by Kiki Swinson
Davie gritted hard on Cucci and Honore as he grabbed a hold of his mother and backed out of the house. Cucci ran over to the door as soon as it slammed closed, but Honore ran to the window and watched Shiloh and his crew head toward the porch steps.
Suddenly the door flew open again and Cucci ran out on the porch. She took a flying leap and cracked Davie Shiloh clean in the back of his head with her gun as hard as she could.
“Your momma’s sweet potato pie ain’t better than my momma’s!” she hollered as blood shot outta Davie’s busted skull and she ran back inside the house and slammed the door.
Honore busted out laughing as Cucci joined her at the window and they watched Davie and his posse get in the van and drive away. She had lied like a rug about how many shooters were waiting outside, but with his mother all up in the mix Shiloh knew not to take any chances.
Man-Man and India were fussing over Mai and trying to calm her down. The rest of the clique joined them and they gave each other a bunch of warm, grateful hugs.
“Yo, Sly is out there waiting for us,” Honore finally said. “Let’s get the fuck outta here before them fools come back and get stupid.”
“Yeah,” Cucci Momma agreed as she took one of Mai’s arms and Breezy took the other one. “Let’s go my beautiful bitches. I’ma call this a job well done.”
CHAPTER 22
Joel’s yacht party was in full swing when Honore and Cucci arrived on the scene. Expensive champagne flowed freely and the techno music blared on extra-loud. It was an employee party for all the major jewelers in the tri-state area and tons of people had turned out. Joel’s official reason for the shindig was to keep spirits high and to make camaraderie tighter for the company’s hard workers. But Honore and Cucci knew the real deal.
“Nice to see you ladies finally made it,” Joel said as he greeted the two cousins at the mini-bar. His eyes were wide and the bridge of his nose was extra pink, like he had just sniffed a line or ten. “You two look beautiful tonight. Please grab a few drinks because everything is all on the house.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Joel,” Honore said as she looked around at all the food, drinks, and finery. “Looks like you spent a pretty penny on this party. How could we even think about missing a chance to hang out and rub elbows with all ya rich white friends? I mean we all work hard to make this business thrive as much as possible, right? Some of us just go above and beyond to make sure that we stay on top of the game. Ain’t that right, Joel?”
“You’re damn right,” Joel responded as he sipped out of a bottle of Chardonnay. He gave a few head nods to various partygoers and shook the hands of a few men who came over to thank him for hosting the event.
“You know, Honore,” Joel said, “I’m calling this a company party, but this is really my way of throwing a celebration for you and Rayven. The two of you have proven yourselves to be very valuable assets to my team. Not only did you knock off Slimy Sam, you’ve somehow managed to get the Black Stone diamond and your friend Mai back safely too.”
“Yeah, and with no thanks to you,” Cucci said with an attitude as she smoothed out a wrinkle on her tight red hip-hugging dress. “When the pressure is on, me and Honore are the ones out there shoveling shit in the trenches! We do the dirty work and get shit corrected out here for you, Joel. Remember that. I wanna make sure you understand that fact and that it’s respected at all times.”
“And who is it that pays you so handsomely?” Joel snapped as he squinted through his coke-high eyes. “Who makes sure you’re compensated for your good services? I’m the boss, and you’d better remember that! I’m the bank, bitches! I make the connections, I line up the work, and all you girls have to do is execute my commands. That’s how a thriving and cohesive team works. It’s not about individuals. Everybody has to use their talents to achieve the team’s long-term goals.”
“Yeah, you right, Joel,” Honore said, giving him a fake smile. “Just like shit and piss, we’re all together floating around in this big-ass toilet bowl. There’s a lot of money out there to get and me and Cucci are damn sure not complaining about it. As long as we keep everything on the up-and-up and the lines of communication stay open between us, I’m good. For real, me and my cousin ain’t about to slow down now. We’re hooked on the cash so we just getting started.”
