Chapter 22
Nas
“Are you sure ‘bout this plan?” Chance wondered after I explained the plan one last time.
“Honestly, it’s just a hunch but I feel like this is the best plan,” I explained as I put away everything on the table. “I’d been studyin’ the blueprints, docs and pictures for the past three weeks. So, I’m on some better safe than sorry type of energy.”
“Are you gonna tell Nina?”
“Nawl, I can’t risk anything. I need you to do exactly what you’re supposed to do, and everything should be just fine.”
“You know I’m down for whatever. I gotcha cous.”
“Bet. Once the dust settles we’ll reunite, but until then stay vigilant and safe.”
“Same for you.”
He left my office as I continued to put away everything.
We were almost four weeks into the new year, and the pregnancy felt as if it were flying by.
With Nessa already twenty-four weeks, we were now in the planning stages for a baby shower.
She was still trying to decide on what theme she wanted, and I was just going with the flow and paying.
Once I had my office cleaned, I stepped out before heading toward my basement.
With me moving into Nessa’s house it became our family home while my house became our working space.
When I made it to the bottom of the steps, I flicked on a light to reveal a state of the art studio.
I’d had this built before Nessa even stepped foot into her house.
The right time for me to give it to her never presented itself, but I figured as a push gift this would be perfect.
She could come here and find herself musically with no stress of paying for studio time or anything.
I couldn’t wait for her to see it but until then I wanted her to just focus on the baby.
This time around I wanted to make her pregnancy as stress free as possible.
Aside from the kidnapping shit she hasn’t had any worry since then.
As much as I enjoy making money, seeing Nessa and Nyla happy was something I enjoyed more than that.
Their happiness was a beacon of light in my life that was dark for a long time.
In prison you have so much time on your hands that all you can do is daydream.
The future I daydreamed for me and Nessa was coming to fruition.
With everything in me I vowed to continue to give her the soft life she deserved.
At a very young age, Nessa had to grow up way sooner than she should’ve.
Despite her predicament she beat the odds of being a young mom.
I admired her strength to keep going no matter what.
“You’re back earlier than expected,” Nessa observed as I entered the living room.
“It was just a quick meetin’ with Chance,” I informed.
“Was it about the family reunion Nina had mentioned during Christmas?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Are me and Nyla comin’ with you?”
“Nawl, it’s really more business than a real family reunion. So, once everything is safe then we can talk about a family trip to Puerto Rico.”
“Safe? Do I need to be worried, Nasir?”
“No, I promise. Everything will be handled, no need for worryin’. When I come back I’ll tell you all about it, ok?”
“Fine. When are you plannin’ to leave?”
“In two days. And I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Ok. Could you go get me the pickles and icing from off the table?”
“I’ll be happy when these weird ass cravings stop, but I gotcha. I’ma get a nap in before I go pick up Nyla from daycare.”
“Yes! I ain’t gotta move no more! Thank you baby.”
“Of course,” I kissed her lips before going to get what she’d requested.
We used the guise that my trip to Puerto Rico was for me to ask for more work.
Although I’d just gotten a reup not too long ago, we really were almost out.
The product was in such high demand that I really did need to start getting either double my current supply or reup more than every so often.
As soon as I touched down, I sent Nina a text letting her know.
As Fernando drove me to the ranch, I thought over the plan I’d come up with.
While Nina wanted us to use the element of surprise to attack Juan, I didn’t have much faith in that plan.
And if my hunch was right everything would be exposed for what it was.
When we pulled up it was deserted like a ghost town.
I sent a quick prayer up to God to cover me for the sake of my family as I avenged the death of my father.
A man I was robbed of the opportunity of getting to know.
The more I thought about it, Juan altered my entire life.
With his sibling rivalry, I was blessed to meet Nessa but forced to experience some trauma.
The trauma of not having my parents in my life hardened me more than I liked to admit.
Each day I felt myself softening with the help of fatherhood, especially with my first child being a girl.
Being a girl dad was not for the weak as I’d grown accustomed to tea parties, playing with dolls, dancing up a storm in toy heels and I love every moment of it.
