Page 1 of Royce
One
Royce
Tired wasn’t the fuckin’ word. I was more than ready to touch the fuck down and get in my bed. I never really got much sleep when I wasn’t in the comforts of my own home. My body was always on alert not letting shit slip by me.
I kicked my feet up and closed my eyes for temporary relief just to be tapped by the stewardess I had on board. A deep sigh was released before my eyes were peeled open once more. Standing over me was Giselle, our family stewardess who made more in one round trip than a pilot that flew commercial.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Atkins, but you have an important call from Striker,” she said extending the phone in my direction.
“Striker? You sure?” I inquired before taking it from her and sitting up completely.
“Yes sir.”
“What’s wrong?” I questioned putting the phone to my ear. Striker calling was one thing, but calling the plane relaying it was urgent had me on full alert.
“Did you call the trucks off tonight or rescheduled? Why the hell they ain’t pulled up yet?”
“Nigga, what the fuck is you talking about? I ain’t called off or pushed shit back. Them muthafuckas dropping off everything new tonight. The strands, the guns, the white, all that shit in this shipment.”
“Nigga, you don’t think I know that. What I’m telling you is, it’s fuckin’ midnight and ain’t shit here to fuckin’ unload. Walt told me him and his crew been here since ten and ain’t nobody showed. I got here at eleven as usual and there were no signs of a drop off,” he responded.
I chuckled and rolled my head to relieve the tension that formed quickly in my neck. It took me a split second to go from zero to a thousand and I was trying not to nut up on this plane. I had approximately an hour left to touch down in the Springs. Blowing a fuse when I couldn’t handle things right here and now wasn’t gon’ do shit but irritate me.
“Pull the cameras.”
“I did and it ain’t shit on there.”
“Nah, pull ours.”
“I been running ‘round this muthafucka with my head cut off and forgot about them shits.” Only two people had access to those cameras and that was me and that nigga. He been with me since the fuckin’ sandbox. It was only a handful of people I trusted, and Striker was one of them.
There was more than the normal security footage of the mall. Being an Atkins meant you protected your life and those around you in more ways than one. I had hidden cameras throughout the property in places muthafuckas wouldn’t think of. You could never outsmart me, even when you thought you could get away with it.
Silence surfaced for a brief moment before Striker returned the same half ass laugh I gave. “Niggas really ain’t shit. Aye, check yo’ email right quick.”
Opening my laptop, I quickly did like he asked and saw everything I needed to. I broke bread with muthafuckas I thought deserved it, but you couldn’t help everybody. Not everyone had loyalty coursing through them and that was okay. I knew my enemies were closer than I expected.
I was stuck on the unmarked truck, though. That bitch pulled up not even ten minutes after Baker’s drop off with three masked niggas hopping out the back. Curiosity sparked the hell out of my interest. I wanted to know who the fuck was dumb enough to get in bed with that nigga and take my shit.
“I’ll be there in an hour. Keep him there.”
“Will do. Anything else?”
“Hit Baker and tell him to be on standby. I need to holla at him when I get there. Nobody leaves, Striker.”
“You ain’t got to tell me. I’m already knowing. Who picking you up?”
“Mercedees. I’ll be there. Oh, and cut the tapes.” Hanging up, I handed the phone back to Giselle and stretched out in my seat. The best thing I could do was try and relax until I could handle shit. As soon as my feet hit that gravel, I wouldn’t be able to contain myself.
Mercedees handed over a nicely pearled blunt as she drove to the mall. Owning Kinfolk Galleria had its perks. A lot of shit could happen after hours and not a soul outside The Oath would know what the hell was going on. I allowed the THC to fill my lungs as I inhaled the blunt deeply. It was needed.
The more disloyal niggas showed their colors, the more acres I added to my graveyard. Bodies dropped like flies fuckin’ with me, and I had no remorse about it. Muthafuckas didn’tunderstand the risks I took. Both my life and freedom were on the line from the moment I took over The Oath. This wasn’t a game to me.
“Uncle Roy know about this?”
“Nah. When I get back to the compound, I’ll tell him. That’s something else for him to bitch about.”
“I told you to let me and my girls handle it but noooo, you wanted us in the salon doing nails and shit.”
