B A C K F I R E
"W O M E N — D O N ' T P L A Y N O G A M E"
Solana
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I'm not doubting you cause this isn't the wildest thing we've ever done— but at the same time, I don't know this man like you do." Lauryn sighed and looked at everyone who was sitting in the room even though her question was directed to me. She's been on her computer for half of the day finding ways to hack into Michael's security system so that I could get everything that I needed, and every time we think that we've got in, another thing happens and we were stuck.
It was mainly pissing off Lauryn because the issue was something as simple as a passcode.
I sighed and looked around at everyone who was sitting in the room before getting up and walking towards the window. "We can do it. Savanna and I are gonna keep watch while he's at the club and his men will without a doubt be with him. When you're able to hack into his security system and shut everything down, I'll head out and get what I need, and leave before anything gets suspected. If any of his men try anything stupid, they die. Simple." I shrugged.
"How many people have you robbed before for you to be so calm about this?" Kingston, one of men that worked for me laughed a little. Kingston was cute. Older than me by about a year, was tall, a caramel complexion and finally grew out of babyface stage. At one point, he was just someone who I kept around as a benefit for myself. We'd sleep together when I needed it, but as soon as his feelings started to show more, I had to slowly put a wedge between the both of us, and make everything no strings attached. I didn't want him or need him, I just needed my needs met from time to time.
I didn't want any distractions, but to him, his feelings were still noticeable by everyone. He was handy with a gun and carrying out tasks though, so he wasn't just a past fuck buddy. "I've done this for years, sweetheart. None of this is new to me, so it's nothing to be anxious about." I smiled softly at him, making him smirk and rub his thumb across his bottom lip.
"So how many of us do you want stationed where? In case some crazy shit happens?" Savanna asked, her fingers moving against the screen on her phone.
"Lauryn will be here so that I know for sure if something happens and backfires badly, they won't pop up at her place. Her safety is my main concern. Her place is secured so no one would be able to track her if she was there, but I'm not risking anything. The rest of you won't be needed." I went and sat on the arm of the loveseat that Kingston was in. His arm snakes around my waist and his hand rested on my thigh.
"And what about me?" He questioned.
"Didn't she just say that the rest of you aren't needed? That includes you too, dumbass. Let the women handle it. You guys are just backup." Lauryn rolled her eyes at him, not looking up from her computer.
She hated Kingston and it was almost comical. I think it was because she was here first and is territorial when it comes to me, but she wasn't someone to play with.
"Look, imma need you to chill the fuck out with the smartass comments cause I've been waiting to fuck you up—"
I glared down at him, pulling the gun I had on my side out and pointing it at him. "If you ever decide to threaten her while I'm present or even when I'm away, that's your ass." He looked at me from out of the corner of his eye and his jaw clenched. "Got me, sweetheart?" His eyes fell back on Lauryn as she smirked at him and stuck her tongue out. He took too long to answer before I took the gun off it's safety. "Got me?"
"Yeah, man." He rolled his eyes as soon as I moved the gun. He got up and walked into my kitchen to grab a water bottle before sitting at the island with his arms crossed like a giant baby.
"Like I was saying," I glared at him before looking back to everyone else. "Everyone else just be on standby in case you're needed, okay?" They all nodded their heads and I let them leave so that they could spend the rest of the night with their families or spouses.
"Let's get dressed so we can head out, pretty girl." I patted Savanna's head and she groaned, grabbing my wrist so I could pull her from the couch.
"Why don't you ever send Lauryn to these clubs with you? She's old enough."
"One, Lauryn hates clubs. Two, you love clubs. And three, because you're a con woman. Clubs scenes are your natural habitat." I chuckled and she dusted the imaginary dust from her collar.
"I mean, at least you know." She laughed before grabbing her overnight bag that kept her things inside and went up towards the bathroom to get ready.
I walked into my room and shut the door just to hear it open again. "What Kingston?"
"How'd you know it was even me?" He chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest. "I didn't even make a sound."
"I know the sound of footsteps. Yours are heavy but you slide them across the floor." I grabbed my brush from the dresser and began to brush all of my hair back, pulling it into a ponytail when I felt his lips brush against my neck.
"Not right now, King." I rolled my eyes and tried to push him arms from around me, but failed.
"Why not? I know for sure that y'all not leaving until another few hours cause the clubs don't actually pop off until late at night. You got a few hours to kill, baby." He smirked and pulled away to look at the both of us in the mirror.
