Chapter 16 Duke #3
My attention shifted to Jessa and Rico as they introduced themselves. I could tell Rico liked what he was seeing and had no problem with her riding with him. He was gone allow her to ride with him whether he liked her or not.
Rico wasn’t the kind to settle down, but I also felt it wasn’t my business to intervene. Jessa was a grown woman who could decide if she wanted to be involved.
“I can’t believe I’m about to have my first experience on the back of someone’s bike. Sir, do you drive safely?” Jessa asked, standing beside the bike like she was going to change her mind at any moment.
Aubree was already on the back of Juelz’s bike, and he was turned slightly, whispering something in her ear that caused her to giggle.
“I got you, little bit. We gone get there safely,” Rico spoke up.
“Sir, I am a grown, tall woman. But thank you for the reassurance. I also need a little help with this helmet.”
I shook my head at her antics. Jessa was far from tall, but if she wanted to believe that, I wasn’t here to tell her differently. Rico chuckled and helped her with the helmet.
Soon we were on the highway headed to The Crown Night Club. They knew we were coming, so we had a designated section and were told to come through the back.
After the thirty-minute ride, we parked our bikes around back.
“Woah, why y’all hoes didn’t tell me this is what it was like to ride on a motorcycle?” Jessa asked the moment she was off the back of Rico’s bike.
Solana unhooked her helmet and laughed along with Aubree.
“I don’t know why you added an s at the end of ‘hoes.’ This is my first time riding,” Aubree replied, then turned to look at Solana.
My baby just shrugged, then reached into her purse to remove her shades and slide them back on.
Her head was on the swivel, taking in our surroundings.
I knew that came from all she had been through and the fact that the last time we went out, those girls rushed the table.
I took her helmet and locked it, then placed my hand on the small of her back to lead her toward the guard at the back door.
“What’s up, Duke — I see you. Boss is waiting on you. We got a section set up,” Bruce commented, glancing in Solana’s direction briefly before returning his attention to me.
I nodded, not saying a word. He knew this visit wasn’t a fucking social call.
Bruce pulled the door open and waved over one of the other dudes posted up by the door.
He immediately led us up the stairs in the back, illuminated by red lights.
Ol’ boy knocked on another door, which was pulled open to reveal red velvet couches with partitions separating each section.
We went up a short walkway to a section that overlooked the club below.
The club was going crazy. I don’t recall a time I had come here when it wasn’t packed out.
I moved to the side to allow Aubree, Jessa, and then Solana to walk ahead of me and take a seat.
Rico stood in front of our section overlooking the floor.
Juelz took a seat by Aubree, then leaned in to whisper in her ear.
Solana adjusted her posture a few times, gaining my attention. I draped my arm around her hip and pulled her in closer to me, then leaned in to place kisses along the length of her neck until I made it to her ear.
“Relax. I got you, Sweets.”
Her body subtly melted into my side. I patted her hip a few times, matching the beat of the mix the DJ was playing.
“Y’all want something to drink?” I asked.
“We can drink,” Solana replied.
The bottle girl walked over a moment later with a few bottles of Ace of Spades, a couple of bottles of water, and the usual setup of ice and cups.
“This is all compliments of The Crown,” she announced as she uncorked the bottle, then started talking to the ladies.
I leaned forward to grab a bottle of water, then leaned over to whisper in Solana’s ear again.
“I gotta handle something, but Rico’s gone be here to look after y’all. I’ll be right back. Have a good time with your girls, love.”
She gave me a tight-lipped smile, as if she wanted to tell me she wanted me to stay but didn’t want to sound crazy.
If only she knew I wasn’t too keen on leaving her either.
It was one of the reasons she needed to come out with me tonight.
I planned to make this conversation quick and get the fuck out of there once the ladies were ready to go.
My attention shifted to Bash as he approached our section. Juelz stood from where he had been sitting beside Aubree. I placed a kiss against Solana’s forehead, then stood to give Rico his orders.
A few moments later, Juelz and I had made it to an elevator that looked to be leading us to the basement.
If I were a lesser man, I would have been nervous as fuck.
But I knew who I was coming here to see.
He wasn’t an average man, and I knew this shit could go all kinds of wrong.
In my head, shit was gone go the way it needed to.
We made it to a long hallway lined with warm-colored lamps until we reached two large gray double doors. Bash knocked twice, then waited before the doors were pulled open.
Casper sat on the edge of his concrete-colored desk with a cigar in his hand. He took a pull, then gestured with his hands to the two chairs in front of his desk. I clocked about five other guards lined up in the room with guns on their hips.
I had my shit on me too, but I knew if anything popped off, neither me nor Juelz was walking out of here. I strode across the room to the chairs he gestured to, then took a seat along with Juelz.
Casper smirked, then walked around his desk and waved his hand for his men to stand down. Just as quickly as his smirk appeared, it was gone — replaced by a cold, flat expression.
“You know I don’t get many visitors and shit. I actually like it that way. But when your name and your request came across my desk, I was relieved I didn’t have to make the trip to you. You know how much I hate traveling.”
Casper wasn’t the kind of man you rejoiced about a visit from.
He used to be the main enforcer for The Crown when his father was in charge.
But after his sudden passing, the seat was now held by his son — a man who was once just an urban legend.
You never saw him unless it was your last day on earth.
These days he had to temper down his bloodthirsty nature.
The boss couldn’t have hands soaked in blood.
“I don’t even need you to respond. I’m only going to say this once. Handle it. If I have to make a trip, it won’t be for one body. Understood?”
I kept my expression neutral, but I was burning up on the inside.
These dumb muthafuckas always think they’re so clever.
But this was the exact reason I was in charge and not them.
Now I had to handle shit in a way I had been avoiding.
I was going to have to clean house like I should have done from the start.
“Understood. The house will be cleaned.”
Casper took another pull on his cigar, then tilted his head back to release the smoke into the air.
“One week. Oh, and congrats — I hear you bagged that missing actress. Don’t let her make you lose yo’ head.”
My jaw ticked at the mention of Solana. “Heard.”
I stood without giving him the chance to dismiss me. I wasn’t a weak-ass man, and I wasn’t going to be diminished to one. I didn’t give a fuck how many guns he had in there.
“I got her,” I responded, simply.
Juelz cleared his throat — I’m sure trying to remind me who I was talking to — but I didn’t give a fuck.
These muthafuckas choosing to sell product under my club’s name didn’t have shit to do with me.
But I already had the situation under control.
Solana would never be part of a conversation with him again.
“Ah, so this yo’ wife. I’ll be waiting on my invite to the wedding.”
I turned to head out as two of his men opened the double doors for us to leave. Bash led us back to the elevator and stayed on the opposite side of it. The moment the doors closed, Juelz released a breath.
“You just as crazy as that man in there,” he said, shaking his head.
“Nah. I don’t play about mine — respect goes a long way. Casper was towing the fucking line bringing up Solana.”
Juelz ran his hand over his face and groaned. I knew I was stressing him the fuck out, but I didn’t give a fuck.
“Speaking of that — what did he mean by you fucking with a missing actress? Solana famous?” he asked.
I groaned inwardly, because this wasn’t something I felt I had the right to speak on. That would be something Sweets would need to say in her own time. So I just ignored him and his question.
I hoped he took my silence as his answer.