I knew my words caught her off guard, but I had to let her know I wasn’t feeling her new attitude. Her heart matched mine, and so did her love for the game, but it seemed that lately she was trying to make a change. Fuck that.
“Any decision I make I need you to be down to go. When I tell you to do something I need you to do it. That question you asked has me questioning if you trust me or not. You two are like my sisters, and at the end of the day we are all we have. I trust you, and all I am asking is for the same in return. I’m back, and it’s time for us to make these moves again. As a team,” I finished.
A look of sadness came over Adrianna’s face.
“You sound just like him,” she shook her head. “But you’re right, and you got it, Boss.”
“Good,” I said looking her square in the eyes. I knew I was different; only a shadow of the old Sadie existed. I motioned toward the glasses they’d set down and poured up my own shot of Hennessy. “Pick up your glasses. Let’s toast to a new beginning.”
They grabbed their glasses and held them in the air very much like the first official Last Kings meeting at Ray’s house some time ago. The only difference was that we were missing four faces.
“For D, Amman, and Ray,” I said. “May they rest like kings. Their legacy will live on through us. I would say some more heart felt and sentimental stuff, but this isn’t a movie. Niggas will test us because we fell, and now to them we are on the same level as they are. It’s time to show the world that kings live forever. We can’t make these niggas respect us, so instead we’ll make them fear us. Never mind the fact that we’re females, we have trigger fingers just like the rest of them. No intimidation and no more loss; to a new beginning!”
“The Last Kings,” Devynn and Adrianna said in unison.
We all downed our drinks at the same time, and I felt solace knowing that we’d been given the opportunity of a fresh start. It was my time, and I planned on making my way back to the top. In a sense, karma had bit me hard because Khiron and I had switched places. It was me this time, climbing my way back up to the top, trying to stake my claim on what was rightfully mine. The only difference was that when my bullets entered his body I would make sure that he was dead.
Chapter 4
“Noooooo! Please. Please, I will do anything you want. Just don’t hurt me anymore.”
The sounds of a man’s spine-tingling, screaming sobs echoed in a theatre full of empty seats. The screams were followed by loud thuds that quieted the annoying noise. Legacy sat watching, emotionless as three of his soldiers tortured a man on the stage before him. He was front row and center in an audience of emptiness, sickly enjoying the show. The man being tortured was known to Legacy as David Jackson. A man that had crossed him in the worst way, and for that, he had to suffer. Legacy met David by chance when he came in with a string of new young and hopeful runners. Legacy wasn’t the typical kingpin. Just because you could push his work didn’t mean that he would let you. He was very weary of who he let in his circle for the simple fact that in his position at the top, he was always a target. However after proving himself to Legacy when he took a bullet for him, Legacy opened the doors to his underground operation to David. Legacy welcomed David to the world of his cartel off of the strength that he made the mistake of thinking David was thorough. He was sadly mistaken. A few months after being welcomed, David moved up in the ranks gaining more and more of Legacy’s trust. Things went completely downhill when Legacy put him on the same level as his most loyal and told him the location of his main drug house.
Ghost, Legacy’s best shooter, had always felt an uneasy vibe whenever David was around. There was just something about his eyes and the way they looked at everything. . . almost like they were looking for something to tell on. His suspicions were soon proved right after a drug bust gone wrong. It came to light then that David was an undercover detective sent to infiltrate Legacy’s illegal dealings and put him away for life. However, the day of the bust, something told Ghost to tell Legacy to move all of the product and drug money from that trap. Listening to his boy and moving the work might have proven to be the best decision Legacy ever made in life, because when the feds kicked down the door they found nothing but an old dopehead couple lying high as a kite on a dirty mattress.
After that incident there was no way that Legacy could let David live. For one, he knew too much, and for two, he had committed the ultimate crime. He would be judged in the streets. When Legacy was done with him, no part of his body would be recognizable. Family and friends of David thought he was away in New York in protective custody, but really he was twenty minutes away from his home, dying a slow and painful death. On the stage there was already a beautiful mural painted with blood, and David was already missing all of the fingers on his right hand.
