Page 4 of Grand Master

THE GRAND MASTER DON’T JUST PLAY THE BOARD, HE OWNS IT…

Tonight, the pieces moved exactly how I wanted. The strip club on Fig was hot and thick with weed smoke, sweat, along with perfume and cheap ass cologne from men that just wanted a quick nut or to forget about the nagging ass women they had at home waiting for them to return.

“Blow that shit the opposite way of my view.” I eyed Tone seriously.

Tone huffed out roughly but made sure to do what I directed.

I cared for him deeply. I couldn’t flat out say that it was love, he was my blood brother.

I didn’t know my Pops fathered any other kids until his death.

My first time meeting Tone was at Pops funeral.

He was there through it all, the only man besides Pops that witnessed my transformation after the loss of momma.

I lost control back then, Tone was the only person who called himself trying to ground me.

For that I kept him close, he got to see what most people didn’t with me.

Normalcy. At least something close to that.

Still, I kept my guard up. Pops always preached to me about the person closest would be the one to bring me to my knees if I didn’t watch close enough.

Not that I took everything that Pops taught me to the heart.

Especially since I spent a countless number of years trying my best to clean up the fucked-up streets of Los Angeles in general.

I had to remind myself constantly that Pops should have taken his own advice.

If he had taken it, he and moms would still be alive. Rosco was too many steps ahead of him.

Most people looked at me as a kingpin, a drug dealer and half of them assumed that I was on drugs stepping in Pops shoes, so they respected me and stayed away.

I let people think whatever, about it all.

I knew who I was, I had multiple self-titles under my belt that people didn’t know about.

Money was never the issue because I made so much.

I became a grown ass man at thirteen so there wasn’t shit a person could teach me or tell me.

When I looked in the mirror, I saw a powerful chemist, with the ability to make a change.

Didn’t matter to me if it was by force, or if it happened by accident.

I never talked about the chemist part much, people heard the word chemist and automatically thought that I had a college degree along with other certifications, but I taught myself with the help of my mom at a young age.

If it wasn’t for me meeting one of my partners named Nemesis back when I was fifteen, I would have still been providing poison to the black community like Pops did.

Nemesis helped me set up my private lab and helped me put together different potions.

He also was my official teacher; he provided me with tons of books and tested my skills to strengthen my knowledge.

It all kept me busy, grounded, and stopped me momentarily from breaking people’s necks.

It took me years to create a new perfect scientific flower that I later named Owlette.

It was potent, a feel good but healthy drug that I mixed up with my weed to help balance my up and down impulsive moods.

One moment I felt good, the next I felt low.

Other dangerous times when I experienced dark days, I found myself forgetting my purpose.

Owlette helped me remember, I’d never go to a doctor after meeting Nemesis and learning how crooked they were.

I didn’t need a therapist either, I found my own remedies and had Nemesis who was another powerful chemist that had a cure for just about any health concerns assist me.

I looked over at Tone who now made sure to blow his weed smoke behind him instead of letting it mess up my view of her.

My obsession had grown…

She was beautiful…

Tempting…

Damaged…

What made her that way? Will I take you too and force you to change?

Give me a reason, beautiful. Truth was, I had no valid reason to take her and that angered me.

I wanted to act off impulse the first time I heard her play.

I had to demonstrate self-control to prove to myself that I was in control over my impulsive disorder.

Something pulled me toward her; I ignored it because I currently had my hands in a lot of different things.

Expanded distribution of Owlette was underway and it was a force to be reckoned with.

Along with expanded distribution came new enemies.

Most men knew who I was and plotted several times to take my board and empire away from me.

I had to remain focused, anybody that attempted to make a move on me met their fate.

My eyes left her for a couple seconds to take in the club. A lot of people felt good tonight because of Owlette. Although most dealt with poverty, it never ceased to amaze me how muthafuckas made sure to have enough money for drugs. That alone disgusted me.

