Chapter 49
“What you bouncing around for?” Markus asked, finding himself smiling after weeks of not doing so.
It was Reign’s off day from the shop, and while she agreed that they could lie around the house and do nothing, she woke him up from his rest with a grin on her face.
Saying no to her was a rare occurrence, and he hadn’t said it since the day she shot Javier.
“I feel good,” she replied, walking hand in hand with him. “Thanks for coming out of the house. I know you’ve been wanting to decompress, but this you needed to experience.”
“Why do I feel like you used your own money for this experience?” He asked, raising a brow, looking down at her. She grinned widely. “You like getting folded up?”
“By you? Love it.”
“Don’t another nigga exist in your world,” Markus grumbled against her face and quickly squeezed her butt, making her giggle.
“Same for your world, too. And cut it out. And I did use some of my money because what is it supposed to do? Just sit there and look at me?”
“No, you’re supposed to invest it and watch it grow,” Markus stated as she led him into a soul food bistro. He stopped at the door and read the name. “Lucille’s Hot Butter Bistro.”
Reign stood in the threshold with a wide smile on her face. “Come in so I can show you the rest of it.”
“How’d you do this without my help?” Marku questioned not because he needed to be a part of it but because no one had ever considered his legacy before.
“Well, I started spending time with your people. We did more than drink coffee, gossip, and do hair. Aunt G taught me how to build a portfolio, and Aunt Lucille gave me a box of recipes. We know that Nia can’t cook to save her life, but she can design a place with her eyes closed. So this is just one part of it.”
Markus looked around, finding some of Lucille’s handwritten letters as wallpaper. They took snippets of her love letters to Slim while he was incarcerated. The letters she wrote to the two motherless children. The poems she wrote to her city.
“This is amazing,” Markus praised. “Y’all did some fire shit.”
“The first floor holds fifty people, reservation only, the upstairs has two private dining rooms for parties,” Reign said, starting up the stairs. “The food supplier is one of ours, along with the fleet of 18-wheelers.”
“You bought a trucking company?” Markus posed, amazed.
“You asked me to find you some equity. I’m just getting started, baby.”
“Whew, woman,” he groaned. “You feeding me and taking me home, I got plans for you.”
“Slow down. There’s one more thing you need you know about before we get all the way up there,” Reign said, stopping in the middle of the stairs.
Markus pinned his brows for a minute before asking, “What?”
Reign bit a grin. “We might or might not invested into a record label.”
“How you come across that?”
“Well, apparently, now my shop is home to the who’s who. Last week I did Yeraya’s hair, and she has a standing appointment on the books. Her brothers, Sly and Shy, needed an investor for the other label they inquired about. You know Rich Lawson?”
“Yeah, it was on my list of things to do to get a meeting with him. How you get in with that club nigga so fast?”
Reign nodded she smiling. “My bottomless charm.”
“Reign,” he groaned.
“Jokes. Anyway, He’s up there too, along with Nia and Syvn. You’re the boss. The Don, you said you needed stash spots, businesses to funnel your money through. There are four cash businesses on the table that’ll make money hand over fist.”
“I love when you start talking that shit. You did all this from what you made off the salon and the cut from the pipeline?”
Reign bobbed her head proudly. “I told you, business is my thing.”
He met her in the middle and kissed her face. “Make sure you’re keeping something for you.”
Reign joked as she nipped his lip. “Nah, my man runs the north. I’m good.”
“That’s enough,” Nia’s voice pierced through Markus’ nuzzle. “We got money to make, Money.”
“Ohh, she’s back,” Markus grumbled, tapping Reign’s hips. “Let’s go before she starts cussing.”
At the table with dishes of Lucille’s favorite things lined down the middle, Shy and Sly couldn’t stop eating long enough to greet Reign and Markus.
“Money,” Rich stood and outstretched his hand for a shake. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Markus gave him a slacked grin. “Likewise. The nightclub shit wasn’t really my scene.”
Rich chuckled. “It wasn’t mine either until I realized how much money I was leaving on the table.”
Richard Lawson was a weapons dealer. All of the guns and other toys Svyn acquired came from him.
He supplied the whole northern section of the country.
Prophete produced them and only sold to three vendors in the country – Cree, who represented The Family, Syrenna and Naji, who ran the LeFleur Mafia, and Rich.
The smaller gangs under those umbrellas were supplied with drugs, guns, and whatever else through the channels they created.
The Marucci’s, New Haiti, and La Spana now had to go through Money for everything.
He’d officially had the space landlocked.
“I hear that. I got a spot on the lower side. I was thinking about putting a lounge there,” Markus said, hoping right into business mode. Reign took a seat by Nia and left the men to do their thing.
“When are you looking at opening it?” Rich prompted, and Sly chimed in.
“Who handles the talent?”
“A grand opening on New Year’s Eve would put that spot as the hottest spot in the city. What kind of talent y’all got coming out of the label?” Markus quizzed.
Shy and Sly shared a look before smirking.
“We got someone beside Yeraya tucked away,” Shy answered.
“Aight, let’s figure this shit out.”
Hours later, after menu tasting, business deal closing, and admiring the work Reign and Nia had done with the guidance of Aunt Lucille, Aunt G, and Ms. Ophelia, Markus was back at home, his head in Reign’s lap.
“You must want a ring on your finger,” Markus grumbled, fighting his food coma.
Reign was steadily racking her hand through his hair and laughed tiredly. “I just want to make sure your shit is straight.”
“You got that shit locked down. What else you got up your sleeve?”
“It won’t be a surprise if I tell you. You feel good about it?”
“I feel great about. That shit about choosing your partner is some real shit.”
