by Nene Capri
Kiam pulled into the Trump Soho hotel, Lissha got out to get the room keys while Kiam secured the car with the valet and gathered the bags.
When he got to the front desk he walked up on Lissha arguing back and forth with the receptionist. He sat their bags down on the floor and asked what the problem was.
“They messed up the reservation, that’s what’s wrong,” Lissha huffed, talking with her hands flying all over the place. She accidently slung the debit card that she was holding.
“Shit,” she fumed. She was tired and in no mood for bullshit.
“Ma’am I’m sorry for the mix up, but like I told you we can upgrade you to a suite with two king size beds.”
“We requested two rooms, you need to make that happen.”
“Look, we good. Let us have the room,” Kiam cut in. He picked the debit card up and calmly placed it on the counter.
“I need my own room, I’m not trying to shack up with you,” Lissha said, looking to the side at Kiam like he had the coodies. “Why? Are you scared?” he asked flashing that sexy smile.
“No. I just need my own space.” She turned back to face the receptionist who was smirking at their banter.
“Don’t worry it’s only for two days. Trust, you’re not that goddamn irresistible,” Kiam affirmed.
Lissha turned up her lips.
The receptionist ran the debit card then returned it to Lissha who was in a tiff.
“Here’s your card, ma’am. We will be sending up a complimentary bottle of champagne, and your dinner is on us for the trouble. Is there anything else I can help you with?” asked the young woman as she passed them the room key.
“That will be it for now,” Kiam said. He reached down and grabbed the bags. “If you have anything for a bad attitude please send that up immediately,” he joked.
“Yes, sir. Enjoy your stay,” the woman answered with a chuckle.
“Ya’ ass ain’t funny,” Lissha snorted, heading to the elevators.
When they got to the room the décor took their breaths away. The white and tan room was spacious and airy. There was a living room, dining area and kitchen. Lissha walked through the huge glass doors out onto the balcony. By itself, the view was worth the thousand dollars a night they were paying.
Kiam placed their bags next to the dresser and joined Lissha on the terrace. Together they stared out over the New York skyline.
“This might be the last bit of peace we get. Hold on to it, we’re going to need it,” Kiam said as he left Lissha to enjoy the view.
After laying out his sweat pants and t-shirt, he grabbed the menu from the side of the bed.
“What you want to eat?” he called out.
Lissha returned inside. “What they got?” She took the menu from his hand and plopped down on the bed.
Scanning the pages she made a few mental choices then picked up the phone.
“Hello. Yes, I would like to place an order. Can I have an order of Shrimp Alfredo with extra shrimp, a side of asparagus and a salad with blue cheese dressing?” She paused to listen to the woman read back her order. “That’s correct. What you want, Kiam?” she asked.
“I want a T-bone steak, medium well. A baked potato with sour cream and cheddar cheese, string beans, and ice tea.” His mouth watered with anticipation.
Lissha placed his order and hung up.
“Place the call to the connect. Tell him we want to have a sit down tomorrow around five.”
“Don’t you think we should ask if he’ll be available? People don’t like it when you’re abrasive, Kiam.”
“Fuck I care what the next nigga like? And just so you know, I never ask—denying me ain’t an option. Now make that call.” “Alright,” Lissha said.
Walking over to her bag she grabbed the prepaid and placed the call. Surprisingly it went well and the date was set. “Everything is a go,” she informed Kiam when she hung up from Riz.
“Aiight, we ‘bout to make it happen.”
“I’m about to make a bath happen,” Lissha quipped. “I’m going to hop in the tub before the food comes.” “Do what you do,” said Kiam.
She walked over to the table and took the complimentary bottle of champagne by the neck, then headed to the bathroom grabbing her bag along the way.
Lissha looked around the bathroom, the huge glass shower was inviting but that big white shiny tub was whispering her name. Turning on the water and adjusting it to her comfort, she began filling the tub then added her David Yurman shower gel.
Quickly she undressed and sank her weary body into the hot bubbles. Lissha poured herself a glass of champagne drank it down, closed her eyes and relaxed.
