Chapter 9

She stood by the window staring out at the street that just started to bustle with early morning traffic and people walking about. Her golden locks shined in the sunlight, her fingers ran through the right side of her hair as her mind flashed to a photo, she had seen moments ago of Nigel with Emily and Amy. I did it for your own good, at least now, you can find happiness, she thought.

She felt strong hands on her bare shoulders, “Why do you worry, my love,” asked Sean as his naked body pressed against hers as they looked out the window of their hotel room, “Akin and I will take great care of you.”

She nodded as she turned to him. They looked over at Akin who was still asleep. She touched his shoulder, “There are things that money can’t resolve.”

He scoffed, “Such as?”

She gave a gentle smile, “Money can at times get you a seat at certain tables.”

He gave her a blank stare but she was no longer interested in continuing the dialogue. The meeting was in a couple of hours and her parents wanted to see her before the meeting with the Manzini’s. “Well, my love, I wish you a successful talk with your people today but ... before you leave and while the giant is sleeping—” he lifted her and pressed his way inside.

“Ahhhh,” she moaned, he was the younger of her two lovers. She held on tight as he worked her middle rapidly. They both grunted like wild animals in heat. It was a wonder Akin stayed asleep through it but he had drunk himself into oblivion and couldn’t even get his cock to wake up that night when she returned from her meeting with Gio.

Miriam never missed an opportunity to look her best even when she wasn’t feeling it, she made a point to look like a star. She sat in front of her mother and father on the lanai of their summer home in Florida wearing a black floral applique mesh overlay halter dress.

Her skin had this bronze glow and seemed to sparkle. Her mother had more to say than her tight-lipped father. “Why do you do these things?” her mother asked seemingly annoyed.

She shrugged, “I don’t understand why you’re so upset. Dad is content with me asking Mr. Manzini to keep the costs the same so the company won’t incur increased costs. The Manzini’s are good about honoring their agreements.”

Her mother huffed. “It’s not about money,” she rolled her eyes.

Miriam in turn rolled her eyes before she looked over at her father, “Here we go—”

“Yes, here we go. You live to embarrass us and make us look like fools. First that, wild thing in London and then—”

Miriam looked frightened as her mother almost divulged the secret that her father was never made aware of. Her mother sipped from her cocktail glass as she gathered her next few thoughts.

Miriam stood to her feet, “I know Akin isn’t your ideal match for me but these days, more people are accepting of interracial marriages. You shouldn’t be that way.” Miriam said to her in a manner that caused her to go on defense.

“What way?”

“I mean ... if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you hated black people or something.”

Her face nearly fell off as she gasped and clutched her invisible pearls. Her father interjected, “Now. Miriam, calm down, you know your mother and I don’t have anything, against Black people.”

Miriam smirked, “I know you don’t father,” she replied as she kissed his cheek, “It’s time for us to go meet with Vincenzo.”

Her mother looked at her father, “I told you that Julietta would have been better for this type of thing.”

Miriam smirked, “There. You love to throw my good precious pious sister in my face. But I assure you that Giovanni would have become bored with her after an hour.”

Julietta was her younger sister. One year younger, she wasn’t as pretty as Miriam but a delicate beauty in her own right. Yet she kept herself covered and was a devout Catholic almost to the point where it was deemed excessive.

Julietta did have a small crush on Gio but her conversations often revolved around religion and nothing more. He couldn’t believe that she and Miriam were biological sisters because they were so different.

As her mother and father stood to their feet, her mother rebutted, “Julietta has kept her husband happy for the last three years.”

Miriam scoffed, “Has she?”

Her mother decided not to get into it with Miriam. It often was a match that she lost. She was never successful at making Miriam feel less than her sister. “Can we just go and get this over with,” she snapped as she marched away.

Natalie was in the kitchen preparing a cup of coffee when Gio entered wearing a nice suit. Whenever he met with his father, he made sure to arrive in business attire. Natalie was dressed sharply in a skirt and blazer. She nodded to her brother, “Morning. Coffee?” she asked as she began pouring him a cup.

He nodded, “Sure.”

She handed him a small saucer with the cup on top, “Where is Nyla?”.”

“I decided not to bring her just yet. I want to wait until after we speak with baba.”

Natalie agreed, “You’re right. Let’s go slowly. We don’t want to expose too much at once might give the old man a heart attack.”

