"(they smilin' in your face)
all the time they wanna take your place the back stabbers
(back stabbers)"

roman returned to the warehouse today after his amazing weekend off. he hasn't seen his people since friday night at the club and he put jimmy and jey in charge as usual. today would be a busy day for roman though, not only did he need to catch up on how his suppliers did throughout the weekend but he also had a meeting with his lawyer lawrence at two to discuss paul's offer.

when roman walked through the warehouse to get to his office, the suppliers and producers that were there had all their eyes on him. the boss was back, and now business must be done. this was the first time in a while that he actually took a break, as small as it was he hasn't been out of that warehouse in a while so it was significant that he was gone.

"instead of staring at me y'all should be working. this ain't the first time i've been out, do y'all damn jobs!" roman spat at them.

they immediately went back to work, as they always did whenever roman yelled a demand or even gave them a simple glare. the suppliers and producers weren't afraid of him but they also didn't want no problems. they know what roman does to people that cross him, and they didn't wanna get beaten, or die, or both.

roman went up to his office and sat in his chair awaiting on his cousins to come into the office so they could show him what happened this weekend. as of now though, he was drinking his coffee and texting iman. iman was telling him that since today was show and tell at jianni's school, jianni wanted to bring all of the stuffed animals they won at coney island yesterday. iman didn't want her to bring them all and jianni got upset but roman told iman to let her bring them all. jianni's perks of being a daddy's girl.

jimmy and jey walked into the office and roman didn't even realize it because he was still texting iman. now she was texting him pictures of herself as she was planning on heading to the gym. roman was more focused on how her ass looked in her leggings than whoever just walked in.

"so you aren't even gonna notice that we walked into your office...." jey said breaking the silence and roman's focus.

"oh shit, wassup y'all" roman said looking up from his phone, then going back down to text iman back.

"who got you so focused on your phone?" jimmy asked him.

"my wife" roman told them. "looking fine as hell".

"she sending you nudes in the morning? goddamn uce.... I know y'all are horny all the time but-" jimmy said.

"no idiot" roman scoffed. "and even if she was it's none of your business".

"I don't wanna know anyways" jimmy said. "but you must've gotten some over your little vacation cause last week and the weeks before you weren't even acknowledging iman".

"this weekend was nice man, it was worth taking off from being here" roman said.

"but now that I am here let's get to business, and that starts with me getting reports on how we did over the weekend at the club".

"simon said we hit even more numbers than on friday. once brooklyn heard about our presence, more people came to the exposè. some people even only came just because we were there, it's crazy" jey told roman.

"paul's very pleased too, and he's also pressing about if you're gonna take that stake offer" jimmy added.

"i'm meeting with lawrence today so paul will have an update by the end of today" roman said.

"you are gonna take it right? the amount of money you're making now plus that deal? shit will be nuts" jey said.

"you're pressing me about this more than paul goddamn" roman groaned. "just wait til I meet with lawrence then i'll let y'all know".

"i'm just saying..." jey said, which caused roman to give him a dirty look. he was growing very annoyed with jey pushing hard on him about this stake deal. he's acting like it's his money, jey doesn't even know what's it's like to go through deals and make big bank, he's never made big bank like roman in his life! he doesn't know and will never know.

"what time is your meeting with lawrence?" jimmy asked roman.

"two so I got time" roman said. "which is why i'm about to go get me a baconeggandcheese from the bodega around the corner".

"get me one, i'll give you the money for mine" jimmy told him. "you want one jey?".

"i'm good, I had breakfast earlier" jey said.

"suit yourself" roman said, and he got up and left his office.

"watch the throne while i'm gone, and make sure those slackers get their jobs done".

hours later and it was almost time for the meeting with lawrence. roman had changed up his outfit from a regular black t shirt and jeans to a navy blue versace suit. he didn't necessarily have to change his outfit but he always wanted to dress correctly whenever he met with people that were dealing with his business, like his lawyer.

"you doing costume changes and shit" jimmy chuckled.

"lawrence and I are discussing business, so this is business attire" roman told him.

"no wonder you took so long with my sandwich" he said. "you had to stop home to get your get up".

"be lucky iman wasn't home when I went to the house, cause if she was....." roman began to say.

"I would've just went to get my own sandwich" jimmy scoffed. "you never give that girl a break goddamn".

"i'm about to head to lawrence's office" roman told them. "y'all know what to do while i'm gone...".

"hold it down and make sure they do their jobs" Jimmy said.

"exactly" roman said. "i'll be back".

"wait a minute, why can't we come to this meeting too?" jey asked him.

"because it's not your business... it's mine" roman said with a glare. "plus you know y'all stay here whenever i'm gone it's always like that".

"you don't need two people to stay here roman" jey said.

"why do you wanna go so bad? it's not even like you're getting anything" roman said.

