“Nigga, I’m meeting you at the airport,” Teddy said, thinking Lil Will would already know. “We’ll get up then.” Teddy hung up on him.
Lil Will threw the phone on the bed, got up, and started packing. Machumu stood in the doorway to the bedroom laughing.
“Stop trying so hard, baby. This business is self-run. All the head does is keeps the rest of the body safe and functioning. This shit ain’t rocket science.”
Lil Will stopped packing and looked up at her. “Are you going to pack something?”
She laughed comically. “For what?”
He finished packing and they left.
When they arrived at the airport, Teddy was waiting for them. Lil Will looked his brother over, who was dressed in a tailor-made business suit with the suede shoes to match.
“A’ight, bro! You got ya dress code up to part,” Lil Will commented.
Teddy brushed down the front of the coat. “Yeah, I take sound advice from made men.”
Machumu laughed. “Something you need to teach your brother how to do.”
Teddy started laughing.
They boarded their flight. In so many words, without calling their names, Teddy informed him he’d left Henry and Mike in charge. After the plane touched down and they got off, he gave them the rundown on the plan T was working on.
“That’s good thinking. Listen, bro - “ Lil Will started to say before Machumu cut him off.
Machumu grunted. Understanding that was his cue to be quiet without her saying it, Lil Will closed his mouth.
The ride to the estate was quiet. Teddy took in the scene with admiration, thinking to himself how one day he would have a spot like it. At the estate, Demetri, Thaddeus, Mark, and Nicole greeted them at the door. Teddy shook hands with everyone.
Machumu hugged Demetri and his brother before shaking hands with the others. Lil Will shook hands with everyone but Mark, who he bear hugged.
“Man, it’s been a long time coming,” Lil Will said to him.
Mark stepped back beside Nicole. “Yeah, it has. Meet my wife, Nicole.”
Lil Will was dumbfounded. “What?”
“His wife,” Nicole stated in a serious tone of voice.
Thaddeus noticed the irritation his niece was feeling and interjected.
“Okay everyone. Let’s get this party started! Today, we celebrate the matrimony of Brad and Nicole. Tomorrow, we celebrate business management.”
Everyone walked in. The maids took their things to the guestrooms while they all went to the banquet hall. The table was already being set. They sat in conversation, waiting on the feast to be served.
Thaddeus and his brother were talking to Teddy. It was a casual conversation to see where his mind was at. So far, he was doing great. Another couple walked in, who Machumu automatically recognized
“Sis and Damien!” Machumu screamed happy.
“Well, well. Two of my favorite girls,” Damien exclaimed, speaking of his sister and Machumu.
Damien hugged Machumu. After he let her go, he reached out towards Nicole, who jumped to her feet and ran into his bear hug.
“Hey, big brother!”
“Baby girl,” Damien began saying, “you didn’t think your brother would miss this event, did you?”
“You better not have,” Nicole stated.
They sparred playfully. Everyone looked at the skills both displayed. Their fluent motion showed it wasn’t a game when it came down to it. Demetri observed everyone’s facial expressions and smiled proudly.
“If those of you who don’t know my niece and nephew are wondering, they have trained with the best in the country of the origin of several martial arts. You don’t have to take my word for it. All you have to do is try their patience. But no one here is planning on doing such a dumb thing, so let’s enjoy ourselves.”
They ate and talked. During his entire time being with Nicole, Mark hadn’t seen her so playful and talkative. But she still kept a watchful eye around the table, and he noticed her brother was doing the same. Demetri watched him observe the scene for a moment before excusing himself and asking him to join him.
“Okay, Nephew, what did you see?” Demetri asked Mark.
“My wife and her brother are very cautious around people they’re not really familiar with. My instincts tell me it’s more due to people’s unlearned ways of the custom of this business and the rules they live by,” Brad informed him.
Demetri stroked his chin, nodding his head to show approval. “And what do you think of Ted?”
“Eager and willing to take advice in order to get on top and stay there. For the short time I worked with him, he has shown improvement. He’s all about what’s good for business. A bright future, if molded into it,” replied Mark.
