“I swear if I was anyone else I might just take her up on her offer.” I thought to myself as I let this older maid help me get dressed. I had spent the entire day so far with Trinity, mostly just keeping her calm and listening to her tell stories of her mother. Melinda Rose. The way she talked about her momma reminded me a lot of my momma back home. The more she talked about her the more guilt I felt for putting her through all of this. We played a few games on her systems, I think we have completed conquered an entire village in minecraft by accident. As the sun started to grow lower in the sky and the true lights of New York began to shine. Trinity took me inside of her large closet as we had completely forgotten that we were supposed to go and get me a dress or some nice outfit today.
The outfit that Trinity had chosen me was honestly pretty nice, she even lent me one of her maids to help me get dressed. An older woman that was not a fan of my slight squirming that came from the ticklish areas on my back and sides. I was changed into a light pink dress that hugged around my waist and went down to my knees. A bit more tight and flowy than I was used to but it looked really good. Ms. Penelope finished this outfit off by tying my waist with a large ribbon and let the ends hang off towards the left side of this dress. She undid all of my braids like she was a skilled weaver and rebraided them just as fast. They were not as tight as they had been before and were much larger, only giving me three very long ones. She took a bit of makeup and put it on my cheeks and when I looked back in the mirror again. I was surprised that I actually looked really pretty. She helped me change into a pair of white heels and finished the outfit by giving me one of Trinity’s small pink purses for me to hold.
“Thank you,” I said as I bowed towards the woman. “And sorry for my squirming.” I added as I rubbed my thigh as it still stung from where she had popped me with the brush she had in her pocket.
I found Trinity waiting for me outside and she looked more grown up. She was wearing a long sleeved dark red dress that had a series of flowers going up the side of it and across her chest. She was wearing tall heels that made her at least six inches taller than me, she had on fake lashes, her chest was a bit bigger as well and ruby lipstick. She had her usual braids but they looked brighter as if someone put oil on them. If I didn’t know, I might have guessed that she was 16 or older. Her look was complete with a golden tiara on her head that had a ruby the size of her own netrix gemstone, which was held proudly around her neck. “Are you ready?” She asked, walking towards me. Each step clicked off the marple white floor.
“I am,” I said as we stepped outside of the house. “Where are we anyway?”
“We are in Queens.” She answered as she led us towards a familiar black suv. A tall man opened the door and like smoke coming out of a deep dark cave. I could see Katherine’s dark violet jepei aura flowing from it. “We are heading to Harlem, so try and play nice.”
“I am always nice to her.” I said.
“You are good at hiding how much you don’t like being near her.” She corrected me with a smile as she elbowed me in my arm. She climbed in first with the man’s help and then he helped me inside where I was once again forced to ride with the woman that had given birth to me.
Katherine was clad in all white. A short white dress that showed off too much of her very long and strong looking legs. It made that cracked gemstone of her’s shine as bright as a star in comparison. She had no heels on as she rarely needed them to look taller, just beautiful made white shoes. Her hair was flipped to the right side of her head today, and she had on long white gloves that went up to her elbows. “Well isn’t this a surprise, are we bringing her with us Trinity?”
“Yes ma’am, she is my right hand so she gets to come with me.” Trinity answered her voice a bit deep and even sounded more grown up. “She has proven herself to me, and to you.”
Katherine looked over at me with a sly smile. “Well she has proven herself to you, she still needs to earn my trust. There is still so much I don’t know about her.”
“I know things that she has not nor needs to tell you.” I tensed at Trinity’s very bold tone. “So with all due respect, please just deal with it.”
Katherine looked amused by this as she motioned for Trinity to come closer. I shut my eyes as a loud crack sounded through the air and when I opened my eyes. Trinity was looking towards the right and Katherine was just lowering her hand. “Be mindful of how you speak to me, Trinity Wallace. If it wasn’t for what this day was, then I would do worse. You have amused me today, but do not disrespect or take that tone with me again. Am I understood?”
“Y-Yes ma’am.”
“Good girl,” she praised as she leaned back in her chair and recrossed one leg over the other. “If you trust this girl then I suppose I will give her a bit more trust, but believe me when I tell you Cindy Perez, if I find you even the smallest bit annoying during this meeting. Then well, I am sure I can remind you of what strike one is.”
I had to bite my cheek to try and use pain to chase away the terror creeping up with me. “I will do my best for Trinity and learn what I can to make her dream come true.”
