The Numbers Man
About
Before the empire. Before the reckoning.
Jerome Blake didn’t set out to become dangerous. He wanted stability. Order. A way to survive in a Florida economy where Black men were expendable and violence came without warning.
The Numbers Man follows Jerome’s first steps inside the bolita numbers racket—where small compromises feel reasonable and power arrives quietly. As Jerome learns how money moves and who controls the paper, he begins to understand the true cost of order.
This standalone prequel novella takes place before The Bolita Grift and can be read on its own.
Praise for this book
This is a fantastic prelude to what seems to be a story as old as time. One where the main character has a history that he is not proud of but it is all he knows. And his desire to be somebody may be stronger than what his conscience is telling him - escape now while you still can. Redbone, like many of us, isn't sure on exactly how to do it and more importantly, why. He knows he wants more but what will it cost him?
I cannot wait to read his story to see if it ends in tragedy or redemption.