The Streets Have No King

by JaQuavis Coleman

  “I got you. Everything is going to run smooth, bro,” Lil Noah said as he rubbed his hands together and nodded his head with confidence.

  “Bet. I have a flight to catch. I’m about to get out of here,” Basil said as he walked to Lil Noah and slapped his hand. Basil locked their handshake firmly and pulled his little man into him to embrace. “I love you, bro. Remember that.”

  “Love you too, big bro. Be safe out there and I’ll hold it down,” Lil Noah assured him. With that, Basil climbed down the fire escape and took off. He didn’t let anyone other than his immediate circle know that he was leaving for a while and that was just the way he wanted it.

  * * *

  Basil had reached Vivian’s doorstep to pick up his money for the week and break the news to her. He had sent her a text earlier that day, so she could have his money together for him when he arrived. He didn’t intend on staying long.

  Basil knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Moments later, he opened the door and his jaw almost hit the ground. Vivian came to the door in a full-length see-through robe. The sheer robe had white trim and left nothing to the imagination. Vivian had her hair pulled back, and her baby hairs rested perfectly along the edges of her hairline. Her dark ebony face was glowing and she had bright red lipstick on that made her smooth skin seem even more perfect. She stood in a nude-colored pair of stilettos that were five inches tall. The smell of cocoa butter and flowery perfume came off of her body as she stood in the doorway while her hand rested on her waist. Basil looked her up and down and she was simply stunning. Her thick thighs were on full display and just above them were her slightly pudgy hips. Her stomach wasn’t flat but it was imperfectly perfect as a belly button sparkled in the light. Her neatly cut triangle of hair hid her vagina; however, her plump, meaty lovebox was on display. The faint sounds of Drake pumped out of her home speakers and the flickering of candles were her source of light. Basil wanted to pounce on her but he was too calculated to do that. He hated that she chose they day he was quitting her to put on the current spectacle.

  “Hey, daddy,” she whispered as she batted her eyes.

  “Damn,” Basil whispered as he looked at her big brown nipples. He could see that they were erect and it seemed as if they stuck out two inches from her areolas. Vivian looked like a goddess. Basil stepped in and walked right past her and shook his head in disbelief. Not disbelief in her, but the disbelief that he was about to turn all of that down. Vivian closed the door and met him in the living room as he stood by the light switch. She then walked into the kitchen, where a bucket of ice was sitting on the counter. A black bottle of champagne stuck out of the bucket along with two flute glasses.

  “I’ve been waiting for you all day,” Vivian said in a seductive voice. Basil watched as she walked across the room. Her sheer robe showed her plump ass. It seemed to have a mind of its own as it wiggled every which way as she strutted.

  “Listen, we have to talk,” Basil said as he continued to shake his head.

  “Yeah, we can do all that. But I need you to hit this pussy first. I’m trying to feel that curve ASAP. Been thinking about him all day. Trying to squirt all over it,” she confessed as she opened the bottle, making a big popping noise erupt throughout the place.

  “No, listen. You’re not hearing me. We have to talk,” Basil said again as he switched on the lights, killing the mood.

  “Damn, what you tripping for?” Vivian said as she frowned and quickly grew agitated at Basil’s rudeness.

  “We can’t do this anymore.”

  “Do what? What the fuck are you talking about, Basil?” Vivian said as she put the champagne back in the bucket and placed both of her hands on her hips with a heavy attitude.

  “This! This shit. I ain’t fucking with you like that anymore. My mind is somewhere else right now,” he said as he tried to stay on task.

  “Oh, I see. That bitch got yo’ ass wide open, huh? She gave you a li’l bit of pussy and you don’t know how to act,” Vivian said as she jerked her neck from left to right as she talked.

  “You’re funny,” Basil said calmly as he shook his head and gave her a fake chuckle.

  “I ain’t said shit funny. That natural, Erykah Badu–looking bitch got you whipped,” Vivian said as she slowly approached Basil. She folded her arms as she walked over and stopped right in front of him. She began to talk again as she dropped her hands and untied the belt, allowing her robe to fall open.

