Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I clear my throat. “Everything you need will be right through there. If you can’t find something, my room is the one with the double doors right at the end of the hall.”
“Okay, thanks,” she says and licks her lips.
I reach to cup her face, searching her eyes. I wonder if she’s ever been kissed. Do I have it in me to have a taste and forget her after tonight?
Fuck it.
I lean in to find out. Her lips are taunting me to take them. I’m a breath away from sealing the deal when my phone rings, halting me.
I bite out a curse as she pulls away and spins for the bathroom I pointed out. I guess that’s for the best. Bringing my phone to my ear, I snarl into it.
“What?”
“We have a problem. You’re not going to like it.”
“Go on,” I snap and turn to leave the room.
I hate when people take something that should be simple and turn it into some shit I need to clean up. Everyone knows I don’t have tolerance for bullshit. I have to be ruthless to get to where I want to go.
Especially since I’m nineteen running a crew. Most of my guys are around my age, but I have a few men my father gave me who have been with him for years. I use them to deal with the younger guys.
They help me keep them in check. So far, it works for me. I haven’t had any pushback.
For one, no one wants to deal with my pop or my uncle. You fuck with me, you die. Second, I keep my guys happy.
Everyone in my crew earns well. There’s no need for bullshit when the bag is nice, and mouths are fed. We keep our shit clean.
If you have a need, you come to me, and I fix it. Simple as that, so when someone fucks up, I take it personal. I put my neck on the line for each and every member of my crew.
Fucking up means (a) you don’t respect that or (b) you don’t care. I have zero tolerance for those who don’t care, and everyone better remember to respect me or face the consequences. This is a family.
Family comes first. If you can allow your family to go down out of selfishness, you ain’t shit and never will be. From what Mario is saying in my ear right now, I have a member in my crew who ain’t shit, which means he has to go.
Placing my phone between my shoulder and my ear, I jog down the stairs while rolling the sleeves of my dress shirt up to my elbows.
“Push the drop back to tomorrow night. We can’t afford to blow the operation. I want you to personally replace the bags first thing in the morning,” I bark out orders as I move.
“And what should I do with our friend?”
“I’m on my way out back. Have him waiting for me,” I say and end the call.
The drugs in the car were meant for the Raphael crew. They run a strip club here in Miami. Twice a month, one of my guys drops a duffel bag off to one of the dancers. She then walks that bag right into the club. When she leaves at the end of her shift, she leaves with an identical duffel filled with cash.
My guy goes to see her again to pick up the cash. It has to be the same bag every time. The bags have to match. Some asshole fucked up the duffel bag the coke was loaded into.
I can’t have my guy show up with a random bag for our girl. Now Mario will have to get a new bag into the club and replace the one we have to make a perfect match. All avoidable bullshit.
I run a hand through my hair. I was about to fuck up. This mess stopped me from fucking everything up. I didn’t recruit Oni to get in her pants.
Tomorrow will be different. I’m her boss and she’s an employee with a debt to pay. Nothing more, nothing less.
Get your fucking head in the game, Rico.
Oni
I think he was going to kiss me. If not for his phone ringing, he would have kissed me. I can’t help feeling a little disappointed.
However, I know it’s for the best. Rico oozes danger. I’d be getting myself into so much trouble falling for him. I need to focus on clearing my debt and regaining my freedom.
Now that he’s not here, I can think clearly. I know I don’t need to get any more involved in his world than I already am. My mom has so many regrets.
I allowed myself to get caught up earlier. Now, as I lie here staring up at the ceiling, I know this has to be one summer and one summer only. I punch the bed in frustration.