Birthright, p.12
Birthright, page 12
“I’m sorry. I got him here as fast as I could,” Cairo said, and a tear drifted down his cheek. He and J.R. had been friends since elementary school.
“I know you did.”
The three sat there in silence, with each one thinking about J.R. and what he meant to them.
“I can’t sit here.” Nikki bounced up and wiped away her tears. “I need to tell my mother.”
“Come on,” Butch said. “I’ll drive you.”
The silence continued in the car on the way to Naomi’s house. There was no music playing, and no one said a word. Nikki sat in the back seat with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was trying to think of the right words to tell her mother that her son was dead.
It was late when they arrived at the house, so Nikki had to wake her mother up to tell her the devastating news.
“He’s dead. J.R. is dead, Mommy.”
“What?” Noami asked as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “What did you say?” Maybe she thought that she was still sleeping, because she couldn’t accept what Nikki had just told her.
She sat up, and Nikki put her arm around her as she started to cry.
“He’s dead, Mommy. J.R. is dead,” Nikki cried, “and I can’t believe this is happening.”
Mother and daughter sat there crying together and holding each other. When they finally got up to go downstairs, Naomi told Nikki to go ahead and that she would be right behind her. As Nikki was going down the stairs, she heard a loud scream and rushed back to her mother’s room. She found Naomi standing in the bathroom in front of the mirror.
“I’m all right. I just needed to get that out,” Naomi told her daughter, and they went downstairs together.
Cairo and Butch had heard the scream and were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. They went into the living room and sat down.
“What happened?” Naomi asked once everybody was seated.
Cairo took a deep breath. “J.R. called me and said he needed me to ride with him to collect some money from Cromwell.”
“Cromwell?” Nikki questioned. “I heard he left town.”
“I heard that too.”
“Was it Barlowe that sent him to collect from Cromwell?” Nikki asked him.
“I assumed it was either you or Barlowe.”
“Wasn’t me. Go on.”
“So we ride out to Red Hook.”
“Red Hook? Why the fuck would Cromwell wanna meet out there?” Nikki asked.
“I don’t know, Nikki. I’m just telling you how it went down.”
“I’m sorry, Cairo. Go on.”
“It’s cool. I understand.” Cairo paused. “When we get out there, as soon as we got out of the car, they shot J.R. in the head.”
“Red Hook. That’s Garraway’s turf,” Butch said.
“That’s what I’m saying. Why would Cromwell wanna meet out there?” Nikki asked again.
“I think it was a setup,” Cairo said. “No. I’m sure it was a setup.”
“No shit!” Nikki shouted. “But why?”
“You think it had something to do with us hitting their spot?” Butch asked.
“Could be,” Nikki said and thought for a minute. “I knew when he told me about it that something was gonna come of it. Just not this.”
Meanwhile, Remy was at his house. He had gotten the word that it was done, but Cairo had driven him to the hospital. Now, he was waiting for confirmation that J.R. was dead.
“Hello.”
“We need to meet,” Arya said.
“Altravessar. Thirty minutes.”
When Arya arrived at Altravessar, Remy was already there. He was seated at a table in the rear of the club.
“I don’t have much time. J.R. is dead.”
“Good.”
“Is there anything that can tie the shooter to you?”
“I used out-of-town shooters.” Remy looked at his watch. “They’re on a flight back to Chicago as we speak.”
“Good. If anybody asks you anything about Cromwell, you say he reached out to you about getting right, and you told him he needed to talk to Barlowe, and he said he’s been trying and can’t get in touch with him.”
“All right. What’s your plan?”
“You let me worry about how to spin it. I gotta get back,” Arya said and stood up. “We’ll talk soon,” she said and left Altravessar.
Arya needed to get back to the house to begin spinning that story for Barlowe, and she needed to do it before Nikki got there. However, when she arrived, Nikki was already there. She confronted Barlowe with the question.
“Why would Cromwell wanna meet in Red Hook?”