The lights pulsed purple and red, as a couple of women moved up and down the poles seductively.

Their asses shook hard for men with already empty wallets.

Some of the smart ones stared hard my way, probably plotting a failed plan to get whatever earnings they could up out of me.

None of that shit mattered. Because she was still to the left of the stage.

Her violin was tucked under her chin; her kinky long wavy tresses fell around her smooth brown face. With her eyes closed, her bow glided across the strings like she was pulling her soul out for the room to see.

Save her from whatever agony she’s in…

She played in harmony while she tuned the outside world out. She was pure, to the average Joe she was just a piece of pussy. I tried to write her off the first time I saw her as not being my type. But that was a lie…and I didn’t lie to myself.

Out of all the women in this ran down, hand me down strip club trying their hardest to catch my gaze, she succeeded. Her big pure eyes reminded me of my owls.

My little owl…

She didn’t belong here; I still didn’t understand why the fuck she was here with an old ass violin playing along with ratchet music while bitches got naked and showed everything they had to offer.

Her softness and innocence clung to her like a final prayer.

This place was considered a graveyard for women like her.

She was thicker than most of the dancers here.

I imagined her thighs being soft under her ripped jeans.

Her lips were parted with a tiny gold nose ring that glinted under the club lights.

Every time the song changed, she readjusted her bow and tune, it amazed me how her violin enhanced every song.

I never saw a woman play a violin at a filthy sinful strip club…

What are the odds? She opened her eyes momentarily, I sat up…

because I saw something that couldn’t be mistaken.

Drugs. It was in her system mixed with life sorrows.

I missed it, that glossy look wasn’t there the past weeks as I observed her.

Tonight, something bothered her deeply. She turned to a substance to help her zone out.

I had the gift of reading into people without having to be told about them.

Most of the time, I was right. I felt the king chess piece in my head move across the board.

She played like she didn’t hear drunk men yelling, like she didn’t see the thirsty bottom of the barrel wolves licking their lips at her and throwing dollars at her feet.

Some of them begged with their eyes for her to put the violin down and take off her clothes so they could see her thick body.

I saw it all, down to the way her fingers trembled whenever the music got soft.

Maybe she was hurting, or maybe she was happy?

None of it should have crossed my fuckin’ mind.

So many nights I paid attention to things with her that I shouldn’t have.

Like the way her fingers trembled when the music got soft, how her chest rose when she pulled the bow hard, her lips always quivered a little when her eyes opened.

She’d catch all of the chaos around her before shutting her eyes again.

Timid bitches can be the best bitches to keep around you, Kenric.

They will fall in line, submit and be the diamond in the rough that you need when shit out in the streets go bad.

Pops words hit me, and I couldn’t help but to agree.

That’s why some of them need to be saved Pops, so they won’t be so timid and can see what their meant to be…

Right now, she felt eyes on her, but she didn’t know whose.

She didn’t know who I was, yet… Tonight, she had to feel that I was here.

Maybe this was a game to her, but her fear would be something that I thrived off of.

She was too perfect to be in here. Why the drugs lady?

Now I’m going to have to do something that I stopped doing a year ago. Capture, and cleanse …

I leaned back on the black leather VIP couch, my Glock heavy on my thigh under the table.

I readjusted my gold chains against my chest and kept watching.

Tone was next to me, rolling a back wood, with a bag of cash that he collected right in front of me.

Tone loved to conduct business while I was present.

I guess he liked to prove that the six figures he made weekly was deserved since he never had any slip ups.

“She got a fat ass, but she too big for my liking though.” Tone chuckled.

I don’t give a damn about her size, you shouldn’t either… I thought as I took in her smooth nutmeg complexion.

She’s perfect…

“Who?” I played dumb on purpose not looking over at Tone. I knew exactly who he was talking about.

I asked myself did I want to check Tone for checking out the same woman that he saw me watch for weeks now.

