Prince of the City (28 page)

After talking to Linda, Malik went upstairs to check on Peaches. “Get up, boo. I need to talk to you,” he said, waking her.

“What's up, Malik?”

“Remember when you said you would risk your life for me?”

“Yes, baby.”

“Did you really mean it?”

“Of course I mean it. What's wrong?”

“Nothing, just listen. I need you to do something for me.”

Malik explained to Peaches what he wanted her to do. Peaches was the mother of his child, and so far the only person he could trust. Malik gave her all the details and instructed her to make reservations for a flight out of town.

“Where to? Where do you wanna go, baby?”

“Anywhere you wanna start a new life. You name it.”

“Okay, baby. Please be careful.”

“I will. You just do your part and wait for my call.”

“Okay, I will. Malik, I love you.”

Malik cupped Peaches's face in both his hands. “And I love you too, Peaches. I promise I'm a make you the happiest wife on earth after all this is over.”

Malik then went into his closet and pulled out his P-13, sixteen-shot .45, and armor-piercing bullets. He put on a pair of black Versace jeans, a black Versace sweater, and some black Versace suede boots. He wore his mink coat, Frank Muller watch, and three-carat diamond earring.

Ring.

“Hello?” Malik said after he answered his phone.

“What's up, nigga? It's ten o'clock and I'm out front. You want me to come in or what?” Rico asked.

“Nah, you can meet Aunt Linda later.”

“A'ight. You got directions to the joint?”

“Yeah. Kojack gave them to me about ten minutes ago.”

“Well hurry up and bring your monkey ass out here.”

“Fuck you, Rico.”

As Malik descended the stairs, Linda was at the bottom waiting for him. “You know what to do, right?”

“Yeah. Just make sure you come pick up the money at Wingate Condominiums when I call you.”

“Okay, I'll be here waiting for your call. Be careful, Malik. Sam is a vicious and sneaky man. Watch him carefully. Okay?”

“I know what to do.” Malik and Linda embraced.

Ten minutes later, Malike slid into the passenger seat of Rico's Range Rover and slammed the door.

“There's been a change of plans,” Malik said once he was inside.

“What's up?” Rico asked.

“Nigga, we 'bout to pull off the biggest caper of our lives.”

Rico's eyes lit up. “What are you getting at?”

“We gonna rob Black Sam blind.”

“Yes!” Rico said with enthusiasm shining brightly in his eyes. “Nigga, that's what I'm talking 'bout. We're taking over this muthafucka for real.” Rico pulled his gun and waved it around like a maniac.

“Calm down, Rico. Calm down.”

“Okay, I'm calm. It's just that I was wondering when you was gonna come around to your senses.”

“Now is the time to claim our spot on the throne. You ready?”

“Nigga, I was born ready. Let's get the ball rolling and hurry up and get this shit over with. I can just smell the money.” Rico inhaled and briefly closed his eyes.

“Good then. Now pull over and let me drive.”

 

 

Chapter 37

 

-CROWN ME KING-

 

 

ico passed Malik the blunt as he turned into the Tantallon neighborhood in Fort Washington, Maryland.

“Damn, it's some big-ass houses out here,” Rico said, admiring every house they drove past.

“Yeah, this is where all the rich, white folks stay. They only let a select few blacks in.”

“I hear Riddick Bowe lives out here.”

“Yeah, he does. And the broad who played Laura on Family Matters lives out here too.” Malik turned onto a dark street, which revealed a house that took up half the block. He smiled at Rico.

“From the directions, this one right here is Black Sam's joint,” Malik said as he pulled through the open gate, which was guarded by two life-sized statues of lions with their mouths wide open. As he drove through, lights automatically turned on, giving him directions to his parking spot.

“Malik, this here is some real fly shit. I swear, in all my years of hustling, I've never seen no shit like this before. This joint reminds me of Tony Montana's house in Scarface.”

“Yeah Rico, this is a serious joint.”

As Malik parked, he looked to his right at the fleet of cars lined up.

“Oh, shit! Rico, look at this. I know this nigga don't got no Bentley.”

“Damn, that's a grown man's car.”

Kojack came out to greet the two young men as they sat marveling at the dark blue Bentley Azure with cream interior.