  “Look, I know you like that girl. I can see it all in your eyes. You ain’t dropped no dick off in months. I’m not stupid. I’m gamed up and you know that. A blind man can see that you’re in love. But dig this. I just want that dick from time to time,” she said as she cupped her breasts and began to caress them. She then lifted her right breast and leaned down to suck her own nipple.

  “Nah, we can’t do that,” Basil said, knowing that he had to stay disciplined. He was too seasoned to fall for that trick. He knew that if he laid pipe to her, it would lead to her wanting what they used to have. He wanted to have a business-only relationship with Vivian from that point forward. Strictly business.

  “Are you sure?” Viv said as she circled her nipple with her long pink tongue. Basil looked on and began to enjoy the show. He felt his dick begin to harden and quickly brushed past her and stood by the couch.

  “Yo, I’m good, ma. I’m going to pass on that. We can still get money together and all that but the sex is dead. Go to the back and get my bread out of the safe,” he demanded.

  “Yo, this is crazy. It’s many niggas that want all of this. Don’t flatter yourself!” Viv said, almost yelling. She was irate and couldn’t believe that Basil was cutting her off. Basil couldn’t believe it either, but he knew that he had to stay focused and keep things in perspective. He was in the middle of a potential war with the Irish and understood that most wars were lost because of a woman. He wanted no part of it. He also loved Moriah and she was the only one that he was attracted to. After experiencing a woman like Mo, it was hard to accept anything less. Mo’s intellectual conversations trumped any sexual escapade that he ever had with Viv. On top of that, sex with Moriah was amazing because of the deep connection their minds shared. He couldn’t go backward if he tried. Moriah showed him what real was, and once you tasted real, everything else left a bitter taste.

  Needless to say, Viv didn’t like the new scenario but she went to fetch his money. She cursed him out during his brief visit, but she didn’t go overboard, not wanting to disrupt her honeypot. She made good money with Basil and she understood that. But she silently vowed that she would get him back for embarrassing her.

  Basil instructed her on the business structure and how she would get paid double for not only doing her monthly trafficking, but for holding his money for him until he returned. Basil took just over eighty thousand in cold cash from Vivian’s house. He was headed south with a duffle bag and all his ducks in a row. He hated that he had to leave but he knew that it was a smart move. He was playing chess … not checkers.

  “Miami, here I come,” he whispered to himself as he got on Interstate 75 South. Next stop, Miami, Florida: Cartel land.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Always give a man just enough room to jump out of the window and escape.

  —UNKNOWN

  Five months had passed since Basil had left Flint and to his surprise, he was enjoying his extended vacation. He was comfortable in Miami with his Cartel counterparts. Carter Diamond had set him up a spot in South Beach that he was in charge of. Basil ran it just as he did back home; like a business. He was more hands-on in the smaller operation and was making good money while doing it. With what he was getting sent from back home and his current hustle, he had stacked up north of a million dollars in the short stint. He liked this new spot in particular because the majority of the clientele were college kids and tourists searching for a party drug, cocaine in particular. He moved powder cocaine instead of crack rock and loved the climate of his new hustle. He even tapped
into the local professional athletes and was their exclusive provider. Word got around that there was a new guy in town that the pro athletes could trust and cop blow from. Basil fit right in and was embraced as if he were born there. To be frank, Basil loved Miami. Less stress, warm weather, and more upscale clientele. He ran his operation out of a small storefront and loved the smoothness of it. From the outside, the storefront looked like a convenience store but much more was getting moved out of the back door. Although Basil had reservations when he found out what spot they had offered him, he quickly had a change of heart when he began to see the traffic and residuals. Carter Diamond had made sure he was set up to win and within the first week of his arrival he had a crew, built-in clientele, and an unlimited credit on his coke supply. Not to mention the fact that the Cartel had the local police in their back pocket, and the possibility of raids or interference from the law was nonexistent. Basil immediately began to see the muscle and power of the Cartel umbrella.

