The Last Kings 2

by C. N. Phillips

  I was still trying to get a grip on life as it was, and it didn’t help that Devynn and Adrianna had started to act funny around the house. I started to notice how whenever I entered a room, the two of them would cease their conversation abruptly. They also would leave and not inform me on where they were going, nor would they even try to include me. It didn’t take long before I grew tired of spending my days by myself. It was sad because I had nobody but them and it seemed like they were shutting me out. The day finally came when I figured it was time to kill the elephant in the room. I walked into the house late one evening, dropped my bags on the floor by the door entrance and shut the door behind me. Walking toward the large living room area I heard a rushed conversation so I decided to stop at the doorway and listen.

  “I don’t know if Sadie is ready yet, Dev,” Adrianna was saying.

  “What do you mean, ‘ready’?” Devynn spat back. “Yo, it’s been like nine months and our funds are running low. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living like a normal bitch. I’m not going back to a fuckin’ nine to five, understand?”

  “I know, Dev. Trust me, I do,” Adrianna said, her Hispanic accent laying on thick. “I understand, okay? But we are all we have. We already fucked up once, this is no time to rush shit and be hasty. We have to start our foundation again.”

  There was a silence, and knowing Devyn that meant that she agreed with what Adrianna was saying.

  “And with the Italians and Dominicans feuding, we’ve already picked our side. Once we’re on again we’re going to be in the middle of a full-fledged war, mama,” Adrianna continued. “I’ve never followed behind a bitch before, but when Vinny gets here Sadie has to be ready to lead. It’s what Ray would have wanted.”

  The respect in her voice when she spoke Ray’s name brought tears to my eyes, but that moment was ruined by what I heard next.

  “Tyler came by last night,” Devynn said. “She was sleep, didn’t even know he was here.”

  My heart pounded. Tyler was here? In Miami? I hadn’t seen him since Jamaica. Devynn told me that they had tried to move him to Miami as well, but that he had mysteriously disappeared from the hospital. It didn’t surprise me. Tyler was a fighter and staying in that hospital was too dangerous. I figured he’d turn up sooner or later. Not a day went by without him on my mind. I often thought about our last day in Jamaica. The feeling of him inside of me was still so fresh in my memory, and the sound of his voice in my ear telling me that he loved me replayed in my head every night. The fact that he could be that close to me and not speak hurt me in ways that I couldn’t even explain. How could he be so intimate with me at one point but not show me any love when I needed it the most? I knew he had to have felt the pain that I did, so how could he just not come to me? Did that night not mean anything to him after all?

  “Any news on Marie?” Adrianna asked.

  “Nah, that nigga looks restless. He doesn’t think Khiron killed her and I agree. Khiron is too messy, that slimy muhfucka would have left her stinking on a corner somewhere. The only thing is, if she is alive, where is he keeping her? Tyler has been everywhere, but you know he has to be low, he’s not even supposed to be alive.”

  My blood was still boiling at the fact that Tyler was so close to me and didn’t say one word. Every time Devynn or Adrianna said his name I just got more angry. I’d given myself to him mentally and physically, but in return I couldn’t even get a hello? I felt slighted, and all his promises seemed more like lies at that moment. It broke my already broken heart all over again. I’d heard enough. I emerged into the room with a stony expression on my face.

  “So this is what you two have been doing behind my back,” I shook my head at their guilty expressions.

  The two of their heads jerked toward the living room doorway. The shock on their faces was priceless.

  “Say—” Adrianna started trying to defend her case, but I silenced her with the palm of my hand.

  I glared at the women before me and shook my head again, walking toward the one person sofa across from the couch they were on. Once I was seated I clasped my hands together, not taking my eyes off of them.

  “What the hell is going on? And Devynn, you told me you didn’t even know where Tyler was when I asked. So you lied to me?” I spoke calmly, trying not to let my anger overcome me as I kicked off my Steve Madden sandals and leaned back into my chair. “Also, why is it that I didn’t know about the feud between the Italians and the Dominicans? That sounds like a bit of news that should definitely be in my mental.”

