Thin Ice Read online

  Beware: Thin Ice

  (book one)

  By KR Bankston

  All rights reserved. No part of this series of books may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including, photocopying, recording, taping or by an information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author or publisher except in the event of quotes embodied in articles and reviews.

  The work is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2009 KR Bankston. All rights reserved.

  The views expressed in this work are solely those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

  Dedicated to:

  All my fans both new and old, to everyone who took a chance and read my work,

  to everyone who ever had a dream and pursued it. I thank you for your support and

  hope to continually bring you all the drama, fantasy, love and mayhem you can handle,

  in the same quality format you’re used to receiving it.

  The Beginning – Welcome to the City

  Friday night, clear skies, balmy temperatures and on Lawrenceville highway Club Infusion was jumping. It was one of the new exclusive clubs in Tucker that’d opened a few months ago and surprisingly took off immediately. Here one could expect to meet every major celebrity Atlanta boasted, as well as those in town for concerts or promotional events. All the hottest DJ’s took turns showcasing their skill and drawing the variety of clientele which kept the club at the top of everyone’s must visit list. You could also blend in well enough to conduct business that wasn’t always legal among the shadowy figures that greased the palms and made the wheels turn in the entire city of Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs.

  Kaitlyn “KiKi” Ross and Jaleesa “Tweety” Mitchell were enjoying themselves immensely. They’d finally made it inside the club, which was no easy task, given the waiting list and the celebs always at the top of it. Kaitlyn took in the club once more. The place was extravagantly furnished with beautiful and exquisite black art works, various bronze and ironworks sculptures. The lighting gave a just at dusk allure, not too bright, but not dark enough to be frightening. The carpet was a beautiful midnight blue, as were the chairs. It was everything Kaitlyn expected knowing the owner and his reputation.

  Kaitlyn smiled to herself, knowing Jaleesa wasn’t going to leave alone tonight. She on the other hand, well, that was a different story. Jaleesa was the more outgoing of the two. They were both beautiful women, with Jaleesa being the taller, at five foot eight inches, brown eyes, and sun splashed blonde highlighted hair. Her outfit tonight showcased her beautiful long legs, and shapely butt. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Kaitlyn turned her attention to a slightly darkened corner of the club. There she witnessed a man committing suicide. Not literally, but what he was doing would definitely cost him his life if security saw him. Taking another sip of her crown and coke, Kaitlyn continued to watch the man slip the small bag of dope to the customer and take his money, placing it in his pocket. Just as she predicted, moments later two burly plainclothes security men came over and escorted the dealer out through the darkened rear exit.

  Kaitlyn sighed slightly hoping they might have mercy and not kill the man, but it wasn’t likely. Ice didn’t play about dealing at his club; she and the other dealers in the area knew it and respected it. Kaitlyn chuckled silently thinking how well she and Jaleesa covered their own illicit activity. They were both deeply entrenched in arms procurement, more simply known as gun running. The fact they were women played well as they drove to various locations across the country delivering and picking up weapons from the various syndicate entities. While they remained soft and feminine on the outside, they were just as deadly and handled business as well as any of their male counterparts. They dealt a little on the side, more as a hobby, from time to time. A little weed, smack, maybe some cocaine. They didn’t get into the recreational drugs like ecstasy. Those were too readily available and the profit margin was low.

  Glancing around the club again, Kaitlyn thought how much she wanted to be on the same playing field as Ice. He was definitely a heavy hitter, owning two other clubs and trafficking major loads of guns and dope in and out of the states he played in at will.

  “Sup KiKi, wanna dance,” Tariq asked shaking Kaitlyn from her thoughts.

  Looking up she recognized him, smiled and accepted his invitation.

  *****

  Ian had been watching Kiki since she and Tweety entered the club and sat down. He immediately recognized them both. KiKi was cool with him, Tweety he didn’t like much, but neither had given him a reason to look at them sideways so far. They respected boundaries and for the most part stayed under his radar. Even though they moved plenty of hardware and made very decent paper, Tweety was still a magnet; his nickname for women who came to the club with the express purpose of finding money to go home with. Ian knew that one day her libido was going to be her destruction. KiKi however always left alone after enjoying her evening dancing and having a few drinks. They were definitely opposite, but he supposed that’s what kept them honest.

  Ian was here on business tonight, so of course he didn’t need any distractions, but those big brown eyes of KiKi had him captivated. He couldn’t stop looking at her. Right now though, he had to shake the thoughts, keep his mind clear, and his eyes open. Ian had a lot of money invested in this club. He came often to watch his investment as well as monitor his operation, which emanated from the backrooms where only the select few were admitted.

  For the less privileged, Club Infusion was simply a hot dance, meet and greet spot. Those power players however who had the capital knew it was much more. There were pleasures to be had at Club Infusion that couldn’t be found at other clubs. No matter your delight, there was something to fulfill your fantasy. Betting was large scale at Infusion, from football to basketball, baseball, horses and racing, to high school and college games. There was even action currently being wagered on the upcoming local elections in the city. The lottery was legal in Georgia, but not the gaming that Ian provided. His clients enjoyed the Vegas atmosphere without the long trip. Large bets were made and secured here. Low-key armored vehicles ferried monies in nightly for his guest’s pleasure. Security was meticulously maintained and no one entered who was not pre-invited or prepaid.

