Chapter 14
CASH “MONEY” BANKS
It would be my fucking luck that Jasmine’s ex was the same nigga trying to move in on my territory. I wanted to put a bullet in his head so bad, but I’d never disrespect Marlene’s spot like that.
Jasmine gave me the silent treatment the rest of the way to her apartment. She sat there with her face screwed up, arms folded, looking out the window like a damn toddler in the middle of a tantrum. Soon as I parked, she hopped out and slammed the car door hard enough to shake the damn frame.
I sat there for a minute and watched her thick ass sashay angrily into her building before leaving. As I began to pull off, I peeped a silver Mustang merging a few cars behind me. I remember seeing one parked out front of Marlene’s earlier but didn’t think anything of it.
Could’ve been a coincidence.
Until I switched lanes and a few moments later so did they.
I let out a frustrated breath and reached into the center console for my piece. This nigga Marcus a stalker now too?
I took the next exit and drove aimlessly, weaving through backroads until he finally got bored and backed off.
Still heated, I called Jelani.
“Yo,” his voice came through the speakers as I merged back onto the highway.
“I’m headed to the farmhouse. Everybody pulling up?” I asked.
“Yeah, we all here. Why you sound ready to knock someone’s top off?”
“Because I am!” I smacked the steering wheel with my palm.
“Aw, shit. Who we fucking up?” he asked giddily. People thought I was the loose cannon, but it was really him they needed to worry about.
“I saw him.”
“Who? Kyree?”
“The nigga from New York. Marcus.”
“How you know it was him?” Jelani pressed, his voice serious now.
“Because he’s Jasmine’s ex,” I spat. My chest tightened just thinking about the way dude hugged up on her, undressing her with his eyes like I wasn’t there. Like she was still his.
“What?!” Jelani shouted.
“We were at Ms. Marlene’s, grabbing lunch. And this Hulk-looking motherfucker comes over to the table. As soon as she realized who it was, she was cheesing in his face like I wasn’t sitting right there.”
“But how you know for sure it’s the same dude we dealing with?”
“She told me her ex was doing a bid for a RICO. That lines up with what Nai told me about Kyree’s plug—also named Marcus. The nigga straight up said he was down here on business.”
Jelani whistled. “Damn. She was really standing there, choppin’ it up with him?”
“Catching up like old times,” I grumbled.
“She knows how we finna handle him?”
“Nah. But it’s whatever. I’m off her since she wanna tell people we just friends.” The words tasted bitter as they left my mouth.
“I mean…” Jelani trailed off.
“What?” I snapped, already knowing he was about to say some slick shit.
“Money, she’s not your girl. I know you feelin’ the nurse. But, bruh—I like Monica, and she's not my girl either.”
I clenched my jaw. “What’s your point?”
“Nothing,” he laughed. “Don’t get tight with me ‘cause her ex wanna spin the block. The game is the game.”
I hung up on him. I wasn’t trying to hear that shit.
The weight of the day settled on my shoulders as I pulled up to the farmhouse. Slim and Fontaine were posted outside, passing a blunt between them.
“Sup,” I greeted them.
“You straight?” Fontaine asked, dapping me up. Outside of Jelani, he was my closest friend—and he could read me like a book.
“Nah, but we're about to fix that.” I nodded toward the farmhouse.
The musty smell of mildew and rotting wood hit me as I entered the decrepit building.
I hadn’t been out here in months. Most crews used warehouses, but I picked a farmhouse out in the country.
It was in the middle of nowhere, and the closest neighbor was two miles away—I didn’t have to worry about people hearing screams or gunshots.
We only came here when things were about to get messy, like today.
The eight men I’d called were scattered around the room in beat-up folding chairs, chopping it up in low voices.
Nairobi did the background checks before and made sure everyone was clean. Well… almost everyone. There was one loose end that I still needed to handle.
Jelani sat in an old leather recliner, scrolling through his phone, unbothered like he hadn’t clowned me on the ride over.
Nairobi had switched it up—gone was the jet-black wig from Stilettos.
Now, she rocked a sleek brown bob with oversized shades that covered her face.
She was off in the cut, but I caught the tilt of her head.
Even behind those sunglasses, I knew her eyes were trained on Fontaine who was posted up behind me.
How could I’ve missed that there was something going on between them?
The murmuring stopped as I stepped into the center of the room. All eyes were on me.
“If you’re here, it’s ‘cause you’ve been vetted,” I started, my voice hard. “But let me make one thing real fucking clear—if word of anything leaves this farm, I’ll end you, and make sure your families won’t have a pot to piss in.”
I let that threat hang as I looked at them.