“Do you know what happens,” Legacy’s deep voice spoke softly from his seat, “to snitches? Or maybe they didn’t teach you that at the academy.”
“Please, man,” David said, shaking violently in the chair he was bound to. His body was going into shock. “My wife is pregnant! I was just doing my job.”
“A job that would have taken my life,” Legacy chuckled. “What makes yours better than mine? Here I am thinking that God made us all equal. You’ve seen firsthand what I’ve done to people who have done wrong by me . . . but you? You really thought that shiny badge would protect you.”
“Please,” David’s eyes expelled more tears.
“Shut up!” Legacy shouted and his voice echoed menacingly throughout the theatre. “What I do has nothing to do with you, it affects your life in no way. Still, you had to go out of your way to try and put me in a hole. For what . . . the glory? A fifteen-minute slot in the ten o’clock news.”
David blinked away the tears in his eyes frantically at the accusations Legacy was making. He was quiet, mainly because they were true. He had in fact seen Legacy commit murder firsthand. He had also seen how those under Legacy coward at his feet. Still, the thought of being Miami’s hero for bringing down its biggest threat on guns and drugs was enough for him to keep going. He never thought that he would get caught up, especially since he was so sure that his fellow detectives would run up in a house full of money and dope. Once it got back to him that it all had been moved, he knew that he was outed. The chief of the precinct set it up so that he would safely be sent away to New York until things settled down at home. His pregnant wife and children were to soon follow, however he never even made it on the plane. His whole right arm had gone numb from the pain of losing all of his fingers, and at that point he knew there was no chance for his survival. He had committed treason by crossing Miami’s kingpin. The biggest mistake that he made was believing that he was untouchable because he was protected by the law. He hadn’t yet learned that money spoke volumes, and for the right price, you were above the law. It was too late for him.
“I’m tired of hearing this nigga beg. Cut his tongue out,” Legacy instructed Ghost.
The tears streaming down David’s face didn’t move Legacy at all. Simply because he was crying over his own life, a life that held no value to Legacy. Just as Ghost had the scissors opened on David’s tongue and prepared to make one swift snip, Legacy’s phone vibrated violently in the pocket of his gray 501 Levis. He held his hand up, signaling for his men to pause.
“Hello?” he said into the phone after he pressed it to his ear.
“Noon tomorrow,” a woman with a Hispanic accent said on the other end. “The address is in the armrest of your Mercedes. Beautiful car, by the way, but wrong color.”
Legacy chuckled, not needing to know who it was; he’d heard her voice before. It was one he’d once done business with quite often. He was wondering how long it would take for them to make contact.
“She ready?” Legacy asked.
“Beyond,” the voice replied. “Don’t forget to clean up your little mess. I’ll be seeing you.”
When the call disconnected he smiled to himself. The Last Kings were still on t
heir P’s and Q’s. Turning his attention back to the stage his smile quickly faded and he waved his hand.
“Continue,” he directed, and welcomed the screams like music to his ears.
* * *
The address written in pretty handwriting on the piece of paper led Legacy to a large, beautiful beach house the next day. Legacy was a man who had always admired nice property and upkeep. As a kid he would ride his bike through the nice neighborhoods and scope out all of the houses, hoping to one day be the proud owner of one of them. He had to admit he was impressed by the setup of the home he had just pulled in front of, and he made sure to scope out his surroundings. The house was white with three levels and had a private driveway with on-site parking for four cars. The house was pushed back from the rest of the homes in the neighborhood and was the only one that was that close to the beach. Legacy parked and stepped out of his tan Mercedes, admiring the view of the ocean as he made his way to the tall front door.
“If this is what it’s like to ‘fall off’ I need to fall off more often,” Legacy said under his breath and reached to press the doorbell.
