The Cocaine Princess Part 5 (Cocaine Princess Series #5)(25)

‘Am I a member of the Illuminati?’

‘No,’ she told herself. ‘There is no possible way that I can be an Illuminati member without knowing it. And I’ll be damned if I ever join them.’

In an effort to rid her mind of troubling thoughts, she turned on the compact disc player, flipped through a bunch of MMG, YMCMB and MBM albums and mix-tapes until she reached Blake’s new album, went to track number eight—“King of the Midwest,” her favorite song on the entire album—and hit PLAY. Then she shut her eyes, eased back on the sumptuous white leather seat, and listened.

‘Born a King, guess that’s how I got my last name.

Al Einstein when it comes down to this cash game.

Blew a couple million, hurt yo’ feelings? Oh, my bad, lame

Five-hundred-million-dolla nigga, Money Bagz Gang

All throughout Indiana over to Illinois

You think you Larry Hoover? I think I’m Willie Lloyd

Shout out to Larry Hoover, Willie Lloyd, T-Fly

On King Neal, I’m stickin’ to the code ‘til I die (yup)

I’m Kush-high, I smoke until my ears pop…

Real nigga, real mothaf*ckin’ teardrops

Gold-plated AK for all you f*ck-niggas

Get on some bullshit, you’ll be shit outta luck, nigga

Solid Travelin’ Vice Lord, yeah I’m plugged, nigga

So I only kick it wit’ gang members and drug dealas

A thousand kilograms of the white powder

And you can come and get ‘em for Dwight Howard…’

“You know what, Lexi?” Tasia said. “I might not like Blake as a person, but he went ham on this whole album. He killed ‘em with that Dwight Howard line.”

Alexus opened her eyes and scowled at Tasia. “Would you still hate my man as much as you do now if he hadn’t shot Bookie?”

“Probably not,” Tasia shamelessly admitted. “I’m still trying to figure out why you haven’t gotten upset over it yet. I mean, Bookie is your cousin. I’d be mad angry if somebody shot my cousin.”

“Word is bond,” Cereniti agreed. She and Tasia had been born and raised in the same Harlem neighborhood, and sometimes their alien dialect irritated Alexus.

This was one of those times.

Rolling her eyes and sucking her teeth indignantly, Alexus calmly said, “I love my cousin and I love Blake. That’s all there is to it.”

“Bet you still love T-Walk, too, huh?” Tasia grinned.

“I love the work he’s doing for my television network. I love the way he presents himself to the media, like he isn’t the same Gangster Disciple that was selling kilos with us not even two years ago. I love that he’s created an outlet for women shaped like us to make money and become famous. I love that he’s kind and—”

“Bitch, please,” Tasia remarked with a derisive chuckle. “You know what the hell I meant. Do you still love him the way you did when he was f*cking you?”

Alexus sighed and turned to look at her darkly tinted bulletproof window as the limousine streaked past other sprawling Highland Park mansions. Too long ago to vividly remember, she had been in love with Trintino Walkson. But he’d left her when she was pregnant with King Neal—she still didn’t know whether he or Blake was the baby’s father—and she happily went back to Blake, who she’d been with ever since…well, there was the one time she’d had sex with T-Walk last year, but that was only after she caught Blake cheating on her with a Barbadian pop star at one of his concerts. Although she often found herself wondering how her life might be had she stayed with T-Walk, she never considered going back to him.

“No,” she finally said. “I’m in love with Blake and only Blake.” She changed the subject. “I’m thinking about just flying out to Vegas and marrying Blake tomorrow…or the day after. I wanna do it before he starts touring all over the country.” She glanced at her friends, half expecting them to be glaring incredulously at her. But both of them were fiddling with their iPhones.

“Why would you wanna do that?” Tasia asked without looking up.

“Yeah,” Cereniti said. “I thought you said you wanted one of those big, expensive weddings like Kim K. had, with all the cameras and celebrities. You don’t remember saying that?”

“I know,” Alexus sighed, tucking a strand of long black hair behind one ear. “It’s just that…he is going to have all kinds of slutty little groupies trying to suck his dick after every show, and I don’t want to compete with them. I’d rather us get married now.”

“That has got to be the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth,” Cereniti commented, flicking her eyes over at Alexus before returning them to her phone. “No one can compete with you, Lexi. You’re beautiful, you’re rich, you’re faithful and honest, and you’re a great mother—who’s Blake gonna find that can top you? If he f*cks another bitch it’s because he either has a sex addiction or you’re not giving him as much sex as he wants. Marrying him won’t change that, girl.” She put down the smartphone and looked at Alexus. “There is no competition. You’re the f*ckin’ truth, yo. The epitome of bad bitch. Word is bond.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Alexus muttered, a dim smile crossing her face as she dug in her Birkin bag for a stick of Big Red chewing gum. “Who were you texting? Looked like your skin was glowing.”