“I don’t know, Nikki,” Barlowe said. “Do you have any idea who did this, or what it’s about? I’m thinking Garraway.”
“I am, too,” Nikki said as the library door burst open.
“I just heard,” Arya said when she came sashaying into the room. “I am so sorry, Nikki.”
“Thank you.”
“You talked to Cromwell,” Barlowe began, and it raised an eyebrow for Nikki. “What did he say?”
“I told you. He said he’s been trying to get in touch with you so he can make things right. He said he had the money and wanted you to send somebody to meet him at the Red Hook Houses tonight at eight.”
“And you’re sure it was Cromwell?” Barlowe asked.
“I’m sure.” Arya paused and looked at Nikki. “That drug murder in Red Hook a couple of weeks ago. Was that J.R.?”
“Yeah. What do you know about that?” Nikki asked.
Barlowe looked confused. “Wait. What drug murder in Red Hook?”
“You remember hearing about that drug murder in Red Hook on the news? That was J.R.,” Arya informed him. She knew that it was J.R. because she had Butch under her spell, and he gladly kept Arya informed of what was going on for the promise of sex one day.
“J.R. did that?” Barlowe asked.
“Yeah.” Nikki nodded.
“The word is this was retaliation for the murders,” Arya said to them.
“Yeah. Butch thinks the same thing,” Nikki said and stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“I need some air,” she said.
She walked out of the house, got in her car, and drove off. But Nikki didn’t need air. She was mad, wanted revenge, and she had a plan. She drove straight to Marquee to see Chrystal. Nikki knew that she used to date a guy named Tyrone Wilkes, who was a major dealer for Garraway.
“What about him?”
“He’s got a brother, doesn’t he?”
“He does. Why?”
“What was his name?”
“Cedric. Why?”
“I need to find him. Tonight.”
“I know he likes to hang out at a place called Burners. It’s a little bar in Long Island City.”
“Take me out there.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.” Nikki started for the door. “Come on,” she ordered, and Chrystal drove her to Burners.
Once they were there, Nikki and Chrystal went inside and looked around the small but crowded bar. Everybody was having a good time, minding their business. That was when they saw him.
“Leave,” Nikki said.
“What?”
“Leave now. I’ll be all right,” Nikki said, keeping her eyes on Cedric Wilkes as he sat talking to a woman.
“You sure?”
“Yes, Chrystal, I’m sure. Now, get out of here.”
“All right,” Chrystal said, and she turned to leave.
Nikki watched her until she was out of the bar. Then, she took out her silenced gun and strolled toward the table where Cedric Wilkes was sitting. Without a word, Nikki put the barrel of her gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. His blood splattered on the face of the woman he was sitting with, and she screamed. Most of the other patrons didn’t hear the shot over music. They were minding their business, having a fun time, and didn’t see anything.
With the gun at her side, Nikki walked calmly out of Burners. She was walking down the street when a car pulled up alongside her.
“Get in!” Chrystal shouted.
Nikki got in the car. “I thought I told you to leave.”
“You did. But you know I’m hardheaded and don’t listen,” Chrystal said as she drove Nikki away from there.
Chapter Twenty-two
His lips moved across her cheek and down her throat. Her head drifted back, and her eyes closed as he kissed her neck. His lips trailed a path down her chest to her breasts. He pressed them together with his hands, taking both nipples into his mouth. Arya cried out.
Remy worked her slowly and thoroughly. He pumped harder, his hand rubbing nipples, grabbing her breasts as they bounced. Their bodies contorted before falling back against the sheets.
“That was a long time coming,” Arya said, breathing hard and smiling. She looked over at him, grinning.
“I’ve been wanting you for a long time,” Remy said as he watched Arya get out of bed. He propped up a pillow and made himself comfortable.
J.R. was dead. Arya had made that possible. She had been flirting and teasing Remy for years. But Remy was smart enough to know that Arya didn’t do it out of the kindness of her heart. For one, he didn’t think Arya had a heart, and he had known her long enough to know that she did everything for a reason. That reason always benefited Arya.