Before his finger could even cause a sound to be made inside the house, the door opened and before him stood a very attractive Latina woman. She wore a yellow sundress and let her long brunette hair flow in loose curls over her shoulders. She looked at the diamond studded watch on her wrist and then back at him.
“Eleven fifty, you’re early,” she said, placing her hand on her hip.
“That’s on time, right?” He responded with a warm smile.
“I’m Adrianna,” she said returning his smile. “We’re out back.”
She motioned for him to follow her as she led him through the house. The two of them walked on the hardwood floor and through the main living room area toward a long glass sliding door. The only sound heard was the clicking of Adrianna’s heels on the floor and the waves of the ocean smacking against the shore.
“After you,” she told him and stepped aside so that he could go through the already open sliding door.
He went around her and stepped on the concrete base of the open balcony. The view of the water was breathtaking, and a little ways away in the sand, a table was set up under a canopy. At the table he recognized one of the faces, although partly covered by an elegant hat, as Sadie. The other girl had smooth cocoa brown skin and wore a natural curly afro. Not wasting any time, Legacy made his way through the sand in his tan cargos and He Got Game retro 13’s until he reached the round table. He sat down under the canopy in an open seat and was thankful that he was shielded from the scorching sun. Adrianna appeared at the table, heels in one hand, and grabbed the brown-skinned girl’s arm with the other.
“Devynn, we have some business to handle, don’t we?” Adrianna hinted to her.
Without hesitation, the woman named Devynn stood up from the table. Her eyes met Legacy’s for a split second, and there was no doubt in his mind that he was looking into those of a cold blooded killer. He nodded his head in respect and watched the two as they went back into the house. When they were gone, Legacy turned his attention back to Sadie, studying her tense face. He remembered when he first met her; she had been one of the most vibrant women he had ever seen. Her long hair blew in the comforting breeze and her face had a calmness about it. Not much had changed about her since their first meeting. Their eyes found each other and that was when he finally saw the difference. Her eyes once held so much happiness and promise. Now they were colder than the Arctic.
“You came alone?” she asked him, raising her eyebrow and breaking the ice.
“I trust you,” Legacy smiled at her. “But not that much. I don’t go anywhere alone.”
Sadie smirked before turning her head slightly to the right. Her eyes naturally fell upon a boat that was quite a ways out. To the untaught eye it simply looked like a couple of people fishing casually, but Sadie knew better. The water was too shallow where they were at, and Sadie was positive that they weren’t even fishing at all. The position they were in and the range they had intrigued her.
“Their guns will reach this far?” she asked, using a finger to motion toward the boat.
She had spotted his shooters right off the bat, and Legacy raised his eyebrows at how keen her senses were.
“I almost forgot who I was dealing with. Ray wouldn’t have left his empire to a fool,” Legacy said, apparently impressed.
“I would offer you a drink,” Sadie started crossing her legs and clasping her hands together, “but we can drink later. I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked to meet with you today. Do you remember the night we met?”
“Of course,” Legacy replied.
Sadie eyed him for a moment. He was just as handsome as he was the last time they’d met. She loved how soft his hair looked, his caramel skin, and the fact that his muscular frame made it seem that he could rescue any damsel in distress. The cunning smile on his face made her trust him, even though she knew he was capable of murder. Savage murder. She cocked her head at him and gave him a knowing look.
“You didn’t meet with Ray to re-up. I didn’t realize until not too long ago that you had placed an order with Adrianna and received it a week before you touched down. She confirmed it. That piece of paper Ray slipped you didn’t have a pick up time and spot on it, did it? What was really on that paper, Legacy?”
Legacy didn’t respond right away. He knew then that she was for sure kin to Ray. He stared at her hard expression and felt the respect drench from him to her. Nobody else would dare come at him and speak to him the way she did. Her persistence showed her boss status. She didn’t fear him, because to her she was above him. He remembered the last conversation he had with Ray. It was a few days before the double funeral of two of Ray’s soldiers. He asked Legacy to keep an eye and an ear out for whoever was bringing war to his city. He also said something else that Legacy didn’t pay attention to, thinking that no one would ever catch Ray slipping.
