Deadly Saintes- The Complete Series, page 2
part #1 of Deadly Saintes Series
“Daddy! I don’t need to hear that. You talk about that to your boys.”
Reginald flashed a grin and sat. “And what did you want to talk to me about my sweet daughter? Good news I hope.”
“Good news indeed,” Lawrence said. He slid a folder across the desk. “Sign those.”
“Have you read through them?”
“I wrote them. The IRS has decided to cut what you owe to a third.”
“So, $300,000? That still feels high. Weed ain’t never killed nobody.”
“Wouldn’t matter if it did. The IRS doesn’t care about that. You can sell what you want to who you want so long as they get their cut.” Seeing that Reginald wasn’t convinced, Lawrence removed two checks from his jacket pocket and placed them on top of the folder. “Thought you might want to see the actual numbers. Now tell me which one feels high.”
“You one slick muthafucka ain’t you?”
Lawrence crossed his arms. “You wouldn’t have hired me if I wasn’t.”
Reginald glanced at Constance and smiled. “It was her idea to hire you. Your results made me decide to keep you on. You’re like family, son, but that don’t mean shit if you can’t perform.” Reginald pulled a gold fountain pen out of his suit jacket, signed the settlement agreement and the smaller check and slid them back across the desk. He slapped the pen cap back into place and put it back in his pocket. “Now that that’s out of the way, we can get down to the real business.”
Constance leaned back in her chair and raised an eyebrow. “And that would be?”
“The questions you have about Eralia. Before you ask, know that she’s going to be around for a long time. Know that I will tolerate nothing but the utmost respect for her. Is that clear?”
Constance sighed. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Then ask away.”
2
Darius glanced at the hand on his shoulder. He tried to concentrate on the amount of baby powder he sprinkled into the diaper, but all he could smell was Eralia’s perfume.
“You didn’t have to do this,” Eralia said.
“I like babies. He’s my brother.”
“You take after your father,” Eralia said. “You have Reggie’s eyes.”
“Reggie? You call Dad Reggie? He hates that.”
“That’s what I call him. I know he doesn’t usually like it, but I have a way of getting what I want.” She pressed her front against his back. “If you know what I mean.”
Darius’ knees bumped against the cabinet as he tried to avoid his stepmother’s touch. “Uh, good to know.” He fastened the baby’s diaper and he snapped his onesie.. He couldn’t help but smile as the small fingers tugged on his earlobes, exploring Darius’ features, sticking a curious finger into his nose. “I think I can keep him preoccupied for a while.”
“And what about me?”
“I think Chanel can help you with that.” His feet moved faster than his mind, causing him to trip. Looking back, he caught a quick glimpse of Eralia’s coy smile.
“Careful now,” she said. “You don’t want to drop your baby brother.”
“How well do you know this girl?” Constance asked.
“She’s a woman. Unless you think of yourself as a girl. I think she’s only a few years younger than you.”
“I don’t know whether I should be more worried that she’s my age or you don’t actually know how old she is.”
“All you need to know,” Reginald said, using a letter opener to pick the dirt from underneath his nails, “is that she is flexible enough to please me.”
Lawrence saw the look in Constance’s eyes and knew it was time to change the subject. He retrieved an envelope from his suit jacket and kept his eyes on Reginald. Lawrence stood up straight. He was a big man, six foot three and two hundred pounds of muscle. “Since I’ve been under your tutelage, you’ve only asked me to do three things.” He raised his index finger. “Help you keep the money you have.” He raised his middle finger. “Grow your money.” He raised his middle finger. “And replace any money that you lost.” He gave the envelope to Reginald.
“I guess I’ll have to give you a pass for deflowering my only daughter.”
“Daddy I haven’t been a virgin since –”
“I meant your heart.” Reginald opened the envelope and pulled out a check. “This is from you. What’s this?”
“For my tuition. Undergrad and law school. I told you I would pay you back one day,” Lawrence said. “I figured this was the perfect opportunity. You’ve done more for me than I can say. Paying you back for my education is the least I can do. I keep my promises.”
Reginald stood. His eyes remained locked on Lawrence, his chin tilted up a bit. Without blinking, he ripped the check in half. “You’re family. You always have been, more than some of my own sons. Paying me back is not only unnecessary, but it’s an insult to the belief and trust I placed in you. Don’t let a thought of paying me back enter your mind again. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good,” Reginald’s shoulders relaxed, “I’ll be right back.” The tension rushed out of the room after he opened the door.
Lawrence sat on the edge of the desk. He turned to Constance. “You were right.”
She leaned forward and cupped a hand to her ear. “What was that? I didn’t hear you.”
He leaned forward, further closing the distance between their faces. His voice was soft. “I said you were right.”
“Well, I do know my daddy.” Her grin lasted an only a second before she saw something in his eyes that made her breath catch.
Lawrence lowered his voice. “Is it true?”
“Daddy always believed in you. Even when you were on the verge of dropping out,” she said.
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
Lawrence touched her cheek. “Am I really the first man you loved?”