  “We never meant to keep all of this from you,” Adrianna quickly explained, reading my body language like the back of her hand. “You were still recovering, Say. I didn’t want to put too much on your plate with all of your wounds. Internal and external.”

  The fact that she knew I was hurting and thought that making decisions for me was the correct way to go about things made me lose it. All they were doing was hurting me more.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you thought Adrianna!” I barked at her. “No moves should be made without me knowing about them, period. We are supposed to be in this together and right now you both have me fucked up! Stop looking at me like I’m just this frail-ass little girl. Am I hurt? Hell, yes, I’m hurt, but that’s life. You win some and you lose some. The way this happened is fucked up, and it will always cause an ache in my heart. But I can’t stop. You’re asking if I’m ready? I’m always ready. And because I’m ready you have five minutes to bring me up to speed on everything that has been going on so I can call the next shot. Go.”

  Adrianna looked slightly taken aback while a smirk snuck its way on Devynn’s face. I know I was angry, so my words reflected that and came out a little more forceful than I intended them to. Still, with Ray gone it was time for me to grow up.

  “Told you,” Devynn said to Adrianna.

  Adrianna rolled her eyes and tucked her long hair behind her ears before turning her attention back to my patiently waiting face. Crossing her own legs on the couch, she began painting a picture with her words.

  “The Dominicans have done great business with the Italians for years with no problem, but now a war has broken out between them.”

  “Why?”

  “Easy. The Dominicans have been supplying Detroit’s new kingpin.”

  “Khiron,” I said, suddenly understanding. “Well, that probably pissed Vinny off.”

  “Beyond it. He views it as blatant disrespect, and it is something that he cannot ignore. Mainly because although Khiron may have taken down The Last Kings, his name still doesn’t have enough clout to reach out to the Dominican Cartel.”

  “So it had to be the other way around,” I concluded for her.

  I understood why Vinny felt disrespected. Detroit was his gold mine. Even though Khiron had killed three of our generals he was a peasant on the business side of the dirty money. But even I had to admit that with the Dominicans backing him, touching him would probably be harder than I thought.

  “Exactly,” Adrianna said. “The Italians made a small fortune off of The Last Kings, and supposedly the Dominicans felt undermined. Don feels as if Vinny was doing bad business by not cutting him into his dealings with Ray.”

  “And now with Ray out of the picture they can get into cahoots with the new boss of the city,” I said as I let the news settle in. I held up my right hand and put my left hand to my head. “Wait . . . I’m lost Adrianna. Why would Don go through all of the trouble and invest? Our work died with Ray. I’m positive no operation in Detroit is pulling in numbers like we were.”

  “Exactly,” Devynn told me as if a light bulb was supposed to appear over my head.

  Adrianna saw the look on my face and proceeded to elaborate.

  “Detroit was the home to the biggest drug cartel known; we did that. Detroit was the heart of it all and remember, Say, kings don’t die,” Adrianna stared intently in my eyes. “Even with Ray dead Don knew it would be only a matter of time before we retaliated and cla
imed back what was ours. It’s not about money, it’s about respect. Don wants to put an end to Vinny’s money flow, and he knows by getting in with Khiron it will. The Last Kings’ soul is in Detroit . . . we can’t start over in another city without causing a war.”

  It finally clicked.

  “This nigga is holding the city hostage?”

  Devynn nodded at my revelation.

  “It’s damn near impossible to touch down without being detected. Khiron, thanks to Don, has the majority of the feds on payroll. Even though his little operation isn’t as big as ours; with work in two states and with the Dominicans supplying him, he’s on, yo. He’s untouchable right now.”

  “Untouchable?” I nodded my head while rubbing my hands together. “Oh, I’ma touch his ass.”

