The strongest whiskee th.., p.1
The Strongest Whiskee (The Protectors Book 4), page 1
The Strongest Whiskee
B. Love
Prolific Pen Pusher
Copyright © 2024 by B. Love
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Also by B. Love
Afterword
Prologue
Whiskee
A volcano of giggles erupted from Whiskee’s belly. She was spending the evening with her best friend, which was one of her favorite things to do. Mahogany was Whiskee’s favorite person, and she didn’t think that would ever change. As often was the case, what they were laughing at didn’t warrant the extreme mirth, but when they started laughing it was hard for them to stop.
Mahogany clutched Whiskee’s arm as she begged, “Girl, please, stop. If you snort one more time, I’m going to pee on myself.”
“Then stop talking about that man! I can’t take another second of it.”
“It’s not my fault! I swear to God when he took his boxers off it smelled like bologna.”
“So what excuse did you give to leave?” Whiskee asked, wiping a tear that had fallen.
“Excuse? I didn’t give him one. He knew what was up. I don’t even know why he played with my time like that. As soon I smelled it, I gagged. I got the hell up out of there expeditiously!”
“That’s what you get for thinking because he was fine the sex would be good. I bet you won’t go to a hotel with a stranger from the bar again.”
Another surge of laughter escaped the pair.
“I learned my lesson for sure. I could have handled a small lil thang thang, but a stinky one? Nuh unh!”
“Mahogany, shut up!”
As Whiskee rolled onto her side, her brother, Carlos, charged into her room. Her first instinct was to yell at him for not only invading her private time with Mahogany, but for doing so without knocking. However, the distraught look on his face caused her to sit up.
“What’s wrong, Los?”
“It’s Pops. He collapsed at the meeting. We need to go to the hospital now!”
Ghosts of their laughter followed them out of the room as Whiskee and Mahogany hurried behind Carlos. For every question Whiskee asked, Carlos had no answer.
“Why weren’t you at the meeting with him?” Whiskee asked. “Now he’s heading to the hospital alone.”
“We’ll be there soon,” Mahogany assured her, grabbing her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
“He gon’ be aight, Whis. It was probably just…” Carlos’s head shook as he tried to comfort his sister, but his disbelief of his own assurance was shining through.
Silence found them as they hopped into Carlos’s Maybach truck. Whiskee whispered silent prayers as they headed toward the hospital.
Those prayers were seemingly unanswered.
By the time they arrived, Robert had died from a heart attack.
No amount of comfort from her brother or best friend soothed Whiskee. She’d already lost her mother years ago because of a murderous robber who’d killed Renee in front of her. Now, she didn’t have a father either. Twenty-nine years old seemed too old to feel like an orphan, but that was exactly how Whiskee felt as she cursed God for taking the only parent she had left.
1
Whiskee
Six Months Later
Grief was an erratic thing. Sometimes, it was a gentle bite. Sometimes, it swallowed you whole. Today, grief swallowed me whole. Years ago, I didn’t think any pain could top the night my mother was murdered, but losing my father six months ago did. His loss was harder because he was the last parent I had. Plus, I was a daddy’s girl. I was in awe of him.
I’d never called him Daddy, always his full name. When I learned it, it rolled off my tongue sweetly and made him smile every time I said it—even as an adult. My father, Robert Carter, spoiled me. He shielded me and took care of me. Robert Carter made sure there was nothing in this world that I wanted but couldn’t have.
Outside of material things, my father spoiled me with his love, time, and attention too. Even with his loyalty to the streets, he made sure I never doubted that I was his priority. A part of me believed he stayed close to me because we’d lost my mom. Though I never asked it of him, he went above and beyond to fill her void. Truth was, he never would have been able to. There was nothing or no one who could have taken the place of my mother’s love. And now, there was nothing or no one who could take the place of my father’s love.
That truth had me curling up a little tighter in the center of my bed. I didn’t do too much these days. Very rarely did I leave the house. Actually, I could count on one hand how many times I did. Anything I needed, I had delivered, or Carlos or Mahogany brought it to me. Mahogany had been instrumental in helping me keep my sanity. Sisterhood was a form of therapy, and in my best friend, my heart found peace and relief.
There was no job that required my presence. Even with me having my cosmetology license, I didn’t use it in a salon. Doing hair and makeup was a passion for me, but my father took such great care of me that I’d never had to work a real job a day in my life. I did hair and makeup for close friends when they had special occasions, but even that had been halted since my daddy had been taken from me.
There was no man or child that required my attention. Robert Carter hadn’t felt like any of the men I dated were worthy of me. I stayed with him and my brother in our seven-bedroom mansion and had no plans to leave anytime soon. Now, I didn’t know what I was going to do. It was hard staying in this home with so many memories of my father… but I also loved feeling closer to him—being able to go in his room to touch his clothes or smell his cologne.
