Sappho Intl (Songs of Silk Book 1) Read online

  “Listen! I have evidence that implicates her in some really shady shit, Prima.”

  I pulled out my phone, as I persuaded her to sit back down again. I proceeded to show her the pictures and detail everything that I’d bared witness to.

  "Why didn't you give these to me earlier, Silk?"

  "I gave the first picture to Flourish to forward to you, because I still didn't have your number nor the moment to bring it to your attention...”

  I walked over to the window in frustration.

  "Well, she never gave them to me or said anything about this and she's normally very good about these things...”

  "I wanted to wait until Cloud9 was over to give everything a chance to unfold. I didn't want to jump to any conclusions based on assumptions.”

  I took a deep breath because I was growing more and more irritated with the irrelevance of the timing. But then with containment and patience, I conceded to her.

  "You know what...It's no excuse and you have everything now...”

  "Well, it took a lot of courage to bring me this even now...”

  I looked out of the window to the ocean that surrounded us. I became slightly disappointed that I didn’t choose to move a little earlier. But in my mind, I knew that the moment was precise. This was not the moment for any doubts or regrets. This was the time to remain steadfast and focused on the task at hand.

  PrimaDonna sensed my resolve and looked through the pictures again.

  "Oh my God! Sam, what’ve you done?"

  She looked at the pictures with shock and amazement as she shook her head in disbelief.

  “What’re you going to do about this?”

  "Don't worry Silk…We WILL get to the bottom of this!"

  I became numb with resolve.

  "I have no worries, PrimaDonna. The truth reigns eternal.”

  A veil of anger befell her beautiful face and she stood with the steadfastness of a leader. It was yet another side of her that I had not bared witness as of yet. And now I fully understood why she was entrusted as commander of Sappho Intl. It was clear that she had no idea of what had been taking place right under nose. Now that she was made aware, she was tenacious and it was now time to turn over the burden of this secret to her eminence.

  "You're absolutely right and this MUST be addressed before everyone leaves tonight!"

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  "My friends…we are here to talk about some disturbing activities that have been brought to my attention earlier today.”

  Pharaoh, Flourish and Sir Sheik took turns shifting and slipping each other side glances as they sat in a slight semi-circle around the sleek metal tables of the conference room at Illumin8. I sat next to Pharaoh, so that I could get a clear view of everyone’s faces as the confrontation was taking place. PrimaDonna slowly poured a glass of water that set silently on the golden-trimmed mahogany desk and took a sip as she glared into the eyes of her long time friends. The tension in the conference room was thick enough to cut with a knife and the uncomfortable silence was deafening.

  “Would anyone like to tell me what this photo is about?”

  “PrimaDonna picked up my iPhone, which had been propped beside the pitcher of water, and passed the phone around to Sir Sheik who passed it on to Pharaoh.

  “It looks like cocaine or something.” Pharaoh stared at the picture and then passed the phone to Flourish. “Whose is it?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out, Pharaoh.” She began to pace around the room with a cool stride and a firm tenor. "Flourish, do you know anything about this photo?"

  Flourish looked at the picture and then at me as she began to shift in her seat.

  “Silk showed me the picture and I didn't really know what to make of it…and I guess I just forgot to forward it to you in the midst of all the activity. “

  “You didn’t think this was important enough to bring to my attention immediately, Flo?”

  Flourish’s voice began to falter as she arose from her seat and began to pace the room.

  “I mean, when Silk first told me about the photo, I couldn't be sure if Silk was the source of it…I mean, really Prima. Girl, we've all known each other for over a decade…We've never been known to do THIS sort of thing.”

  What the fuck—I couldn’t believe Flourish of all people was throwing me under the bus. My heart began to accelerate and I had to force myself to breathe, in order to maintain my cool.

  Pharaoh glanced at me with a look of sheer disbelief and then back at Flourish.

  “I mean 25 kilos…”

  She seemed appalled, as she looked back at the photo. Then she handed the phone back to PrimaDonna, as though it’d been diseased.

