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“So, I thought this would be a great location to start breaking ground for the casino,” Uno stated as we walked through the vacant space. “This lot is not too far away from the city's outskirts and has a steady flow of traffic. What do you think?”

Today, we were finally getting down to business with the next project, and I was excited about it. The city was cool and all, but I wanted to do what I came here to do and take my ass home. Before I had to kill Tammy and her people, I considered this time in Milly Grove an organized vacation. Now, I was ready to be near Pastor and Sweets—I was less likely to do what I did best when they were close.

Placing my hands in my slacks in hopes of warming them up, I continued to canvas the area. “This lot is massive, so I agree this would be a great location. I can already see the casino, parking lots or decks, and maybe even some onsite hotels if you wanted.” I stretched my hands across the space for emphasis. “What’s even better is the location…” I turned to face him as he gave me his undivided attention. “I’m glad you didn’t want to put this too close to Mills Manor. That area is nice and screams money, so it would work aesthetically, but the majority of your staff will come from the Heights and Highland Meadows. You want to think about the commute so your potential employees do not struggle to get to work every day. Yeah… you may have people from out of town that will want to come here to work, but you have to consider home first.”

“I agree. All right, then... I will get the city’s lawyer to get with Jules and figure out the numbers so we can start on this right away,” Uno replied as we finished inspecting the open space with nothing but dirt. I could see the excitement in his eyes as he spoke about the casino. I was happy that our goal to bring a casino to Milly Grove was becoming a reality. Back when Uno’s uncle was mayor, we knew the casino wouldn’t happen under his leadership. His uncle’s greed is why I want to make sure Uno was in this deal for the betterment of Milly Grove first and the profitable business for the city’s economy immediately after.

Looking up from his phone, he asked, “How long do you think it will take for it to be built?”

Taking a beat to make sure I didn’t give him an unrealistic timeline, I shrugged. “I’m not going to lie to you; it’s a lengthy process. You’re looking at twelve to twenty-four months,” I answered honestly. “I may try to recruit a special team to assist with it, and that may speed up the actual construction. Once we get a layout of how you want it to look, I will know for sure. The good thing is we’re working directly with the city, so we don’t have to go through too many hoops to get building permits. Just know that Boudreaux Enterprises gone make this shit as efficient as possible.”

Nodding, we concluded the visit to the site and headed back toward City Hall. It was midweek, and traffic was in full effect. Thankfully, my commute from the penthouse to City Hall wasn’t more than thirty minutes. It was a nice day out, but I was a Florida boy, so I hated any weather under sixty-two degrees. It was freezing like a bitch in Milly Grove, and the shit was driving me insane.

“My nigga… I’m going to need you to go buy a fuckin’ coat with all that shaking and shivering.” Uno chuckled as he adjusted the heat for me. “Other than the weather, how is my city treating you?” He peeked from the road to me. “Skip told me about that little situation with Tammy. My bad about that.”

“Nigga, you don’t control these hoes, so why are you apologizing?” I chuckled as we passed a sign that said Sunset Valley. “What’s out that way?”

Dragging his eyes back to me, I noted the menacing look that came across his face. “Let’s just say that’s the spookier parts of town. I’ve heard stories of all types of shit, from an old witch in the woods to even vampires living out there.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t believe in that type of shit, though. What I do know… is not many people live or visit the area willingly. If they do, they rarely make it out. If you ever want to go, let me know and?—”

“Now, why in the fuck would I want to go out there when you just told me niggas are dying from the trip?” I shifted in my seat and mugged him. “Do I look like I play that shit? That may be up my cousin’s alley, but I will pass.”

People close to me often ask how I could take a life but was spooked by the thoughts of the supernatural. I don’t like the unexplainable. I can easily adjust to seeing someone killed in front of me, but I draw the line at seeing their bones reconstructed and them turning into animals. That shit isn’t normal.

The traffic was thinning out, and we were getting closer to town. We both had meetings to attend that would take up the rest of our day and had no other plans to see each other this week after this, so I took the opportunity to ask the question that had been lingering since my last grocery store visit. “Aye, let me ask you something… What do you know about a chick named Denim? Wild mentioned a few things, but I assume he tried to fuck her or something.”

