Nikki knew that there would likely be repercussions for what killing one of Africano’s men and leaving him at the door to leave a message. She knew there would be some retaliation, so rather than wait for it to come, she decided to strike again.
So, she decided to send Jasmine to rough up one of his sellers and much to her pleasure, Africano contacted Nikki to set up a meeting. Nikki knew the meeting was either planned to declare war on her family or to offer an olive branch to stop the violence.
On the night of the meeting, Nikki decided to bring along Al, Jasmine and another bodyguard. Surprisingly, she also brought along her mother so she could see what it was like in hopes avoiding another outburst during a crucial moment.
Nikki got dressed for the night, deciding on a red blouse, tucked into a pair of tight black slacks, with a thick black leather belt and a pair of black leather boots with a stiletto heel. She also had on her leather blazer and her customary jewelry.
When the girls arrived at Africano’s club, Nikki was on high alert, aware of any potential foul play in the works. Africano invited the women to come in and seated them in his office at a large rectangular wooden table.
Nikki sat at the head of her end of the table, Al on one side and Gina on the other, with Jasmine and her bodyguard standing behind her. As she sat down, Nikki lit a cigarette and waited for Africano to take his seat. He was a shorter man, not quite as disheveled as Cusamano, but certainly nothing quite like Esposito or DiVincenzo. Nikki liked her odds as the meeting began.
“This isn’t the ideal way to spend a night,” Nikki said to her rival. “Why did you invite us here?”
“Well, in an effort to bring an end to the violence during the past week, I thought a truce was in order,” Africano said.
“You want to offer a truce?” Nikki asked indignantly. “To a series of events that you started?”
“Admittedly, I may have underestimated the leadership of a young woman in a man’s world,” Africano smiled.
“I guess you did,” Nikki said through an exhale. “When did you come to your senses? When my girl here popped one of your boys or when she beat the tar out of another one?”
“I don’t see a reason to rehash past events,” Africano said, sidestepping Nikki’s rhetorical question.
“So what is this offer you have for me?” Nikki asked.
“Well, I thought we could come to an agreement on territory so we can stay out of each other’s way,” Africano said.
Africano laid out the terms of his proposal, which were so lopsided that Nikki nearly got up from her seat and stormed out of the office.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Nikki snapped upon hearing the details of the proposal, smoke coming from her mouth as she spoke, thanks to a recent drag. “You encroach on my territory, rough up one of my girls and you expect me to give you part of what was already mine?”
“It seems fair considering we haven’t retaliated from the handiwork of your associate,” Africano shrugged.
“That was retaliation for your unprovoked attack on one of my captains!” Nikki shouted. “I’ll tell you what, you can take your offer and stick it up your ass! In fact, I’ll just send Jas out here so much she might as well buy the house next door and you might as well just call the hospital in advance.”
“I don’t think you understand the consequences of the path you are heading down,” Africano sneered. “This isn’t your place. You may have a bright future, but you’re still a little girl.”
Fuming, Nikki took a drag on her cigarette, put it out in the ashtray in front of her and lit another, while leaning in to consult Al about her next choice of words. Finally, she straightened up and looked Africano, who clearly believed he had intimidated the attractive young boss.
“I think we’ll pass on your offer,” Nikki informed him, followed by a drag and a long exhale. “In fact, here’s my offer: either you lay off of my territory or I’ll wipe you out. It’s not going to be long before I run the entire state anyway.”
Africano and his men laughed at the 19-year-old’s threat, but Nikki and her associates clearly weren’t as amused with what had been put on the table.
“Miss Nicole, you truly need to reconsider your stance,” Africano chuckled. “You don’t have the experience or the resources to compete with me.”
“Oh, honey,” Nikki mocked. “Why would you doubt the resources and experience of someone that has taken a stranglehold on her area in such a short amount of time. Or more importantly, why would you doubt someone that has responded to your intrusion so aggressively? Do you think I’m stupid?”
Not waiting for a response, Nikki decided it was time to deliver the final blow to Africano and his ego. Nikki stood up from her chair, took one last drag on her cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
“I’m sure you noticed this ring on my finger,” Nikki told him as she held up her left hand to reveal her large engagement ring. “I got this from Angelo Esposito. That’s my fiancé. So my resources are absolutely endless. If you try to take me out or do anything to my family, I can assure you that he most definitely won’t take kindly to it.”
With that, Nikki motioned to the rest of the women that it was time to leave and she led them out of the office as Africano sat in his chair, stunned. As she left, Nikki left him with one final sentiment.
“Geno, you have a week to accept my offer,” Nikki warned, taking one last look around the office. “If you don’t accept, I promise you that I’ll take all of this away from you.”
Nikki stalked out of the building ensuring she left a menacing impression on Africano and knowing he was likely to accept his offer before it expired.
When they returned to Nikki’s club and each grabbed a drink to take the edge off of the excitement from earlier, Gina asked her daughter about what just transpired.
“Nicole, do you think it was wise to provoke that man?” Gina asked. “He seemed a bit seasoned and well-connected.”
“Mom, he’s not,” Nikki laughed as she lit yet another Marlboro Red Label 100. “If he had the ability to wipe us out, we wouldn’t have walked out of that office. He’s going to call and cave.”
“Yeah, don’t worry G,” Al assured her through an exhale of her own cigarette. “On top of all that, Ange wouldn’t let anything happen to Nikki.”
“He wouldn’t even have to get involved,” Jasmine chimed in. “That guy’s got a bunch of bitches workin’ for him. And y’all know we would know best about what that’s like.”
All four of them roared with laughter after that comment and they moved on with their night. A bit later in the night, Erica joined the party and it didn’t take long for the drinks to flow and the room to fill with smoke from the endless parade of cigarettes from the five women.
