Business is Business PT 5

  Business is Business - Part 5

  A Novel by Silk White

  Editor: Kesha Buckhana

  Cover design: Davida Baldwin

  Copyright ©2016 by Silk White

  Published 2016 by Good2Go Publishing

  7311 W. Glass Lane • Laveen, AZ 85339

  www.good2gopublishing.com

  twitter @good2gobooks

  G2G@good2gopublishing.com

  Facebook.com/good2gopublishing

  ThirdLane Marketing: Brian James

  Brian@good2gopublishing.com

  All rights reserved, therefore no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission expert in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For more information, contact publisher. This novel is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, establishments, and events portrayed in this novel are either product of the author’s imagination or are fiction.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  CHAPTER 1

  Millie

  Millie stepped out of Mike’s building with her head held high and a refreshed look on her face. One would never be able to tell that she had just murdered a man that she had raised from a toddler; a man that she had once called her son. Millie slid back into the passenger seat and put her seat belt on.

  “How did it go?” Nicole asked as she pulled away from the curb.

  “Smooth,” was Millie’s response. Now that she was back home, it was her responsibility to get the family back in order. “Everything is so messed up that it may take a little while to get things back on track.”

  “Where we headed now?” Nicole asked.

  “I have to go see a friend that owes me a little something,” Millie said with an evil smirk on her face.

  Twenty minutes later Nicole pulled up in front of a project building in Harlem and killed the engine. Millie and Nicole entered the building and took the stairs to the third floor. Once Millie found the door, she was looking for she gave it a light knock. Seconds later the sound of feet shuffling from behind the door could be heard followed by several locks being unlocked. The door swung open and a big man with a baldhead and a thick bushy beard stood with a stone look on his face.

  “Take that mean look off your face before I do it for you,” Millie said. Instantly the big man’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

  “Millie!” The big man squealed as he hugged Millie, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around in the process.

  “Okay, Knuckles put me down before you kill me by accident,” Millie smiled.

  Knuckles stepped to the side so Millie and Nicole could enter his apartment. Nicole stepped in the apartment and turned her nose up. The place was filthy and had a scent that she couldn’t describe.

  “When you get out?” Knuckles asked smiling from ear to ear.

  “Just now and you’re the first person I came to see,” Millie moved a pile of junk from off the couch and sat down. “What have you been doing with yourself?”

  “Nothing,” Knuckles shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer but he was loyal and a hard worker. “After they took you away, Derrick told me I couldn’t work for the family anymore,” Knuckles paused for a second. “I almost did something bad to Derrick but I didn’t do it because I didn’t want you to be mad at me.”

  “Why would you want to do something bad to Derrick?”

  Knuckles looked down at the floor. “Because he called me a retard,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. Millie walked over to Knuckles and hugged him. “You’re not a retard. I tell you all the time God made you different because you’re special.” Millie knew Knuckles was mentally challenged but she could use him in her master plan. “You ready to get back to work?”

  “I’m allowed to be back in the family business?” Knuckles said with an excited expression on his face.

  “Knuckles, you will always be my family, never forget that. Now get dressed. We got some business to take care of,” Millie told him.

  CHAPTER 2

  Eric

  Eric sat in his office with his feet kicked up on his desk watching an episode of a web series he got hooked on called The Hand I Was Dealt. Just as the series was getting good, Eric heard a light knock at the door. “Come in!”

  Pistol Pete entered the office with a confused look on his face. “Where’s Millie? I thought she was supposed to be getting out today?”

  “She’s out but nobody has heard anything from her yet,” Eric leaned back in his leather chair. “I’m sure we’ll hear from her sooner or later but be on point. Alex Russo and a few of those Italian fucks supposed to be on their way up here.”

  “What they want now?”

  “They want they hotel back,” Eric answered. He knew that the Russo family wouldn’t rest until they got their hotel back.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Pistol Pete asked.

  “They can kiss my ass!” Eric snapped. “I paid for this hotel. Now its mines, end of story.” As soon as the words left Eric’s lips, his secretary called him and told him that a Mr. Russo was here to see him.

  “Send him in.”

  Alex Russo entered the office along with his son, Frankie, and four strong faced goons.

  “Good afternoon, gentlemen. What can I help you with today?” Eric asked in a cool tone.

  “I’m here to see if we can work something out,” Alex Russo began. “I think we had a misunderstanding. You purchased one of my hotels but it wasn’t for sale and I’m here because I want it back.” He paused for a second to take in his surroundings. “I’ll pay double what you paid for it just so we don’t have no hard feelings.”