Since running into her at the club and again at the store, she’d been on my mind heavily. Denim was bad as hell, and I wouldn’t mind getting to know her on a skin-to-skin level. When I told her the only thing I was willing to offer her was dinner and dick, I meant that. Her agreeing with me had me even more enthralled.

“Denim?” he asked in a confused tone until the name clicked in his mind. “Oh, her. Nah… he ain’t tried her, surprisingly. He hit a few of her family members, but that’s about it. Her people don’t make any noise, so it’s out of sight, out of mind with them. Why? What y’all got going on?”

“She asked me out on a date.” I smirked as he snapped his head over at me. “We've been texting and may be going out this weekend. I just wanted to know if I was going to have to kill shorty or not. Coming to your town and dropping every woman that pisses me off isn’t on my agenda, so I’m trying to stop a homicide before it comes to it.”

“You and Skip are so much alike;—it’s insane,” he mumbled as he pulled into the parking lot of City Hall. “Man, listen. Don’t be out here causing trouble in my muthafuckin’ city. You already had two bodies dumped off to a mother in the middle of the night.”

I shrugged because what did he want me to do? Let them rob me? I wasn’t the type of nigga to cause trouble unless I was paid to do so. If niggas died by my hands, it was because of some shit they did—I didn’t kill people for free.

“But on a serious tip… go out with her. I’ve never heard any shady shit about her or her family, and I know you have a way of getting her checked out, so I don’t even know why you asked me.”

I rubbed my chin, chuckling at the thought that ran across my mind. “Yeah… I was thinking about hitting up Mimi. I’m not looking for anything serious. Just looking for a little fun while I’m here.”

“Hit up Adrian then.” He tittered when I raised my brow at him. “You’re right… I just told you I wanted you to chill. Fuckin’ around with his ass, y’all been done dropped three more bodies by the end of the week.”

Once inside the massive building that housed most of the city’s officials, we both walked to our respective offices with murmured goodbyes. I appreciated Uno for setting up an office for my stay here since I still had things I needed to do for my own company. Getting myself situated, I powered on my laptop, and an incoming email confirming a meeting with Jules and Milly Grove’s city lawyer popped up immediately. I accepted the invite, happy to see these niggas were wasting no time expanding our partnership with them. I still hadn’t spoken to my brothers since leaving. I wasn’t pissed anymore about our last meeting, but I didn’t have anything to discuss outside of business. If those niggas needed something, they would make enough noise to get a response out of me.

“This is Andre,” I answered my cell as I typed an email to Rosier about today’s meeting. I was pleased with the formal and informal discussions with Uno and his personnel, and I knew Rosier would be too.

“Andre, please…”

I frowned and pulled the phone away from my ear to view the Caller ID. The number was restricted. “Who the fuck is this?”

“I’m sorry for whatever it was I did. I miss you, baby!”

“Sandra?” I asked in confusion. “Girl, why are you calling my phone?” I finished typing the email and sent it before getting comfortable in my chair. “I told you what it was with us when I cut you off. Why do you keep blowing up my line? And why are you stalking my grandmother with the bullshit?”

Sandra is a good woman; I’ll never take that from her. She was attractive and attentive, and her sex drive was appropriate for any man who needed daily satisfaction. But her delusion of us being together was insane, and she needed to let the shit go. Never once did I tell her there was hope in us being together—it would never happen. Therefore, she is the source of her own misery, and there was nothing I could do to help her unless she wanted to die.

“I need her to talk some sense into you, Andre.” She sniffled as she spoke into the phone. “We’re about to have a baby, and?—”

Click.

One thing I’m not going to do is entertain this bitch and her lies. I’ve never run inside her raw nor used any condom I didn’t provide. Unless she was able to get pregnant from swallowing my nut, she wasn’t carrying any child of mine. As I gathered my things to leave the office, I heard my phone vibrate again. Snatching it up, I was irritated.

“Listen here, wench! I’m tired of playing with you?—”

“Damn, Daddy! I just wanted to know how your day’s been.”

