Page 5

“Luca, what’s up, my boy,” I greeted him as I stepped into Zoo’s home office. Today, he wanted to meet with a few of us to touch base on what’s been going on. A meeting with the other families will be held soon, but this one was for our members of the Family. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.”

“He’s too busy being besties with my wife…” Jules chimed in, mushing him as he entered the room. “I need to see Zoo about sending this nigga to China or some shit.”

“This guy has been married two weeks and has already forgotten Bridgette’s name.” Luca crossed his arms and smirked as he eyed my cousin. “You better leave me alone before I ring her up and let her know how you treating a nigga. You know she doesn’t play about me.”

Leaning back in my chair, I listened to the two of them go back and forth. When Jules called me last week and told me he and Bridgette went to Vegas and eloped, I felt excluded. I thought he’d invited everyone except me, but once I found out it was just them, I let it ride. B had been through a lot, but I knew Jules was her safe space. If she was more comfortable with a private ceremony for two, I wasn’t mad at it. I was happy for them both.

“Luca… did you know the highest internal temperature a human can withstand and live is around one hundred and twenty degrees?” Jules asked as he walked over toward me and grabbed a fry from my plate. “Imagine what it will feel like to reach one hundred and fifty—maybe higher.” He turned to face Luca and grinned. “I will roast you like a rotisserie chicken, nigga.”

“Boko, sit your ass down and stop threatening that man.” Rosier chuckled when he entered the room with Nicky and Trench following. “You always wanna put voodoo on somebody.”

“It’s a cleaner kill.” He waved his brother off and took a seat in one of the recliners. “Not everyone wants to get messy like your black ninja of a cousin over here.” He threw his head in my direction before adding, “I’d rather turn a nigga to dust and roll him in my blunt. I smoke my opps, literally and figuratively.”

“Say, Zoo… can you hurry up and get me from around this wannabe YN?” I stood with my food and walked over to the other side of the room. “Talking about smoking opps and shit.” I frowned at him before adding, “You know I don’t like when he gets to talking that shit.”

“Next full moon, I’m turning you into Thackery Binx, Andre.” Jules mugged me.

We all looked around before the room erupted in laughter. Shaking my head, I walked back to my seat, bumping his fist along the way. Although I was serious about hating his indulgence in black magic, I know he knows his limits with me. Witnessing him turn his ex into a bird is the wildest thing I’ve ever seen to date, but I don’t judge him for what he does. From what he told me, he still has her propped up in the corner of his bedroom so she can watch him fuck his girl until the day she dies. I laugh at his foolishness to keep the eerie feelings about it at bay. As my grandfather said, no sin is greater than another.

“All right, y’all. Let’s get started.” Zoo took his seat behind his desk. “I didn’t feel the need to gather with our entire crew because, if changes need to be made with any of the soldiers, Luca and Trench can handle it. Speaking of…” He nodded toward them as they stood against the wall. “Everything good in the streets? I haven’t heard any noise lately.”

“And you won’t.” Luca pushed off the wall and kept his eyes on Zoo. “Those guys know what’s required of them and know not to fuck up. You don’t hear of any problems because we eliminate them as soon as they arise.”

“Exactly,” Trench said while nodding his head. “They know by now that when one eats, they all do. When one fucks up, they’re all punished. We got it under control.”

“Good shit.” Zoo bobbed as he turned his attention to his brother. “Jules, what’s the word?”

“Ehh… another day, another nigga that can’t fuck with me.” We all laughed at his foolishness. “Nah, but Westley’s gambling houses are officially owned by Boudreaux Enterprises. All the legal operations are on the up and up. I spoke with Uno and his lawyer, and he wants to talk to you and Dre about bringing more commerce to Milly Grove.”

“Yeah, he told me.” Zoo dragged his eyes over to me. “So, Dre… I was thinking you could go and set up out there for a little while. You can always handle Boudreaux Enterprises virtually until you come back. Whatever you can’t be here for physically, I’ll handle. I know you try to eliminate the need for me to leave my office, but I can still pull my weight. You good with staying there for a few months to see if there’s more potential business for us in Milly Grove?”

