The Royal Family

By Levi John Gladstone

In the height of the gang epidemic, meet Dennis "Menace" Williams Jr and his crew The Royal Family from the St Nicholas projects. After Dennis' father takes a fall for a murder rap, it is up to him and his baby brother Major to hold down the family. With his brother and their crew on the come up they find themselves in some deep shit when a murder changes their whole lives....
In 1996, the streets of Harlem is buzzing with crime and cliques trying to show and prove that they can hang with the big dogs. With the creation of the East Coast Blood Gang in the city each crew tries to hold their own, but only one crew can hold the throne in Harlem.
Meet Shadow, the head of the Westside Diamond crew. With the help of the Dark Clan they have a vice grip on the borough. When the Dark Brothers set their eyes on the Royal Family its up to Major to build a team to help them in the war against the real kings of Harlem. A task that will be more than what they bargained for as they find themselves caught up in a domino effect.
As the tide turns for the worst and The Royal Family find themselves in some very serious situations it will take more than just Menace and Major to fight off the mighty Dark Clan.
Welcome to one of the greatest eras in New York City's history and watch as the Royal Family makes sacrifice after sacrifice and go all out for what they believe is rightfully theirs.
But who will be the ones left sitting on the throne?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664127197

Levi John Gladstone

Levi John Gladstone was born May 13, 1988 in New York City. He found his passion in life to be writing at the age of eleven. Graduating to writing music he soon found himself writing books. Levi attended school in New York City but received his GED in Georgia where he now resides with his two daughters.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Levi John Gladstone.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/19/2020

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

818149

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

The Beginning

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

F IRST AND FOREMOST I would always give thanks to the Most High and my mother for breathing the breath of life into me and pushing me into this world. Of course I can never give enough thanks to the people behind the scenes that help edit my books. My wife, my mother and my sister all contributed to my many projects. I wanna shout out to all my writers behind the wall. Keep pushing that pen. This one is dedicated to my kids. I do this for y’all. Love.

LJG

I N THE HEIGHT of the gang epidemic, meet Dennis Menace Williams Jr and his crew The Royal Family from the St Nicholas projects. After Dennis’ father takes a fall for a murder rap, it is up to him and his baby brother Major to hold down the family. With his brother and their crew on the come up they find themselves in some deep shit when a murder changes their whole lives….

In 1996, the streets of Harlem is buzzing with crime and cliques trying to show and prove that they can hang with the big dogs. With the creation of the East Coast Blood Gang in the city each crew tries to hold their own, but only one crew can hold the throne in Harlem.

Meet Shadow, the head of the Westside Diamond crew. With the help of the Dark Clan they have a vice grip on the borough. When the Dark Brothers set their eyes on the Royal Family its up to Major to build a team to help them in the war against the real kings of Harlem. A task that will be more than what they bargained for as they find themselves caught up in a domino effect.

As the tide turns for the worst and The Royal Family find themselves in some very serious situations it will take more than just Menace and Major to fight off the mighty Dark Clan.

Welcome to one of the greatest eras in New York City’s history

and watch as the Royal Family makes sacrifice after sacrifice

and go all out for what they believe is rightfully theirs.

But who will be the ones left sitting on the throne?

THE BEGINNING

I’m out for presidents to represent me.. I’m out for presidents

to represent me.. I’m out for presidents to represent me..

I’m out for dead fuckin’ presidents to represent me

P USHING HIS MONEY green Acura Legend down 7 th avenue, Dennis Menace Williams Jr bobbed his head to Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt on his way to see his baby sister. The oldest son of Dennis Williams Sr, Menace was the levelheaded of his four kids at 22 years of age. 5’8, 183lbs and brown skinned with a Caesar cut and medium build he was now the provider of the family.

Dennis Sr once worked for a well known Harlem drug kingpin until he finally caught his break and found a cocaine connect in Miami. Dennis Sr loved his kids and never wanted them to want for nothing and with that on his mind he soon became the bitter rival of his former employer. Raising his kids in St Nicholas Housing projects they were known to stick together and everybody knew that his kids were all some fighters. His wife, Angie, was a true street diva and pure eye candy for her husband. The streets knew that she was off limits but when a shootout ensued in Lenox Terrace, where she was visiting her friend, she was hit by a stray bullet and taken away from him. In a rage for retaliation he went hunting for her killer and found him on 135th street in front of the police precinct. With no regards for his freedom he shot him in cold blood and was arrested on the scene, where he willingly went into police custody.