Reginald heard hushed voices as he went toward the powder room. He ducked inside and stood behind the door. He was able to see RJ, Trey, and Titus gathered nearby.
“Uncle T, I wanna tell him,” RJ said. “He might take it the wrong way if he hears it from you.”
“I don’t know, nephew. He already doesn’t think you can handle things on your own. He might think this is just another one of your crazy ideas.”
“We all know it’s not a crazy idea. This could bring in a lot of money.”
“Are you sure?” Titus rubbed his chin.. “Have you really thought this through? I’m with you on this, but you tend to move faster than you think.”
“It’s all good. I got it.”
“What do you want me to do?” Trey asked. “I’m ready, bro. Pop, you know I’m ready.” He looked back and forth between the men. Their lack of expression signaled their apprehension. “What I gotta do to prove it to you that I’m ready?” He lifted his shirt. The gun’s shiny chrome finish stood out against his mocha colored stomach. “I’ll put in work. I’m ready.”
“I guess he is serious,” RJ said with a smile. He pulled Trey’s shirt down. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll find something for you. It’s good to know you’re all the way down.”
Trey nodded and straightened his shirt. “Fa sho’.”
“Maybe we should wait to tell him,” Titus said, “you know, until the shock wears off. Can you believe he’s married?”
“And has a new baby.”
“Yeah, but the bitch is bad. I might need to take a trip to the islands,” RJ said. The men broke up their huddle when Chanel called for him. “We’ll talk about this later. I’m sure I don’t have to stress the importance of keeping this to yourselves.”
Both Webster men nodded. Titus stayed behind after RJ and Trey walked off. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he looked up and down the hallway while holding it to his ear.
“Hey daddy,” a sultry voice answered.
“Did you get it done?”
“I dropped off the package at the house just like you said. He wasn’t there, but the doorman or somebody told me he would call as soon as he got back.”
“Good girl.”
“You made sure no one was following you,” he said.
“Yes daddy.”
“That’s why you’re my best girl. I’ll check in later.” He hung up the phone and dropped it back into his pocket. His self assured walk signaled his confidence in not being heard or seen.
Sure no one was still hanging around, Reginald rushed out of the bathroom and went back to Constance’s office.
Reginald closed the door behind him and started to pace the room.
Constance gave Lawrence a worried look, then watched her father. “Daddy? Is something wrong?”
Reginald held up his finger and continued to pace. Suddenly, he stopped. “What do you know about what RJ is planning?”
“What are you talking about?” Constance pushed herself from her chair. “What’s wrong?”
“I overheard him and the Websters talking about some deal. What’s he been getting into since I’ve been gone?”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“I told you,” he lowered his voice, “I told you to keep an eye on him, Constance. You know that boy –“
“Daddy, I didn’t-”
“He’s been trying to get into hard drugs,” Lawrence said. “Constance was handling the IRS mess so I kept an eye on RJ.” He handed Reginald a single sheet of paper. “He started contacting that number as soon as you left. They talk at least once week, usually on a Tuesday, their conversation lasting no longer than ten minutes. Do you recognize it?”
“718. that’s New York. Brooklyn”
“Any ex business associates, enemies, clients that might want to get back at you?”
Reginald rubbed his chin. No names or faces came to mind. “I’ve kept everything on the up and up. Never crossed anyone. That’s bad business.”
“Then we should ask him,” Constance said. “Let’s get all the information. Maybe you missed something.”
“Lawrence never misses anything. If he says RJ is trying to come up then he’s trying to come up. Titus is in on it too.” His eyes lit up. “I know who it is. Fucking Calvin.”
Reginald watched his family as they gathered around the dining table. He had missed them dearly. He missed their energy, their love. Pride made his chest swell as he saw Darius catching the food that spilled from the baby’s mouth. He held Eralia’s hand as it found its way onto his lap.
She smiled. “You have a wonderful family. I’m glad to be a part of it.”
“I wish we could’ve come back sooner.”
“We’re here now. That’s all the matters.”
He kissed her. “You’re right.” He pushed his chair back and stood. The high quality silver produced a sharp ring as he tapped against his crystal glass. Everyone quieted, giving him their undivided attention. “I love you all. Each and everyone at this table is of my own flesh and blood, if not physically, in spirit. You each represent a different aspect of myself. We would be here all night if I explained the ways. But there is one individual that I would like to praise. RJ, stand up.”
RJ’s eyes widened. He wiped his mouth and pushed his chair back.
“RJ, you carry my name. As my first born I wanted to make sure people knew who you were even after I was long gone. It was a gift, a prophesy to what your future would be.”
“Thanks Pop. I wear it with pride.”
“As you should.” Reginald made his way around the table. He wrapped an arm around RJ’s shoulders and pulled him closer. “Given this generosity, the generosity of never having to worry about not having enough, never having to look over your shoulder, I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why you go out your way to destroy what I’ve spent my life building.”
RJ’s eyes squeezed shut as Reginald’s fingers dug into the pressure point on the side of his chest. “Wha –
“You are but a boy, so I don’t blame you. Titus, my brother, please stand.”
