Guard the Throne

by Nisa Santiago

  Their tears of grief simultaneously fell to the ground, their heartbreak evident under the bright afternoon sun. The memory of their father would never fade from their minds and hearts. What he’d taught them would always stay with them. He was the epitome of a genuine hustler. Curtis would now live through them.

  After Chris and Citi paid their respects to Curtis, they slowly walked back to the truck parked outside the gates of the cemetery.

  “I’ll promise you, we gonna get the muthafuckas that did this to him. I ain’t giving up on it, Citi. They ain’t gettin’ away wit’ this shit.”

  Citi wiped the tears with the back of her hand and turned to glance back at her father’s grave. She knew her brother’s words were legit. She climbed into the truck and Chris drove off, and they rode silently for a moment. Both of them had a lot on their minds. They had come a long way, but there was still a treacherous journey ahead of them.

  When Chris came to a stop at a red light, he turned to look at his sister and said, “I’m proud of you, Citi.”

  Citi looked at him. “Proud of me about what?”

  “You stepped it up. You came through for the family. Yo, what you and Lola got going on with that crew of girls? It’s crazy.”

  “You’re the one that encouraged me to get involved with the idea.”

  “I know, but you elevated that shit. I know Pops would have been proud of you . . . proud of us. Yo, being a boss is in our blood. But I can’t say the same thing for Cane.”

  “Cane is always gonna be Cane.”

  “And that’s what worries me,” Chris said.

  Citi fell quiet in the passenger seat and stared aimlessly out the window as Chris continued to drive. He glanced at her and thought about their future. He had to set an example for his brother and sister. He knew he had to be the one to pull his family through the fire without them getting burned. He had to stand tall and step into his father’s shoes. He wished he had help, but it didn’t seem to be coming soon; especially not from his brother. Chris realized that Cane was only reliable as a soldier—not a chief— and that had him worried. If something happened to him, there was a strong possibility that Citi and Cane might be doomed.

  19

  Citi got the phone call from Lola late on a September evening. By the frantic sound in Lola’s voice, she knew something had happened. She walked into her bedroom and shut the door to have some privacy. “What’s up, Lola? Talk to me.”

  “Some shit went down yesterday evening, Citi. Misty got locked up.”

  “Locked up? How the fuck she got locked up?”

  “For shoplifting and attempted murder.”

  “What the fuck are you talkin’ about, Lola? We ain’t had shit goin’ down yesterday. I told the girls to chill out. What the fuck was she thinkin’?”

  “Your fuckin’ brother, Citi.”

  “My brother? What the hell you talkin’ about?”

  “Cane had Misty stealing for him on the low, and the bitch got caught up in Macy’s at Green Acres Mall. When the guard tried to stop her, she pulled out a knife and stabbed him three times in the stomach.”

  Citi was boiling over with rage and anger. “What the fuck is his problem?” she screamed. “Where’s Cane?”

  “He wasn’t around. He had the bitch go down alone. I heard he took off from the scene.”

  “I’ma kill that nigga! I told him not to get Misty into any shit. Now he fuckin’ wit’ my money.”

  “I know.”

  “Where’s Misty now?”

  “They got her detained down at Central Booking. She’s in a fucked-up predicament.”

  “Fuck!”

  Citi pranced around her bedroom, her mind running wild with thoughts. What if Misty decides to snitch? What if she takes a plea? She knew there was a strong possibility that the investigation wouldn’t just end with Misty being arrested. Her young protégé decided to go out and shoplift under her own free will. She wasn’t forced. But she was a minor. However, the attempted murder charge was the bulk of her problem. If Misty decided to talk about the operation to get any charges reduced against her, then Citi and Lola had a serious problem.

  Citi stormed out her bedroom and was ready to confront Cane, but he wasn’t home. Chris wasn’t home either. She was fuming. Citi couldn’t calm down all evening. She smoked cigarette after cigarette, waiting for Cane to come home or Lola to call her back with more news about the situation. The only thing on her mind was how Cane had fucked up the one good thing she had going, because he couldn’t keep his dick in his jeans.

