The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale

by Santiago, Danielle

  Once again, Sherlynn had access to plenty of money. She resumed her wild shopping sprees, but now with Evan by her side. Now that Evan was in high school, she only wanted the freshest and most expensive designer clothes. Her mother was all too happy to oblige her daughter’s wants. She even put her daughter behind the wheel of a Lexus GS 300 for her sixteenth birthday.

  Sherlynn’s new wonderful world came crashing down only a week after Evan graduated from high school. Multiple parents began alleging that her husband had molested their young daughters during physicals. He was arrested after a nurse gave the police videos that corroborated the allegations. The good doctor was shot and killed as he walked out the courthouse on a one million dollar bail. The shooter was the father of a five year old girl that the doctor had molested.

  Unlike when Richard died, there was no money at all for Sherlynn. The doctor had willed everything to his children from his first marriage. There was no certainty that his children would receive anything. The court froze his estate, because it was facing multiple lawsuits by the victims.

  Sherlynn was embarrassed, hurt, and humiliated by the scandal surrounding her late husband. The thought of being broke sent her into deep depression. Unable to cope with the circumstances, a month after burying her second husband she took sixty Xanax and laid down to never wake again.

  After Sherlynn’s suicide, Evan learned the truth about her financial situation. She was broke and no job at the mall or waiting tables would provide the lifestyle that she was accustomed. Before Evan left for college, she sold a few pieces from her mother’s fine jewelry collection. She made a nice sum of money, but not enough to carry her through the first year of college.

  At the beginning of the second semester of during Evan’s freshman year, she met and began dating Gage. He always had money, dressed nice, and drove a new Chevy Tahoe. Gage didn’t work, so naturally Evan assumed that he was a dope boy. After only a few dates, she knew that she had him wrapped and he was into her heavy. Evan liked Gage, but she wasn’t crazy about him. Gage didn’t mind spending money on her so for at least a little while he was a temporary solution to her monetary problems.

  It was a few months into the relationship before Evan learned that Gage wasn’t a dope boy, but the person that robbed the dope boys. That’s how he earned the nickname Gage. It was short for twelve gauge; his weapon of choice. The crime partnership between Gage and Evan happened by chance. The two girls that he used to lure drug dealers in had been arrested before they were set to travel with Gage to Jacksonville, FL. He desperately needed a female for this particular trip. It never crossed Gage’s mind to ask Evan to go with him, he would never put his girl in harm’s way. Although when she volunteered to make the trip with him, he did not say no.

  All it took was that first trip to turn Evan out. Pretty, classy, and well-versed, Evan could lure in the major drug dealers with long money. Adding Evan to his team changed the entire game. Now in her senior year Evan was ready to leave the robbery game. She had amassed enough money to start up her own public relations firm and enough money to live off until the firm turned a profit. Once she crossed the stage in the spring, she would be done with her life of crime. Gages days were numbered too. Evan did love him but he had no dreams or aspirations, if he did he hadn’t shared them with her. She often wondered if he thought that he was going to get away with robbing drug dealers forever.

  Evan felt a little relief when she drove into the Charlotte city limits. The ten kilos in the trunk had her on edge during the entire ride. She was ready to unload them and get back to school. Evan pulled out her Startec and dialed up her best friend.

  “Hello?” a groggily voice answered. “Joey are you up honey?”

  “I can be. What time is it?”

  “Five-thirty.”

  “Evan you picked the most fucked up hours to come through.”

  “So what you want me to come between nine and five?”

  “I sure do. Anyway how far away are you?”

  “I’m pulling into your complex.”

  “Do you remember the code to the gate?” Joey asked.

  “I just punched it in. Unlock the front door.”

  “You look like shit,” Evan said to Joey as she entered the apartment carrying the duffle. “I thought you were asleep.”

  “I was.”

  “In your clothes?” Evan frowned.

  “Yes, I just got home an hour ago,” Joey responded standing by the door. “Is your boyfriend coming in?”