I couldn’t wait for my son to touchdown so we could do boy things once he got older.
“Hmm, I wonder where Juan is,” I wondered aloud as we walked up the steps. “Him and everybody else.”
“Maybe they’re in a meetin’,” Fernando offered up a possible solution.
“Since that’s ya man how ‘bout you call him and let ‘em know we’re here.”
“That’s not my man! I like women!”
“I wasn’t meanin’ it like that, I was sayin’ you have direct access to him, so it would be easier for you to relay the message.”
He chuckled nervously once he realized that he’d taken what I said wrong and apologized.
I offered no response as I waited for him to do as instructed.
Just as he put his phone to his ear, Nina came waltzing her ass outside.
As she walked closer something seemed off as I studied her.
My off feeling was confirmed when I sensed her nervous energy.
“If you’ll follow me fellas Juan is waitin’ for you,” she broadcasted before turning around and heading the way she’d just come from.
We followed her in a line with me in the middle and Fernando at the end.
She led us to the library that I’d seen on the blueprints.
Ironically, it was the place I’d choose for a setup because it had three escape tunnels.
As we entered the floor to ceiling windows had the natural light beaming in as the view of the hills gave it a serene background.
Juan was standing by the window with his back towards us.
“And you say it’s a reup that called for this trip?” Juan interrogated with his back still towards me.
“Yeah, I’m almost out of product,” I confessed. “With the demand of this product I’ll need double my usual amount.”
“Hmm, ok.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep. You need supplies, I got supplies so I’ll send some back for you. It’s that easy.”
“Bet.”
“It’s that easy when that’s really the reason you’re here. But from my understanding this here is a coup, isn’t that right Nina?”
He turned around to face us both with a cigar in his mouth. Just as I was about to pull my weapon, I felt the barrel of a gun at the back of my head. Lifting my hands up slowly, I looked to the right and noticed Nina was in the same position.
“Slowly toss your weapons over to me or I’ll have Fernando blow your fuckin’ brains out,” Juan demanded before we obliged his demand.
Once our guns were at his feet, Juan stepped down the three steps to get closer to us.
He stopped in front of Nina before smacking the shit out of her.
“You’ve been workin’ with this lil’ nigga to overthrow me for a minute all because of Javi’s bitch ass.
Why you wanna fuck up a good thing? You were set for life; all you had to do was follow my lead. ”
“You’re not fit to lead when you backdoored yo’ own brother to get the position,” Nina hissed. “And this lil’ nigga is the rightful heir to the cartel because he’s Javi’s son.”
“Ooh my gosh, I already knew. See the ‘double agent’ that you thought you had was really a double agent against you. Isn’t that right, Fernando?”
“Sure is,” Fernando gloated.
“Come gather their weapons for me.”
“Fernando, how could you?” Nina gasped once he started picking up our weapons.
“Because them niggas fuckin’ on each other,” I exposed as I gave the signal by chucking up the deuces.
Within seconds a bullet shot through the window before entering Fernando’s head.
He dropped to the floor instantly as Juan watched in horror before he attempted to pull his weapon.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, unless you wanna be shot too. ”
I gestured for him to look down and when he did he saw the red dot on his chest. As it dawned on him that he wasn’t a few steps ahead, he looked at me with disbelief.
The puzzled look on his face was sweet satisfaction as the doors of the library opened and in walked Rafi.
I made my way over to Nina who was visibly shaken and utterly confused.
Rafi looked at all of us before walking over to Juan.
“Father, they are tryin’ to ambush us and steal product,” Juan lied.
“If I wasn’t hip to your bullshit I would’ve believed everything that just came out of your mouth,” Rafi grimaced before Juan tried to defend himself.
“Silence! I ignored the mutters of you being a maricón. I looked over that because you were my son. However, I cannot look over the fact that you killed your own brother. How could you?”
“Javi was in my way and him startin’ a family only kept me further away from the throne. I had to do what needed to be done.”
“And so do I. End him.”
I grabbed at my gun by Fernando’s dead body as Juan realized what was going on.