  There was also the bevy of beautiful women and sexy men, in addition to the pharmaceutical delights, that he offered for his client’s satisfaction. Ian didn’t manage the girls and guys personally; he was in partnership with one of the elite escort services in the city, having grown up with the founder. Ian “Ice” Bailey was without a doubt deadly; a cold blooded killer who killed without hesitation or remorse. He took his business seriously and any threat, whether real or assumed, was swiftly exterminated.

  Ian sighed gently as he saw more of his private clients enter the club. He looked to his concierge and the guests were immediately whisked away to their awaiting pleasure, all without so much as a ripple effect of the other guests knowing they were ever present. Ian smiled as he thought of how well his business was going and how much money he was making. He then turned his attention once more to KiKi watching her on the dance floor, his wheels turning and his attraction deepening.

  *****

  “Listen I met this guy, and his friend wants to meet you,” Jaleesa told her, returning from the dance floor walking beside her, immediately gaining a frown from Kaitlyn. “Stop frowning,” she told her sternly. “You need to meet someone KiKi,” Jaleesa went on. “You need to stop thinking ‘bout Tripp and move on.”
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  Kaitlyn felt the hurt again just at the mention of his name. “I’m not thinking about his ass,” she threw back, feeling herself becoming angry. “I’m just not in any hurry to get with the first guy I see,” she told her, taking another sip from her glass.

  “Yeah?” Jaleesa threw back. “Then why you burning out batteries in record numbers on your vibrator,” she questioned looking at her hard.

  “What the hell ever,” Kaitlyn threw back smiling slightly.

  Jaleesa poked her in the arm as they both laughed heartily and finished their drinks.

  “So who is this joker?” Kaitlyn threw out thinking maybe she would take him to a hotel room tonight and get some release.

  “His name is Landon,” she told her. “He works in the general offices for the arena football team,” Jaleesa went on. “He’s 6’3”, cute, and makes good money,” she told Kaitlyn expecting her to be excited.

  Sighing slightly Kaitlyn rolled the information around for a moment before agreeing to meet the two men.

  They made their way over to one of the booths located in an obscure corner of the club where the two men sat. “Evan Henderson, Landon Pearson, this is my friend Kaitlyn Ross,” Jaleesa told the men as she introduced Kaitlyn to them.

  Both the men looked her over appreciatively. Kaitlyn saw Landon give Evan a look and they both smiled. She was immediately turned off, but continued to try and make the best of the meeting recalling she only wanted to sleep with the man and get hers.

  “It’s nice to meet you Kaitlyn,” Landon said smoothly.

  She took the opportunity to look him over. He was a nice looking man, smooth caramel complexion, and straight white teeth. Nice body, Kaitlyn thought lustfully, checking out the bulging biceps and chest, and a quick glance at his manly assets.

  “Why don’t you sit right here?” he asked standing up, so she could slide into the booth. Landon slid in beside her once she was seated and leaned close to her. “So tell me, what turns Kaitlyn on?” he asked as he leered at her.

  She was immediately repulsed. Kaitlyn took a deep breath and turned to Jaleesa who gave her another look. She turned to Landon again and forced a smile as she answered.

  “Intelligence,” she said simply and sipped the crown and coke the waitress returned to their table.

  Landon smiled again and told her he liked her answer. “You seeing someone?” he asked, getting directly to the point.

  This meeting was going from bad to worse as far as Kaitlyn was concerned. She knew that Jaleesa was planning ahead to spend the night with Evan, but she was more than ready to call it a night. This guy was so corny Kaitlyn couldn’t even wrap her mind around screwing him at all. They spent the next hour or so conversing and getting to know each other before Evan suggested they take the party to his place. Jaleesa readily agreed as they all looked to Kaitlyn expectantly. She drained her glass and placed it on the table, taking her own time answering.

  “Thank you, but no, I think I’ll call it an evening,” she said calmly as Jaleesa shot her another look and Landon’s face fell.

  “Come on Kaitlyn,” he told her softly, moving close to her ear. “I’d love to spend some quality time with you,” Landon went on. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he finished and kissed her cheek softly.

  Kaitlyn wanted to throw up. This guy was absolutely the worst she’d met in a long time. Were men still playing these same tired games, she thought of the old line he’d just used. She would have respected him more if he’d simply said he wanted to screw her brains out. Kaitlyn wanted to tell him to drop dead, but instead turned to him and smiled sweetly.

  “Thanks Landon, but I really have an early day tomorrow,” she replied hoping he would believe the lie and leave her alone.

  Landon looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before smiling and kissing her cheek again. “OK Kaitlyn,” he replied amiably. “Can I at least get your number before you jet on me,” he asked pulling out his phone.

  “No, not this time,” she replied calmly as Jaleesa glared at her.

  Kaitlyn knew her friend wanted her to get laid, and hell she definitely needed too, but this guy didn’t turn her on at all. Landon was hurt she could tell, but he covered quickly, thanked her for a great evening and left with Evan and Jaleesa.