  “No, his ignorant ass is asleep.” Evan sat the duffle on the kitchen counter. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

  Joey began removing the kilos from the bag. “So who were you with all night?” Evan asked as she returned to the kitchen.

  “About five hundred people,” Joey said inspecting the packages of cocaine. “I threw a party at Mythos last night.”

  “How was it?”

  “It was straight. I made a nice chunk of change. How much y’all want for these bricks?”

  “Fifteen-five a piece. Gage said this is some good quality coke so you can work your magic,” Evan winked twice with a slick smile.

  “How long y’all gon be here?”

  “All day, we’re about to get a room and rest for a little while. Then I’m going to the shop so Cee can do my hair.” Joey walked Evan to the front door.

  “I’ll have the money for this in a little while. I can bring it to the shop if you want me to.”

  “That’ll work.”

  Joey returned to the kitchen and retrieved a five-gallon jar from the pantry. Inside was a special blend of lactose, baby formula, baby laxative and a protein supplement that Joey used to cut cocaine. She wasn’t a drug dealer. She just happened to come from a family of drug dealers.

  At the early age of twelve, she learned how to cut and package various narcotics from her older cousins. Joey also knew many hustlers. Therefore, whenever Evan came across drugs during a robbery she would bring them to Joey.

  Joey’s was something like an expert at cutting cocaine. She could take four fair quality kilos of cocaine and turn it into eight. Any time Evan brought good quality product to Joey she would double it and they would split money for the extra ki’s. Gage knew nothing about these side deals between Evan and Joey. At the same time, Joey had no clue that Gage and Evan were out robbing drug dealers.

  Joey turned those ten kilos into twenty, repressed them, and repackaged them. She managed to get in a shower before Zay arrived to pick them up.

  “What’s the ticket on these?” Zay asked thoroughly examining one of the bricks.

  “Fifteen-five a piece,” Joey replied.

  “Fifteen-five,” he laughed shaking his head. “Where your home girl be getting this coke from?”

  “Her man. Why?”

  “Her man hitting somebody in the head for it.”

  “What are you talking about Zay?”

  “It’s a drought right now. And even if it wasn’t fifteen-five is a wholesale number. Don’t no regular nigga have numbers like that for coke this good,” he said holding one of the bricks up. “Then they come through every now and then with work.”

  All Joey wanted was for Zay to purchase the work and get out so that she could catch a nap. “So does this mean you’re not getting it?”

  “Fuck no, it means I want you to be careful. I know that’s your home girl, but her man is a robber and I wouldn’t doubt that she down with him.”

  “Negro please, I been knowing that high sidity chick since preschool. Trust and believe she don’t get down like that.”

  “Just because her daddy got that good job and moved them out the hood don’t mean she ain’t got that shit in her. I know this,” he waved his hand over the kilos, “is not really your thing, but even if you only fuck with it from time to time you can’t let friendship or family ties blind you to the facts.” Zay reached in his pocket for his vibrating phone. “I’m coming out now,” he answered.

  Joey watched from the window as
he tossed the duffle bag of kilos in the rear of a minivan. The driver was a beautiful girl who resembled a young Beverly Johnson. She handed Zay a gray Prada knapsack. He kissed her on the cheek then she drove away. He came back in and sat on the couch. Joey sat on the chair in front of him.

  “You keep an ole model looking bitch around,” Joey said.

  “You Jealous?”

  “Never that,” Joey replied.

  “You need to stop frontin’ all the damn time. Just admit you into me heavy. I don’t know why you won’t give me a chance.”

  “ ’Cause you got too many hoes. They be all out in the street fighting over you. I’m not with none of that shit. I’d been killed a bitch.”

  “I’d give all them up if I had you.”

  “You already know I’m not falling for that weak game of yours.”

  “You’ll give in eventually,” Zay nodded.

  “This is three hundred ten thousand.” he stood up. “It was good doing business with you baby girl.”

