by Keon Smith
“And how do you know this?” Shug asked.
“Because if it was, I would be the first to buy,” he confessed.
Diamond looked around the table at the men seated then back to Wong Lee. “Okay, so Castor is inventing a new drug,” Diamond said, trying to figure this out. “What I don’t get is why he invited you to come check it out. Doesn’t he know you already manufacture your own designer drugs in China? Why would he want to mingle with the competition?”
“Castor wants to use my labs to create this drug.”
“But if that’s the case, won’t you have the ingredients?” Shug asked. “Who’s to say you won’t just steal it and make the drug yourself?”
“This was the reason I went to Miami. I had to see for myself if, perhaps, it was that easy, but I found out that Castor isn’t as foolish as he looks. He’s only using my resources for manufacturing, not manpower. His chemist and his soldiers will be present to watch over the operation. He wants my people to distribute his product throughout China.”
“What makes this drug better than Molly?” Diamond asked.
“Because of what it does to the brain cells. It enhances them to a higher level than I’ve ever seen. You think I’m crazy? Try watching one of the weakest members in your organization take down ten of your strongest. This drug isn’t just some get-high; it’s a super drug.”
Hearing the words come out of Wong Lee’s own mouth caused silence and trepidation within the group. Diamond looked away as she thought of what Verningo Castor was planning. If he was really creating a new drug that was worth billions of dollars, then their whole organization was clearly at risk.
Fatal Attraction
“If it’s destined for us to meet again…”
DIAMOND
Montega, Abdullah, and Taliban pulled up to the front of the Phoenix and shut off the engine. A valet stood by the front, waiting to park their car. “You can leave it running. I’ll only be a minute,” Taliban told him as he followed his brother inside. Montega had just come from the doctor’s office. He sprained his finger and now had to wear a soft cast.
“I still can’t believe Reek set you up. Don’t he know that we’re gonna kill his bitch-ass?” Taliban asked as they walked into the lobby. “He’s not gonna make any more money in the ‘Ville. He’s history. Now the blocks gonna be wide open, just waiting for us to take it.”
He was staring at Abdullah and the ridiculous attire he had on. He really did look like a Muslim. “You know, for someone so holy, you sure did have my back, back there,” he said.
Montega didn’t respond to his brother’s remarks toward Abdullah. His eyes were scanning the lobby as they advanced to the front.
“All praises are due to the Most High and most merciful,” Abdulallah said calmly while carefully scrutinizing the scene.
There were only a few people waiting to talk to the woman at the front desk. He had already gotten the key from Misty, who was out on vacation, but he needed to talk to the clerk anyway to see if they offered twenty-four-hour concierge and room service.
Out front, the Range Rover limousine pulled up to the entrance. Diamond sat across from Shug, pondering the information she had gotten from Wong Lee. She looked at the entrance and watched the valet approach.
“I heard you have a problem here in Philly,” she pointed out.
“There’s no problem here. Everything’s under control,” Shug stated.
“That’s not what I heard. The sooner you admit to it rather than soak in denial, we can handle the situation properly. This Montega has killed twice already. There’s no telling what he’s up to or who he will target next.” She looked Shug in the eye. “Actually, we know who he’s coming after. He’s still here in the city, and no one’s made a move on him yet. That seems like a big problem to me.”
Shug could feel his anger beginning to rise. He had a sour taste for authority and even more so for women who showed it.
“I said I’ll handle it. I don’t need your help.”
“Yes you do.”
“No I don’t,” he said firmly. “Let’s be straight up for a moment. I’ve been doing this shit since you were trying to find a date to the prom. When you were at the mall, looking for an outfit to wear with your little girlfriends, I was looking for a spot to ditch a dead body. Don’t think for a second that you know more about the streets than I do. Yeah, Montega is here in the city, but he’s hiding. The moment he shows his face will be the moment it gets blown off. Now you have a nice day and enjoy your stay in my city.”
The door opened. Diamond forced a smile at Shug then stepped out. Bain and four other men surrounded her with her luggage. Shug didn’t wait to see if she made it safely inside. He just ordered his driver to pull off.
After Montega spoke with the clerk, he turned to speak with his brother and Abdulallah.
“Yo, I’ma need you to take care of a few things. The bol Stormin’ Norman waiting for a delivery in Jersey. I need you to take it to him. He already paid for the work upfront.”
“How much do you want me to take to him?” Taliban asked.
“Five chickens.”
“Damn, Norm coppin’ ’em like that?”
“Yeah, but you know what’s funny though? Norm was once under the bol Fly-Ty. Remember when he came looking for Mike a few years back, and he had you get him a soda from out of the Chinese store?”
“Nah, I don’t remember that,” Taliban lied as he looked away with embarrassment.
“Yeah, well, Norm was the guy in the passenger side. My point is, he was Fly-Ty’s lieutenant; now he’s serving Fly-Ty and all the rest of them dudes from Jersey. See how fast the tables turn?”
Taliban didn’t hear his brother. His eyes gazed upon the woman who had just walked into the building.
“Damn, bro. Look at shorty right there.”