Pausing, I realized it was none other than Denim, and a grin spread across my face. I haven’t heard from her today, but I guess I’ve been on her mind like she was on mine.

“Better now…” I chuckled as I locked up the office. Passing by Uno’s, I threw my head up at him, and he did the same. “How you doing today?”

She giggled sweetly. “I’ll be doing a little better once I see you again. When is our date?”

If I was going to entertain this girl, I needed to check in with Noemi. She was fine as hell, but I didn’t miss her eagerness to be in my space.

“I have some business to tend to this week, so how about this weekend? Are you free?”

“Hell yeah, she is!” I heard her cousin, Jerome, yell in the background. I laughed as I heard slight rustling and hushed whispers before he spoke again. “You better tell him yes then before I steal that nigga from you.”

“Aye, chill, Rome.” I hit the automatic start button for the Range to start the engine. I had preset the heat to turn on so when I eased inside, I would be greeted with some warmth. Georgia was colder than the fine-ass woman on my line. “What I keep telling you, man?”

I’m not one of those guys who are easily offended by the presence of a gay man. I’m a good judge of character, and I knew Jerome didn’t mean any harm with the shit he said. Nothing about me screams gay or down-low, and he knew it. If he ever lost his mind and decided to try me, though, it was lights out for his ass.

“I apologize about my cousin.” I knew she was rolling her eyes at the statement. “What were you saying? Saturday at seven?”

I chuckled as I slid into the truck, happy to find the heat blasting. “Yeah, that’s cool, baby. I’m leaving work, so I’m going to hit you later when I get to the crib.”

Disconnecting the call, I pondered on Denim while I merged into traffic. Deciding not to overthink it, I figured it was best to make the call I was avoiding.

“What can I do for you today, my dearest cousin?” Mimi’s loving voice flowed through the speakers. “And how soon do you need it?”

“Damn, boo… you act like I only call you when I want something?” I was slightly offended by the thought. “That’s how we’re doing it?”

She laughed. “I’m kidding, Andre.” The music in her background was turned down before she spoke again. “Seriously, what’s up?”

When I told her my plans regarding Denim, she agreed to have what I needed once she was done with her date, which caused me to frown.

“Date with who?” I all but shouted as I pulled up to a red light. “The guys know about this?”

“I’m grown, Dre. Can I not have a man?” She sighed.

“Of course, stinkabutt… when you’re thirty!”

“I’m twenty-five!” she screeched. “That’s five more years.”

“Time flies when you’re doing right by the Lord.” I chuckled because that was something Sweets would say. “Who is the nigga?”

“I’ll reach out to you when I have what you need. I love you.”

With that, the line went silent. Noemi was a good girl with a good head on her shoulders. I knew she wanted companionship, but seeing her as an adult and not the bratty kid following me around as she did years ago was hard.

For the next two days, I was going to stay at the penthouse and get the bulk of my work done before the weekend. If things panned out, Denim would get more than my attention. I hoped she was ready because I had so much pressure to release; I was thinking about double gloving my dick before letting it go swimming. I planned to make her back up all the shit she’d been talking during our flirty texting and phone calls. Denim was beyond gorgeous, and I knew she was going to look even better after I helped her bust a few nuts.

* * *

Looking over myself in the mirror, I’d admit I was one handsome-ass nigga. After reviewing the file from Mimi on Denim, I decided to commence with our date for the evening. With a fresh lineup and braids, thanks to Wild and one of his girls, I looked clean as fuck. My outfit for the evening was simple—all-black Givenchy from head to toe had never failed me. I looked and smelled like money, and I knew the diamonds on my neck, wrist, and ears were hitting just the way I liked them.

Buzz.

Hearing the intercom inform me of a visitor downstairs, I pulled up the app on my phone and spotted Denim. For a moment, I just took her in. The girl was stunning, and I smirked at her, unintentionally matching my fly. I wanted to admire her a little longer but knew the weather outside was biting. After buzzing her in, I grabbed my phone and wallet and left the bedroom. By the time I made it to the front of the penthouse, the elevator was dinging. Once she stepped out, it seemed as if the air thickened.

