careening through the gate, crashing three cars down. Hopping out the car, I jogged over to the truck, opening the door and shoving the dead driver aside. In the distance I could see Burna and a few others exiting the building. I gunned it down the empty road, checking my side mirror every now and then. On the third check I spotted five cars in the distance, blinking their lights. Everyone was accounted for. Tonight was a success.
__________
Kelsey stood in front of the mountain of cocaine. She picked up a brick, tossing it up and down as she paced her spoils. I stood there, arms crossed, admiring her beauty. My desire for Kelsey was monetary, but I couldn’t deny how she made me feel. Back in the day when I was growing up, twenty-one-year-old girls had their hands out for their niggas to take care of them. Nowadays they were pushing everything from bundles to boutiques. Women had stepped their hustle up, making it hard for me to ever consider being with Nita again. My future wife had to have a bag of her own, and after watching her fourth revolution around this cocaine, I was sure I had found her.
“Thank you,” Kelsey said, stopping far enough to get a good look at me. “You saved me today, Peace. I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay you.”
I answered with a nonchalant shrug. “I’m not the one who got your product. That was all Mrs. M and her people. We assisted.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to downplay your role. Anyone else would’ve asked what was in it for them. Today, you showed me where you stand, and that kind of loyalty is worth more than this mountain beside me. Peace, I didn’t give you the warmest welcome, but I am happy that you were able to rise above it and show me how you get down.”
I closed the space between us, moving a loose tendril from her face. “I would do anything for you, Kelsey.”
She peered up at me through those long lashes of hers. The way she was biting that juicy lower lips of hers was driving me crazy and I just had to have a taste. I leaned in, grabbing her by the back of the neck, ready to stake a claim on her lips when her phone interrupted. Kelsey snapped out of her trance, answering with a shaky, “Hello? Yeah…we can talk. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Your man calling?” I asked, taking a step back, giving her the space she needed to get herself together. Her lips parted to give me an excuse, one I wasn’t in the mood for. “No need to explain to me what it is between you and him. Like I told you, I’ll always be here for you. Be with him for as long as you need to, and when you’re ready, a real nigga will be waiting right here.”
“Goodnight, Peace,” Kelsey replied, running a shaky hand through her hair. “Are you picking up tonight or tomorrow?”
“I’ll wait until tomorrow. It’s been a long day…” Burna sat in the driver’s seat motioning to his watch. “Plus, my boy has somewhere to be. You good?”
Nicole reappeared with Mrs. M and her team, who fell back to make sure I wasn’t being followed. Kelsey gave my arm a squeeze, mouthing “Thank you” one final time before turning to meet up with the group. Burna shook his head as I slipped into the car. I knew exactly what he was going to say, and decided to beat him to it.
“I know you think it was stupid to give her the win,” I said, catching one last glance of Mrs. M’s people loading up their weight onto a pully. “Nicole was sniffing hard. Taking that win meant being placed under a microscope.”
“No, actually I was going to say you’re feeling ol’ girl more than you wanna admit.” I opened my mouth to argue, and was cut off by Burna. “I’ve never seen you play patient with any woman rega
rdless of what her status is. The reason why she won’t give you any play is because you’re trying from an angle of wanting her title. You’d be more successful if you kept it real and pursued her for her.”
Burna’s words weighed heavy on me. The connection I shared with Kelsey was a complicated one. Yes, I was feeling her, but I refused to settle in exchange for love. If I had to choose between love and power, the answer would be power indefinitely. Today solidified that decision. Regret was absent in my heart as we pulled up to the Harlem brownstone we visited hours ago. Burna and I climbed the stairs with ease, his hand brushing his waist with each step. The door opened as we approached the last step, letting out a gust of wind mixed with cleaning chemicals. The soldier standing guard stepped aside, welcoming us into the now pristine house. The mess from earlier was gone as was G’s body in his chair, replaced by his oldest son, Brute. Behind him stood his four brothers: Evan, Zane, J Reed, and Troop.
“My nigga Peace,” Brute greeted me, rising from his seat long enough to dap the both of us. “You’re still standing. I take it everything worked out fine.”
“Smooth as fuck,” I replied, taking a seat on one of the two armchairs sitting in front of the desk. “How’d you get the smell out of here so fast?”
“Ozone machine and a few fresh coats of paint,” he answered nonchalantly. He scratched the back of his neck. “You coming in here a little light. Where’s the product?”
This hungry nigga. “Burna will deliver it tomorrow. You’re on my team now. The drought is over; we’re all eating together, aight?”
“We better be,” Evan said, his hard eyes boring into mine. “We killed our own father to fuck with you.”
“No, you killed your father to get what you wanted. ‘Cause if someone asked me to murk my pops, I’m not taking the bait unless there’s something worth it to me!” Burna corrected with a warning look.
