Keep Your Friends Close (A Makaveli’s Prince Novella) Read online

  Keep Your Friends Close

  A Makaveli’s Prince Novella

  Sam Hunter

  Keep Your Friends Close

  Sam Hunter

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Keep Your Friends Close is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by Sam Hunter

  Smashwords Edition

  www.makavelisprince.com

  First Edition, 2014

  “My father taught me many things here — he taught me in this room. He taught me — keep your friends close but your enemies closer.” - Mario Puzo / Francis Ford Coppola

  ONE

  Cameron Hicks ducked and the drinking glass missed his head by inches, smashing into pieces on the kitchen cabinet behind him. Shards of glass showered the counter top, the tiled floor and his Timberland boots. Tiana glared at him from across the room. He turned around and saw a mark on the cabinet door.

  “God damn girl, you gon’ do that after I just had this shit done?” Cameron said. He’d dropped a stack of cash for the new kitchen.

  “If you weren’t quitting then maybe we wouldn’t have to worry about where every dime is going,” Tiana said, over exaggerating.

  “We? What you talking ‘bout we for? Ain’t no we no more. I tried my goddamned hardest to make this mother fucking relationship work and for what?” The pain still struck deep. Tiana was the first girl he’d ever loved.

  Tiana’s face softened at his hard words and she crossed the room to soothe him.

  “I’m sorry baby,” she said, putting her arms around him. She always tried to play him like that and Cameron wasn’t having it. He knew he was stupid for not having kicked her ass out a long time ago. She was still creeping to him, trying to prolong her ride on his dollar. He wondered if that was what she had been about all along.

  “Tia,” after all the fights they’d had, her name alone made him angry, “get it through your head, we’re done! I’m no more takin’ another job with Tyrone than I’m gon’ fuck with your ass again. And get your hands off me!”

  He pushed her away. She feigned a hurt look. If it had been genuine he might have cared but Cameron just turned and walked out the house, slamming the front door as he left. His blood was boiling. He pulled out the keys to his brand new Ford Mustang. He pressed the key fob and the central locking chirped. Tiana was standing on the front porch.

  “Cam, your black ass had better be going to pick up Laila,” Tiana screamed at him.

  He said nothing and got into the car. As he sunk into the supple leather seat he took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. The roar of the engine relaxed him. He glanced out the tinted window and saw Tiana still calling out to him. Cameron revved the engine harder and pretended he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

  How was it possible to be so angry at her? He’d once felt so deeply for Tiana, with her light skin, big beautiful eyes and outgoing personality.

  The wheels spun for a fraction of a second before they gained traction and he sped off the driveway and down the street, leaving his problems behind him.

  He adjusted his rear-view mirror. That was where he needed to put her. Cameron was a good looking twenty-three year old black man and he knew he’d have no problem finding another girl. It just wasn’t that easy after what they’d once had together. Tiana had changed and the girl he’d fallen in love with two years before was gone.

  The way it had gone down a couple of months back was still like a dagger in his heart.

  Cameron had taken Tiana out to dinner, her favorite restaurant in Miami, and right before dessert he slid the box onto the table casually. Inside was a diamond ring with more carats than even Tiana could have imagined.

  Her eyes locked onto the box immediately and Cameron got down on one knee.

  “We been through some ups and downs girl but I wanna know if you always gon’ be down for me?”

  It wasn’t the most romantic proposal but that didn’t matter, it was real. Tiana said yes to him and Cameron was happy. Tiana put the ring on and he looked at his fiancée up and down. She was stunning.

  He started talking about the future and when he explained to Tiana that he was going to quit hustling, she ripped his heart out.

  “Cam I got to be straight with you since you laying your cards on the table. I’ve been fuckin’ around on you.”

  His whole world collapsed. At first he’d tried to shake it off. He told himself she’d been honest with him, that she was trying to do the right thing, and that was the most important thing. But after days of turmoil he knew it wouldn’t work anymore.

  Tiana didn’t seem to understand what she had done to him. She just moved into another room in his house and carried on doing her thing.

  Cameron had started to see a whole new side to her. Maybe it had been there all along but either way she seemed a lot more superficial to him now. She watched so many music videos and was always bitching about how she wanted to look like the girls in them. She was too blind to see she actually looked better. Maybe she didn’t have the ice or the hundred dollar bills stuffed in her panties but that was where she expected Cameron to come in, except they weren’t together anymore.

  That was probably why it was never going to work out, he thought. As angry as it made him, he’d get past her cheating. But if she had dollar signs in her eyes and couldn’t get past his desire to go legit then they had no future together. He needed a woman who’d support his dreams and let him do the same for her.

  Cameron knew he had to kick her to the curb soon or she was going to squeeze every last dime out of him.