A fucking heart attack.
A fucking heart attack took my father away from me.
Just the thought had my eyes closing as they watered. I inhaled a deep, shaky breath, gripping the necklaces around my neck. One was a heart filled with petals of the lilacs we had at his funeral. The other was filled with his ashes.
Robert Carter loved lilacs because they were Mama’s favorite. He would get them for her all the time. After she died, he still got them and kept them in the kitchen, since that was where she spent the bulk of her time throughout the day because she loved to cook.
There hadn’t been any purple lilacs in the kitchen in six months.
It was cold, dark, and ugly now.
Light tapping on my bedroom door was followed up with, “Whis, can I come in?”
I wanted to tell Carlos no, but it wasn’t fair of me to keep pushing him away. He’d lost both parents too. This was a time for us to cling to each other and help each other heal. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep. I was in denial about the depression I’d been in. Or maybe it wasn’t depression. Maybe it was just… an overwhelming inability to mentally and emotionally escape the sadness that consumed me. Either way, I didn’t want to be around anyone, but I told Carlos that he could come in anyway.
Carlos wasted no time walking through my room and opening the blinds to my windows. My eyes squinted as I sat up in bed.
“What are you doing?” I asked, though it was clear.
“Getting some light in here. All you’ve been doing is laying in here in darkness. It’s time to snap out of it, sis.”
My eyes rolled as I lifted my knees to my chest. I didn’t bother arguing with him. Carlos, like our father, was a determined man and he always did what he wanted.
“I’m just going to close them when you leave,” I grumbled, making him smile.
He sat on the edge of my bed. He looked so much like him. Gritting my teeth, I tried to look away to avoid the younger version of my father, but I was unable to. Looking at my brother was the closest thing I’d have to looking at Robert Carter. I had to take full advantage of that.
“I don’t doubt that, but you’ll be leavin’ soon too.”
My lip poked out slightly and brows wrinkled as my head tilted in confusion. “I don’t have any plans.”
“I made plans for us.”
Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What plans, Carlos?”
“I need a solid from you, Whiskee, and I need you to hear me out fully before you say yes or no.” Just him saying that had me wanting to say no, but I remained silent and nodded so he could continue. “I made dinner plans tonight for us and Tim Smith. I’m sure his son and nephew will probably be there,
“Tim Smith?” I repeated. The name was familiar, but I wasn’t sure why. It had to be someone my father did business with. “Who is that?”
“That was Pops’ supplier. Tim is big on keeping things in the family. Pops was the only man Tim supplied that wasn’t working directly under him or his family.”
“Okay?” I replied skeptically, not sure what this meant or why it had anything to do with me. “Are we almost out of money or something? Where are you going with this?”
“We’re not out of money,” he said quickly, running his hand over his face—a gesture our father did when he was stressed. God. They looked so much alike. Same caramel-brown skin, low-cut wavy hair, and dark eyes. “But I need to keep the organization up and running. This street shit is all I know. I can’t switch suppliers right now. Our customers are used to the product we get from Tim. I also can’t establish a new relationship with someone who will expect me to pay more for the product. Pops had built a great rapport with Tim. Plus, his reach is large, so he was able to buy more than anyone working for Tim. Because of that, he gave Pops a good discount.”
“I get all that. So you want to go to the dinner to make sure you can continue to work with him?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do I have to be there?”
“Like I said, family is important. I know I’ll have a better chance of convincing him to work with me if we show up as a united front.”
I felt like Carlos was leaving something out. If family was so important to Tim, I would have thought our father would have brought me around sooner. If he didn’t, it was for a reason. Robert Carter didn’t play about me. I was hidden from his street life for my safety. My father was very proud of his children, and Carlos’s ability to operate and stand by his side. Being a part of that lifestyle had never been a desire of mine. I benefited from it because of the riches and power that came with it, but sitting in on meetings and being around our father’s supplier seemed… unnatural.
“It’s just us now,” Carlos continued. “I need you, Whis. I need to be able to continue to provide for us and maintain the lifestyle Pops got us used to. We need to stay in business, and for that to happen, I can’t lose this connect.”
Massaging my temples, I sighed. A dinner with a drug supplier was the last thing I wanted to do tonight, but I would. Carlos was right—we were all the other had. Our parents came to Memphis from Chicago after they were married. We didn’t have any other family members here, and we weren’t really close to the family we had in Chicago. When we were kids, our parents took us to Chicago to spend Christmas break with our family but that was it. Once we became adults those trips stopped. By then, our grandparents were gone, and that family time no longer felt the same.
