Carl Weber's Kingpins

New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber has brought together eight of the best Urban Street writers to participate in the most highly anticipated series of 2015, the Kingpin series. Every city has an underworld leader. In the Kingpin series, we will visit eight cities and ride along with that city's kingpin as he rules the streets. The story starts out in Miami with Nikki Turner, and will end with a compilation of all kingpins, written by New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber.

Carl Weber presents the second installment of an eight book series, Kingpin. Carl Weber brings the best of Urban street lit authors together, each telling their own dramatic tale of life in the streets in known cities across the USA. The second installment continues with Treasure Hernandez telling the tale of the Dirty South.

Ke'yoko and Ka'yah are identical twins with two totally different personalities. As young girls they formed a bond that could not be broken. It isn't until they become grown women that their loyalty is tested by secrets, deception, and lies. Growing up with a strict and controlling father and a weak and sniveling mother, Ke'yoko's only goal is to get as far away from them as possible, even if it means leaving Ka'yah behind. Being rescued by Ja'Rel is like a dream come true. Ke'yoko thinks her world with Ja'Rel is perfect until she starts unraveling the truth behind it. To secure her future, Ke'yoko decides to get into the dope game with her best friend Nadia, who is the breath of fresh air Ke'yoko needs to escape the harsh reality of the fake life she's been living. Ke'yoko puts together a crew, all while trying to keep her squeaky clean image. Ka'yah, the more laid back of the twins, always has her sister's back, even if it means putting herself and her son last. Having her hands full raising her young son on her own, she always seems to be in Ke'yoko's shadow. Just once she wants to come out ahead of her sister, to have something or someone for herself. How far is she willing to go to have that? In a chain of shocking events, Ke'yoko finds out the hard way that everyone is suspect. Family and friends mean nothing, and loyalty is just a word. However, Ke'yoko refuses to let 'em see her sweat. She is determined to put on her game face and keep it moving, but that definitely doesn't mean things will be business as usual.

The Kingpins of Oklahoma City, one from the north side and one from the south side, push pounds of weed, gallons of PCP, and kilos of cocaine through the corridors of the OKC, using very different methods to keep their people in line. King is the leader of the north side crew. Along with his protégé, Tippi, he runs his crew with deadly force. Each member knows there is no room for error when it comes to getting money on the north side. Flamboyant, the leader of the south side crew, is the opposite. His crew is tight out of loyalty, not fear. King and Flamboyant know nothing of each other, especially the fact that they are both doing business with the same connect. The money is good for all involved, and it's a win-win situation for Charli and Toni, the suppliers. They keep the reins tight on both leaders, because a war on the streets would be detrimental to their thriving business in Oklahoma City. Everything goes awry when Flamboyant's woman, Shayla, becomes torn between her current man and the one who used to rule her universe-King. Once the lines are crossed, there's no going back, and the war that Charli and Toni are trying to avoid becomes a reality. A love triangle fueled by two men who would gladly give their lives for the woman they love is causing death at an alarming rate. Is Shayla worth losing what these two men have built? In the end, which kingpin of Oklahoma City will remain standing?

There can only be one: one man with two loyal friends and secrets from the past that will ultimately shake up the entire hood in Chicago; one man on a mission to destroy anyone who doesn't abide by his rules, including tricky bitches who drop to their knees behind closed doors, yet stand tall against him when the time comes to collect the almighty dollar; one man with enough swagger in his walk, confidence in his talk, and the skills and mindset to build an empire. There is only one man bold enough to deliver multiple orgasms yet never tell a soul his real name. He has overpowering strength, a top-notch reputation, power like no other, and a bite that will hurt more than a dog. Who is this man? The streets of Chicago know him as the One and Only..