If it was one thing I hated, it was when he called me baby. It sounded so off coming from his mouth. "Look at us." He mumbled. "We could've been the most feared couple in every single state that you own, but you keep shooting a nigga down."
I frowned and fully pushed myself from his grip. "Um, you know I never wanted a relationship, and that's not my goal." I went to my closet, walking in to grab a black bodysuit and laying it on my bed. "You want to be a feared couple, I want to just be feared and respected, and I don't need a man to validate that." I looked at him and shrugged.
Kingston leaned against my dresser and watched me, nodding his head, but not listening to what exactly I was saying. "That stunt you pulled downstairs wasn't right either, by the way. Trying to bitch me out in front of everybody cause you have a gun up to my head?"
"Who said it was a stunt?" I cocked my head and smiled at him. "Something you keep forgetting is that those two women who were downstairs are my right hand women. I'd go to war for them if needed, so for you to try and threaten Lauryn in front of me? You lost your damn mind." I chucked bitterly. "If you do it again, I won't hesitate to put something more than just fear into you, babyboy." I walked to my door and opened it for him.
His body was tense and his jaw was clenching again because he knew that I wasn't joking.
"Now, if you don't mind I have a task I have to complete and I need to get dressed. I'll see you later in the week though." I walked over to him and wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling him down to my level.
He licked his bottom lip before looking at mine and kissing me. I cupped his face in my hands and sucked at his bottom lip before pulling away, wiping his mouth. "Leave." I whispered against his lips, and like always, he listened, walking out slowly, not breaking eye contact with me.
"Imma call you."
"Mmhmm." I smirked and waved at him, waiting until he was completely away from the door before groaning and stripping from my clothes, throwing on the Black bodysuit quickly, making sure not to ruin any of the makeup I put on hours before.
"You know," Savanna spoke up from the doorway. "When Isis told me about what I was getting myself into, I questioned if I was doing the right thing working for you. I never heard of a queenpin so I figured it was just bullshit. But after watching how you work and how you can easily manipulate men like that?" She laughed and walked into the room to sit on the bed. "I think I made a bomb ass choice" She smoothed out the nude dress she wore.
I just laughed and shook my head. "Learned from the best." I mumbled and fixed the few stray hair that were coming from my ponytail.
When Michael and I were together I was never just his crazy girlfriend. He taught me how to shoot a gun without hesitation, how to handle money, the ways of being a con woman when needed, and how to easily manipulate men. The only thing he never let me get involved in was the drug aspect. He would always tell me that it was too dangerous and that he didn't want his girl being about that life.
I taught myself anyway.
"Looks to me like you're trying to impress somebody tonight. I mean, I could say who... but I don't wanna kill your high that you have right now." She stuck her tongue out at me and chuckled some more.
"Just because this is work, doesn't mean I can't look cute and enjoy myself." I playfully pushed her shoulder and examined myself once more in the mirror.
"With all that cleavage out I don't know, Solana. You're dressed like you're trying to get exclusive five star dick tonight at a club— but then again you dress like this everyday. You slut." She joked.
"Shut up, Savanna!" I laughed and grabbed my jacket, checking the time on my phone, it was eight on the dot and figured that this would be the best time to head out and start the plan. "Lauryn!" I yelled down the steps of my house.
"Eh!" She groaned, holding her chest. "Why must you yell? Like serious, the yelling? It's gotta be brought down a notch for the sake of my sanity." She looked back down at her computer, and clicking in the keyboard.
"We're getting ready to head out. How's it looking?"
"It's like he sets up passwords to get to his own damn password. I think he has trust issues or something— does he have trust issues? Cause this is some crazy shit, sis." She bit at the corner of her lip.
"Girl, I don't know." I tried to hold in my laugh because I knew that he did have trust issues.
"Well, you both keep your phones on you at all times so that I can let you all know what's going on and if I'm able to get in and shut down all of his systems. Take your ear pieces and keep them on. Be safe." Lauryn looked up at me. "And make it back here in safely." She told me that every time I went out to handle business at night.
"Got it big boss!" Savanna called out and grabbed my arm, walking me out the door.
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"When you told me we were going to a club, I thought you meant a regular one... not a strip club." Savanna rolled her eyes at me while we entered through the back of the building.