  “Likewise,” Joey replied reaching for the doorknob. Zay leaned against the door, preventing her from opening it. Joey eyed him up and down.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I really want to take you out.”

  “Zay, honestly I can’t have all that drama. I’m trying to grow my promotion company. I can’t be seen out with you, and then your little chicken heads will be showing up to my events trying to fight me. That shit is bad for business.”

  “If being seen in Charlotte, is the problem you can go to Miami with me for a few days next week.”

  “So now you want to slide me out of town like them other chicks, spend some money on me, and smash me. Then when we come back you flip.”

  “You the one be acting like we’ve never fucked before,” Zay said.

  “Man, that was five years ago. I was a little fast ass seventeen year old and you were a shell twenty-three year old fucking everything moving. Not much different than what you’re trying to do now.”

  Zay liked a challenge. “Come to Miami I’ll put you in your own suite and you’ll see it’s not about that with me and you.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Joey replied even though she had already made up her mind to go.

  “Do that,” Zay said.

  Suddenly he leaned in and kissed her as if he loved her. Joey was shocked, but it felt good as his tongue moved rhythmically around hers. Her nipples stiffened and her vagina jumped. Just as unexpectedly as he began kissing her he stopped and stared at her briefly. Without saying a word, he opened the door and left. Joey stood frozen for like thirty seconds then she pushed the door closed and leaned against it thinking, God what am I getting myself into?

  ***

  Atlanta, GA Spring 2001

  “Where is he?” Evan muttered then rang the doorbell a fourth time. She was standing at the front entrance of a spectacular mansion in the Sugarloaf section of Duluth County. The home belonged to Marshawn Griggs, one of the biggest drug traffickers in Atlanta. Evan had been at the door for more than five minutes. I could be with Joey and Cee right now, she told herself. She should’ve been at dinner with her two best friends celebrating her graduation that took place earlier in the day. Instead, she was attempting to commence another robbery. This was the last thing that she wanted to be doing on such special day, but Marshawn was hard to get with because he was rarely in town.

  Gage and Evan never robbed drug dealers in or around Atlanta. However, once they made plans to move out of Atlanta the same weekend of graduation, Gage set his sights on robbing Marshawn. Gage had wanted to rob the braggadocios New York transplant for a long time for two reasons; he knew that he was sweet and he just plain didn’t like him. So when the opportunity presented itself he jumped on it.

  Evan reached to press the bell a fifth time, but decided against it. Fuck this I’m going to get with my friends. Evan was radiant in a navy, knee-length halter dress and strappy pale pink five inch Manolos. Her long golden blonde hair crowned her face in Farah Fawcett curls.

  “I’m out of here,” Evan said aloud. She walked carefully down the large brick steps and down the stone walkway to her white on white Mercedes CL 500, a graduation gift that she’d bought for herself. Evan opened the door, tossed her purse inside, and eased down into the car.

  The front door of the house flew open and Marshawn ran out yelling.

  “Tiff,” the alias that he knew Evan by.

  Evan got out the car, “I was just about to leave. I’ve been out here ringing the bell for ten minutes.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” he told her. “My alarm shorted out today and the doorbell is connected to it. The alarm company can’t straighten it out until tomorrow.”

  “Oh I thought you were playing games.”

  “Not at all. You wanna get something to eat?”

  “I ate with my parents before they flew back to Cali.” Just as Evan’s other aliases, Tiff came complete with a background. This time she was a student at Georgia Tech that came from a wealthy California family.

  “What about a movie and drinks?”

  “Sure,” Evan replied and followed him into his home theater.

  The room was like a mini theater equipped with an authentic popcorn maker and a wet bar.”

  Wounds?”

  “You wanna watch Ali, Baby Boy, or Exit?”

  “Bootlegs?” Evan shrieked. “I don’t do bootlegs sweetheart. None of those movies you named are out on DVD.”

  “I got guap ma, so I get my shit when Regal and AMC get theirs.” What a cornball, Evan thought. “I want to see Baby boy,”

  “Good choice. Fix yourself a drink while I put the movie on.”