The untimely death of St. Louis Kingpin, King David, has left a vacuum in the underworld. He leaves behind his vast empire to his surviving heirs, David Jr. and Davita. Born barely one year apart, they were raised in very different worlds. David Jr. is college educated. His mother always pushed him to do the best he could so he could one day legitimize and run the East St. Louis crime family. She thinks she's above and beyond the game. All she wants is the money that she believes she and her son are due. Davita, born to and of the streets, was also raised by a money-loving momma, but her mother taught her a different set of rules. Davita has been raised to use anybody and everything to get that money by any means necessary. She has embraced the business of the streets, and she is ready to ascend to the throne that her father has unexpectedly left behind. The question remains: will the family ties that bind keep the families together, or will sex, greed, drugs, and their mothers' divisive ways tear it all to hell, bringing St. Louis down with them? David Jr. and Davita have decisions to make!

The saying goes you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you, but maybe you should if that same hand prevents you from feeding yourself. Every territory has a King and Metro Atlanta is no exception. They have two. Gang Lords Blanket and Guerilla have been ruling the game with iron fists. Long ago, they decided that neither would cross into the other's territory and all would be well. Things change when Guerilla breaks the rules. Blanket retaliates swiftly, causing a turf war like never before. The two madmen leave bloodshed, murder, and mayhem in their wake. Caught in the middle of this battle, from different sides of the track, are London and Saint. Spoiled rich Roanoke girl London Royal is no exception to the old saying, "every girl loves a bad boy and his bad ways'. When she visits the downtrodden Jonesboro neighborhood of Goodman with her best friends, her privileged world changes drastically with one party and later a tow-truck pick up by bad boy Santana Black. Santana "Saint" Black is anything but a saint. Caught up in the drug game, Saint is a runner and enforcer for Blanket. The blood on his hands can never be washed away. Not to mention he's from the wrong side of the tracks to have his sights set on London. Can they find love in the middle of a war, or will both fall victims to the game of the streets? A modern day Romeo and Juliet mixed with murder, drugs, and mayhem, the story of The Black Royals in Carl Weber's Kingpins Series, the ATL edition will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Come follow Blake Karrington as he once again takes you on a ride through the gritty dirt roads of the South. In this suspenseful Southern tale, we are introduced to King, a southern born and bred hustler who is determined to take the drug empire handed to him by his father into the legitimate world of the music industry. Little does he know that when the streets birth you, trying to leave can be deadly. King's life is looking good when he meets a beautiful, classy queen. Sloan is a college-educated, hardworking Neo soul singer. She has always tried to do the right thing, but when something from her past comes back to haunt her, it could destroy the love she and King are building. Hang on, while Blake Karrington shows you what has made him the king of Southern street tales.

Follow Treasure Hernandez as she gives you the heart wrenching story of love and blood. Young and naive, Tiara Rogers learns the hard way what happens when you are green in the game. She has everything a girl could ever want, except a normal life. Not understanding that being the daughter of Dallas, Texas kingpin makes her a walking target, she does everything she can to defy her father, including losing her virginity when she falls hard for the charm of a boy she barely knows. She's unaware of the boy's true plans for her, and truths soon turn to deadly lies. Before she knows it, she is left alone, with nowhere to go. She is tossed into a world that she knows nothing about, and the cruelties are unimaginable. Lost in the underworld, with no friends or family, she realizes that her father hadn't done her any favors by keeping her sheltered. He came up from the mud, and she wishes he would have shown her how messy it could get. But now it is too late. With his empire up for grabs, it turns the people that she once trusted into bloodthirsty hounds. Will she be able to reclaim what is rightfully hers, or will she be too broken to even stand up on her own two feet?

Join in as C. N. Phillips paints a kingpin story the way it has never been done before. To some it will be a beautiful mural; to others it will be a brutal massacre.Ever since he was a child, the only thing Cyril Anderson wanted was to be down with his brother Cane's crew. Cane Anderson, leader of the notorious Bankroll Crips, was invincible-or so Cyril thought.On the night of Cyril's initiation, things take a terrible turn and leave Cane lying dead in a pool of his own blood. Now the leader of a blood-thirsty gang, there is only one thing that Cyril wants to do: seek revenge.When he learns that the man behind Cane's death is none other than Arnell "Dubb" Lewis, the current kingpin of Los Angeles, it is up to Cyril to figure out why. He begins a bloody journey to redemption with a heart as black as the night sky and a team of loyal hitters behind him.

