Chapter 38
“I’ll see you at dinner in a couple of days,” Aunt G said as she hugged Reign. “Keep doing whatever has you glowing.”
“That’s Money,” Nia chimed with a slick smile. “We were almost late because of them.”
Only for Reign to quip. “Just like that’s Svyn. I’ll see you later.”
The pair waited for Reign to close the door and the JoyRide to pull off before Aunt G turned to Nia. “I heard that Brantley is going down to OC to get close to Javier.”
“Yeah, Svyn told me that. I prefer keeping snakes close,” Nia replied and watched her aunt sway her head.
“Let’s walk,” Aunt G said, hooking her arm in Nia’s and starting the trek up the block.
“A snake too close to you stretches and grows to your size. Do you think B, Angel, and Cyn would be so big if they weren’t so close?
Let B go to OC. It’ll make handling Cyn easier.
That needs to be handled before this dinner.
She’s been wearing a wire every time she comes around.
I’d tell your uncle to shut it down, but I’d like him to be as untouched by this as possible.
If Money is going to be the don that we know he can be, you and Reign need to clear the chessboard.
You know it’s funny how these men think they’re the ones running things when it’s really us.
Your uncle may be the chief of police, but I am Majestic Heights, and this city stays with my blood.
Don’t let anyone take what’s ours. You understand? ”
“I do.”
“Good, handle your shit. Quickly.”
“I will.”
“I heard Reign moved G out of our way. He’s gone for good?”
Nia nodded. “Yes.”
“Alright, let the bodies hit the floor as quietly as possible,” Aunt G spoke. “Aunt Lucille, knowing about the body falling from the sky shouldn’t happen. My sister’s heart is already weak. Stressing out about Money’s moves doesn’t help.”
“He’s justified.”
“He always is. And when he takes down his cousin, prepare yourself to help catch him. I’m asking him to rip his heart from his chest to show me it bleeds. I need to be able to trust that leaving him what we built was the right decision. Majestic Heights is ours and needs to stay that way.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good, now come help me find your uncle a birthday gift.”
Hours after leaving her aunt, Nia found herself creeping down the block behind Cyn in one of the unmarked cars Markus kept in the city.
She’d never been the woman to sense the danger was close.
She strolled down the block with no sense that she was being followed.
When Nia texted her an hour ago, she claimed she was leaving work and then grabbing a coffee.
Cyn never left the hospital because she was never there.
Nia found her at the coffee shop, anxiously waiting for someone who clearly hadn’t shown up.
After waiting another hour, Cyn took a call and then took off down the block.
Nia parked far enough away, but close enough to G’s old spot. Cyn stood at the door, knocking on the door until the door opened. Neveah. A scowl on her face as she stepped out, eyes obviously puffy from grief. Just another sign that she was never around for Markus.
Thankful for a quiet night on the block, Nia rolled the window down and strained her ears.
“You were supposed to meet me at the coffee shop hours ago. Are you talking or not?” Cyn questioned.
Neveah chewed her lip before wiping her nose. “And have nothing? Not even my life? Money is going to kill me just like he killed G. This isn’t how this shit was supposed to go down. You told me that by now G would be on top with Brantley and Money would be out of the way.”
Cyn groaned. “I thought he’d be gone by now. The nigga just won’t die. And Money didn’t kill G. Kay-Dee didn’t see him after the salon. Money wasn’t even here.”
“Doesn’t matter you’re playing around with some shit that’ll get us killed. There’s a code to this. It’s already bad enough I was working against him the whole time,” Neveah spoke. “Even when he could’ve killed me, he didn’t. I’m not going to keep testing my luck with that nigga.”
Cyn looked down the block, finding the detective’s car approaching.
Nia had seen that particular Ford Fusion around their businesses a few times and paid no attention to it.
The police knew to keep their distance from anything Money had going on.
Not because of their uncle but because of the payments Markus made on time to ensure the effects of Mayor Norman’s dumbass initiative were minimal on him and his crew.
“I know you fuckin’ lying,” Nia grumbled.
When Aunt G pulled her aside and told her that Cyn was flawed, she didn’t think it was like this.