"This is a regular club.... they just have the slides split so one side is for dancing, the other side is for the strippers." I laughed and squeezed her hand as I walked in front of her and the music from the club took over completely and drowned out the sound of anything else.
I dropped her hand when we got to the bar and sat across from her. The club was packed and everyone was body to body; thankfully there was cool air blowing through the place. "Look natural and watch out for him." I mumbled and turned to the bartender who was smiling at the both of us.
"What can I get you ladies tonight?" He questioned, undressing us both with his eyes. I rolled mine and Savanna just cackled.
"What's your name, baby love?" Savanna asked, leaning over the bar towards him, pushing her cleavage together so that they were poking out of her dress even more.
"My name's Luke, sweetheart." He smirked and leaned closer to her as she starting to whisper something in his ear. I rolled my eyes at the both of them and shook my head.
I knew I should've gave her rules before we left.
She giggled like a schoolgirl before pulling away from him. "I'll be right back with the drinks." He walked away slowly, still looking at Savanna.
"How is he gonna bring me a drink when I didn't order anything?" I asked her, still looking around the left side of the room while she did the right.
"I told him to bring over a whiskey sour for you and a sex on the beach for me. All taken care of boss lady— who is that?" I looked at Savanna before looking in the direction she was looking in. The guy was farther back but he looked taller than us both, had a little bit of facial hair, and was wearing all black. The lights in the club were red but you could easily tell that he was a lighter complexion and was pretty toned. "I wanna get to know any and everything about him. He's looking a little too good to just be standing there—"
"Savanna, can we please stay focused on the task at hand? Dry up your crotch for a minute." Lauryn spoke from the earpiece making me laugh. Savanna smacked her lips and crossed her arms.
"You need dick— that's the problem and why you keep blocking my shot to get me some." Luke came back with our drinks and slipped Savanna a piece of paper that I assumed had his number on it.
"Focus." I shook her arm and kept looking around the room. Isis told me that he'd be here and I doubt she'd lie about that. Michael's always been the type to like clubbing; especially strip clubs just so he could blow a little extra money. "Split up, I'm gonna take this side, you take the other." I sighed and got up to walk around.
"How's it looking, Lauryn?" I pressed the small circular earpiece that was behind my ear while I scanned the room.
"The same, it's just a shitload of passwords to get to the actual password— all numbers." She mumbled and I could tell she was growing frustrated.
I decided to go over to where the dancers were and took a seat, grabbing the wad of money from my wallet. Casually throwing them the money, I took a sip from my drink and crossed my legs.
Minutes were going by and I still couldn't see him. I wasn't sure if he either decided to stay home or was running late but it was starting to piss me off—
"Look who I've got on my radar." I heard Savanna sing through the earpiece. "You're by the stage, look in front of you, but down to the left." I followed the direction she told me to look in, and there he was.
He was way more toned since the last time I saw him years ago and grew even more facial hair. His hair was braided back into a mini bun on the top of his head and he kept his sunglasses on— something he's always done, and I don't know why.
I'd be lying if I said that he didn't look good, and I knew that the lighting in this place wasn't doing him any justice. But at the same time, I wanted to walk over there beat his ass on sight, no questions asked. I didn't care if this was his city and we were in public.
"Lana, calm down babygirl." I heard Savanna in my ear and was brought back down to reality pretty quick.
"What's wrong with her?" Lauryn questioned.
"I can see this look on her face from across the room. I can't tell if she wants to go over there and fuck him or just simply fuck him up. But girl you got some good taste in men." She groaned.
I ignored her comment and looked around at everyone who was with him, seeing how deep his clique of men were in case something was to pop off. He had bottles circling around him and he would laugh every once in a while before throwing money at the dancers.
Ant was with him to his left, and since Bryson was a married man and currently gone with Isis, I figured he wouldn't be there. Ant was the funny smartass friend that Michael had. Women would walk past him and mumble things to him and he'd smirk and lick his lips at them before they would walk off.
"I'm getting something!" Lauryn yelled making me freeze up, and Savanna walked back over.
"What is it?"
"I'm so close to getting to the final passcode in his security, but every time I come close I'm always at least two numbers off. If I'm able to get this, then I have all of his security shut down." She spoke as my eyes stayed on him. I was glad that there was so much distance between us so that he couldn't see me.