Antonio Roberts and Paige Tillary are from vastly different backgrounds, so when they meet and fall in love, it won't be easy.Antonio, born of an affair between a beautiful actress and a notorious crime boss, lost his mother to drugs and was forced to navigate foster care and survive on the streets of the Bronx. He is ignored by his father, the infamous head of a powerful crime syndicate, and his half-brothers are living the life Antonio used to dream about. Antonio has turned his struggles into a career in the NBA, but when a devastating injury sidelines his basketball career and he finds out he has been duped out of millions by his best friend, Antonio is forced to turn to the father who never claimed him. Paige came from money. Private schools, trips around the world, and extravagant shopping sprees were all part of her upbringing. Her father is a well-respected politician who is not happy when his daughter falls in love with a man who represents everything the senator despises. But Paige's father harbors many secrets of his own, including one that will soon rock his family to the core.In spite of their own marital issues, Paige's parents try to exert pressure on her to leave Antonio. She lets love guide her, and despite her parents' threats to disinherit her, she marries Antonio anyway. When secrets, lies, and ties to a dangerous criminal underworld cause their opposing worlds to collide, the young couple is torn between their love for one another and their competing family loyalties. Family secrets, power, money, fame, and love are the ties that bind in this emotionally charged street tale.

Gaza was born and raised in McGregor Gully, one of Jamaica's grittiest housing projects in the slums of East Kingston. Growing up in poverty, he was exposed to robbery and murder at a tender age. In order to stay alive, he quickly adapted to a life of crime. Now he is one of the coldest killers and richest kingpins to ever walk the streets of Kingston. Whoever comes into contact with him and his crew either loves them, fears them, or wants to see them dead. The entrance of Catherine into his life just might change everything. Catherine, a young and determined federal agent, is rapidly climbing the chain of command. When she crosses paths with this deadly, charismatic stranger on one of her assignments, she's enchanted by his jovial ways. Soon she forgets one of the most important law enforcement lessons: Trust no one. Camille is a young Jamaican beauty who is hot on the dancehall scene. With a banging body and a good mouthpiece, she has no problem getting whatever she wants, including Gaza. She is not about to let Catherine come in and take over her spot. Betrayal and backstabbing is at a high level, and Gaza is determined to wreak havoc on anyone who stands in his way. No one is safe, not even the people closest to him. Will this young thug risk it all to maintain his power, or will he be blinded by love for the woman who was hired to bring him down?

Life is perfect for Donna and Kim Boon when they move in with their aunt, until her murder unearths a secret that will alter everything they've ever known. Donna and Kim Boon moved to Houston, Texas, with their aunt Lisa when they were orphaned at ten years old. Lisa raised the girls as her own, showering them with everything a young woman could want. The girls have grown up into beautiful and privileged Houstonites and are two of the most eligible bachelorettes in the city, with more suitors than they know how to handle. Life seems perfect, but when Aunt Lisa is gunned down in cold blood, the girls discover a family secret that will change their lives forever.

Life is perfect for Donna and Kim Boon when they move in with their Aunt, until her murder unearths a secret that will alter everything they've ever known. Donna and Kim Boon moved to Houston, Texas with their aunt Lisa when they were orphaned at ten years old. Lisa raised the girls as her own, showering them with everything a young woman could want. The girls have grown up into beautiful and privileged Houstonites and are two of the most eligible bachelorettes in the city, with more suitors than they know how to handle. Life seems perfect, but when Aunt Lisa is gunned down in cold blood, the girls discover a family secret that will change their lives forever.

