Symone rolled her neck and sat a glare on Brooklyn. “You should worry about who you’re fucking, how about that, Brook!”
“No, we’re not doing this right now!” Leah spoke again. “This is a play we may have to use.”
Symone rubbed the back of her neck. How in the hell would she get Mason involved without revealing their hand? Her head thumped. Symone held her hands up in surrender. “Let’s just try the money exchange first and see what he says.”
Leah spoke to Brooklyn, “Do you have the number he called from?”
“He called from Drew’s phone.”
“Okay call it back,” Leah ordered. A vibration slid through her. Devastation set in her bones. Leah put her sights on Nia. Timidly, Nia stood close to her with sad eyes weighed down by a stressful life.
“You have something for me?” Legend answered.
“Where’s Drew?” Brooklyn asked.
Drew’s voice came through the speaker. “I’m fine, Brooklyn.”
“See,” Legend offered, “She’s fine. Now that you’ve called this phone I assume you have something for me.”
“We don’t know where Nia is,” Brooklyn spoke. “The best we can do is give you ten million more dollars in exchange for Drew. It’s all the money we have.”
“No Brooklyn, don’t give him shit!” Drew shouted in the background.
Legend chuckled, “Your sister over here, she’s a feisty one, ain’t she?”
“Will you take our offer?” Brooklyn asked getting down to business.
“I’ll tell you what, since I know Nia is a coward and wouldn’t doubt that she’d continue to run, I’ll make you another deal.”
The girls waited impatiently for him to continue.
“Seventy million total and she’s yours.”
Leah’s mouth dropped.
“Seventy million!” Brooklyn screamed. “What part of fifty million is all we have, don’t you understand? Where the hell are we supposed to get twenty million more?”
“I guess you better figure it out. It’s either that or my original deal, forty million and Nia.” The line died.
“Hello!” Brooklyn screeched.
Leah began to pace. “We’re going to have to rob some banks. We have to do it.”
“We can’t rob banks back to back. It would take hours of surveillance to get that kind of cash let alone we’re down one woman!”
“What about the heist in Africa you were working on?” Symone added.
Brooklyn looked to her. “We’re still a woman down, and that heist would take about a week at the earliest to take on. Have you guys even studied the blueprint for the mission?”
“I have,” Leah said.
They looked to Symone. “Yes, I have.”
“The time issue is still a problem. We can’t leave Drew in the hands of that maniac for a week!” Brooklyn was about to pass out. She held a hand out to steady her weight against the wall.
“We may not have a choice,” Symone injected.
“How quickly can it be done if you have the manpower you need,” Nia’s soft voice asserted. All eyes went to her.
“No,” Leah said. “Hell no. You’re not in shape; you can’t.”
Nia held a soft eye on Leah. “I can do more than you think, sis.”
“Honestly, we don’t have time to debate this. Hell, we don’t have time for anything. What’s it going to be, the bank heist or the jewelry heist?” Symone asked.
Their eyes roamed from one to the other; neither of them quick to respond.
“If we do the jewelry heist,” Brooklyn offered, “Then at least we can recoup some of the money we’re losing. It’s the Steinmetz Pink Diamond, valued at twenty-five million. And to answer your question Nia, yes we could use your help, but we don’t want you to think you have to help because of this psycho. You’ll need to be on your A game.”
“Don’t worry about that, just tell me the plan.”
Chapter Sixteen
“You’re a fuckin’ idiot,” Drew said, leaving Legend where he stood.
“And how’s that,” Legend inquired. Feisty was cool but disrespect? That’s some shit he wouldn’t tolerate. He needed to determine if Drew was staying on the right side of things before he acted.
“Just so typical,” Drew continued, making her way over to the couch and sitting down. She had to make this situation work to her advantage; take Legend out of the driver’s seat without cluing him in on the fact that he’d been dethroned.
Legend took a long sip of the scotch left in his snifter and leaned against the bar.
“Typical?”
“Like a regular nigga on the street,” Drew contended.
Legend chuckled then sat his glass on the bar.
“Have you looked around?” He lifted and opened his hands, looking around the space they were in, encouraging Drew to do the same.
“Ain’t shit typical,” Legend replied confidently.
“Yeah, it kind of is,” Drew suggested, pulling her legs underneath her and sitting further back on the couch. Her dismissal intrigued Legend.
“Do you really think I’m impressed with things, Legend?”
She wasn’t. That’s part of why he liked her. Legend knew the same tired games he played a million times before wouldn’t work on Drew. They may have worked on Nia; she was naïve and infatuated. Drew, not so much.
“I stole a fifty million dollar salt shaker; some shit most folks can’t even pronounce. I did that, me! So do you really think this three, four million dollar spread you got here impresses me?”
“So, typical… what’s with that?” Legend asked.
“You just like the corner man on the street. You think you the boss, sitting in the cut making moves. But your mentality, how you do business? This ain’t nothing but some polished off street shit. You still acting like the nigga on the corner.”
“The fuck?”
“Oh, you offended? Why is that, Legend? Cause the shit I said hit home?”
