Unaware and not prepared

CHAPTER FIVE.

Chief Kaave had it figured that money and power was all Coco and Vill were interested in. Neither were interested in keeping his legacy. He couldn't be more wrong.

But how to begin? Forget about retirement, until he was certain Coco was ready for the empire. Chief Kaave scooped in a deep breath and took the most direct path to the future. He set up a meeting with Coco, Jeremy and Vill.

***

Coco walked into her dad's study room, the first person she saw was Vill broadly smiling, sitted beside her dad. Jeremy was standing and trembling in front of both. Coco looked at her dad admist fear, Chief Kaave avoided eye contact. If he was going to make this decision, eye contact was not a good idea.

Coco made a scoffing noise as she sat opposite Vill, eyeing him with icy disdain. The cold waves of bitterness coming from her sent a shiver down Vill's spine.

"Hi dad." Coco said, looking at her dad. Keeping her voice quiet and hopefully sympathetic.

"Coco," Chief Kaave's conscience started to prick him. He knew how much TRENDZ meant to Coco, she had worked very hard all her life, waiting for the day she will be made CEO, not a day like this. He knew this would break her. He knew how she would react. Scream, break bottles, destroy properties, smoke, drink, waste the bullets in her gun. Maybe even hate him. He was prepared.

"I assume you haven't checked your email this morning..." Chief Kaave struggled to speak. "Your services and Jeremy's is no longer needed at TRENDZ. You have been relieved of your duties. Prior to that, I have decided not to proceed with my retirement plans untill you have been oriented enough, to continue from where I stop."

Coco scoffed.

Vill and Jeremy exchanged surprise glances.

"Jeremy, Vill, you may leave now," Chief Kaave quickly sent both out.

The moment Vill and Jeremy left the study room. Coco stood up and walked closer to her dad.

There was a long, tense, assessing silence. When Coco finally spoke, her voice was sharp with suspicion.

"Vill talked you into this, right dad?" It was difficult to express her feelings, but knowing she might lose everything, Coco did her best. "Why are you doing this dad? I gave up my whole life for TRENDZ. I followed all your instructions and obeyed all orders. I've been your good girl, dad..." Her eyes did not waver from his, steadily projecting a plea for a re think.

"I handled the empire well while you were away. The finances are in check. I secured new, major deals dad. I'm about expanding the branch at SouthSide, so to take over the market and push Chief Onapuruagu's company to go extinct, and..." The fierce wave of anger didn't let her finish.

"And what?" Chief Kaave probed harshly. "Hack into the company's system and steal their money? Listen kid, I've played these games even before I was your age. And I tell you, this game? It's no longer safe. Dirty South is no longer a fucking game. I don't want you going after anybody, unless they come for you first."

Patches of angry red highlighted Coco's cheekbones. "Stop making excuses for your oppos dad. If they your oppos, they your oppos. Period."

"I have made my decision. Leave the country and try to focus on something else...while I run the empire until you are ready."

"Until I am ready, or, until you decide I am ready and worthy of your empire? I should leave and focus on what exactly? Tell me dad, focus on what?"

Chief Kaave closed his eyes and shook his head. Then quickly opened them. "Ever thought about getting married and having your own family? I want grandchildren too, like every other father does."

The urge to be alone for that moment was strong. Coco turned and ran out of the study room before Chief Kaave could stop her.

Coco was just stubborn and impossible to please. He even dismissed his plans of retirement, because of her. He didn't want her to feel neglected seeing the CEO position going to somebody else. All he needed was for her to withdraw from the empire and get proper orientation on how to handle the empire. Going to business school was not orientation enough. What exactly did she want? He knew answers to that, she wanted the empire, and without Vill being part of it. She had special hatred for Vill.

All Chief Kaave needed was for Coco to be patient. Soon everything did become hers. All he was doing, was securing her future and the future of the empire he worked all his life to build. Nothing bad must happen to the two of them.

***

It was so hard after that night when Coco Kaave realized the empire, TRENDZ, was no longer going to be hers.

Limping onto the grass at the side of the highway, Chief Onapuruagu watched Coco with excitement as she sat right there, trying to fight back tears of discouragement, betrayal, pain and especially frustration. There was no flash of sympathy in his look.

