by Brick
I swore I heard him laughing as he closed the door. I didn’t understand why and I sure as fuck wasn’t about to say sorry to Diamond. She jumped stupid at me first. She just needed to chill with all the other stuff. I mean, shit, I don’t even know.
Heading downstairs Anika sat with her legs crossed in her favorite chair eating grapes from a bowl, while eying two men in front of her. Ma was dressed in jeans that were so tight, they looked painted on. Her feet were bare and her Nigerian print shirt was cut down the middle, where it showed nothing but flesh and the rounds of the breasts, but held together by a simple leather belt. Her aura shouted that she was in her home, relaxed and both of the men in front of her better respect that.
“I see he’s finally made it. You two may sit as my guest finds his place near his crew,” Anika coolly responded.
Her eyes never left the two men in front of her and it made me smirk to see one of them sweating as the other was attempting not to adjust his hard dick in front of her.
Making my way to the area, I saw Jake, Speedy, Diamond, Gina, and Chyna sitting waiting on me. I had seen Ghost’s little feet in my uncle’s study, so I knew they were watching on a monitor. Mirror walked up to me and clapped his hand on my shoulder with a nod. “You remember these two eh?”
Nodding, I made my way to them both and flashed a smirk. “Armando, my dude, hola, gracias por su hospi-talidad previa. Thank you for your previous hospitality.”
Armando’s discomfort, with that of keeping his dick in order while eyeing the African queen, was evident in his posture. Smoothing a golden hand through is wavy pulled back hair, his smile was genuine when he reached out and clasped my shoulders. “Mi lucky street hood. Couldn’t say this at the grand meeting, but doing business with you has still been nothing but good for me.”
I said nothing at his words, just gave him dap and glanced at Nicola. Nicola stood a towering six feet eight inches and looked every bit the tyrant he was. A cigar rested between two fingers as he coolly leaned to the side watching me. I gave him the same look back, saying nothing, because if this nigga wanted to play stupid I was game any damn time. People can turn on you in the drop, if they so needed it. Both of these motherfucka were expendable at any damn time.
So I waited and watched Nicola crack a rare smile and boom out, “It’s is good to see this indestructible punk’s face again. Nothing but good has come for my business, too.”
His slight, thick accent had me inwardly chuckling and I clasped hands with him and bumped shoulders before stepping back. “Talk to me, what’s up? Nigga’s still hating and gunning? I already know but enlighten me.”
Both men sat down after Mirror and I sat down at the same time. They glanced at each other then back to us. “We were just telling Phenom and Anika about that whole thing, mira. Stiff and Valentino are still pissed about how you did them in the meeting. They are also pissed about how much your new product indigo is bringing in the ducats.”
Nicola’s booming voice stepped in and continued for Armando as we all listened. “They have fucked around and missed out big on the product, so of course they are gunning hard against you with Dante. We got word about the shoot out today and Dante is calling for us to handle you. He’s done with the game and wants a full war now. That’s why we’re here.”
Anika’s calmly set her bowl down, slipped her small feet into the shoes that were near her seat, and rolled her shoulders; each of her braids fell down her face and that subtle movement registered something was about to go down. When the girls stood and the sound of a slamming door upstairs echoed in the room, my eyes closed in silent prayer and annoyance and I slid out my chair.
“Dante is here isn’t he?” was all I said.
“Yes, he is,” Anika quietly said.
My emotionless eyes darted to both Armando and Nicola, hatred resonating from the very core of me. Two clicks of my guns had both men standing up and stumbling backward with their hands up.
I took two strides forward ready to kill as they shouted, “We didn’t do it!”
“Nephew. They are legit; let them play this shit out,” echoed at my side.
I glanced at Mirror and knew he was speaking for my uncle. I chilled out and took a step back.
“We came to cover you all. Our men are surrounding the villa, we support who supports us, amigo,” Armando spat out standing and tugging on his blazer.
