Long Live the Queen, page 2
Mob’s head moved a bit to the left. “Major Distribution of the product?” He seemed shocked and confused.
“Yes, the word has come down and we are now the link. Just like that.” Mob’s eyes grew wide then I could see the question on his face. Why was I meeting with him only? Where was Plies? After all, he was my right-hand man. And ever since he had assumed his position he was at every meeting as he should have been.
“That’s not the only change. Plies was out of pocket like a motherfucker. He now sleeps forever.” I knew I didn’t have to explain beyond that.
Mob’s shoulders seemed to sink as if I had dropped a bag of bricks on them. He appeared to suck in a breath. “Hell naw.” He finally released. “That nigga betrayed the code? Went against the grain?”
“Dirt in the ground, snake flat on his belly. He murdered Pablo and Penelope.” I picked up my last shot and downed it. I signaled the waitress over. “Please bring me two more.” I realized I needed to slow down on the drinks, but I really needed it. I could literally see Penelope and Pablo’s faces. In a way, they were the last connection I had to DaVon. I could remember the first time he introduced us on my first trip to Miami. Things were so different then. I was different then. I was an innocent girl, a regular citizen with regular dreams. Now . . .
“I’ll take two more as well. Damn, I can’t believe that nigga had the nuts to kill them.” Mob looked disgusted, then downed his last shot. He released a small grunt as it wet his throat. “I shoulda known that nigga was a fake. How da fuck I let that slip me?” Mob balled up his right hand. His pinky ring was shining so hard the lights from the ceiling bounced off it. “Pussy ass niggas can’t spell loyalty these days. Wish I coulda put that nigga to sleep myself woulda been my pleasure. Fuck boy.” I had known the information about Plies would bother him, nothing bothered a hustler more than knowing someone they trusted with their lives was a snake. When you on the streets making moves, getting money, claiming territories, you are for sure racking up enemies just as fast as you can do all three. Someone is always gunning for your spot. So, you need the ones you hustle with to watch your back. Because all situations are life or death. And to find out they were the enemy all along. It leaves a stain that’s hard to get rid of. Sometimes forever.
“So in lieu of all that, I’m going to need you to set these meetings up with the Crew leaders. You know what must be done. And you are familiar with them all, correct?”
“Ah, hell yeah. I know them all. Clip made sure of that. He told me I was to always know the leader of the pack.”
“Good. I need you to reach out to them and set it up, like for tomorrow. I know this is super last minute but this shit gotta be done quick. Ain’t no way around it. All they need to know is they must make this meeting; their product depends on it. But you are not to disclose no more than that.”
“Got it. What about the spot and the time?”
We paused the conversation as the waitress returned to set the shot glasses on the table. She exited and I continued, “Well, that is going to work the same way it does when we meet with our own crew. I will let you know about an hour before the meeting. You will tell them then. Marlo will touch down tomorrow. I’ll have my final decision then.”
“A’ight. I’ll start reaching out asap. Don’t worry, I got you.”
I nodded because I knew Mob could do it. We finished off our drinks then parted ways. I had to go by the dry cleaners to check on one of the pressors Katrina had been complaining about. I wanted to grab the warranty paperwork to take home to review. She had called the company to come out to look at it. But according to her it was acting up again, and they had been out twice already. I wanted to see exactly what the warranty said before I made my next move, possibly with the insurance company.
“I see you in that pretty white piece of heaven today.” Katrina was beaming as soon as I stepped inside.
The drinks had me feeling a bit more mellow, so I was able to give Katrina a sincere smile. Not like the one I had forced for the lady at the red light earlier. “What’s up, K?” I noticed a tall, light-skinned, muscle-toned, medium-built guy, with a flat top haircut, standing close to the counter. He glared at me then back at Katrina. Something told me he was not a customer, and they were acquainted on a personal level.
“Same ol’, wrapping up a few things before Regina gets here. But I want you to meet Lalah daddy, Kenneth. Ken, this is my boss lady Precious.” I had guessed right.
“What’s up.” He spoke in a deep throaty tone that I thought was disgusting.
