Milan looked around and noticed the boys were making a quite a scene in the lobby because of their dress. She let her surprise wane a little.

"Can y'all at least take y'all ski masks off in the building?" She asked the two boys who were busy stabilizing the big bouquet so it wouldn't fall over. One of them shook their head without even saying anything first.

"Sorry, ma. Can't e'en do that for you. We know the opps be fucking wit' you crazy." The same one who spoke before piped up. Milan shrugged and nodded.

Given where she just came from, she couldn't deny the opps do indeed be fucking with her. 

Milan stepped closer to her bouquet and softly touched the roses. They were as soft as feathers and smelled very fresh. She knew the bouquet was expensive for sure. "But yeah, these from Pharoah. He heard about yo' brother."

The kid made sure to speaker lowly as he mentioned Devon. Milan nodded her head that she'd heard him. "Thank you guys so much for bringing these. Y'all okay getting home?" Milan asked the boys, glancing outside and seeing it was almost dusk.

They looked to be about 16, so Milan knew they were able to handle themselves, but seeing them all decked out in ski masks meant they were in business they probably shouldn't be.

 Especially if they were at Ramses's beck and call. 

The one who hadn't spoke yet cracked a smile. She saw he had braces underneath mask. "Yeah, we good, ma. Don't have us tell Pharaoh you be out here flirting wit' the kids."

And for the first time today, Milan cracked a true smile. She shook her head at the playful warning, bringing her bouquet closer to her. "I could be yo' mama. Get on away from me!" She returned the joking admonishment. 

This caused both boys to scoff in some way. They shared a mischievous glance between the two. 

"Yeah a'ight." The boy who did most of the talking before closed the conversation. Just by the glint in his eye Milan knew he was just a nasty boy like the rest of them. However she thanked them again, giving them both 20 dollars she had on her as a tip. They looked more than grateful for it.

They said their goodbyes to her and left the hotel lobby just as quickly as they came in.

Milan then moved to sit back down in her seat, but she saw a concierge quickly approaching her.

"This must be the part where they evict me for being a danger to the hotel." Milan dryly commented under her breath as the man approached.

She still took the liberty of sitting, because who was gonna stop her? The concierge stood in front of her and appraised the big bouquet she was just given. 

"Someone is quite lucky to have you, aren't they?" He spoke, trying to make light conversation with him. Milan looked at his name tag briefly and saw that his name was Semaj. Milan only nodded at his question, not feeling the needs to feed into his pleasantries. 

Semaj cleared his throat and folded his hands in front of him. "Well, I've approached you tonight because management has noticed you have had quite the few dangerous run-ins at our establishment and we fear for your safety honestly. We want to offer you your same stay, at a different hotel. Transportation there is available right now if you choose to accept our offer."

An eviction consolation prize? I can work with that.

Milan quickly thought in her head.

And suddenly, she had no problem with doing small talk with the man. 

In the next thirty minutes, Milan was being carted away farther downtown than she was before. The next hotel was a star higher than where she was first staying and they were driving her in a BMW... Milan was a happy camper.

To add on to the thrill of her night, her phone started ringing as the new hotel's bellhops were unloading her car to take her to room. She saw it was Nicoletta. Answering the phone with a "Hello?" She was surprised to hear Nicoletta in a rather somber mood.

"Hi sweet baby, I heard about your brother's condition from Ramses. I don't know how he knows outside information faster than the people who are outside themselves! I'm calling to see how you're holding up? Do you need anything?"

The mention of Ramses made Milan smile. She glanced over to the elevator cart that had her huge bouquet on it. 

He's always known how to reach me. 

There was a warmth in Milan's belly for a quick second, but it turned to sadness. She missed Ramses dearly.

Clearing her throat, she laughed a little at Nicoletta's exclamation. "I don't know how he does the things he does either..." She agreed. "I am doing okay. I'm pretty sure it will hit me harshly later, but right now... I'm just here." Milan answered Nicoletta's question truthfully. 

She heard Nicoletta hum her acknowledgement. "Well," The woman started again, "I don't want you to be by yourself tonight, so if you're up for it, I'd like to invite you to a dinner party my colleagues are hosting."

Milan couldn't lie, her interest was peaked. And, she didn't want to spend tonight alone.

Plus, free drinks!

Her subconscious shouted at her. Milan opened her mouth to accept the offer. "That sounds like fun."

***

In the next hour, Milan was dressed in an all black floor length dress that clung to her body like a second skin. It was a silk dress that contoured to her curves like she had been poured into the fabric.

The neckline was a reserved cowl neck that supported her breasts perfectly. They sat with the perfect amount of cleavage; only to be accented by the thin gold hanging necklace that dipped between. Another feature of the cool silk dress was that it gave way to a sickening split up her thigh. 

Milan made sure she was moisturized to the tenth power. Her body smelling of citrus and shea butter.

