Pretty Kings 3 Read online

  Did he just have sex with someone else and now he was using me?

  I was just about to open my mouth when the window on his side came crashing in. Shards of glass sprinkled against the top of my head and in his groin. When I looked up, I was staring into the green eyes of Roman.

  “Duck,” she said before pressing the gun to his head and blowing his brains out.

  Although I could feel his limp body press against me, I didn’t raise my head immediately. I wanted to be sure it was over.

  Then I heard Roman whisper, “Goon.”

  That was all the assurance I needed.

  When Swanson called earlier and told me to meet him, I decided to contact Roman and ask her to return the favor I did for her. She didn’t let me down and the moment I saw his bloody head busted open, I felt relieved.

  Quickly I got out of the car and walked toward her. She was with another guy who was pulling Swanson’s bloody body out of the car and to the ground.

  “Who’s he?” I asked referring to her partner.

  “My right hand,” she said. “Don’t worry. He’s safe.”

  I looked over at her partner and back at her. I wasn’t in any position not to believe her. So far, she’d proven to be trustworthy. “I heard your son is back home,” I said to her.

  She grinned. “Yes and I’m so grateful. I thought my boy was dead and he was alive.”

  I smiled. “Thank you for this.” I paused looking down at Swanson’s corpse. “I don’t have to stress to you how important it is that you keep my privacy.”

  “I didn’t get this far in the business by not being able to hold water. Your secret is safe with me, Scarlett. Now go, I have it from here.”

  ****

  When I got home I walked straight to the laundry room and removed my bloody blouse. I grabbed one of Camp’s “Find Master” t-shirts and slogged toward my room. When I got there Camp was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting on me.

  The moment I saw his face, I was shook. His eyebrows were tight and he was glaring at me. Did Ramirez tell him that we fucked? Without even giving me a heads up.

  “Are you okay?” I asked with a half-smile on my face. Guilt all over my body. I tossed my purse on the dresser.

  He looked at it and said, “Why you got blood on your bag?”

  I looked at my purse and screamed inside. I did such a good job of covering my tracks and I still left a clue. “I think that’s ketchup,” I lied.

  “Where were you, Scarlett?” he asked standing up.

  I backed up into the wall. “What are you talking about?”

  “I asked where the fuck were you?” he screamed pointing at the floor.

  Judging by his actions, I could tell that he knew about me and Ramirez.

  I was sure of it.

  “Baby, I had to make a few runs,” I lied. “To get my toes done and shit like that. Why?”

  “I know about my son, Scarlett. I know everything.” Tears rolled down his face and he was trembling. “How could you stand by and watch me struggle when you know how much I love my boy? What type shit is that?”

  “Baby, what are you talking—”

  He yanked a fist full of my hair and pulled me down to my knees. “Bitch, don’t lie to me!” he screamed as if I weren’t his wife. “I fucking know! I know everything!”

  He released my hair and I scooted away from him. My back pressed against the wall and I brought my knees to my chest. I was crying but my voice felt caught in my throat.

  “I will never forgive you for this shit.” He grabbed his keys and wallet off the dresser. “Swanson is setting things up to go get my son after he handles whatever he has to later.”

  I figured Swanson was talking about fucking me. The thing was, he was dead now.

  “But when I get my kid, I’m going to hold a meeting with my family,” Camp continued. “And in that meeting I will make sure that everyone knows I want you out of here.”

  “But where will I go?” I sobbed. “I don’t have anyone but you.”

  “That’s not my problem anymore!”

  ****

  CAMP

  Camp was driving his silver Aston Martin and thinking about his life. Tears rolled down his face because he knew his marriage was officially over. His wife was sicker than he ever imagined and he couldn’t see sharing his bed or his life with her. His only priority was his son and he didn’t care what anyone thought about how he would handle his marriage.

  “Who are you really, Scarlett?” he said to himself as he continued to drive down the street. He was trying to understand why he didn’t realize how sick Scarlett really was.

  Thinking about his son, he picked up his cell phone and called Swanson. When he got his voicemail, he left a message. “I know you out handling business now. But when you return I want to take you up on the offer to read Scarlett’s file. I didn’t want to know about her past before but I changed my mind. Hit me when you can.”

  When he arrived at the light, he punched his steering wheel in anger. He knew his family wouldn’t take his dismissal of Scarlett well but he hoped they’d stand by his side, especially when they learned what she did with Master.

  He lowered his head for one second when suddenly it felt like time stopped. A hail of bullets rained from all directions into the car. He tried to reach for his weapon in the glove compartment but he was unsuccessful.

  He already took bullets in his shoulder and thigh and was doing his best to slide into the backseat. But he only made it halfway when the rest of the Reapers gang moved in closer to the vehicle and emptied their automatic weapons into the car.

  When they were done, Camp lay lifeless.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  DENIM

  What the fuck is going on?

  Standing in the middle of the madness, I couldn’t believe what Bambi just told me. Over and over I replayed her words in my mind hoping I heard them incorrectly.

  Camp was dead.

  I remembered the dream that I had a while back, the one with a coffin being dropped in the ground with the Kennedy name on top of it. And yet I felt like the bloodshed was far from over.

