Chapter Three
The sound of motorcycles filled the streets as the Knights rolled through the back alleys of Sauvage Heights.
Crown led the way, bringing his Harley to a stop in front of an abandoned building, and moments later, everyone’s engines went quiet.
Crown swung his leg off his bike and removed his helmet.
Smoky got off on his right, while Danger dismounted on his left.
Across the abandoned lot, Elijah Porter and a few of his henchmen waited. Crown scanned their faces, noting Elijah’s vitiligo. He stood at the front, dressed in a sharp dark pantsuit, relaxed yet locked in. Isaiah Porter stood beside him, mirroring his demeanor.
A brief pause hung in the air as both sides sized each other up, then Isaiah stepped forward first.
“D.”
“Sup, bro?” Danger’s expression shifted slightly as they met halfway, shook hands, and pulled into a quick one-arm embrace.
“You holding up?” Isaiah asked, referring to Danger’s healing from Mo’s death. Anyone who knew him understood what she meant to him.
“Shit, I’m doing what I can.” Danger kept it simple. “It is what it is. Gotta keep moving, even when that shit hurts.”
“Facts, bro. You know if you ever need something, just hit my line.”
“I’m already knowing. Same for you.”
That small exchange eased the air just enough. Crown stepped forward next, his focus fixed on Elijah.
“Jah.”
“Crown Knight,” Elijah replied, reaching out to shake his hand. His grip was firm, direct, and brief.
“Nice to put a face to a name. Heard a lot about the Knights.”
“Should be all good things.” Crown said confidently, hands propped in front of him.
“I wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case.” Elijah nodded toward the side of the building. “Walk with me.”
Crown followed. They moved a few steps away, close enough to their people but far enough to speak privately.
Elijah spoke first. “My cousin tells me you are looking for a supplier.”
“Indeed. Had to cut the last one off. I don’t do snake-ass niggas. I’m looking for someone I can trust, and I need consistency. Quality product. Nothing I have to question every time I touch it.”
“If my name on it, you don’t have to question it. I don’t move anything stepped on.” Elijah addressed immediately.
Crown held his gaze for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Understood.”
Elijah shifted slightly. “You spoke your piece. Now hear me…I don’t deal with snitches or niggas who move sloppy. I don’t want no attention coming back my way. Yo’ business is in the hills; keep it that way.”
“The Knights move clean when it comes to our business. And if something does come up, we handle it and carry it. We got brothers on the inside right now, doing their time silently to prove that. But to be clear, since I’ve been running this shit, we’ve had no mishaps with the law. No bids.”
Another short pause passed between them. It wasn’t tense, just measured.
Elijah spoke again, running his two-toned hand over his beard. “What kind of volume are you trying to move?”
“A lot. Knights have a good amount of clientele, and I insist on keeping them happy.”
“I see,” Elijah smirked faintly as he glanced back at Isaiah and Danger, then returned his attention to Crown.
“Still, there are levels to this shit. Our people may have a relationship, but I don’t know you, and you don’t know me.
Your reputation is what got you this meeting, but I must see for myself who you truly are.
We can start at a mid-level amount and build from there.
If everything stays consistent, I’ll open it up further. ”
“That works for me.” Crown said. “You will open it further.”
Elijah raised his brows, chuckling. He appreciated a muthafucka just as focused on that paper as he was, and more importantly, one who was a straight shooter.
“And I expect timing to be respected. I don’t like delays.”
“I don’t either. I pay good. I move good. I expect my shit in full, uncut. Every time.” Crown let him know right off the bat.
That was enough.
Elijah extended his hand. “Then we can do business.”
Crown looked at it for a brief second, then shook it.
When they finished, they walked back over to their people. Crown stood on his side, and Elijah stood on his. Elijah looked at Crown once more, saying,
“Two days from now, expect a call. We will then discuss the details of the delivery. You have my money; I’ll have your product.”
“Bet,” Crown replied.
Nothing else needed to be said.
The Knights turned back to their bikes. Helmets went on, and their engines roared back to life one after another, the sound filling the street again. The noise faded as they left Sauvage Heights behind.
