5. Chapter 5
Omniscient
Brooklyn was nervous as fuck.
She stood by the windows of the safehouse, clutching her wine glass so tight her knuckles turned white. Her heart was slamming against her chest, but she couldn't dare let King Eze see the fear creeping into her eyes.
King Eze was glowing, strutting around the room as if he had already conquered the Queen.
He was thrilled with how smoothly the funeral fallout had played out, convinced he finally had the Okoye empire by the throat.
His good mood meant heavy wire transfers and expensive designer bags piling up for Brooklyn, but the luxury wasn't doing shit to numb her growing paranoia.
She was doing way too damn much right now.
To make matters ten times worse, her own Aiken tribe had officially exiled her ass, washing their hands of the drama the second the heat got turned up.
Her parents blocked her and made it clear she wasn’t welcome home.
She was completely cut off from her people, stuck running a whole game she wasn't even leading, taking orders from a greedy old man who only cared about his own benefit.
She had to hide out in the sub-basement storage room while Danni’s hit squad marched over the land. Brooklyn realized just how deeply fucked she was.
The only thing keeping her sane was their tribal tradition. The law was written in stone: When a man impregnates another woman outside his marriage, she automatically becomes his second wife—or he forfeits his wealth and accepts death.
A bitter, arrogant smirk tugged at her lips as her mind flashed back to the night she snuck into the Okoye estate.
She replayed it with a sick sense of pride.
She felt a thrill when she climbed right on top of Damini while he was passed out, and taking exactly what the fuck she wanted.
His body reacted just fine, unconscious or not.
And the second she was done, she reeled back and slapped the shit out of his face while he lay there senseless.
Her cousin had actually wanted to take a couple swings at Damini while he was down, but Brooklyn had shut that down real quick.
If Damini woke up bruised and battered, he’d know off the jump that a whole crew had jumped him while he was out cold, giving away their operation before it even started.
Besides, that slap was all the satisfaction Brooklyn needed. A little personal payback for how Damini had talked down to her at that hotel awhile ago.
Now, in the back of her mind, Brooklyn didn't actually know if the baby growing inside her was Damini’s or Eze’s.
But in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter.
By the time court-ordered DNA results came back when she popped this kid out, she intended to be rolling in enough dough to buy a private jet and disappear off the grid forever.
She dropped onto the edge of the sofa, and her fingers nervously scrolled through her burner phone. A sudden, desperate urge hit her to call Jade—just to vent, just to hear a familiar voice, but she quickly backed out of the app.
She knew Jade was blindly loyal to that crazy woman, and that shit made her blood boil hot.
Jade was MY friend first! Brooklyn thought, her eyes burning with nasty envy. I brought Jade into this so she would have a job! But Adanna just slid right up under my nose and stole her away.
Ever since that chopper situation, Jade had completely iced her out.
What upset Brooklyn more was Jade knowing damn well how much Brooklyn needed her, knowing everything they had been through.
She threw years of sisterhood in the trash just to go play loyal lapdog to the royal princess, and Brooklyn was gonna make sure all of them pay.
Brooklyn sneered at her phone, thinking about the recent intel from her short time with the crew.
She just hoped Jade wasn't actually falling for Nyah. Jade could do so much better than a girl walking around dressed up in boy clothes, running around like a desperate little puppy looking for everyone’s approval.
Nyah had rolled in right behind Adanna and had been fucking up the entire vibe ever since.
And don't even get her fucking started on that annoying old lady. Nana was ninety-something years old and still running her mouth like she was untouchable.
It would be such a damn shame if something happened to her just like her son, Brooklyn thought as a twisted grin stretched across her face.
Once Nana was buried right beside the Chairman, Brooklyn wouldn’t have anything in her way.She wanted to see just how long Adanna’s crazy could be contained once her little protectors were no longer around to keep her in check.
Adanna wasn't even that cute anyway. Brooklyn believed the Queen was nothing more than a glorified big girl with a crown she didn't earn, riding off her family’s name while everyone bowed down to her.
Brooklyn swallowed down the bile in her throat as her thumbs flew across the screen. She pulled up her finsta account. She started scrolling through hidden tag networks, searching for the one man who used to mean the absolute world to the Queen, ready to drag him into the crossfire.
Before Chief Idris brought Adanna into the fold years ago, Brooklyn had been at the center of the unit. But the second Danni stepped onto the scene, everyone just gravitated toward her like blind sheep. Brooklyn had never understood the hype.
Brooklyn caressed her stomach, her thoughts raced when the heavy oak doors opened. King Eze walked into the room with a wide grin spreading across his face. He stepped up behind her, leaning down to press a kiss against her cheek.
"It’s time we speed up the process," Eze announced, smooth and confident. "The Chief has called an emergency meeting with the Elders... and all of us."
Brooklyn squinted her eyes, turning her head to look up at him. "Why would she do that?"
Eze grinned, reaching out with his large, heavy hands to hold both sides of her face. "Because then you will officially be under the direct legal protection of the island. Nonetheless, Adanna can't compete with a pregnant woman under the traditional mandate."
Brooklyn forced a bright, obedient smile as she listened to the older man.
She had been doing her part from day one, and she was getting tired of waiting for her full benefits.
If she was going to be King Eze’s partner in taking down the Okoye empire, then he needed to hurry up and do what he said he was going to do.
"And your other wives and kids?" Brooklyn asked, keeping her tone light. "What happens to them?"
King Eze froze. The warmth drained from his face as he matched her stare, his hands dropping from her cheeks. "I know you’re not rushing me with that."
Brooklyn quickly shook her head, pulling back a fraction. "Of course not... I just wanted to make sure you didn't change your mind about our deal."
Eze gave her a long, suspicious eye, assessing her. "I haven't changed my mind. But the next time you question my timing, I'll slap the taste out of your mouth."
Brooklyn’s jaw clenched tight, her blood boiling as she forced herself to stay quiet.
She hated the arrogant way he spoke to her when he got defensive.
She had done so much for this man—even by fucking his own son and letting Eze treat her like cheap trash.
She loved Eze’s status, but she loved the power and money even more.
If all else fails, Brooklyn thought, I’ll just kill him, take his offshore money, and move back to Europe. The Queen would never find me over there.
Eze stretched his arms. "Come and fuck your King."
Brooklyn swallowed her annoyance, quickly coming up with an excuse. "I really can't right now... the baby is restless today. My stomach is cramping."
Eze looked down at her stomach, rolled his eyes with an irritated huff, and turned on his heel. "Fine."