Demetri continued to nod, considering everything. “Anything odd?”
Brad shook his head. “Not really, besides the fact my wife isn’t too fond of Lil Will because of his expression when I introduced them.”
Knowing his niece, and the fact her brother was there too, Demetri put his hand on his forehead. “Not good, Nephew.”
“Why?” It dawned on Brad. “Oh boy.”
Reality kicked in real quick.
The two men looked at each other and hurried back inside to join the feast. Demetri remained standing, staring at his niece and nephew as he addressed their guests.
“I’m sorry to have to inform you all that there has been a change of plans. Machumu, Ted, and Lil Will, you will not be staying tonight. A helicopter will fly you back to the airport, where you can pick up your vehicles. Before you all go, we shall get down to business.
“As some of you know, the mayor and sheriff in Albany are deceased. An election is about to be held for these positions. Ted here is going to become the new mayor, meaning, no more drug transactions for you, Ted. You have a clean record, and it’s best we keep it that way.
“As for the sheriff position, it’s still a work in progress. Lil Will, choose between Henry and Mike to be the person to handle transactions,” Demetri stated.
Lil Will nodded. “Okay.”
Demetri shook his head. “Not later, Lil Will. Now.”
Lil Will thought for a moment. “In that case, Mike will handle the money transactions while Henry takes care of the shipment.”
Demetri nodded approvingly. “Good. A lesson well learned. Know your assets for their skills, therefore, you allow them to show their loyalty. Now, finish eating and talking because tomorrow, some of you may not ever talk again.”
On his way back out, Demetri gestured for his niece and nephew to follow. They met him in his study.
“Have a seat,” Demetri said.
Nicole and Damien sat quietly.
“Damien, you may be naive or you may not be naive to what is on your sister’s mind,” Demetri stated curiously.
Damien looked at his uncle with a serious expression on his face. “It all depends on what you’re referring to, Uncle.”
“Her plans for one or two of our guests,” Demetri replied before looking at his niece. “Do I need to say more, Nicole?”
Nicole frowned. “Uncle, I wasn’t going to kill him. Maybe rough him up a little bit, but not kill him. As long as his brother stayed out of it, everybody would’ve survived.”
Demetri couldn’t help but laugh at her. “That means we would’ve had a dead future mayor and a dead head. That would’ve been tragic for business. Are we going to let them live, Nicole?”
She looked at her brother.
Demetri realized she really wanted to teach Lil Will a lesson. “No silent transmissions, Nicole. Look at me.”
Nicole threw her hands up, frustrated. “Just keep him away from me, and we have a deal.”
“Then it’s settled,” Demetri insisted. “How do you like your wedding gifts?”
Nicole’s whole attitude changed. “We love them.”
Seeing the mood had lightened up, Demetri smiled. “Let’s return to our guests.”
Demetri, D
amien, and Nicole walked back into the banquet hall all smiles like death wasn’t the topic of discussion just seconds ago.
Thaddeus stood and took the floor. “It’s always a pleasure to have family together. This business doesn’t or hasn’t lasted this long just off of friendships and mutual goals. It’s still here because of family. Let’s keep it that way.”
“I agree, brother. Now, the big moment. Nicole, Brad, please stand.”
They stood up and joined Thaddeus at his side.
Thaddeus went on, saying, “This lovely couple will no longer be at your services. If you don’t already know where they’re living, you won’t ever know. With that, I ask you all to say your farewells and be on your way.”
Lil Will didn’t quite understand what was going on around him. The only thing that had become clear in his mind was the reason the mayor and sheriff died. He pounded Mark up and embraced him. He hadn’t told him where he was living, and he wasn’t foolish enough to ask.
Mark and Nicole got on the helicopter and left. Six hours later, they were back home and in the bed. Lovemaking was out of the question. They were so exhausted from flying that sleep claimed them instantly.
