Power

by Kenya Wright

  I continued to scan the room as Crusher guided the small staff into the back.

  On my left, Domingo’s brother, Hugo, leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. His clothes appeared wrinkled, which said a lot for the man who’d made a point of being the best dressed gangster in Din City. He and I would compete for fun. Try to grab the best designers and tailors before the other. We might’ve had a closer relationship, if not for the cruelty that always lived in his heart. Hugo liked to cut things so often that blood always stained his fingertips like women wore henna patterns. Tonight was nothing new. The whites of his hands were discolored and red. How long did someone have to play with blood in order for it to tint the skin? I maintained a nice distance between us. When people made me nervous, I killed them. Domingo had asked me not to. That was the only reason why Hugo still breathed.

  Today, might be your last day, my friend. Definitely this week.

  In the center, Butterfly glared, but she didn’t target her anger at me. She concentrated it all on Mary Jane. A knife visible in her hands. Puerto Rican and Black, she had a rich caramel complexion and long curly hair. Most thought she was the finest woman who ever walked the east coast. Her body was art. Every curve placed in the right spot. And it helped that she was a performance in herself. Each walk was made in the most erotic way. Each bat of her eyes or twist of those painted lips were done so with strategy in mind. Butterfly always got her way with everyone, except one person. Me. That was the thing that I didn’t want to explain to Mary Jane. While I didn’t know what they thought they’d get tonight, I knew why they were there and who’d gotten them together.

  Butterfly. What are you plotting? What else do you want from me, chick?

  She sat there, covered in roses. Her entire dress made of silk roses sewed together. Beside each rose, exposing flesh in several places. She’d been born with big breasts. When we were kids, I’d been the first person to take them out of their bra and toy with them. I’d been the first to do other things, too, but I’d regretted every damn moment. In the end, Butterfly never learned how to love. She could’ve been an amazing woman. She had the smarts. She could’ve ran the damn country as the first female president. But she was too toxic and dirty inside, so much that I washed my hands even the few times we talked on the phone.

  She sat there, looking as beautiful as ever and decorated in exposed flesh and roses. One could see the curve of her breasts and the roundness of her hips. One could make out those long legs and everything else. But that one wasn’t me, as I realized that Mary Jane had her attention locked on my reaction to Butterfly sitting there and looked like she was going to beat the shit out of me.

  Well, I’m more scared of Mary Jane right now then all of these motherfuckers with guns. Does she have to look at me like that? This is why women don’t work for me. They’re fucking crazy.

  Personally, I’d thought I had an angry face, but Mary Jane surprised me, yet again. She didn’t look happy at all and I wondered if I should call Crusher to come over and stand between us.

  Mary Jane asked through clenched teeth, “Why is she looking at me like that?”

  I adjusted my tie. “She may be a little jealous.”

  “A little? She’s looking at me like I’m standing next to her husband.”

  “But I’m not her husband.”

  “You better tell her that, before I do.”

  It appears that Mary Jane may have a dark side of her own. Should Crusher be protecting her or Butterfly?

  “I will tell her that.” I kept my attention on Mary Jane. Not dumb enough to even glance Butterfly’s way again. “Can we just get to the table and make sure that all of the nice gangsters don’t touch you?”

  “Okay, but I would like a gun, because the way she’s holding that knife—”

  “You’re safe with me.” I undid our arms, slid my hand inch by inch along the curve of her back, placed it on the lush curve of her hip, and pulled her into me. “I’m with you.”

  “But—”

  “I’m yours.”

  “Okay, but—”

  “If she’s making you the most uncomfortable, then she’ll be the first to leave.”

  She blinked. “Okay.”

  The piano man escaped to the kitchen with the rest of the staff. Crusher smiled and nodded as everyone went with no problem. Sadly, his monstrous grin probably didn’t ease their stress as they hurried faster than they needed to.

