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“Should I mention where you’ll be tomorrow if they ask?”
They wouldn’t.Shewanted to know. My behavior wasn’t congruent with what she was used to.
“If they ask, tell them another matter came up that took precedence.” Everyone I was meeting with understood business and prioritizing. They wouldn’t be offended but again they also wouldn’t inquire about why I rescheduled. Especially those who wanted to remain in my good graces because they needed something from me.
“Yes, sir.”
I ended the call and showered. Before I could dress comfortably for bed, a call came through. I stood in my closet with my lower half wrapped in a towel while I answered what I assumed would be a call that was going to annoy me.
“Yeah?”
“I paid you very handsomely for an entire block and the corner where my club is, Ez. That money was supposed to be a guarantee that no drugs would be sold on my property.”
“That’s not exactly true, is it, McCall?”
The line was quiet briefly before he responded, “I paid good muthafucking money to ensure that no drugsbutminewould be sold on my property, which isn’t the case. That’s a problem I’m going to need you to rectify.”
Kyon McCall minded his business. He sold drugs—mostly pills and cocaine—but only to those who frequented his club and the two lounges nearby. He had been in Crescent Falls for a little over six months and had kept the promises he made when he’d reached out to ensure he was granted not only the land he now owned but permits from the city to run his businesses.
My father kept his hands dirty, much like the Devereauxs, pushing guns and drugs through the state. I chose to manipulate the systems in other ways. Very little property exchanged hands in the Southern States without my approval. Businesses didn’t operate without my say so. They paid me and I made things happen. I held a mutual respect for some well-established people and businesses that operated without my say so, but for the most part, I controlled most of what happened in the Southern States.
“I’ll look into it.”
“I already did and I have something here for you.”
Kyon was proactive with a lot of things and not the type to sit on someone disrespecting him. He and I were a lot alike.
“Something or someone?”
“You know the answer to that, Ez. Can you swing by tonight? If not I’ll hold him for a while.”
Fuck, that wouldn’t work out in my favor.
“Give me an hour.”
“I can do that or I can handle it.” There was amusement in his tone. “I figured you would want to do it yourself. I’m trying to play by your rules.”
“No, I’ll be there. Can you make sure he’s breathing when I arrive?”
“Yeah, I can do that too.”
I ended the call and dressed in dark jeans and a crewneck sweatshirt before leaving the house. All I wanted was to be in my bed, trying not to think about fucking Jhorie. Maybe it was best Kyon had called. It would give me a few more hours of Jhorie-free thoughts. Maybe by the time I made it back home, I’d be too exhausted to imagine she was in my bed waiting for my return.
***
Just after eleven I walked into McCall’s which was just as packed as it had been six months ago when he’d opened the doors. The crowd was much different than Black Diamonds. There was some crossover but for the most part the two were worlds apart.
McCall’s kept a rotation of DJs and when he had live performances they were mostly rap artists. Black Diamonds catered to the grown and sexy artists. I appreciated both atmospheres which was why I hadn’t hesitated to grant Kyon access to the city. Once I cleared the entrance, I headed straight to the back office. A few of Kyon’s guys offered head nods before one opened the door, granting me access.
“What happened to letting me handle this?” I pressed as soon as I laid eyes on the guy whose face had been used as a punching bag. He was sitting in a metal chair near the wall while Kyon was propped on the corner of his desk with his fingers lazily wrapped around the Glock resting on his thigh.
“You said to make sure he’s breathing. I kept my word.”
“Did you have to rearrange his face?”
Kyon smirked, looking like a mischievous kid. I knew from our business dealings he had just recently turned thirty but you couldn’t tell from looking at him. Kyon had a baby face which women loved so he kept plenty around him at all times.
Our first meeting I had walked in on him with one kneeled before him, his dick in her mouth. Annoyed the shit out of me so he almost didn’t get the land he wanted, but I liked him. He got his hands dirty but he was an honest hustler which I could respect. He didn’t fuck with anyone and had a level head.