Drew waited and watched Legend as he thought about what she said. One thing about men that Drew learned the hard way. As much shit as they talk about a girl being crazed over them, they talk like that when they sprung. Legend was sprung, he liked her as much as he thought she liked him. Now, it was time to play the playa at his own game.
“Naw, it didn’t but, Im’ma let you make your point.” Legend crossed his arms over his masculine chest.
“Fine. Here’s the point.” Drew unfolded her legs and leaned forward on the couch.
“You still tryna come up. It’s short-sighted, like the lil’ boy on the corner slinging rocks. Your plan is short-sighted and shows where you are vulnerable. See, if you were dealing with a man, the vulnerabilities I see, he wouldn’t even pay attention to. But I’m a woman. A smart one at that. I see through the bullshit, and I’m calling you on it. Your plan lacks vision and foresightedness. You have no real long-term plan of execution. Your car may be Manhattan, but your skill set, boo, that shit still East Harlem.”
Legend found himself listening to something he wanted to dismiss. He gave no thought to his hand being on his chin but Drew recognized that she had his wheels spinning. Something she said hit home, and now he was the one wondering.
“Had you handled this right, instead of showing your weak ass emotional attachments, you wouldn’t be trying to extort money from us in exchange for someone you know you can control. What’s up with that?”
She watched him as he stroked his chin and started to shift his weight from one foot to the other.
“Right,” Drew continued. “You acted out of emotion. You showed your hand. It’s not about the money, Legend, you and I both know that. It’s all about the power and control you lost when you lost Nia.”
Drew eased off the couch, and when she did, Legend stopped pacing. She made sure to connect with him, holding him with her eyes, refusing to let go. Drew saw his eyes soften and she moved closer. By the time she finished walking, they were within kissing distance.
“You tr
ied to make me your bitch, when you should have made us your partners. What? You thought me and Nia was the same? That I would be scared of you? That you could just exchange one of us for the other? That you could control me like you did her?”
When Drew reached back and slapped his handsome face, hard enough to draw blood from his lip, Legend was stunned. His first inclination was to strike back, but he met her eyes and saw what attracted him to her in the first place. Drew was right. He did think that; that he could replace Nia with one close to her. Being called on the carpet like that was sexy when it should have been an affront. Legend grabbed Drew by her balled fists, held tightly at her sides. She resisted, not knowing what to expect from him. This time, Legends’ eyes didn’t give him away. They were stern and firm. Drew thought she saw anger there. Her resistance increased. And then he leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth, and she opened hers to receive him. He fully expected her resolve and resistance to weaken, but it didn’t.
“You know I like that shit, don’t you?” Legend asked, speaking directly to her lips.
“I ain’t Nia,” Drew said, speaking directly back to his.
“You made that clear.” Legend kissed her again, and this time Drew pulled back with her body despite the cries from her womanhood to allow his entrance.
“Come here, girl,” Legend whispered, smiling. Drew was close enough to feel his manliness throbbing against her. Drew’s resolve faltered. Her arms relaxed and when Legend was convinced her intention was not to strike him again, he let her wrists go in favor of cupping the back of her head with one hand wrapping the other around her waist, pulling her back into him. As Legend lost himself in her, Drew opened her eyes to ensure what she felt from him was not just game. His kiss was intentional. The hold he had on her was intentional.
…got him…
“I know we are all in crisis mode,” Symone began still shaken from everything going on. “And I ain’t trying to be funny, for real.”
“Stop right there,” Brooklyn broke in. “All them disclaimers you spouting, yeah, you are trying to be funny.”
Even though seeing Nia was overwhelming and the fact that her sister had been kidnapped nearly knocked the wind out of Brooklyn’s sails, she was like an elephant. Brooklyn didn’t forget shit. Symone was still on her short list of asses to kick.
“If anybody needs answers, it’s me,” Leah chimed in, overriding the discourse Brooklyn and Symone were preparing for. Leah wiped the tears still falling from her reddened eyes. Disbelief was not even the word for how she was feeling; so many mixed emotions. She had to find the words. Nia felt it even before Leah started to speak. Their connection apart was strong. In the presence of each other? It was more like telepathy.
Even though Leah’s voice was low, everyone in the room felt her intensity. Willingly or unwillingly, the floor was relinquished to her.
“Start at the beginning,” Leah said. Her eyes didn’t connect with anyone as she still sat like a scared child in the corner. But everyone knew she was talking to her twin.
“Now’s not the time,” Nia replied, looking in her sister’s direction. “We have to see about Drew.”
“You don’t get to tell me that,” Leah rebuffed. “So, start at the beginning, Nia… you owe me that much.”
The tension was layered upon tensions already hanging like a thick cloud in the room.
“I promise, Leah, I will tell you everything but right now”
Nia’s statement was stopped short.
“Promise? Did you say promise?”
Brooklyn looked at Symone. They both felt like they were intruders.
Leah could care less what Nia’s response would be. Unraveling herself from the corner, Leah took her time standing up. When she turned and faced her sister, all evidence of sadness had been summarily replaced with anger. Leah played it cool.
“You remember the last promise you made to me?”