“Hi.” I continued behind the counter and stood close to Katrina and looked him face on. His eyes seemed to get a bit shifty.
“Precious, you never met him before, but Mr. Larry did.” She referred to my dad. “He met him more than once. Ken, you remember Mr. Larry back when you used to come up in here?”
“Yeah, sho’ do. Your dad was nice. Always welcomed me when I came through.” I wondered if that was a hint for me to welcome him. That was the shady way it came off. I decided to ignore that.
“That he was.” I nodded. I wasn’t sure about this Kenneth. I did remember hearing his name a few times, although I had never managed to be here at the dry cleaners when he came by. I also remembered that my dad didn’t like him. From what my memory gathered he was not good to Katrina, and as my dad put it “not good for her.” And if my memory served me correctly, he had gone to prison. I really didn’t have time for pleasantries since I was on another mission. I excused myself to seek out that warranty. I was sure if he had just got home from lock up, they had some catching up to do.
Chapter 3
To say my head was banging when I opened my eyes the next morning was an understatement. Those quick shots I had taken at the Bird & Bees with Mob had kicked in. Not only was my head banging like it was being beat by a drum, but my stomach was twisting and turning so hard I had no choice but barf its contents up into my toilet. But I couldn’t let that slow me down. Today was the first meeting and there was nothing getting in the way of that. So, after emptying my guts and popping two extra strength Excedrin I headed for the kitchen on foot, but the way my head was banging I seriously contemplated crawling there.
I nearly bumped into Rosa coming out of the kitchen. She was so short, sometimes I felt like I was towering over her. “I’m sorry, Rosa.” I apologized, trying to hold my balance. My head seemed to swim from my throbbing headache. I rubbed my forehead and tried to breathe slowly.
“It’s okay. Awww, I hate to see you suffer. Pfft.” She sucked her teeth. “That pot of coffee you asked for is ready to go. Come on, sit down and I’ll make you a cup.”
“No, I got it, Rosa. I’ll be fine, I just swallowed two Excedrin. I should be good in about five minutes.”
“How about breakfast? I can scramble you up some eggs and bacon. A full stomach might suck up the pain and some of that alcohol.”
“No, I’m good on the food too; this coffee is more than enough.” The thought of food made my head pound even more. I was not in the mood to do no munching. I wanted silence and a cool breeze.
“Alright, yell or text me if you need me.” She scrambled off with her AirPods in her ears. Rosa loved her music. It was common for me to find her doing a little dance while performing her duties. I loved her spirit around the house.
Grabbing a coffee mug from the cabinet I reached for the coffee pot and allowed the black liquid to fill the cup. I only mixed in three Splenda packs to rid it of that bitter taste. I normally had a cappuccino or plain coffee with about ten Splenda and plenty of creamer. But today I was on a mission to break this headache, so less sweet was okay. I wanted some fresh air while I downed my coffee, so I decided to sit out by the pool.
“Just touched down. Got a few moves to make.” I read the text that came through from Marlo. I sipped my coffee and took in a deep breath. The fresh air seemed to caress my skin, and seep into my pores—it was what I really needed. I wished I could sit there all day and do nothing but stare at the beauty. But even I knew that was a dream. I finished off my coffee, slid on my all-white Jimmy Choo heels to match my tight blue jeans, red fitted blouse, and my Gucci gold line chain purse, told Rosa bye, and jumped in my black Porsche.
By the time I pulled up to Promise’s salon my headache was a memory and the caffeine had given me some life.
“Good morning, Precious,” Lisa said as soon as I stepped inside. She was sitting behind the desk batting those long lashes that she kept so flawless.
“Good morning.” I smiled at her.
“Precious, I swear you be coming up in here lookin’ like a supermodel. You and Promise need to hit somebody runway and let these chicks know what’s really good.”
“Nah, I like hot wings way too much,” I joked. People have always told me how exquisite my facial features and body were. I had been called beautiful on more occasions than I cared to count. But my dad had raised me to focus on being a good person. So I never thought about my looks even when others raved about them. And to be honest I was glad I was not shallow or conceited. Those characteristics would do me no good in the life I led.