“Hey fellas. Glad to see you made it. Did you have trouble finding the joint?”

“Nah. We were just sightseeing on the way through,” Malik said.

“Yeah, it's some real fly houses out here. Ain't it, Malik?”

“Yeah, Jack.”

“Don't worry about it. After tonight, the two of you will be able to live out here.”

“I know we will,” Rico replied in a sarcastic tone.

“Come on, fellas. We've been waiting for you.” Kojack led them to the front door where Chevece stood dressed in an all-black Chanel gown. Around her neck was Connie's diamond necklace, which Black Sam took after killing Connie in the apartment thirteen years prior.

As she greeted the two young men, Malik almost broke down in tears at the sight of the necklace his father had bought his mother for their anniversary. Now he knew for sure that Sam was his parents' killer.

“Hello fellas. I'm Mrs. Bennett. Let me take your coats. Please make yourselves at home. My husband will be down in a minute. Is there anything I can get you?”

“No thank you,” Malik said, eyeing the necklace.

“Yes, ma'am. A glass of champagne will be fine,” Rico responded.

Chevece looked at Rico. “Well, young fella. What kind do you prefer?”

“Anything,” Rico said as he lusted over her body.

Chevece smiled at the young, curly-haired boy, who she thought was handsome.

“Come on in the guestroom, you two,” Kojack said. He led Malik and Rico into Black Sam's conference room.”

“What time is it?” Rico asked.

Malik looked at his watch. “It's eleven o'clock.”

“Rico, you got somewhere to be?” Kojack asked.

“Nah, 'Jack. I just wanted to know how long we got before the ball drops. I'm tryna bring in the New Year with a bang,” Rico responded with a smile.

“Yeah, I know what you mean, man,” Kojack said.

Chevece came into the conference room with five glasses on a tray and a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne. Malik knew from the glasses that there were only five people in the house, which was perfect, because soon they would all be in one room together.

“Here you go, young fella. That's Dom P, the best champagne around,” Chevece said as she smiled at Rico.

“Thank you, ah . . .”

“Call me Mrs. Bennett.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you, Mrs. Bennett.”

“Sure.”

As Rico reached for the glass of champagne, a strong, tall man resembling Michael Jordan came into the room. He was dressed in an all-black Armani tuxedo with a six-carat yellow diamond in his ear and a handcrafted Audemars Piguet watch iced in yellow diamonds on his wrist.

“Hello, fellas. I see you've made yourselves at home.” The first person he reached out to was Rico. His presence was bold as he walked straight up to Rico, looked him in the eyes, and pressed his palm firmly but not tightly.

“Hello, I'm Sam, but my friends call me Black Sam. And you are?”

“R-Rico . . . I'm Rico,” he stuttered, intimidated by Black Sam's presence.

“Well, pleased to meet you, Rico. Why don't you have a seat?”

Rico sat down on the plush leather sofa, admiring the strength of the older gangster while envying his position. Rico wanted desperately to be like Black Sam.

As Sam walked up to Malik, he looked him hard in the face. He stood for a fews seconds and looked even harder. From the way Sam was acting, everyone sensed something was wrong. Malik stood firm and looked Sam in the eyes, the same way Michael did before Sam pulled the trigger. Sam was in shock. This young man resembled his best friend and one-time partner so much that he uttered his name without realizing it. “Mike!”

At the sound of his father's name, Malik acted on instinct, pushing Sam back with his left hand and drawing his .45 to Sam's face with his right.

“Nah, nigga, it's Malik. Mike's son.”

Rico got up off the sofa, drew his Desert Eagle .357, and pointed it at Kojack and the lovely Mrs. Bennett. “Don't nobody move or say nothing. If you do, I'm a put a hole in your ass so big they gonna have to bury you in a closed casket. Now, everybody on your knees,” Rico instructed as he checked Kojack and Sam for weapons.

Malik held his gun firmly on Black Sam. “Now look, Sam. We came for the money, not your lives. So please don't make me kill you and your wife.”

At the statement, Chevece started crying. “Oh my God, please don't kill me! Please. Please don't kill us! Oh my God, help me!”

“Shut up, bitch, before I put a bullet in your head,” Rico said.