That was back in 1995 and just under a year before Menace became the man of the house. He was everything like his father in every way. Outside of being a bit too emotional, a trait he got from their mother, he was much of the levelheaded thinker his father never was. Riding past 140th and 7th avenue he saw as a few cats stood outside of the McDonald’s eyeing his ride. He smirked as he gripped the wheel. Too Deep was second in Harlem to the notorious West Side Diamond crew from 8th avenue. Menace feared none but he knew that his new up and coming crew would soon bump heads with the two crews in their rise to fame.

The Royal Family was what Menace called his crew. His younger brother, Major, was a money making machine. He inherited that trait from their father. As always, with money comes player haters. There wasn’t a girl in Harlem his age that didn’t want to be on his arm and there was a lot of niggas who couldn’t wait for him to fall. Major’s side hustle was boosting high end fashion clothes.

He had women who would do anything he asked and from a young age he learned how to use this to his advantage. Then you had Asha, who everybody knew as Queen. Of the four, she was the most devious and cunning. Dennis Sr always knew that she was going to one day pick her place in the family and go for it wholeheartedly. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be where he thought it to be.

Stepping on the gas a little, Menace cruised down 7th avenue until he came to 125th street where he made a left. Finding himself in front of Jimmy Jazz he was lucky enough to catch a driver pulling out of a parking space as he filled it in. Parking his car, he jumped out in his blue Pelle Pelle jeans and white Tommy Hilfiger shirt with a pair of wheat Timbs that were unlaced, as was the fashion in New York City at the time. He looked at his Mavado and saw that she was soon to be on break and he made his way into the establishment.

Entering into Jimmy Jazz all eyes were on him but his were focused on one individual. Asia Princess Williams was the youngest child of Dennis Sr and the life of the family. She was the only one to not follow in their father’s footsteps. At 17 years of age, Princess was every young hustler’s dream standing at 5’4, 130lbs and brown skinned. She had shoulder length hair and a petite frame and came off as the sweetest girl ever but unbeknownst to her siblings she was a natural born nymphomaniac. The only one still in school, she had recently graduated from highschool and was soon to attend Fashion Institute to major in Fashion Designing. Graduating with honors she was granted a full scholarship, making things easier for her three siblings.

Menace watched as his little sister interacted with customers when a short, light skinned chick with a big booty walked up in his face.

Nigga, why you ain’t been callin’ me back? she rolled her neck.

Menace couldn’t believe his luck. He had thought that he was gonna be able to dodge her for a little while longer but the dodge god had clearly abandoned him today.

Ayo, what the fuck is you talkin’ about, Trish? he tried to play dumb.

Nigga, you know exactly what the fuck I’m talkin’ about. Don’t try to play dumb with me. That’s why these bitches be actin’ all crazy out here now ‘cause a nigga always wanna play like he stupid or somethin’. You ain’t stupid, muthafucka! she began to go off.

Menace could see where this was headed and he wasn’t about to be standing here in public getting the third degree from this crazy ass bitch. Not today he wasn’t.

He grabbed her by the arm.

Who the fuck is you talkin’ to like that? he said through clenched teeth as she shut her trap.

Before she could think of something to come back with he dug in his pocket for his keys and handed them to her.

Go sit yo loud mouth ass in the car and wait for me. I ain’t tryna hear shit neither so just take yo ass outside and do what the fuck I just said.

Trisha just stood there and looked at him before she took the keys. She was ghetto as hell but she was far from a fool. She had already got what she wanted and that was his attention. Without so much as a word she turned on her heels and switched her thick hips all the way to the door and was outside before he knew it.

Menace knew that Trisha was crazy when she started going around telling people that she was his main girl and beating up every bitch who would say otherwise. Outside of her crazy ass attitude she was a down ass chick but drama was something that he could do without. Looking up just in time to see his baby sister coming up to him he managed a smirk.

I don’t know who’s worse, you or Major, she shook her head as she gave him a hug.

Nah, Major got me beat on that type shit right there, he chuckled.

Uh-huh, if you say so. What you doin’ ova here so early? she asked placing her hand on her hip.

Ayo, let me have to fuck one of these niggas up in here, Princess, he said as he looked around to see who was eyeing his kid sister.