  Bambi said there would be loss but I never thought it would happen like this.

  Scarlett was sitting on the sofa, her face beet red. Bambi sat on her left and Race on her right as they both tried to console her. But how do you console a woman who has lost her husband? I didn’t know about Scarlett but there’d be nothing anybody could tell me, not even Jesus Christ himself, if something happened to Bradley.

  When I looked over at my brothers-in-law, I never saw them so distraught. Kevin was leaning against the wall. His head pointed up towards the ceiling and one hand covered his face.

  Ramirez was sitting at the table with Bradley. A bottle of liquor sat between them and they were drinking glass after glass.

  I couldn’t believe what we’d gotten ourselves into. What started with us wanting to defend our operation ended in us losing a member of our family.

  Still, something had to be done. We couldn’t lie around and take this shit. If ever there was a time to strike back, now was it.

  I walked into the middle of the living room and looked at everyone. “What are we going to do now?” I asked.

  I guess my voice was too low because they didn’t respond or seem to hear me. So I spoke louder. I wanted to be heard over the crying. Over the, ‘I can’t believe he’s gone’ outbursts. Someone took a shot at our family and we had to fire back. “What the fuck are we going to do about this disrespect?” I screamed.

  Now I had their attention.

  I took a deep breath and said, “I know this shit hurts. And I know we’re going to feel this forever. I lost a brother-in-law who I loved.” I looked at the fellas. “You lost a brother and Scarlett a husband. But them mothafuckas need to be dealt with tonight.” I pointed at the floor. “I say we do what needs to be done before they take somebody else from us. When the war is over, we can cry then.”

  “She’s ri
ght,” my mother said walking up behind me.

  The moment I heard her voice, the hairs on my skin stood up. I knew she was about to say something reckless and I was horrified at what might happen to her.

  “What ya’ll need to do is get the fuck up and find them niggas who shot that boy,” she said sitting at the table with Bradley and Ramirez. She poured herself some liquor in Bradley’s cup and downed it before slamming it back on the table. “I thought ya’ll were gangsters. None of you seemed to have a problem pointing a gun at me but now look at you.” She poured another cup and downed that too. “When someone kills one of your own, you’re sitting around crying. Look like some wangsters to me.”

  I walked over to her, leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Mama, now is not the time for this shit. I’m warning you.”

  “Why ain’t it? They sitting around acting like the rest of ya’ll ain’t alive. Shit, if it was me I would—”

  “You would do what?” Bradley asked cutting her off. He was standing over top of her with clenched fists and I wondered if this time he would use them.

  And if I would care.

  “Get the fuck from around me, boy,” she said. “I’m just speaking my opinion like everybody else ‘round here. I’m tired of ya’ll leaving Mitch and me in the room like we in a refugee camp. We both getting sick of it. It’s time you learn to respect me.”

  Upon hearing Mitch’s name, Bambi stood up and walked toward her. The anger was written all over her face. “You’ve been consorting with Mitch?” she asked calmly.

  “Not sure what consorting is but yes, we had a conversation or two.” She paused. “Why? What’s the problem? I’m a grown woman and he’s a grown man.”

  Bambi stared at my mother with hatred. I’d seen that look one other time. When she was beefing with Aunt Bunny and now Bunny was dead.

  My mother could be messy but I didn’t like how Bambi was looking at her. After all, she was still my mother. “You okay, Bam?” I asked.

  Bambi’s gaze turned toward me. She leaned in and said, “Get rid of her, Denim. I’m feeling violent and the last thing I want to do is react on your mother. But if she stays a minute longer, I will attack.” She walked over to Kevin and he stared down at her for a second before pulling her into an embrace. I hadn’t seen them express love to one another like that in months.

  I turned toward my mother. “Come, on, ma,” I said softly.

  “Why I always got to go? For once in a conversation, why can’t someone else leave?”

  “Now is not the fucking time!” I yelled. “Now come the fuck on!” I grabbed her by her arm and walked her toward her room.

  I turned around momentarily and looked at Bambi. Her face rested against Kevin’s chest and she was staring directly at my mother.

  I knew even more that I had to get her out of there. Or else, like Bunny, she may not survive.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  THE RUSSIANS

  Arkadi sat in a corner as he watched Iakov, Derrick, Jim and Vito pour champagne in their mouths from the bottle, each celebrating their recent victory.

  Camp Kennedy’s murder.

  They were finally able to do something none of them thought was possible…kill a King.

  Although they were memorializing their successes inside of their hideout, Arkadi was still bitter. He lost his fiancé and no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t move past it. To relieve his pain, he started hitting the bottle harder but lately he moved to something a little stronger...powder cocaine.

  As his thoughts swirled, he fixated his stare on his brother. Despite Camp being killed, Arkadi felt that his brother undermined him by not wanting to fight harder to avenge Mellvue’s death. What was one Kennedy dead when there were plenty more alive? He started to believe that Iakov felt as if he were in charge of the Russian Cartel when it was both of their operation.

  After laughing it up with the other bosses, Iakov grabbed a half-full bottle of champagne from the ice bucket. He also scooped up two flutes and walked over to Arkadi. Trails of water droplets splashed against the hardwood floor with each step.