“Indeed it is,” she crooned. “I think we should have our Thanksgiving dinner at Lucille’s. Ms. Ophelia and I will cook, of course, and we’ll give everyone their certificate of shares.”
“That’ll be dope. I’m giving the house to Ms. O. She deserves it.”
“I agree. What are you doing with the brownstones?”
“Renting them out. Let them make passive income.”
“How many do you want?” Reign asked.
“I already own your block, mine, and a few others. There’s some spot on Sunset we’re about to gut out.”
“What about the ones across from the salon. On top of the businesses. I was thinking they can be transition apartments for battered women.”
Markus barely opened his eyes. “You already made a move on them?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll make a call when I get up. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure you get it.”
“Thank you,” Reign hummed with a yawn.
“You take care of me, I’ll get you whatever you want.”
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Reign greeted Nia and her growing baby bump. “You finally popped out. It’s so cute.”
Nia laughed and hugged Reign. “Thank you. I’m enjoying the cute stage while it lasts. What can I help with?”
“Being that you only brought plates, you can sit down and watch us,” Aunt G quipped. Reign and Nia walked into the kitchen arm in arm. “Plus, you’re baking a baby, enjoy all the downtime you’ll have.”
Reign washed her hands and went back to cutting the greens.
“I thought Reign was pulling my leg when she told me she could cook the whole meal. If we were any later, she would have,” Aunt G continued.
“I never had a real holiday surrounded by family. And even though we’re missing Aunt Lucille, I’ve been looking forward to this,” Reign gushed. “Wait ‘til Christmas.”
“Y’all, she’s serious, the shop has exploded autumn. And she already has the Christmas decorations staged for tomorrow,” Nia added. “I walked into my shop and thought it was a sick prank. Nope, just Reign plugging in pumpkin and chai wall scents.”
Aunt G and Ms. Ophelia shared a look. Soft, joyous, heartwarming.
“Nia, did you ever think you’d get a sister?” Aunt G asked.
Nia looked at Reign and smiled. “No. Markus finally did something right. We’re just getting started.”
“We are, it’s only up from here,” Reign hummed. “Wait until your baby shower. I already have it planned in my mind.”
Nia laughed, knowing that Reign wasn’t lying. “So hurry up and get pregnant so I can plan yours.”
Reign’s smile dropped just a bit. Unrecognizable to anyone else but Nia, caught it. While the elders filled pie crust and cake pans, Nia pulled Reign over by the top of her skirt.
“What was that look about?”
Reign tried to shake it off. “What look?”
“That one you gave me after I mentioned you getting pregnant. If you’re not ready, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that,” Reign spoke softly. “And it’s not like we aren’t practicing. This is new. And I might be broken. What if I can’t?”
Nia stood up and pulled Reign out of the kitchen and down the hall. “I knew something was wrong. You can’t think like that.”
“He’s asking for it. Requesting it, and I do not want his hopes up. I get part of it is his grief, but when the fog clears, what if I just can’t give him what he wants?” Reign questioned.
“If you think you’re broken, you don’t know yourself,” Nia started, swiping a tear from Reign’s cheek.
“From when I met you until now, you have defied every single odd. It’ll happen in its time.
It’ll be beautiful. And let’s not mention you’ve given that man life.
If you can give life, you can create it and hold it too.
You just closed the door to a very traumatic chapter.
Let your body settle into what being loved for real is all about. You hear me, sis?”
“I hear you. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You gave me life, too. We locked in, baby. Welcome to Locked in Records. Call me Brown Suge,” Nia joked as she hugged her.
Reign laughed and hugged her back. “I love you.”
“I love you too. You got some snacks in there for me?”
They shared a laugh and headed back down the hall.
“You know I do, baby mama.”
The house that was full of sorrow a month ago was filled to the brim with joy and love.
Aunt Lucille wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Her table was surrounded by people who loved her and loved each other.
There were no more rotten spirits or ill intent.
Bellies were full, naps were taken, and Markus was helping himself to dessert.
“Not in your aunt’s kitchen,” Reign whispered in a giggle. “You said you wanted cake. Not my cake.”
“I changed my mind,” he muttered, kissing her face.
The heavy baritone of Uncle G stopped Markus mid-kiss. “Not by my damn coconut cake, boy.”
“I told you,” Reign quipped, smacking his arm. “Here, take your cake and go sit down. Uncle G, you want a slice?”
Uncle G rubbed his belly. “Please.”
Markus took his plate and threw his head down the hall. “You know where to find me, Speechless.”
“Yeah, in that bed passed out,” Reign teased, watching him walk away. “Big or small slice.”
“The slice where you tell me what to do about an ADA who thinks you, my wife, and my niece are trying to rig an election.”
Reign stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. “Those were her words? Rig?”
“That’s what she’s claiming. I need to know if it’s true.”
“We wouldn’t need to rig anything,” Reign shared. “If we did, you wouldn’t be the chief. Money wouldn’t be Money, and the streets wouldn’t be quiet. Endorse, sure.”
Uncle G picked up what she was putting down and chuckled. “When my wife said you were something. I didn’t see it. I get it.”
“So you’ll get that she needs to go away? As quietly as possible before Christmas.”
Uncle G licked his dry lips and hummed. “The trouble with powerful women behind powerful men is we can’t seem to tell you no. Because you see past everything we do.”
“We’re also unassuming. We’re smart. And we will do whatever needs to be done to protect our family.”
“I’ll make sure it’s handled. I need a big piece,” Uncle G replied to Reign’s comment.
She cut him a big slice and smiled. “Here you go.”
“Welcome to the family, Reign.”