  But although she was giving a good show of it, her movements were erratic and she forcibly avoided eye-contact with me.

  “I mean…this is outrageous. Silk is new and this is the first time that we've ever seen such a thing within Sappho.”

  She played me.

  Despite our sexual connection and despite the fact that I’d considered her to be trustworthy—Flourish of all people was playing me. But why would she feel a need to do this to me? Why would she do this to me when it seemed that we were growing to be close with one another? Why would she make me out to be a thug, when she knew that I wasn’t on that level? Flourish wouldn’t have a valid reason to suddenly turn on me, unless she had something to hide herself. She wouldn’t have become so defensive so quickly, unless she was guilty of much more than procrastination. Maybe Flourish was in on the transactions with Sir Sheik and would throw me under the bus for her own self-preservation.

  Flourish HAD to be in on it with Sir Sheik or covering for her—which would also explain why she didn’t forward the photo.

  I began to look around the room over at Sir Sheik, whom was now visibly fidgety and sniffing sporadically.

  “Look, love. It’s common sense. Nobody has a clue as to what that photo means. So it only makes sense that whoever owns the phone, also owns what’s in the picture.” Sir Sheik arose out of her seat and with irritation added. “Case solved! Now can we go? It seems that you and Silk have some more chatting to take place here.”

  PrimaDonna continued to evenly pace the floor.

  As my breathing began to even out, it had occurred to me that I never told Flourish the details of everything.

  I kept my cool and squinted my eyes, as I asked Flourish. “How did you know how many there were, Flourish? I never told you how many bricks there were…”

  “AND she never showed you the rest of the pictures.” PrimaDonna added with a steady yet forceful resolve.

  These deliberations had now reached new heights as the eyes of both Flourish and Sir Sheik became panicked.

  PrimaDonna marched over to Sir Sheik and Flourish.

  “Samantha Amil Sheik do you know anything about THESE pictures.” Prima scrolled through to the next few pictures that had been withheld and passed the phone to Flourish and Sir Sheik, whom scrolled through uneasily.

  “The manifest has your company’s name on it and there’s even one with you and some of your associates loading the shipment!”

  Sir Sheik began to sniff uncontrollably and as she stood, the Sheik nervously unbuttoned the main button of her velvet purple Tom Ford jacket. She was visibly disturbed and unnerved while Flourish was flush with fear.

  “I would’ve thought you would have been more willing and cooperative, Sam…” She peered deep into Sir Sheik’s eyes and furled her brow in anger while Sir Sheik looked away in silence. “My own two best friends…”

  “I was indebted to her, Prima…” Flourish began to whimper as she began to break down. “I asked Sir Sheik for a favor a long time ago. Prima, you knew how my pops was…how he would get drunk and come after me and mama…how he took advantage of me. And I could never forgive him for that. I never got over what he did to us.”

  “After her sister died, Sir Sheik came to me and said she saw him leaving his apartment one day. She said she knew I
was still hurting and she could help me with the pain—that she would take care of him.”

  Flourish began to cry.

  “Sir Sheik had things on me and I’ve been indebted to her for a while now.”

  “But why this? You could’ve come to me Flourish! You’re my sister.” She began to scan the eyes of her long time friends. “I can’t believe this! After everything we’ve all gone through together.”

  “I’m sorry, Prima!” Flourish was sobbing and blubbering hysterically.

  Sir Sheik began to pace anxiously and sniff uncontrollably.

  “Pharaoh did you know about this too?”

  “Pharaoh had nothing to do with any of this. Sir Sheik had been distributing everything, with Sappho Intl as a front. She said if I would help her, then I could consider my debt paid AND I would get a cut to keep things flowing smoothly and quietly.”

  “Shut your trap, Flo!” Sir Sheik proclaimed with sarcasm and irritation.

  Flourish began to raise her voice and quicken her confession, as she went more into detail.