Nicola’s movements were similar and I gave him a nod, which he returned. We both weren’t men to speak a lot, so that was enough of a truce for us. They pulled the Glocks hidden on them out, ready to fight beside us, and I turned around to look at the family.
“Ready?”
They all nodded, showing me their weapons. Anika motioned for us all to sit down, and the sound of my uncle coming downstairs had both men glancing in curiosity.
Anika’s smile brightened the room. She walked past Armando, brushing her fingers against the side of his face with a wink before heading to Phenom. Something in how Armando watched her let me know that they had to have been fucking at one time or another. Shit was kind of comical.
“Gentleman, meet Phenom. Your loyalty has been consistent in the many, many years I’ve been indirectly working with you two. It was beyond time you both met the real man, since death is approaching.”
The shock in the room was ever visble. Phenom had a slick smirk on his face and I could tell there was a story behind why each man was glancing at him, as if they had already met him before, just as someone else. Damn, I was curious because it was dope if that was the case.
“We’ve had the pleasure of meeting many times only you had no idea who I really was. Today, I greet you both as brothers in the new street council. We have many people on our agenda to handle but today, we have but one to focus on. The enemy approaches. Don’t be alarmed, family, I’ve already been alerted to what is about to happen and I assure you, it has been handled. I’m a man with friends in high places and that includes law enforcement. It was honorable of you two to hold us down this time. Your silence has been golden. Please know that the rewards will be plentiful if we all make it out of this today. My thanks,” eloquently flowed from my uncle’s accented voice.
He took the seat that Mirror was once sitting in and Mirror stood at his back with his hand on his nine. Anika sat in her chair, with Chyna, Diamond, and Gina moving to her side. I glanced at my boys Jake and Speedy, then upstairs at Ghost who I knew was doing what she did best: playing invisible. I moved to stand at my uncle’s right, once he motioned for me to, and my boys followed. We all played the game of talking with Armando and Nicola. It was all a waiting game. We had to make Dante think that he was catching us off guard, that he had the upper hand and the element of surprise. The sound of the front doors of the house busting open let us know that extra motherfuckas was here.
Men came pouring in as the front and back doors flew off the hinges. With a loud bang. All we saw were bulletproof vests and riot gear as guns were trained on us. This nigga had played the game differently and came at us from a different angle. Whom we thought would be Dante and his crew were really a SWAT team and judging by the cool demeanor Phenom carried I knew something foul was afoot. I glanced at my uncle, my eye twitching in anger. He just sat back and pressed his hands together.
“Don’t even trip. We’re protected and if any of us go missing, know that I will find you,” was all Phenom said as he held his hands up. “Dante is being sloppy and showing his hand.”
“Get down on the ground now,” shouted around us.
I didn’t have time to respond to what he’d said. I already knew no one here was going to kill us because if Dante had sent them it was only to bring us to him and he’d want the pleasure of killing us himself. So we all complied, lay flat on our bellies, and waited it out. Well, all of us except for Phenom, Anika, Chyna, and Speedy.
Confusion had me glancing up at the four of them as they stayed where they sat. The next words out of my uncle’s mouth had me somewhat perplexed and amazed.<
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“Gentlemen and ladies, I’m confused as to why you have breached private residential property. As guests of the Black Moorish Nation, none of you have jurisdiction in this household or on this land. My lawyers will be happy to assist you all with any documentation that you need for proof as to what I’ve just stated. That’s just in case there is any lack of understanding among you,” Phenom calmly stated. He peered over the rims of his wireless glasses and folded both hands in front of his mouth then waited.
“We will not say this again. Get on the ground now,” an officer’s voice boomed as he aimed his gun right at my uncle’s face.
Again, Phenom sat where he was, making minimal movement as he addressed them again. “I know you fellas aren’t hard of hearing,” Phenom stated. “It would behoove you to get that gun out of my face,” he spat through clenched teeth as he eyed the cop with a deadly glare.
