It was no secret Diamond didn’t particularly care for Monica.
“Oh, you not in the mood?” The sarcasm was undeniable in Diamond’s tone. “Well, since you wanna change the subject, I was gonna wait, but now is as good as a time as any,” Diamond announced. “Felicia was a cop.”
“What?” Starr nearly caught whiplash the way she turned and faced Diamond. The look on her face displayed how surprised she was by Diamond’s words.
Diamond said it so nonchalantly that it almost came across as a joke, but Starr knew she’d never play about something like that. Especially not about someone who was so close to them and high up on the chain.
“How? What the . . . Why am I just hearing this and where the fuck is she now?” Starr could hardly get her words out or finish a sentence. Her mind went into instant overdrive. Her mood changed from chill to deadly in a New York minute.
Diamond, on the other hand, was cool, calm, and collected. “No worries. It’s been handled,” she informed Starr.
Confusion revealed itself across Starr’s face. She had an idea what Diamond meant when she said it had been handled, but she didn’t understand how, when no one had consulted with her about the matter. There were only two people in the entire organization who could authorize or sanction a hit on a Double Gs member: her and Queen Fem.
“What do you mean, it’s handled?” Starr wanted to know.
“I mean, I took care of it. Personally,” Diamond lied. She already knew what Starr was thinking. She had already anticipated and prepared herself for Starr’s reaction. It was bad enough she had Felicia killed without getting clearance first, but if Starr found out it was done by an outsider, and her ex at that, both she and Edge would be in the dirt before the sun came up.
“I know I wasn’t supposed to make a move until I ran it past you, but you weren’t here, and I had to make a judgment call,” Diamond added. Her tone switched to the one she knew would appeal to Starr’s soft spot. “I got proof, just so you know,” Diamond added. “Video footage. At the club.”
Video footage? At the club? Starr repeated Diamond’s words to herself. The mention of it caused her to raise an eyebrow. She noticed Diamond didn’t say when specifically she had obtained the video footage of Felicia, and she didn’t want to ask. But it made her wonder if Diamond had seen any other video footage at the club, specifically footage of her and Monica the night she freaked her at the club in her office before the raid. Is that why she’s been so distant and acting funny toward me? Starr pondered. “Are you sure it’s been handled?” Starr asked.
“I’m positive,” Diamond replied.
Starr eyed her. “I’m sure you did what you had to do,” she then said. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Diamond just nodded. She was glad Starr had let it go for the time being. She was not in the mood to be grilled and interrogated.
The ride to the club made the other side of Vegas look like it was on the outskirts of Beverly Hills. The side of town it was on was nice and clean. It was one of Las Vegas’s newest nightlife tourist attractions. It sat just in the right place for business people to pace the sidewalks with briefcases in their hands during the daytime. The women looked like they were either coming from professional clubs or they had stepped off a runway in Paris.
The flyers had been sent out, especially around the vicinity of Club Cloud 9. It was announced that Club Panties had been renovated and was back in full effect, better than ever. And to further enforce the extra hyped buzz, the rumor was put out that this was also Starr’s first night as a free woman again. They had incarcerated her back to back on bogus charges they couldn’t make stick. They tried to gain evidence that would tie her into the murders of agents and a few local dealers and respected figures in the city, with no success. They tried to tie her to the bank job, again with no success. Their only chance at detaining her any longer than they had was to connect her to the gruesome act against the correctional officer, but they failed at that attempt as well. There was never such a major-impact group of reasons to party so hard on a Friday night.
But the Double Gs weren’t the only ones who had reason to celebrate and party.
Freeze’s freshly detailed fire engine red Phantom pulled up to the entrance of Club Panties and illegally parked in front of the long line. The street was packed. Both sides. Club Panties was shining brighter than ever. The extended rows of the finest women were standing in place. The top ballers from all over stunted hard doing everything within their bankroll to impress them or catch their attention. Exotic vehicles were everywhere. Some sat right in the middle of the street’s lanes. Men were popping bottles of champagne and bouncing from side to side. Music blasted from every angle. Somehow, it all blended perfectly. The best weed smoke was in the air. High doses of Ecstasy and bottled water flowed through veins. Some people were numb off cocaine. Others were high off life. But only one person was in awe of it all.