  Crusher shut the kitchen’s back door and walked over to us, while a murderous expression stalked his face. No one was supposed to shoot down here, but I knew everyone had a gun, except Mary Jane.

  “Let’s go over to the table.” I took my time leading her over. Choppa and Hugo followed me with their eyes, neither man entirely sure of what they should do next. That told me more than I needed to know. Butterfly had not only gotten them to come here, but she was running the show.

  I pulled out a chair across from Butterfly and gestured for Mary Jane to sit down. Crusher brought another chair over to sit it next to my lady.

  Butterfly studied Mary Jane. I had to give it to my lady, Mary Jane never backed up or appeared nervous. I don’t know if Fuji and I had been a bad influence on her or if she’d always had a lioness prowling around inside of her. Butterfly’s man stood behind her, scared shitless.

  Before I had to deal with business, I needed to make it clear to everyone in that room—from Mary Jane to Butterfly, Choppa and Hugo—that she was mine and meant the most to me.

  I won’t let them ruin the entire evening.

  In those plush and cushioned chairs, I took Mary Jane in my arms and consumed her lips. How odd it must’ve been for all of them. I had never displayed affection publicly. If I was being real with myself, I never showed affection period. Women had been for a few fun hours and decent conversation on a pillow, before I left them and went to my own room.

  Now, here I was sucking on this beautiful woman’s lips and damn near close to ripping the elegant dress off of her body. During our kiss, I had forgotten why I’d even come. I might’ve groaned a little. I might’ve got rock hard in that chair and wanted to fucking take her back into the kitchen, lift her dress up, and take her over the pots of simmering soups. I might’ve groped her like a mad man, cupping her full breasts and pinching the nipples.

  “Noah,” she whispered. “Noah.”

  Her voice yanked me out of my haze.

  She’s got me going crazy. What the hell am I doing?

  I cleared my throat. “Sorry.”

  Blushing, Mary Jane fixed her dress a little at the top and leaned back in her chair, almost panting.

  Butterfly’s voice sliced the air. “You bring your toys to business meetings, now?”

  Butterfly gripped the knife harder. Her knuckles looked white. The table shook a little and I knew it was because of the madam’s bad habit. Anytime she got enraged, she tapped her foot steadily as if preparing to charge for someone.

  I turned to her. “Say that again?”

  This time, she didn’t have as much energy in her comment as she had before, but still she stubbornly repeated it, “You bring your toys to business meetings, now?”

  “This is a business meeting?” I unfolded my napkin and placed it on my lap. “Before you answer that, I want you to think about who called that business meeting today. I would like the name of that person, because I didn’t call it, and as far as I remember, I’m the only motherfucker in this room that could call it. So now, I have a problem. I’m now wondering if I should take the time to choke that person until their life is gone, before I eat or after. What do you suggest?”

  Fuck. I do talk in long monologues.

  Butterfly never let go of the knife, but the anger left her face. “I called the meeting.”

  “So then, you’ve called a war.”

  “No,” she said.

  “That wasn’t a question, Butterfly.”

  She tossed me a weak smile. “I don’t want war with you, Noah.�
��

  “Well, I have no idea if you’re going to make it out of here alive. But just in case you do, the next time you refer to my lady as a toy, I’m going to make sure that I burn down every brothel in this city—small to large, rich and poor. Every last one will be set on fire. The city will light up as your money burns away.”

  Butterfly’s generous cleavage rose up and down. “Who is she?”

  “This is why we don’t work together,” I said. “Like a woman, you allow emotions to rule.”

  Mary Jane eyed me with annoyance. “Wait. What? Did you just say that women only rule with emotion?”

  Mary Jane caught me off guard. I’d figured it would only be Butterfly and me conversing.

  “Yes, Noah.” Butterfly twirled the knife in her hand. “What do you mean by that?”

  They both looked ready to kill me.

  Mary Jane’s hand was too damn close to her fork for my comfort. “Women only rule with emotion?”