  “I wish I could help you,” Eric said. “But unfortunately there’s nothing I can do for you.”

  “I don’t think you understand,” Alex said with a friendly smile. “I’m going to get my hotel back one way or another. For your sake, I’m begging you to consider my offer.”

  “I’m sorry, are you threatening me?” Eric stood to his feet and immediately one of his bodyguards locked the door.

  “Why, yes, I certainly am,” Alex said with a straight face. “What you did was wrong and I will not allow you to get away with it. I’ve been doing business in this city for over forty years and I will not allow some hoodlums like you to come and mess things up.”

  Pistol Pete quickly reached under the desk, removed an AR-15 assault rifle, and aimed it at the men. Eric slowly walked around his desk and slapped the shit out of Alex Russo. “Don’t you ever come into my office and talk to me like that!” Eric growled. “I already told you this hotel is mine. I brought it fair and square. If you have a problem
with that then I suggest you take it up with Mr. Chambers because he’s the one who signed the contract. Now if you gentlemen would excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

  Alex Russo rubbed the side of his face and smiled. “I see some people insist on doing things the hard way. I’ll be in touch,” he said as him and his crew turned and exited the office. Once Alex and his crew left Pistol Pete spoke freely, “I don’t know if you should put your hands on that old man.”

  Eric waved Pistol Pete off. “Fuck him; I ain’t sitting here all day listening to bullshit. I have better things to do.”

  “I understand,” Pistol Pete said respectfully. “But right now we don’t need any more unnecessary problems. We already have to keep an eye out for the Black Dragon,” he reminded him. Eric still had no idea why the assassin known as the Black Dragon wanted him dead. The assassin claimed that someone had given his whereabouts to Chico in return for a reward.

  “Fuck Alex and the Black Dragon. I can’t sit around all day thinking about those clowns,” Eric huffed. In all reality, he was definitely concerned about the Black Dragon. From time to time, Eric found himself peeking over his shoulder trying to catch the danger before it caught him.

  “I hear what you saying but we really don’t need any more enemies,” Pistol Pete told him. “I didn’t like the look in Alex’s eyes when he left out of here. I say you should have Jimmy take care of that situation before it becomes a real issue.”

  “I’ll call Jimmy in a second,” Eric said as he grabbed his things and exited his office. He had an important meeting that he couldn’t be late to.

  CHAPTER 3

  Millie

  The white Benz came to a stop in front of a luxury building in downtown Manhattan. Millie, Nicole, and Knuckles stepped out the Benz and made their way to the front of the building. Immediately they were met by the doorman.

  “And who are you here to see?” the doorman asked politely.

  Millie ignored the doorman and walked past him as if he was invisible, continuing on towards the elevator.

  “Millie, I think that guy was talking to us,” Knuckles pointed out.

  “We don’t talk to strangers.” Millie patted Knuckles cheek gently as the trio boarded the elevator. The elevator reached the eighteenth floor before the doors dinged open. Millie strolled down the hallway until she found the door she was looking for and rang the doorbell. Seconds later a Spanish man in an expensive looking suit answered the door with a smile on his face. “Millie, Millie, Millie,” he sang showing every last one of his teeth. “What a pleasant surprise.” He stepped to the side so the trio could enter.

  “Cut the shit, Julio. You know why I’m here,” Millie huffed. “Before I went to prison you were paying 15% for protection fees. As soon as I went to jail your payments suddenly stopped and now I hear that for the past year you’ve had your men in territory that belongs to the Mason family.”

  “Let’s have a drink,” Julio walked over to his bar area and poured everyone a drink. Millie stepped further into the luxury apartment and spotted several half-naked women sitting around. Julio returned and handed Millie a glass. Millie disrespectfully slapped the glass out of Julio’s hand.

  “I’m here to talk business!” Millie snapped. “I’m going to need you to start paying for protection again. And instead of 15% now I’m going to have to charge you 30% since you have your men on territory that belongs to me.”

  Julio chuckled. “Listen Millie, this ain’t back in the day no more. You’ve been gone a long time and a lot of things have changed.” Julio wasn’t about to let Millie walk up in his spot and change how he’d been doing things, especially since she had been gone for almost twenty years. “Millie, you know I got nothing but love for you. I heard about the hardship that you and your family has been going through so if you ever get a little strapped for cash you can always come and work for me,” Julio said with an evil smirk on his face. That last comment got a few giggles out of some of the ladies that sat around.

  Millie took a step closer toward Julio. “I didn’t come here to fuck around and since you want to be a smart ass the price just went up to 40%,”

  “Stop fucking playing with me, bitch!” Julio barked. “You ain’t getting shit from me so you can take your taxes and shove them up your pretty little ass!”