“Don’t joke like that.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. So, are we ready?”

He took one last sip of his drink just as Nyla was entering the kitchen wearing a pretty tropical print dress, “I almost forgot how much I loved the weather here,” she commented smiling.

Natalie looked at the dress she wore which made her huge breasts sit up even higher as they were individually housed in a strip of cloth, “You look amazing Nyla.”

“Thank you.”

Gio pulled her close for a kiss, “I’ll see you in a few. Call me if you need anything.”

She nodded, “I will. Love you.”

She watched as the two exited the house. Her cell phone sounded. She looked at her message from Jake which read, “Can’t stop thinking about yesterday. I know you missed that stroke game. I felt how you were tightening up on my dick.”

“Jake, stop.”

“You weren’t saying that yesterday.”

She shook her head and placed the phone down. Her mind flashed to that moment and her body shuddered. She shook her head and screamed in aggravation, “Damn you, Jake!”

Dressed sharply in a navy blue suit as he sat behind the wheel of one of his shiny new cars, Jake smiled as he closed out the text message from Nyla. He licked his butter pecan lips and grinned. It was almost time for a meeting with La Patrona.

He adjusted his red tie and looked himself over in the rearview mirror. It was time. He exited his car in the high-rise parking deck. His footsteps sounded against the concrete as he made his way to the elevators.

“Bing,” it sounded, the doors opened, and there, a stone-faced man glared at him as he stepped into the car. The man hit the 22nd floor and nodded at him, “Senor Jake?”

“Uh yeah,” he replied. It was quiet but luckily the ride was quick as the elevator zipped up to the 22nd floor, the doors opened and soon, he was greeted by another man who walked alongside him until he reached the door.

The man’s ashy hand reached for the door, turned the knob, and opened it for Jake. They stepped into the foyer, and the door shut, “This way,” the man said to him in Spanish and Jake followed close on his heels until they ended up in a room where a beautiful older woman sat at a large desk. Fernando was on her right-hand side, “This must be Jake,” she said with certainty.

Jake smiled, “Good morning.” He looked around and saw a line of handsome men standing by a window in the position of parade rest. “Uh, okay,” he said uneasily.

She chuckled, “He’s cute, relax, Jake,” she said as she stood to her feet. “These are your men ... well, my men but they will report to you, and you to Fernando.”

The men ranged in Hughes from olive with dark hair and blue eyes to caramel brown with deep brown eyes. She strutted over to the first man, “Oscar,” she touched his chiseled chin for a moment before stepping to the next, “Brandon, Marvin, Easton, and Isaac.”

Jake waved. She looked at them, “Say hello to your new boss.”

They spoke. And then she dismissed them. She walked over to Jake and touched his chin with her three fingers, “I’m counting on you to keep these guys in line and on target. It’s imperative.”

Jake’s forehead scrunched, “Imperative?”

She nodded, “Yes. Your success is my success and I want nothing but the best for us.” She stepped away. Her toned calves bulged with every step and her ass was nice and firm in the skirt she wore. He watched as she whispered to Fernando.

Moments later, Fernando walked over to him, “I’ll walk you out.”

They headed down the hall. As they walked, they saw a tall figure walking toward them. He was young yet he had this demeanor as he walked that made him seem superior to others. The man didn’t even acknowledge their presence as he strutted by. Jake looked at Fernando, “Who was that?”

They were outside of the apartment, “The less you know about La Patrona’s associates the better off you are.”

Jake scoffed, “A’ight man. I’m cool.”

“That’s right, be cool,” replied Fernando as he patted Jake’s shoulders in front of the elevator, “we have to make this money until—” he paused.

Jake’s eyebrow lifted, “Until what?”

“Don’t worry. I have confidence in you,” he said as he handed him a card, “this is the address where you will meet with the guys daily. Or ... as needed.”

Jake eyed the card, “Look man, this ain’t no crack house or nothing like that. I’m not trying to get caught up.”

Fernando chuckled, “This is a house. One that La Patrona owns. It’s a safe spot. The guys are never to have their, um, well, you know, dates, at the house.”

Jake nodded.

“Make sure you lay down the rules. Have your first meeting with them in an hour to establish your position.”

Jake felt uneasy at first but Fernando placed one hand on his right shoulder, “You were made to do this, and remember ... this is just a means to what you really want.”