I felt the car go into motion and my hopes of Katherine just shutting her big fucking mouth during this trip we dashed as she asked me. “Tell me Cindy, what is your animal spirit? Cause I could not tell what style you used when you, admittedly, caught me off guard this afternoon. I could tell that that was not you fighting but letting out frustration on me. It won’t happen again but it was impressive.”
“The spirit of the leopard, and what of yours you never let me know.”
“I didn’t, did I?.” Katherine’s claw-like nails pinched the gemstone around her neck. “The spirit of liger is very rare, it takes the deadliest parts of a lion and a tiger and combines them into one.”
“A deadly spirit for a deadly woman.”
“Oh child,” Katherine smiled at me. “You have no idea how deadly I truly am.”
“I hope I never have to find out.” It took all my strength to present her with a scared but soft smile. As we drove in horrible awkward silence as Trinity seemed determined to not say a word, maybe out of fear of being slapped again. My eyes came to rest as a certain car drove past us, I recognized it as Joshua’s rental car. We pulled into a red light where he looked at me and gave a slight nod before turning right. I could see his cheetah spirit was following right behind him. Since we couldn’t risk her sensing my daddy’s jepei aura or have daddy Thanani come and follow me. We made a plan have Joshua and Wally follow us, wherever we went they would sneak in and than attach a camera around Wally’s neck so he could fill this interaction. It was the best we could and honestly it was the best plan we could have come up with as almost out of no where. Katherine spoke up and what she asked me of me sent fear rushing through my spine.
“Cindy come here and let me take down the back of your dress, I need to check something.”
“She is not wearing a wire,” Trinity responded. “I know that she isn’t, my maid at home told me that she didn’t have one.”
“Trinity shut up.” Trinity’s mouth snapped shut but that angry look did not leave her dark red eyes. “Cindy, do not make me repeat myself.”
So I bit back on my lip as I stood up and carefully crossed the side of this SUV and sat on the same warm seat as Katherine. I pulled my three braids in front of me and closed my eyes as tight as I could. I tensed as I felt her hand come to rest on my back and she pushed me forward just a bit. Her touch was cold and hard as usual but for a moment this one calm gesture sent a small feeling of warmth running up my spine. Katherine was not a gentle parent, she didn’t have time for hugs or pats on the back or head, she saved those for my daddy. However, when I was really sick one day and was throwing my heart up. I remember how she had set a soft hand on my back to pat at it. A rare mother touch, a tender voice that whispered soothing words into my ears.
I forced that memory out of my head. I would never think of her as a gentle caring person ever again, it was all just an act. She never loved my daddy, I don’t even know if she ever loved me or just wanted me as a weapon for her to use. I froze in place as she untied the back of my dress and I felt a bit of cold air run against my upper back. Her hand came to rest on my bare back for a moment, her finger running down my spine, a slow movement, one that if I had on a wire I would not be quick enough to stop her from what would happen next. She would put as much amplification into her hand as possible and stab me straight through. I knew she could do that.
She did it once five years ago.
“Stay still,” she grabbed my shoulder and helped me sit up. I felt her starting to retie my dress once more, not as gently as the maid this evening had done. She then pushed me back to my feet where I rejoined Trinity. “You should be proud Trinity, looks like you found a loyal friend to help you learn. One that can fight as well.”
“Thank you,” Trinity took a hold of my hand and smiled at me. “I am.”
I forced myself to smile back. I was not a loyal friend in the sense that she wanted.
And tonight I would find out that Trinity had more secrets than I could have ever imagined.
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We eventually pulled into a parking lot in Harlem. I could hear music bumping from the building to our immediate right, a few black cars were in this parking lot. We all got out and I followed behind Katherine and Trinity. Behind me were two more large men, one a white man the other a black men, each had taken a moment to load and hide a pistol in their waist. The butterflies in my stomach started to increase as we stepped up a ramp and were lead inside by a strong looking man. Inside looked to be a truck drop off area, however there was no truck in sight. Instead was a large round table sitting at one side of it was a averaged sized dark skinned man with a nice shaved face and a nice haircut. He was wearing a dark brown suit and a red tie. I froze in place as that same girl that has attacked me at Trinity’s house and again at Chaos and Order during the attack was standing beside her. Trinity own jepei aura spiked for a moment from anger, but a single hand from Katherine stopped her.
Thanks to my great hearing I heard her whisper. “If you fuck this up, no one will save you from what I will do. Am I understood? You have already been on thin ice with me for much too long, one more mistake and I will show you why people fear the words, strike three.”
