DOUBLE DEUCES (Part 4)

Alone

"Bring me the fucking paper's now". I bellowed, completely ready to loose my shit. All damn morning I've awaited these papers and Marcus is moving with the speed of a snail. Those paper's held Conner's most recent transactions and possibly his son's whereabouts.

As Marcus rushed out I buzzed the restaurant. "Where is my fucking coffee. I've been here over an hour and have yet to see it?"

Just as I hung up Marcus entered and had sweat beads on his brow. He placed the papers on my desk in a disorderly fashion and of course they was crinkled. "The hell man. You didn't organize them". I growled.

Marcus shot me a death glare. "I'm not your fucking secretary. Your divorcing your secretary".

True even though I'll never admit it, Laney always had any important paper's awaiting on my desk neatly and in order as soon as I entered and my coffee delivered within moment's. I don't know how she managed to make sure my day ran smoothly while being away at her own office. Never once did I listen to her advice on how to get these thing's done like Dem did. That's exactly why my office is in disray right now. I haven't seen Demarco since he came in the other morning and saw that I had signed those paper's.

Anger boiled over and I decided to unleash it on Marcus. "Me divorcing my wife should thrill you. You always wanted to fuck her, now's your chance".

Marcus slammed his hands down on my desk and leaned forward. "I'm a married man and unlike you, I take care of my wife. True, before Cinda and when we were just boy's I would have bedded her in a heartbeat. I often wondered why she continued to stick by your side. How you never noticed how tired she is running around taking care of you, the kids, her company, your business, and every member of this family. That's right, whenever someone was severely ill she visited and offered her help. If someone was killed she checked in with the family personally. She knows each member by first name from your runners to the boy that washes the pots at the restaurant. They love her. She is what made this place what it is. Now you ran her off then refuse Dem the title. She molded him for this. He has the potential to be the best we've seen. You may have trained him to kill, but she gave him the business smarts".

"Do you not recall what happened the last time I turned it over to him?" I roared.

"You can't even use that London. Your own people was working against him. They chose his most vulnerable time to attack, when he was out to prove a point. When he wanted to show you he was capable of doing this. Instead, you allowed the very men that was out to take over talk you into demoting him. Did you even apologize to your son for that? If it hadn't been for Laney walking these hall's getting to know these people and learning of our inside enemies we would have all died that night. Instead your five foot three ex-wife was in the rafters taking them out one by one. Think on that for a minute. Then your doing Conner like this? Are you out of your mind?"

In a voice laced with venom I said. "Exactly who's side are you on Marcus?

"No side London. I'm just calling it like I see it, how we all see it. However I will tell you this, I have hired with my own money men to guard Laney. You put her out in the wide open man. Do you know the thing's some of those men would do to her if they captured her. Yea, some may kill her out right, but other's would be sure she suffered in everyway possible and you know exactly what I mean".

Having heard enough I demanded. "Remove your men at once. I want your queen to know how hard this world can be without me. If you don't remove them, I'll remove you".

Marcus wasn't like Conner. Marcus I could easily manipulate. This was the first time he has ever spoken back to me. "As you wish boss" he sneered then added. "I feel it's fair I let you know now. I will be retiring at the end of the month".

Marcus strode out without another word being uttered between us. No sooner than I focused on the paper's my door slung open and in marched Demarco. "The fuck I hear bout you giving the reins to Miri?"

"Then you heard right".

At first I thought he was about to come around the desk at me but he stopped. "The hell' s going on with you? How could you do this to me, to mom, to Conner? You know what, I know my potential, I know I am worthy and I don't need you or your Empire that's on the road to ruins, especially with Miri running it. What, she gonna make y'all learn how to give deadly manicures and cook ass food."

In that moment I saw the Laney in him. Before I could answer he continued. "You may have denied me my right but be warned, I don't need this. I will create my own Empire that will pull this one under and I know just who will stand by my side."

Rolling my eye's I said disinterested. "Run along Demarco and find something to do".

To my shock this time he came around the desk and jerked me from my chair by my collar. "You. Will. Reep. What. You. Sow."

Dropping me back in the chair he snarled. "Run along Pape, there's a new king in town. I'll be moving my belongings from this building by today".

"You leave this building and my business you leave without protection". I hissed.

The Laney acting bastard smirked at me." Naw Pape. My mom has always got my back. She's the real deal. Anywho, have fun crumbling down".

The papers laid forgotten and I decided it was time to see just what Laney was up to. I turned her trackers back on and drove to that location. Parking my car out of view, I walked and found a little bench opposite the road. I hadn't spoke to her since her last phone call so I was curious as to what was going on. I spotted her standing outside of a lavish skyscraper. It was obvious she had bought it for her company as I saw her work belongings being loaded in but it was more to it than that. No, this building was too large just for her company. I saw beds and such being loaded in as well. Could it be possible that she had some shady plans going down?

Then I watched as Conner and Ela pulled up followed by a moving truck. Obviously they were her new tenants. Conner gave her a brief hug as Ela waddled along. Laney took Zoey from her arm's gushing over her.  Ushering Ela to a bench, she handed the baby back and sauntered over to a street vendor where she purchased a pretzel. That's when I saw them, three men watching her. No, they wasn't appriacting her beauty, they was intently watching her. Maybe it's  the men that Marcus hired and he hasn't got around to letting them go.

I watched Laney and knew she had picked up on it as well. Taking a bite from her pretzel she turned and looked one of the men dead in the eye and politely stuck her middle finger up. The man retreated behind a building and the crazy woman walked after him. Ditching her pretzel, she placed her hand in her bag, obviously having a gun on the ready. As she was about to turn the corner the man disappeared down Demarco ran up startling her. Evidently she told Demarco because he took off down that ally. Moment's later he returned empty handed.

I was curious to who these men were so I phoned Marcus. "You cancel your men yet".

"Just hung up with them".

"How many did you have?"

"Three".

I explained my current situation  and his sighed. "My men told me about three men. Had it investigated and it turns out that Miri hired them to protect her mother as well".

Shutting my phone off I sat in disbelief over today's event's. Everyone was entering this suspicious building and suddenly Laney stopped. Taking a step back she turned in a small circle and I knew what she was doing. She felt I was near and watching. Quickly I darted into the closest store and peered out the window.

To my dismay she darted across the road to where I had been sitting and with that irritating smirk picked up my shades I carelessly left behind. Placing them onto her face she looked at the store I was in and made a pistol with her finger. Pretending she had shot, she sauntered back to her building sporting her new shades.