“Every hustler will have his day. Mine might be sooner than later fam. I chose this life it didn’t choose me.” Ray said on the private jet.
“Bruh, you tripping. You gon’ find that nigga and dead him no doubt,” Legacy waved his words off, but Ray continued.
“I brought Sadie with me that night for a reason. One day she will come to you, with or without me. She’s all about business. Always looking to expand The Last Kings. Whatever she asks, do it.”
Legacy came back to reality only to see Sadie’s focused expression as she awaited his answer.
“You’re right,” he said truthfully. “I wasn’t in Detroit that night to re-up.”
“Then why?” Sadie asked.
“I was there to personally meet the connect,” Legacy told her. “Ray wasn’t stupid. He knew he wouldn’t rule forever. He set it up so that if ever need be I would be able to cop directly. Of course I did business through The Last Kings until shit hit the fan, but I needed work.”
Sadie nodded her head like she was finally realizing something.
“Ray must have trusted you,” Sadie spoke softly, the hard expression gone from her face. “He didn’t want this life for me. He set you up with Vinny as a precaution, just in case I decided to give it all up. He was looking out for you. My cousin was loyal to you, so you must have been loyal back.”
Legacy heard the respect in her tone.
“So what type of proposition are you trying to give me?”
“It’s simple as this. The Last Kings is down to four. Three technically, since Tyler’s sister is missing. He’s been on his lone wolf shit. I need a team and I need your city.”
Sadie made it seem like she was asking Legacy for a box of Girl Scout cookies, but he didn’t know how willing he was to share. He placed a thoughtful hand on his chin and weighed his options. He thought back to Ray’s words and knew almost immediately what the answer was. Still, he wanted to know what was in it for him.
“What will I be getting in return?” Legacy asked.
�
��You will have a place at a table with kings for the rest of your life; even when I’m done using this location. I am positive you know everything that is going on currently. War is breaking out and I want to be prepared for it. I have to be in order to regain control over my city. Detroit is the heart of The Last Kings. I have to for Ray.”
Legacy was lost in Sadie’s dark eyes. The look in them was sincere. He knew of Sadie’s credibility and he also knew she would turn Miami into a gold mine. But stepping down from an empire that you built, temporarily or not, wasn’t easy for any man. Still....
“A’ight, shawty. You can take however long you need. Let’s just get this money together.”
Sadie’s lips turned up into a smile before she reached her hand over the table for a handshake.
“Legacy, I’d like to officially welcome you to The Last Kings.”
Chapter 5
Holding true to his word, Legacy opened the pearly gates of his operation for us to walk through. With the money that Ray left me I was able to purchase everything I needed from Vinny without being fronted. Legacy matched me on every dime I spent, making him a shareholder in my operation. I put him up on everything that had transpired up until now and also on everything Ray had taught me. Legacy ended all street dealings, and anybody moving that way was considered dirty. In order to wash my filthy money, I purchased a one story vacant building. On top was a hair salon called Diamond Dreams, but in the lower level was the one and only trap. Devynn, the Hair Guru, held down the salon effortlessly. She not only made sure that the under-the-table business ran smoothly, but also that everyone who came in left looking like a star. I sent Adrianna on a business trip to Baltimore, and Legacy sent an array of his own men with her to keep her safe. Before I came into the picture Miami only did business in Miami. It was time to expand and form important alliances. By doing my research, I found out that Baltimore was home to a man cycling dirt throughout his city. That could only be because he had a shitty connect, one that didn’t value the comeback of a dollar. Finally, after feeling the man, Row, out I decided that it would be good for The Last Kings to set up shop there. Adrianna put him up on game on how The Last Kings did business. Out with the old, in with the new, and just like that, we were his connect.
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