He missed his cousin a lot. The sad feeling he was experiencing instantly transformed into rage when he thought about who was responsible for her brutal death. He wanted Anari to suffer for what she had done, and now that he had a chance to get her, he wasn’t going to miss.
Wade looked in his ashtray and saw his half-smoked blunt and picked it up. As he began to light it, his phone rang. He put the blunt down and answered his cell phone.
“This is Wade,” he said.
“They found the waitress’s body in the water last night,” Lieutenant Jones said on the other end.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck! They killed Zya,” Wade yelled as he hit his steering wheel repeatedly. He knew that Zya was his only connection to Supreme Clientele. She was the only person that could get close to Anari.
“No, not Zya Miller. Elizabeth Fulton, the other waitress,” Jones said as he corrected Wade.
Wade was relieved that the key to the case was still safe and sound. “Damn, they got to her. She had three little boys at home. What was the cause of her death?”
“A single shot to the back of the head. After she was shot, her body got tossed in the river. Her body was spotted by the boat unit.”
Wade picked up the blunt and hit it then hung up the phone. He knew if they found out Zya was cooperating, she would be next. It’s only a matter of time before they sniff her out. I have to find out as much as possible before they find out. Zya was only a pawn in Wade’s chess game, and he had no problem sacrificing her. But before he did, he wanted to get the most out of her.
Zya took the money from the short, bald-headed Italian and slyly slid him a small bag filled with coke. He had just copped three grams from her. Zya walked away while stuffing the money into her apron when Meechi approached her.
“Let me see you in my office right now,” he said sternly as he grabbed her elbow.
“All right, damn.”
Zya walked to Meechi’s office and saw the woman she had served at the roundtable leaning on the edge of Meechi’s desk. She also noticed another man from the table sitting to her far right.
“Take a seat, Zya,” The woman instructed as she opened her hand and waved it over the chair nearest to her. Zya walked over and sat down, her heart beating fast. She didn’t know what they wanted from her, and she grew uneasy.
They found out about Wade’s proposition. I’m all fucked up now. Damn, I knew they were gon’ find out. I’m not trying to be mixed up in this shit, Zya thought as she sat down and crossed her legs.
“My name is Anari, and I hear you got a little clientele in here.”
“Yeah, I get a lot of requests.”
“Nah, not that kind of clientele. You know what I’m talking about. Coke clientele,” Anari said as she studied Zya.
Meechi must have told her, and now she’s mad because I’m cutting in on some of her money, she thought before saying, “Just a few grams here and there. Just to make a little extra cash on the side.”
Anari wasn’t about to beat around the bush, so she put her cards on the table. “Do you have any on you?”
Zya pulled a baggy containing three grams and handed it to Anari. Anari ripped the bag open and poured the coke on the table. She dipped her pinky in the coke and rubbed it on her gums to see how numb it would get. The quicker her gums got numb, the better the product. To Anari’s surprise, her gums numbed up instantly. She called the man in the corner over to test it out, and he bent over the product and hit a line.
Snort! Snort! The man immediately stood up straight and threw his head back to prevent his nose from running. “Damn, that’s some good shit. I can’t feel my fuckin’ face,” he said jokingly as he imitated a scene off of a movie.
Anari chuckled and then looked at Zya. “Can you get more of that?” she asked as she pointed at the coke.
Zya spoke before even thinking. “Yeah, I got it all day. What you need?”
“Let’s start off light. How soon can you get me two?”
Zya smiled, knowing she was about to get paid. Hell yeah, I can get them in a couple of days. You ain’t said shit but a word, she thought as she tried to conceal her excitement.
“Okay, so you want two bricks? To you, I’ll sell those twelve a piece. That’ll be twenty-four thousand for both of them.”
Anari and the man laughed at Zya so hard, Zya grew kind of offended.
“What’s so funny?” Zya asked as she looked around, trying to see what she had missed.
Anari cleared her throat and said, “I want two hundred kilos. Can you handle that?”
Zya was so embarrassed, and to save face, she confidently replied, “Yeah, I can get them. I need about a week to discuss things with my partner.”
“So, it’s official. I should be hearing from you in a week or so then.”
“All right, then,” Zya said just before she got up and exited the room.
What the fuck did I just do? How in the hell am I supposed to get 200 kilos of cocaine? I’ve never even seen more than twenty at a time. I’m always running my damn mouth, trying to be Miss Big Shot. How could I say I didn’t have them, after they were laughing like I ain’t a hustla or something? I gets down for mine. I need to call Snow and see what he can do. Damn!
Chapter 9
Well Connected
I hope I didn’t just agree to something I can’t deliver. Two hundred kilos is not an ordinary order. Niggas on the street don’t be messing with bricks like that. They are talking about messing with millions of dollars of weight. They got me out here federal as hell, Zya thought as she drove her Charger across the Manhattan Bridge. I hope Snow is able to fill this order. They don’t seem like the type of people that understand when it comes to breaking agreements. I told them that I could get it. I hope I’m not made out to be a liar.
