The Syndicate

by Brick

  My eyes darted back and forth as I watched people appear. With them was Uncle Snap and Cory. The side of my door opened and I didn’t have to look to see who it was. Long legs pushed the passenger seat back, a small bag dropped between them, and the door closed.

  “In the future, since you’re my shadow now, you’ll have to work with Shanelle to get cleaner with your gun aim. I’m glad you’re with me though,” I said keeping my gaze ahead.

  Rifling through the back, gloved hands checked a handgun, added a silencer extension, and then strapped up on his body wearing all black. My brother had a serious expression on his face, but a smile spread across it as he turned my way. “No one can touch how she handles a Glock, man,” Lamont said laughing.

  I nodded in agreement with a slight chuckle. “You’re right, which is why I said what did. From the fact that your face isn’t blistered blue, I take it you won the practice round?”

  Lamont flashed his purely whites in excitement. “Hell yeah, I did. Nigga went down before the one, two, three.”

  Proud, I reached out and squeezed the back of his neck. “Good look. That means you have all eyes on you now for that belt, you know?”

  “Yup, and I aim to get it. In the meantime, though, you good on everything?”

  Mont watched me, concern in his eyes. I knew since killing Cormac that everyone was looking at me differently. Including myself. “As good as I’ll ever be. You?” I asked, tilting my head to get a better look at him.

  He pulled his seat belt on and looked around the car in awe, running his gloved hands over the surface of everything. “Yeah, yeah. Never thought I’d see you handle a nigga like you did. It changed the game and I appreciate it, I mean, what you’re doing for us.”

  “Family comes first. So it’s nothing.” Shifting my focus ahead of me, I kept my inner thoughts locked.

  Bags of building material, concrete, wood, barrels, and then some, were loaded in my van while other vans pulled up next to it. I focused ahead as Uncle Snap looked my way. Waving with two fingers out, he gave me a head nod and I pulled off through the gates of the large holding facility as he handled business. A long limo appeared at my side while I drove, following me in tandem. We drove through the streets around the airport while attempting to stay unassuming.

  Whoever was driving the limo amused me. If I sped up, he or she would match my patterns, which had me grinning. I shifted gears, made a sharp right, and then pulled into a shielded empty parking lot. As I waited, the limo pulled up close to the car, both of our windows rolled down, and I kept my cool. Plumes of smoke rolled away with the wind as a hand with a well-manicured French tip appeared in view.

  “Driver, pull up please. I wish to see our new friend’s full body,” I heard commanded in a light feminine voice.

  Just chilling where I was, the limo did as ordered. Stepping from the car were several meaty men. Each one wore glasses and pristine suits. From the way they moved, it was apparent that they were carrying heavy weight.

  “You ready for this?” I asked undoing my seat belt.

  “Been born ready,” Lamont said with a leering grin.

  Lamont and I both climbed out of the car. I noticed my brother wore sagging black jeans with black Jordans. For a change, he too wore a button-down shirt that he wore out of his jeans. On his head was a snapback that he wore low over his eyes. While we stepped forward, we both kept our heads down. I kept my gaze on the limo door before me.

  As the door opened by one of the big-ass security guards, my eyebrow quirked when a sparkling red Louboutin made contact with the pavement. Honey brown shapely legs had my attention as the body they were attached to stepped from the limo. In my mind, my mouth dropped. A beauty with plump red lips flashed a smile at me then reached behind her. Mama was lethal sexy and she knew it by the way she moved.

  My connect wore a thigh-length white bandage dress that pushed up small but plump breasts and showed off a narrow waist with a lush backside. The wind whipped her large, natural sandy red afro that was braided on the side.

  I watched, then glanced quickly at Lamont as her twin stepped out with her. This one wore a matching red dress as she waved sparkling red fingernails that matched her shoes.

  “Bonjour,” the first twin said as her gray eyes shifted between Lamont and me.

  Stepping forward, I gave a respectful nod. “Bonjour, Gemini. Welcome to Atlanta. I hope that by the reports sent to Paris, you know that I am Claudette’s replacement.”