Once our eyes connected, we held each other’s stare, daring the other to break contact. I had to give it to her; she’s confident, but she’d met her match with a Boudreaux. Shifting her eyes, she took small steps toward me.

“You look… handsome,” she said in a whisper before finally bringing her eyes back to me. “At least I know I’ll have a looker on my arms for the evening.”

“On your arm, huh?” I chuckled as I pulled her into a hug. She stiffened before melting into me. “You look good your damn self. That ass is fatter in this dress than it is in jeans.”

Swatting at my shoulder, she gave me a smile that put the stars in the sky to shame. “Are you ready? Reservations are in forty-five minutes.”

Extending my arm, she looped hers in mine and allowed me to lead her out of the penthouse. The elevator ride down was quiet as we both were in our heads. Once it dinged, I led her toward my truck.

“What are you doing?” she asked in confusion as I held the passenger door open for her. “I thought I was driving tonight.”

“Something about Jerome calling me a passenger princess doesn’t sit right with me, so I got it.” We shared a laugh as I helped her in. “I got it from here, baby.”

I know she was expecting to make all the plans for tonight, but I wasn’t going to do any of that shit. Whether I wanted something other than pussy or not, I will never expect a woman to wine and dine me. I was going to drop dick off regardless of the effort she put into the evening. As long as she consented, she was getting dicked down tonight.

“So… how are you liking the city?” she asked as we rode through downtown. The smell of her perfume was driving me crazy. It was sweet yet bold, and it blended well with her organic smell. “Do you think you could live out here?”

“I love the city, surprisingly,” I answered her as I nodded to the melodic tunes of Silk. “I don’t know about moving out here, but I would definitely get a spot for when I came to town. As you know, I’m only here for work, but I can see this being a nice spot for when I want to get away from Southern Florida.”

Keeping my job from her wasn’t a secret. I told her I was in town working with the mayor on renovations, and she was inquisitive about the growth in Milly Grove. When women find out I’m Andre Boudreaux, all they see is dollar signs. With Denim, she was more interested in me as a person, and I fucked with that.

“So… how’s your vacation going? Are you ready to go back to work?”

“Hell no!” She chuckled as I pulled up to the valet at Prime and Platter. “I’m in no hurry to sort through people’s taxes and property documents. Clerical administration is boring. The only reason I haven’t pursued another profession is because it pays so well, and nobody bothers me.”

I exited the truck without responding and rounded the front to help her out. The way her long-sleeved black dress hugged her body, I was more than ready to get something to-go and take her back to the spot to fuck her to sleep. Well, not to sleep because she couldn’t stay the night, but still.

“This place is nice,” I praised once we were inside. The lights were dimmed, and the ambiance was light but fancy. “You gone spend some big money on me tonight, girl.”

Giggling, she followed the hostess as she led us to a booth tucked away in the corner. I loved the fact that she got us something with a little bit of privacy. As I walked behind her, I couldn’t help but zone in on the thickness of her hips and the bubble of her ass as she switched in front of me. Doing a quick scan of the room, the men in passing also had their eyes trained on her.

“Andre…” she gazed over her wine glass at me. We’d been seated and had ordered our drinks and dinner. We were now waiting for our food to arrive. “Why is someone as fine as you single? I know the ladies back home just love you.”

“They do…” I smiled and continued answering, “I got one that’s crashing out over me right now, but it’s not my fault. I’m honest from the beginning on my intentions and expectations.”

“Which are?”

“I just want to have a good time.” I looked her in the eyes as I spoke. “I’m not looking for love. My career and life choices don’t leave any room for romance. I just want companionship when I need to get my rocks off—that’s it. If forever is the goal, I’m not the man for you.”

She said nothing as our food was placed before us. Since she swore by this place, I let her order for me tonight. After we blessed the food, I dug into the oxtail pasta, and I had to admit that her choice was valid.

“Good, huh?” She wiggled her brows at me before taking her own bite. “Damn…”

I watched her moan and lick her lips as she ate her food. The way she was squirming with excitement caused my mind to wonder how she would sound once I slid this dick in her.

“Save some of that moaning for me, girl.” I wink at her, causing her to blush. “So, tell me, why are you single, Denim? You can’t be this fine and not have niggas beating down your door.”