“I’m sure y’all heard about Rahmel,” I went on, pacing slowly.
“At first, I thought it was some small shit—someone who just got a little greedy and needed to be handled. But now?” I scoffed.
“We got bigger problems. Niggas think they can come at me… my brother.” I pointed at Jelani.
“Y’all trying to come take the thing Ricardo Banks built. ”
“That shit’s wild to me,” I said, slapping my chest.“‘Cause I make sure every single one of y’all eats.”
Jelani stood, crossing his arms as he moved to stand at my side. “If anyone got issues with how shit’s being run—speak up.” His voice was calm, but the message was loud and clear.
The room stayed quiet for a moment before Grizz stood. “Yo, Money. No disrespect, but what the fuck are you talking about?”
My eyes snapped to him. He was one of the ones Nairobi said was at the meetup with Kyree and Marcus. I purposely invited him here, knowing he was moving foul. Like I said, a loose end that needed to be taken care of.
“Loyalty,” I deadpanned.
He frowned, looking around. “You just said everyone here’s vetted. You know we ridin’ with you, so why the threats?”
“Because apparently some of y’all think I’ve gotten too comfortable,” I said, stepping forward. “Like I wouldn’t figure out what’s going on in my own house. It’s like folks forgot what happened after my pops died.”
Grizz tried to sit back down like the conversation was over.
“Nah. Stay up,” Jelani said. “Since you wanna be the voice of reason.”
“I’m good, Jelani,” Grizz muttered, hands up. He looked around for backup, but the silence in the room spoke volumes.
I caught Nairobi’s eye and nodded. She slid her sunglasses up and strolled to the front, hips switching seductively. Every head followed her like they had just realized she was there.
She handed me the burner, smirking. “Hey, Big Grizz,” she purred. “We had fun the other night, didn’t we?”
“I—I didn’t,” he stammered.
I held up my hand while I unlocked the phone and hit play on the video.
Kyree’s voice filled the room: “We know where all the stash houses are, so it’s an easy in. With your backing and us knowing everything about BC, we’ll be able to snuff them out easy.”
Some girl giggled in the background.
“Hell yeah!” Grizz’s voice came in crystal clear. “I’m ready to get this money wit’ y’all, man. I’m tired of running them damn trucks. It’s time to get in the field and make some real bread. Money thinks he’s running shit with his soft ass—”
I cut the video off.
“How much he make, Slim?” I asked, keeping my eyes on Grizz.
Grizz looked shook. If he wasn’t brown-skinned, I swear he’d be as pale as a ghost.
“Last I checked,” Slim said behind me, “$350,000 a year. Not counting bonuses.”
I nodded. “Shaun,” I called another lieutenant.
His eyes got wide at the sound of his name. “Yeah?”
“How much you make running the Eastside?”
“Shit.” He scratched the back of his head. “Maybe like $250k? Give or take.”
“Slim?”
“Yeah, he’s right.”
I turned back to Shaun. “You want a promotion? You can take trucking off Grizz’s hands—since he thinks he can make real money being a traitor.”
Shaun’s eyes bugged out his head. “You serious, Money?”
“Dead ass,” I said. “You’ve been here almost as long as Grizz, and I’m feeling generous today. I’ll up the pay to $500,000. How’s that sound?”
“Hell yeah, I’ll take that shit,” he said, trying to hide his grin.
I turned to Grizz. He looked like he was about to shit himself.
“Come up here,” I said, motioning him forward with two fingers.
I dragged one of the folding chairs and set it in front of me. He was trembling now, stuck in place.
“Bring your ass up here!” I barked. My voice bounced off the old wood walls. That nigga practically jumped out his skin, stumbling forward, eyes wild, searching for an escape route. Jelani shoved him down into the chair and started tying him up with some rope from the ground.
Slim handed me a roll of black gauze. I took my time, unrolling it slowly and methodically, and began wrapping it around my knuckles. I pulled it taut with each loop until the rough material bit into my skin.
By now, the farmhouse was dead silent, except for the faint buzz of cicadas outside. I paused to tear the gauze with my teeth.
“You think I’ve gotten soft, Grizz?” I asked calmly, moving to wrap my left hand.
He was a mess—sweat dripped down his face as he hyperventilated. By the time Jelani finished tying him up, he looked like he was on the verge of passing out—and I hadn’t even touched him yet.
“Money, come on, man,” he said shakily. “I’ve seen what you’ve done to niggas. I don’t want no problems. I was drunk just talking shit.”
“Lani, what you think?” I asked, tearing the gauze again with my teeth.
Jelani sneered, looking at him like he was dog shit on his shoe. “If you gon’ talk shit, say it with your chest. Stand on it like a man.”