  She called his cell phone repeatedly, but he wasn’t picking up. Unable to free her mind from the looming problem, she got dressed and stepped outside for some fresh air. October was right around the corner, and along with the fall season came the holidays. Citi knew with Black Friday approaching in a few weeks and Christmas right after, it would have been a huge moneymaking opportunity. The more she thought about the loss of income she could have generated, the more she wanted to kill Cane.

  She loitered around her building for an hour on the nice, balmy evening. The streets were buzzing with people, hustlers, and residents. She sat on the bench in front of her building and watched the people and cars drive by on Guy R. Brewer. In her tight jeans and top, looking like a hoochie, she generated a lot of attention. Citi was that get-money bitch, by any means necessary. Everyone knew her reputation—sharp with the tongue and wicked in the streets.

  As she sat on the bench, her cell phone rang. It was Lola. “Yo, tell me somethin’ good.”

  “It ain’t good, Citi. I’m gettin’ word that Misty is scared and she ready to talk. Police pressuring her to give up everyone.”

  “Yo, that bitch can’t talk. She knows too much.”

  “I know.”

  Citi was scared. It was her first real situation. If Misty truly cooperated with the authorities, then everyone would be going down, being part of a criminal organization. She was only sixteen, and too cute and too young to be in jail. Citi didn’t know what to do. She had no lawyer to run to for counseling. Her only option was to seek advice from Chris or Maino.

  ****

  The midnight hour came, and Cane came strolling into the apartment. Citi was in the living room waiting for him. The place was dark and quiet. The dim glow from Cane’s cigarette could be seen in the dark.

  When Cane flipped on the lights, Citi hit him with a hard right-hand punch. The cigarette flew out his mouth, and he staggered and fell back against the wall.

  Cane glared at his sister and shouted, “Citi, what the fuck is your problem?”

  “You is so fuckin’ stupid, Cane!” she screamed. “I swear, you are so fuckin’ retarded!”

  Cane massaged his jaw gently and shot a harsh look at his sister.

  Citi was in his face. She attacked him again, swinging wildly, but Cane blocked a few of her punches and moved from the attack.

  “I told you, nigga, don’t get Misty caught up in ya shit.”

  “Yo, fuck that bitch,” Cane shot back.

  “No, nigga. Fuck you!” Citi punched him again.

  “Yo, Citi, you gonna stop puttin’ ya hands on me like that?”

  “Or what?”

  “Don’t fuck wit’ me, sis.”

  “You put me and Lola into some serious shit. Misty’s locked up ’cuz of ya dumb ass.”

  Cane sucked his teeth. “And what that gotta do wit’ me?”

  “If she snitches—”

  “That bitch ain’t gonna snitch on nobody.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Yo, that bitch is stupid. I thought she was ya best booster. I ain’t tell that bitch to stab the fuckin’ guard. Fuckin’ bitch is crazy.”

  “Look who’s talking.”

  Cane marched away from Citi and headed
toward the kitchen. He swung open the fridge door and searched for a snack.

  Citi followed behind him, and they continued the heated argument. Cane tried to ignore her, but she kept getting in his face. Venomous words spewed from her mouth, and Cane tried to resist punching his little sister in the face.

  Before things got out of hand, Chris walked into the apartment. He could hear the argument from the hallway. When he walked in, Citi was screaming her head off, and Cane had his fists clenched, towering over Citi with a nasty scowl.

  Chris intervened, shouting, “What the fuck is wrong wit’ y’all?”

  Citi was so angry and busy bickering with Cane, she didn’t even hear Chris come in. “I’ma fuck him up, Chris! He’s a fuckin’ fool!” she shouted.

  “Bitch, what ya mouth,” Cane responded furiously.

  “Yo, y’all need to really fuckin’ chill right now,” Chris yelled. “What the fuck y’all fighting over?”

  “This idiot done put me and Lola into a serious situation.”