  Devynn opened her mouth to speak again, but I shook my head at her. She looked at Adrianna and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I’ve heard all I need to hear. Just to be clear, you both do know the seriousness of this situation, right? I hope you are ready for this war, because from the sounds of it, we’re already in the middle of it by default,” I sighed and shook my head, thinking of Ray. It was time to jump to action. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. My cousin’s death won’t be in vain, I put that on my life. Tryna hold my city hostage? What kind of shit? Adrianna, contact Vinny and set up a meeting for tomorrow. Dev, tell Tyler that if I don’t hear from him in the next twenty-four hours we have a problem.”

  I bent down and picked up my shoes. There were so many thoughts racing through my head, but before I said anything I needed to talk to the connect. We’d been chilling for far too long. We needed work.

  Chapter 2

  The very second that Adrianna contacted Vinny I knew that there would be no turning back to the quiet life that I’d been living in Miami. This would be my first time face to face with the notorious Vinny. Under any other circumstances I might have felt honored, but the fact remained that my cousin was dead and Vinny went ghost. I understood that Adrianna and Devynn had history and much respect for the man, but Vinny was currently on my shit list. His money and knowledge stretched far and wide—he was the head of the Italian mafia after all. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew I wasn’t dead and I couldn’t understand why he didn’t reach out and come to me. He did great business with Ray, being that Ray was his protégé. We could have nipped everything in the bud and killed Khiron.

  The day of the meeting finally came and early in the afternoon I sat on the queen-sized bed in my room, allowing myself to succumb to my thoughts. Adrianna informed me as soon as I woke up that morning that Vinny would be in Miami at seven o’clock that night. We would meet at the Four Seasons at eight and I was to wait in the lobby for a man with a red tie. As I sat in my room I stared silently at the four walls that boxed me in. I had never felt more lost than I did at that very moment. Before, it had always been easy for me to lead, simply because I was walking in Ray’s footsteps. He leveled me and showed me the way of a boss. He was taken away from me too soon, and his teachings weren’t finished. I didn’t know if I had what it took to lead without him showing me what exactly a leader was. There was no doubt in my mind that I would reclaim that title, but at what cost? Who else would I lose on my journey back to the top? My thoughts were interrupted when I heard three light knocks on my door.

  “Come in,” I said, just loud enough to be heard, knowing it was Adrianna or Devynn coming to prep me for my meeting.

  When the door opened and the person stepped into my room, it felt like my heart stopped beating.

  “Tyler,” I breathed, taking in the man before me.

  His light skin seemed smoother than I remembered, and his hazel eyes seemed darker somehow. The Adidas hoodie with the matching joggers went well with the white and black shell toe Adidas he had on his feet. He still rocked a fade with his curly hair, but he had allowed his facial hair to grow out. His muscular build demanded my eyes’ attention. We soaked in each other’s appearance for what felt like forever, neither knowing what to say. I told myself that when I saw him I was going to tear into him like an extended clip, but having him in my presence gave me goose bumps, and I remembered our last night in Jamaica. I couldn’t muster a word. Our eyes stayed lost in each other until he finally spoke.

  “Sadie,” he started, and his voice automatically brought tears to my eyes. “I failed you, ma.”

  He stood in the doorway, not daring to move. He looked at me with such sincerity and I let my tears flow freely. My lip quivered and it didn’t take long for him to become a blur.

  “This ain’t how shit was supposed to be. I know you probably hate me, and I feel that. With Ray gone and Marie missing I had to go solo for a little while. I didn’t need the distractions of a relationship throwing me off my game. I know you might not understand, but hopefully you respect it. I just . . . I just had to do shit my way.”

  I looked at him for a second longer before I wiped the tears from my eyes and face. I cleared my throat and let the soft sarcastic laugh escape my lips.