Abdulallah was the first to observe what was amongst them. His eyes bulged more than he dared to admit. “Sub-hena-allah,” he gasped.
Montega turned for a glance that ended up becoming a stare. His mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out.
“Shaytan has done it again,” Abdulallah said while finding it hard to look away. “He has placed before us the jinn of all jinns.”
Montega ignored his righteous homie and continued to enjoy his view of the woman in leopard print. He recognized her from Atlanta. She had the same group of stiffs with her, including the seven-footer. He didn’t see the priest however.
The woman’s eyes scanned the lobby and fell upon his. She stopped unexpectedly. The big guy with her did the same. He noticed the look on her face then reached into his lapel for his gun.
Abdulallah began to rise so he could reach for his first.
Diamond quickly stopped her bodyguard. “No, Bain… it’s… it’s nothing.”
Bain looked at the three frozen men then back at his boss. He released the handle, nodded, and led the way to the elevator. Montega and Taliban couldn’t seem to move. Abdualallah, on the other hand, lowered his gaze. “Kafrs,” he said with disgust. “A -ou-tho-bela-hemanal-shaytan-neer-ra-jeen!”
Diamond glanced at them again but continued on the elevator.
“What was that all about?” Taliban asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe that was her man.”
“That was one jealous muthafucka. You know what? I’m not gonna stick around here too long. This ain’t even my type of environment. It’s too snobby for hood-rich niggas like us. Right, Nino?”
“My attribute is Abdulallah, and I’m not rich nor a nigga. I’m a Muslim. But I agree with you. These devils need to fear Allah and repent.”
“Whatever he said, so I’ll get at you, bro.” Taliban gave his brother some dap then turned for the exit.
“Assalamu Alaikum,” Abdulallah said before following him out.
When Montega arrived at Misty’s suite, he immediately fell in love with the amount of space he had. He walked to the window and frowned. The view wasn’t exactly what he expected. The buil
dings across the street blocked most of the scenery. The suite wasn’t high enough to see the city like he wanted to, which disappointed him. After showering, he took a nap, which felt like a full eight hours.
He awoke to find the room dark. He checked his watch and saw that it was only 9:30 p.m. From there, he got out of bed and dressed himself in a black and white polo with black trousers and a pair of black leather Salvatore Ferragamo sneakers. He then brushed his hair and teeth, sprayed some Chanel Allure cologne on, and then headed down to the bar. The Phoenix had a mini-club down on the first floor. There was a small crowd of individuals surrounded by blue lights and glass counters.
Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams” played from the system while some of the people talked and drank. Montega spotted a few stiffs that didn’t belong. That was when he saw her sitting at the counter. He smirked before approaching her. She just so happened to be babysitting a Bloody Mary. She looked up and shook the tresses of her hair from her face. Her eyes were glued to his even before he took a seat beside her.
“Hi,” he said.
Diamond smiled shyly but didn’t speak. She wasn’t sure what to do. It had been so long since she’d spoken with someone outside of business. This didn’t bother Montega one bit. He took notice of her attire. She no longer wore the leopard-printed skirt with the gold blouse. Now she looked more casual.
“Can I get you something, sir?” the barmaid asked.
Montega fought to rip his eyes away from the woman beside him and said, “I’ll have a triple shot of Gray Goose and pineapple juice, please.” He then looked over at Diamond again as if he were afraid she would disappear. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“No, thank you,” she said, causing the barmaid to retreat and prepare his order. “I’m not much of a drinker, as you can see.”
“That’s good. You don’t take me as a woman who drowns her sorrow in alcohol when things get stressful. What is your secret? Yoga?”
Diamond smirked and entertained this question.
“Tai Chi,” she replied.
Montega’s eyebrows raised. “Wow. I’m impressed. I strongly admire a woman who takes care of her body,” he said, sticking his hand out. “I’m Kenny.”
Diamond grabbed her bag from the counter and replied, “And I’m leaving.”
“What’s the rush? It’s only a little after ten. Why don’t you just have one drink with me?”
Diamond stood then looked at Montega. She wasn’t sure about him. Her instincts usually played an important role in her decision making, but nothing seemed to work right. When that happened, she was liable to make mistakes. She’d done it before, and the results were never good. She looked at her watch and then at him.
“Why do you want me to have a drink with you so badly? And be honest.”
Montega smiled with an infectious grin. “Because I got this feeling about you. It’s weird, but I feel like I know you from somewhere. I think I’ve seen you before, and when I saw you in Atlanta, I thought to myself, ‘How did I let her get away from me?’ Then I let it happen a second time when the big guy went to draw on me and my boys. Now I see you here, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna let you get away from me again.”
“That’s sweet,” Diamond said, bemused. “But unfortunately, I do have to go.” Diamond studied his face for deception. If there was any, she hadn’t noticed.
“Why, when we have so much chemistry at the moment?”
“What do you know about chemistry?” Diamond grinned.
Montega glanced around and said, “I know a thing or two that will blow your mind.” The barmaid brought his drink. “But seriously, I would really like to get to know you. You seem like a nice girl and all. So why don’t you stay for a while and have that drink?”
Diamond studied the handsome man in front of her. She really wanted to take him up on his offer, but something just didn’t sit well with her.