Lissha was soaking for only ten minutes when she heard Kiam entering the bathroom. When she opened her eyes he was passing the tub on the way to the shower butt naked.
“Ummm, excuse me,” Lissha said, face wrinkled up.
“What’s up?” Kiam asked as he turned on the shower. “You don’t see me over here?” “Yeah, I see you,” he responded.
“What are you doing?”
“What do it look like?” he asked, stepping into the shower.
“It looks like your standing in here butt ass naked.”
“You seen a dick before right?” he asked sarcastically, closing the door and positioning himself under the water.
“Not like that,” she mumbled.
Kiam acted as if she wasn’t there. He lathered his body and let the water rinse the suds away.
Lissha watched every second of it.
When he was done, he dried off and headed out the bathroom the same way he walked in, dick swinging. As he passed by the tub Lissha crossed her legs.
“You need more bubbles,” he said, looking down at her then pushing on without further comment.
“Close the door,” Lissha yelled out.
She dipped her washcloth in the tub and put it on her face. She needed to cool off. Kiam had just given her fever. She spent another twenty minutes becoming one with the porcelain and putting to bed the thoughts that seeing Kiam’s naked body had awakened.
As Lissha lotioned her skin she heard a knock on the door. She threw on her robe and joined Kiam in the dining area.
“Damn this looks good,” she said as he uncovered each dish.
“I’m about to be on some real fat boy shit,” announced Kiam as he took a seat.
Lissha sat across from him and they dug in.
Once their meal was done they retired to the living room.
Lissha put her iPod on the docking station and sat by Kiam.
“So you ready for tomorrow?”
“I’m always ready. Business is business.”
“Riz can be a real asshole.”
“Don’t worry I got it. Real recognize real,” Kiam assured her.
Lissha sat looking at Kiam’s oiled chest. She allowed her eyes to wander down to that print that sat up in his sweat pants.
Kiam picked up on her gaze and decided to defuse the situation, “So, when is the next time you going to visit Pop?”
“When we get back, I know he is going to want to know what is going on and how you are adjusting.”
“Probably so. But Pop knows I’m about this life. That’s why he entrusted me to come out here and oversee everything.”
“Is that right?” A provocative look flashed in her eyes.
“Stop being fast,” Kiam admonished like Lissha was a little hot tail girl.
“Shut up,” she teased, giving him a little shove.
“On the real, your father is proud of you. You’re out here standing stronger than most niggas. I respect that. Now I see firsthand why Big Zo speaks so highly of you,” he said looking in her direction.
Lissha lowered her gaze. “I’m all he has.”
“What about your mother? Pop never talked about her. Were they still together when he got locked up?”
“No. She’s dead. She died when I was sixteen?”
“How? Was she sick or something?” he asked
, hoping to get inside of her.
“No. She was gunned down.”
Kiam noticed that her responses had become clipped. He saw no emotion on her face so he didn’t feel that he was opening a wound that hadn’t healed. “Was your mother as pretty as you? You must look like her because you don’t look like Big Zo,” he said.
“If you don’t mind, I would rather not talk about my mother. She wasn’t down for Daddy and she and I didn’t get along. She’s dead, that’s all you need to know, and I’m all that he has.”
“Well don’t ever think he doesn’t recognize your loyalty. Trust me, he knows,” he confirmed.
Lissha smiled because Kiam was looking at her like he wanted to hug her. She stared at his lips and she became compelled to taste them.
Drifting into each other’s gaze and feeling the heat that resonated between them, they both knew what was inevitable. Lissha was so ready to act on her feelings, but Kiam couldn’t just throw his promise to Big Zo to the curb. At the last second he pulled back, leaving Lissha’s eyes closed and her lips pursed to be kissed.
“Nah, ma.”
She looked at him like, you gotta be kidding!
Kiam was as serious as the method of takeover he was primed to implement. He slid down to the other end of the couch, putting much needed space between them. “It’s not safe over there,” he quipped.
“Whatever, Kiam,” she replied.
