Motown Takedown (Motown Down Book 3) (17 page)

The day I joined his den I felt it was the right strategic move. From the start, he brought me into the fold teaching me shit I knew he learned by trial and error. Savage was a methodical man; he did nothing without reason. Every move he made had a purpose behind it. Because of this, I climbed the ranks quickly and never left his side. He trusted me; I respected him.

So the day we found her, that respect turned into doubt because a grown fucking man who knew jack shit about kids took one. It wouldn’t be until she turned sixteen that I figured out his reason for doing it. That was reason was simple; Savage wanted to train her to take his place. He didn’t come out and say it, but I saw it. From her attendance at meetings to asking her input. Having her hand pick his army and terminating those she disapproved of. A teenager, he gave his power over to a teenager. But I had to give it to him, he knew what I didn’t. He knew she would surpass all of us one day. That she would inspire loyalty and instill fear. That her gift of strategy would propel him to the top making him close to untouchable. So he struck a deal to keep her and I apart. With me out of the way, he was free to bind her to him thus cementing his status as a legend. Having Cinn by his side elevated him to God-like status in this game.

Like I said, he had a reason for everything; even if it didn’t make sense to anyone else, it did to him. That did not mean he was right. It meant that he now had a weakness.

Savage was so sure of his place in the game; he didn’t factor in her reasons for playing along. As for Cinn, her reasons were rather simple and anyone who bothered to look would see it. She was taking him apart from the inside and working her way back to me. For his part, he’d be taking his dying breath before he figured it out, I’d make sure of it.

While Cinn gets herself ready, I kept the mutt with me so he wouldn’t slobber on whatever she chose to wear. The damn canine was scratching at my office door until I finally commanded him to chill the fuck out. Swear to God, the mutt gave me a
look
.

Grabbing the phone, I dial Ransom. As he was trained to do, he answered on the first ring. “Assemble the men,
”
I order him. “We got a funeral to attend.”

“We taking her lead on this?
”
he asks.

“We are, but I want as many men as you can get to be on hand if shit goes south. Cinn wants to make a statement; I’m gonna let her.”

“Anything else she wants?
”
he asks laughing.

“Yeah,
”
I tell him scratching behind Ares
’
ears. “She wants to fuck on his grave.”

Sputtering, he drops his phone, and a few beats pass before he comes back. “I guess we can all turn around to give you two some privacy.”

“I told her we’re not fucking on his grave,
”
at least not today anyway. “But I did give her the green light to spit on it.”

“She spits on it…”

“Exactly.”

“Jesus, you ready for this?”

“First, I’m not Jesus,
”
I remind him. “Second, fuck yes I am and make sure the men are too.”

“They’ll be ready,
”
he assures me. “Give me an hour to put the motorcade together.”

“And we’re bringing Ares.”

“Who?”

“The mutt.”

“Great,
”
he mumbles. “So not only do I have to make sure I don’t get shot, I gotta make sure I don’t get eaten too.”

Hanging up, I command Ares to follow and without fail, he does. Opening up the door to our suite, I see Cinn putting her earrings in and take a moment to soak it in.

Turning to face me, she asks, “Well?
”
The
n
giving me a small turn to show me her outfit. When I don’t answer, she looks at the dog and asks him. He barks, having an answer. As for me, I was speechless. “I’d say your tongue hanging out means you like it? Not Ares,
you
.”

“Fuck,
”
I let out. “A funeral. You’re wearing this to a funeral?”

“Let’s be honest,” she says adjusting her tits. “I could wear a potato sack and cause car accidents. This,
”
she says running her hands down her sides. “Says you’re dead, and I’m celebrating, let’s do shots.”

“My queen is not fucking around.”

With a knowing smile, she smacks my ass and orders me to get ready. While I do, she bathes the mutt with love and touch, not caring about her dress. That canine was so blissed out; I could have put on a meat suit, and he wouldn’t have noticed. Grabbing his leash from the dresser, I hook his neck and take her hand. Kissing my tattooed knuckles she sighs, “You remind me of Orpheus.”

“The guy from the Matrix?”

“No,
”
she giggles. Fuck, but I loved it when she did that. “He was the hero who went into the underworld to rescue the woman that he loves. Her name was Eurydice.”

“That’s it?”

“The rest is actually really fucking depressing. But you took on the underworld for me. And you’re about to do it again when we walk out that door.”