  “Ah yes, we know all about you. However, what is your code name?” the second twin asked. The one in red kept her arms around her sister’s waist as she rested her chin on the woman’s shoulder.

  “Call me Leo,” I said since their code name represented the zodiac.

  Seductively giggling, both glanced up and down at me then flashed seductive grins. “Yes, that fits you,” both said then began making kissy sounds as they frowned and reached for me. “We are so sorry for your loss. Claudette was a beautiful old woman. So commanding and so knowledgeable.”

  The twins covered my cheeks with kisses. Aurelia and Arielle were our French/Canadian connects. Both women were of French Creole descent with family and drug ties from Paris, Turkey, Israel, Cambodia, the Caribbean, and South Africa. From my research they were also working on having a larger pull in Germany and the UK as well. Heroin, and other popular Euro club drugs, were their specialty. From my mother’s notes, it was our obligation to keep the pipeline flowing through the U.S. club ring and entertainment world with their product. Our links internationally also were required to distribute.

  Our exchange was simple: we did for them, they did for us, needing our sourcing more than we needed their product. Knowing this, I flashed my own flirtatious smile as they hugged me. Stepping back, I took both women’s hands and flipped them to kiss their tattooed wrists.

  “Oh,” I heard one twin say as she whispered in French that she’d fuck me right where I stood.

  Chuckling, I practiced the art of seduction as I locked my eyes on them and stepped back. “I’m glad you both approve and sincerely I thank you. I hope to keep her legacy strong.”

  “Oui. Let us commence in our business shall we, in her honor?” the one in red, Arielle, said gazing at me, then Lamont.

  Keeping at my side, my brother watched by rubbing his chin and licking his lips in the process. Both twins seemed to feed from his interest. They both stepped forward and moved to rest their arms over our biceps.

  “From my understanding, distribution has not broken even with Claudette’s departure,” I explained going straight to business. “The Canadian pipeline in my opinion can only do better and that’s where you both come in.”

  “Tell us why, Leo, hmm? As you’ve just explained that everything is still, as you all say, chill. How can it only do better?” Aurelia asked.

  Smiling, I reached out and plucked her chin. “I’d like to show you. Since I am now head of Claudette’s circuit, I think that we should celebrate. What do you think?”

  “Oui, let’s!” both women said in unison

  “Follow us then.” Helping them back in their limo, I had Lamont give the address and we rode out.

  Leading them away from the drop-off point and guiding them through Atlanta was nothing. Driving them to Buckhead, we pulled up. I threw Lamont my jacket as he frowned.

  “Man, I can’t go in like this for real?” he fussed.

  “You know you can’t. All eyes are on us, and you know how they do us, man,” I explained.

  Monty sucked his teeth and scrunched his face with a light chuckle and bob of his head. “Yeah, yeah, ya right. Give me that weak-ass jacket, man.”

  Tossing it to him, he pulled off the sweatshirt jacket he wore, threw it behind him then slid into my jacket. Once settled, we got out, and introduced the twins to Atlanta nightlife with ease. Since the women were used to European clubs, I made sure to take them to a club that had a mixed environment and played a variety of music. The place was hot, and I had to thank S
hanelle for suggesting this club. We could kill two birds with one stone this way.

  Bodies swayed around us and surrounded us like a herd of animals as I led them to VIP. Both twins held my hands looking around in awe and bopping to the music. Once in our private area overlooking the club, Cory stood up to greet them with Shanelle by his side. She stood with her arm casually resting on his shoulder in a bad-ass slit dress that showed nothing but her thick thighs and bare hips. To the untrained eye, it appeared she had no panties on, but I knew she did. Or she better have. Anyway, the two of them locked eyes on me, and I gave them a nod as I introduced them.

  “Gemini, meet the rest of my team if you will. We have gifts for you both,” I said reaching for a small box and handing it to them.

  Considerately, Aurelia reached in and pulled out a mahogany-lined cigar with a glowing teal tip. She twisted it between her fingers then glanced my way. “An electric cigarette?” she asked raising an eyebrow.

  I gave a nod with an amused smile while I reached out and pushed a button on the side for her. A light swirl of smoke with the scent of vanilla and strawberries wafted between us.

