Chapter 8 Family Matters #5
Which meant that the Nakaos had a lot of power within the organization, which pissed off James senior.
Add to that my parents’ marriage wasn’t going well.
I’d apparently been conceived on their wedding night because that was the only time they were together.
Something that had been yelled often enough throughout my childhood.
Ikaika let money go to his head, which only made him more of who he already was.
“You’re doing too much.” My cousin Theo found his balls and spoke up in defense of his father who, like a good little bitch, slid my knife back across the table.
I smirked at his audacity and filed it away for later. “Who are you to tell me how to run my business?”
“You have no loyalty. We’re the only reason you’re even here.
You’ve only been able to thrive because of us.
And our family isn’t even reaping the type of benefits that we should be!
You’re favoring the people who aren’t even supposed to be in this shit.
They’re outsiders.” James was glaring at me but I knew that shot was directed toward Pappy.
That signed his death certificate.
“No loyalty? No loyalty? When this shit fell apart, who raised me?” I was pissed but I kept my tone modulated so they wouldn’t be able to understand the anger they’d unleashed.
“Huh?”
“Don’t huh me. Who raised me? Did you, Unc?
Or was your ass sitting back happy that you didn’t have to take care of a troubled kid?
Y’all had no problem with him taking on some shit that you could’ve easily stepped up for.
I get that my sperm donor was the problem, but even my mother left when she couldn’t handle the heat.
Her family had ample opportunity to step up but you muthafuckas decided that wasn’t what you wanted.
Don’t complain about that shit now because it didn’t work out in your favor.
Things will continue on as they have been, besides the most recent changes.
From what we can tell, the Franklin Galleries and other businesses haven’t been pulling in nearly enough business for us to worry about the loss of ownership from those interests.
Thankfully, the clubs have been doing what they need to, right Hakeem? ”
When the money fell short in the 80s and they were scrambling to get by our family turned back to scamming.
My mother’s biggest issue was that she didn’t want to be a part of the ring because the work they were doing was becoming too risky.
She had better sense than most because some of her extended family got too greedy.
Others were smart and walked away from the life by assuming other identities and marrying up so that they could fleece whoever they partnered with.
My father used to always hold it over her head that she wasn’t any different from them but that he wouldn’t be a victim of hers.
His bitterness over the situation stemmed from not being able to control it how he wanted.
He wanted to be the one to sit in on meetings instead of Faith and James.
Having to be a partner with his wife wasn’t something that he wanted.
Them sleeping together was the last seal of the contract but they both thought they’d have more time to get to know one another.
When I started growing in her womb he felt like he’d been set up.
“The clubs are doing fine and we make sure that everything is up to the highest standards. Between the regular clubs and the gentlemen’s clubs, we’ve got money coming in hand over fist.”
Clubs were the easiest way to wash money in this world and once the laundry was done you could shut down and open another with ease.
The same deal we provided Asha’s father was what we gave to clients around the world.
We could expand our business so quickly by moving freight that was untouchable to most. Xerxes’ guns came in on our ships and so did the drugs that Alec’s family imported into the US.
It stayed in our secure warehouses around the country until they were ready to pick it up.
Our system was sophisticated switching up what came into where daily.
Pappy’s father had done so on a smaller scale but almost half of our profits came from smuggling.
Despite it being a joint venture, the Franklins weren’t privy to that part of the business.
That trust had never and would never be earned as far as I was concerned.
Something else they wanted to bitch about.
“James is there anything you need to report back? Brothels still making enough money for you?”
I hated that side of the family for going into the skin trade.
Yeah, there was a need but I wasn’t sure they were doing shit as ethically as I would’ve wanted them to.
The idea of them making money off a woman’s body just screamed laziness and was a clue why my mother was so disposable to them.
Even though I didn’t know her well anymore from what I remembered she had a tender heart.
I was thankful that she’d been at least moderately protected.
I’m sure that Pappy saved her life because if she hadn’t been useful through marriage they would’ve thrown her into this shit with them.
And not as a boss.
“Everything is fine.” James was tight-lipped and I knew he thought he was being slick. He had extra money come in that had already been put to the elders. It came from the porn they were producing with some of their girls that they thought we didn’t know about.
“Profits up? Down? I didn’t realize it was so damn difficult to sell ass. Especially with the amount of protection you’re afforded.” We kept their names off local and state radars, which was again an expenditure I didn’t want and wished I could shut down.
James frowned at my probing as if it were none of my business. I’m sure he was still pissed I’d fucked up his hair. His light teak-colored skin was flushed and I was doing my best not to laugh at him. “When I can’t do things the way I want to—”
“You mean by beating the women who make you your money and drugging them when they don’t comply?
Fucking right you aren’t going to be protected from being a piece of shit.
The women either get treated well or your business doesn’t exist. And we can barely call it that to begin with since it’s not like the two of you are out on the ho stroll. ”
“Who the fuck—”
Pappy intervened knowing this was about to get out of hand.
“Matty, how are the restaurants going?”
Matilda was my mother’s cousin who was legit-ish.
She handled whatever she could for the family because it provided her with additional capital and protection for the family.
Her restaurants were all over the city and had private rooms where deals went on and we had every one of them tapped so we could get the information we needed.
Between her and her son Hakeem, the information they gathered was invaluable.
“Good. There was a sixteen percent increase in business just by us switching a few things around. We still have plans to open another location later this year.” She didn’t get too involved in these meetings just providing information and staying in her lane.
She’d apparently taught her son well because he had a similar outlook on how to interact with us.
They were both brown skinned and although Matilda was short Hakeem was only a few inches shorter than me.
He was broad with the build of a tight end and he could be vicious when needed.
“Perfect. When we can get the details of the wedding things sorted out. Invitations will be made to the heads of the family. I don’t have to discuss with any of you how this goes.”
Hakeem scoffed at Pappy pissing me off even more. “Especially not since we’ve been doing it longer than you—”
“It’s clear that head start didn’t afford you shit in the way of success.
You didn’t learn shit from your daddy about how to speak to your elders but nobody is going to talk to him,” I pointed toward Pappy not taking my eyes off Hakeem, “like he hadn’t single-handedly kept this family afloat.
Your father will lose his son you keep running your fucking mouth. ”
“Does anyone have anything else to report?”
The silence was expected, since none of us actually got along.
The rest of the Franklins didn’t trust me because I’d been raised with Pappy who they saw as an outsider.
And to make it worse they didn’t really trust each other.
Of course Matty and her son and James Jr. and his were the extent of the Franklin family on this level so I didn’t blame Matty for keeping them at arm’s length.
And since I wasn’t exactly friendly I was sure she wasn’t too sure about me either.
I did just throw a knife in the middle of a meeting so I couldn’t blame her.
She had no overt issues with Pappy and they were both respectful, which made them alright with me.
“If nothing else I’ll see you all next quarter. If you have anything before then bring it to me or Ori directly.”
That caused a few glances around the table but no one said anything to rebut Pappy’s request. We stood signaling that the meeting was over and I could finally breathe now that this shit was done.
I had too much on my mind and it made me crave a minute to get my thoughts together.
This change was happening soon and despite being ready for it for years, it felt like it was coming all too fast.
“You know he’s going to be a problem.”
Not a question. A statement. One that was filled with enough self-assurance that I had to wonder if the voice expressing the concern had information I wasn’t privileged to.
I turned to the only decent cousin I had on the Franklin side, Hakeem, studying him briefly.