  “That’s not how you should speak to a lady,” Knuckles stepped in.

  Julio looked at Knuckles and busted out in a dramatic laugh. “Listen, you retard. I talk how I want in my shit!”

  As soon as Knuckles heard the word “retard” leave Julio’s lips, he snapped. “I’m not retarded!” he roared as he grabbed Julio by his shirt and tossed him across the room as if he were a baby. Julio crashed violently into the wall unit. Before Julio got a chance to recover, Knuckles was already on top of him rearranging his face with each punch landed. Millie looked on with a smile on her face. She kept Knuckles around for a reason. He was a good person but if you got on his bad side, it was hell to pay. Knuckles stomped Julio out then reached down and lifted Julio up over his head. Without warning, Knuckles ran and tossed Julio out the eighteenth floor window. Just as the ladies in the house were about to scream, Nicole pulled out her silenced .380 and put all five of the half-naked women down before they could even process what was going on. Millie walked over and rubbed Knuckles back gently. “Calm down, it’s going to be alright.”

  “I’m not retarded,” Knuckles whined as his chest heaved up and down. He knew he was different but there was something about being called out that drove him over the edge.

  “Listen Knuckles, I’m home now. You don’t ever have to worry about anything ever again,” Millie promised. She didn’t know how Knuckles had made it this long with her being away for such a long time. Ever since they were kids, Millie had always looked after Knuckles and treated him like a normal person when everyone teased and made fun of him. “Come on; let’s go get something to eat.”

  CHAPTER 4

  The Black Dragon

  The Black Dragon stepped off the Greyhound bus with a no-nonsense look on his face. He rode on the bus for hours to get to New York just because they weren’t allowed to search his bags on the bus. The Black Dragon grabbed his bag and made his way towards the subway. Inside his bag were all of his favorite killing instruments. He stood up on the train and thought about how he was going to kill Eric for double-crossing him. The Black Dragon stepped off the train and headed straight for the hole in the wall motel he would be staying at during this trip. Once inside the room, the Black Dragon dumped all his weapons out on the bed, changed into all black, and grabbed his weapons of choice. Then he headed right back out the door. He had business to take care of.

  The Black Dragon pulled up across the street from the hotel that Eric owned and placed the gear in park. The Black Dragon grabbed his .380 from off the passenger seat, attached the silencer to the barrel, then stepped out the car and made his way across the street. The Black Dragon stepped in the hotel and headed straight for the front desk.

  “May I help you?” the blonde hair receptionist asked with a big friendly smile on her face.

  “Yes, I’m looking for Eric Mason,” he said.

  “I’m sorry but he’s not here today,” she replied.

  “Well, it’s really important that I speak with him. Is there any way you can call him for me?” the Black Dragon asked as he gave a friendly smile.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I have no way to get in touch with him,” the receptionist said. “But I’m sure he’ll definitely be in tomorrow if you wanted to come back and try again.”

  The Black Dragon smiled. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure I’ll track him down before the night is out. You have a good night,” he said politely as he turned and made his exit.

  As soon as the Black Dragon exited the hotel, the receptionist quickly walked to the back room, went down a flight of stairs, then turned down a narrow hallway, and knocked on the door.

  Pistol Pete answered the door. “Hey,
Brittany. What’s up?”

  “Sorry, don’t mean to bother you guys. Just thought y’all should know that a scary looking man dressed in all black just came by looking for Eric.”

  Eric sat behind a desk along with two other men counting a table full of cash. “Was he dark skin with a low hair cut?” Eric asked.

  Brittany nodded. “Yup.”

  “Low eyes and a thin mustache?”

  “Yup, that’s him,” Brittany confirmed.

  Eric walked over to Brittany and handed her a hundred dollar bill. “Keep up the good work,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Brittany said then made her exit. Once she was out of the room Eric spoke freely. “I knew the Black Dragon would be coming for me sooner or later. Tell everyone to strap up and be on point.”

  “More than likely he’ll be outside scoping the building waiting on you to come and go,” Pistol Pete said.

  “Good. Round up a couple of shooters and go air his car out,” Eric ordered.

  “I’m on it,” Pistol Pete said as he left to go handle his business.

  CHAPTER 5

  Jimmy

  Jimmy sat in the passenger seat of the silver Range Rover sipping on a cup of Effen vodka. It was a nasty rainy night and, as usual, Jimmy was up to no good. “Yo, slow down before you get us pulled over.”

  Murder sat behind the wheel bobbing his head to the sound of Remy Ma’s new mixtape. “Yo, where we headed?”