“They should have never given you niggas money,” the cop quipped as he pulled his ski mask over his head revealing his identity. He was brown skinned with beady eyes and thin lips. Scarring on the right side of his face showed he had been burned at one point in his life. “Give a nigga some money and he starts to think he can run some shit.”
The cops behind him chuckled as one dug his knee into my back. I didn’t care about the pain and discomfort. I looked around to make sure the rest of my fam was okay. I’d kill any nigga, cop or not, who harmed them. If I didn’t give a fuck about having a shootout at a jail, I for damn sure didn’t give a shit about killing a dirty cop.
“You’re worried about the wrong thing,” Phenom said. “What you should be worried about is the man who has you on his payroll. There is no honor among thieves and I can assure you, you’ll come to regret your decision to be in cahoots with Dante Orlando.”
The cop jerked forward like he was going to hit my uncle with the butt of his gun. Mirror made a move and the cop quickly turned his gun on him.
“You feeling froggy then leap,” the cop taunted Mirror.
My uncle held his hand up to stop the man who was his protector. Mirror’s grimace showed that he was seconds away from stepping in and having a hail of bullets have to stop him. I knew if he moved the wrong way the dirty cops wouldn’t hesitate to take him down. The tension had me anxious. I was also annoyed, but I stayed where I was watching, because knew if I moved, one of those bastards would come funny and cock off in the house. So I watched, learned, and waited.
It wasn’t until a walkie-talkie squawked in the background that the cop calmed down. “It’s the captain,” one of the cops shouted.
It seemed like forever that we sat there and listened to the cop try to explain to his captain why he was on the premises.
“Sir, we do have the right house. Well the warrant is valid. What do you mean it’s not? Wait, sir. Sir!”
Silence filled the room and the cop that blasted in our face, sneered, and then spit on the floor. Phenom quirked an eyebrow then smirked coolly.
“Don’t get too cocky. This isn’t over.”
“Anytime,” my uncle stated. “Come better prepared next time though. And you’re right, they should have never given us niggas money, especially those of us who know what to do with it. Now get the fuck off my property.”
For a second it looked as if the cop wanted to retaliate, but he only grunted, smiled devilishly then backed up. “Next time . . . next time I can assure you, after today there won’t be a next time. You would have been safer coming with us. Back out, everyone. Let’s go,” he said solemnly.
Phenom just sat back with no emotion on his face as the SWAT team retreated. Jake and I watched on in silence and somewhat in awe as to what was taking place in front of us. But at the end of the day, all I wanted to know was, “What the fuck was that?”
Both my uncle and Anika stood. He bent his head down to kiss her lips and she rose up to accept them before glancing our way.
“That there, was ignorance on their part, nephew. When people are ignorant, they’ll believe anything you tell them as long as you state it in a way that makes them question all they thought they knew,” Phenom said. “This land is nothing more than private property and we have no claims to the Black Moorish Nation, but what we do have are friends in high places. And using those words were nothing more than code to see if anyone of the cops in the midst were friendlies.”
“And that was also our eviction notice. He’s gunning hard; sadly, he really doesn’t know shit about how we play or who we really are. Smoke and mirrors is all he knows and today, we learned more about him than ever,” Anika explained.
She glanced at her daughter, kissed the top of her head, and repeated the motion with Diamond, and Gina. I watched her head upstairs, where she did the same with Ghost, who stepped out from her hiding spot with wide eyes. Still, I had more questions. Needed to get a better understanding of what had just happened.
“That’s all well and good, but—”
My uncle cut me off. “Let me break it down quickly. I see your face and I understand it.” I watched the OG who was my uncle move around in thought; he rolled his shoulders and began to break it all down while casually pacing back and forth. “I’ve had eyes on Dante, just as he’s had eyes on me and mine. What just happened was mutual reciprocity. The majority of it was an anger move that shows me that we were able to anger Dante to the point where we’re throwing off his game plan. Nevertheless, back to the rest. What I did was a power play. I used a code to indicate my syndicate.”