  “What you talkin’ about, Citi?”

  Citi went on to explain the situation to Chris. Chris listened intently while Cane sat on the couch and rolled up a joint.

  When Citi finished explaining the story to Chris, he turned to Cane and exclaimed, “Nigga, you don’t think this shit is serious?”

  Cane sighed heavily and wanted to forget about it, but with Chris getting into the mix of things, he had no choice but to sit up and listen.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you, yo?”

  “Nigga, I was tryin’ to get some money. That bitch fucked up! Why we gotta worry about it?”

  “That was stupid, nigga!” Chris shouted. “Do you understand the severity of this shit? If that bitch talks and snitches on Citi and Lola, that brings heat closer to us, and that means they might be all over our shit and shut our shit down. Nigga, I’m tryin’ to get paid, and you out there fuckin’ minors and got them stabbing security guards.”

  Cane slumped into the couch and remained quiet.

  “I’ve been tryin’ to tell this nigga.”

  Chris glared at his brother. He couldn’t believe Cane’s stupidity. They couldn’t afford to have police investigating into their operation. It had taken time for Chris to rebuild trust and respect on the streets and network with key players in the game. He wanted to build an empire— continue where their father had left off. Chris understood that if police came at them with warrants and arrests, then everything would surely crumble, brick by brick. They didn’t have the cash for an upscale attorney just in case the detectives came knocking with charges, and they didn’t have the muscle to forcibly make sure Misty would keep her mouth shut.

  Chris paced around the room. He had to come up with a plan. He knew Misty would snitch to have her charges reduced. She was only fifteen—still a scared little girl. She was looking at an attempted murder charge. The security guard was in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital.

  “I gotta call Maino,” Chris said.

  “We don’t need that nigga. Fuck him!” Cane shouted.

  “Yes, we do,” Chris returned. “For now, this shit is over our heads.” Chris disappeared into his bedroom, leaving Citi and Cane alone in the living room.

  Citi continued to throw sour looks at Cane. Cane shook his head and took a few strong pulls from the joint. Citi could no longer stand to look at her brother. She hurried into her bedroom and slammed the door.

  ****

  The meeting with Maino was brief. He showed up to the apartment the next day, flanked by goons, and heavily bejeweled in platinum and diamonds. The last five months had been really good to him. He had a strong drug connect and a powerful hold on the streets. It was clear to everyone that he had taken control where Curtis left off.

  When Chris informed Maino of their situation, Maino made the solution clear as day to them. “Y’all just gotta kill that bitch,” he said

  Citi was shocked to hear his response. Misty was a friend.

  Maino noticed the stunned expression on Citi’s face. He looked at the teenage girl with a deadpan gaze and said to her, “Citi, this is your freedom at stake. That bitch talk, and it’s lights out for you. Y’all gonna have so much police up y’all asses, none of you gonna be able to take a shit without wiping your ass on brass. When it comes to the streets and friendship, them two don’t coexist. You do what you gotta do to survive and stay on top.”

  Citi remained quiet.

  “We ain’t got the muscles or paper to make them kind of moves,” Chris said.

  “I figured y’all don’t.” Maino smirked.

  Maino stared deeply at Chris. He had been watching the young teen come into his own lately. Chris reminded him of Curtis. His talk, his swag, and his looks were like his father’s.

  “I’ll look into this shit and see what I can do for y’all,” Maino said. “But this ain’t for free. Y’all gonna owe me.”

  Chris heaved a sigh. “I know.”

  “I’ll get my peoples on it.”

  Before Maino left, his eyes fell upon Citi once again. He marveled at her beauty. She was growing up to become a very beautiful young woman.

  Maino’s graceless gaze at her made Citi somewhat uncomfortable. He was her godfather. He made his exit, leaving Citi befuddled by his strange stare at her. She didn’t know what to think of it.