“That’s the type of spirit and hunger I need from you two,” Joel said as he reached out and gave Honore a big hug. “I’m going to make you girls rich and powerful. Together we can take over the Empire State. I want to apologize for not stepping up and helping you get your friend Mai out of trouble when you asked me to. You have to understand that I must protect myself and my livelihood at all costs. I promise you it was nothing personal. I hope all is forgiven.”
“Oh, no hard feelings at all, Joel,” Cucci responded with a cheesy grin. “It’s all good and everything worked out. No need to cry over spilled milk, right? Besides, hard times build strong minds. We not trippin’ over that petty shit no more. We’re tryna get rich just like you said, and boss up on the whole damn city of New York! There’s always gonna be a few bumps in the road here and there, but as long as we can trust each other to stay focused we’re good. I ain’t the type to hold grudges anyway.”
Cucci was skinning and grinning her ass off in Joel’s face when a short blond woman in a gray Vera Wang split dress and high heels walked up and said, “Hello, Mr. Samuelson, I’m Laura. Don sent me over to meet you.”
Laura was dripping sex appeal and was clearly an executive groupie.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, sir, but this is my first time ever being on a yacht, and Don said you’d be happy to give me a personal tour of this huge vessel of yours if you aren’t too busy.”
“Yes, Laura, I was just finishing up here,” Joel said as he eyeballed the blonde’s huge fake breasts without even trying to play it off. Prying his eyes off her nipples, he then turned his attention back to Honore and Cucci for a quick second. “If you’ll excuse me ladies, we can finish this conversation at a later time. Enough about business. Today I want you both to kick back, relax, and celebrate the moment at hand. I’ll be back for an official toast once I finish escorting my new friend Laura around.”
“Oh, no problem,” Honore said with a smirk. “Take your time. We’ll be right here when you get back. Me and Cucci are just gonna grab a couple of bottles and turn up some drank while we wait.”
Ignoring Honore and Cucci, Joel hooked his arm under Laura’s and walked away. He was going to give her a tour all right: a tour of his sweaty nutsack while she gave him some quick head below the deck of his yacht. Joel turned around and caught one last look at Honore and Cucci as he made his way across the deck. They were staring at his back like a pair of hungry piranhas eyeballing a fresh piece of bloody meat.
Yeah, Joel thought to himself smugly. Those monkey-ass bitches were just too smart and devious for their own good. Later on down the line he was going to have to get rid of them both. But the smart one, Honore, was definitely going to go down first.
Sitting at the bar, Honore and Cucci watched Joel stroll off with his new bitch for the night.
“That was a nice little speech you gave him,” Honore told Cucci as they eyeballed their boss, “but that mothafucka ain’t getting off that easy.”
“I know damn well he ain’t,” Cucci said with an evil glint in her eyes.
“Trust me,” Honore said as she ordered a glass of Ciroc from the waitress. “That nigga is plotting and scheming. Just a-waiting for the right time to get us clipped. But I can promise you this, I’ma beat his ass to the finish line and take home his trophy. But he was right about one thing though. We got spirit and we’re hungry as hell! We’re gonna run the Empire State one day, Cucci. This whole shit is gonna be an empire state of minez! Just watch and see. By that time Joel Samuelson’s ass won’t even be in the equation. It’s gonna be all about us, baby. All about you, me, and the Crushed Ice Clique! And I’m telling you right now cousin, the whole damn world bet
ter get outta our way and watch us work!”
DON’T MISS
Saundra’s tale of revenge, Detroit-style, in
HER SWEETEST REVENGE 2
A master thief’s ultimate payday delivers the deadliest game of all in Kiki Swinson’s
THE MARK
CHAPTER 1
Pop. Pop. Pop.
“Agh!” I screamed as the hot bullet that left Luscious’s gun pierced my left shoulder. Grabbing my shoulder, I instantly felt the hot blood start dripping down my sleeve. But the thud of Luscious’s body hitting the ground had my attention. Then Luscious disappeared and on the ground in his spot Monica lay covered in blood. “MONICA, MONICA!!” I yelled over and over.
