Chapter 10
With weighted steps, Markus roamed through the dimly-lit lounge Luciano held office in. Svyn stayed where he’d always been; to the left of Markus. There was never a time he couldn’t spot or hear Svyn nearby.
He didn’t know the darkness he was unlocking through his misjudgment of the character of those around him but he understood that Svyn was his protection and always had been.
It was an unspoken agreement between the men.
Markus met Svyn shortly after he and Nia moved into Lucielle’s.
That was before the block was bought back and cleaned up by Markus’ dirty money from the streets.
Back then it was called hustler’s row. The only neutral point was Lucielle’s.
Mainly because she didn’t play when it came to her house.
You weren’t going to fight, cuss or hustle in front or on her stoop.
If you were hungry she fed you, needed love, she nurtured.
Svyn was one of those kids that needed both.
He was at their spot more than his own house.
Sure Brantly and Angel were his cousins – but Svyn was his brother and blood couldn’t make them closer.
“Be cool, Money,” Svyn urged. “You know that nigga is about to be on some bullshit.”
“Yeah,” Markus grumbled. “I can sense that shit. Havin’ us leave our heat at the door had me ready to set this bitch off.”
Svyn snickered before they were stopped at another wall of security.
“This nigga thinks he’s Gambino,” Svyn muttered.
“Lucky Luciano impersonator. Ain’t no other niggas to aspire to?”
“Frank Lucas turned fed just like the rest of them,” Svyn replied.
Markus let a glimmer of amusement appear on his face. Straightening up, he looked at the handful of Luciano’s head men and posed, “Y’all gon’ feel how heavy my dick is or move out my way?”
“Let’s see if you still talkin’ that bullshit after Luciano finishes with you,” the large man with the high voice spoke.
“Man, hurry the fuck up with this,” Markus spoke. “If I wanted to shoot this bitch up, it would’ve been done.”
“Stop fucking around, PJ and let the nigga in. We got shit to handle.” Luciano’s voice came out in a low rumble and could be heard over the music playing throughout the lounge.
PJ stepped back and slightly kissed his teeth when Markus gave him a cut of the eye as he strolled pass. Inside the private room, Luciano and his right-hand-man, Metro. Luciano motioned for Markus and Svyn to take a seat before sparking a blunt.
“I could have,” Luciano started, holding the smoke in his mouth before releasing. “We made an agreement about women and children.”
“We did.”
“But there’s a dead kid on my block and your number one nigga is responsible. Him and your dumb ass cousin.”
“He ain’t my number one no more. I’ll handle my cousin.”
“The only way I see you handling them niggas is to put a bullet between their fuckin’ eyes. A life for a life. There’s a mother grievin’. For what?”
Markus rubbed his sweaty palms on his black sweats and leaned forward. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll cover the funeral and whatever else but what’s more bloodshed going to solve?”
“So fuck the fact you trying to move on my territories. Your cousin was out on my block fighting over pussy. You know what it takes to be a leader? To sit in this spot?”
“Regulating. That’s what the fuck I’ve been doing. I didn’t come here to have some Kumbaya moment with you. I came to tell you I’ll handle my people, you handle yours.”
“As opposed to?”
“I wipe all your blocks, take your product and your workers. It’s up to you. You already know this goes against my M.O. I’m trying to be respectful about an innocent life lost.”
Luciano knew without a question the way Markus dropped bodies, he wasn’t opposed to a war.
He’d gone to plenty and came out on the other end.
Even while talking about putting his men down, Luciano knew that if Markus’ back was against the wall, he would take anyone out who stood in his way.
It was only a matter of time before Markus decided he wanted it all and took Luciano out of the game forever.
“I could kill your ass right now.”
“You could, that’s the power of free will. But you got fuckin’ sense and you know that if my body drops, yours does too. So tell me what the fuck you want so I can be about my way.”
“Take care of the family. Stay off my blocks.”
“I’m taking your blocks. I’ll start with two. I hope you can survive that,” Markus stated, standing up.
“Not if I take you out first, nigga.”
Markus chuckled as he moved to the door. “Your best shot ain’t nothing for mine. I’ll be seeing you.”
With the same ease he strolled into the lounge with, Marcus left. Inside the car, he settled into the seat. While he attempted to reset himself, Svyn started up the engine and asked.
“What the fuck you got on that nigga?”
“Nia might be supplying the mayor’s wife, but he’s fuckin’ her. He’s the reason niggas’ shit is being swept up left and right. He’s happy to come off those blocks and whatever else we take. When his ass goes down, everything is mine.”
“When you see that happening?”
“Whenever the mayor is ready to out his wife. Until then, we move like normal.”
“What about B and Angel.”
“I can’t fight them like I want to right now, so they’re on ice. Put them in the field. I don’t give a shit.”
Svyn balanced his attention on the road and Markus opening the pill bottle and finding nothing.
“Swing me by Nia’s,” Markus spoke up, groaning at the pain radiating in his shoulder.
He kept his expressions neutral while he met with Luciano, but now, the pain was about to send him into a rage and he needed relief.
It was either that or have Svyn drive him down to Luciano’s blocks and fire at every worker involved in the bullshit with Brantley and Angel.
Svyn sighed as he made a U-turn. “Listen, nigga, you movin’ through that shit too fast.”
“The muhfucka hurts,” Markus snipped back.
“I ain’t discounting that. I’m just telling you we already thrive in darkness don’t start dancing with the devil,” Svyn replied.
Markus groaned inwardly and pushed his head back into the headrest of the leather seat. It was easier said than done. The pills, after a short period of time, were becoming a mask to the terrors he didn’t speak of. A form a peace. He wouldn’t know what real peace was if it slapped him in the face.