“Y-Yes ma’am.” As quickly as that fear came, it vanished within a moment as her shoulders got higher as she stood tall and proud. She spoke out her voice stronger than I had heard since coming here, that mask that she often kept on that held all of her confidence and pride was at a whole new level. “Thank you, very much for having us today, Mr. Brooks.” She walked forward prompting myself and Katherine to do the same thing. We reached the center of this loading bay where Trinity took the only other open seat. Katherine stood on her right hand and I stood on her left.
This man of maybe 30 years old looked at Trinity with a bit of confusion and amusement filling his dark eyes. “What is this? Is Hezekiah too much of a coward to come and face me himself? I would expect the black lion to come and defend himself but instead he sends his daughter.”
“My father has been very busy,” Trinity said carefully. “Things have been a bit harder on him since you went and had your men attack our club.” My eyes widened a bit and I felt anger starting to flow through me. It was this man's fault that Aailyah was still in the hospital, that she had gone there in the first place! “You are lucky my father didn’t come or he would rip you piece by piece for what you have done to us.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” The man said though his small smile told me everything I needed to know. “There is no proof that I was involved in all of this.”
“The proof is standing right beside you,” Trinity nodded towards that odd girl in the white mask. Her blade out as she leaned against it, I knew she could probably lift that blade up and strike much quicker than it might look. “Sending one of our people against us was a wrong move, Mr. Brooks.”
“Again I have no idea what you are talking about? I hired this young lady because I needed someone strong in my corner tonight.” He looked from Trinity to Katherine. “Someone to keep that brute of a woman in check just in case. I know the famed violet liger is not one to stand idly by.”
“AW that is adorable.” Katherine spoke up with a roll of her eyes. “You think a little brat that can barely tie her shoes is enough to even take a hair off my head. I would slaughter her, you and these men in just a mo-” I was stunned as Katherine stopped speaking, she actually listened to Trinity when she held her hand up.
“Ms. Blackthorn I appreciate your words and I appreciate you reminding them of how powerful you are, however can I please speak.” I hesitantly looked up at Katherine who once again rolled her eyes but a small hint of pride appeared on her face. “Now Mr. Brooks. You made a mistake in attacking us, but to be fair I understand why.”
He raised an eyebrow at that. “How so?”
“I love my daddy very much.” Trinity began. “However, he is very self centered, prideful, annoying, quick to attack and not listening. Always thinks he is in the right, and he disrespected you when he came here two months ago to try and buy this little club of yours and your entire territory here in Harlem.”
The man looked a bit more interested now. “I see you are much smarter than I gave you credit for.” He rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands together. “You are right, your father disrespected me with his first offer, are you here to right his wrongs or keep carrying his sins?”
“I am here to right his wrongs and show you that working with me is much better than him. One day this will all belong to me, and I would rather have you as an ally than a constant thorn in my hide.” Trinity lifted her hands up and clapped them twice. One of the men from before walked forward and set a cash in front of Trinity. “ALthough you hurt one of my friends in your attack, and hurt my daddy’s club. I will have mercy on you, and I am asking you to listen to my offer.” He slowly nodded his head and Trinity opened the briefcase up before showing him the contents.
Stacks on stacks of money.
His dark eyes grew a bit wider as he looked back at Trinity who had a cute little smile on her face. “I am offering you 350,000 dollars for this location and I am offering you a chance to work for me not as an underling like all of those other weak minded men that have given into my father, but as a partner. We would supply you with the best weed in the entire United States and you would only give me… let’s say 10 percent of your total earnings every month. It is much better than my father’s originally offer of, join me or die?”
Mr. Brooks snapped his fingers and one of his men came to take the briefcase. “Do you mind if we count this money?”
“By all means, recount what I carefully countered out this afternoon from my daddy’s safe.”
“You took this from the black lion without his permission?” Trinity slowly nodded her head. “I suppose you really are here to make up for his wrongs.” He held his hand up and the man who had come to get the case set it back down. “Though I have to wonder why the young daughter of the lion is so willing to make a fair, not even fair, an amazing deal to me.”
“You hold one of the best clubs in Harlem, your connections are greater than one could have. You made a small area that you call home and if he was to come in and overthrow that balance that you have made. Then no one gets anything. Your men would leave, this club would be close and the reopening is never as good as the original.” Trinity leaned forward on her elbows a bit more, looking more older than before. She was really good at this, she was always realy good at speaking to people but this was on a different level. “We wronged you, and you wronged us, I don’t want to destroy you though. I want someone that I can trust to handle this area and all of Harlem. I don’t to make enemies that want to destroy me later on, I want people that can help me and that want a lot of money, and I know how much you love money.”