An amused smirk appeared on Phenom’s face and he continued, “In doing so, I was able to pinpoint those in the force who, for all intents and purposes, work for me. All that means is my dick is bigger than Dante’s and I’m one step ahead of him. The end. Now pack up. I figured Dante would find this spot, which is what I wanted, just to test him and see how deep his power goes in the States. He’s messy like his father and will likely go down like his father. Now we know and it’s time to go to our real home. Let’s be out.”
I blinked for a moment watching my uncle exit the room with Mirror and Speedy. I tilted my head mind blown, and Jake stood by my side shaking his head with me.
“Damn,” was all we both said.
Chapter 25
Dante
I’d underestimated the little bastard. I’d brought the fight to many a niggas and none had been this motherfucking hard to kill. This nigga Trigga was like a fucking German cockroach. You could end the whole damn world and him and his little ragtag misfits would still somehow fucking survive. I was done. Done with the game play. My first mistake had been going after the people he held closest to him. That little girl had him coming after me like she was his kid. I chuckled at the thought of it all although I found nothing about it comical. And something golden must have been between that little bitch’s Ray-Ray legs for that crazy little nigga to have a shootout on federal property. I called it a mistake because I thought he’d fold under pressure. Shit just made him come harder. I would no longer treat him as a wayward child trying to fit into a man’s world. This little bastard was smart and it was time I took him out.
“Hmph,” I grunted as I waited for notice to be served that I knew where they were holed up. I knew Phenom was a smart one. He was a great adversary, and so was his nephew obviously.
I looked in my review mirror and saw that all was set in motion on the private highway leading to Phenom’s mansion. American gangsters were fucking stupid. How none of these niggas knew that biggest underworld king between the UK and the States was married to one of the baddest female queen pins? That was why these niggas were pawns in my game. They were too fucking stupid to be anything more.
“Bloody idiots,” I snapped and I punched the steering wheel.
Time was of the essence and I had been in the States too fucking long as it was. I sat up in my seat when I saw the black vans coming down the road. Two black vans that were armored I’d bet, but it was the black Honda Civic that I wanted.
I made the signal to my men and watched
as they came running from the woods like a black ops mission. Tire strips were pulled and the tires from both vans blew out. One van flipped over while the other one skidded to a halt against a tree.
“Crash and burn, motherfuckers,” I said to myself as I stepped from my vehicle.
The Honda did some kind of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift kind of maneuver to avoid the same fate as the vans. Trigga jumped from the front seat shooting first. Valentino’s and Stiff’s men let off a round of AKs that had him jumping behind the trees for cover. The vans emptied out as I pulled a Mack 11 from behind me and joined the melee. My focus was solely on the nigga behind the trees until I saw Phenom gunning for me. I took one in the shoulder. I stopped, dropped, and rolled all the while returning fire.
Gravel from the roadway cut into my skin. The smell of gasoline and oil assaulted my senses. That big gorilla-made nigga, Big Jake, had taken down three of Stiff’s men I could see, with his bare hands. Speedy was known in Brixton for being just that. His speed was like some crackhead shit and the fact that the nigga’s Joker-like laugh was close to me had me turning on my back to let off rounds at him. I looked up and saw that I was moments away from meeting his shank, but the shots backed him up off me.
I jumped up and finally took cover behind one of Valentino’s men’s Hummers. “Why don’t you just let me get my vengeance, Phenom, and this can be all over?” I shouted above the firefight.
I could see Anika putting a hurting on one of Valentino’s men who made the mistake of underestimating her because she was a woman. That nigga was crazy. I would have shot that bitch first since she was just as crazy as her husband. But that was his battle.
“Vengeance? Nigga, you kidding me? You been taking from my family for too long, Dante. The gig is up, my nigga. You about to be DOA for real in the motherfucker,” Phenom venomously shouted back at me.