  *****

  Ian was relaxing, having concluded his task for the evening, watching the couples at their table for the last hour. He knew the two men they were talking to. They both worked for the arena league and were serious womanizers. Tweety’s money grubbin’ ass is in for a helluva surprise, he chuckled seeing her leave with Evan. He’d made plenty of money from both men as they were frequent visitors of his private quarters. Ian was honestly pissed that KiKi had gone over to the table, but as he watched he was amused by her obvious rebuttal of Landon’s advances. How very fortunate for him, Ian thought darkly as he watched KiKi walking across the floor. He surmised she was headed for the ladies room. Looking her over again Ian smiled inwardly thinking how fine she was. KiKi was shorter than Tweety. He guessed about 5’3” or 5’4”, beautiful brown eyes, nice butt and two of the most gorgeous twins he’d seen in a long time, sitting on her chest.

  They were both capable dealers and he knew KiKi had a penchant for weapons. She was rumored to carry a .9mm and a straight razor at all times, with no fear of using either. Ian had done a bit of investigating earlier and found out her and Tripp, a small time wanna be dealer, were no longer dating. I want her, he thought finishing off his own crown and coke when he was rudely interrupted.

  “Hi Baby!” Shelby greeted him, jumping into his lap and kissing him on the mouth.

  “What are you doing here?” Ian asked her, his expression never changing.

  They’d been seeing each other for the last year or so. He was tired of the games and lies, permanently ending the relationship. Shelby however, wasn’t getting the message, still constantly showing up unexpectedly. She was really beginning to try his patience and for Ian that wasn’t a good thing. Shelby saw the expression, and knew what Ian was thinking. She didn’t care. She’d been with him for over a year. He’d treated her great, bought her things and took good care of her.

  Shelby had immediately gone back to stripping again when they broke up, but she hated it. She wanted the sweet lifestyle she’d had when they were together. Shopping sprees, jewelry, trips, and leisure were the daily norm when she was his woman. Why couldn’t Ian just forgive her and move on? She hadn’t cheated on him since that one time.

  “I came to be with you baby,” Shelby told Ian seductively as she kissed his ear. “Don’t you want to be with me,” she asked as she started to caress his chest.

  Ian grabbed her hands and told her to stop playing games.

  “I told you I’m done with the drama Shelby, now let it go,” he said in the no nonsense tone she’d learned to fear.

  “Don’t be like this Ice,” she whined, “I love you, you know that,” Shelby pouted.

  “Yeah,’” he asked calmly. “So it was my name you were calling while that fool was screwing you,” he finished giving Shelby an icy glare, the raw anger he still felt evident in his tone.

  Shelby hung her head in shame and moved off his lap, sitting next to him. Ian picked up his drink and looked back toward the dance floor. He caught KiKi’s expression, knowing she’d seen Shelby sitting on his lap. She walked by him without glancing his way.

  *****

  Kaitlyn left the ladies room and passed Ice’s table once more. She was careful not to look at the crying woman sitting across from him. She hadn’t liked the look on his face when their eyes met for a split second as she walked past him the first time. While Kaitlyn wasn’t necessarily afraid of Ice, she did respect who he was and what he was capable of. He was definitely not someone she wanted to be on the wrong side of. As she reached the front door, Kaitlyn was handed a note and bid a good night by Tye, the burly doorman who retrieved her keys and sent for the valet. Waiting until she was inside her car, Kaitlyn
finally opened the note and read with interest what was contained.

  *****

  Ian saw her leave intentionally ignoring him and Shelby as she did. He was irritated that Shelby had once again shown up unexpectedly and caused ripples in his otherwise smooth evening. Ian rose heading for his office to wrap up a couple more loose ends and then he was leaving for the evening. He had a few more miles to go before he slept tonight.

  Ian knew KiKi was probably still trying to figure out who Shelby was, why she was crying and how she fit into his life. That was irrelevant as far as he was concerned and he didn’t see any need to ever answer her questions. After leaving the club through his private exit, Ian instructed Carlos, his chief bodyguard, to go back inside and get Shelby. He wanted her delivered to his house. I’m going to deal with that bitch tonight, Ian thought ominously, deciding to let her know once and for all they were a thing of the past.

  1

  “Hey Tariq, I got your note,” Kaitlyn spoke into the cell phone once he answered.

  Tariq Taylor was a faithful customer. Kaitlyn had been selling heroin to him for the last two years on a regular basis. She sighed lightly thinking about him, knowing he had a romantic attraction to her. Normally he would have been right up her alley physically and intellectually, but Tariq was a junkie, and Kaitlyn made it her business never to date anyone who used.

  “I can meet you now,” she told him again as his voice broke her thoughts and brought her back to now. “I’ll be there in about 15 minutes,” Kaitlyn told him and disconnected.

  Sighing once more she thought about the sexy man she was about to sell another hit to. Tariq stood somewhere around six feet she supposed, with great arms, and sexy brooding brown eyes. He had a great smile even with the gold bottom row he sported. She’d never seen him high she had to admit, or any track marks on his arms, leading Kaitlyn to believe he shot up using his thighs.