"Sweetheart." Someone from behind us called from over the music. I turned around and it was the same guy that she was watching a few minutes ago. Even though he smiled and nodded at me, I knew his interest was set on Savanna. "I hope I'm not interrupting nothing, but I saw you when I came in and knew I had to try and make my way over to you before another nigga did. I'm Tommy." He chuckled.
"Imma give you a minute." I chuckled and started to move.
"But the plan?" She mumbled back at me.
"I got it under control, just keep your earpiece on and your phone ready. If it goes right, I'll let you know when I'm heading out." I smiled and winked at her before looking at Tommy.
"Have a nice night, Tommy." I looked him up and down. It's not that something wasn't right about him, but something about him let me know that I had to be cautious just in case.
"You too. Thanks for letting me borrow your friend..." he paused, waiting for my name.
"Robin." I smiled before walking towards the back of the club, still keeping my eyes on Michael.
"Lana, this last passcode is what's making the process take so long. I know you hate his ass right now, but I'm gonna need you to dig into that big brain of yours and help me with these last few digits before the cover gets blown."
"What are the first numbers?" I asked and moved my straw around in my glass. I felt a hand get placed on my waist and I turned to see the last person I was expecting to see this close to me tonight. My heartbeat instantly sped up out of anger.
"Babygirl." He smirked and pulled me into him as I pushed him back.
"Kingston what the hell are you doing here?! Didn't I tell you so stay home?" I hissed at him and tried to walk away.
"This is what happens when you let him pipe you a few good times... now his ass is sprung like the T-Pain song." I could tell that Lauryn was smirking at her own joke.
"Not now, Lauryn. Just tell me the first numbers you were able to get from the passcode."
"Well, I did, then I came here. How was I suppose to know that this was the club you were talking about, ma? You look good as hell, though." He followed me. "Ain't that pretty boy over there?" He pointed.
"Stop." I grabbed his hand and pulled him to a corner near me. "You're not involved in this one and you're gonna be a distraction, so stay away from me or go home." I pushed him back against the wall and quickly walked away from him so he wouldn't try to catch up with me.
"The first numbers are zero, seven, one, three..."
It felt like my heart instantly fell to my stomach. I knew those numbers too well; and they'd always hit close to home. "Um... t-try zero, seven, one, three, one, two." I stuttered and found a decent place to sit away from everyone else, but still allowed him to be seen to me.
"Let's hope that works cause those are random ass numbers—" I heard Savanna mumble into the ear piece.
"W-We're in." Lauryn stuttered. "We're in!" She laughed.
"How did you know what numbers to use? What does it mean—"
I frowned, seeing Michael do the same at his phone before he snatched off his sunglasses and his jaw clenched. A girl was on his lap and he instantly pushed her off and stood up, mumbling something to Ant; making all of his other men stand up.
"Fuck!" I heard Lauryn start to panic.
"Lauryn, what's wrong?" I tried my best to stay calm.
"W-We got in... the passcode was correct, but it still triggered the alarm system to go off at his place... his entire house is going into lockdown now." She spoke quickly.
I looked up to see all of his men rushing out of the building; even making me panic. Not even for myself, but for Lauryn. "Shit... Lauryn shut the whole thing down. Don't continue anything, log off and break the computer; they're on their way back to his house."
"O-okay— I'm sorry Solana... we were so close." She sounded so defeated.
"It's not your fault. I'm gonna handle it in person tomorrow, but we gotta get out of here before shit gets serious, Savanna—"
As soon as I said her name, gunshots rang in the club, making everyone scream and start running or covering themselves. "Get of there now!" Lauryn yelled.
If Savanna wasn't responding, I knew that she was already out of the club... probably with Tommy. I rushed out of the club and went to my car, getting inside.
Michael was parked a few feet away from me and he was still looking at him phone; knowing that his system was hacked into. He got into his car instantly and drove off.
This was the first time my plan backfired and it would without a doubt be the last fucking time. So tomorrow I was just going to settle everything myself and get my money in person. I was tired of hiding and playing the games.
Zero, seven, one, three, one, two.
"Are you out? Where's Savanna?" I heard Lauryn.
"I'm out... on my way back home. Savanna got caught up with a guy— I'm sure we'll see her tomorrow morning. She's not stupid enough to get caught in nonsense."
"Cool, now you wanna explain to me how the hell you knew that passcode?"
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CHAPTER EDITED
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This was longer than I was expecting it to be 😭😂
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