Before he could respond his cellphone rang. He answered it with relief in his voice.
“Hello.”
“Hey baby,” Faydrah’s voice serenaded his senses.
“What’s up with you?” he asked, getting up from the couch, heading to his bed.
He lay sideways across the bed, engrossed in what Faydrah was saying. When he burst out laughing, Lissha cut her eyes at him.
“Send me a picture, baby,” Kiam said into the phone.
Overhearing him, Lissha’s stomach turned. She stood up and tightened her robe, walked over to the mini bar and mixed herself a drink.
The more Kiam talked and laughed the more Lissha drank. By the time he hung up she was good and fucked up.
Walking to her bed adjacent to his, she looked on in disgust as Kiam smiled while flipping through the pictures Faydrah had just sent.
Lissha dropped her robe and let him get an eye full of what she knew he wanted. “I don’t even see you standing there,” he said, fighting the war between duty and desire.
“If you didn’t notice your mouth wouldn’t be moving.” Lissha climbed in bed, pulled the cover over her head and went to sleep.
Kiam knew she was pissed but he needed her to be. They had almost crossed the line, and he would not be able to forgive himself if he did. He turned off the light, turned over and fell into his slumber.
Chapter 13
Back To Business
The next day Kiam and Lissha had a late lunch. Neither of them spoke a single word as they ate. Lissha felt a little awkward after last night, but Kiam wasn’t even thinking about that, he was in full business mode. After lunch, they got dressed and prepared to go see Riz.
Kiam barricaded Lissha at the door. “Leave the money here,” he said, noticing a satchel in her hand and correctly guessing what it contained.
She looked at him curiously.
“This is just a meeting, were not copping anything. Matter of fact, after this get-together he’ll meet us halfway with the delivery.”
Lissha was skeptical. Riz didn’t travel.
“Don’t doubt me,” Kiam said, reading her mind. “I’m very persuasive.”
Lissha didn’t debate, she hurried back and stashed the satchel, then caught up with Kiam at the elevators.
When they reached the lobby, she stopped at the front desk and left explicit orders for their room not to be disturbed. She looked up and saw that Kiam was scanning the premises, eyeing everyone and everything. Kiam was in that zone.
They exited the hotel side by side. Lissha was wrapped in a leather jacket, stepping briskly to keep up with Kiam’s pace. The wind whistled between the buildings as they headed to the car. Kiam had one thing on his mind and Riz was gonna respect it or get disrespected.
Pulling up to Riz’s Brooklyn apartment building, Kiam and Lissha checked their guns and exited the vehicle. As they approached the steps a hot surge filled Kiam’s body—he was ready.
When they reached the entrance, loud music blared through the door and the scent of weed funneled out into the hallway.
A barrage of bangs eventually summoned someone from inside. A tall, slender man with a nappy afro swung the door open, giving passage to Lissha and Kiam. “LiLi. How you been, ma?” He greeted her warmly.
“Hey Bean. I’m good,” Lissha said, giving him a big hug.
“This your boy you told us about?” he inquired instantly, reaching out to shake Kiam’s hand.
“What’s good?” Kiam responded.
“I can’t call it, come in.” Bean moved to the side allowing Lissha and Kiam to pass.
“Riz, it’s LiLi,” Bean yelled out as he came up behind her and Kiam. “Y’all wanna burn something?” He sat down on the couch and pulled out a Dutch.
“Nah, we not here for that,” Kiam answered for the both of them.
Bean looked at Lissha. “You sure?” he asked.
“Yeah, she sure,” Kiam restated. He wanted it known that his decisions were not to be challenged.
Bean could already sense he was going to be a problem. He picked up the remote and turned the music off.
Riz walked in from out of the back sporting a black t-shirt, a pair of green army fatigue pants, and black Goretex boots. His short dreads were sticking up all over his head and his clothes were wrinkled like he had just rolled out of bed. Two massive
Rottweilers were at his sides.
“Sit,” he commanded. Each dog went to an opposite side of the couch and posted up.