  “I’ve been told,” I muttered.

  “Clearly, not by your mother,” Mary Jane said. “Do you not think that a woman can be president, too?”

  “What? Of course.” I held my hands out. “I was just thinking Butterfly could’ve been President, if she wasn’t such a bitch.”

  “What?” Butterfly glared. “Did you just call me a bitch?”

  “You were just thinking about Butterfly?” Mary Jane raised her eyebrows.

  What was that thing Dad would always say to do with women? Oh, yeah. Say sorry and shut the fuck up.

  I coughed into my hand. “I’m sorry.”

  Mary Jane still didn’t look pleased.

  I leaned her way and whispered, “Let me handle this and you and I can go over women’s rights later.”

  She nodded, but I could tell that the discussion was not finished.

  Damn it! This night is not going anywhere near the way I wanted. I hoped to have my face buried between her thighs by now, not sitting in front of Butterfly and having another disagreement.

  Chapter 16

  Noah

  A greedy man wrote his will.

  For the heir,

  he named himself.

  –Philogelos (The Laughter Lover)

  I should’ve had Mary Jane stay outside. There’s no way I’m going to be me and keep her safe.

  I sighed. “Let’s get to why we’re here, before I fucking start opening veins.”

  Crusher gestured for the other men in the room to come over to the table. Like the punks they were, they stood behind Butterfly. It was a smart move. If anything, they could blame her and get less of a punishment. She and Mary Jane were the only people I probably wouldn’t touch. I’d never been a fan of killing women. In all sixty-five kills, I’d murdered one woman. She’d stabbed my side as I took off her panties. It had been some revenge plot for killing her brother.

  The men stayed by Butterfly, treating her as if she was the boss. She had their loyalty. From that moment on, there was no reason to keep them alive. Why spend time earning a soldier’s loyalty, when you need only kill him and get another?

  Butterfly pointed to Mary Jane with her knife. “Are we going to discuss everything in front of her?”

  “I’m hungry.” I placed my hands on the table. “And don’t refer to my lady again.”

  Butterfly swallowed and said through clenched teeth, “Your lady?”

  “Why did you call the business meeting?” I asked.

  “Domingo and Rasheed are gone.” Butterfly’s hand shook as she turned to me. “The North and South have no one running them.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “I’m not running the city?”

  “Yes, but you need more eyes.”

  “Do I, Butterfly?”

  She sneered. “Yes.”

  “And why is this important to you? Our business doesn’t run together.”

  “They do in some ways. Your men are my customers. The regular guys in the city are my customers. All of those politicians and judges who you have in your pocket, come over to my brothels first and get their rocks off.”

  There were clear messages between every sentence. Politicians and judges. All my guys getting their rocks off at her spots. She wanted me to know that she’d been working on all of them? You’ve got people, too, Butterfly? The brothels weren’t enough? You want to run the whole city?

  Too cocky, she continued, “We need someone in the North and South. I’ve been nice enough to pick two people for you.”

  “Did you now?”

  “Yes. Choppa for the South. Hugo for the North.” She gestured for the men to come closer.

  “And which one is your little bitch?” I didn’t have to look their way to know that they seethed.

  She didn’t defend or respond.

  “So instead of calling me, you show up here?” I asked. “How did you know I would be here?”

  She winked at me. “I have my ways.”

  Earlier today flashed in my head.

  “The girl from the shop. The one that was taking pictures. You had her do it?”

  Butterfly didn’t respond.

  “Of course, you did. Who else would want to know about the woman who I’m with.” I raked my hair. “One of the store girls called you?”

  Again, she said nothing.

  “What I’m wondering is if you’d decided to call the meeting before you realized I took someone to the store, or if you decided to declare war afterwards. No, you’re smarter than that. How long have you been planning this?”

  Finally, she spoke, “I’ve been planning nothing. I decided to help you out for the betterment of all of us. I would like us all to get back to making money. All of the guys are scared to walk out on the streets, and when everyone is afraid, no one pays for pussy. They would rather jack off in the safety of their rooms.”