“They are.” She smirked as she continued to eat. “I just haven’t been interested in entertaining anyone until meeting you. Something about your aura consumes me to the point where I want to explode.” She nibbled her lip before leaning over the table to whisper. “Something tells me you can fuck me just the way I need to be fucked.”

“How do you want to be fucked, Denim?” I asked in a husky tone as I leaned forward. We were so close our lips damn near touched. “Tell me what you want a nigga to do to you.”

Leaning back in her seat, she downed her wine before making her way to my side of the booth. Sliding me over, she sank into the seat beside me before placing her lips at my ear.

“I want to be fucked into the mattress, Andre,” she stated seductively. “I want my body to experience a pleasure it’s never known.” She placed her hand on my thigh and began to caress it slowly. “I want to be hoarse from screaming your name all night.” Her hands traveled higher as she gripped my dick. “I want to be long stroked so deeply that I feel you inside of me days after you’ve finished tearing my pussy up.”

Rubbing my dick, she kept her eyes on me. The lust in her eyes was evident, and I knew she could see it in mine. The more she rubbed, the more she was turning me on. Grabbing her wrist, she eyed me in confusion.

“This ain’t grade school, baby.” I took a sip of my drink and could still feel her fingers flexing on my dick. “If this dick is going to spit, it’ll be in your pussy or mouth. So, tell me, ma. Which do you prefer?”

Panting, I could see the sweat form above her lips. She was aroused, and I was pleased to know she was feeling the heat just as much as I was. To prove my point, I placed my hand on her thighs and moved up search of her panties. Her dress was short, so when I reached her middle, I raised my brow, noticing it was bare.

“Why you don’t have any panties on, Dee?” She gasped as I traced her outer lips, causing her to shiver. “Most importantly, why is this pussy so wet?” I asked rhetorically.

Clenching my arm, I began to strum her clit, and her eyes glazed over. Surrounded by people, she was lost in the thrones of the pleasure I was giving her.

“Andre…” she breathed out. I knew she was on the brink of a release. “I’m going to?—”

“How is everything over here?” The waitress came over to our table to check on us. “Do you all need anything?”

Denim said nothing as I continued to work her over discreetly. Her face was flushed, and her breathing became more erratic. Biting down on her bottom lip to keep from screaming, she climaxed with so much force that I could feel the wetness on my hand.

“Oh, fuck!” Her eyes rolled backward as she caught her breath. “Damn, Dre.”

“I know…” I chuckled as I removed my hand from under her dress. It was then the waitress finally saw what we were doing. Her eyes went wide in shock as I placed my fingers on Denim’s lips. “Taste it.”

Without question, she did as I commanded, and my dick was screaming for me to let him out to play. Feeling the additional growth beneath her limp hand, Denim turned to finally address the waitress who was still standing there. “Can we get a box to go, please? I have a new craving, and it’s not for pasta.”

Eyeing me seductively, I knew that tonight would be a wild one. If Denim wished to get fucked to the ground, I had no problem making her feel cement all night long.

* * *

“Damn, shorty! Slow the fuck down.” I chuckled as Denim and I stumbled inside the penthouse. “This dick isn’t going anywhere.”

“I need it now, Dre.” She purred as she pulled me inside the living room. There was no mood to set because the moon shining as bright as it was did it for us. Pushing me onto the couch, she unzipped the side of her dress, and I watched as it pooled at her feet. Before she could hook her thumbs in her panties, the clearing of a throat caused us both to pause.

“Well, welcome home, you two.”

Creeping through the shadows of the room was none other than Jules Boudreaux. Dressed in a black hoodie and sweats, he looked like the spooky nigga I knew him to be. Frowning in confusion, I stood and tried my best to shield his view of Denim. She wasn’t my girl by any means, but I didn’t want her feeling humiliated.

“Nigga! What the fuck are you doing here?” I looked around as if he wasn’t alone. “More importantly, how did you get in? My phone didn’t buzz to let me know you were here.”

“Now you know that shit means nothing to a nigga like me.” He chuckled as he pulled from his Slim Jim. Chewing slowly, he dragged his eyes over to a quiet Denim. “Hello. You must be Denim.” Fully dressed now, she looked from him to me once he extended his hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you. You’re a horny little something, aren’t you?”