She was fuckin’ that nigga. And when she found out he was fuckin’ Francine too, he had to die. I’m good with that, he thought.
That was fine by him, and to top it off, she finally brought him that pussy he’d been wanting, so it was all good. The only loose end was Francine. He hadn’t seen her since she drove away from his house. He had his whole team looking for her, but nobody had seen her.
Remy didn’t know how long she’d been standing there before she left, but she’d heard enough. If she told Nikki that he was in on the plan, she’d kill him. He needed to find Francine and make sure that didn’t happen. J.R.’s funeral was the next day, and the last thing he needed would be for Francine to show up at her dead lover’s funeral with a story to tell.
Since neither Nikki nor Naomi felt up to it, Megan had made all of the funeral arrangements for J.R. Mother and daughter had spent the days since his death at Naomi’s house. Their days were filled with tears, good food from wherever they ordered, and plenty of reminiscing about the son and brother they’d lost. But that wasn’t all Nikki was doing. Someone had killed her brother, and she was going to get revenge. Killing some random guy because he was somebody’s brother wasn’t enough. Not for Nikki. She needed to know who had ordered her brother killed and why.
Nikki didn’t leave her mother’s side, so Cairo and Butch were her eyes and ears in the streets. The second she heard that Arya had been involved in Barlowe sending J.R. to meet Cromwell, she became suspicious. Arya was the worst kind of snake. Everyone but Barlowe knew that. Or maybe he did, and that’s why he kept her around. But it didn’t matter to Nikki. Something didn’t ring true about her story, so she had Cairo and Butch looking for Cromwell.
She had been avoiding talking to Barlowe. If her suspicions about Arya were correct, she needed to have her facts in place before she took them to him. There was also the possibility that he was involved, so Nikki decided to tread lightly for the time being. She would have her revenge when the time was right.
What she needed to know was about Garraway. She had heard the name Duncan Garraway all her life, but all she knew was that Garraway, her father, and Barlowe were friends, allies, but not much more than that. It was a subject neither her mother nor Barlowe wanted to talk about. All she knew for sure was that his organization was formidable. That didn’t matter either. If Nikki found out he was involved, she would take apart that organization, piece by piece.
On the day of the service, family, friends, and associates gathered to pay their final respects to J.R. “We remember our loved one whose memory is a comforting embrace to us today. A life fulfilled, no longer caught up in the earthly struggle. Eternity is a restful place. Joy is theirs. We pray that until the day comes and we are joined in the great beyond, there will only be gladness in the memories we hold dear of this deserving soul. Good and wonderful God, we say goodbye to our departed loved one for one last time. We grieve because we will not see them any longer. But we also celebrate because we know that our loved one is enjoying your presence right now, without sickness or pain. We rejoice because we know that our loved one is safe and at peace. Please welcome your son Edward into glory, and free him from all physical frailties and all mental and emotional struggles. Thank you for this wonderful gift of eternal life. Amen.”
After the service, Megan planned a celebration of life where there was plenty of food and drink, as well as the music from the mixes J.R. had made. Sharonda Braelin, J.R.’s girlfriend, sat with Nikki and Naomi. Some of his other women were there also. Although she had threatened to kill J.R. and he chased her away at gunpoint, Shekira attended the funeral and the celebration of life.
Nikki had noticed a couple of women that she knew J.R. was having sex with, but the one she didn’t see was Francine. Remy was there, and the fact that Francine wasn’t with him was noticeable. The other noticeable thing was that Arya was up in Remy’s face.
What is up with that unholy alliance? Nikki asked herself.
She looked at Barlowe as he came toward her and wondered why he had put up with Arya. What was the hold that she had on him? Nikki shook her head because it didn’t matter.
“How you doing?” Barlowe said, standing over Nikki.
Nikki looked up. “I’m fine.”
“Can I sit?”
“Go ahead. Megan tells me you’re paying for all this,” Nikki said as he sat down. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“It was the least I could do. Megan said that you and your mom were having a tough time dealing with it. So, this was one less thing to burden yourselves with.”