Zya knew that she had just stepped into the major leagues. The thing is, she didn’t even want to be there. The Supreme Clientele roundtable intimidated her. She didn’t even like waiting on them at their meetings, so now that they had requested her services, she was on edge. She didn’t want to make a wrong move, because she was afraid that the price to pay would be her life.
Zya had done the math in her head, and because they were buying so many kilos, she was only going to charge the roundtable $10,000 for each one. Snow was able to get the bricks for $5,000 a piece, so that meant that she and Snow would make a $5,000 profit to split between them for every brick they sold. Supreme Clientele was going to pay her two million dollars for 200 kilos of cocaine. Damn I’m gon’ make a killing, she thought. A half a million would be her profit. She had never seen that much money in her life, and she was ready to get it. The more she thought about the money she was about to make, the heavier her foot got on the gas pedal. She did ninety miles per hour all the way to Snow’s house.
Zya felt butterflies in her stomach as she thought about seeing Snow. They hadn’t had a chance to have a serious conversation since he was released from the hospital. She didn’t know how things were going to be between them, and she was nervous. She was confused about her feelings for him, but there was no doubting that she felt something. Just thinking about him put a smile on her face, and the thought of seeing his face excited her. It was getting harder and harder to keep their business relationship separate from their personal one. Zya was about her business all the time, so if she stuck to her rule, she would never have any personal time for Snow. She did miss him, and wanted to be near him all the time, but she always fought her urges. She tried to stay busy to avoid thinking about him, but his eyes and his smile always crept back into her thoughts. She didn’t even call him to let him know she was coming. There was so much money at stake, she didn’t want to risk it by talking about it over the phone.
As she drove the rest of the way to Snow’s house, she found herself wondering about her life. I wonder, if I had to choose between money and happiness with Snow, which one would I pick? she thought. She honestly didn’t know the answer. Her relationship with Jules had left a bad taste
in her mouth, and it had her not trusting her own feelings. She had been financially dependent on Jules, and when he abruptly disappeared from her life, she was left in a bind. It seemed like money was more important than her happiness right now, because here she was given an opportunity to be happy with Snow, but she was putting him on hold until she could get her money right.
Why can’t I just trust him? Why can’t I just put my life and my heart in his hands? She wondered. She wanted to do it so badly, but something inside of her was causing her to hold back. She knew that her scars from Jules were not healed yet, and she hoped that she didn’t sabotage her relationship with Snow because of it. She didn’t want to make him pay for another man’s mistakes, but at the same time, she didn’t want to make another mistake by trusting Snow too quickly.
When she finally pulled up to his house, she was more confused than ever. She saw his car parked in the open garage and knew that he was home. She wanted a real life, a real love that was long-lasting and unconditional. She didn’t want to be used or have a business arrangement that was based on convenience rather than love. Would Snow be able to give me that even though we were business partners first?
Zya stepped out of the car and walked slowly until she reached Snow’s door. She rang the bell once and waited for him to answer. She smiled to herself. This nigga always take forever to answer his door, she thought as she shook her head from side to side. He finally answered the door, and the sight of him made her heart flutter. His face was still swollen, and the bruises made his dark skin appear purple, but even with all that, he still looked good. It was something about the way he carried himself that attracted her. She loved his swagger, and she had to admit, he was very hard to resist. He stepped aside and held the door open for her to enter.
“How have you been?” Zya asked as she stared into his eyes. She was quickly beginning to learn that his eyes were her favorite part of him.
“I’m good,” he said as he stared back at her.
“Are you in pain?”
“Not really. The medicine makes it so that I don’t feel it.”
Zya’s eyes reflected her concern, and Snow could see that something was bothering her. He cared for Zya, and he had let it be known, but the next move was up to her. He wasn’t going to chase somebody who didn’t want to be caught.
Snow walked into his living room and sat down on his brown-and-beige furniture. His living room was decorated in earth tone colors, and his taste was excellent. There was a silence between Snow and Zya that said neither of them knew what to say.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been by. I’m just really trying to figure out what’s going on. I don’t know if what I’m feeling is right,” Zya admitted to him.
“I understand, Zya. Take all the time you need,” Snow replied.
“I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I’m trying to sort stuff out, but I can’t. What’s more important to you, Snow . . . money or happiness?” she asked him.
Snow shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Money.”
Zya laughed and said, “I wish that I was that sure. I know that money is important to me. Not because I’m greedy or anything, but because I want to be able to take care of me, you know? I don’t want to have to depend on anybody, but it seems like I’m so focused on getting money that I’m missing out on something that I really want.”
“What do you really want?” he asked.
“I want to keep my business with you and my personal feelings for you separate. But somehow, they always seem to intertwine. I have to keep business and personal separated,” Zya said as she sat across from him with her legs crossed.
“Why does that have to happen?” Snow asked.
“It just does,” Zya replied almost in a whisper.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said.
“I know . . .”
“Do you?” he asked as he stood up and made his way into the kitchen. Zya didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say to him. He had been upfront with her about how he felt, and even though she was feeling him too, she wasn’t trying to rush things.
