My attention shifted to Bash as he approached our section. Juelz stood from where he had been sitting beside Aubree. I placed a kiss against Solana’s forehead, then stood to give Rico his orders.
A few moments later, Juelz and I had made it to an elevator that looked to be leading us to the basement. If I were a lesserman, I would have been nervous as fuck. But I knew who I was coming here to see. He wasn’t an average man, and I knew this shit could go all kinds of wrong. In my head, shit was gone go the way it needed to.
We made it to a long hallway lined with warm-colored lamps until we reached two large gray double doors. Bash knocked twice, then waited before the doors were pulled open.
Casper sat on the edge of his concrete-colored desk with a cigar in his hand. He took a pull, then gestured with his hands to the two chairs in front of his desk. I clocked about five other guards lined up in the room with guns on their hips.
I had my shit on me too, but I knew if anything popped off, neither me nor Juelz was walking out of here. I strode across the room to the chairs he gestured to, then took a seat along with Juelz.
Casper smirked, then walked around his desk and waved his hand for his men to stand down. Just as quickly as his smirk appeared, it was gone — replaced by a cold, flat expression.
“You know I don’t get many visitors and shit. I actually like it that way. But when your name and your request came across my desk, I was relieved I didn’t have to make the trip to you. You know how much I hate traveling.”
Casper wasn’t the kind of man you rejoiced about a visit from. He used to be the main enforcer for The Crown when his father was in charge. But after his sudden passing, the seat was now held by his son — a man who was once just an urban legend. You never saw him unless it was your last day on earth. These days he had to temper down his bloodthirsty nature. The boss couldn’t have hands soaked in blood.
“I don’t even need you to respond. I’m only going to say this once. Handle it. If I have to make a trip, it won’t be for one body. Understood?”
I kept my expression neutral, but I was burning up on the inside. These dumb muthafuckas always think they’re so clever. But this was the exact reason I was in charge and not them. Now I had to handle shit in a way I had been avoiding. I was going to have to clean house like I should have done from the start.
“Understood. The house will be cleaned.”
Casper took another pull on his cigar, then tilted his head back to release the smoke into the air.
“One week. Oh, and congrats — I hear you bagged that missing actress. Don’t let her make you lose yo’ head.”
My jaw ticked at the mention of Solana. “Heard.”
I stood without giving him the chance to dismiss me. I wasn’t a weak-ass man, and I wasn’t going to be diminished to one. I didn’t give a fuck how many guns he had in there.
“I got her,” I responded, simply.
Juelz cleared his throat — I’m sure trying to remind me who I was talking to — but I didn’t give a fuck. These muthafuckas choosing to sell product under my club’s name didn’t have shit to do with me. But I already had the situation under control. Solana would never be part of a conversation with him again.
“Ah, so this yo’ wife. I’ll be waiting on my invite to the wedding.”
I turned to head out as two of his men opened the double doors for us to leave. Bash led us back to the elevator and stayed on the opposite side of it. The moment the doors closed, Juelz released a breath.
“You just as crazy as that man in there,” he said, shaking his head.
“Nah. I don’t play about mine — respect goes a long way. Casper was towing the fucking line bringing up Solana.”
Juelz ran his hand over his face and groaned. I knew I was stressing him the fuck out, but I didn’t give a fuck.
“Speaking of that — what did he mean by you fucking with a missing actress? Solana famous?” he asked.
I groaned inwardly, because this wasn’t something I felt I had the right to speak on. That would be something Sweets would need to say in her own time. So I just ignored him and his question.
I hoped he took my silence as his answer.
The musicin The Crown was loud enough to rattle the glasses against our table, lights flashed across the room, and laughter drifted up from the dance floor high enough to let me know a time was being had.
I barely noticed any of it.
My attention stayed on Duke as he walked away from our section with Juelz in tow. He moved through the crowd like he owned it, weaving between bodies and flashing lights with the kind of calm confidence that made people step aside.
I could tell from across the room that nothing about this chat he was about to have was casual.
"You know, staring that damn hard, you're going to burn a hole through that man, right?"