Frenchie sat in the driver’s side back seat of the Phantom staring out the window with a clear view of Club Cloud 9. He had never seen so many women. They all seemed to be flawless, just like the calendar girls, video vixens, and porno magazine stars he was used to for the past decade. Nothing tangible. But now it felt like if he just pointed at any specific one, they would come running. He had waited for this moment for so very long. It was a moment that was never supposed to come. A moment that he had shut out of his dreams the second he received a life sentence. He used to wake up in his health code violation of a cell, mad at the world. The same dream he used to curse came true. He began to think about the many he had left behind with nothing to look forward to but that dream, which was now his reality.
Before night had fallen, Frenchie had been shopping all day, thanks to Freeze. Freeze had a lot of business to take care of but left him in the company of Lisa, the high-yellow complexioned, long-haired, petite chauffeur. She chose the stores and the wardrobe for Frenchie. Everything was top-of-the-line designer threads. And when they were done, he took her to fill the closets of his fully furnished high-rise condo. Time had flown. He had only a little time to get dressed before he was to meet Freeze and his crew at Club Panties for his welcome home bash. Freeze tried to lock down the entire third level, but there were two crews he couldn’t pay to get shut out: Prime and his peoples, and the Double Gs. Sammy, who owned Club Treasure across the street from Club Panties, wasn’t going to commit such a suicidal business move. He knew both parties would be out for such a big night.
Esco pulled up and parked the X6 behind the Phantom. Freeze hopped out the passenger side, and they both strolled down the street to meet Frenchie. Frenchie let himself out after he finally located the door handle. He kept forgetting where it was all day. It was nothing more than a button.
The moment they made eye contact, the past resurfaced. Frenchie couldn’t place Esco’s face. Esco’s features had changed drastically after growing up. But Esco could never forget Frenchie. Frenchie altered his life. No more basketball. The hoop dreams died with his mother. He never even returned to school. He lived off the streets, purse snatching, boosting, breaking in cars, stealing them. It wasn’t long before the police caught up with him and sent him to juvenile prison where he would later meet Freeze, who came in a year after. Esco had never revealed to Freeze or anyone else about witnessing the murder of his mother.
Frenchie didn’t even seem to remember. He stuck his hand out and greeted Esco as if they were now a family. Esco shook hands and pulled him into a false embrace, not sure if the time of revenge was near or would ever come. Once they released, Freeze stepped up. As he and Frenchie hugged, the ground began to shake.
Above all of the loud, blended music, the rapidly approaching thunderous roars could be heard from a mile away. They could be felt. Frenchie watched the men and women scramble to clear the streets in a matter of seconds. Before he could ask what was happening, the answer came straight at him. The three of them were the only ones still standing in the streets.
The gran
d entrance was a little different this time. First, two twin R6s came flying down at top speed as if they were racing. They shot down the street and, at the same time, the helmetless female passengers on the back stood up and fully extended their arms, performing a stunt called the Jesus Christ. A loud, strong round of applause erupted as the two bikes passed the bystanders. The passengers managed to drop back down into the seat and grip the waists of the drivers before the bikes skidded into a 180-degree turn and wheelied their way back up the street before dropping the front wheels back down to the ground and stopping on a dime between the fronts of both clubs. They were revving their engines and then, all of a sudden, the front wheels shot right back up, pointing at the sky as the bike stayed in place, while all four women simultaneously hopped off. The two bikes stood rested on their back license plate tail guards. The girls stood on each side of them and looked ahead, up the hill, as the roar got closer.
Two more R6s came flying down the strip heading straight toward the underside of the two bikes that were standing up. The public audience was frozen as they watched the bikes pull in closer together in the middle of the street riding side by side. The two also helmetless, daring female passengers switched moving bikes at top speed. And then on top of that, they sat down just in time before both bikes squeezed through the two standing bikes. The four girls standing beside them never flinched. A louder round of applause filled the air.
