Chapter 39
“You know, at some point you’re going to have to admit it,” Svyn spoke as he reclined into the passenger seat. “It feels good as fuck to not be driving your temperamental ass around.”
“Nigga fuck you,” Markus replied with a chuckle. “You drive too fuckin’ slow. We got shit to do, and you be taking scenic routes while daydreaming about torturing niggas.”
Svyn chuckled. “I’ve been cooling.”
“Yeah, that shit is ‘cause of Nia. Don’t tell me her crazy ass is calming the killer,” Markus teased.
“Oh, and Reign ain’t,” Svyn said, circling back to his original statement. “You need to admit that shit to her and yourself.”
“Admit what nigga? Huh?” Markus asked. “That she took my fuckin’ heart out of my chest and won’t give it back? That I haven’t even known her six months and don’t none of that shit matter to me because she’s mine? I don’t need to explain what’s already understood.”
“Exactly that,” Svyn pointed out. “Be real. We can see it. You upright, your head is clear, you ain’t crashing out for the sake of crashing out.
Her dropping into your world wasn’t to wreck it.
Somehow y’all mended each other, and the shit is fuckin’ beautiful.
It might be understood, but I’m learning they like the explanation. Quiets the overthinkin’.”
Markus gripped the steering wheel and nodded at the truth.
“It feels like some shit you don’t want to get out of your system. Don’t it?” Svyn posed. “Sweet honey, slowing your heart. Like it could kill you. But on the other hand, it can heal ya soul.”
“All that shit I was chasing to ease my being, and it wasn’t in a bottle,” Markus muttered because it was safe to. Svyn had proven himself to be loyal time and time again. “Just like that shit, nigga. It’ll be the death I’d welcome ‘cause for a moment in time I experienced something real.”
“Make that shit known. That position you’re walking into is going to require that your foundation is steady. Keep that shit firm, stay locked in. You got a solid one.”
“I hear you.” Markus switched the subject, needing his mind off a Reign.
He needed to step into the warehouse and stand with the people on his payroll as a leader, not the lovesick housebroken dog.
That’s exactly who he was with Reign. If she had as much sashayed by him, the whiff of her air had him trotting behind her tail wagging.
He was always on guard for her. If something threatened the peace she was now wrapped in, he was going to attack and not let go.
Arriving at the warehouse, Markus parked his truck, stepped out, and looked around.
October was coming to an end, and November, while cold, was showing signs of promise.
He remembered when he acquired the building, posing as a t-shirt designer with big dreams. Brantley was to his right, and Svyn was to his left.
Then it seemed that they were all locked in, all moving with the same purpose and vision.
Now clear-headed and focused, Markus knew the very moment things shifted. It wasn’t Aunt Lucille choosing him over her sons. Not directly anyway. It was Markus telling Brantley no. A firm no that he offered no explanation to. Simple, firm, unwavering – no.
Brantley wanted to branch out. Move Cyn upstate and set up an operation up there.
Had Brantley been focused on the business and not the status, Markus’ answer might’ve been different.
It wasn’t about how much money Brantley could bring in.
It was about how much unwanted attention he was bringing.
While he was thankful, he trusted his gut.
He was pained that a man he trusted with his life couldn’t take an answer that violated his privilege.
What pained him more was that this new level he was stepping into, he couldn’t take the people who used to dream with him along to the top.
As he pulled in lungs full of the cold air, he held it and pushed it out slowly.
There could be no more looking back. Like his Uncle Slim used to preach, “you can’t be the leader lookin’ behind you.
A lion looks ahead of the pride. Be the lion, young nigga. Be the lion.”
Markus muttered to himself, his eyes scanning over the boat moving product off in apparel boxes. The boxes would go into the warehouse sorted by product and placement, from there, be packed up and moved into their respective vehicles, and distributed.
“The lion.”
Markus eased inside, watching how everyone moved about handling their tasks in the system he was dead set on them using. He hiked the stairs and stood at the railing with Svyn. “You know I’m going to need you to look over all this shit, right?”
Svyn nodded. “Yeah. Ain’t a problem. Who are you placing as the two’s?”
“Fuego and Bullet. That shit at the salon. Keep them under your wing. Get a whole team set up. Make this shit look as legit as fuckin’ possible,” Markus shared.
“I got you, Money. What else you need?”
“You still good with Sly and Shy?” Markus posed, and Svyn nodded. “Rich too?”
“Yeah, they still pull up for party favors. I heard Rich is looking at buying one of the labels.”
“Bet, arrange a meeting. I want to get the space we got turned into another shop on the bottom, club on the top. Might need Rich to be the face of it. I’ll handle the cost of that and the label.”
“What business-minded bug bit you?” Svyn joked.
Markus chuckled. “Reign. Baby got vision.”
“Uh huh. Handle that shit nigga,” Svyn buzzed, dapping him up. “I’ll get them niggas together when you’re done here.”
Markus clapped his hands together, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“Ay listen up niggas,” Markus’ voice bellowed over the warehouse of men and women.
Some were workers, runners, corner boys, and top dogs.
Over the last weeks, Markus had made it clear and demonstrated that anyone crossing him would be dropped.
The only bodies he hadn’t taken out were the ones causing thorns in his side.
But he figured family business needed to remain family business until the deed was done.
“The shipment is about to drop. I don’t want no muhfuckin’ bullshit,” Markus continued.