“And what about my club?”
“You would still run it as much as you want, all of the money would belong to you.” Trinity explained. “This is your home, I wouldn’t take anything from you.”
“So my choices are, turn this down and risk a war with your daddy, or work underneath his daughter when it all belongs to her?” Mr. Brook said as he leaned back in his chair. “I have to admit young lady, you are quite a talker.” He then said some words that seemed to make all of the air disappear. “Just like that sexy as momma of yours.”
“Excuse me?” Trinity said after a long moment of hesitation. “What did you just say”
“I was just saying that you remind me of that momma of yours.” Trinity’s breathing started to grow a bit faster at that. “You look just like Melinda.”
“Stop it,” she whispered before sitting up a bit more. “No reason to talk about my mother, let’s just go back to talking about business and our deal.” I was sure that everyone could sense the slight shift in Trinity’s mood. Her smile looked cracked and forced, her proper posture had taken a hit to it.
I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and brought my head down to whisper at her. “Don’t let him get to you, it was a compliment if anything.” Trinity nodded her head as I pulled away and looked forward.
Trinity took a deep breath before clasping her hands together and staring right at him once more. “I am sorry for that, it’s just today is the day of her death and I would rather not speak about her.”
“My apologies,” he apologized. However I could see in his eyes that mischief was starting to form in them. He had found a nerve and it looked like he was gonna keep poking at it. “Just a bit curious though.”
“I would stop if I was you,” Katherine was the one to speak up. “Do not cross a line that you can’t come back from, Mr. Brooks.”
“What is wrong, I am just wondering how my favorite booty call died.” I set a hand on Trinity’s shoulder as she lunged forward for a moment. “Easy there, cub. Just a little joke between former lovers.”
“Shut your mouth,” each word that came from Trinity’s mouth was filled with a venom and icker than sent chills down her spine. I could feel her jepei starting to twist and turn like a fire ready to burn out of control. “Shut your mouth or this deal ends right now.”
“Trinity, don't listen to him,” I begged.
“Tell me something Trinity did your momma ever tell you what her other job was?” I looked over towards the man and glared at him, hoping that maybe two glares would be enough to get him to shut up!
“No.” Trinity answered her eyes filled with newfound rage.
“I am sure that she wouldn’t tell you but now that you are old enough.” There was a slight whistle in the air and a flash of dark purple jepei aura as Katherne had summoned her netrix weapon. A three sectioned staff that had a small blade on either end one of those blades held out and against Mr. Brooks throat.
“Shut up.” Katherine warned her voice even darker than before. “Do not speak ill of the dead, especially to the girl who has given you the best offer you are gonna get for this little shit hole you call a club.” I could hear the clicks of safeties going off as our men and their drew pistols. I saw the girl in the white mask stand taller with her greatsword resting on her shoulders but she looked ready for a fight. “So I would suggest you take that deal and we all leave happy or we can start a war right here and now, and believe me when I say war. I mean it is gonna be a one sided slaughter.”
Mr. Brook’s put his hands up and a bit of fear started to spread through his eyes. “Excuse me for speaking on things I shouldn't. I was just a bit too curious. I hope my business partner can learn to control her temper a bit more in future. You should be so sensitive when someone speaks on your momma. Especially when most men in this city know who is the best at opening-”
There was a loud scream that escaped my mouth as Trinity pushed me off her and grabbed Katherine’s weapon thrusting it forward into the man’s neck! I looked in horror as blood started to spill out of his neck, his eyes bulged from a moment as and his hands made a weak attempt to grab Katherine’s weapon and pull it out. Trinity’s own jepei aura spread out from her like a roaring fire as she screamed. “Kill them all!”
I could only watch as she summoned her blade and cut down another man beside her. The girl with the white mask moved to engage as the door in the back opened and more men came flooding through the door. My first instinct wasn’t to summon a weapon, or even move to protect myself. The world moved in slow motion as I looked over at Katherine who had pulled her weapon free. Her eyes were firmly on Trinity, locked onto her with fury and anger. What happened next didn’t matter.
She had earned strike one when I first meet her,
She had earned strike two from another event.
And now she was on strike three for ruining this meeting.
Three strikes and you are out, and your punishment for strike three was one I had only experienced once.
And I didn’t wish that fate on anyone on earth.
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