  “I need to run out to my car and get my purse.”

  “Go ahead, I won’t start the movie until you come back.”

  Evan moved briskly out to her car. She got her bag then placed a quick call to Gage. “The door is open.” Was all that she said and went back into the house.

  Not twenty minutes into the movie, Marshawn was all over Evan. He was smothering her with wet kisses while his hands explored her body. Marshawn knew all the right places to touch. Evan tried hard not to get lost in pleasure, but he was making it hard; especially when he dropped to his knees, pulled her ass to the end of the chair, and spread her legs apart. Using his tongue, he pushed her thong to the side and sucked on her swollen clitoris. He then slid two fingers inside of her. Marshawn moved them in and out while tracing her clitoris with the tip of his tongue.

  “Oh God,” Evan screamed out in pleasure closing her eyes and tossing her head back. Gage’s blood boiled as he stood in the door watching them. Enraged he ran over and backhanded Marshawn with a closed fist dazing him. Gage yanked Evan by the hair and flung her across the room like a rag doll. Marshawn stood and lunged at Gage. Gage shot him twice, once in the right shoulder and once in the left thigh. Marshawn fell backwards and landed awkwardly across the theater chairs. He was conscious, in pain, and unable to move.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Evan screamed at Gage as she rose from the ground in a great deal of pain.

  “Why would you throw me down like that?”

  “Be glad I didn’t put a bullet in your ass for letting a nigga eat your pussy.”

  “He went down on me! What was I supposed to do?”

  “Hold him the fuck off until I come in, not lay back like a slut.”

  “I give the fuck up,” Evan shouted. “I’m done with this shit and I’m done with you. That shit you keep putting up your nose is turning you into a paranoid idiot.”

  Gage rushed at Evan, wrapped his hand around her neck, and slammed her against the wall. “Ain’t nothing over and done until I say it.” he squeezed her throat. “Do you understand me bitch?” Evan nodded as much as she could with his hand around her throat. With a hard thrust, Gage released Evan. “Go round that paper up so we can get the hell outta here.”

  Holding her neck Evan limped away her entire body aching terribly. Gage i
s out his damn mind if he thinks we gone be together. I’m getting away from his ass by any means. Evan went up to the second floor study where she believed Marshawn kept his money.

  Evan rummaged through the massive wooden desk in study. In one drawer, she came across a chrome P-90 Ruger and a set of small keys. Evan zoned in on the custom-built entertainment wall. There were four ceiling to floor bookshelves along that wall. At the bottom of each bookshelf were two wide and deep drawers with built in locks. The keys look like they would be a perfect fit. Evan picked up the keys and went over to the wall. The first key she tried worked. This was no surprise to her. Over the four years that she’d been doing stick-ups, Evan had come across so many men who kept keys to safe or lock boxes in the same room. She never understood the logic in that. Evan opened the drawer. Inside were five medium cardboard file boxes. She lifted the lid off a box. There were at least twenty different stacks of tightly banded one-hundred dollar bills. Evan picked up a few of the stacks and thumbed through them. Each of the stacks appeared to contain a hundred one hundred-dollar bills. If each stack had amounted to ten-thousand dollars that box alone had two hundred thousand dollars in it.

  Evan looked in the other four boxes they all were identical to the first box she opened. After opening the other seven drawers and finding the same setup, she knew that they’d hit the jackpot. If the numbers were what she thought they were, there was between five and eight million dollars in that room; enough money to keep her straight for a long time. Standing in front of all that money, she tried to think of a way to get half of it out without Gage knowing. He was under the assumption that there would only be like five-hundred- thousand dollars there.

  I could take three boxes down and double back later. That’s too risky, Evan told herself. “What the fuck is taking you so long?” Gage roared from downstairs.

  Evan hated the sound of his voice. She hated him. And here she stood with two issues both involving Gage. Evan didn’t want to share that money with him nor did she want to be with him.