“Is the company paying for my stay?” I asked jokingly as I looked between him and Jules. “I mean… this is a business trip, and it’s only right you guys front the bill.”

“This nigga,” Jules mumbled. “I will get with Uno about getting you a place to stay.”

“I’ll be sure to send my demands.” I chuckled when he gave me the middle finger. “But yeah, bro. I’m good with it. I’m assuming you don’t have any upcoming assignments for me since you’re suggesting this work trip?”

Not only was I a hired assassin for the Boudreaux Mafia, but I serviced our business partners as well. It didn’t matter if it was someone who owed them money, had shown disrespect, or merely was the competition that needed to be eliminated. Granted, I wasn’t thrilled about killing women and kids, but I wasn’t opposed to it. That was another reason I wasn’t in any rush to find love or settle down. I wouldn’t want my family to become a target while I hunted someone else’s.

For as long as I can remember, I have been able to kill easily. Whether it was hunting animals or niggas, my father made sure I was able to adapt to any environment. As time passed, I realized he was only encouraging it, hoping he would be head of the family one day. I never knew how far he would go to make that happen until it was time for him to die.

“Everything is quiet on our end, and no one has mentioned needing anything right now. I will be sure to let you know if that changes.” He eyed me intently before adding, “Has anything changed from our last conversation?”

Leaning back in my seat, I took a few gulps of my fruit punch and cleaned my hands of the wing sauce. I knew once I told Zoo about what was going on with my mother, the guys would also be made aware of her words. Eventually, the conversation was going to come up, so now was as good a time as any to speak on it.

Shaking my head at Zoo, I sat up and addressed the entire room, “As you know, we take loyalty seriously within this organization. With what happened to my father, I know firsthand what happens when you go against the family.” Looking around at the guys, I ensured to keep my tone and voice steady because I didn’t want my words misconstrued since all eyes were on me. “I loved my father as any son would, but my position and loyalty to this organization wouldn’t allow me to turn a blind eye to the shit he’d done. I know I received a few side-eyes within the family because people thought I would retaliate or feel ill will toward Zoo. It will never be anything other than love for him—as well as all of you. We’re family until we’re not.”

“Has something happened?” Luca asked as he looked from me to Zoo. “Is there another threat we need to know about?”

I stood from my seat and walked over to Zoo’s minibar. The stress of my mother was frustrating. “My mother and I’s relationship has suffered tremendously since my father passed. I’ll never say what a person will or won’t do, but my mother has made it clear that she isn’t fucking with me or this family. She’s made accusations about the Family, and she wants to bring it down. Of course, there’s no mafia , right? I’m not sure what her husband has told her, but I don’t take threats of any kind lightly. I brought it to Zoo’s attention to see what he wants to do going forward. Now, I am informing you all so no hidden agenda is speculated.”

I know people may think I’m less of a man for choosing a life of crime over my parents—over my flesh and blood. Truth was, it wasn’t as simple as people thought. I made a vow to serve this organization with my life. My father did the same, and he knew the consequences of going against his brother. Do I want my mother to face the same punishment as him? Not at all. But once you threaten to expose information you may or may not have correctly, you have to be ready to face the repercussions.

“Do you think Auntie Mattie will make good on her threats?” Jules asked from the other side of the room. The stiffness in his posture let me know he was on alert. “You know that even the simplest threat to us has to be taken seriously. I know that’s your mother, but?—”

“Don’t you think I know that? The first thing I did was call Zoo when I left her at my grandparent’s home. I wanted to put a bullet in my mother’s head for the shit she was saying, but instead, I called him. It’s my job to eliminate any and every threat to this organization, and right now, that threat is the person who gave birth to me. If it comes down to it, I’ll be the one that has to push her shit back, right? Doesn’t matter if she’s my mother or not, so you don’t have to remind me of shit.” I snapped at him, shocking myself. I didn’t mean to lose my cool, but I was annoyed and conflicted.