  “I’m assuming this isn’t an apology,” I whispered, keeping my eyes on my open palms. It seemed to be the only way that I could hold my tears back. “You know, I could go on and on asking you, ‘How could you leave me when I needed you the most?’ I could run up and hit you dead in your shit . . . but I’m not, you know why?’

  Tyler stood silent.

  “Do you know?” I raised my voice.

  “Why?” he asked submissively.

  “You already said it,” I said to my hands. That method wasn’t working anymore because I felt more tears drop out of my eyes. “You failed me. The disappointment I feel is so strong. I know to never believe in you again.”

  Tyler finally made his move for my bed, perhaps to wipe my tears away, but I held up my hand.

  “No,” I said forcefully.

  “Devynn told me you wanted to see me,” he told me, still advancing on me.

  “Clearly,” I said. “And now I’ve said all I needed to say.”

  He sat on my bed and pulled me into his broad chest. I tried to push him off of me, but it was no use. Yes, I wanted to fight him off, but I couldn’t gather the strength, because I wanted to be in his arms, too. My heart was drawn to him. All I could do was melt into his strong body and let his shirt catch my tears.

  “Don’t be like that, Say,” Tyler said into my soft hair. “You know the game. My nigga is gone. I had to handle it how I knew how to handle it. And real shit, I still haven’t gotten a grip on it. I keep expectin’ this nigga to hit my line, talkin’ about a move we need to make. Or to pull up in the Hummer. My nigga is gone because of the same person that has my baby sister, Say! This shit is killing me.”

  I was silent listening to his words. From where my head was positioned on his chest I could hear his heart beat accelerating.

  “When I found out that you were alive I knew it was best for me to stay away. It wasn’t easy to do, because the last thing that I wanted to do was cause you more pain. I knew that your mind would understand but your heart wouldn’t. At the end of the day we are both hurting inside, but business must continue. With The Last Kings movement on pause I had to handle some business of my own. If I want to get Marie back my mind has to be clear.”

  As much as I wanted to be mad at Tyler I just couldn’t. I understood everything he was saying, and if the shoe was on the other foot I would have done the same thing. When it was all said and done business came first, our personal feelings for each other would have to wait. My silence spoke volumes as I nodded my head and allowed his strong soft hands to wipe my tears away. I was weak behind Tyler. He was all I had left from the life I lived. I opened my mouth to speak but there was a knock at the door that ended all conversation. Devynn poked her head through the door.

  “Um, bruh, Say needs to start getting ready,” she said in a dismissive manner.

  Tyler kissed my forehead.

  “I love you, ma. I’ll be in touch,” he said in my ear
before he stood up from the bed and walked toward the door. “Sleep with one eye open, my nigga,” he threatened Devynn in response to her rude tone as he passed her.

  Devynn rolled her eyes and stepped out of his way so that he could get out of the door. When he was gone she turned her attention back to me and raised one of her eyebrows.

  “You good?”

  “Yea,” I replied. “Can you run me some bath water please?”

  “Um, no bitch. We have no maids around here,” Devynn cut her eyes at me.

  I rolled mine in response.

  “Mocha would do it.”

  As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized the error and felt a strong pang of anger and hurt. Devynn noticed the look on my face and instantly her expression softened.

  “I still can’t believe it was Mo . . .” she let her voice trail.

  I couldn’t believe it was her either. The person that I thought I knew as well as I knew myself. We had gone through so much together I would never have questioned her loyalty. Ever. Still, my best friend betrayed us all. She let the enemy know where we laid our heads, and that was unforgivable. My blood boiled just at the thought of her, and I couldn’t wait to end her life. Because of Mocha, my cousin was dead and I had to assume a position I wasn’t ready for. All because she had gotten sprung off of a monster.

  “I’m going to kill her,” I whispered.

  Devynn smiled.

  “My nigga,” she nodded approvingly. “Cross us once and you won’t get a second chance to. Feel me?”

  I nodded, getting up from my bed and heading to my closet.