Nigga, please! I ain’t worryin’ about none of these corny ass niggas in here.

A’ight, he said still looking around before he set his eyes back on her. I know its ya break and I came to see if you wanted somethin’ to eat?

I’m already goin’ to go meet somebody to go get somethin’ to eat in a few minutes, she told him.

Who, Buttah?

Menace knew that she was seeing that clown ass nigga but she would always deny it and swear up and down that they were just friends.

Yeah, my friend is meetin’ me there.

Ain’t you missin’ a word with that?

No. He’s just a friend of mines. Why you and Major be trippin’ like I can’t have a male friend?

Yeah, a’ight, he said.

Anyway, he’s takin’ me to go see a movie this weekend and my friend wants you to come with us.

Ayo, I ain’t into no young bitches, yo.

She is not young. She just turned eighteen last week, and she’s nice, she said with a smile.

What’s that supposed to mean that she’s fat?

No, Dennis. I promised her that you would come.

You need to stop lyin’ to them bitches then, he told her.

Come on, Dennis, please, she pleaded.

He hated when she did that. She always knew how to get what she wanted out of him.

Listen, Princess, if this bitch look like that ho that came to see Smokey on Friday I’m runnin’ the fuck up outta there quick, fast, and in a hurry. She betta look like Nia Long or somethin’ or ima hurt her feelings and I don’t care how you feel about it neither, he told her seriously.

Thank you, big brother! She isn’t ugly or nothin’ like that. You’ll like her, I promise, she squealed as she hugged him.

She think she fuckin’ smart. When did friends start going on double dates with each other? he thought.

Yeah, I hear you, he said, I’m out, yo. Don’t make me have to come lookin’ for you neither.

You won’t because you’re pickin’ me up. I get off at five. Lata, she said before kissing him on the cheek and running off to go get her purse.

Menace just shook his head as he made his way out of the store.

Walking outside he remembered what he was about to deal with as he watched Trisha applying lip gloss to her already glossy, and luscious lips in his sun visor mirror. He couldn’t deny that she was fine but she was just too crazy. At the same time she had potential that he couldn’t deny. It was right then and there when he made his decision. A decision that would turn out to be the same one that would save him.

Getting behind the wheel he looked at her.

I’m sorry for actin’ crazy like that but you be makin’ me act like that sometimes, she began before he cut her off.

Yo, fuck all that. This is what its gon’ be for now on. You rollin’ with me now. All that wild shit is ova with so you can kill that shit ‘cause I ain’t with all that crazy shit. Period. You with me and that’s just how its gonna be. No questions asked.

She couldn’t even help the smile on her face as she sat back in the seat, satisfied at last, feeling like she had finally won the battle. She was finally where she wanted to be and there was nothing that was going to take her from where she now was if she had anything to do with it.

Menace just shook his head when his phone rang.

Yo, wassup? he said picking it up.

How long am I supposed to wait on you, sun? You got a nigga ova here like I’m ya bitch or somethin’. Bring yo ass, nigga, before I bounce on you, his brother said on the other end.

He had almost forgot about what he was supposed to be doing today.

I’m comin’ right now, nigga. And watch ya mouth before you get dealt with, he smirked and hung up before his brother could say anything smart.

Cranking up the car his CD player came alive.

Ain’t no nigga like the one I got, no one can fuck you betta.. sleeps around but he

gives me a lot, keep you in diamonds and leathers.. friend’s would tell me I should

leave you alone, ha ha, ha ha.. tell them freaks to find a man of their own

44795.png

As the pungent smell of Chocolate Tah filled the room, Queen sat on the couch in her Ralph Lauren outfit and a fresh pair of crispy white Uptown’s. No matter how much she tried to hide her booty it was always noticeable in whatever she wore so she stopped trying to hide it a long time ago and decided to embrace her curves. She had her hair short in finger waves and her thickness made her look like Salt from Salt-n-Pepper. At 20 years old, 5’7, 158lbs and brown skinned like the rest of the family she was the crazy, bisexual, oldest daughter of Dennis. Sitting next to her was his youngest son, Major. 5’5, 150lbs of cut up muscle, with wavy hair, 19 year old Major Williams was every bit of the conceited, flamboyant, trouble maker their mother always said he’d grow up to be. He always had to outdo his siblings as he stood up in his Guess jean suit and jewels. Making people notice him was something that he did on a regular.