  “In the beginning I was reluctant, but then I got so deep into it. There was no turning back.” She looked directly into my eyes apologetically and with genuine regret. “That was until I met Silk and she made me feel alive. I wanted to get out, Silk, but I didn’t know how…I’m so sorry, Silk…I just panicked and didn’t know what else to say or do…”

  “The Sheik talks so much about old money and economic levels but she has to destroy the lives of her own kind with heroin and blow to feel a real sense of power.”

  “Shut up, Flourish!” Sir Sheik began to raise her voice as she glared at Flourish with rising fury.

  “Silk, she hates you because she knows that she’ll never be the stallion that you are.”

  She raised her voice again and the words that escaped her mouth flooded past her lips with increasing speed.

  “She trafficks the drugs with her partner and peddles to Sapphians. Their base is between London and New York and this cocaine shipment was part of her expansion plan to smuggle it in from Mexico to corrupt Miami as well. Sir Sheik is all about more money and more violence—and it’s about time that she’s stopped!” Flourish turned to PrimaDonna. “Her partner is…”

  “Shut up, Flourish!” Sir Sheik had stopped pacing abruptly and simultaneously pulled a compact glock pistol that’d been tucked below the small of her back and concealed in the waistline of her pants. “Just shut the fuck up already!”

  And before anyone knew it, Sir Sheik had disengaged the safety and pulled the trigger. The sound of a piercing explosion filled the air, as a single round had been fired. And the sound of a shrill shrieking followed.

  The echo of a now-shrinking, ringing reverberated in my ear and time seemed to stand still and run forward simultaneously. I was disoriented and seemed to be frozen with it—until my eyes began to register that Flourish had collapsed to the floor.

  The bullet had found its way to pierce through the wall of Flourishes chest and she now lay struggling to catch bloodless breaths. I immediately rushed to her side as Sir Sheik had panicked and now held PrimaDonna at gunpoint, as she cried and shouted in horror.

  “Flourish!”

  “Don’t anybody else move!”

  I kneeled down to hold her head, as blood gurgled and leapt from the hole in her chest. Her cotton tank became stained with the crimson red trails of regret and swelled redemption. Hot tears of fear burned her cheeks in frustration, as she began to cough up blood. And as her hopes to live another day dwindled away, her eyes reflected a silent surrender to her failed attempts to fight and hold on to claim another breath of life.

  Despite the pain of drowning within her own blood supply, somehow she found the will to repent. She harnessed from the depths of her soul’s ability and mouthed the words as she struggled.

  “I’m…sorry…”

  And with the release of her final words and last strained breath, her flooded body submitted to the painful and persistent bleeding. And her eyes ran cold and empty.

  Flourish had perished but not before releasing her heavy burden.

  I, with a deep compassion, shut her eyelids to steep in the ultimate sleep. And closed my eyes to breathe in the life that she could not—she was forgiven and her sacrifice would not be in vain.

  And as I turned to finally look up, a silent anger filled my lungs.

  “Finally! Silence! You know, Flourish fell for you first, Silk. But I never liked her anyway.”

  Sir Sheik sniffed and shook, as she held the fatal glock to PrimaDonna’s head and held her closely.

  “We might’ve fucked with each other, but she would never be on my level. Much like you—she would always be beneath me.”

  “Bruva, what the fuck is wrong with you!” Pharaoh screamed out, still shocked with the events that had transpired.

  Despite crying, PrimaDonna spoke slowly and carefully. “Let me go, Sam. You'll never get away with this.”

  “Let her go, Sam. We can still work this out, man.”

  “It’s too late.” She looked at PrimaDonna. “Isn’t that right, love?”

  “Look Sheik, this is between you and me.” I stood up slowly with both hands raised and looked her straight in the eyes. “Let PrimaDonna go. You know you don’t want to hurt her.”

  The Sheik backed up closer to the wall, as she sniffed.

  “Silk, you think you're so savvy don't you?” Rage and irritation began to surround her blue and green eye to fill and cloud the windows of her spotted soul. “I've operated for years under everyone's noses and yet there was NOT…ONE…PERSON who had a clue. My true power and reach was undetectable. And with everything that I built, no one knew—not even you my love. You were clueless. It was like you never knew me.”