“Yes, okay. I'll do anything you want. Just don't kill me.”

“Hey, Malik. Do you know what you're doing? Man, you can't rob us and get away with it,” Kojack said.

“Nigga, shut the fuck up. I run this shit. You talk when I say so. And since you're the first to jump out there, I'ma ask you where the money's at, and if you don't tell me, you die. Kojack, where's the bank?”

“All I know is that I got like three million upstairs, but I don't know where Sam put it though.”

“Well, since you don't know, then you die.” Malik walked over to Kojack and put his .45 against Kojack's forehead.

“Fuck you, Malik!” Kojack said, showing no fear.

“Fuck you too.”

Boom!

The .45 exploded, blowing out Kojack's brains.

Chevece let out a loud scream. “Oh my God! Sam, do something! Tell them where the money is! Please don't kill me!”

Sam remained silent and calm while Chevece was panicked and disturbed by the murder she'd just witnessed.

“Bitch, shut up before I blow your fucking head off,” Rico said as he placed his gun to her head.

“Okay, okay, just please don't kill me,” she cried out, holding her hands in the air as if to say stop.

“Now, Sam, listen closely. I'ma ask you one more time where the money is, and if you give me the wrong answer, I'm sending your lovely wife straight to la-la land,” Malik said.

Chevece instantly got hysterical. “Oh no! Please don't kill me! Please, Sam. Do something! Tell them where the money's at!” she screamed.

Sam still remained calm, never saying a word. From the way Sam was acting, Chevece knew Sam didn't care if she lived or died.

As Rico cocked back his gun and placed it in Chevece's face, one second away from pulling the trigger, she yelled out, “Nooo! The money is upstairs in the master bedroom. There's a secret wall behind the closet.”

“What's the combination?” Malik asked.

After Chevece quickly revealed the combination, Rico ran upstairs to retrieve the money. Malik still held his gun on Sam and Chevece as he began to talk.

“Now, Sam, I can understand you killin' my father, but I have one question. What did my mother have to do with it? Why did you kill my mother?”

“Oh my God, Sam. You killed his mother!” Chevece yelled.

“Shut the fuck up, Chevece!” Sam yelled.

After hearing Chevece's name, Malik now knew who Mrs. Bennett really was. “Did he just call you Chevece? Is your name Chevece Jones?” Malik asked.

“Yes. How did you know my maiden name? Who are you?”

“You knew my father.”

“Who's your father?”

Malik looked at Chevece. He could see her pain. She was innocent, yet caught in a web of destruction just like his mother had been.

“My father was Michael Perry.”

“Oh my God! Sam, you son of a bitch! You killed your best friend?”

“Yeah, he killed him. He also killed my mother, and the necklace you're wearing belonged to her.”

She glared at Sam with a look that could maim. “You heartless muthafucka! You said you bought this necklace from Europe.”

“Look, Malik. You got it all twisted. I didn't kill your parents. Where did you get that shit from?” Sam asked.

“Linda told me, and it was Linda who raised me to take revenge.”

“What! Linda? Man, you don't even know Linda's the one who orchestrated the hit.”

“Man, fuck you! You'll put it on anybody. Nigga, you took the crown from my father, and now it's time for you to give it back to its rightful owner. Nigga, you stole it, and I inherited the shit. Nigga, I'm the king.” As Malik placed his gun between Sam's eyes, Rico came down the stairs with two suitcases.

“Fuck you, Sam!” With that, Malik pulled the trigger twice.

Boom!Boom!

Chevece hollered again at the top of her lungs. “Oh my God! No, no, no, no! Please, don't kill me! Oh my God! Sam!”

Frustrated with the scared woman's screams, Rico placed his Desert Eagle .357 to her temple. Before Malik could stop him, Rico pulled the trigger. “Bitch, shut the fuck up!”

Boom!

As Chevece's brains blew all over the conference room floor, Malik yelled, “No, Rico! What the fuck is wrong with you, you crazy muthafucka?”

“Man, fuck that bitch. She was getting on my nerves with all that fucking crying and screaming.”

Malik looked at Chevece and then back at Rico. “You don't even know what you've just done.”

“Fuck that bitch. Now get your ass upstairs and help me with these suitcases. Nigga, we're rich!”