“Mya!” I heard someone yelling my name, but my body was frozen in one spot. Panic set in as I tried to force myself toward Monica. “Mya,” I heard my name again. I felt myself blacking out.
“Mya.” I finally opened my eyes and realized it was Hood shaking me, calling my name. “Babe, it’s only a dream again. You at home and safe. So is Monica.” I looked around the room as I realized I was home in my bed. “Shit, I hate these dreams.” I sat up then slightly, pushed my Donna Karan stitched quilt off me, and climbed out of the bed. Realizing I had interrupted Hood’s sleep again, I apologized. “And I’m really sorry for waking you up with this shit again.” I went into our master bathroom to wipe all the perspiration off my forehead that had built up while I was panicking in my dreaming.
“It’s a’ight, you know I got you. Besides I’m ’bout to get up anyway. Gotta handle business.” As usual, I could always count on Hood to be supportive. No matter what. But I was sick of having these dreams. It had been well over a year since Luscious had tried to sneak up on me at Stylz by Design to take me out. He thought he had me too, but his plan had failed when Monica came out of nowhere and shot him in the back of the head, killing him instantly. I was lucky, because had it not been for my sister Monica, I would be dead. Luscious did end up shooting me in the shoulder, but I recovered so fast it was like a pat on the back. To be honest, the dreams were worse than getting shot.
The only regret I had about the whole incident was Monica getting caught up in the middle. I hated that she now had murder on her hands. Even worse, it was her daughter Imani’s father that she had killed. It was only a coincidence that she had even showed up at the shop that morning. On her way to school she remembered she needed money. She later said that she had attempted to call my cell but got no answer so she came because she knew that was where I would be. As she pulled in, she happened to see Luscious, who she thought was dead, slip into my shop. Monica said she knew he was up to something and without a second thought she grabbed the .22 pistol that Hood had given her for protection out of the glove compartment of her all-white 2012 Dodge Charger. Just as she entered the back of the shop, she saw me running toward Luscious as he fired shots at me. So even though I regret her having to kill Imani’s dad, I thank God that she did.
As I came out of the bathroom, Hood headed into our triple-sized walk-in closet. “Well, since I’m up, would you like me to make you some breakfast? A little eggs, bacon, maybe some hash browns,” I offered. There was no way I was going back to sleep. I refused to close my eyes only to get a glimpse of Luscious. Hell no. I would stay woke.
I had told Rochelle I was coming in late today since I stayed over the night before, but what the heck, I might as well drag my ass in. I could get an early start on inventory since I didn’t have any appointments scheduled. Even though I owned the shop, I still had a few special clients. And for my services they paid top dollar.
“Nah, babe, I’m good. I’ma meet up with my people early this morning so I’ll just grab some on the way.” Hood walked into the bathroom as I plopped back down on the bed and quietly contemplated my next move. I decided a latte would do me good so I made the kitchen a part of my mission for the morning. Not soon after Hood left the house I jumped in the shower. An hour later I had searched through my closet and fished out a pair of white Vince tennis shorts with a black Helmut Lang tank. I completed the outfit with Alexander Wang ankle-strap sandals. I had to admit my new style was classic. I had put the Brewster Projects dressing behind me. At least a little bit—I still would represent from time to time. With not as much as one glance in the mirror, I concluded I was ready to head out.
From The Mark by Kiki Swinson
CHAPTER 1
I MESSED WITH THE WRONG GUY
I can’t believe I finally got the life I’ve always wanted. It seemed like it was yesterday when I left Virginia from a life of crime. Even though I was on the run, I met and married the man I love and finally have a baby. No one would’ve ever told me that I was going to leave Matt, the hustler I’d been with since forever, after all he and I had been through. But him screwing around on me with Yancy changed everything. Taking all the money that he, Yancy, and I stole was the best revenge plot I could’ve ever mustered up. It felt good to be the last woman standing. It also helped me that after I ran off with the money, Matt and Yancy both got arrested. But Matt wasn’t away for long.