"i'm, I mean we are your lieutenants. we are just as important as you are therefore we have a right to do the same shit you do instead of being your little babysitters whenever you feel like leaving" jey said, which made the attitude that roman already had heighten. jimmy was just looking at his twin and looking at roman, waiting for an reaction.

roman resented his tone a bit and was starting to get a bit tense. jey has been a little out of line ever since this paul deal started and roman didn't like it, it was annoying.

"if I let you come you're gonna be annoying but if I don't let you come you'll be even more annoying" roman groaned.

"how am I being annoying when i'm trying to help you catch a bag?" jey genuinely wondered.

"because you're butting your nose in my shit way too much" roman said. "but i'll let y'all come so you can shut up".

now that pleased jey, it annoyed roman but it pleased him. roman just hated when people tried to tell him what to do. he felt like he knew more than anyone else and when it came to people that weren't on his level, he resented it. even if it came from his own family in jey.

so roman instead had terrence and shiny take charge since they were third in command and the three family members left the warehouse to drive to lower manhattan to meet with lawrence. roman was hoping that jey was just gonna mind his business and keep quiet during the meeting, because if he didn't he was not gonna be happy. let's see how this goes though.

the three arrived at his office and after speaking with a receptionist, they headed up to his office. lawrence, better known as lawrence alvarez was one of the best lawyers in new york. lawrence has been roman's lawyer since roman became a lord, so he's in deep with roman. he knows about roman's "job" and at first he was hesitant but with reassurance and bribery (money of course), lawrence took him on.

lawrence's main job is to read over any deals roman makes with business men that present him a contract. lawrence always gives roman sound advice and for the most part, roman always ends up making the right decision since the men end up wanting to screw over others in the process, and roman does not need to kill anyone cause he will kill over his money. this time lawrence was going to look over paul's contract, as this one had a lot more on the line than just little quick money deals. roman could actually own stake in a company.

"roman! hi how are you doing?" lawrence exclaimed as they walked in his office.

"i'm good" roman said to him. "i'm ready to get to business".

"that's all that matters" lawrence added. "come sit so we can discuss".

"you've met my cousins right? jimmy and jey" roman told him.

"multiple times roman" lawrence said.

"oh...." roman said. he really never realized that. he would usually always come to lawrence's office since he didn't want lawrence coming to the warehouse but I guess he did meet them before. so roman sat in the chair in front of lawrence's desk and jimmy and jey stood in the back.

"you brought the contract with you right?" lawrence asked roman.

"right here" he said as he handed it to him. lawrence put his readers on and once he got the contract, he began to read it over.

"so this paul heyman guy, what's his position at this strip club chain?".

"he's the owner, creator, all of that" roman told him.

"why does he want you to own stake? I know you're selling in his club and obviously you're successful but these guys just don't be giving out stake to anyone...." lawrence said.

"you just said why i'm getting the offer" roman said. "i'm successful and my shit sells. jey how much did we sell overall this weekend?".

"a little over two thousand" jey said.

"exactly, so that's why they want me" roman said.

"uh huh...." lawrence nodded as he continued to read the contact, writing down some notes.

"how much money would he be making from this stake?" jey asked lawrence, which annoyed roman of course.

"well according to this it's twenty percent right roman?" lawrence asked him.

"yeah, and paul said that I would be entitled to any money that the company makes" roman told him.

"mhm....." lawrence said.

lawrence was trying to do the math on whether this would be good for roman or not. paul was a successful man with the multiple strip clubs he owned, but in the back of his head, he was thinking that roman made more than him....

roman was not only selling in those clubs but he was also selling on the streets, in other nightclubs in his territory, designated areas, roman did have territory in the five boroughs and harlem for a reason. he OWNED new york, and while paul may have "multiple strip clubs", roman had more than that. yes paul's clubs make money but clubs usually have their dry and active periods, roman was active all around.

"okay so I looked this over and, while the deal is good.... I feel like you're bigger than this" lawrence told roman.

"bigger than owning stock in something?" roman questioned. "that's like the best thing I could do".

"on paper it is. but think about it roman, you make more than paul alone with your cartel" lawrence began to explain. "paul makes bank because of the clubs yes but think about it, clubs always have their dry periods and their high periods. meanwhile your cartel is always at a high, which is why you're so respected and so wealthy".

"i'm not saying that the stake deal is bad but what's the point of making less money when you're making more? plus paul has other people that are into the companies, he has to pay the rent of the clubs, he has to pay the bartenders, while you will get money, you also have to think about what other people are going to be touching your money".

"you're a very particular man when it comes to money and you don't play with that. you're making twenty percent but what are the others making? what if those other partners are making thirty percent, or forty, or even fifty? you might be the one getting the short end of the stick" lawrence explained even more. "personally I wouldn't wanna get less money than what i'm making already unless I was greedy for it. you're already rich as it is so".

"take it" jey blurted out.

"yo jey stay in your fucking lane!" roman exclaimed. "this ain't even your money".

"money is money roman what do you not get?!" jey said back. "you could be making shit and you're gonna back off because he's telling you too!".

