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happened or who did it. She could only remember the day she was called into her school counselor’s office and homicide detectives questioned her about any rivalry her father may have had. She also remembered her that both her and her mother’s costly jewelry was missing. The detectives ruled the murders as a home invasion and burglary gone wrong. After losing both her only childhood friend, Daniel, and her parents, Jani’rah became cold; she lost all feelings and was only out for herself. She felt like nobody gave a fuck about her feelings so why should she give a fuck about anybody else’s?
“Madame, you’re beautiful.” Hanz said, seeing her eyes getting teary as he peeked at her through the rear view mirror. Jani’rah smiled, he would say anything to make her feel good. She had first met Hanz in little Haiti, a small town in Miami that was dominated with Haitians. A group of stick up kids had tried to rob her, they jumped her and beat on her as if she wasn’t a woman but a grown man in the streets. One of them kicked her in her face, she couldn’t see anything but heard their screams as the tall, obese man came to her rescue; he’d been on her payroll ever since. Jani’rah’s phone buzzed in her Prada bag, she pulled it out and stared at the number grinning with relief; the second witness had been found.
“Who is it?” she answered.
“You have got to be shittin’ me?” Jani’rah spat through the phone as the voice on the other end told her the name of the culprit.
“Make sure she doesn’t leave.” Hitting the end button, she then advised Hanz to drive in the opposite direction.
“Hanz, take me to the East End quick! We have some things to take care of.” Jani’rah exclaimed. All she could think about was how she was going to get rid of the next rat. How is my circle crumbling before me? She thought to herself and then she got an idea. “Hanz, remember that trip we took to Barbados two years ago and the gift Declaro presented me with?”
“How could I forget, she gave us a demonstration of how it worked. I put it up so no one would try it!”
“I’m going to need that.” Jani’rah said with a sinister smile.
Thirty minutes later, Jani’rah was with Camille looking at potential escorts who had come from the Dominican Republic, they were in the second underworld that Jani’rah had put together on Stratford Avenue.
“Oh my God, she’s beautiful Jani’rah.” Camille said as she watched a short, dark-skinned young-looking girl with long jet black hair dance in the cage that was in the center of the room.
“I know; that’s why I picked her. But come with me, there’s a couple of other females that couldn’t make it tonight that I took pictures of.” Jani’rah said as she stood up and made her way to her office leaving Hanz to tend to the rest of the ladies in the room. As they walked towards Jani’rah’s office, Camille felt as if something wasn’t right. In the years that she’d been working with Jani’rah they’d never recruited anybody based on pictures alone. Potential new women to the team had to work the room so that Jani’rah could see how the men would react to them. Against her better judgment, Camille continued to follow Jani’rah into her office. When they got in the office, Jani’rah picked up a bottle of Ciroc and poured two glasses.
“Camille, get that folder off that cabinet for me.” Camille turned her back to Jani’rah and grabbed the files without opening the folder. “Here, have a drink.” Jani’rah said and handed the glass over to Camille. “Toast to new beginnings.” Jani’rah said as she raised her glass to Camille’s.
“New beginnings,” Camille said and swallowed her drink and sat down. “Damn that Ciroc got stronger since the last time I had it.” Camille chuckled. Jani’rah also let out a laugh.
“Camille, you’re so smart but dumb at the same damn time. You thought you were off the hook didn’t you?” Jani’rah stood