I’m a killer. Taking my emotions out of the equation has never been hard, but I was hurting to know my own mother would be on the other end of the bullet. Whether I was shooting or Zoo found another person to do it, this woman had birthed me. Shit had not been good since my father’s death, but that was not always the case. I still have some memories of having a mother-son relationship with Mattie Boudreaux. Now, I was having to think about her dying by my hands.

“So here’s what I’m going to do…” Rosier leaned up in his chair and folded his hands on his desk. “I’m going to have Auntie trailed twenty-four seven. I will also have Mimi tap into her home security system, as well as her electronics. I already have eyes and ears at the station, so I’ll be the first to know if our names are mentioned. Know that I’m doing this as a courtesy to you, Andre. Anyone else would have been dead before our phone call disconnected.”

“Thank you for the generosity,” I said sarcastically. I was ready for this meeting to be over so I can get the fuck out of here. “There’s never been a time when I couldn’t do my job, and I didn’t think this would be much different. But cool. Do whatever you deem necessary, but no more car accidents—may be too obvious.” Zoo and I engaged in a brief stare-off before I continued, “What are the plans for Milly Grove? I need to go home and get things situated.”

Squinting his eyes as he glared at me, I held his stare. I respected Rosier—not just only as my boss, but my brother too. Still, this nigga didn’t intimidate me. My commitment to our last name held the same weight as his. I knew his choices regarding protecting Boudreaux weren’t hard to make, and neither were mine. I’ve shown him and our associates more than once that I’m all in with this shit, regardless of who I have to kill. If he still felt uncertain because of the people closest to me having to be punished, then maybe he needed to reevaluate my role.

“Okay.” He sat back and nodded. “Let’s talk more about the plans for you once you’re in Milly Grove.”

Not acknowledging his response, I walked from the minibar to the floor-to-ceiling windows. I wanted to walk out, but I knew Zoo would not stand for the disrespect, and I didn’t want to be disrespectful. It was important we all remained professional to keep Boudreaux running as the reputable company it was. As I leaned against the window, I listened to him and Jules talk about some ideas Uno wanted to execute before I tuned them out. The more I thought about this being a mini vacation instead of just business, the more I welcomed the thought of getting out of Southern Florida for a minute.

I knew that my mother was going to die soon. I knew because the look in her eyes at my grandparents’ house the other night was the same look I held—determination. She was determined to place guilt on this family for my father’s death. I was determined to protect this family until my last breath. Zoo may not be forcing me to choose or even be the one to send the final blow to my mother’s body, but we all knew that was what I was built to do. I was a killer, so I killed. However, accepting this next kill would be the ultimate test of loyalty, and once it was done, my role in this business would most likely be up for discussion.

* * *

I was leaving for the Grove tomorrow morning, so tonight, I decided to take Sandra out for dinner. She had been blowing my phone up since I left her crib a few weeks ago. I have been intentionally playing her to the left because I knew she was spiraling. Hurting her feelings was something I never wanted to do, but all of a sudden, she seemed confused about what this was with us.

“I’m happy you decided to come back around. I knew you missed me as much as I missed you.” She looped her arms in my and scooted closer to me. I decided to get a driver for the evening because I didn’t feel like driving after the week I’d had. I also wanted to indulge by having a drink or two. I didn’t plan to get drunk because I would be out in public, but I wanted to relax more than usual tonight.

Dragging my eyes from the window, I peered down at her excited ones. Sandra looked good as hell tonight in a red cocktail dress with matching heels. Her makeup looked nice on her, but I told her often she didn’t need it—that much wasn’t a lie. She was a knockout, and I was sure she could find a suitor in any man she picked, but she was adamant about me.

I wanted to burst her bubble and tell her I only called her in hopes of getting some pussy before I went out of town, but I was going to let her make it. Instead, I just gave her a small smile and went back to peering out the window. I was choosing peace so that the relaxation I was seeking wouldn’t be hard to find. Some dinner, drinks, and pussy was the only equation I was accepting tonight.