He tried to draw his weapon, but I was too quick and shot him twice in the head.
When his body fell to the floor, I felt good to be able to give him what he deserved.
I stepped over his lifeless body to make my way back to my mama.
She was still shocked as she looked around the whole library.
“What the fuck?” She finally mumbled. “H-H-How the fuck? And when the fuck?”
“A master plan that came together,” I had begun to explain.
“After I handled my lil’ situation, I reviewed everything you left behind.
I noticed in a few pictures with Fernando and Juan that they seemed a lil’ too buddy buddy.
And when I overheard him talkin’ on the phone that day I got all this stuff he called somebody daddy but in a sexual way.
Unbeknownst to him, I went through his phone when he left it in the car unlocked to pay for some gas one day.
The date and time showed it was a call to Juan.
Since you told me he had a bodyguard that he was fuckin’ and used to take down Javi I figured that could have been Fernando.
So, I put another plan in motion with the help of Chance.
He touched down a day before us, and I went in already thinkin’ that Fernando was a snake once it was confirmed I had Chance shoot him.
That was after he’d given Rafi a copy of the recording.
So, even if something were to happen to one of us, he knows the truth about what Juan did to Javi. I had us covered the whole time, Ma.”
“And you couldn’t tell me about the new plan?”
“Nope, I need it all to be as authentic as possible. I didn’t expect that nigga to lay hands on you.”
“Tuh, you are more like your dad than you know. Thank you, baby.”
“Speakin’ of his dad, Nina, why didn’t you tell me I had a grandson?” Rafi inquired.
“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d believe me. I wanted to get all my ducks in a row before I came to you about one son killin’ the other, and you havin’ a piece of Javi still on Earth.”
“From the first time I saw him, I felt Javi’s presence. Aside from the resemblance I just waited for one of y’all to confirm my suspicions. So, you’re my grandson huh?”
“I guess so,” I confirmed as he stood in front of me before extending his hand for me to shake it.
“Well, good because now I’m going to need to train you to lead our family’s business.”
“Nawl, I’m good.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m good with the position I got and being in the States.
You’ve already had a leader under yo’ nose the whole time.
Nina has been trained, knows all the players on the board and has been more loyal to this family than yo’ own flesh and blood.
In all honesty she’s the rightful leader of the Santiago cartel and I’ll happily follow her lead until she chooses to step down.
And once that happens maybe I’ll consider the position. ”
“You know what,” he chuckled. “You really are Javi reincarnated. That’s an answer I’d expect from him, and you couldn’t be more right.”
“Wait, Rafi what are you sayin’?” Nina asked for clarification.
“If I can trust you with my own life then I can trust you to lead the Santiago Cartel. Are you on board with that?”
“It would be my fuckin’ honor!”
“Great, I’m goin’ to send a cleanup crew in here to take care of the bodies. Nas how ‘bout you retrieve yo’ lil buddy in the hills so we can have dinner together.”
“Will do.”
“Oh, and Nas?”
“Yeah?”
“We gotta discuss when I’m goin’ to meet my great-granddaughter too.”
“That can be arranged.”
When I touched back down in Miami, I couldn’t wait to get home.
With no lingering threat to my family a nigga could finally start enjoying the fruits of his labor.
The money was flowing with our illegal empire, and we were helping the people of our community secure decent vehicles.
Wilson Imports had become a staple in a matter of months, and I loved that it had us receiving positive recognition.
I was a convicted felon that made something of my life when I got out which was great for the media.
Folks loved a good underdog story and that allowed me to make my own connections in Miami.
Pulling up to my house, I noticed Nessa’s car wasn’t there.
Before I could check her location, her jeep pulled into the driveway.
As I stood on the porch, I admired her as she walked over to me.
Her long sleeve jumper hugged her voluptuous body as she sashayed over to me.
With my son on full display, I couldn’t help but rub her belly when she made it to me.
“I missed you, baby,” I confessed after I kissed her lips.
“I missed you too,” She smiled before unlocking the door. “How was the family reunion?”
“One for the fuckin’ books! Let’s get warm then I’ll tell you all about it.”