Chapter Eleven
The day had come. Mike, Teddy, Henry, T, and Lil Will waited on Dink to show up at Henry’s crib. They had already come to the verdict. By the time the fifth blunt was being blazed, he arrived, and Lil Will gave it to him raw and uncut.
“Dink, we gon’ keep shit plain and simple. Niggas ain’t hearing yo’ half-stepping bullshit. You a Slaughter Boy, but this money shit is deeper than blood ties my nigga. Either you all the way S.M.F., or ya ass is outta gas,” Lil Will said coldly.
Dink nodded. “Bruh, I know I fucked up big time. The shit been eating at me since it happened. Even though we hit them niggas hard who did it, I still got murder on my mind. My nigga, on my life, I’m Slaughter Boy and S.M.F. fo’ life.”
“A’ight, bro,” said Lil Will. “No more sideline hustling shit. We all gon’ eat properly. T done came up with a fool-ass plan to make it happen.”
T took the floor and told everyone what his plans was. It didn’t take Dink long to do the math and add on to his plan. “So basically, we gon’ be moving straight weight, which means we can send enough paperwork to cop three times the original shipment. Since we stepping on it twice, two will pay for three more. We all make good.”
Lil Will nodded with a smile. “Now, that’s the Dink I know. The next shipment is already on the way, so we’ll test run it. T, how’s the peace talk going?”
“I got the meeting set up fo’ Friday,” T informed Lil Will.
Lil Will nodded. “Good. The work will be here by then, and we will have time to cut it. Make sho’ you tell them niggas to have their check right fo’ whatever they trying to cop.”
They sat around and kicked it for the rest of the day. Dink was at ease and glad to be back in good grace with his brothers.
***
Demetri, Thaddeus, Sis, and Mark were being entertained by Damien and Nicole. They were on the front lawn sparring with bow staffs. She had on a crimson red ninja suit and he wore a black one. Their movements were as fast as if it was real combat.
Mark observed the amusement on the others’ faces as she went for a sweeping blow with the staff and he backward flipped to dodge the attack. They danced around for every bit of an hour. They dropped the staffs and began hand to hand combat. As far as he could tell, they were equally matched.
Looking at them train made him think about Lil Will, and the fact that the man didn’t know his life was in so much danger the other day just because of an expression. Seeing both of them turning backward flips away from each other snapped him back to reality. On the last flip, they both threw ninja stars at each other, which they back dropped to dodge and bounded back to their feet. They bowed towards each other, and then turned, bowing to everyone watching.
Demetri, Thaddeus, and Sis jumped to their feet, giving them a standing ovation. He stood and clapped silently. All he could think of was the new life he was about to live.
***
Special Agent Sarah had led the agency to a major bust. A couple years ago, some wannabe Mexican cartel had moved in on an Italian territory, causing trouble. They’d overlooked the mishap until someone important was murdered. Now, the employers wanted blood for blood.
“Grab those two there,” Sarah instructed the other agents. “I got this one.”
She yanked the wannabe drug lord up on his feet. The tattoos on his face disgusted her. Seeing they weren’t heading out to a patrol car, he started speaking in Spanish, asking her what she was doing. She answered him back in Spanish, telling him to shut the fuck up before she put a bullet in his skull.
She pushed him into the bathroom and closed the door. Inside, she kicked him in the stomach, and as he doubled over, she kicked him again, causing his body to fall in the tub. She turned on the hot water. As it ran over his face, she screwed the silencer on the pistol and put two slugs in his head before walking out, closing the door behind her. Back at the office, she made a phone call.
“Hello,” a lady answered.
Sarah smiled. “How’s my daughter doing?”
“Great, Mom,” she replied. “I hope you’re not upset with me missing work today.”
“Not at all,” Sarah said sincerely. “Deliver a message for me.”
“Sure. Hold on.” Sarah’s daughter handed the phone to the guy standing next to her. “It’s my mother.”
The guy took the phone, smiling as he said, “Hello?”
“That’s settled,” Sarah said.
The man sighed with relief. “Thank you. Keep it official business.”
“Understood,” Sarah stated and then hung up the phone.