"i'm giving roman some good financial advice, what is the point of taking bullshit money when he makes more than all of his clubs?!" lawrence exclaimed.

"you don't even know what decision i'm gonna make and yet you've been on some bullshit ever since the opportunity came to me!" roman added.

"i'm trying to help you out but you've been all bitchy and shit" jey said.

"who the fuck are you calling a bitch?!" roman yelled out as he was inches away from knocking out his own cousin. "your broke ass wish you could sniff this kind of money but you're not! you should be grateful that I don't have you kissing my feet!".

jimmy quickly got in the middle to separate the two before someone was gonna get thrown across the office, or out the window. the tension was thick and the next person to speak could cause everything to go downhill.

"you gonna have to leave, I ain't about to have you in here if you're gonna keep running your mouth" roman said. "i'm trying to hold myself together cause you family, because if you weren't....... just get out my face".

it took jey everything in his might not to just go off on roman, but he just didn't have it in him. so he walked out of the room, slamming it shut. jimmy followed after him to make sure that jey was alright. clearly he wasn't.

"don't you know how much I wanted to just punch him in his face?!" jey exclaimed. "like oh my fucking god!".

"he be acting like we don't do shit! we're the ones that carry that fucking shit day in and day out. while he's out fucking iman we're the ones making sure his shit gets done! i'm just as entitled to that money as he is!".

"you know he's an asshole jey he'll never admit to that" jimmy said.

"well you know what i'm over that shit" jey said. "me playing second fiddle and sidekick to roman? that's all over".

jey pulled out his phone and started to dial a number. jimmy had no idea what he had up his sleeve but whatever it is, roman wasn't gonna be happy.

"hello? greg? this is jey, I need to talk to you about some things" jey said on the phone.

"why are you calling your lawyer?" jimmy asked him.

jey shooed him away and began to walk down the hall as he spoke to his lawyer greg. jimmy followed him so he could find out what his twin was doing.

"yo what the hell are you doing?" jimmy asked him again when jey's conversation on the phone came to an end.

"handling some business, you'll find out soon" jey told him.

"I don't know what you're doing but it better not be something that's gonna get you killed by roman, cause I don't wanna have to kill him cause he did some shit to you" jimmy said.

"like that's supposed to scare me" jey scoffed. "i'm just handling some business, I mean he should understand since he's such a business man".

"you called greg up so what do you plan on doing?" jimmy wondered.

"once it happens, i'll tell you" jey said. "but for now I gotta stay quiet".

"you about to get yourself hurt, whatever it is I just know it's something that's gonna get you hurt" jimmy said.

jey shrugged it off and walked away, presumably to leave the building. he did have some business to handle after all. he probably wasn't even gonna go back to the warehouse today, but roman would understand right?

he got business to handle after all.

at around four thirty jey had made a stop at his lawyer greg ullman's office. greg was another good lawyer in new york and the reason why jey even has a lawyer is because of roman, he set jimmy and jey up with the best lawyers in the city. jey and greg actually chopped it up enough to become great friends too, so it wasn't like roman and lawrence where everything was strictly business, jey actually respected greg.

"are you sure that you wanna do this? I don't want roman to kill you, and I don't want him killing me either by association" greg asked him.

"y'all really think i'm afraid of roman" jey scoffed. "you and my brother. why would I be afraid of that man? i've been fighting with that man my whole life".

"you're a grown man so you can do whatever you want but, I don't want no problems" greg said. "you are going behind his back after all".

"jimmy told me that roman isn't taking the deal so that's not his money no more" jey said. "that shit is open season and it's going to me. he didn't wanna take it so I am. it's good right?".

"yeah it is, he must've listened to whatever his lawyer told him cause the deal isn't even that bad" greg said.

"listened to him like a bitch" jey scoffed. "but that's fine, cause it's nothing but space and opportunity for me now".

"does paul heyman know about this?" greg asked him.

"nope, i'm contacting him for a meeting when I leave here" jey said. "i'm sure roman told him he wasn't gonna take the stake so, I will".

"you about the business now man, kuddos to you" greg said.

"trust me, half the good shit in that warehouse is because of me. people have underestimated me for too long, that shit done now though" jey said.

greg widened his eyes at jey's clear confidence. jey felt so good about what he was doing, and he couldn't wait to leave and contact paul. so jey signed the second copy of the contract that he stole from roman's office and that was that.

jey left greg's office and got in his gray lincoln continental to drive back home. before he did drive home though, he went to his contacts on his phone and went to paul's number. he pressed on the number and the phone began to ring.

"hello?" a voice said on the phone, it sounded like paul.

"hello? is this paul heyman?" jey asked.

"yeah who's asking?" paul said.

"this is jey fatu, partner of roman" jey began to say.

"oh yeah one of the twins" paul said remembering him. "is everything good?".

"yeah everything is good" jey grinned, thinking about what he was about to do. "but paul I have a proposition for you....".

"how about we start doing some business together?".