Now here I was in my hospital room, looking at a man I’d hoped to never see again. I’d just delivered my baby boy and everything was supposed to be right in my world. But here he is, turning my dreams for the future into a nightmare. After Matt told me he had a couple of people on the outside pay off a couple COs on the inside to help break him out of jail in exchange for some of the $3 million payout, I watched as he walked out of the hospital room with my baby in tow. My entire body cringed at the sight of him holding my infant baby. There was nothing I could do that would calm me down and quell the alarming fear that flitted through my stomach right then. “Matt,” I sobbed, barely able to speak. “Please . . . don’t do this.”
“Do what? Take your son like you took my motherfucking money?” he chuckled wickedly. I crinkled my eyebrows in response. He stopped laughing abruptly and started talking in a very serious tone. “Bitch, I want back every fucking dime you took from me. And just know that if you don’t come off it, you will be making funeral arrangements for this little motherfucker right here,” he barked. His words sunk in on me and I felt hopeless. I didn’t know what the fuck I was going to do, but I knew I had to come up with his money or else.
The thought of him mishandling or mistreating my baby made me sick to my stomach. Thankfully, he grabbed a few Pampers and bottles of formula to carry along with him. I cried silently, avoiding any unwanted attention. But I knew that if I stayed around here much longer, either the doctors or nurses would know something was wrong after they found out my baby was nowhere around.
Still somewhat medicated, I got up on shaky legs, but I couldn’t let that deter me from getting out of there. I got dressed pretty fast and managed to walk out of the hospital without being detected by the staff who were assigned to treat me.
When I arrived downstairs on the main floor, my body felt hot all over. I felt like I could just faint. But I pressed on and got into the first taxi I saw. I gave him my home address, sat back in the seat, and tried to pull myself together. I couldn’t help but wonder whether Matt really had Derek like he insinuated, so I called his cell phone and prayed that he’d answer it. My call was picked up on the second ring. “Hello,” I rushed to say.
All I got was laughter on the other end. The laughter came from Matt’s voice. “Matt, where is Derek?” I asked. I was completely irritated by his insensitive behavior.
“I already told you where he was. Didn’t you believe me?” he replied.
“I wanna speak to him now. I need to know if he’s all right,” I demanded.
“Hold on. Let me see if he’s available.” Matt continued his laughter.
The cell phone went silent for five long seconds. Then I heard my husband’s voice. “Hello, Lauren, is this you?” Derek asked.
“Yes, baby, it’s me. Are you all right?” I whined desperately. I needed answers and I needed them now.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“What about the baby? Is he all right? Has he been crying?”
“He’s fine. He’s drinking his bottle now,” Derek replied, his voice sounding weary.
“Baby, don’t worry. I’m gonna get you and our baby out of this okay,” I tried to assure him.
“Now that’s the spirit I like! Save your man and your baby!” Matt interjected. When I heard his voice, I knew that he had taken the phone from Derek.
“If you put your fucking hands on any one of them, I promise you’ll fucking regret it!” I roared. I knew I couldn’t actually speak of the money in front of the taxi driver nor the gun I was going to bring along with me when I finally met up with Matt to make the switch, so I said the next best thing. Matt knew what I meant.
“You only have twenty-four hours! So call me as soon as you pick up the money,” he demanded, and then the call went dead.
Hearing Matt’s usual warning play in my ears now made a huge lump in the back of my throat. Tears sprang up to my eyes, but I fought to keep them from falling. I couldn’t let anyone know what was going on with me concerning Matt and my family. Letting someone know would be too risky. And I couldn’t let anything happen to my family.
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes because I knew he wasn’t going to let this go. I had to think quickly. This thing had gone from complicated to nightmarish. I was now responsible for two lives. Lives of two people I loved dearly.
I swear I blanked out after Matt disconnected our call. I had no idea I had arrived at my apartment building until the taxi driver announced it to me for the second time. “Ma’am, we are here at your destination,” the taxi driver said.