The Contradiction {COMPLETED}

❥ | 3

COPS & ROBBERS

BGK
DECEMBER 24
NEW YORK

"When I get done talking to him, I wanna see that work August," I stuck my head into the sunroom. August nodded his head and I shut the door.

I met Chris in the kitchen, sitting at the island next to him. "So you talked to her? What do you think?"

"She's cold," He nodded his head. "I sat back and I watched her teach her clients and then she taught me some stuff. She's a heavy stepper Bey, I think you did great choosing her. If that's the direction you wanna go in, she's the one. She so hard, I bet she can teach August's two left foot having ass something."

I nodded my head. "You keep dancing with her."

"What about—"

"You still good, you and Artist, but that can't be all you're doing. That just wouldn't be smart."

"You're right."

I checked my phone for the first time before sitting across from Artist and next to Chris. I tried to keep legit business and illegit business separate for good reason. We had shown up here more than a month ago, and I felt like it was finally time to get business going and product moving. Time was everything.

"I think he's good. Y'all have never met him so y'all gotta trust me with this one."

After explaining and vouching for his boy Justin, it was clear that Artist really wanted to put him on, even if he was just a runner right now. Artist knew I treated whoever was up under me, well. Justin would be just fine if he was as tough and strong as Artist was making him out to be.

"He's Brooklyn-born, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. If you trust him, I'm behind you. Chris?"

"My boy Dave, he's from Harlem. He straight."

"Alright."

Honestly, neither of them had to explain themselves when it came down to this. I didn't expect my operation to go belly up, but seeing it happen in the past had me ready for any and everything. This way, with people that we trusted, we would be fine.

"Set it up for New Year's."

I let them sit and figure out the rest of the logistics. It wasn't like I didn't have a million other places to be and tasks to complete.

Inside my Maybach S650, I made a call to Teyana and let her know that I was on my way. The two of us were supposed to meet after her conversation with Chris but our schedules just kept clashing. Finally, we were meeting at her studio. I wanted to talk business with her after seeing what Chris saw in her.

When I went inside, Teyana was in the middle of the room, teaching a little girl and a woman some dance that I'd never seen before. I stood at the door watching them mess up but keep going regardless. They were good.

Through the mirror, I could see the familiar police officer I had seen too many times over the last few weeks. It was my second time seeing her out of uniform. It felt like she was stalking me. I had seen her in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Harlem and everywhere else. It just wasn't coincidentally possible.

"Go again y'all," Teyana said then jogged over. "Beyoncé, hey," She hugged me when she got close. "How are you?"

"I'm good. What about yourself?"