Just as Nikki predicted, Africano called the following day to accept the offer she had laid in front of him the previous night, but Nikki had other plans. Her plan all along wasn’t to accept any truce from him. She wanted revenge for what Africano did to Greta.
“I’m glad you finally woke up, Geno,” Nikki told him and immediately opted to hang up the phone. She then turned to her captains that were sitting in her office, waiting for the call to come in.
“Jas, bury him,” Nikki said bluntly. “Take Tony with you so it goes cle--”
“No, I’ll take care of this one,” Al interrupted. “Tony can come with me. After what he did to Greta, I want it.”
“Al, this is risky,” Nikki told her. “Are you sure?”
“I got this,” Al said assertively.
“Make him pay,” Nikki shrugged. “But let’s give him a week and let him have one last Thanksgiving.”
After they disbanded the meeting, Gina stayed behind and Nikki could tell her mother was going to question the decision she had just made.
“Mom, if I didn’t make a move, eventually someone else would do what Africano couldn’t,” Nikki said. “I need to make a statement. It’s hard enough in this business, it’s hard enough being the only female boss or even the only female boss that can’t legally buy beer.”
Gina didn’t say a word, instead lighting one of Marlboro Lights 100s in front of her. She was impressed by the moxy her daughter had. It was obvious Nikki had thought this plan out, and while she did not like the decision was to order more violence, but she was impressed by how well planned it was.
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Nikki took a break from business and school for Thanksgiving, and for the first time in a few years, she was actually excited about it. She would get to spend it with her new family, Esposito, Stefania, Gina and since Jasmine didn’t have anywhere else to go, she was invited also.
It was also her first opportunity to be the hostess for a holiday, something she was not overly excited about, considering being perky and excitable wasn’t exactly in her wheelhouse in recent years.
On the morning of Thanksgiving, Nikki woke up early to start cooking. She employed the help of some caterers, along with the Stefania. Around noon, Nikki was finally finished and headed upstairs to shower and get dressed. After a refreshing shower, she peered into her closet and decided on an outfit for the day. Nikki chose a tight long sleeve white top and a leather skirt that went a couple inches above her knees, along with her knee-high black leather boots and jewelry.
Nikki was standing in the straightening her hair, freshly lit cigarette dangling from her lips when Stefania came bursting into the room.
“Nikki!” Stefania exclaimed. “I don’t have anything to wear!”
“What are you talking about?” Nikki asked. “We go shopping all the time.”
“I don’t have anything I like for today though,” Stefania moaned.
“Hold on a second,” Nikki said as her cigarette bounced between her lips.
When Nikki was done with her hair, she walked down the hall to Stefania’s room to help the teenager with her wardrobe decision.
“Look at all of your clothes,” Nikki laughed.
Nikki looked into the teen’s closet, cigarette still burning between her fingers, and came up with a suitable choice.
“Here, put this on,” Nikki said as she handed Stefania a pair of black skinny jeans and a red sweater. “But, hurry up. I have to get back into the kitchen.”
Dinner went off without a hitch and once everyone was finished, Nikki sat back in her chair at one of the heads of the table, lit a cigarette and exhaled with a sense of pleasure. She scanned the table to see her future husband directly across from her, while her mother, Jasmine and Stefania all lit cigarettes of their own. Through the haze of smoke, Nikki smiled.
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After everyone had gone home for the night and Stefania went to bed, Nikki walked down to Esposito’s office and plopped down onto the couch. She reached into his humidor and grabbed a thick cuban cigar, plucked it between her lips and lit up.
She sat on the couch, left arm cocked at a 90 degree angle, causing her gold Rolex to slide down her wrist as she flicked ash off her leather skirt and Esposito came and set down next to her.
“Did you have a good day?” Esposito asked.
“Absolutely,” Nikki smiled as she puffed on her cigar. “It was perfect.”
“That’s good,” Esposito said as he put his arm around her. “You’ve been pretty stressed out lately.”
“Yeah, between school and all of the shit with Africano,” Nikki sighed. “All that will be taken care of soon enough though.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Esposito began. “I’m not sure it’s wise to pop a boss like that.”
“I appreciate your advice,” Nikki said, sitting up. “But, I think it’s incredibly wise.”
“Nicole, you just killed one of his men,” Esposito said. “If you aren’t careful, the police will end up at your front door.”
“And if I don’t make a statement that I’m not going to be pushed around, I might end up in the morgue,” Nikki spat. “He already went after one of my girls. Maybe he won’t make another move, but this is the second time someone has tried, just because I’m a woman.”
“Nic---,” Esposito began, but Nikki cut him off.
“You never had to deal with that. I do,” Nikki said as she stood up from the couch. “I’m not going to be bullied. I am the bully.”
With that, Nikki put her cigar out after finishing it and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Al. “Tomorrow. Get it done.”
Esposito once again tried to convince Nikki to change her mind while the two were sitting in bed later that night.
“I just don’t want you to end up in prison,” Esposito pleaded.
“I’m not going to prison,” Nikki scoffed. “I have been meticulous from the second I got involved in this life. I’m not about to screw up everything I’ve built. You were going to hand your business to me because you knew I could run it well. Now you have to trust that thought.”
Esposito sat in silence as Nikki rolled over and went to sleep. She was ruthless and wanted to run her business with an iron fist. It was either going to make her extremely powerful or she would lose everything trying to be. She had gotten away from being the bully that put her into the position she was in. Whether it was having a teenager involved in her life, having her mother back or being in love, Nikki didn’t know why she had changed, but she knew it was time to get back to what made her successful.
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