She assumed that with Cyn’s distance and Brantley’s inability to keep his hand off the product Markus took from him, he was dipping into the supply.
Or maybe they were in cahoots with G to knock them off the map.
Cyn could’ve been anything but a snitch.
That ignited a fire of rage inside of Nia.
Betrayal – the pain, along with the weight of that, was heavy.
Cyn was her best friend, she knew Nia’s secrets, she knew their business, and the bitch was now standing on the sidewalk with Neveah and the detective.
Her phone buzzed in her lap. Svyn was calling.
She hadn’t answered calls since lunch, and all his texts had gone unread.
The next step for him was to show up wherever she was to figure out what the issue was.
Svyn had been ignored by Nia long enough, and he wasn’t having too much more of it.
But this wasn’t that. This was one of Nia’s most cherished relationships, crumbling.
“Cyn,” Detective Russell blew into the crisp fall air. “You’ve been wasting my time.”
Cyn tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s been difficult laying low while getting close. B isn’t fuckin’ with this at all.”
“You told me you could get me Markus and his whole organization. Luciano is dead, and somehow his whole crew has flipped. New Haiti, The Marucci’s even La Spana ain’t saying shit about Money or how he moves.
It’s either you say something or I’m getting you on the RICO.
And then the city will know what kind of rat you are,” Detective Russell stated, making Neveah and Cyn both sway.
“Neveah, you were his girlfriend. You never saw him get product?”
Neveah nervously looked at Cyn, then back to the detective.
Nia’s core tightened and braced to see if the little ass whopping she’d effortlessly handed her months ago stuck.
“No, I never saw anything. He kept me locked up in that damn house. He barely talked to me. I was just pussy when he needed it. Nothing else.”
“I’m really not believing that after all these years you two have spent around the Grants that you don’t want to flip on them.
Cyn, you’ve lost your nursing license for him.
Stealing pills isn’t even worth me charging you with.
I want Money,” Detective Russell stated moments before a blacked out car sped down the street, firing shots out of the window.
Cyn dropped behind a car, taking cover. Neveah wasn’t fast in her response, taking a bullet to the chest. Detective Russell fired back but took a bullet to the neck.
As the car passed by, Nia pushed the seat back and watched as Cyn peeked up.
A show of relief on her face as if she recognized the car.
Still no movement on the block outside of a few dogs barking and neighbors refusing to see what the commotion was about.
Cyn looked at the bleeding bodies on the sidewalk, fright hit her before she took off in the direction she came.
Nia’s phone was buzzing again. She answered this time before pulling out of her parked spot and taking the long way to Cyn’s and B’s house. She attempted to keep a level voice, not wanting Svyn to be alerted.
“You still mad at losing that bet?” Svyn teased.
“What? No. No.” Nia stammered before straightening herself. “I’m good, just been busy. You good?”
She could hear the chatter in his background.
“Yeah, first shipment is in. It’s gonna be a long night, I don’t want you waiting up,” Svyn said before chuckling. “Considering I kept you up last night.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you when you get home,” Nia said, focused on any signs of Cyn as she came to a slow stop.
“Home? I’m not a squatter no more?” Svyn questioned with amusement.
“No. How about you wake me up when you get back, and we’ll talk about it. Or you can just make me listen,” Nia offered, knowing exactly what to say and do to get him to hang up with ease. She could hear the smirk.
“Say less. Lock up.”
“I will,” Nia buzzed before hanging up.
Another ten minutes and she was parked down a couple of blocks over from Cyn’s place.
Her gun loaded and tucked into the waistband of her pants, she walked toward the back of the brownstone.
With her heart drumming against her ears, it felt like every step took an eternity.
Sure, she loved her friend, but she loved her family more.
Markus had done everything within his power to always make sure she was taken care of.
Even putting down their own father for hitting her, Markus had never wavered in his protection of her.
He was a fierce protector while trying to build his shit brick by brick.
Nia would always be the same for him. Cyn had to go.
There was no question about that, no second-guessing.
Anything that came up against the Grants would have to fall.