Kalif is everything his adoptive family wanted him not to be: treacherous, conniving, and coldhearted. As much as he wishes to please them, he can't deny who and what he is destined to be. The hot-tempered young man is indeed his father's son. While off his meds, Kalif discovers the circumstances surrounding the brutal murder of his birth parents. In a matter of seconds, he totally snaps, ignoring the possible consequences. His rage and thirst for power increases. Deep off into the zone, Kalif develops zero tolerance for nonsense. Quickly, he rises through the ranks of the Motor City crime underworld, proving to everyone, including himself, he deserved the hard-earned title of kingpin of Detroit.

Type Kingpins of Memphis in any search engine and you'll see images of Craig Pettis and his alleged crew, and that's how Ethan Wade Carruthers prayed it remained. Though he had never met the youthful-faced man covered in diamonds, he knew the information he found wasn't completely accurate, because he should have discovered his own face and crew. Not that he expected to pull up any results under the name Ethan Wade Carruthers besides an old missing person's report on a 16-year-old boy from the south side of Chicago. Why would he, when Ethan didn't have a life, nor a past, worth reading or writing about? His intellect had him rejected from the deadly Chicago gang life before he could decide if he wanted to be accepted or not, and with both parents in love with their addiction to freebasing cocaine, he found it easier to pack up and leave. It took many years and miles to impregnate his mind with thoughts of survival. With self-preservation growing inside of him, he birthed the deadliest Kingpin to walk the width of the United States. He named him Joe and released him onto the streets of Memphis. With everyone's eyes stuck on what they can see, Joe made moves that could only be traced back to a ghost whose origin, location, and moves were no more than urban legend. With his name gracing the list of the most notorious Kingpins of all times, will Ethan's rebirth lead him to a fate in a jail cell or a casket, as it had many before him? Or will Joe be the mastermind to construct an exit plan so well thought out that it will give him a way out as quietly as he arrived? Trust, he's not your "average Joe."

All hail to the West Coast, where its natural resources of breathtaking beaches, smokable trees, and beautiful women are unlimited. From the freezing top of Mt. Denali in Alaska to the fly-ass architectural marvel of California's Golden Gate Bridge, the region is one of the most desirable places to visit on Earth. But for a problematic girl like Temper Chey, it's a prison, and she's dying to be freed. Perhaps Temper's longing to escape is a result of being raised on a road less traveled in an area of South Central Los Angeles, where tourism is obsolete and gang banging and dope slanging reign supreme. Or maybe it's because of the widespread enigma of "the only way out the hood is over a thirty-foot wall." If this hood proverb is true, then being born half black and half Asian should've given her a ten-foot ladder as a head start. Will her brief escapade with one of the most infamous Crip kingpins force her to twist, toss, and burn her exit plans? Will she give up on the promise she made to her uncle to "bust her ass" to get those missing twenty feet? Or will the chaos be the defibrillator that revives her and provides an escalator ride to freedom?

Treasure Hernandez takes readers on a captivating, headlong plunge into the depths of the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina. It will leave you feenin' for more. With the skills of Michael Vick and the looks of Tyreese, Andrew “Amir” Davis, a.k.a. Amir, is destined to be a star. But in the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina, NFL dreams can quickly vanish, and a black man can either go with the flow or become another name added to the local obituaries. Amir has the whole hood behind him. He's a beacon of hope for young men who feel they've been discarded by society. North Carolina is breeding him to be their star, but he has other plans in mind. Amir wants to be like his daddy, a hustler with principles who keeps his enemies close and treats his friends like family. Death Before Dishonor is his motto. When his childhood friend ends up in prison with a nine-year bid, Amir is true to the game and holds him down. He adheres to the code of the streets, but will that be enough to keep his crew together? Will Amir be able to forgive one of his childhood friends for being unfaithful to the game that made him the man he is today? Sometimes, a big booty and a smile can bring a soldier to his knees, but there are consequences for violating the code of the streets. Once a vow is taken, there's no turning back.