“Nigga! Why in the fuck are you here? I’m in the middle of something.” I gritted my teeth in frustration. Not only was he able to infiltrate my space, but he was about to ruin my nut for the evening. If I didn’t bust soon, I was liable to shoot up Tammy’s mother’s house.

“The seriousness on his face tells me this isn’t a friendly visit, so um… I can go and let you guys talk.” She looked back and forth between us before turning to me and standing on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Call me later, okay? You owe me one.”

“If you give me ten minutes to get rid of this nigga, I’ll give you nine.” I gripped her waist and pulled her into me so she could see how hard I was. “You don’t have to go.”

“Call me,” was all she said. Giving Jules a tight-lipped smile, she entered the elevator and headed out into the night. Dragging my eyes to Jules, he was now seated near the window and examining the city like he was really captivated by the shit.

“Did you get the file from Mimi on Denim?” he asked over his shoulder. “You’re in a fucked-up city, and all you know are the Mills. Is it safe to have her here?”

“Nigga, what?” I reared back and asked. “I’m Andre Boudreaux. You need to ask if it’s safe for her.” I frowned as I mugged his back. “Man, if I don’t get some pussy soon, I’m killing all you niggas,” I grumbled as I turned on the living room light. Glancing over at the end table, I noticed a manilla envelope that wasn’t there when I left. Walking over, I picked it up and was confused about the contents. As I looked it over, Jules began to speak.

“It was never my intention to insinuate you couldn’t do your job as a member of the Family. You know damn well Rosier and I don’t even play like that when it comes down to it. If anybody does their job and exceeds the expectations, it’s you.” He turned to face me and added, “At the end of the day, we’re blood, Dre. I know the shit gets complex, but we work through this shit as a unit. We talk the shit out and come to a solution together. The ghosting shit is not needed.”

“You’re right.” I nodded as I continued to look through the folder. “My bad for going ghost on y’all niggas, although I’m sure my point was made by doing so.”

“And it was. It’s no worries, though.” He sneered as he pulled a pack of fruit snacks from his pocket. “Just know… I told Roselyn and Sweets on your ass, and they’re going to have a few words for you when you call them, which needs to be tomorrow.”

“Roselyn is your mama, nigga. Call her that.” Frowning at his snitch ass, I dropped my eyes back to the files and photos now spread across the glass coffee table. “What the fuck is this?”

“You’re next assignment.” He leaned back into his chair and eyed me. “Mimi had the room scanned so that we could speak freely. Since the incident with David and your father, talks of trafficking have been quiet. As you know, everything hit close to home for us, so we couldn’t just let it go. After finding out how far up the ladder this shit went, we had to back off, but now we think—no, we know—we’ve found the head of the organization. You know what they say about cutting off the head of a snake, right?”

“Cut off the head, and you kill the muthafucka.” I stroked my chin in deep thought. “This shit is crazy.”

Before me were several documents showing text messages, emails, and money exchanges about selling girls from all over the States. The more I read the information on the papers, the angrier I became.

Jules stood from his seat. “So, Zoo wants you to go ahead and eliminate the problem. If you go ahead and kill him now?—”

“Someone else will take over the operation,” I mumbled, cutting him off. I glanced up at him and shook my head. “You know as well as I do… this shit will always be a never-ending cycle. We gotta make an example outta these niggas. Death by my hands is too easy. Sometimes, you have to make a nigga feel you in other ways.”

I knew I was playing a treacherous game by letting these people go on with their everyday lives as if they weren’t on borrowed time. Still, I believe there was a better way we could get these lowdown, dirty niggas. Death was too easy—too merciful. I wanted to see these niggas spend the rest of their lives in prison.

“What do you have in mind?” Jules eyed me curiously while crossing his arms. “How do you want to play this?”

Standing, I placed the papers in my hand on the table. I paced the room for a few moments before an idea came to me. It was risky, but if I played my cards right, it would be well worth it.

“I want to take a page from the Book of Zoo: I’m going to buy a girl.”