  Basil sat in front of the storefront and watched as the skaters, dog walkers, and bicyclists went past him. He wore an unbuttoned white linen shirt that displayed his physique and a khaki bucket hat blocked the sun rays from hitting his face. He looked over at the older black man who sat at the small table before him. Basil had befriended the older gentleman after they discovered their common love for chess. The man owned a newsstand that was next to Basil’s spot and they played every time Basil was at the spot. The slow-moving older man had a head full of gray hair and his skin was black as tar. His big purple lips and smooth-shaven face gave him a unique look. Winston was his name and he didn’t say much. He just had a passion for the mental game of chess and although he was in his seventies, he was still sharp as a tack. Winston always wore old-school Cartier glasses and most of the time he was shirtless. He once told Basil jokingly, “When you’re my age, you don’t care about the small things in life … like shirts.” Winston had a toothpick sticking from his mouth as he slowly twisted it with his thumb and index finger. He stared at the board and made his move.

  Basil took his focus off of the strip and back to the board and quickly made his countermove. He had gotten the habit of daily chess from Kane and was relieved when he found someone to play with. Basil stayed to himself while in Miami, other than Mecca. He didn’t want other friends … Winston did just fine for him. Basil was down there strictly for business and he anticipated the day that Kane gave him the okay to return back up top.

  A cherry-red Lamborghini pulled onto the curve just in front of the store and a few feet away from where Basil was sitting. Basil looked closer and saw that it was Mecca. Mecca hopped out and threw his hands in the air with a big smile. Mecca’s hair was all over his head and his long mane was past his shoulder blades. “What’s good, B?” Mecca said as he approached Basil.

  “Mecca. My guy. What’s good?” Basil said as he stood up and slapped hands with his friend. They had grown pretty tight over the past few months and had a mutual respect for each another. Basil usually dealt directly with Mecca with the Cartel’s bricks and through that, they bonded. Mecca showed Basil around town and got him acclimated to Miami’s street culture.

  “Just came to check you out. See how you holding up,” Mecca said as they released their embrace.

  “Everything is good, fam. Business as usual,” Basil said as he looked up the strip.

  “Good. Good,” Mecca said as he rubbed his hands together. He then leaned in and whispered, “Yo, how that bag moving?” He was referring to the bricks that he dropped off to Basil about a week earlier.

  “All gone,” Basil said calmly and confidently.

  “All gone?” Mecca asked as one of his eyebrows raised.

  “All gone,” Basil confirmed, cracking a small smile.

  “You are God. Never seen anything like it,” Mecca admitted as he smiled from ear to ear. Let’s go inside and talk.”

  “Absolutely,” Basil answered as he stepped to the side, clearing a pathway for Mecca to enter the store. Basil watched as Mecca entered the store and then walked to Winston and reached down and moved a piece on the chessboard.

  “Checkmate in three, old man,” Basil said as he pointed and smiled at Winston. “Don’t go too far and dodge this ass whooping. I’ll be right back,” Basil added as he faded into the store, but not before flipping the sign to “Closed.”

  Basil entered the store and saw four of his appointed goons scattered throughout the store sitting in folding chairs. Loud hip-hop music pumped out of the small radio that sat on the floor in the corner of the room. The store was mainly empty. The only thing they had for sale to the public were drinks: three large standing coolers, filled with water and different-colored Gatorades. Mecca slapped hands with the goons, greeting them, and then he and Basil made their way to the back.

  Basil walked into the back and opened the large safe. He then reached in and pulled out a brown paper bag that was filled with rubber-band-wrapped stacks of cash. He handed it to Mecca, and Mecca looked at the bag in disbelief.

  “You running through them joints like water,” he admitted, as he was thoroughly impressed.

  “You know how I do,” Basil said calmly.

  “Cool, I’ll have the new joints sent through tonight. You want the same order, right?” Mecca asked.

  “Yeah, that’s cool. Matter of fact, I need an extra one on top of the usual order. I got some shit going on this weekend that I need to be prepared for.”

  “I got you. What you got going on?” Mecca asked, interested in what Basil was referring to.