Blood is thicker than water! Every grimy hustler will express those words when they are out on the block chasing the bag. But when Flash's back is up against the wall and he's being pressured by homicide detectives, all sense of loyalty goes out the window. Flash, the son of Philadelphia drug queen pin Vickie Lopez, decides he isn't going to prison, not even for his own mother. When he's arrested for a small amount of cocaine, he spills his guts to Philadelphia homicide detectives, resulting in the arrest and federal conviction, under the RICO Act, of his own mother. She's staring down a life sentence. As the clock winds down on the deal he cut with the Feds, Flash is shipped to Graterford, one of the harshest prisons in the state of Pennsylvania. His baby brother, who is North Philly's most notorious contract killer, awaits him for a family reunion. With nowhere to run, Flash is forced to lay in the bed he made for himself. His past has finally come back to haunt him. Will his brother make him pay the ultimate price for betraying their mother, or will he forgive him for his sin?

In the Eighties and Nineties, Wesley Evans, better known as Ruby, was Brooklyn's wealthiest, longest reigning kingpin. Accomplishing all it took to make history, including rubbing elbows with celebrities and expanding his businesses out of state, he avoided all the bounties put on his head and NYPD's handcuffs. Ruby set the bar in Brooklyn, and when he finally became a legit family man, he left behind rules that would ensure not only success, but also humility, for the kings who would follow him. 1)Do not sell to pregnant women. 2)Do not sell to kids thirteen and under. 3)Respect the neighborhood elders. 4)Give back to the community twice a year. Ten years later, each of Brooklyn's kingpins has followed in Ruby's footsteps, making it out with their lives, freedom, and ridiculous amounts of money. Life is good, Brooklyn's people are good - and then Felix Brown, aka Straw, comes into power. Straw sucks Brooklyn dry. No one is off limits and following another man's rules is a no-go. Living out his life stress-free in the Bahamas, Ruby receives a call from his protégé, informing him of the deadly turn Brooklyn has taken under Straw's control. Ruby had left that life alone, but how can he continue living the good life when his home is in shambles? What kind of king allows his kingdom to fall? Ruby's coming home. He thought he was out, but he's not.

Being the daughter of a pastor, Erica Collins never got a chance to live a normal life. When she lost her mother at a very young age, she questioned her faith in the Lord. Pastor Collins tried to rescue her faith by tying her everyday life even more closely to the church. Now 21 years old, Erica's only escape from her father and his Bible is when she hooks up with her best friend, Nicole. She finds a little freedom through Nicole's wild stories, with most of them being about her boyfriend, Mekco. Erica is all in, craving the attention and the lifestyle that Nicole has. Mekco is the leader of The Detroit Brick Boyz. Now that his best friend and the former leader of the crew, Pierre aka P, is out of jail, Mekco is ready to put his boy back on without stepping down as the leader. Before getting knocked, Pierre was used to living the fast lifestyle and making money. After he's released, he is introduced to the beautiful Erica Collins. Once Erica enters his life, he questions if he has been living wrong all along. He soon finds himself falling for a young lady who didn't have any business looking his way. He wants to do right by her, but pursuing his position as the leader of the Brick Boyz and dealing with snakes from the past cause him to push her away. This pastor's daughter has some choices to make. Does she return to the flock, or fully enter the world of these kingpins?

It's 1999, and Sincere has finished his tour in the United States Army. He's come back home just in time to find his little brother, Maurice, taking his place in the streets. Maurice is hanging out with Drip-Drip and Voltron. The trio commits a home invasion on a stash house belonging to Zulu and executes the occupants inside. Unbeknownst to them, they've left behind a survivor who's seen one of their faces. Sincere is trying to put the pieces of his life back together. Still, when he finds out that his little brother was involved in the deadly home invasion, Sincere knows the streets will sacrifice his little brother next. Sincere refuses to allow that to happen. With the help of his old friend, Nasir, and his military training, Sincere goes to war with two kingpins, where the odds are firmly against him. While the street war breaks out, a serial killer known as the Wolf is kidnapping and killing young prostitutes in Queens. Detectives Acosta and his partner, Emerson, are investigating the murders. Why are the two kingpins so intent on keeping the identity of this serial killer a secret? Erick S. Gray brings his unique flair to the Kingpins series. It's dog eat dog as men fight to become king of kings on the streets of Queens.

