THE BILLIONAIRE’S ONE AND ONLY HEIR

CHAPTER FOUR

Business has been a little too dull lately. We need to leave these neighborhoods. The folks are too wise for our kind of business” Tommy said, looking across at Lex. He picked his tooth with his fingernails.

Forest who was beside him, drew himself and his seat back, forced by the wave of nauseating spicy breath from Tommy. He grimaced with every inch of his face.

“A cat has got more manners than you ever will” Forest scoffed, watching dreadfully as an unconcerned Tommy continued to pick his tooth with his nails.

Tommy grinned, leaning back on his seat, and attempting to carry his legs to Forest's thighs. A murderous squint of the eye from Forrest warned him to abandon the thought. He made a croak like the grumbling of an engine, returning his legs to the floor. He turned fully to Lex, who was seated on a tank of what says oil on the body, but was harboring loads of cocaine, as the little man looked to speak. The huge warehouse was empty, except for the three of them, and a couple of oil tanks, either containing cocaine and meth as the one Lex sat on, or was empty.

Lex was the brains of their operation in West Harlem, and the reason they have survived so far in the godforsaken town. They had been sent here by the state leader of the blood debt syndicate a year and a half ago, and they have got nothing to show for those eighteen months.

Tommy sighed, reclining further on his seat, the plastic chair creaked under his weight. He continued to pick his tooth with his nails, slowly, relishing the act. He hated that he had to be sent to West Harlem.

Tommy had never liked the town, to him, the town was dreary, and forsaken, everyone who wasn’t a scraggy, limping citizen, with wrinkles-infested faces, and a step away from the grave, was an underage teenager, too wise enough to get into a gang, and too foolish enough to die before he or she turned twenty-five. The town was a hotspot for the drug business, but for the loaning business, it was the complete opposite. And the loaning business was the main business of the blood debt syndicate, it fetched higher returns than the sale of drugs to crazy junkies.

“It has been hard these days convincing the senior citizens to go for our loan. They are too stupid to want it, and their gun-happy kids are also enough problems as it were. I wouldn’t like my hide handed to me, by a kid I could have birthed, if I were enthusiastic about the idea” Tommy grinned again at Lex when he still hadn’t spoken.

“We have been targeting the outsiders as you suggested, but those damn folks are few, and too wise for their benefits. They see right through the phoniness of the loan, as a doctor sees through his patients”

“How does a doctor see through his patient bro, you need to use statements you understand, not the ones you got from a third-rate newspaper,” Forrest said, irritated.

Tommy looked incredulous. “If the newspapers say it is right, who am I to say it isn’t” he directed his gaze to Lex, seeking his opinion on the topic.

Lex ignored him, his brows raised in thought, weighing different options in his mind. Tommy was right, they needed to do something about the lack of business, or else, the state leader of the syndicate would get restless, and have them sent to a worse location. His eyes brightened as an idea struck.

“If they don’t want the loan. We have to make them want it” Lex told the others enthusiastically.

Tommy grimaced with confusion. “How in hell do we do that”

“Let him speak i***t,” Forrest shouted at Tommy.

Tommy made Forrest a hurtful glance. “Speak up then” He directed at Lex.

“We have to make them desperate for our loan,” Lex said again.

Tommy looked more confused than before. “Bro, step down on the pedal, my brain is struggling to keep up. Say something I can understand”

“Yeah, say it in a way he can understand. You know he has got a weak brain”

“We have to give them a reason to want the loan”

“Trust me brother I have given those folks enough reason to want it, but they are just too smart for me”

“That’s not what he is talking about i***t. He is saying that we destroy their business, and after we do so, they would have no reason than to accept our loan offer” Forrest said.

“Oh! That’s what the guy was saying”

“Yeah,” Forrest repeated.

“That's what you was saying,” Tommy asked, again, directing his words to Lex. Lex merely nodded in confirmation.

Forrest was irritated again. “That was what he was saying, i***t”

“Was your old woman too busy to teach you manners when you were a kid? You are too loose with that word ‘i***t’. If you continue to use that word around me, I might be inclined to fix your loose mouth with my knuckles”

That held Forrest. He said nothing further. For all it is worth, he wouldn’t like to face Tommy in a one-on-one fight. Tommy was a hunk of meat, and he knew just how to use his massive build.

“So who are our new targets” Tommy asked. “You wouldn’t suggest we try such stunk with the relatives of the kids in the blocks. Those upcoming Dillingerswear guns I have never seen in my life.”

“Fifth Avenue. That’s where most of the outsiders are anyway” Lex returned.

“That sounds more like a plan I can gamble my neck for” Tommy grinned sheepishly.

“When do we strike” Forrest asked his burning question.

“Tonight” Tommy answered, though the question hadn’t been directed to him, but to Lex. “You would hate for the state leader to have your hide when we make our weekly report”

Forrest looked towards Lex for confirmation. Lex nodded his answer. Forrest stood up for the door after. “We see tonight then”. He pushed the door, stepping into a scorching sun, and the aroma of cooking ham from a shop nearby. He took the boulevard, moving to chase his other proclivities for the day. He was the last to arrive at the warehouse that night. Lex seemed to have no trouble with that, but Tommy was otherwise.

“Where has your scared ass been all day,” Tommy asked, escorting him in with his eyes.

“Keep your depression to yourself” Forrest replied. “It makes you healthy, but it does otherwise to my health”

Tommy looked bitter and tried to punch Forrest. Lex slapped his fist away before it could reach Forrest. “Get your acts together both of you. We have a job to do” Lex cried, positioning himself to stare at both men equally.

Forrest was shaken, though he tried not to look it. If Lex hadn’t intervened, he would have been whining on the floor already from Tommy’s punch. He said and did nothing further, avoiding Tommy who was still funning with anger.

The three men picked up two kegs of gasoline each, walking for the door after. Except for random gangs of teenagers smoking, drinking, or sniffing stuff, the night was as solemn as a graveyard on a Monday, and the streets though dirty, were empty.

In no time, they had reached Fifth Avenue, and the men set to work. Pouring gasoline on the group of stores and little buildings, lining both sides of the streets. After exhausting every keg, Lex pulled a match from his pocket. He lit a fire and threw it at one of the stores.

Then the three men stood back, watching happily as fire leaked the first stores, before moving on to the others, and in no time, both sides of the street were alight in flames.

“Isn’t it beautiful” Tommy grinned. “Where was your brain at before Lex? You could have thought of this sooner. The folks got no choice than to come flocking us for a loan tomorrow”

“I am not so sure, Tommy. We will still need to do some convincing. We have got competition from legitimate financing firms out there”

“With you doing the convincing, these folks don’t stand a chance” Tommy grinned, patting both Forrest and Lex on the shoulder with his huge hands