“Thank you. I’m sure Mommy appreciates it too.”
“You know, you and I need to talk.”
“I know. But not here, not now.”
“I get it, but we need to talk about what happened and what we’re gonna do about it.”
“I know, Uncle Pete. I just can’t talk about it now. Not here. Tomorrow. I promise. Tomorrow, I’ll come by the house, and we’ll sit down and talk about it.” Nikki stood up. “I’m gonna get the people that did this. I swear on my daddy’s grave, everybody involved is gonna pay.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-three
As promised, Nikki planned to go to Barlowe’s house the following day to talk. Since the shooting, Cairo and Butch had been very protective of Nikki. Therefore, despite her insistence that she’d be all right, they picked her up and drove her to Barlowe’s house. She was glad that Arya was out shopping or doing whatever her snake ass did when they got there. Nikki didn’t trust Arya, and her involvement in J.R.’s trip to Red Hook raised red flags. While Cairo and Butch waited in the living room, Nikki went to the library where Barlowe was waiting.
“How’s it going, Nikki?”
“I’m getting better. But it’s still hard.”
“I know. I wish I could tell you that it’s going to get better, but it doesn’t. All I can tell you is that it gets easier with time.”
“Thanks. That’s good to know. Or at least it will be one day when it gets easier. But here and now, this shit hurts.”
“I get it.”
“What can you tell me about Garraway?”
“You planning on going after him?”
“If he’s involved, fuck yeah, I’m going after him.”
Barlowe nodded and sipped his drink. “Me, your father, Duncan Garraway, and Art Ward, we all used to work for Philip ‘Lucky’ Benjamin before we made the decision to take him out. He had been fighting a war with Thomas Robinson, and Ward saw an opportunity to switch allegiance. Ward makes a secret deal with Robinson to murder Benjamin in exchange for control of his rackets. Joe Bugs warned Benjamin about the murder plot. Benjamin was killed at a Coney Island restaurant. The gunmen were me, your father, Duncan Garraway, and Art Ward. Ward took over Benjamin’s gang and became Robinson’s lieutenant.”
“What happened to Ward?”
“I’m getting to that.” Barlowe got up and went to the bar. “You want a drink?”
“No, thank you.”
“Robinson had a problem with three of his people—Hill, King, and Lee—and ordered us to take care of them. I escorted them into the club. Once the men were inside, Ward signaled the attack, and we started shooting. I remember seeing Ward shoot Lee in the head. When all three were dead, we left the building. I don’t know why, but for some reason, Robinson was pissed that he shot him in the head.
“Over the next few months, Robinson had grown tired of Ward’s constant complaints about Robinson’s leadership. So, one day, Robinson gave the order—Art has got to go. So, the plan was for Eddie to invite Ward to a meeting to resolve a disagreement with a guy named Henderson about a marijuana racket. Robinson wanted Ward’s murder to look like a drug deal gone wrong.
“Ward was to meet Robinson at a spot in Manhattan. When he got there, Garraway told Ward that they were driving to a different spot, and he picked up me and Eddie on the way. As Garraway drove the car, Eddie shot Ward to death with seven bullets. Then we drove to a deserted street in the Bronx to dump the body.”
“Fascinating story. What happened to Robinson?”
“We knew eventually Robinson would turn on us the same way he had turned on Ward. He was going to a meeting at the 20/20 Club to work out a peace agreement with some of his rivals, but Robinson’s real plan was to assassinate his adversary. We set up an ambush in the club storeroom, with the three of us wearing ski masks and hiding in a closet.
“When Robinson arrived at the 20/20 Club with his guys, he was escorted to the storeroom, and the three of us rushed out of the closet and started shooting. Eddie shot Robinson, knocking him to the floor. He got up and tried to run out of the room, but Eddie shot him in the back. Me and Garraway took out his men.”
“So, Robinson’s out of the way. What happened then?”