What the fuck did I truly want to do? Anything I wanted, I got.

Any woman I snatched off the streets and saved ended up back at square one sometimes.

I moved them off my board as soon as I got bored or saw that they made good progress.

I also blessed those same women and had them removed by force since none of them ever wanted to leave.

Tone liked to call it Stockholm syndrome.

“The violin girl, I notice her every time we come here. Bro, I never saw you with a big girl.” He said as he licked the blunt sealing it shut.

There was so much more that his nosey ass wanted to say.

I heard what he didn’t say loud and clear.

I didn’t have to come here to collect shit, it’s what the fuck I had him and plenty others in position for.

It was none of his business, and I wouldn’t dare explain a thing.

When the time came, he and Dre would handle my light work.

“She clean.” I said voice low and casual. I had to keep calm in the situation, but I had already started to mentally peel back the layers of having this woman dwelling in my home.

Tone glanced at me quickly; he probably recognized the shift with me.

I felt it within myself but never cared to recognize it.

Whenever something drastically was about to change or affect my everyday life, there was a shift.

A feeling that took over me that couldn’t be denied.

Tonight’s shift was all the confirmation that I needed to prove that she was a new important piece.

“Clean?” He asked, with his bushy brows raised.

“She’s na?ve…” I smirked, never taking my eyes off her.

“She has no idea what this world is yet.” I said, snatching the blunt from him.

I lit it and pulled slowly. Tone leaned back and grinned, the look of amusement shined bright in his eyes. This ain’t no fuckin show Tone, I thought to myself.

“You want her.” He stated, not a question, just fact.

I did want her, all of her. First, she needed to be cleansed and rid of the unnecessary baggage that made a part of her ugly.

She was ruining her life expectancy with whatever poison she relied on; she should have known that.

My eyes landed on her ankles; I moved them up to her thick thighs that spread from her sitting in the chair.

So much fucking meat to grab onto, I wonder how she’ll smell when I sit her up on my shoulders?

My dick instantly swelled against my thigh and came to life.

I want her, fuck that! I got to have her by tonight!

I let a cloud of smoke out slowly, watching it swirl in the dim light before drifting in the direction of the stage. Fuck it, no need to toy around about this anymore, she looks like she needs saving.

I eyed Tone, he was dressed for the occasion of what tonight would bring.

Kidnap. Tone wore all-black everything, including Dre.

We didn’t come here to look appealing; we came here to collect.

I personally made the decision that my collection would add a cherry on top to the debt that Ricky owed me… Her.

“Get her name.” I said, handing the blunt back. My eyes never left her.

“Find out what or who she’s scared of, who she loves, and who loves her.

If they’re anybody you think that I can use as a sacrifice for her because they mean her no good, bring them to me.

I want to know where she goes when she’s done here, and anything else attached to her.

” I looked over at him when I was done saying all of my demands.

Tone nodded, he pulled out his phone and started typing fast. I watched her finish the song; her last note was a little off.

Finally, she stepped off the stage, violin in hand, her curls stuck to her sweat slicked neck.

She didn’t look towards my section, but she felt me. I was sure of it by the way she moved.

She moved fast, slipped through the crowd ignoring men that reached for her. She swatted a few hands away that grabbed hand fulls of her hefty ass. My jaws clenched tight as I watched on. I could snap their fucking necks before the night is over.

With her head down, she clutched her violin case to her chest. Her thick lips pressed tightly together like she was holding in something that needed to be said.

I watched her until she disappeared down the dark hallway towards the locker rooms. I knew this place inside out; I practically owned the place since Ricky the owner had turned into a crackhead.

He owed me lots of money, the only reason he was still breathing was because of his closeness to my Pops.

My heart rate accelerated then I smiled, a small cold smile that never reached my eyes. Because I knew, even before I had her name, before I found out where she laid her head at night, before I knew what made her break… she was mine.

A new piece on my board.