As we drove toward downtown, I appreciated the beauty of the city. South Florida had a lot of rugged areas, but it also had a lot of love to give. I’d never lived anywhere other than my city, but since I didn’t know how long my stay in Milly Grove would be, I had to be receptive to change.

“What’s on your mind, baby?” she asked as she used her index finger to bring my eyes back to hers. “You’ve been quiet since you picked me up. Is it work?”

“Something like that…” I kept it simple. I would never put Sandra in my professional life. “It’s a little hectic right now—nothing I can’t handle.”

Since the meeting with the internal team last week, I’ve been withdrawn. If it wasn’t directly about Boudreaux Enterprises, I was reclusive. I wasn’t mad at my brothers, but I was offended. For the last two years, the insinuation that I couldn’t do my part when it came to my parents and their threats was insulting. Will I be sad if I lose my mother? Of course. Not just sad for me but for my grandparents as well. My mother is their only child, and although she had turned cold to me, she loved them just as they loved her. I wanted to talk to them and prepare them for what may transpire, but I didn’t have the heart to do it, especially since they were still innocent in their knowledge of what Rosier, Jules, and I did behind Boudreaux Enterprises. I would eventually have to make some sense of what was to come because they didn’t deserve to be kept in the dark about their daughter dying.

“Well, tonight… I want all of your time and focus to be on me.” She leaned closer and placed a soft kiss along my jawline. Her hand rubbing on my thigh was making my dick twitch. “What can I do to get your mind off things?”

Nibbling my bottom lip, my eyes roamed her sexy-ass body. Her breasts were threatening to spill from her dress, and my mouth watered at the sight. Bringing my eyes back up, I zoned in on her juicy-ass lips, and there was only one thing that could make me happy at the moment.

“You can start by giving me a kiss.” She puckered her lips and leaned toward mine, but I stopped her. “Not on my lips, though.”

A look of confusion flashed across her face before she smirked and caught the hint. Unfastening her seatbelt, she reached for the button of my slacks as I pressed the button to raise the partition. Feeling her fumble around to remove my dick from my boxers had me hard as bricks.

“I love this dick so much,” she murmured before she gave it one long lick. “How dare you keep him from me?”

“You gone talk or suck this nigga, San?” I pulled her hair from her face to see her better once she got down to business. “I ain’t for the small talk.”

She said nothing else as she dipped her head lower and began to suck on my balls. Alternating from the left to the right, I threw my head against the seat and relished her giving my dick slow strokes.

“Hmm,” she hummed as she licked from the base to the head. “Just as delicious as it was the last time I had it. Tell me, Dre… have you been giving my dick away?”

“Whether I’ve been fucking or not shouldn’t matter,” I groaned and peered down at her as she licked the precum from the tip of my swollen dick. “If I answer that, your feelings are going to be hurt, baby. You want to catch an attitude, and I want to catch this nut. Suck this dick, girl. It’s yours when I’m with you. Don’t worry about who it belongs to when I’m not.”

Staring at me for a moment, I could see the pain in her eyes. This is what she does every time we’re together, and I hate the shit. Why ruin the mood with questions that are going to have you sliding down the wall in the shower?

“Fine, but I bet they can’t do you better than me.” Taking my entire dick in her warm mouth, I couldn’t stop my toes from popping in my Gucci loafers if I tried.

One thing I will never deny is her ability to make me come. The way she sucks dick is the reason I’ve kept her around all these years. Cupping my nuts in her hand, she bobbed her head up and down rapidly as she slobbered all over my little homie.

“Shit, girl.” I groaned as I wrapped my hand around her hair tighter and thrust into her mouth. “That’s what the fuck I’m talking about.”

Swirling her tongue around the head every time she came up, I could already feel my nut rising. Faster and faster, I moved my hips in sync with her suctioning. I was a well-endowed nigga, so I knew she was going to be hoarse by the time I was done with her. Glancing over at her ass in the air, I gave her a hard slap, causing her moans to send more vibrations to my dick.

“Fuck, Dre,” she cooed as she pulled her mouth away from me. “I need you inside of me.”