***
Sopia and Sabrina were back in Atlanta, kicking it with Kerria. Like last time, they hit the mall on an all-out shopping spree. As they shopped, Sabrina filled Kerria in on the happenings in Albany. It all sounded like the usual until she brought up the news of Lil Will being back in town.
“Hold up. Who?” Kerria asked Sabrina.
Sabrina filled her in. “Yeah, homegirl, that nigga is back in The Good Life. Them niggas doing their thang.”
Kerria nodded cautiously. “Sounds about right. Slaughter Boyz is what’s happening. S.M.F. for life.”
“Yeah, but ya know that nigga’s a wanted man dead or alive. You ask me, he was dumb as hell showing up like some of them niggas and hoes ain’t thinking ‘bout cashing his ass in fo’ that check,” said Sabrina.
Kerria laughed nervously. “Different strokes for different folks. What you think about it?”
Sabrina looked at Kerrica sideways. “What I think ‘bout what? Turning his ass in? A check is a check.”
Kerrica looked at her in disbelief. She turned her attention to Sopia, who already knew what was on her mind. “Y’all excuse me. I got to hit the bathroom.”
Kerrica entered the restroom. She waited until it was empty before making the call. The male voice answered on the other end. “What’s up? Who is this?”
“It’s Kerrica,” she replied.
“What’s good, cuz?”
“I’m straight. Listen, this bitch Sabrina is state property. How do I know? The bitch just told me and Sopia she’ll cash Lil Will in for the paper. Handle that bitch, kinfolk. Bet.”
Kerrica went on and used the restroom for real since she was already there. She caught up with them at the checkout aisle. Sopia already knew what was up.
“Say, Kerrica,” Sopia began saying, “why don’t we hit The Good Life and party tonight? I really ain’t trying to bump into that nigga I met the last time when we were up here. I had to make him beat the pussy. He wanted to make love to it.”
Kerrica laughed. “I’m down with that. Let me find out Mike got yo’ ass tapped and you sprung on the dick.”
Sopia looked up at the sky, thinking about what Kerrica had said. “Girl, if you only knew.”
Kerr
ica stopped by her house before they left town. She dropped her merchandise off and let her husband know she was going to visit her cousins, and that she would be back in the morning.
Three hours later, they were in Albany sitting inside of Sabrina’s apartment. The whole crew showed up to see Kerrica.
“Kerrica, what it do, kinfolk?” Henry said happily.
“Henry! Hey cuz,” she replied.
They hugged.
When she saw Lil Will, tears poured from her eyes at the thought of Bee. Kerrica hugged him tight.
“Man, I’m sorry to hear about bruh.”
“It’s all good, Kerrica,” Lil Will said hugging her back. “We rocked them niggas to sleep who did it. What’s good though? How you been?”
“Living the good life, fo’ real,” she replied.
Henry was texting someone on the phone when Sabrina pulled up, trying to kiss him. He brushed her off and told her to chill out. That got a negative reaction out of her.
“Nigga, ya cousin down here, and yo’ ass get all upper class on a bitch! Fuck you and her!”
He didn’t respond. He kept texting until the message came back he was waiting for. It wasn’t a good thirty seconds later when the knock came at the front door. Mad, Sabrina went and opened the door.
It was Machumu.
“What’s up, girlfriend? That nigga Lil Will in here with the rest of them niggas,” Sabrina said.
Machumu didn’t say anything. She walked in and spoke to everyone politely.
“How is everyone doing? Will everyone please excuse themselves? I need to have a woman-to-woman talk with Miss Sabrina here.”
Henry was already heading out the door, still texting. Kerrica, having an idea what was up, followed his lead, and Sopia was behind her. Everybody else was naive to the obvious, so she turned it up a notch.
“Either y’all niggas deaf or dumb! I said get the fuck up and leave! I ain’t asking again!”
Lil Will, although dumbfounded, knew when she was serious. He told the rest of the crew to come on. As soon as the door closed, she commenced to kicking Sabrina’s ass. She tried to get away from her, but it wasn’t happening.
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