  “Why are you sitting over here alone, brother?” Iakov yelled in an inebriated state. “Be joyful! After so much time we are realizing what we always knew. That we are the real kings.” He poured champagne in both glasses and gave Arkadi one.

  “What makes you think I’m not pleased? Because I don’t laugh it up with a Dago and two niggers?” He gulped all of his champagne and tossed the flute on the floor. It crashed against it, thereby giving him unwanted attention from the bosses.

  Realizing his brother was in a worse position than he imagined, Iakov drank the champagne, sat the bottle and glass down and looked at him. “I haven’t forgotten about your woman.”

  Arkadi laughed. “I wish I could believe you.”

  “It is true. And I’ll show you better than I can tell you.” He placed his hand on his shoulder. “Wait until you see what I have in store for you next. If this doesn’t avenge your woman, I don’t know what will.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  BAMBI

  My husband was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head lowered. I knew we had to make moves after Camp’s death but he was in pieces from losing his brother.

  I wasn’t sure if he was capable of an attack.

  I wanted to say something that I thought would help get him through this moment. Something to give him strength now.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  He looked up at me, his eyes red and swollen. “This isn’t your fault, Bambi. I don’t want you thinking that shit.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” I said softly. “I’m sorry for what I did to your aunt Bunny. I’m sorry for taking the one person you cared about outside of me and the kids and your brothers.” I paused. “I don’t know if it’s possible but I’m hoping in the future that you will be able to forgive me. And if not, I’m willing to die trying.”

  His expression went from sorrow to something I couldn’t read. He stood up and walked toward me. I guess I picked the wrong thing to say because I felt like he was about to hurt me. Instead, he pulled me to his body and my face nestled into the center of his chest.

  “You never said sorry, until now,” he exhaled. “That’s all I ever wanted, Bambi. I thought you didn’t care about how I felt. I thought I didn’t matter.” He kissed me on my forehead and my cheeks before moving to my lips. “Thank you, baby. You’ll never know how much your apology means to me.” And then he looked into my eyes, his lips quivering. “I…I forgive you now.”

  And just like that, I could feel the tension that stood between us for so long disappear. It was as if all of the months we barely said two words to each other didn’t happen. As if he never left my side. My husband returned to me during his darkest hour and I was eternally grateful.

  When he left almost two years ago, I took care of this family on my own. I was in charge of keeping my sisters moving forward even when I didn’t have the strength. When he came back I thought I didn’t need him.

  I was wrong.

  I was stronger with my husband, not apart from him and I would never allow time to pass between us again. Losing Camp reminded me that time was too precious to waste on bullshit.

  I was a Kennedy.

  And he was the man who chose me.

  He placed both hands on the sides of my face and looked down at me. “We have to stick together. Shit is about to get thick and I can’t take something happening to you.”

  Suddenly there was a frantic knock at the door. When it opened, it was Race. “You gotta come to the living room. Melo and Noah are fist fighting!”

  ****

  When I walked into the living room only to see my sons brawling all over the floor, I thought I was seeing things. Noah was on top of Melo, pulling at the blue t-shirt he was wearing until he pulled the collar out of place. Because they were identical, he looked as if he were trying to kill himself.

  Why were they fighting?


  I was stuck, unable to make a move. Luckily, Kevin rushed past me and grabbed Noah’s white t-shirt before he came down on his brother’s face with a beer bottle.

  Finally able to move, I quickly grabbed Melo.

  “What the fuck is going on in here, sons?” Kevin yelled as he pushed Noah back so that he could not engage Melo again.

  At this point, the entire family assembled in the living room.

  “It’s nothing, dad,” Melo said as he paced the floor with his hands over his face. Sweat poured down his forehead and I saw the veins on his temple throb.

  “Don’t tell me it’s nothing!” Kevin yelled. “I got eyes and what I see right now is my sons fighting each other! As if we didn’t just find out your uncle was murdered. As if we don’t have enough pain in this family already.” He paused. “Now what the fuck is going on?”

  Melo held his head down and shook it. “He disrespected mama,” he said trying to catch his breath. He leaned up against the wall. “And I stole him in the face for it.”

  I looked at Noah, trying to figure out what was going on.

  “Is this true?” Kevin asked.

  Silence.

  “Son, answer me,” Kevin yelled at Noah. “Why are you disrespecting your mother?”

  Noah looked at me with rage in his eyes. There was no denying that he hated me. My only question was what had I done wrong in his opinion this time. “This is all her fault,” Noah said pointing at me. “It always is and always will be.”

  “What is her fault?” Kevin responded.

  “That Uncle Camp is dead!” he yelled. “All she cares about is money and now my uncle is dead! I hate her!”

  I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to prevent myself from crying.

  “Son, your mother wasn’t responsible for my brother being murdered. She isn’t responsible for any of this shit! If anything, she’s done all she can to protect this family but shit happens. It’s the nature of the business and now we got to stick together and deal with it.” He alternated his stare between Noah and Melo. “And you’re both old enough to know what I’m talking about. No more sugarcoating. This family deals coke and as a result, someone we loved died.”