  “How long have you been planning this, Butterfly?”

  “You’re being paranoid.”

  Domingo’s barely been dead for a full day and she already has a replacement. Sure many people would’ve guessed that I would kill him, but it wasn’t certain.

  I leaned back and checked her foot under the table. She tapped it more than usual.

  You’re not scared. You’re nervous. What are you nervous about?

  Bluffing, I decided to see how deep the rabbit hole went. “I’d planned on coming to you.”

  That got her attention. She widened her eyes. “Why?”

  Time to go fishing in Butterfly’s head.

  “Due to Rasheed and Domingo,” I said.

  Her voice grew shaky. “I didn’t start their war.”

  “But you had a hand in it.”

  “I never—”

  “You did.”

  “I said the things that needed to be said,” she mumbled.

  And there we go. I bet you did. Everyone knew Domingo was always insecure about me having power. All someone had to do was get him close enough and whisper in his ear. I bet Butterfly did a lot of whispering as well as sucking. Domingo could never get out of the poisonous clutch of pussy.

  “So you told Domingo that he should be me.” I smiled. “The first deaths were in brothels. Rasheed’s men. Knowing you, your chicks did the crime and blamed Domingo’s people.”

  That got Choppa’s attention. He cracked his neck and he reached inside his army jacket. Crusher held his hand up, and Choppa let his hand fall to the side.

  So Butterfly had started the war between Domingo and Rasheed, for what? With them gone, that didn’t mean it would be hers. Only taking me out would have worked.

  I thought about what she’d said. How she’d been here tonight to help me pick someone for the North and South. She’d said that I needed more eyes out there. Had she figured that with Domingo and Rasheed gone, we’d be partners? Who else would I feel loyalty to now that my brothers were gone? Besides Domingo and Rasheed, she was the only other person I’d known for that long. I had another close friend, Aristotle, but he lived far out in the city. I only sought his help, in e
mergency situations.

  Did she think that these two men were my foundation, the thing that kept me going? That without them, I would be weak and alone?

  I laughed. The sound disturbed everyone. Even Mary Jane tilted a little away from me.

  “Wow.” I stood and leaned over the table, hovering forward. “Life is a dice game, Butterfly. Tell me. How many kisses have you blown on those dice, today?”

  “Well, you know how I blow?” She formed her lips and blew me a kiss. “I’ve always been lucky.”

  “No. I don’t remember your luck. You’ve always been good at building treasures over dead bodies.”

  “I’m not the only one with bones for walls and closets full of skulls.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You’re not.”

  Still leaning over the table, I turned to the men behind her, searching for the one that was the most agitated with me being so near to Butterfly. It was always easy to figure out who was the most pussy whipped by her. Part of my death total dealt with men who’d gotten a sniff of her sex and decided to try me. All of her men tried me. It was an odd thing. I don’t know what she told them, but they became jealous when they should’ve been scared.

  Which one has been playing in Butterfly’s panties? Ahhh, Choppa, there you go, looking mad and ready to fight.

  “Come here, Choppa,” I said.

  This would be tricky. There were things that I needed to teach. Lessons all of them had to learn, but Mary Jane sat at the table. I couldn’t let her see me this way.

  If I told her to close her eyes, would she still keep them closed at I strangled Choppa to the ground? If I told her to go in the kitchen for a few minutes, would she understand why I’d changed clothes by the time she came back? Would she smell the blood in this room and be okay with it? Could she hear them scream and still want to lay next to me?

  Butterfly stood up too. The flowers fluttering with her movement. “You wouldn’t.”

  Choppa didn’t move. Not smart.

  I didn’t glare, instead I smiled. “Make sure you thank God for every second that you get to inhale and exhale tonight, Choppa. Because tomorrow will be another day and your mother will be planning to bury you next to your brother.”