∞∞∞
On the other side of town, Nivéa sat in her shop, going over the reception invitations for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. She was making sure everything was right. Just because she and Crown had rushed to get married didn’t mean she wanted their celebration to scream ‘last minute.’
A smile spread across her face as she admired the sleek black and rose gold design. The designer Kerri hired had softened the rose gold to look like more of a mauve pink, and Nivéa was completely sold. It struck the perfect balance, simple yet classic and elegant.
Yeah, these are perfect. She thought, nodding to herself before hitting reply to the designer.
Finally, she gave her the green light to send everything out electronically to the list she and Crown had compiled.
It was cutting it close, but Crown had already assured her it didn’t matter.
He ran the show, and every single person on that list he invited would be there, no doubt about it.
After exiting the Gmail app, Nivéa switched gears and opened Canva to dive into some ads she had been crafting.
She was taking her promo game seriously.
Running a business wasn’t just about slinging quality shirts; it was about getting eyes on them.
She’d learned that along the way. At first, she didn’t have the money to market her brand the way she envisioned, so it was all small posts here and there, praying for a spark.
But now, everything had flipped. Thanks to her husband, Nivéa could invest more in her brand.
Not only was she posting flyers around town, but she was also running paid ads on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram as well.
She was figuring out what landed and what didn’t, learning her audience, and tracking which designs got the most clicks.
She even set up a TikTok shop so customers could buy directly instead of bombarding her DMs with endless questions.
For those outside her city, she was ready to ship.
Nivéa was all in. As she clicked through designs, adjusting colors and fine-tuning wording, she made sure everything looked tight and professional. If she were pouring money into marketing, it had to be flawless. No half-stepping allowed.
While she worked, her mind drifted to everything she’d been through and how, somehow, things had finally turned around for her.
It felt like the rain had given way to sunshine.
Quietly, she prayed for her happiness to stick around, for her business to keep thriving, and for her and Crown to last and weather any storm life threw at them.
She prayed that he’d make it home to her every night in one piece… and they’d grow old together.
Lost deep in her thoughts, she didn’t catch the figure approaching her shop until the bell above the door chimed. A woman speaking to her guard near the door pulled her back to reality.
Nivéa stood, smoothing her shirt as she stepped forward with a friendly smile.
“Hi, welcome to Designs by Nivéa. How can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Julie.” The woman replied, flashing a smile that lit up the room as she reached out her manicured hand.
Nivéa quickly sized her up as she shook it. Julie was dressed to impress, wearing a cream pantsuit that hugged her curves, paired with sleek heels and a Neverfull bag. Everything about her screamed sophistication and wealth.
“Nice to meet you, Julie. I’m Nivéa, the owner. What brings you in?”
“I found your shop on Google,” Julie said, glancing around. “I checked out your website too, and I loved what I saw.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” Nivéa replied, silently thanking God the hundreds of dollars she’d poured into her website hadn’t been a waste. It was doing exactly what she meant it to do, showcasing her taste and professionalism.
Julie stepped closer, her gaze lingering on one shelf in particular.
“I saw your new collection on there. The message behind it is powerful, which is exactly what I need. I’m hosting a women’s conference next month and would love for my staff to wear your shirts. I also want to include them in the attendee gift bags.”
Nivéa’s interest immediately piqued.
“Great, I’d love to help you all. How many are you thinking? That collection was released as a limited edition, so only fifty were originally made. But for a conference order, I can absolutely produce more.”
“Two hundred total,” Julie replied. “One hundred shirts featuring that design for the gift bags and another hundred custom shirts for my staff. I’d love for the custom design to complement the collection while still having its own identity.”
Nivéa fought to keep her composure. This was the kind of opportunity she dreamed about. She and Crown had spent countless hours brainstorming, refining, and bringing those designs to life.
“Absolutely,” she said confidently. “I can make that happen.”
“Perfect. Then let’s get started.” Julie was already pulling out her wallet.
Nivéa could barely contain her excitement as Julie walked to the counter to finalize the order with her credit card.
Her heart raced at the thought of what this could mean for her business.
The financial boost alone was huge, but the exposure from having two hundred women connected to a major conference wearing her work was priceless.
∞∞∞
Later that evening…