The beautiful Coco Kaave was alone at that hour of the night, at the most dangerous spot in Dirty South. He just hit a jackpot!

Chief Onapuruagu held out a hand toward Coco, gently stroking her jet of dark mass curls. Startled, Coco jumped to her feet walking backwards. Realizing she left her pistol in his car, she felt her lip begin to tremble. She wished she could turn and run. And as she stared at him, the memory came flooding back to her. Chief Onapuruagu, TRENDZ biggest enemy.

He was dressed in a deerskin pants held by suspenders, a pistol clipped to his wide belt and a red striped shirt. He took a step closer. Chief Onapuruagu looked into her suddenly deadly eyes smiling. She swallowed hard at the memory of him. She looked into his eyes, they were not empty, full of shadows.

***

Coco Kaave sat up and looked around her in confusion. There lay Chief Onapuruagu fully dressed, and she was naked beside him with her hair free around her shoulders. He was smiling his enigmatic smile as he admired her in her vulnerability.

Bit by bit, it dawn on her they had made love last night. Chief Onapuruagu touched her skin, and her body responded with a shudder of passion. She looked down at her bare body, next to his. Why didn't she resist him? She got up, quickly putting on her clothes. He stepped closer and she shrank from him and ran.

After what felt like a marathon, Coco Kaave pressed her back against her Bentley, trying to catch her breath. Chief Onapuruagu took a step closer, stretching his right hand over Coco's shoulder. Coco quickly glanced around at the sound of a pistol. She realized was wasn't alone. Cheif Onapuruagu was there, right beside her, profusely bleeding. The bullet hit him on his right shoulder.

Perplexed, Coco turned her head the other way and discovered her father was approaching them, with his pistol held in his left hand. She stared at both him and Chief Onapuruagu sternly. She shifted her gaze to Vill then steadied it back on Chief Kaave.

"Onapuruagu, the next time, it won't be your shoulder, I will split your throat." Chief Kaave said.

"You sent shots at me?" Chief Onapuruagu questioned.

"Yes. Send them back or flee the scene." Chief Kaave replied.

As Chief Onapuruagu walked away, Coco noticed the ten inch, butcher-type knife he wore at his back, another smaller knife was tucked inside his belt. With a slight grimace she asked, "Where are you going to? Stay, don't go."

"Well?" He promoted her after a moment, looking at Chief Kaave. "Well, Chief?"

Chief Kaave smiled, "Onapuruagu..."

"I am not ready to have a faceoff with you yet, chief. Goodbye." Chief Onapuruagu was totally unprepared for Chief Kaave's fury. He left wincing in pain and cursing himself. He just missed a jack pot. Why didn't he just kidnap her last night, when he had opportunity? He had let his emotions fool him. He let the desire for Coco's body fool him. No more. This was the perfect time to strike, the moment he had waited all his life for.

Chief Kaave walked closer to Coco giving her three satisfying slaps on her cheeks. It was then, he noticed the tears in her eyes. Over the years, he had never seen her shed a tear. Not even when she had her first bullet injury at twenty.

"You raised your hand to me, because of him?" Coco looked at Vill in rage, trying to hold herself from reacting. This was the first time in her life, her dad hit her.

"You left me no choice! And this is not about Vill. It is about you. Where have been since last night, here, with that boy?" Chief Kaave couldn't hide his disappointment.

After a moment's hesitation, Coco shook her head and fired back. "No. It is about Vill. And, didn't you say to focus on something else?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Coco sank to her knees next to Chief Kaave. Without touching him she quickly snatched his pistol and aimed at Vill, firing shots at him till his neck separated from his body. Chief Kaave looked at Vill's lifeless body in fear, at that moment, he knew, he had failed Coco as a father. He knew, he didn't raise her well. He was scared, of the beast he turned his precious daughter to.

"Stay right there, where you are. Don't move. Drop your gun and put your hands above your head." Inspector Sly commanded, pointing his pistol at Coco. Fuck shit! Both father and daughter knew there was no escaping prosecution this time, they were surrounded with, maybe, ten billion police officers. They watched Chief Onapuruagu light his cigarette while he chit chatted with Inspector Sly.