From a murderous Bonnie and Clyde stirring up a hornet's nest to a drug war and the rise of heroin overdoses, Detectives Michael Acosta and Chris Emerson are tasked with investigating the rash of robberies and brutal murders happening in the borough. Queens is bubbling with heated violence, as rival kingpins vie for power in Erick S. Gray's intense addition to the bestselling Kingpins series. It's a new millennium, and Nasir's finally coming home from doing a bullet on Riker's Island for a petty drug charge. He's lost everything, and he craves to come up again in the streets and take back his power and respect. One night in a strip club, Nasir reunites with Denise, the sister of his best friend, Sincere. Their friendship turns sexual, and they fall deeply in love. Nasir comes up with a master plan, and they set out to rob drug dealers, becoming the new Bonnie and Clyde of South Jamaica, Queens. Sincere is livid when he hears news about his little sister hooking up with his old partner in crime. Nasir has become a dangerous man, and he's dragging Denise down a dangerous path. However, Sincere is locked away upstate, unable to get to his sister. So, he calls in some favors and does the unthinkable. He places a hit on his old best friend. Meanwhile, Zulu is the new power in the neighborhood, a fierce drug kingpin who runs Queens and New York City with an iron fist-until he gets knocked by theFeds. There's a snitch in his crew, and this informant's testimony could send him away for life. Zulu gives Zodiac, his right-hand man, the task of killing this rat before he can testify, but Zodiac has other plans. He wants to run the organization, and that'll be easier with Zulu out of the way. As Zodiac works to build his kingdom, it sparks a civil war in the organization.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown of a kingpin. Mardi gras and crawfish aren't the only things poppin' on Bourbon Street. The Big Easy is turned upside down when Freeway is faced with lies and drama, and loyalty is called into question as he battles demons from the past and present. Cal "Freeway" Moore, a well-known hitta and kingpin, knows all too well that running his New Orleans-based empire comes at a price. "Shoot first and ask questions later" is his motto as he fights to hold down his kingdom and maintain a healthy relationship with the love of his life, Belladonna. They say you keep your friends close but your enemies closer, but what if both are the same - and coming for his spot?

When Shantana has finally gotten everything she ever wanted, a mistake from her past threatens to bring it all crashing down around her. Selling weed and then running her own robbing crew that targeted drug dealers was how Shantana Phillips gained her entry into the Atlanta drug market. Their motto was, "Why buy drugs when you can steal them?" While Shantana and her crew are celebrating in South Beach after their biggest hit ever, the ambitious and power-hungry Shantana meets a Colombian importer looking for a new distributor for the Atlanta market. During a trip to Cali, Colombia, he promises to take her program to the next level. All she has to do is eliminate his old distributor in that market. Once the brutal deed is done and Shantana has the power, she decides not to stop at just the old distributor. Why not ruthlessly eliminate all of her competition and have it all?

Take a ride with this trio of bad girls as their lives spiral out of control, and it seems like there's no way out. Will they have each other's backs like before, or do they fold and become one another's enemies? Cincinnati, Ohio, is known as home to bad girls Ke'Lasia, Tanner, and September. They are known for their no-nonsense approach, and whoever tries them will quickly learn this trio is nothing to be played with. Their only mode of survival is to play the dirty games that the street taught them. Their close relationship will soon be threatened when September meets Rahiem, a street dude with money and a bad reputation. Their relationship quickly turns toxic, which leaves September at odds with her crew. Her heart wants what it wants, and she is quick to ride with her man, whether it's good or bad. Take a ride with this trio as their lives spiral out of control, and it seems like there's no way out. Will they have each other's backs like before, or do they fold and become one another's enemies?