“What is –”
“Stand.” Reginald felt RJ’s body loosen after he released his grip. All eyes followed him as he made his way to where Titus stood. On his way, he hugged Trey. The glass remained steady in one hand, the other hand tucked neatly behind his back. “We’ve been friends since we were barely old enough to shave. I trusted you with my family. More importantly, I trusted you with my business. I really shouldn’t blame you. You’re just a man taking advantage of his position. It’s my fault for thinking you could live up to my standards.”
“I don’t know what this is about, but I’m beginning to get offended,” Titus said.
“Then you know what I first felt when I figured it out.”
“Don’t beat around the fucking bush, Reginald. We always been straight with each other. Don’t stop now. What are you implying?”
“You, dearest brother of mine, have been planning a coup. And you brought my son in on it.” Before anyone could react, he aimed a gun at the middle of Titus’ forehead. “Like I said, this is my fault. There have always been signs of you being a snake, but against my better judgement, I ignored.”
“Daddy,” Constance said.
RJ took a step toward them. “Pop, chill out.”
Reginald whipped around and pointed the barrel at RJ’s chest. “Don’t you fucking dare. You’re just as guilty as him. And if you were anybody else other than my son I would…” Reginald took a deep breath. “This is what’s going to happen. I’m taking back control. Whatever deal you had, it’s over.” He removed the clip and shoved it into his pocket. He put the gun on the table. “You’re lucky Lawrence found out what you were doing before I did.”
The room was silent as Reginald stalked out. The front door slammed a few seconds later.
Titus slammed a fist on the table. “Son of a bitch.” The dishes rattled, unable to settle before RJ stomped from the room.
Eralia cozied up to Darius and put her hand on his thigh.
“Shouldn’t you go after him?” he asked her.
“After who?”
“My dad.” His stood and threw a napkin over his shoulder. “I’ll go try to calm RJ down. Constance can you –”
“Yeah. I got it.”
3
Darius made silly faces at David as he held the baby over his head. RJ paced, his head raising for a second, dropping for a second. The only sound to be heard was the baby’s gurgling. Darius brought David back to his shoulder when the height proved to be too much, comforting him with small pats to his back.
“That muthafucka pointed a gun at me.”
“Language.”
“What?”
“Babies understand more than we know,” Darius said. “No need to poison him this young.”
“We don’t even know if that’s his baby. He probably kidnapped him.”
Darius held back the first thing that came to his mind. “Dad isn’t careless. You know that.”
“He gotta be something if he pointed a gun at me.” RJ threw himself into a chair, then jumped back up. “What the fuck? If that ni- if he wasn’t my muthafuckin’ Pop –“
“Our Pop. And please stop cussing.”
“That little muthafucka is gonna hear worse if he’s gonna be a part of this family so he better get used to it.” RJ raised his head, realizing that he was alone. He threw himself back into the chair when Darius returned. “I need to do something. I can’t have muthafuckas tryin’ me.”
“The motherfucker that tried you is our father. What are you gonna do? Kill him? Then your suppliers won’t be the only people after you. Constance will have your head.”
“I’m not worried about her.”
“Have you met our sister? She may look like Mom, but that’s where the similarity ends. I believe she’s even more ruthless than Dad.”
RJ’s eyes cut to him. “So what am I supposed to do? I put a lot of money into this. Me and Uncle Titus.”
“Talk to Dad. He’s more mad at Titus than you. You’re his son. He’ll to hear you out.” Darius excused himself after the baby’s cries spilled from the other room.
Reginald was back at the head of the table when RJ went into the dining room. Constance sat to his right. Seeing the anger in his father’s eyes crushed his own. RJ felt like a boy again as he waited for Reginald to give him permission to sit. A simple hand wave sent RJ to his chair.
Reginald leaned forward and nodded at Constance. “What do you have to say, baby girl? Tell me why this shouldn’t be their last day on earth.”
Constance looked her father in the eye. “You told us before you went to St Gilbert to look out for Uncle Titus. You didn’t trust him, and you were proven right. You know he drove this whole thing. You always taught us to find the snake’s head. In this case, we don’t even have to look.”
“Are you saying your brother is weak?” Reginald asked.
Constance shook her head. “No. RJ is not weak. He’s not disloyal. I know that anything he did, he did it because he wanted what was best for the family.”
“Those are strong words coming from you.”
Constance caught her brother’s eye. “We may have our differences, but he is family.”
RJ swallowed hard and looked to his father. Reginald rested his forearms on the table and clasped his hands. “Do you want to speak first or should I?”
RJ analyzed Reginald’s face. It was still handsome and unlined despite him having hit the half century mark three years ago. “I’ll speak first.”
“The floor is yours, son.”
His head lowered as he took a breath. After exhaling, he met his father’s gaze once more. “I didn’t know when you would be back. None of us did. I didn’t know if Lawrence and Constance would be able to get you out of the tax problem. I saw a business opportunity. Nothing more, nothing less. I remember you telling Lawrence before you left that we were supposed to grow the business,” RJ said.