And for the finishing touch, she was focused on a devastating glam look in the bathroom mirror. Her flower bouquet from Ramses having a front row seat on the sink counter. She wanted it in her sight at all times. It made her feel like Ramses was in the room with her.

Just as she was spraying her face with her setting spray, Milan's phone lit up with a text from Nicoletta letting her know she was outside. Milan squealed a little bit as she texted back her reply.

She hadn't had a reason to get dressed and feel good in a long time. She needed this night bad. 

Stepping out of the bathroom,  Milan went to grab her shoes. They were tall strappy heels. Milan loved accentuating her calves with the feeling of a tiny bow tied at the back of them. 

As she looked in the mirror, she now was a far cry from the blood covered orphaned sister she felt like in the hospital.

Right now she was a 5'10" barbie with the flattest dark blonde frontal you ever saw in your life. The way her warm russet brown skin glowed in the hotel lighting, Milan knew she'd look sickening at he main event. 

Once she was done giving herself her tens, she grabbed her purse and made her way downstairs to the lobby. There she was met with Nicoletta's driver who immediately escorted her to the waiting car. 

"Oh my God, you smell amazing!" Nicoletta gushed as the driver pulled off from the hotel's curb. Milan just smiled and gave the woman a side hug as she got settled in her seat.

"Thank you so much for the invite! So, who's party are we going to again?" Milan asked as she strapped herself into her seat. Nicoletta beamed back at Milan, going back to reapplying her lip liner in the camera of her phone.

"We are going to my good friend Manuel's birthday soirée. We graduated law school together and his brother is hot! I don't miss any chance to see him as well as brush elbows with the court justices he has in his pond."

Milan nodded as Nicoletta continued on. 

"I thought to invite you because Valerie had mentioned the new clothes you all had gotten and I thought this would be a time as any to get you out in them!"

The mention of Valerie made Milan smile again. She wondered absently how she was doing before responding to Nicoletta. "I'm glad to be your plus one. I love any reason to go and put my face on."

"Twins!" Nicki playfully agreed.

The two women then rode in comfortable silence until they arrived at the party.

When the car rolled up to the condo it was being held at, Milan was in awe of how many windows were on the building. Nicki said her goodbyes to the driver before linking arms with Milan as they made their way inside the building.

Once inside, they were greeted by an attendant holding long flutes of champagne. 

"Welcome in, ladies. Please grab a glass and head up to the eighteenth floor." He directed the two, holding the tray of champagne out towards them. Milan thanked him and as she grabbed two for them.

Doing as directed, they entered the nearest elevator and pressed the 18th floor. Once they surpassed then tenth floor, they could already hear the music. It was heavy bass reggaeton music and it only got louder the closer they got.

Milan looked at Nicoletta with confused amusement. Nicoletta just mischievously bit her lip and shrugged. Looking forward towards the elevator with ill concealed excitement.

Miss girl better not have invited me to no freaky rich orgy...

Milan thought in her head just as the elevator doors dinged open.

What they stepped off the elevator to was an already packed venue. Men and women alike dressed in beautiful fashions and the champagne was flowing through the room. The music now felt like it was beating inside Milan's chest.

Immediately a couple came up to greet Nicoletta, they hugged briefly before Nicoletta turned them to face Milan. 

"Ricky, Katina... this is my good friend, Milan." 

Ricky was a olive toned man with jet black hair and black suit to match. Katina was tawny beige with soft tangerine hair. It was styled in a slick topknot on her head, delicate baby hairs framing her face. They were a beautiful couple. 

"Hello gorgeous," Katina piped up first, giving Milan a quick side hug. Ricky extended her a warm hand shake. "Any friend of Nicki's is a friend of ours." Ricky warmly welcomed her. 

All Milan did was smile and nod, grabbing another glass of champagne from a passing waiter. As she appraised the room around her, her blood froze in her veins. 

She'd caught the eye of...

Chrisanto?

A man with same dark tanned coloring as the late drug lord down to the color of his eyes and curl of his hair had locked gazes with her. Immediately, Milan felt the need to throw up.

Shuffling nervously to get out of his line of sight, Milan accidentally bumped into Nicoletta. Nicki immediately noticed her tense mood and grasped her arm delicately. "You look spooked. What's wrong, babe?"

Milan didn't even want to look back in the man's direction again. She resisted the urge to chug the contents of the glass in her hand. 

"Who's that guy? The tanned latino one with the red tie." Milan asked in a hush tone. Without a second thought, Nicoletta glanced behind Milan and her face brightened with recognition. 

"That's Carlos. He's Manuel's best friend." Nicoletta gushed. Milan wanted to keel over.

However, this led her to ask another question. 

"Do you know if he has any siblings?"

Nicoletta actually looked surprised at the question and slowly nodded. "No... I don't. What's the matter?"

"He looks just like Chrisanto, and he's looking like he wants to hogtie me too."