Passing her the blunt he dropped his Motorolla on the couch next to her and stretched.

Menace is on his way right now, he said before making his way to the kitchen.

So, what you tellin’ me for? I ain’t gon’ be here when he show up anyway, she told him as she hit the Philly blunt.

Where you goin’? he asked her.

I got some young tenderonies to trick.

Tenderonies? I know you ain’t talkin’ ‘bout them two niggas you was just tellin’ me about?

She didn’t even have to answer. Her silence was enough.

Yo, sun, you really is crazy. That’s that nigga’s lil brother and you ‘bout to break the lil nigga in.

What? Nigga, please! He wish he could taste this coochie. I’m talkin’ ‘bout some business, she rolled her eyes.

Business? What business?

Mines, and none of yours, she told him with a roll of her neck.

A’ight, we’ll see when Menace finds out about it, he said as a matter of fact.

No we won’t, and if you tell him ima fuck yo lil ass up too.

Yo, Queen, before I let you whoop my ass I’ll smoke you first. You betta stop playin’ with me, he told her.

Fuck you, clown, she spat as she then stood up. I’ll see you lata, I’m out, she said passing him the blunt on the way out the door.

Shelly gon’ be with you? he asked her.

And her sister. I’m good, she said as she went out the door.

Major let it go at that. If it was one thing he knew it was that if she was gonna be with the twins then she was in good hands. Shelly and Kelley were Paternal twins and some straight up hood rats. Fighting was something they could do in their sleep but that wasn’t what they were specifically known for in Harlem.

The were known as the box cutter twins. While Queen was a razorblade type of chick the twins were masters of the box cutter game. Major wasn’t for none of that though. Guns was his thing. Unlike his older siblings he preferred bullets over razorblades and bats. He thought that Menace was crazy to not carry a piece on him.

Pulling out a box of Arm and Hammer baking soda he set up his lab to begin one of his favorite things to do. Besides bootlegging, he sold the drugs that his father had coming their way from his Miami connect. He sold it in nickels and dimes of crack cocaine. Dennis Sr was serving 25 years to life in an upstate prison called Comstock but his kids were his only concern. Menace and Major became two of the youngest niggas in Harlem with an out of state connect. A few minutes later he was reaching into the jar to bring out the nugget when Menace came into the apartment.

When he saw Trisha behind him he had to do a double take.

I don’t even wanna hear it, Menace said already reading his mind.

Hey, Major, she waved as she made her way to his room already knowing where it was.

Trisha knew that since Major and Princess were so close that they shared a room and Queen had her own room now that Menace took their parents room. Him and Major used to share a room while his sisters did the same but after their father got locked up a lot has changed in the Williams household.

When she was out of earshot Major couldn’t help himself.

How’d you manage to do that?

Menace just glared at him and he put his hands up.

My fault, sun. Anyway, its time to go holla at pops ‘cause I just dropped the last ounce of coke in the pot, Major then told him.

Did Queen handle the count?

Sun, you gon’ have to holla at her about that. I just push the coke.

Well, where the fuck is she at?

Tryna spin L-boogie.

Menace looked at him like he was crazy.

What you told her? he grilled him.

Yo, that’s on mommy, I ain’t told her shit, Major assured him.

So you ain’t send her to this nigga tryna trick him out no burners?

Nah, but that wouldn’t have been a bad idea though, Major said thinking about it until he saw the look on Menace’s face. On everything I love though, I ain’t told that girl shit. I don’t know what she got goin’ on but she did say it was business.

Who she with? Menace asked him as he came into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

Two crazy ass bitches as usual, he told him taking the nugget to the kitchen table on a saucer.

I wonder what kind of business she supposed to have with this nigga? Menace wondered as he came out of the fridge with a Snapple.

Major just shrugged.

Hold on for a minute. Trish! Menace then hollered.

Coming into the kitchen, Trisha came to see what he wanted.

Ayo, sun, I need you to show her how to cook and bag up. Everything that she needs to know because she ain’t gon’ be spendin’ up my paper for free, he told Major.

Man, what the fuck I look like a babysitter, sun? Major complained.

Nigga, kill that noise, Menace said dismissing the matter as he walked out of the kitchen drinking his Kiwi-Strawberry Snapple.