Frenchie had never seen anything like it. He chose to act just as unimpressed as the men he was standing in the street with. They were leaning against the Phantom with their arms folded, wearing sour facial expressions.
Before Frenchie could digest and process what was happening, six more motorcycles shot down the street, shooting between the standing bikes. They all made a U-turn after the previous two and faced back the way they came. And then he saw the Escalades.
Starr tried Monica’s number one last time as the two Escalades pulled up and parked directly side by side in front of each one of the standing bikes.
“You’ve reached—”
Starr disconnected the call, cutting the voicemail short.
The four bikers who stood on the sides of the standing motorcycles each strutted to the two back doors of both Escalades. Double Gs spilled out of the first one while Starr stepped out of the back one. Heads nodded, fists pumped chests out of respect and love, and whistles blew from the crowd, while beady eyes and blank stares filled the faces of others as Starr floated toward the club. As they neared, cheers were screamed as if some rock stars had just stepped out on stage at a concert. Everybody had heard about the feds picking Starr back up and arresting her for a second time. Her presence confirmed that she had, once again, slipped through their fingers. That was well-respected in the streets, so Starr wasn’t surprised by the love or hate. She knew those in the crowd who loved her were the ones who she made sure she was fed. She waved at the crowd as if she were the queen of England.
The cheers grew even louder. Men were standing on top of their cars. Some were blowing their horns. Women were flashing their breasts. For a minute, it seemed as if confetti would fall from the sky. When Starr first emerged from the back right side of the second Escalade, she could feel the crowd’s energy. She could see the hate and love. She caught brief eye contact with Freeze, Frenchie, and Esco. Her smile dropped from her face as she turned her back on them and walked around the front of the Escalade, through the high beams, and onto the sidewalk. The crowd in front of her parted, giving her and her team more than enough space to enter Club Panties. When they were completely through, the crowd closed in again, and the party in the streets resumed after the Escalades and motorcycles disappeared. It wasn’t like old times. It was better.
The job done on the Cloud 9 interior was impeccable. Starr vividly remembered the way it had been turned upside down the last time she seen it. Not only was it all redone, it was upgraded. The plush carpet was thicker. The lights were brighter. The aquariums were bigger. The wood grain finishing was extra polished. The sound system was crisper, and the liquor stocked was the absolute finest.
Starr greeted all of those she came across on the way upstairs to her office. She opened the door with Diamond standing right behind her. The mink covering was back up on the walls. The best tropical fish floated to the left of her, providing a transparent view of the lower level. Everything was in order. A laptop sat in the center of her desk. The couch was to her right. It all felt great again.
“This didn’t cost me a penny?” Starr turned to ask Diamond.
“Nope. Courtesy of Sammy. Guess he’s finally realized his business is nothin’ without ours. I hear Cloud 9 kicked his ass,” she proclaimed.
“Get this entire place swept for wire transmitters of any sort,” Starr ordered as she spun around. “There’s one more thing I want to check. C’mon, D.”
Starr led Diamond down to the sublevel tunnel. The Double Gs meeting room was the first stop. The chairs were stacked in a neat row. She smiled with approval as they went back out. They went back to the end of the hall and opened the door. The Double Gs round table was in one full, solid piece again. Everything had been redone. It was all perfect. Starr turned to face Diamond. “They did a really good job.” Starr smiled.
“I thought you’d like it,” Diamond replied.
“I love it. Let’s go party,” Starr announced. She led the way back upstairs to the main floor.
As Diamond and Starr walked through the main floor of the club, the first thing they noticed was that all eyes were indeed on them. A sea of faces stared at them. Starr smiled on the inside at the faces that appeared as if they had just seen a ghost.
Yeah, it’s me, bitches, Starr wanted to say. Instead, she kept it moving as if she hadn’t even noticed the attention she and Diamond were receiving. A bunch of pictures of celebrities lined the narrow hallway that led to the main floor of the club. The hall was colored in multiple colors by children who had visited the club. As they got closer to the main floor, the blaring music got louder and louder. “Look over there.” A grinning Diamond nudged Starr.