“Keep your shit tight, keep your shit low. Detectives, police, and anyone who ain’t us steppin’ to you, you better let one of us know.
Otherwise, I’m doing you like I did that nigga two nights ago.
Talkin’ about Money business, you gonna find yourself pushing up muhfuckin’ daisies feel me? ”
“Yeah, Money,” they responded in unison, prompting him to nod his head toward their positions awaiting.
“Fuego! Bullet! Come here,” Markus stated before roaming into the office he rarely used. Almost a minute later, the men stepped into the office, closing the door behind them. There wasn’t confidence in their steps. Markus appreciated that.
“What’s good, Money?” Bullet asked, unsure of why they were called out.
“Y’all did y’all shit with G. Lady sent her thanks,” Markus started watching to see if their demeanor changed.
Fuego shook his head. “Nah, she did the work. We weren’t fast enough. I’m really sorry about that, too.”
Bullet added, “No disrespect to you or your lady. Reign is a cold piece. That shit happened so fast.”
“For your swiftness, I need y’all to come up in rank. Can I trust you with that? With my life, with Svyn’s, our families?” Markus posed, watching their every move. Not too eager to jump at the opportunity, but not taking too long to reply.
“I can do that,” Bullet led. “It’s my honor, Money. For real.”
Markus looked at Fuego, who followed with, “Yeah, on life I got y’all.”
Svyn chimed in, “You know one wrong move, we putting you down.”
“We already know how y’all coming,” Fuego spoke.
“Aight then. Meet me at the range in three days. Got to turn y’all from hustlers to mercenaries,” Svyn replied.
Markus and Svyn managed the first shipment from Javier without a hitch. After making sure every spot had what they needed, he pulled up to the brownstone. With a bouquet of flowers in hand, he tapped his knuckles against the door as if he hadn’t crossed this threshold one hundred times before.
Moments later, Reign pulled it open, fully dressed with a smile on her face. “I thought you were joking when you said you were picking me up for a date.”
“I kinda walked into your shit and never walked out. I figured I needed to switch it up on you. Even if it’s just for tonight. ‘Cause I’m finna come all in this muhfucka,” Markus said with a sly smirk, making Reign giggle and roll her eyes.
“You’ve been doing that. Trying to trap me so I don’t run off?” Reign asked, popping a brow.
Markus huffed, palming his face. “You know it’s been so long since I hit without a rubber I forgot that that’s how kids are made.”
Reign took her flowers out of his hand and rolled her eyes. “You play too much.”
She pranced away, and he followed, scooping her into his arms. “I’m not playing.”
“Just don’t be shocked, is all I’m saying,” Reign spoke to him as if the idea of pregnancy was a trigger.
“You soundin’ like I won’t take care of you,” Markus stated, turning her around to look down at her. “Where’s this coming from? What I do?”
“Give me hope,” Reign confessed, biting her lip. “Something more to believe in again. And I’ve been thinking that you cummin’ all in this muhfucka, as you say, can lead to a lot more. I don’t know if you want that, but I-”
“Want that. I do.” He placed her on the counter and pressed his forehead against hers. “I wanted to do the whole romantic shit. Dinner, walk under the bridge, all that shit you deserve, but this seems like the perfect time.”
“For what?” Reign posed, brows creased.
“I’ve made it clear that I want you, right? Not just for pleasure but to expand with you. To do life. For a nigga to have a soft place to land, for peace, for motivation, for clarity. I made that clear?”
Reign nodded.
“I love you,” Markus stated. “The shit ain’t perfect. It doesn’t make sense, it defies what shit should be.”
“I don’t need a perfect love story. I don’t even need perfect. You know I’ve never loved for real before?”
“Me neither. But I’ll love you. With all my life and after. I’ve never been sure about anything else.”
“I’ll love you too.”
“And if you want me to pull out, I’ll do that.”
Reign shook her head. “I’ve lost enough. I’ve given up enough. I want all of you.”
Markus groaned, gripping her chin and kissing her deeply. “How I get you?”
“You barged your way in, and I’m thankful. You know what else I need?”
“Anything.”
“My noodles,” Reign hummed, nipping his lips. “You won’t have me up all night without fuel. Plus, I have an early morning at the shop. Chop chop, my love. Your girlfriend needs food.”
“Aunt G didn’t feed you?” Markus joked.
“There were more pressing things to handle,” Reign shared, making him pause. “Uh uh. You look forward, I’ll watch your back. That’s how this is going to go. Come on, I didn’t put this on for nothing.”
Markus kissed her one last time and took her off the counter. As she pranced past him, he smacked her ass and groaned. “That thing is getting phat, huh?”
“Yeah, a little bit,” Reign said with a giggle and a little twerk. “You see it?”
“Stop playing or you’re going to be the noodle.”
“I do like when you slurp me up,” Reign crooned, making Markus bite his lip.
“And this is why I’m like this.”
“Like what? Crazy as hell? You can’t put that on me. You’ve been crazy far before I came along. But I love it. Hurry up, let’s go before I say fuck it,” Reign spoke, walking into the cold night air.
“Don’t let that pussy get your ass in trouble,” Markus grumbled, grabbing her by the back of the pants she wore and pulling her into him. “Touching doors. You know we don’t do that.”
Reign giggled as he kissed her face and stepped out in front of her. “Sorry, it started to jump, and I needed to get away from you.”
“Let her jump, I’ll talk to her later.”