Trisha didn’t have any problems with learning how to do nothing that was gonna keep her around. She was gonna do whatever it took to keep her position at his side. She wasn’t on no conniving type of shit. She just wanted to be in her current position with him forever if she could help it.

Sucking his teeth, Major said, Take a seat. I ain’t got all day so I hope you not one of them dumb bitches downstairs. Grab that scale out the cabinet too.

As she went to do as he had told her, Menace walked into his parents room.

Entering into the room he was trying to call Queen on her cellphone but she didn’t answer and that pissed him off. Even though he knew that she could handle herself she was still his little sister and his responsibility. Being the oldest he was hard on all of his siblings, with the exception of Princess, and that was only because she was smarter than the rest of them and knew how to work their oldest sibling. Queen had a bunch of crazy ass chicks that she stayed around but none of them were anything like the twins. Most of her friends were basically selling pussy and Queen, always one to take advantage of a situation, threw parties and charged niggas to party and to get their groove on with her friends. She was a madam in the making. Many of the cats that showed up was all wondering what it would take to get in between her legs but the only nigga she fucked with was white, and his name was Benjamin Franklin.

Trying her again to no avail he reached into his closet for his Louisville slugger and walked out of the room.

Major looked up from tutoring his student and saw the bat.

What’s up? he asked, ready for trouble.

When I get back we gon’ put that together. If Queen call you don’t answer, he said on his way out.

44797.png

First thing’s first, I poppa freaks all the honeys.. dummies, playboy

bunnies, those wantin’ money.. Those the ones I like

Sitting in her friend’s apartment, Queen, Reesa, and the twins smoked weed with L-boogie and his partner, Hades. Everybody in Harlem knew L-boogie to be the younger brother of Zeus. Zeus was the second in command of the gunrunning crew in Harlem that called themselves Too Deep. Unlike his big brother, L-boogie was a chump. He was living off of his brother’s reputation and Hades was the main reason why nobody tried to jump stupid. Hades was Zeus’s personal young protege so he kept him around his little brother. Hades had a lifestyle that gave him the name after the Greek God as Zeus got his from his mother and father.

L-boogie and Hades were both 20 years of age and virtually like oil and water. L-boogie tried his hardest to come off as a gangsta but everybody knew what was really up with him. Hades was the reason why he had clout in the streets, after his brother, and as he did his job of selling guns no one even thought about trying their likes with a nigga like Hades at his side. With a Dutch filled with Chocolate Tah dangling from his mouth, L-boogie eyed Queen’s curvaceous figure. He’d do anything to get in her pants and she knew it. He may have been a chump but that didn’t stop the ladies from falling all over him. What he didn’t know was that she could smell a weak nigga like a dog smelled fear. It was Hades who was standing in her way but she was cool with that because that was why she chose to meet them at Reesa’s crib.

Reesa was an averaged sized, thick redbone with long hair and perky breasts. She was what the hood niggas was calling fine and she knew it as she stood up in her tight fitting Levi jeans and blouse with a pair of retro Jordan’s on her feet. She had gold bamboo earrings dangling from her ears as she made her way over to Hades. She knew what her job was and she was seldom one to fail at it. She knew what all men wanted and they could never resist a redbone. Especially one as fine as she was.

As she stood in front of Hades she bent over to whisper in his ear, making a wide grin appear on his face. Grabbing his hand she led him to a back room, under the watchful eyes of Queen. When they disappeared in the back the twins made their way to the couch and sandwiched L-boogie as Queen eyed him. She loved being a woman because she possessed what a man would kill his own friend over. Sometimes his own flesh and blood if you put it on him right. If all men thought like her oldest brother did then the world of women would be in trouble. Luckily, he was the last of a dying breed.

She caught sight of L-boogie checking her out and she stood up from the other side of the couch and walked into the kitchen, knowing that her ass was on full display. She fixed herself a cup of cherry and lemonade mixed Kool Aid and walked back into the living room when L-boogie was passing Kelley the blunt.

Why you be lookin’ at my friend all crazy like that? Shelly asked him.

Who, Queen? Nah, she cool peoples.

Nah, that ain’t no cool peoples look. I know what that look is.

Nah, it ain’t nothin’ like that. I mean, he hesitated, she is fine though, he admitted.

"Oh, so you like