“Nah, you’re going to suck this nut out of me, and if you do it good enough, I’ll give you the dick later.” I rubbed her ass a little before tracing the outline of her lower lips through her panties. “You’re wet as fuck, though.”

Getting back to the task at hand, she continued slurping me as I pulled her panties to the side and eased my middle finger inside of her pussy. Immediately, she clenched her walls around me. I stroked her a few times before pulling out and strumming her clit.

“Uggh!” she moaned as I pinched her clit before stroking it faster. “I’m going to come!”

“Suck this dick, San.” I palmed the back of her head as I continued to rub her. “We’re almost at the spot, baby, so catch this nut.”

Nothing could be heard in the backseat but moans and groans as we both were on the brink of our release. It didn’t take long for my nut to rise and shoot inside her mouth.

“Hmm!” she cried out and shook with a mouth full of dick and semen.

“Fuck!” I growled as she milked me of everything I had. “Gahdamn, girl.”

While we got our breathing together, the car came to a stop. Looking out the window, I realized we were at the steakhouse. Tapping her ass once more, I lifted her from my dick. Thankfully, she didn’t make that much of a mess on my slacks, but I knew her panties were ruined.

“You might as well take those off.” I smirked as she straightened her dress. “That wet spot is going to show through that dress.”

She smirked as she cleaned herself up. “I know… I want you to see what you do to me.”

Chuckling, we took a few more minutes before stepping out of the car and into the restaurant. With her arm looped in mine, we approached the hostess stand and were immediately seated, thanks to reservations.

“I’m so glad you called me to come out tonight,” she said for what seemed like the thousandth time. We were both now back at the table from washing our hands. “It’s been too long since the last time we saw each other.”

“Let’s just enjoy the night.” I sipped my water and looked over the menu. “I don’t want you reading too much into this, Sandra. I brought you out for a chill evening because I’m going out of town, and I wanted the company before I left.”

“Oh, you wanted to wine and dine me before taking me back to your condo.” The attitude in her voice caused me to look up at her, and sure enough, there was a frown on her face. “Am I just pussy to you, Dre?”

Thankfully, we were tucked into the corner, and our voices couldn’t easily be heard over the soft sounds of jazz playing. Placing my water on the table along with my menu, I looked her right in her eyes in hopes she would understand what I was saying. She wanted to have this conversation, so we were.

“How many times over three-plus years have I told you that this will be nothing more than a dick and pussy exchange?” This time, the sadness in her eyes didn’t move me. “You will never be my wife. Hell… you will never be my girlfriend. There’s nothing wrong with you, Sandra. You’d make the perfect helpmate. You just won’t be that for me.”

“Why?” she asked as her bottom lip trembled. “Why can’t I be that for you?”

“Because I don’t want you to be,” I answered honestly. “I like to fuck. Not just you, but other women too. I’m not willing to cut anyone off and make you my one and only, baby. It’s been years, and my stance has been the same since day one. I told you what it was going to be. I hate you caught feelings for me. Tonight wasn’t a date to say, ‘I miss you, and I want more.’ Tonight was a night to say, ‘thank you for pussy over the years. It’s been a blast, but I’m moving on because your time is up.’”

Tears streamed down her face as my words settled in. I didn’t want to hurt Sandra, but I felt like these were the words she needed to hear to move on from the thoughts of us ever being more than what we were. If I had to be rude in my delivery to make that happen, then so be it. I was tired of repeating myself.

“How can you do this to me?” She placed her head in her hands and cried. “I thought I could make you love me.”

“Um, hi,” the waiter greeted us. He looked back and forth between us two, unsure of whether to get our orders or not. “I can come back if you need me to…”

“We’re good,” I assured him as I placed the menu down. Sandra said nothing as she continued to cry softly. “Let me get a bottle of your most expensive wine and two of your porterhouse specials—both medium well.”

Handing him back the menu, it didn’t take him long to come back with the wine. After pouring our first glass, he informed us our food would be up shortly before he went on his way. By now, Sandra had stopped crying.