When she looked where Diamond was pointing, Starr lit up like flashlight. A slew of Double Gs had an entire section on lock. They all held up bottles in Starr’s direction. “Welcome to the new and improved Cloud 9, formerly known as Club Panties,” the deejay announced. “Don’t want this to be your last trip here. This is the hottest spot in Vegas. Hope it’s an exciting experience that you want to share with your friends.” He continued on the mic between song verses. “And shout-out to my homegirl, Starr. I see you. We missed you,” the deejay added.
Starr drew her attention toward the deejay’s direction and made eye contact with him. After giving him the head nod, she looked around at the mass of people. Just then a pretty brunette with breast implants appeared out of nowhere in front of her and Diamond. In each hand, she had a bottle of Belaire Rose.
“Hello, I’m Lacey,” she introduced herself, with a Colgate smile plastered across her face. “I was told to escort y’all over to y’all section with the two more bottles,” the pretty brunette bottle girl announced.
Starr’s eyes went from Lacey over to the Double Gs section. Both Sparkles and Glitter were cheesing at her and Diamond when she glanced at the section.
“Lead the way,” Starr accepted.
Moments later, Starr was pulling out a crisp Benjamin bill to tip the server and hugging her Double Gs sisters.
“Good to see you.” Bubbles wrapped her arms around her boss’s back and gave her the tightest hug she could manage.
“You too, sis,” Starr said. She could see by the expressions on everybody’s faces that her presence and guidance had been missed. She always knew the importance of her position, but it was moments such as this one that made her realize just how many women were affected by her choices and decisions as well as what happened to her. “I miss all of y’all,” Starr chimed. Starr took a swig of the Belaire and smiled. When she lowered it, she saw that Lacey stood in fr
ont of her for a second time, holding a drink in her hand.
“She told me to pour you this,” Lacey said, referring to Diamond.
“Oh, she did, did she?” Starr toyed with Lacey.
Lacey giggled like a schoolgirl.
“You didn’t slip anything in it, did you?” Starr continued with her humor.
Lacey’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, not at all. I’m not even that type of chick,” Lacey made an attempt to clarify.
Starr chuckled. She peered over at Diamond. A half smirk appeared across Diamond’s face. Starr returned to Lacey. She took the drink from her and took a sip. She could taste a small hint of cranberry mixed in with the Rémy. “Yeah, I like this,” Starr approved of the drink. It was what Diamond had always made her to calm her. Starr slid her hand into her pocket again and came up with another hundred dollar bill. Lacey beamed more than the first time. An appreciative look appeared on her face when she saw the money. She knew she hadn’t done nearly enough to earn her tip. But she accepted it respectfully.
“Thank you again.” She smiled at Starr.
“Don’t worry about it.” Starr leaned in. “Just make sure my girl knows how to reach you outside of the club.”
Lacey shook her head rapidly. “Oh, she does already,” she informed Starr right before she excused herself.
“Sorry I’m late.”
The voice behind her caught her by surprise and startled her a little. She could recognize it anywhere, despite the fact that she hadn’t been hearing it regularly lately. When she turned around and looked, her heart skipped a beat. Monica stood there with an inviting look on her face, looking lovely as ever.
“You look good,” Monica offered, looking Starr up and down.
Starr’s clit throbbed and pulsated from the compliment. Monica’s sudden presence ignited her. Since she and Diamond hadn’t been on the best of terms, Monica had been there to fill the void. Seeing her standing there, dressed in a different version of the Mass Fit apparel, caused her to crack a smile. But she immediately erased it. Feeling Diamond’s eyes on her, she regained her composure. But the one-piece sports gear Monica was sporting made Starr want to get her alone and show her how much she really appreciated how she held her down. With lustful eyes, she took in every inch of Monica’s curves, thanks to the fitness outfit. Monica looked like she had come straight from the gym to the club.
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