HUSTLERS

I walk around, twirling my customized pocket knife in my fingers. I am really trying hard not to lash out and lose control in front of my men but this guy is really pissing me off. And worse part is that he has the guts to toy with me and undermine me. As if he doesn’t know who the fuck I am. Everyone knows who I am. Even the president knows me and he knows not to be on my bad side, or else I can turn the whole country against him by just uttering one command. Yet this guy tied up on the ceiling planks has the guts to insult me while in this difficult position. I have to give it to him. He either has some deep balls or he is just plain dump.

“Are you going to talk or what?” I ask getting more impatient. “Honestly man, I don’t have all day. I have a date to prepare for and as you can see,” I indicate with my hands on the air, twirling around. “Daddy dearest ain’t gonna show. Now do yourself a favour and tell me what I need to hear and I just might let you live.”

“I ain’t telling you shit, and trust me, you will pay for this.” Brian spits the blood from his mouth furiously.

“Boss, lebhari isimoshela ixesha. (This fool is wasting our time.)” Dagger grunts furiously. She has a temper and low tolerance of people who don’t abide to her rules. She is my right hand man (lady).

“Yeah, can someone bring in the tools so that this can be over soon? Some of us have human teddy bears to cuddle.” Molly whines and I chuckle. She always have a new boyfriend every month. We don’t even bother asking names because we know they don’t last. She is also my right hand man (lady) and together with Dagger, they do a good job to make sure that I don’t go crazy.

“Sosha, bring me my knives.” She smirks before heading to my office. I turn to Brian. “You and your father have this thing of undermining me. But that is going to change today. I will send him your dick and see if that pleases him.”

“You are not going to get away with this. My father will make sure of that.” he groans painfully and I chuckle. My men really did a number on him. But serves him right. Sosha comes back and hands me a bag full of knives.

“But I am afraid I have. Put him on the table.” I order nobody in particular but Diva and Sosha are quick to oblige, placing Brian on the table, still restrained.

That completes my inner circle. Dagger, Molly, Sosha and Diva. I trust these women with my whole life and I would lay my life for them because I know they are loyal to the core. Even if you were to offer them a billion pounds just to betray me, they would laugh at your face and then kill you after.

“Let’s see if I remember a thing or two from med school.” everyone share a laugh around me, well except for the sacrificial, not so innocent, lamb. I did go to med school but dropped out during my third year because it wasn’t my scene. The woman who gave birth to me wasn’t impressed by my decision but she didn’t have a say in what goes on in my life.

“Don’t cry man, this will be over real quick.” Molly teases with a playful smile.

“You know how much respect I had for your father. After all, he and my father were like besties. But now he made a mistake by underestimating me and stealing from me. What do you white folks say? Fool me once, I hit you where it hurts the most. That’s my motto. And in this case, I will hit his balls. Now I am giving you one last chance, boy. WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY GUNS?!” I yell and he jumps up, startled.

“Go to hell.” He murmurs. His voice is not as stern as it was a while ago. I look at Diva and she quickly steps forward before removing Brian’s pants.

I step closer to him, wearing a sinister smile. “Honey, didn’t they tell you that I am the devil’s daughter? Hell is a bit overrated, if you ask me.” I decide to ignore my bag for a while and head to the tool box. I come out with pliers and return to the table. “This is only going to tickle, pretty boy.” I don’t wait for him to utter a word. I pinch his flaccid head of a cock with the pliers with just enough force and a high pitched scream erupts from his throat. It’s music to my ears. I love stripping men off their powers and making them scream in pain.

“Save us all the headaches and tell us where the goddam guns are.” Sosha huffs, looking at the now fragile Brian who is sobbing softly.

“He is not talking.” I state, matter-of-factly, with a smile. “Then I shall continue.” This time I pinch the base of his cock with the pliers until I see blood coming off. His loud screams fill the whole base. “I can do this all day.”

“Is there a way to gag him? He is making too much noise.” Diva cringes and Sosha rolls her eyes.

“What if he decides to shout the answer while gagged?” Sosha bites back and Diva scoffs before walking to the nearest wall. She leans there and just watch as the action unfolds. She has a love and hate relationship with Sosha. One minute everything is okay, the next they are on each other’s throats. The drama never ends with them.

I take one of the sharpest knives and hold it directly above Brian’s cock. “I am done playing games with you.” I deliberately shove it on his upper thigh, a few centimeters away from his dick and his screams continue filling the room. I twist it a bit and that’s enough to make him shout the next words.

“Please stop. Fine I will talk. Just stop hurting Me.” he finally breathes the magical words. “The guns are in my father’s warehouse in Thokoza. The infamous one.”

“Thank you so much for your co-operation. Gents, you know what to do.” I look at my men and they nod at me. I place the knife on the table near Brian and walk out whistling ‘all I do is win, win, win no matter what.’

…

I enter one of my clubs, Primier, and I am surprised to see my sister at the bar drowning in her sorrows at this time of the day. Deciding not to question her, I slide next to her and order a drink of my own. She acknowledges me with a single glance and then turns back to the glass of whiskey in her hands. Ndlovukazi is four years younger than me. She is closed off emotionally and I never bother to ask her what’s going on in her mind because I also have my own demons to slay. If she wants to vent, she knows where to find the therapist.

“Why are we day drinking, Sinovuyo? Not that I don’t mind. It’s never too early for a neat drink.” I comment and she turns to face me.

“How about we head to your office?” she asks already on her feet. I sigh. It looks like I am not going to like whatever news she has for me. I look at the barman.

“Bring us the bottle and ice to my office, Dee.” The barman nods. I walk to my office with Ndlovukazi on my toes. We get inside and settle down on the couches before Dee comes in with our drink. He places it on the table and then heads off. “So, who died?” I ask sarcastically, filling up my drink.

She sighs, pinching her nose for a bit before releasing it. “Liyana is back.” I tense a bit. Liyana is my other sister. The last born and a spoilt brat. “She has killed half of my people.” I frown.

“You have got to be kidding me. Why the hell would she do that?”

“Do I look like I have time for jokes? Look, I tried tracking her but it seems like she is all over the country. I came here to warn you about here and to also ask you to work with me in bringing her down.” I sigh and sit back. The room is filled with tense silence. “Did someone cut off your tongue?” she asks harshly and I stare at her.

“I am still thinking. When dealing with Liyana, you shouldn’t be rash or make decisions based on emotions. She is after all our sister.” I take a sip of my bitter drink.

“A spoiled one and I am not going to let her get away with killing my people.”

I sigh and refill my drink. “I will try tracking her and see if there is no common ground to be reached. What is her last known location?”

“Limpopo, 2 days ago. Doing god knows what. You can never know with that bug.” Dear God, out of all the ways you could’ve chosen to punish me for my crimes, you figured giving me troublesome sisters is the best way to go? As a big sister, I have to be the bigger person here. Be neutral and also try to reach a common ground with both these women. Things I deal with outside the mafia.

“You know what, continue with business as usual. Recruit. Who know what the brat is planning next. So you better be ready. I don’t think she would attack me because if she does, that would mean a direct attack to the African Mafia and she knows the consequences of attacking the mafia.”

“Unlucky me, then.” She stands up. “I am taking the bottle with me.” she walks away with the bottle and the glass and I don’t even have the correct words to utter to her. I just chuckle. Siblings.