  Tears of sorrow streamed down the cheeks of PrimaDonna, as she glanced at the cold form of her best friend that now lay lifeless.

  “I must have never known how damaged you really would become…and what it was capable of spawning within you, Sam.”

  “Well, it’s too late now.”

  She’d definitely lost it and might actually even be capable of killing PrimaDonna. I had to do something.

  “You don’t want to do this, Sheik.” I spoke softly and calmly.

  I had to shorten the distance between myself and them. I had to create a diversion to keep her from claiming another fatality.

  I inched closer to PrimaDonna, with my arms still motioning that I surrendered.

  Sir Sheik coldly pressed the tip of the barrel further into PrimaDonna’s temple, as she closed her tear-drenched eyes tightly.

  “You know I always loved you, Prima…but that no good husband of yours was always in the way.”

  “Oh, yeah! Bet you didn't know that did you, Silk?” She smiled crazily as she glared in my direction. “For all that you think that you know—there is so much that you don't know!”

  “Yeah, she’s married. That's why she keeps herself well out of reach.”

  “Sheik, you know that was a business arrangement, bruv.” Pharaoh began to calmly follow my lead and slowly moved forward towards PrimaDonna and the Sheik.

  “Yeah, well. It still hurts, Pharaoh. She's been stringing me along for years.”

  “And then Silk came along—and now you love this nobody, Prima! She isn't even on our level.” The hand that held her trigger finger began to shake uncontrollably. “And I know you love her because I can see it in your eyes! How she excites you and they light up whenever she’s around. After all we've been through why her?”

  “We've been through everything!” The Sheik kissed a streaming tear that fell down PrimaDonna’s face and then pointed the pistol directly at me, with my chest as the new target. “Fuck her!”

  I stopped in my tracks.

  “Go to hell, Silk!”

  I submitted to the mercy of my fate, as the Sheik began to move the finger that wrapped around the trigger.

  But by the grace of God and Sappho, it was not yet my time
to meet my maker.

  “No!” Pharaoh shouted right before the Sheik had pulled the trigger and the shot rang out.

  Within a flash Pharaoh had taken action. It was as though she was her father stealing first base for the Yankees, as she sprinted across the room and tackled me to take the bullet that had been meant for me.

  And as I now lay in shock and checked for a non-existent hole, I would faintly witness PrimaDonna elbow the Sheik in the gut and bolt to the closed door at the same time. As Sir Sheik was doubled over momentarily in pain, PrimaDonna opened the door and ran down the hallway.

  “Go! Silk, run!”

  “…but your arm!”

  Pharaoh grimaced in pain, as she clutched her arm.

  “I’m fine! Help Prima!”

  I glanced at Sir Sheik, just as she began to recover, and I bolted with a burst of adrenaline across the room towards the door.

  She now shot at me, repeatedly, with a single-minded obsession to kill me.

  “Fuck you, Silk!”

  The glass pitcher shattered, as I moved past the desk and ducked behind one of the square leather chairs. The large chrome pyramid was pierced, as I darted to the conference room door. Glass from the frame of the mounted cubist painting flung against my shoulder, as I rounded through the doorway and into the hall behind PrimaDonna.

  And as I gained ground, a bullet punctured one of the recessed wall lights of the hallway and another whizzed by my ear, as I frantically rounded the corner.

  PrimaDonna looked back at me and opened the bronze door of the Hall of Antiquity. She motioned for me to follow her, as she glided inside and we both crouched behind the baroque day sofa, as PrimaDonna called for help.

  “PrimaDonna, it’s time for this to end.” Sir Sheik yelled in the hallway before getting to the bronze door. “You all just don’t get it. You think this is nothing but a game. There is a war going on and it seems that I’m on the right side of things. If you hand Silk over then I can simply leave, PrimaDonna.”

  She slowly opened the door as PrimaDonna whispered into the phone. I tiptoed to crouch behind the matching chair that set nearby so that Sir Sheik would have to pass me first.