“Let me ask you something. Do you believe in fate?” she asked.
“No, but I believe in destiny.”
“Good, because if it’s destined for us to bump heads again, then maybe I might have that drink with you. Right now, I’m going through something, and I don’t think I need any company with it.” She slung the strap to her bag over her shoulder and said, “Enjoy your night, handsome.”
Montega watched as she walked off, shifting her hips and round ass like the confident woman she was. Her backside was lovely and couldn’t be missed. Her walk made him feel as if no other woman existed. From each side of the bar, the stiffs began to rise and follow her out.
Montega took down the liquor with a new profound desire. He wanted her. If she was an angel, then she was heaven sent, but if she was truly the devil’s spawn like Nino thought, then he would just have to be hell bound. One way or another, he would travel far and wide and would not stop until he captured that woman’s heart, stolen like a thief in the night… the same way she did his.
Sleeping With The Enemy
“Kenny, what do you truly want from me?”
DIAMOND
After a tremendous workout at the Phoenix’s gym, Montega strolled to the indoor swimming pool where he could get a couple of good laps in. Ever since the recent attempt on his life, his paranoia wouldn’t allow him to leave the building. He loved Misty’s condo. It was a much safer atmosphere, one that he was getting comfortable with.
When he walked into the large room with the Olympic-size pool, he was surprised to see the same four stiffs posted on each side of the pool. They were watching the female swim. Montega slowed his pace to observe. Her endurance impressed him as she swam lap for lap. He sat in one of the white beach chairs and opened the Philadelphia Inquirer and read the headline: WAR IN THE STREETS. He knew his team was making a lot of noise lately throughout the city. Their reputation was slowly spreading from hood to hood like a virus.
Bain sat across the pool, watching him like a hawk. He rarely forgot a face. This was the same guy he saw when they were checking in, which left him suspicious.
When Diamond finished her laps, she pulled herself out of the warm pool. Water cascaded down her body. She shook out her hair but stopped when something caught her attention. An odd look of disbelief crept across her face as she walked over to the gentleman with the blue Polo swim trunks and wife-beater, who was sitting on her towel. Recognizing him from the bar, she tried to suppress her grin.
“Excuse me, but you’re sitting on my towel,” she said, trying to keep a straight face.
When Montega put the paper down and looked up, he slowly slid the towel from under him and handed it to her. His eyes lustfully scanned up her smooth calves and juicy, elongated thighs that created a gap between her legs. There, he could see her ass cheeks from the front. She was blessed with curvaceous hips, a washboard stomach, and bulging breasts. Diamond took the towel and began to dry her hair first.
“I’m sorry, Miss, but I just got this feeling I know you from somewhere,” Montega said with a smirk.
Diamond couldn’t help but play along with his little game. “That’s funny, because I was just thinking the same about you.” She turned to see Bain’s hand in his lapel and quickly shook her head no. The rest of the men also understood the gesture and stood down.
Montega couldn’t help but stare. The bikini she wore left little to the imagination.
He rose to his feet and stuck his hand out. “I’m Kenny,” he said for a second time.
She looked at his hand for a moment, sighed, and took it.
“I’m… Dee,” she replied.
“Are you a resident here, Dee?”
“No, I’m just visiting the city.”
Montega brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. She flushed shyly. She hadn’t done that in years. She had almost forgotten what it felt like.
“Well, Dee, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I guess destiny works in mysterious ways, right?”
Diamond shrugged bashfully. “What makes you think this is destiny?” she questioned.<
br />
“What makes you think it isn’t?”
“I asked you first.”
Montega studied her face, ignoring her question. “You mind telling me your nationality?” he asked.
Diamond looked away to fight the urge of entertaining his question, but somehow, she gave in.
Turning to look back at him, she said, “My mother is Italian and Cuban. My father was Black.”
“That’s interesting,” Montega said, stroking his beard.
“Why is that?”
“Because I can tell a lot about you already just from the three races.”
“Oh, really?” she asked folding her arms. “Please, continue. I’d love to hear your assessment of me.”
“Well, Cuban tells me that you have rebellion in your blood, along with survival. Italian means you’re smart, short-tempered, and well organized, and Black… well, let’s just say, Black dominates them all. It’s like an enhancement pill, for instance. It intensifies all those great qualities you have, inside and out, making you a beautiful hybrid.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, Diamond broke her gaze and looked away. He was too charming for her not to continue flushing with interest. His body looked ripped and wide at the shoulders. He had well-formed traps, a deliciously carved chest, sharp abs, and strong legs. For a man who was barely over 180 pounds, he was perfect. Her eyes wandered down to where his print bulged from his shorts. Montega caught her staring before she looked away. He then tried to act as if he didn’t notice. Secretly, his confidence shot to the roof.
“So are you stayin’ for a while?” he asked. “If you want, I’d be happy to show you around the city. You can consider me your personal tour guide.”
“How can I say no to that when you advertise so well?” she asked innocently.
Montega continued sizing her up, figuring she had to be a tease. “An enemy of the moon,” he blurted out.
“Excuse me?” Diamond asked, trying to comprehend what he just said.