  He’d done okay for himself. He had a huge house and, after trading in the ring, he bought a new car and still had some change left over. It seemed like a lot for someone still relatively young but he’d been smart with his money. He’d bought the luxury house in the Gables Estates area south of Miami when it had come up in a foreclosure auction in a buyers’ market. It went at a third of its market value from two years before and he’d been able to pay cash. No mortgage payments, no interest.

  He’d decided to get out of the game because he had everything he wanted, at least until Tiana had burst his bubble. It was all good though, he’d served out the last six months of his probation, avoided jail and never looked back. In time he’d find a woman he could trust and who was truly down for him.

  The money he had left was supposed to see him through until he got his first record deal but Tiana was angling for a payout or she was going to cause some sort of shit for him. He knew it plain enough, that’s why she was begging him to do one last job with his crew. She was jealous he’d been the one who’d invested his money and when he finally got around to kicking her ass out she was going to have nothing. They weren’t married and this wasn’t a divorce. She was going back to the streets.

  Whenever he got close to kicking her out she laid the guilt trip on him, asking him where she was supposed to go. And then she’d deliver the blow that got him every time – “Don’t you know my mama left us?” She and her sister Laila had been left with their step-father in New Orleans when their mother went back to the Bahamas. It almost always made him buckle to her demands. He was too soft on her. She stil
l had him wrapped around her little finger. Here he was, on another errand for her, on his way to Miami International airport to go pick up her sister.

  He took the turning for the airport and drove past the endless rows of Hertz rental cars before pulling into the multi-story parking lot. The Mustang growled its way up several levels until Cameron found a space. Within five minutes he was at one of the many airport bars within sight of the arrivals area. He was just over an hour early and appreciated having time to cool off. He’d never met Tiana’s sister but if they were anything alike then it was going to drive him insane.

  The thought troubled him. Two crazy bitches in the heat of the summer and he wasn’t even sure how long she was staying for. Tiana had said something about how Laila might be moving down and needed a place until she got herself set up.

  Cameron dropped his keys and phone on the bar top as he settled himself on a seat.

  “Can I get a double rum?” Cameron asked the bartender as he showed his driver’s license for ID. The summer heat was really getting to him and, on second thoughts, he needed a little something to rehydrate. “Add some pineapple juice and plenty of ice too.”

  “Sure.” The bartender set the drink in front of him and took his money. Cameron took a slow refreshing sip and only after did he notice the attractive woman sitting next to him. His eyes scanned her and his mind quickly did the break down. Early twenties, a deep brown skin tone just like him, thick but in all the right places. Just the way he liked a girl, pretty in the face, and best of all she was checking him out too. She smiled and their gaze lingered on each other for a few seconds too long.

  Cameron’s phone started buzzing and broke the moment. The screen displayed the caller and he put it face down on the bar.

  “Bitch ass,” he said under his breath and let out a long sigh. His phone continued to buzz.

  “You gon’ get that?” said the woman next to him.

  “Nah.”

  “Could be important.” Cameron laughed at that.

  “It’s just my… Nah, you know what, I’m taking a break.” His voice revealed more stress than he’d meant to show to a stranger as he set the phone to one side.

  “Baby mama?” Cameron looked across at this girl, she couldn’t be serious.

  “Do I look like I…”

  “Yeah,” she said, cutting him off and laughing.

  “Are you playing with me?” Cameron asked, now knowing she was.

  “A lil’ bit.”

  “Baby mama drama? A brother like me? No way no how. I ain’t ready for no kids unless you gon’ change my mind?”

  Cameron took another sip of his drink. It wasn’t the smoothest line at all but he knew he looked as good to her as she did to him. His ripped body showed through his tight t-shirt, his fade cut was looking tight and he was a solid six foot one.

  The good thing about knowing he was done with Tiana was that he oozed self-confidence. He had lots of game and nothing to lose. That kind of attitude made girls thirsty.

  They talked a little more about nothing in particular and it was clear to him they were both into each other. Cameron’s phone continued to buzz and he continued to ignore it.

  “You in town for long?” Cameron asked.

  “Couple of weeks.”

  “Let me get your number so I can holla at you.” She didn’t hesitate and Cameron knew he was going to hit it. He was already imagining his body pressed up against hers.

  “So what’s your name?” Cameron asked.

  “Laila.”

  “Oh shit,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief, “I’m Cameron.”

  “Cameron? Tia’s Cam?”

  “The one and only,” he said with reluctance.

  “That’s who’s been calling?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I called her when I got here to say I’d managed to get an earlier flight.”

  “And here we are, I guess this changes where we were headed two minutes ago.” They both smiled. The attraction was still there but they both knew they couldn’t act on it now and that was that. “You ready to head out?” Cameron asked.

  “Sure.” Cameron finished the last drop of his drink and then took charge of pushing Laila’s luggage trolley.