“Okay, I’ll go, but I don’t want to stay long.”
A grin spread Carlos’s lips as he stood and walked over to give me a hug.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” After sniffing me, he added, “Make sure you take a bath. You stink.”
With a sniggle, I mushed him away by his forehead. “I do not stink. I took a shower last night, asshole.”
“Well I can tell you didn’t take one this morning. You smellin’ a lil ripe, sis.”
Even though I knew that wasn’t true, it still made me laugh because of how he covered his nose.
“If I’m so stinky, get out of my room.”
“Shit, say less. Be ready at six.”
My eyes rolled as I released the last of my laughter and sat on the edge of my bed. After checking the time on my phone, I sighed. I had three hours to not only find something to wear and do my hair but do the maintenance I’d neglected for the last six months as well. I needed to shave and do my nails, and my brows were in dire need of a good threading. Hopefully, getting ready for dinner and putting a little pride in my appearance would help me start to feel better.
2
Whiskee
When I called Mahogany and told her Carlos and I were going out tonight, she was so excited she decided to come over and help me find something to wear. Since this was technically a business dinner, we decided on a Nadia satin gown from A.L.C. Its ochre-yellow hue looked phenomenal against my whisky-colored skin. I loved satin and silk because they accentuated my petite yet curvy frame. A frame I’d spent the last three years building to my desired taste.
I didn’t chisel and tone my abs and waist and grow my ass for a man’s approval. My body and style of dress had never been for the male gaze. It was for myself, and I loved dressing nice for the girls. There was nothing better to me than a woman hyping another woman up. I was truly a girl’s girl. Men enjoying my looks and style was often an extra.
It didn’t take long to find my outfit. The bulk of my time was spent on my maintenance. As it neared five p.m., I finished my pin curls and got ready to start on my makeup, which was the last thing I’d have to do.
“Okay, Whis. White or red?”
Turning in the seat of my vanity, I smiled as Mahogany held up two bottles of wine by the mini bar in the sitting area of my room.
“Hmm… let’s keep it light and go with Moscato.”
“Gotcha.”
As she poured us both a glass, I turned and looked at my reflection in the mirror. The lack of eating had sunken my cheeks. My eyes were dark and puffy from crying daily. I was almost ashamed of how I’d temporarily let myself go, but I chose instead to give myself grace. With a loss like the one I’d endured, I didn’t think anyone would blame me for not giving a damn about how I looked.
“Are you nervous?” she asked, handing me the wine. I took a sip then set it on the vanity.
“A little. It feels like I’m being included in a boys’ club that I’ve never wanted any parts of.” Chuckling, I selected my foundation for the evening. “I’ve never wanted to be included in the business and Daddy kept me out of it. I hope Los doesn’t think that’s about to change.”
“Did you tell him that when he asked you to come?”
I shook my head. “No, but I will. I want to make sure he understands this is just a one-time thing.”
“I don’t blame you. The less you know about that lifestyle the better. I know it’s what he and your father have done for years, but still. Mama Renee stayed out of it, and I want you to stay out of it too.”
I completely agreed with her about that. I think Mama’s chosen delusion about what Daddy did was what allowed her to live with such peace. To her, he wasn’t a drug dealer; he was simply a provider. She didn’t ask questions about the business… nor did she ask questions when he’d have to leave abruptly or come back home with busted knuckles and someone else’s blood on his clothes. That ignorance kept her soft too.
We continued to talk as I did my makeup. Mahogany was an influencer and brand ambassador for several companies. I always did her hair and makeup when she had to do paid content. As we finished going over her schedule for the rest of the month, Carlos came in to see if I was ready. I told him I’d be down after slipping into my dress and shoes. The look he gave Mahogany didn’t go unnoticed. She was looking great tonight herself in jean shorts, a button-down shirt, and cowboy boots.
This March weather was all over the place. One day it was warm enough for shorts and mini dresses and the next we’d need our coats. She was taking full advantage of the high sixty-degree weather today, though, and I didn’t blame her.
Once I was ready to go, we headed out of my room hand-in-hand. I gave her a hug and kiss before she headed to her car, then I went toward Carlos’s Maybach. Since he was outside on a phone call, he opened the door for me. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and said, “Lil stinky, you cleaned up nice.”
“Shut up, boy, and let’s go,” I ordered through my laugh as I got in the car.
I could admit there were days where I didn’t bother to get out of the bed for anything—not even to eat or shower—but that hadn’t been the case yesterday or today, and that was progress.
He stayed outside for a while before getting in the truck, releasing a frustrated huff.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as he started the truck.
“This nigga said he doesn’t think we can do business together because he’s heard I can be vitriol. I don’t even know what the fuck that means.”
