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“I don’t think you realize it, but the same way you like to point out to me that women are attracted to power, so I have to be careful? These dudes are out here on the same second gentleman shit,” he said, dropping to a seat on the bench at the end of the bed. “Treasurermy ass. That’s not what he’s really after. He would do anything I told him to do if it meant a chance at being close to the head of thePredators.You need to be careful too.”
I propped a hand on my hip. “It’s really funny you mention that, considering how trustful you are of Onyx.”
Brandon dropped his chin to rest on his fists, elbows propped on his thighs. “Yo, what is up with you and him? When I first told you to recruit him, you didn’t have any problem with it. You saw the vision and you were down. What happened? Do you know something I don’t?”
“No, I just think Iseesomething you don’t. He’s dangerous.”
“Yeah.” Brandon laughed. “That’s the whole fucking point, Tati.”
I groaned. “I get that part. But there issomethingmore to it. And really it’s… it’s not even that I think he’s going to betray us, or anything like that. The problem is… I don’tknow.If we were paying him and I knew I could only trust him as long as the money clears, cool. I can live with that. If we were just hiring him to do a job. But you’ve welcomed this motherfuckerwe don’t knowinto the fold, and I don’t like that shit. I can’t get a good read on him.”
Brandon pushed himself up from the bench, sighing as he walked up to prop his hands on my shoulders. “I get it. I promise you; I do. But I’m telling you, we need him. I don’t know what the fuck he was into before he ended up in Vegas, orwhyhe ended up in Vegas. But I know that motherfucker is a killer, and with these white boys lurking around…” He shook his head and dropped his hands. “I don’t know. There’s some shit going on, a different energy that I don’t fuckin’ like. What made Jake think he could walk up on you inourshit like it was nothing?”
“He claimed he wanted an alliance,” I told him. “I didn’t get the vibe he was looking for trouble.”
“Onyx said he didn’t like the energy.”
I shrugged. “That’s how he saw it. HowIsaw it is…I think Jake is scared. I don’t think he – or his folks – want a problem with us, and yet… somebody shitted in their laps.”
“So you don’t think they’re the ones who ambushed our people?”
“I think it’s too convenient to be as it appears,” I answered. “It adds up so well that it doesn’t add up.”
Brandon nodded. “As much as I want blood for this shit… I gotta keep it a buck. It never sat right with me that they would waylayPredatorsin the first place, you know?”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Any other time, all they do is make their meth, drink, and… hunt in the woods and shit. They were never the type to want any real smoke with us.”
“They would never even run up in our territory,” Brandon added. “But now they’re ambushing us? When our people were where they were on some traffic detour bullshit? Getting close enough to take out the head? Something isoffwith that. Which is exactly why we need a dude like Onyx on our side while we figure it out. You feel me?”
“I do.”
“Aiight,” he said, chucking me under the chin. “Get dressed then. Can’t have you beside me all bummy in your pajamas and—ay!” he laughed, dodging the jab I sent in his direction.
“Fuck you,” I told him, and I headed to my bathroom with my clothes. “You could at least make some coffee or something.”
“So you can blow up these rich people’s bathroom? I think not!” he called through the closed door, making me laugh.
I reallydidhave to get ready.
I made it quick, thanking God and my mama for my hereditarily clear skin, which meant after my hygiene routine I could just pop on tinted moisturizer, mascara, liner, and lipstick, and look polished. My braids went up in a neat bun. I’d chosen slacks and a blouse that were both tailored to my curves, and a higher heel than I’d normally bother with; all for the aesthetic.
The Whitfields weren’t really our kinda people.
Not even in a bad way, they were just… on some Black royalty shit that wasn’t really how we got down. Gerard and Jesse – my father and Brandon’s – had been good friends with Daniel Whitfield.
Kingston Whitfield’s father.
The lifestyles between them were so vastly different that I never quite understood it. Brandon and I weren’t trying to be cool with the Whitfield kids growing up either. Not because we didn’t like them, we just didn’t have shit in common.
As adults, we had a healthy respect for each other, but rarely crossed paths.
Until now.
The quest for legitimacy – and legacy – was one the Whitfields were keenly familiar with. Kingston’s current reign at the head of their empire was thefirstcompletely unsullied by questionable legalities. It was a ballDanielhad set in motion though—a lesson Jesse and Gerard drilled into me and Brandon when they first started grooming us to inherit the president and vice president roles.
At the time, I’d found it strange; we both had, actually. We were barely thirty and had every belief our fathers would live a good long time, barring illness or other extremes.
Now… I wondered if they’d known something we didn’t and opted not to share.
What could thatsomethinghave even been though?
“Tatiana, let’s go!”
I rolled my eyes at Brandon’s admonishment then stepped out of the bathroom, stopping through my closet for jewelry and one last look in the mirror before I went to find Brandon.
In my kitchen.
Holding up a to-go cup of coffee hehadto have brought with him.
“You look good. Let’s go.”