  Within a few minutes he was loading them into the trunk of his Mustang. He was expecting Laila to comment on his ride. He remembered the first time he’d brought it home and Tiana had gone crazy. She’d wanted to go cruising like she was showing off her ride. But Laila didn’t say a thing. With mellow tunes playing they left the airport and headed south. It was almost a straight nine mile run but on the way Cameron stopped off to pick up some groceries from the store. He knew Tiana wouldn’t have taken her ass out the house to do it.

  By the time they pulled up at the house it was starting to get dark. Cameron parked up out front on the driveway. He unloaded the car with Laila and helped her in with her bags.

  “We got plenty of rooms, two in the east wing and three in the west. There’s the guest house too but I’ll let you work out the details with Tia.”

  “Sure.”

  “Ay yo Tia!” Cameron called out, “We back already.” He took the groceries through to the kitchen and set them on the counter. It looked like Tiana had cleaned up the smashed glass already.

  He heard Tiana coming down the stairs and greeting her sister. They’d not seen each other in a long time. Tiana had only been back to New Orleans once while they’d been together. She said it was because of family issues but he was sure she hadn’t wanted to risk losing her free ride with him to some other girl.

  Laila was nicer than expected but he still thought it was going to be a long couple of weeks. He knew what Tiana was like around her friends and with her sister he imagined she would be double trouble. He just hoped Laila didn’t say anything about him running game on her in the airport bar. He’d never hear the end of it from Tiana.

  As Cameron prepared the food he thought about how messed up his situation was. The truth was he needed to kick Tiana out and soon. If Laila was moving down and getting herself a place then maybe he’d suggest Tiana move in with her. That made sense. He just had to tell her.

  Tonight he’d be a good host while they got caught up but tomorrow he’d handle his business. It had gone on too long and he knew he was starting to look like a punk. He couldn’t afford that if he was going to get picked up for a record deal. That was next week’s business and he had to make sure it went smoothly. But first he’d relax and enjoy the weekend.

  With things all set in the kitchen he went out the back and fired up the barbeque and set some logs burning in the fire pit. The rear of the property was extensive and overlooked the water. Some of the properties nearby had jetties for private yachts but he wasn’t into sailing and besides that kind of thing cost a grip. He didn’t have that kind of cash. The breeze came in off the ocean and that was enough for him.

  Cameron left the barbecue burning, the flames needed to die down to the point where he could cook, and he went upstairs to change into something more comfortable. He showered quickly and was stood with his towel around him when Laila walked in on him.

  “Oh shit, I didn’t mean to…” Laila said, not knowing where to look.

  “It’s okay, I ain’t naked,” Cameron said, droplets of water still running down his upper body.

  “Where shall I put these? Tiana asked me to bring them up.” Laila had a basketful of laundry in her arms.

  “Stick it on the bed. I’ll be down in five minutes and we can throw some meat on the grill.”

  “Sounds good.” Laila turned and left the room, leaving Cameron smiling. He threw on some clothes, splashed his face with some aftershave and followed soon after.

  The meat sizzled on the grill and the smell was fantastic. Cameron kept cooking and they kept eating well into the evening. Tiana and Laila talked like only sisters do and the Bahamian came out in both of them. Cameron liked it, the accent was attractive to him. It made him feel far away from Miami as he
sipped his beer and listened to the waves crashing onto the shore. Tiana’s voice brought him back to reality.

  “Cam, the fire’s nearly burnt out. Get some more wood.”

  Cameron got up without saying anything to Tiana about her barking orders at him. She wouldn’t have listened anyway, her and Laila were already back to talking like he wasn’t even there. He walked around the side of the house to where the wood store was and began selecting logs.

  “Girl you know I asked you down here for a reason,” Tiana interrupted Laila. Her face had turned serious.

  “I know,” Laila answered.

  “Things between me and Cam are over. He’s getting out the game and this is it. Two years of my life are down the drain and I’ve got nothing to show for it.”

  “You guys can’t work it out?” Laila asked.

  “It ain’t on the cards. I’ve had fun and enjoyed the ride, but this nigga needs to break me off a stack before we part ways. My ass needs to get paid but that ain’t gon’ happen when he ain’t fittin’ to do this job Tyrone got lined up.”

  “Who’s Tyrone?”

  “He’s the big ass nigga runnin’ things out of the Griphouse. It’s a mixed martial arts gym but they more into making fast money than winning tournaments.”

  “So what you need me for?”

  “I remember when I was first with Cam, he’d take any job so he could drop a stack on me. That don’t work no more for me so you gon’ catch his eye, get him on the hook. He’ll take the job so he got cash for you. Soon as he takes the job I got us covered. We’re gon’ take our money and move back to the Bahamas.”

  “He’s your man, I can’t…” Laila laughed a little at the idea.

  “He ain’t my man no more,” Tiana said, turning the conversation a little too serious for Laila, “you’d better think about it and remember all the things I’ve done for you lil’ sista.”