At Nia’s, Markus roamed inside and Svyn was a few steps behind him.
“Ay, yo, Nia!” Markus’ voice boomed throughout Nia’s modern-decorated brownstone. One of the many real estate investments they held around the city.
Nia’s voice didn’t fire back like a force like it typically did. It was weighted – upset. Svyn caught it before Markus could. “No need to yell. I’m in the kitchen.”
Svyn moved around Markus, making himself the first face Nia saw. “You good?”
Nia barely looked up at him. Her toffee-hued face swollen and the brim of her almond-cut eyes puffy. She waved him off as she took another long sip of the liquor rimming the purple lowball glass. “I’m fine.”
Markus’ thick brows fused into one, his eyes, like Nia’s, squinted and his lip curled. “Fuck you in here crying for?”
“Nothing. What do you want?” Nia posed, patting her lips free of the liquor. She pushed her shoulders back and looked the men straight on. Both held true concern but only one was in the right frame of mind to understand her sadness right now. “Why do you look like that?”
“Like what?” Markus quipped.
“Like shit,” Nia grumbled. “You get shot and can’t get a haircut?”
“You know how I feel about people cutting my hair and I can’t do shit about it right now. You got some pills laying around?”
“I don’t work where I sleep, Money. You know that. It’s your rule. I got Motrin and Pamprin. You might need the Pamprin for your mood.”
Markus cut his eyes at Nia. “Don’t fuckin’ play with me.”
“You need some rest, you’re crankier than usual,” Nia huffed, roaming out the kitchen. “I’ll find you something. Don’t make yourselves comfortable.”
When the kitchen was void of Nia’s presence, Svyn looked at Markus who was looking back at him.
“Hell nah,” Svyn hissed. “I’m not asking her shit.”
“She ain’t gon tell me. She might tell you.”
“Somehow me thinking we boys is subjective because you clearly want her to bite my head off.”
“She does that shit because she likes you or whatever the fuck it is.”
Svyn waved him off and leaned on the counter, folding his arms in the process. “It ain’t shit for real. Just your sister with an attitude and your nigga. When the fuck you become match maker.”
“I didn’t become shit. But I got eyes, nigga. Someone got to get some love around here. This shit lonely as fuck,” Markus grumbled, letting his mind flash for a brief second on how much easier all of this might’ve been if he had someone who cared about his well-being.
Svyn started to reply but feeling Nia’s presence zapped the words from his mouth.
“Here. There’s ten in there. Don’t fuck around and be out in a couple days. You need to eat and go to sleep,” Nia replied.
“Yeah, easier said than done. These niggas out here fuckin’ up. We got a dead kid in Sunset Hills. Funeral to pay for, family to support.” Markus punctuated the comment by popping two pills into his mouth.
“On top of everything else, when are we going to get a fuckin’ break?” Nia huffed. “By the way, the mayor’s wife is for sure sleeping with Luciano. She was an hour late tonight, had the post fuck glow,” Nia shared.
“So all of this is because she’s messing with a dope boy?”
“Without question. Not like the mayor doesn’t have his own proclivities, she’s just reckless.”
“What’s the mayor into?” Svyn questioned brow raised.
“Pretty girls with handlers. Remember that girl that extorted him a few years ago and then she just disappeared? I’m sure everything she said was true.”
“How?” Markus hummed, after drowning Nia’s liquor down his throat.
“Excuse you. You just took Percs and you don’t know where my mouth has been,” Nia huffed, snatching the glass from his hand and pushing over a tray of takeout she’d barely ate.
“I know where it ain’t been. And I know he crazy enough to ruin whatever you think you got going on with someone else. Answer the question.”
Nia rolled her eyes and snatched back her takeout tray. “Because I saw some shit tonight. And before you pry, no. I’m not telling you. This has been nice but I want y’all out my house. Thanks.”
“Damn, that’s the nicest kick out by far,” Svyn hummed and moved from his relaxed position.
Markus nodded. “I’ve been put out of better places. Svyn, I’ll be outside.”
Leaving Svyn to do his bidding, Markus roamed outside into the night.
“You need to keep your eyes on him.”
“I am,” Svyn assured. “B and Angel sure as hell ain’t.”
Nia buzzed. “I’m deadass, Svyn them eyes ain’t just supposed to be amber and shit, you’re supposed to see the shit I don’t.”
Svyn smirked slightly as he rubbed his beard. “You notice the gold specks in them too?”
“They don’t have gold-” Nia stopped herself and rolled her eyes. “Boy, fuck you. I’m serious. He’s forming a habit that’s going to be hell to break. A weakness. Everything we got going on right now, we can’t afford him to be off his game.”
“I hear you, Nia. Now back to you,” Svyn pressed. “You good?”
Nia sighed and pushed her hair in need of a deep condition out of her face. “I saw some shit tonight that fucked with my head. Brought back all that shit with my mother. Just a lot, but I’m good.”
Svyn moved closer to her, peering down tenderly. “You not but when you done being a hardbody, you know where to find me.”
Nia hummed. “I won’t come lookin’.”
“I think you forgettin’ I hunt down niggas who hidin’, you ain’t too hard to smoke out.”
She hummed again, grabbing the bottle to pour another drink. “Yeah, I’d like to see it. You can see yourself out.”
Svyn gave her a quick swipe over her chin and backed up before she could swing on him. “Be good.”
“Be better. Get out my house,” Nia replied as she walked away. “Lock the door behind you.”
“Set the alarm. I might try to break in this shit tonight and see how good that shit is.”