  “You know, the all-star game coming this weekend,” Basil commented.

  “Oh yeah, you right. I’mma need you to get us some floor seats. You still got that plug, right?” Mecca asked.

  “No doubt. I got you covered. We can fall in that mu’fucka together if you want,” Basil offered.

  “Hell yeah. I’m with it,” Mecca agreed as he smiled, thinking about how he was going to floss on the floor seat of the national televised event.

  “But check this out. Like I was saying before, the all-star weekend is here this weekend. You know I got my guy that play on the Heat. Big. He’s throwing a private after-party at his mansion and want me to supply the blow for all of his NBA niggas that flying in for the festivities. Listen to this, the nigga buying a whole brick for them to blow that night. A whole fucking brick, bro. I charged that nigga fifty just to see what he would say. He prepaid for that shit like it was nothing. Sent his little cousin over here and dropped off a bag that same day,” Basil explained as he began to think about the easiest fifty grand he had ever made in his life. He had charged Big double what bricks were going on the street for. Basil put his tax on it and the naive athlete paid for it without a care in the world. Basil understood that Big was paying for the secrecy just as much as the product. Big was a veteran that rode the bench, but was a popular player in his heyday. He was on his way out of the league, but had received multiple max deals in his career, so he had money to blow. Everybody loved Big of the Miami Heat. Especially Basil.

  * * *

  Kane swung at the ball with his tennis racket while releasing a small grunt. His all-white Polo outfit was soaked in sweat and he watched closely as the small lime-green ball flew across the net. On the opposite side was Moriah. She swung at the ball, sending it crashing back to the other side. Kane ran to beat the ball to the spot, but it was too fast.

  “Game, old man!” Moriah said as she threw both hands in the air and gloated in her victory.

  “What can I say. You got me. I’m getting old,” Kane said as he breathed deeply and rested his hands on his knees. Beads of sweat dripped off of his brow and onto the court. He caught his breath and walked over to the net where Moriah was waiting. They shook hands and Kane kissed her on the cheek. “Good game, baby,” he said as they headed to the side, where their gym bags were waiting. They both scooped up their bags and began walking side by side.

  “Thanks for coming to play a few games with me. You ma
de my morning,” Kane admitted.

  “I enjoyed myself. It’s always good to spend time with you. Also, I know you let me win that game,” Moriah said as she poked her father.

  “You got me,” Kane admitted and they both burst into laughter. Kane looked at his daughter and admired her beauty. She was the spitting image of her late mother and it gave him joy that he still had a piece of Keema through her. “It’s good to hear you laugh,” Kane said as he threw his arm around his daughter’s shoulder as they walked off the court. He continued, “You haven’t been the same for the past few months. You seem down. Is everything okay?” Kane asked in concern. He had noticed the change in her and couldn’t seem to put his hand on the problem. Little did he know she was suffering from a broken heart. She missed Basil so much that it hurt. She hadn’t spoken with him since he left and it was taking longer than she expected to get over him.

  “I’m good, Daddy. Just, this new semester has me buried in work. Kinda stressful, ya know?” she lied, trying to cover up the real reason she was down.

  “I hear ya. You will push through. I have faith in you,” he said just before he kissed the top of her head.

  They reached the parking lot of the country club but Kane wasn’t yet ready to leave. He wanted to play a couple of rounds of golf, so he instructed Mo to go ahead and he would see her later that night. He watched as she got into the car and put on her seat belt.

  “Maybe you need to take a weekend getaway of some sort,” he recommended as he tried to figure out a way to get her out of her funk.

  “You know what? That may not be a bad idea. My friends asked me if I wanted to go to the all-star weekend with them. I might take ’em up on that offer,” Moriah said, hoping that that would get her mind off Basil.

  “You should. You’re young! Get away and see different places,” Kane said. “Wait.” He reached into his bag and grabbed his wallet. He pulled out his black credit card and handed it to his daughter. “It’s on me. You and your friends go and enjoy yourself. First-class,” he added as he smiled.