He slapped hands with me. “I got you.”
“Remedy gone ride with y’all. I got a few Paper Chase niggas trailing y’all, so y’all should be straight,” Kross added before dropping a kiss onto Remedy’s forehead.
Just like Jazzlyn, she knew the game and didn’t have any questions about what was about to go down. Jazzlyn made sure to do another lap of the club to tap in with her employees before she met us all at the entrance.
“I gotta go handle some shit. I’ll be back to you, I swear.” I pecked her lips.
She looked up at me. I could see the worry that flashed in her eyes, but she was masking it well. We were in a different city, so I understood the apprehension she had about letting me go out and handle business, but I was confident that wasn’t shit gonna happen to me. Silas wasn’t fucking with me out in New York, so I knew for a fact he couldn’t fuck with me while in Miami.
“Be safe, Ahkeem. I love you.” She cupped my face in her hands before bringing me back down for another kiss.
After I made sure she got into the car safely, I hopped in Kross’ whip and rode with him, his cousin Noonie, and Jersey. In front of us, Ezekiel rode with Diamond, Moe, and Javi.
Zeek got the drop that Silas was at a mansion party hosted by Nina Romero. She was a big-time arms dealer I had done business with a few times. It was a small fucking world because Kross happened to cop some heat from her as well. The woman was sitting on millions, and she had the weapons and arms industry on fucking lock.
She always hosted these invite-only parties that she used to expand her connections. I got invited every year, but once I stepped back from moving guns, I stopped showing my face. Kross and Ezekiel, on the other hand, felt like the crowd was too fucking fake for them, so they never showed their faces. Nina and Kross had a tight business relationship, so she wasn’t offended by this.
Silas really was trying to move his way up the ladder, and that meant he had to network and get in the good graces of the right people. I had to admit; the pussy-ass nigga had a goodbusiness mindset. He knew what rooms to be in and which cities to infiltrate. The problem was, he went about it all wrong. The nigga was a hater who didn’t know how to move with respect. I was kind enough to let the nigga start a few traps out in New York, despite everyone knowing I had enough weight, power, money, and respect to redline the entire fucking state and be the only motherfucka’ making paper out there. Every other nigga I let make moves accepted the kindness and didn’t push their fucking limits.
Silas couldn’t stand the fact that it was me with the crown on my fucking head when he thought he was next up once word spread that Priest, J’Ru, and Kaymen were out of the game.
I made a call to Nina. Her mansion was like fucking Switzerland. She didn’t tolerate any outside beef whatsoever. Out of respect for her and the business relationship Kross wished to maintain, we decided to give her the heads up.
“Another annual meet you’ve missed, Mr. Hendrix. You looking to return as one of my distros?” She didn’t bother with any greetings. Every conversation we had was like that. Shorty was about her business and was always scoping for an opportunity to make some paper.
“I told you already, Nina, I’m out of the arms game. I’m onto some different shit.” I chuckled at her persistence.
“I’ve heard. Congratulations on your new business venture. You must be in need of something exclusive if you’re calling.”
“Actually… you got a target in your mansion right now. I’m just giving you the courtesy call.”
“Send him out, Nina. We gone give you the respect of not lighting shit up at the crib,” Kross piped in, making his presence know.
She let out a shocked scoff, clearly not expecting us to be riding with each other. Kross and I were one and the same. Webelieved not everything needed to be publicized, so I knew for a fact that us linking would shock the fuck out of anybody.
“Whoever this target is may need to stay on my radar if they have enough power to bring the north and south together behind them. Hunter, you expanding to New York, or will it be Hendrix expanding to Miami?” We piqued her interest, and I knew her fucking brain was churning with a million and one ways she could make some paper off us.
“Neither. Ahk got up north, and I got down south. The problem is, this motherfucka’ think he can try to bust both of our heads and make money in our cities without tapping in. You’re a businesswoman, Nina. You know that shit can’t fly.”
“It’s either you send him out or we coming in,” I warned her as we stopped our cars right at the gate of her mansion.
“You know I can’t have that. You also know I can’t have any bloodshed within ten miles of this place.”
“Make it easy for yourself, Nina. Send Silas out.”
“Silas,” she chuckled. “You want my new New York distro. Why should I make it so easy for you? You getting at him means less money for me.”
“It’s always been less money for you, as soon as you chose Silas’ bitch ass to replace me as your New York distro,” I scoffed.
“He got five minutes to be out before we come in,” Kross warned her.
She was a boss in her field, so being put on a time limit didn’t sit well with her. “And you don’t think I can have red beams all over you and your crew?”
“I’m worth too much to you. You not stupid,” he countered.
“Plus, my operation up north is a big bag you been waiting to sink your teeth into.”
She wasn’t giving us pushback because she fucked with Silas heavy. The greedy bitch just wanted to know what was in it forher. I respected her hustle, though. She never changed or sugar-coated shit.