  ****

  A week later, Citi and Chris got the news that Misty was dead. She’d been stabbed repeatedly in the neck while incarcerated in Rikers Island and had died instantly. They didn’t know who or how Maino had gotten someone to commit her murder in the jail, but the job was executed. Citi and Lola felt they could breathe a little easier. It was a bittersweet achievement. The violent world that Curtis wanted to protect his daughter from was staring her in the face.

  20

  The crowded A train that zipped underneath the pitch-black tunnel for Harlem wasn’t Citi’s cup of tea. It was late evening, and the masses of people pushing up against her in the train car made her want to shout and become hostile. She had been chauffeured all her life, via her family or a cab. The A train was a whole new world for her, but she decided to tag along with Lola to meet up with two young men in Harlem. She needed a change—needed to get out of Queens—so she was willing to chill with them for the day.

  Misty’s arrest and death came with a backlash. They didn’t want to risk going into stores anymore to shoplift, so the money had stopped. Citi had some remaining merchandise that she could fence for a profit, but the gravy train was about to stop flowing. Chris warned them to keep a low profile.

  The murder of a fifteen-year-old girl on Rikers Island made the headlines and even caught the mayor’s attention. An investigation was brewing. All ties to Citi and Lola had been cut off, but that part of the business was done for them.

  The way Maino had stepped in and handled everything so coolly made her see him in a whole new light. She loved the authority figure and felt drawn to Maino’s power.

  The train roared into the 42nd Street, and hordes of people got off. Citi and Lola were able to relax a little more. The two stunning young ladies drew plenty of in tight-fitting jeans that emphasized their womanly curves, their long, stylish hair, and matching light brown leather jackets.

  ****

  The girls were on their way to meet with Big Kev and Lloyd—L for short. They had met the two guys in a Brooklyn nightclub the previous night. L had invited the girls to join him in the VIP section, and Citi and Lola didn’t hesitate to take him up on his generous offer. For the remainder of the night, the girls danced and popped bottles with him, Big Kev, and the rest of their crew.

  L was a slender, caramel cutie with cornrows and tattoos and rocking bling like he was a rap star. Big Kev was a little heavier, massive-looking, and darker, with a bald head and a stoic personality. He had money t
o burn in the club, and a lust for women and living the fast life. It was clear that Big Kev was the top dog—the alpha male of the crew. He sat like a king in the VIP booth, flanked by his crew with a bottle in one hand and a fist full of twenties in the other.

  Lola quickly pushed up on Big Kev, while Citi was left to socialize with L, who was more talkative and affable than his friend and business partner. Citi found him to be cute, but Big Kev was the boss. He was more her style. As L chatted in Citi’s ear, she couldn’t help but to watch Lola flirt with and nestle against Big Kev.

  They’d just met, and Lola was acting like he was her boyfriend. Big Kev ate the attention up, fondling Lola underneath the table. He caressed her thighs and neared his touch closer to her pussy and fingered her. Lola didn’t stop him. She didn’t mind it. Big Kev was looking for a quick fuck, but Lola was looking for a king to hold her down.

  After the club, the four went to get something to eat at a local diner. L made it clear that he was interested in Citi, but Citi seemed aloof at times, showing just enough interest to keep him chasing. After the diner, both parties exchanged information and went their separate ways.

  L had invited them to come hang out in Harlem the next day. Besides needing a a break from Queens, Citi wanted to find out more about Big Kev. Citi was always looking for the next come-up. She needed to make her money, and with their shoplifting organization going down, she needed to find another way to generate income. Big Kev appeared to be seriously paid, and she was ready to infiltrate his world, though Lola already had her hooks into him.

  ****

  Citi and Lola exited the train station at 125th Street, which was bustling with activity, as the sun faded behind the horizon. People were everywhere, retail stores lined the city block from corner to corner, and vendors flooded the sidewalks with an abundant variety of merchandise.

  Lola and Citi looked around for their dates, who’d promised to meet them the minute they exited the train station.

  “You see them?” Lola asked.

  “Nah,” Citi said, looking in every direction. “These niggas better not have stood us up. I ain’t come all the way out here for nothing.”