“Mo chuisle, maybe you didn’t notice but
…
I
am
the underworld.”

“Oh I noticed,
”
she beams.

Walking her out to the back alley where men were assembled for a full half-mile, no doubt, at least four to a vehicle it didn’t matter the windows were tinted. I could feel them watching her. Tightening my grip, I ask her, “The fuck kind of name is Eurydice?”

Helping Ares into the Tahoe she asks me, “The fuck kind of name is Cinnamon?”

The ride over was quiet or rather she was. Holding my hand, she rubbed Ares absently but I knew her head was in the game. Cinn was a lot of things. However, in the world we live in it’s well known that no one strategized better than she did. We were attending the funeral of a man she herself elevated to kingpin status and with the flip of a wrist, she took it all away. All because my woman was waiting for me. So what others saw as her leading his den, was actually putting me in a position to not only acquire her but his power too. What some were too fucking blind to see was that Savage held no power. All the power he had built went out the fucking window the day Cinn came on the scene.

Instructing Ransom where to park, I get Cinn and Ares out, keeping him at my side. The mutt was strong as fuck, and if he did break while she had him, odds were good he’d drag her along. He wouldn’t mean it, but that’s not the point. Walking up first, by the time we assembled to the far right of the casket the attendees’ expressions ranged from shock to curiosity, to fear, to anticipation. There was no man of God presiding over this funeral. I couldn’t imagine being able to find one willing to do it. Not for any price. While the time standing was silent, if eyes could talk it’d be loud. Eyes that wanted to approach Cinn but wisely stayed back. Eyes that wanted to know what play she’d make. Eyes that said we see a king and his queen. Even eyes that made it clear, some would follow and others wouldn’t.

All these silent eyes were on Cinn. Mouths that said nothing could say nothing. But their fucking eyes said it for them. This was a showdown. Seventy-five of our men flanked us. Each ready and willing to die for her. My woman, my fucking queen, standing tall, meeting every set of eyes did not wear black. Fuck no, she wore a blood red gown with heavy ass makeup. She was ethereal, mysterious, deadly, and sexy as fuck. She did not fear one motherfucker here,and I made sure she had no reason to. Tapping my palm, I release her hand letting her do her thing. With our men at the ready, she takes five steps forward while I was one behind. Leaning over his casket she runs her hand over the brass and whispers, “Achill
es
was known for his valor and his looks. He also had one weak spot, his ankle. You should have done your homework, Savage, because unlike Achilles, unlike you
…
I possess no such weakness. Your trojan horse is perfect in every way. I win asshole. Rot in hell.”

Ares was gearing up to break, but I held his ass steady. The vibe from the men, murderous. They wanted to fight. Fuck, I wanted to fight. Standing erect, she tilts her head to the side studying the box he’d rot in. With no notice or care to who surrounds her, because she knows her army is at her back, she rears back and spits on Savage’s casket. It was not lady like either. She worked that shit up from somewhere deep. Her saliva was dripping off the side into the dirt. No one dare move, but those eyes of theirs were working. Every motherfucker here on some level was a killer. They were waiting for someone to act first and if they did sides would be chosen.

They’d have to be because Cinn had just unknowingly declared war.

Walking back to my side, together with our men, we wait for it. As we met the eyes of our competition, some allies, some enemies, none trusted, one by one those eyes stared at the ground. All except one pair did, and those belonged to Demo. That crazy motherfucker was smiling while his hands worked a hooker’s tit. No challenges were voiced today, but that meant shit. These were criminals and outnumbered on top of it. Outside of a select few no one knew Cinn had been a prisoner. In their eyes, she was loved and worshiped. By spitting on Savage, she was showing everyone here the greatest act of disrespect for a man they believed loved her. None of these fools knew what the fuck to think now, just how I liked it.

Ares, however, gave not one fuck about what was happening. He had one thing on his mind so when he lifted his leg and pissed all over Savage’s casket, I am telling you, Cinn’s laughter could be heard for miles. It probably reached Savage’s ears in hell.

This meeting was going nowhere, and Savage was speaking simply to hear himself talk. The man loved the sound of his own voice. Every person at the table knew it and looked to me to shut him up. So I did. Because of my contacts, I let the competition know why it was in their best interest to let us handle the shipment. The dealer trusted me alone and after offering a small cut for the referral, they were more than happy to walk away with their lives and a lot of cocaine.