“Hey, Precious.” Toya popped in the front. “You don’t have an appointment with Promise, do you?”
“Nope, not today. What’s up?” I knew if she asked me that something was going on.
“She called not too long ago saying she would not be coming in today. She had two appointments this afternoon, but she couldn’t remember who. Lisa, can you check that for me and also call Prel and see if she can come in to do one of them. And I’ll squeeze the other one in.”
“Sure, I’ll take care of that right away.” Lisa started typing on the MacBook in front of her.
“Toya, did Promise say why she wasn’t coming in?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Nope, she never really said. She just asked about her appointments.” Toya hunched her shoulders.
“A’ight I’ll give her a call. I’m out.”
I jumped back in my Porsche and dialed Promise right away. I would have headed over, but the meeting was about to start soon, and I just didn’t have the time.
I clicked my seatbelt and waited for her to answer. “Hey sis.” Promise answered the phone on the second ring. Her groggy voice told me she was still in bed.
“Girl, why you playing hooky this morning?” I wasn’t used to Promise missing work. She was one of those people who came to work even when she did not feel well.
She laughed on the other end. “You must be at the salon.”
“Yep. Thought I’d stop through this morning and show you my pretty face.” I teased. Hearing her voice, I knew she was okay, so I wasn’t worried anymore.
“Dang, well, I hate I missed your pretty face.” She giggled. “I was going to call you once I got up. But I had this migraine this morning that was kicking my butt. So I said forget it.”
“Ah, I had a headache this morning too but mine came by way of the too many shots yesterday.”
“I wish mine had come from shots.” She yawned. “I think I’m just tired. But I’m good though.”
“A’ight you need anything at the moment?”
“Nah, just some rest. I took some pain meds. I’ll be back kicking ass in a few hours.”
“Cool, well, that meeting I told you about will start soon so I’ma head that way, but I’ll come by your place later and check on you.”
“Wait, what about your boy, Marlo, did he make it?” That was a question I did not want to answer because I did not wish to discuss Marlo. I also knew Promise would ask question after question if I didn’t quickly shut it down. So I did.
“Yes, he is here. Listen, I gotta go. Get some sleep.” My words were rushed on purpose. I ended the call before she could respond. I really wasn’t prepared to see Marlo, but I had no choice. We had work to do, nothing else mattered.
* * *
I arrived on time for the meeting. Mob met me outside, joined by Don P. They were talking as I approached. My instructions had been clear. Case and Rob held down the inside along with a few lower-class henchmen who had hopes of coming up, all standing guard. I knew the Crew leaders would bring along a few of their henchman for safety. I mean everyone always wanted to feel like they had back-up which stood for status. And it was cool. They could bring along henchmen, but this meeting was closed to anyone but the bosses. So henchmen would remain outside the room.
“Everyone inside?” I asked soon as I was in earshot of Mob and Don P.
“Just as ordered.” Mob stated.
“They a bit antsy though.” Don P warned.
“Really, hmmph.” I was amused by that bit of information. I swear men had no patience. This made me want to delay things just to fuck with them. But I was a professional. I wouldn’t make them shit bricks for no reason. “Let’s go inside.” Just as we started to enter the building Marlo pulled up. He and Phil jumped out of a Mercedes truck. We stood back and waited for them to approach.
“Yo, this LA traffic ain’t nice to a Miami nigga.” Marlo grinned. He stepped in close to me, and his presence felt so welcoming. But I took a step back; being too close to him was making me weak. As usual, he looked good enough to chew up and swallow. He had on some clay-colored Givenchy trousers, with a fitted white tee, and a navy-blue Burberry blazer. Talk about suave and plain sexy. And he smelled so delicious, I had to count backwards to keep from swooning. I was captivated by his sheer presence. I needed this meeting to be over so I could be gone away from him.
“Well, we have to have something that sets us apart from the rest of the world. Otherwise we’d be basic.” I said it as a joke but wore no smile. Phil, Mob, and Don P all dapped each other up. I started inside, but Mob jumped in front of me. His presence meant something to our visitors.