After seeing that she was unsure, Snow decided to change the subject. He wasn’t trying to pressure her. He knew that she would learn to trust him in her own time. It was up to him if he chose to wait or not.
“I know you didn’t come all the way to Jersey to talk about us. So, what’s up?” he asked her.
Zya felt bad that he had changed the subject of conversation. Even though she hadn’t come to talk about their relationship, she needed to. I want to talk about us, she thought silently. She knew that business needed to come first, so she adapted her usual hustler’s mentality and replied, “I need some work.”
Snow began to head for the basement, where he stored his dope in an underground cellar he had installed in the house. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her say, “I need two hundred kilos.”
He turned around to face a smiling Zya. “What’s wrong? Speechless?” she asked as she walked sexily in his direction with a confident look on her face.
“Two hundred kilos. That’s a lot of bricks. You doing it like that?” he asked as he stared down at her. They stood toe to toe, and the sexual tension was high between them.
She nodded her head, stood on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear. “See, if I mess with you, Snow, one of us is gon’ have to leave the dope game alone. I can’t give it up. I’m too good at it,” she said as her sweet breath danced in his ear.
Snow slid his hands around her small waist and rested them on her ass, pulling her body close to his. “We can be good together,” he said. His voice was thick with seduction, and Zya could feel his tension through his jeans. His face was so close to hers that their lips touched when they talked, and he was making her hot. Her pussy was wet, and at that moment, she wanted him to bend her over and tear that ass up, but she knew better than to get caught in the moment. This was strictly business.
She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, she thought before the words came out of her mouth. “We are good together . . . but for business purposes only, at least for now.”
Snow nodded his head and replied, “Okay, okay. Business. Let’s talk business then.” He led Zya to his kitchen table and they took a seat.
“Two hundred kilos is a big order. I can’t just walk into this blind like I usually do. You got to explain the situation a little more.”
“Understandable. What do you need to know?” she asked.
“Who are they for?”
“I sell the coke out of the restaurant where I work. That’s why I can move it so quick because the customers come to me. But the only reason why I could even do it in the first place is because the owner lost his connect and was going through a drought. They have this roundtable that meets once a month. Snow, no bullshit . . . there are some powerful people sitting at this table. Anyway, they called me into the meeting and asked if I could get more dope. I told them yes.”
“Are they good for it?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“They gon’ have to pay half up front,” he said sternly. He wasn’t willing to take any chances. Ernesto, Snow’s connect, didn’t play around with his money. Snow knew not to even think about doing bad business with him, and he figured if the roundtable paid half up front, that would at least cover the costs of the dope. His business with Ernesto would be square. They could collect the other half of the money when they delivered the package.
“My connect is going to charge five G’s a piece for the bricks.”
“And I figured since they were buying so many we could only charge them ten a piece,” Zya added.
Snow nodded his head in agreement and replied, “That’ll work.” He paused for a minute and did the math in his head. He wasn’t a genius when it came to math, but he could count and analyze money better than any accountant. “We’ll both make five hundred thousand out of the deal.”
“Do you
think you can make it happen?” Zya asked eagerly. That was exactly the type of cash she needed to get out of town and be set.
“Yeah, I know my man got ’em. Give me a couple days and I’ll call you to let you know what’s what.”
Zya stood up and prepared to leave.
“Zya . . .”
She paused before she exited the front door and looked back at Snow.
“What are you doing about that other situation? Has that cop come around again?” He wanted to know how Zya was doing, but also needed to make sure he wasn’t being set up. She was hot right now because of her involvement in King’s murder, and he wasn’t trying to be her plea bargain. He knew that it was a possibility that Zya was setting him up to reduce her sentence or to walk away with her hands free altogether.
Is she trading her charge for my conviction? he thought. He couldn’t put it past her. She had pulled grimy on King. What makes me so different from him?
“I haven’t heard from him, and hopefully I won’t. That is why this flip is so important to me. I need to make this money so I can leave town.”
Snow watched her walk out the door, and was unsure of her intentions. Here he was telling her to trust him, and he wasn’t even sure if he trusted her fully. He knew one thing for sure. No matter how much he was feeling Zya, if he had to, he would handle his business. If she ever tried to cross him and send him upstate, he would kill her without hesitation. He had no love or tolerance for snitches.
He tried to shake his feelings of apprehension. He didn’t want to think that Zya was dirty, but at the same time, he didn’t want to bet his freedom on it either.
Fuck it! I’ma roll with her. She hasn’t lied to me yet. First thing tomorrow, I’ll call Ernesto and put in the order.
That night, Zya lay in bed, restlessly tossing and turning. She couldn’t sleep. Her mind was in a thousand places at once. Damn, a half-million dollars is a lot of money. If I can get that and get out, I’m good. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, a one-time flip that will have me set for life, she thought. Zya had grown accustomed to making money, but she had never seen it like this. Her love for the hustle made her good at selling dope, and she knew that she was no longer small-time. She was knee-deep in the game, and she couldn’t even remember how she had gotten there.
Supreme Clientele Page 15