Nia looked up at her sister who was now lauding over her like a bully. Her natural predilection was to withdraw. She’d been hurt too many times by a bully. Nia still had pains from that last time. Leah saw her twin began to cower, but her anger didn’t allow the response her broken heart intended.
Nia wanted to give her the answer she desired. Maybe it was too many punches to the head, too many black eyes, and backhands, but she couldn’t remember.
“No, Leah, I’m sorry, I don’t…”
Nia’s eyes stung terribly as salty tears formed in them.
“I know you don’t, Nia, ‘cause you left without promising me anything! You left me! You abandoned me, and you didn’t promise me anything!”
The bitterness Leah had been holding onto spilled out in heated words designed to make her sister feel the pain she’d felt. She wanted Nia to know just how hard it had been.
“You not promising made me make promises I wasn’t sure I could ever keep.”
Leah was crying. Nia’s head was down, taking the tongue lashing. Symone sat slowly, afraid to move quickly. She didn’t want to draw Leah’s venom in her direction. Brooklyn watched the whole situation unfold. Seeing the twins go at it reminded her of the last fight she had with Drew. It hurt…
“I had to make promises to your son, our son, that I didn’t know if I could keep. Nia, do you understand how hard that was? How hard that is? And now the courts are coming after…”
Leah stopped the conversation short. This was not the time to drag that whole situation up. But she couldn’t unring that bell.
“What do you mean the courts?” Brooklyn was the first to ask, but Nia looked up when she heard what her sister said.
“It’s nothing,” Leah said attempting to be dismissive.
“This is not the time to hold out, Leah.” Brooklyn left her place near the wall and walked over to where Leah stood. “What about the court?”
Leah shook her head. Thinking about it made her anxious. Her body started to shake involuntarily as an overwhelming sense of doom took over. Brooklyn grabbed Leah as she started to breakdown.
“They’re trying to take my baby from me…”
Leah wailed and fell into Brooklyn’s arms. Nia wanted to console her, but she wasn’t sure if Leah was ready to receive a touch from her. Symone got ready to get up from the couch when her cell phone buzzed. He left another message. This was not the time, so she ignored it and went to Leah.
“They’re trying to take James from me…” Leah said again. “What am I going to do?”
Chapter Seventeen
Three hours later
“See right there,” Brooklyn pointed to the monitor. “There’s a lapse in the time frame that the vault is opened, and no one comes back to it for thirty minutes.”
Brooklyn rewound the tape and played it again. They were watching Brandon McGee, bank manager for Atlantic Bank of New York on the recorded tapes Brooklyn had been pouring over for days.
“Brandon goes into the vault every morning before the establishment is open to the public,” Brooklyn continued to point at the screen so Leah, Nia, and Symone could grasp what she was saying. After Leah’s confession about the court proceedings, they’d all had a chance to cry it out. Now Brooklyn was getting down to business. They had to get this money and make sure James stayed with them. No questions.
“When he goes in, there’s a vacuum sealed bag tucked underneath his arms. Look!” Her fingernail tapped the screen as she paused the tape.
“Right there, you can barely see it and if you’re just passing by, it’s unnoticeable to the untrained eye. But because I’ve been studying this tape, I can see it sticking out, but here’s the thing. The cameras inside the vault are on a loop during this time. Instead of shutting them all the way off, Mr. McGee has them set on a loop and that’s his mistake. Because I’m the genius that I am, I trip the loop and the cameras continue to roll. Mr. McGee goes in, pulls out the vacuum sealed bag and stretches it.”
Brooklyn played the tape so the girls could see step by step what she was talking about.
“So he’s stealing from his own institution,” Nia asked.
“It’s not his institution. Yeah, he’s the bank manager, but that’s about it,
and he’s most certainly robbing them blind.”
Bent slightly looking at the tape, Symone stood upright with her hands on her hips.
“I don’t know about this. I mean if he’s already robbing the bank then wouldn’t this be a risky job for us? And furthermore, he must have an accomplice. Bank manager or not, he won’t be able to move those bags on his own. If he’s this smart, a time and date have already been established to take the money out. It’s real risky.”
“No,” Brooklyn said, “I see where you’re coming from but, no one’s aware he’s doing it.”
She looked from Symone to Leah then Nia.
“It’s the perfect score because we can use him to our advantage and he’s clever. I don’t know why I didn’t think of vacuum sealed bags myself.”
“Probably because we’ve never thought about pulling off a heist this big,” Symone countered.
“You know, if you don’t want to do it, go find Mason, I’m sure he’d looove to be in your company,” Brooklyn snapped.
“Hey!” Leah interjected, “That’s enough, I’m sick of hearing you two fuss and fight!”
Leah turned to Symone. “You will have to lay low.”
Symone frowned. “Lay low?”
“Yeah,” Leah continued. “Mason knows your face. If we decide to take the bank instead of the Steinmetz Pink Diamond, then you can’t traipse inside with us. It will seem too obvious that you’re a part of this and you’ll be in jail before midnight.”
Prowl (Nothing Else Matters But Survival Book 1) Page 11