“What’s up LiLi?” he spoke, leaning in and hugging her neck.
“Tired as hell, you know that drive be kicking a bitch ass.”
“Yeah, but the money we make together makes it worth it.” Riz reminded.
He turned his attention to Kiam and flashed his iced up grill.
“So you’re the man that’s running the show now?”
“With an iron fist,” Kiam spat, looking on with a stony stare.
Riz sat next to Bean and propped his feet up on an ottoman. He looked up at Kiam trying to assess him.
Kiam stood firm with his arms folded across his chest.
Riz grabbed a blunt from the ashtray and lit it up. Kiam watched his pallid mouth as he puffed and blew out smoke.
“So, what can I do for you?” Riz asked.
“I’m here to talk bricks and prices.”
“I thought we already had an understanding on that?” He looked from Kiam to Lissha. Her expression told him that she was not calling shots.
Riz nodded his understanding and looked back at Kiam. “I’m not prepared to deliver any less than what Gator gets and I’m not excepting any less than he pays,” he stated as he continued to inhale and exhale smoke.
“Fuck what you and Gator agreed to, that was then, this is now?” Kiam laid down his stake.
Riz looked at Bean, as if to ask if he was hearing Kiam right. Bean silently communicated that he was on point if Riz wanted him to lay Kiam’s ass down.
Riz shook his head no and returned his full attention back to Kiam. “I see Big Zo has finally found a man in the mode of himself to take charge of his operation. But even Big Zo didn’t come up in here and talk to me as hostile as you do.”
“I’m not hostile, Bleed. But don’t try to hold me to what another man agreed to. Gator has been demoted, therefore, anything he agreed to has to be renegotiated,” Kiam made it clear, as he looked Riz dead in the eye without blinking.
Riz nodded his head in acknowledgement of Kiam’s stance and decided to hear him out. “Talk numbers. Let me hear your proposal.”
Kiam unfol
ded his arms and cupped his fist in the palm of his hand. “I ain’t paying no more than fifteen. But I’m prepared to double the amount we usually get, and before long our order will quadruple,” he predicted.
“In the meantime, you want to pay fifteen?” Riz laughed.
“Bleed, you see something comical about what I proposed?”
Lissha heard a slight chuckle behind Kiam’s words and immediately tensed up; she hoped he wasn’t about to air the room out. But Riz didn’t respond to Kiam’s unspoken challenge, and she was glad for that.
“Let’s roll, Lissha,” Kiam said.
Riz shot up off the couch waving his arms. “Hold the fuck up. Lissha we been doing business with you for years. You’re one of my most loyal customers. Then you let this nigga come in here standing between good business?” he questioned harshly.
“She ain’t got shit to say, you’re talking to me. Lissha wait for me in the car,” Kiam ordered.
“Lissha, is this how you’re doing business now?”
“You heard him, Riz. Whatever he says, I back it.” Lissha got up and headed to the door. When she touched the door knob the dogs began to growl.
“Stand down,” Riz spoke out, calming the killer canines.
Lissha posted herself outside of the door gun drawn. If she heard ruckus she was going in blazing.
Inside the apartment Kiam remained poised and ready for whatever. He held Riz’s stare with one just as confident. Fuck the odds, he had a full clip.
“I see you got big gorilla nuts,” said Riz, coughing on the blunt he was blowin’.
“Nah, gorillas got big Kiam nuts,” Kiam clarified.
“This man right here is the truth,” Riz said to Bean, his longtime bodyguard. “I think I like this muthafucka. If he has the balls to come up in here by himself and challenge me on anything, I can just imagine how he crushes niggas back home.”
Bean co-signed with a nod of his head. Real recognized real as Kiam had predicted to Lissha it would.
“Now I see why you’re in, and Gator is out. I believe we’ll do great business together.”
“At fifteen a piece,” Kiam maintained.
“No, I can’t do fifteen. I can do fifteen-five if you get twenty. That’s a ticket that reflects my confidence in your ability to tremendously increase your purchase in the near future.”