Once the room was cleared out, Savage turned to me and just stared. “What?
”
I asked him.

“Do you know what all of this is for, Bean?”

“I assumed your ego.”

“You,
”
he says for my ears only. “All of this is for you.”

“Me?
”
I laugh. “Given the chance I’d slit your throat, and you know it. This isn’t for me; this is about you flaunting your power over me.”

“Perhaps,
”
he grins. “Perhaps not.”

“Focus please,
”
I urge him.

“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.”

“You’re quoting Edmund Burke right now?”

“Think on what I’ve said,
”
he mumbles standing.

“Think on this then,
”
I say standing as well. “Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury. Francis Quarles said thatyou may want to write it down.
”
Giving him my back, I slammed the door on my way out.

It was pointed out to me (after three glasses of wine and a shot of Patron) that my loogie was, in fact, an act of war. My response to this was,
oops
followed by
I should care because
? With Ares at my feet and Monarch at my back, one of our men, Pookie (I shit you not) explained this to me in detail.

S
ince he’d been around from the start, he went on to share the history and the weird fucking rules we live by. When asking to speak candidly, I nodded, and he asked me, “How did you not know this?”

This, I believed, was a fair question. One I was asking myself since I found out what I had done. My answer was, “I suppose it was so I wouldn’t walk around spitting on him all the time.”

This, of course, made him laugh, but I was pissed. Honestly, I was pissed at myself. Learning, reading, researching and strategy were my thing. It’s what I excelled at. Bottom line, I felt stupid, duped. Savage kept this from me. Savage kept a lot of shit from me. I underestimated him and in this, he won. I did not like that he won.

“It was really nice speaking with you, Pookie,
”
I offer my hand standing. He takes my fingers, gently bending my wrist and kisses the top of my hand. “I appreciate your insight and thank you for having our backs today.”

“Cinn,
”
he says gently which seemed at odds with the man. “If I may…
”
His words were meant for me, but his eyes were on Monarch,who gave a nod to continue. “I’ve been around a long time,
”
he begins. “I’ve seen firsthand what you’re capable of. That being said, Savage willingly bequeathed a large amount of power to you.
”
Nodding to him in agreement, he continues. “He was mad, but he wasn’t ignorant. Tell me, had you known a small act from you could bring about a war, would you have done it?”

“Yes.
” 
More like hell yes and I would have done it
years
ago. Like the day Monarch left me for instance…

“You alone held the key to his empire in your tiny mouth. Do not feel mislead. Feel it for what it is, my queen
…
fear. Savage feared you. What is more powerful than fear?”

“Nothing.” I whisper, but I knew my answer wasn’t the truth I’d once believed it to be. There was something more powerful than fear, but I was too angry to correct myself.

“Until next time,
”
he smiles backing away. Once he cleared the corner, I looked up at Monarch and whispered, “He’s right, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Had I known, I could have…”

“Not could,
”
he says tagging my neck. “You would have, and I know exactly when and why.”

“I could have kept you,
”
I whisper. “All this time you could have been
mine
.”

“Cinn…”

“Why didn’t you tell me!
”
I scream causing Ares to flip out and Monarch to hold me tighter.

“Calm,
”
he orders and both dog and owner obey. “You were turning eighteen years old, Mo chuisle. You had yet to see him for what he truly was. At that age, you also did not have the loyalty of his men to back that up. And if he wasn’t feeling charitable he would have been within his rights to kill you.”

“But later, once I had the den I could have…”

“I believed he’d protect you,
”
he says quietly and in pain. So much pain and regret I could feel it. “I believed that, Cinn. Had I known
…
So much shit would have been done differently, I fucking swear to you.”

“Okay,
”
I say on a big exhale. “I held the key; that’s pretty fucking sweet. He’d dead, I’m free, plus I’ve got you and Ares. Okay. I’m good. It’s all good.”

“Mo chuisle,
”
he says in my ear. “I love you. Proud of you today.”

“Eros,
”
I whisper back clutching him tight.

“What does it mean?”

“Eros means a lot of things. Greek in origin, Eros was the God of love. Son of Aphrodite. Most specifically it means desire, sexual yearning and love. But it also means the sum of all instincts for self-preservation. You are all of these things to me.”

“Fuck.”

“Take me to bed,
”
I beg him. “Please.”

Commanding Ares to follow, Monarch circles my waist and hauls me to our suite, and I am telling you if dogs could smile; mine was.