  “Something like that. Take a puff and tell me what you think. Don’t be cautious; trust me, you’ll enjoy the experience,” I coaxed.

  Flicking the tip of her pink tongue over her lips, she gave me a haughty smile. I watched her seductively inhale and hold it to allow the smoke to playful roll in her mouth. Studying me through her hooded gaze, she gave me a sexy-ass smile then snatched me by the back of my neck to kiss me. My eyebrow rose in amusement and I felt her skillfully blow the smoke out between us.

  When she stepped back watching me, I gave a slick smirk while using the pad of my thumb to wipe her lipstick away with a sly chuckle. My lips were closed when she kissed me, but she didn’t know that as I flashed my teeth grinning.

  “So, tell me. How do you feel, Aurelia?” I asked in French.

  Wide-eyed, Aurelia and Arielle both giggled, then Aurelia spoke up. “Oh, my! You’re sneaky, oui? I feel . . . I feel . . .” Softly moaning, her head dropped back while she slowly closed her eyes.

  Music vibrated up through everyone’s bodies. The rhythmic beat pumped into us and created an urgency for everyone to dance. I quickly glanced at Shanelle who narrowed her eyes but kept a clean poker face. I knew that she was going to get in my ass later. But business was business. I didn’t see that kiss coming and, again, I kept my lips closed. Never try your own product, that’s number one in the game.

  “Mmm.” Aurelia muttered some raunchy words in French then stepped to me. “Give me more. Right now. This feels like raw sex. A sweet, orgasmic rush. What is this?”

  “Arielle,” I said offering her the other cigarette. “We call it Mist, and it is our prototype for the next move in our pipeline. If you continue to be good to us, Gemini, we might be pressed to arrange a unique deal with you.”

  Taking a deep drag of the cigarette, Arielle’s eyes glossed over. She moaned in ecstasy. Biting her lower lip in the sexiest of ways as she reached out for Lamont then moved against him fluidly dancing. As they connected with the music and he guided her to his groove, Arielle lustfully slid her hand down his body, cupped his junk then groped him.

  “Yes, this is liquid sex,” she said, then glanced my way. “Let us think about this. For now, we dance and enjoy this amazing gift of yours.”

  Arielle then stepped away from Lamont to grab her twin’s hand only to grab him again. They continued their seductive movements then melded into the bodies of dancing people around us with Lamont in between the pair. Entertained, I calmly stood back with my arms crossed over my chest, legs in an akimbo stance, while bobbing my head to the thumping tempo.

  “Tell Jojo that his intuitive mind is crazy with it,” I said speaking while keeping my gaze on the women before us. “Thank him for creating such a banging product, and let him know that this still doesn’t prove a thing.” Mind calculating and planning, I paused in my wording then sighed. “Tell him to focus on his studies and continue crafting Mist for us. That’s as deep in this that I want him to go.”

  At my side, Cory chuckled. “He said you’d let him in after testing this.”

  “Whatever. He’s not smart,” I said swallowing my grin.

  Since the first meeting with the Syndicate, after his kidnapping, Jojo had locked himself in the lab Mama had made for him. Whenever any of us tried to get him to leave, he’d ignore us and keep the door locked. After maybe a couple of days later, he came out with Mist, explaining that he was reading the product notes Mama had left him in a diary. In it were specifics on ideas she had over the years on what type of drugs might keep the pipeline profiting. Being the type of thinker he was, Jojo did his research and figured by crafting a drug that mimicked an electric cigarette it would be easy to distribute and easier to cause a dependency on when smoked.

  Having tested it on one of his friends who was into club drugs, he watched the effects and handed us the box, telling us that he was still tweaking it, but would be safe to use for now. Having now seen it in action, I was blown away that he was able to craft something like that so fast and effectively. My baby brother was sick with it and had me reevaluating my plans.

  “They look happy.”

  Looking at my side, I gave Shanelle an observing nod. She sidled herself up against me, pressing her soft curves against my side, then rested her hand against my arm. “Yes, they do. I think we’ve secured their loyalty; what you think?”