“Are you okay now?” I asked as I assessed her. “Do you need to go to the bathroom and clean yourself up?”

“I’m fine,” she mumbled and dabbed her eyes. “Let’s just eat dinner so you can take me home and use me.”

Chuckling, I decided not to answer her. She was trying to bait me, and I wasn’t going to let her. She did all that crying and was still willing to let me fuck her. After this dinner, she was getting dropped off at her spot. I hope she got a good and memorable taste of this dick in the car because I was never sticking it in any hole of hers again.

Looking around the restaurant, I saw that the crowd was just as I thought it would be. Fancy suits and laughter filled the air as the sounds of the live band played for our enjoyment. This particular spot was known for its prestigious guest list of patrons, so I wasn’t surprised at all by the man approaching my table.

“Andre Boudreaux!” He beamed with his hand extended. “Nice to see you again.”

I stood and accepted his hand to shake. “Good evening, Lieutenant Governor Holmes. It’s a pleasure to see you as well.”

“How are you doing this fine evening?”

I was scheduled to possibly kill my mother soon, and my pussy for the night had just been canceled. I smiled because telling him any of that was out of the question. “Things have been fine my way. How’s the family?”

Lieutenant Governor Holmes and I have been acquainted with each other for years. He and I met through philanthropy projects hosted by Boudreaux Enterprises. He’s been valuable in getting us set up in various places for the many projects we’ve worked on. He was a decent man with a beautiful wife and children—a respectable family man.

“Everyone is wonderful.” He grinned as he pulled out his phone and showed me a recent photo of his two sons. “The boys are growing daily and are almost as big as I am.”

“I see…” I smiled as I handed back his phone. Hearing Sandra sniffle, I brought my eyes back to her. “Excuse my rudeness. This is my date for the evening, Sandra.” I motioned toward her, and she gave a faint smile and wave. “San, this is Governor Holmes.”

“Nice to meet you, beautiful.” He smiled as he reached over to shake her hand. His eyes did a quick scan of her body, and I could see the lust in them. “You look lovely this evening.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” She pulled her hand back. “I’m not feeling well, so I know I look horrible, but I appreciate the compliment.”

After chatting briefly, he excused himself but not before making promises to reach out about a silent auction event he was hosting. I informed him I would let Rosier know to be on the lookout for the invite. Shortly after he left, our food was placed on the table. Sandra was quiet throughout the dinner and made the evening awkward. However, I wasn’t leaving until I finished my meal and drink.

“So… as I said, I have to go out of town for business.” I sipped my wine and eyed her over the rim of the glass. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be gone.”

“That sounds nice,” she stated, unenthused, as she played with her mashed potatoes. “Maybe you’ll find someone worth your time to add to your rotation since I’m not enough.”

As quickly as the thought of not leaving until my steak was devoured came, it went. Looking around, I found the waitress and waved him over. With a look of skepticism, he came right over. “Is everything okay?”

“Perfection.” I gave him an assuring nod as I removed my car from my wallet. “Can you run the tab, please? The food is great—no worries there.”

“Is there anything I can do to make your experience better?” He looked down at the half-eaten food. “I can get the chef or manager?—”

“No, a to-go plate will be great.” I nodded toward Sandra, who looked like she was going to break down at any moment. “My date is ready to leave.”

Nodding, he scurried off to do as I asked. I wasn’t going to sit up here and listen to the damn crying over some dick. At the end of the day, that’s what this was about.

“So, that’s it?” she asked as I escorted her back to our awaiting car. “You’re just going to drop me off and end things as if I meant nothing to you?”

“I’m not one for the back and forth, love.” I helped her into the car and told the driver to take us to her home to drop her off. “Fasten your seatbelt. We’ll be at your house soon.”

Crying silently to the side of me, I tuned her out as I pulled out my phone. There were a few missed calls and texts from a couple of ladies who wanted to see me tonight. As much as I wanted to take them up on their offers, I would leave well enough alone. I needed to get home and make sure everything was ready for my flight tomorrow.

So much for ending my last night here in some pussy.