Inside the room I set my eyes on all the major Crew bosses that had dealt with Pablo and Penelope the same as I had for distribution. Yeah, LA was full of wannabe hustlers who had different distributors from all over. But this room was full of what some might call my brothers, although we had no relationship besides institutional knowledge of who each other were. And until today that had been more than enough.
Sitting around the table glaring at us were Quavo, Stylz G, Rolla, Yellow Jack, and Boss. All of them had known me as DaVon’s girl in the beginning. I was sure each one of them had some type of ambition to take DaVon’s territory over when he was murdered. But we know how that story goes.
The antsy look that Don P had spoken of was definitely apparent. They were ready to get on with it and bounce. I too was ready to be rid of this room, so I jumped right to it once I was seated. Marlo sat in a chair right next to me.
“Fellows, I know this meeting is totally unexpected. Or you might say out of the ordinary, take your pick. I’m not sure what you heard or if you heard anything at all, but I’m not here to confirm anything.” I would not be the one to confirm Penelope and Pablo were dead. Truth be told, I was sure they probably knew more than I did. That’s how it usually was. “Now I know all of you are familiar with me as I am with you. Not sure if you all are familiar with Marlo?” Silence, no one said anything. I expected that.
Marlo’s eyes fell on me then rolled on all of them. His voice followed. “I’m Marlo, as Precious said. Miami born and hustle. But it’s a new day. Precious.” He tossed it back to me. I was hoping he would go on. Just speaking about the change brought me back to Pablo and Penelope reality.
“As you all just heard, it’s a new day. What does that mean?” I asked the question I knew they were brewing to ask. “Marlo and I are your new distributor and collector.” The glares they gave me, I felt like they were looking straight through me or were just dumb and didn’t get it. And I personally didn’t have time for that. I decided to be clearer. “We are the new Pablo and Penelope. All our product will be coming down from El Guapo. If Salvador’s on your mind? Get him off.” Their stunned faces told me they got it. “So, for what you need you will have to go through Marlo and me. Whatever changes need to be made to keep shit in order we send down the order. We in charge.” That had to be said. The words no crew boss ever wanted to hear.
Yellow Jack, whose name described him and his banana-colored skin tone and face full of freckles right to a tee sucked his teeth. He gave a chuckle that was full of combativeness. I kept my composure and waited to see what mistake this fool was about to make. His eyes fell to Marlo. I watched in slow motion as his red lips moved. “Listen, I ain’t taking orders from nobody who don’t look tougher than my thirteen-year-old daughter.”
The already quiet room seemed to get quieter. I was sure I heard a cricket chirp. Marlo looked around the room, his eyes nearly falling on everyone in attendance. A smile slowly spread across his face as if he was just catching on to Yellow Jack’s insult. “Oh, that was meant for me?” He chuckled. But that chuckle carried something that sent a chill up my spine.
Yellow Jack lips attempted to stretch into a smile but before it was complete I watched as Marlo’s right hand came up gripping a gun and a bullet released from the chamber landed right between Yellow Jack’s eyes. His eyeballs bucked, his body jerked, his brains splattered from the back of his head, his head fell forward as the blood drained out the side of his mouth. Nobody moved or even looked at him long. The message was crystal clear.
“Anybody else?” I asked, just for clarification. Turns out nobody else had a thing to say aside from asking when they could get their next shipment. After filling them in on what we knew for now, I had another issue to address. We were fully aware of everyone’s territory and what was going on. That was now a part of our job.
“Rolla. You have a few murders in your territory and it’s going to bring unwanted heat, so the beef or whatever going on needs to come to a close. Get that under control like yesterday.”
“We workin’ on that. No doubt,” he assured me. That was it for me, and Marlo had nothing else, so we ended the meeting. Mob set things in motion to handle Yellow Jack. His henchmen were dismissed. For their own safety, they complied. Trying to stand up for him would only have ended with them being chopped to pieces beside him. I would let them know in twenty-four hours who would be heading up their territory now. That was that.