  “I think you need to wash your mouth out,” she said with a slight tone to her voice. “Did you inhale?

  “No, I didn’t inhale, and give me a glass of ice water and I’ll do just that.” Looking down at her, I took in her beauty. I allowed my hand to land against the small of her back, hovering over her round ass. “Cory, I need you and Lamont to keep them entertained. After you get them hooked on everything, hit me up. Shanelle and I will be meeting up with Snap to pick up Lucky around five.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that one,” Cory said stepping out of VIP to walk toward the twins.

  Everything was in motion. The next steps in my plans were just beginning.

  Chapter 7

  Shanelle

  All is fair in the name of the game. Besides, I’d been through the fire of Javon cheating on me. Just as he’d experienced me cheating on him. After suffering a miscarriage because I got into a fistfight in the middle of the street with one of the hood bitches he was cheating on me with, I no longer felt the need to go that route again. She’d shown up at Mama’s house wanting to fight and I was itching to give her the beat down she deserved.

  I was too damn young and immature to care about the baby inside of me. Let me rephrase that: I cared about my child. But the need to beat that ho into the ground was greater. I’d embarrassed Mama that day in front of the whole neighborhood. In the end I got what I wanted. I stomped that broad into the ground. I won that battle but lost the war. I thought she would go running to her car to go home after getting that ass beat, but no. She went for the box cutter she had hidden on her. I still had the keloid across my back from the affront. Once I’d fallen to the ground, she gave a running punt kick to my stomach to seal the deal.

  That took both Javon and me down a few notches. I think it actually matured us a bit. We hadn’t cheated on one another since. Which was why I bristled when he kissed one of those twins.

  Seeing him kiss another woman took me back to an old head space. I got the urge to drag that pretty bitch through the club while beating her face. But I was beyond that now. I calmed my nerves and exhaled. This was business and I had to leave all that petty shit behind. Javon just secured a major deal. Getting a supplier like Gemini to keep in business with him after Mama died was huge. It would look favorably on us with other dealers as well.

  Furthermore, I was annoyed because I was still horny. We still hadn’t finished what we started when Melissa and Jojo got taken. As a woman there were only certain men who knew how to sex you i
nto oblivion and Javon did that for me. No matter how many men I’d had sex with after him, nobody was able to do to me what Javon could. Sometimes I hated that because he knew what he was capable of, which was probably why he knew he could calm me down with sex as well. When women hollered that the dick was too bomb, Javon was the prototype.

  As the music blasted through the club, I stood around and took in the scenery. Since Javon had walked in, people gave him wide berth. Javon always walked like he commanded attention, but since this newfound power he walked with even greater determination. It was crazy how fast word spread in the underworld about him. And when the owner of the club walked over to personally thank Javon for gracing his club, I knew we were in the big leagues.

  “Please, come to my office so we can discuss a few things,” the older black man said. “Ms. Claudette and I had a system set in place and I would like to know if I’m still in your good graces.”

  The man looked like he could be a school principal instead of a club owner. Silver and black hair graced his head in a faded fro. His veneers seemed to be a bit too big for his mouth, but he was dressed GQ fresh. Short and stumpy. Even though he looked clean cut, I could tell he was a slime ball.

  Javon nodded as he glanced at his watch. “I have a few minutes to spare, but only a few minutes.”

  “I’m Bruce Saunders. Everyone calls me Mr. Saunders,” the old man said.

  “Okay, Bruce. Lead the way to your office.”

  I could tell that Javon calling the man by his first name riled him. It was clear he thought he was important, a big shot. “Ah, okay then.” Bruce reached behind him to usher the half-naked girls he had with him to the front. They were of all ethnicities in various thongs, no bras, and the tallest heels I’d ever seen. “I brought you some refreshments,” Bruce said.

  Javon frowned as if he was offended. “Your first mistake is ignoring the fact that you see a lady already here with me. Your second mistake is assuming that pussy moves me. I’m not some fool-ass nigga who gets excited at the sight of pussy. I’ve had pussy. All kinds of pussy. Don’t ever disrespect my manhood again by assuming, because I’m young, I don’t know how to control my dick.”