by Roy Glenn
“I’m not, but if times are changing, I need to change with them.”
“I’ll give Kevon the day off. Come get me around noon.”
“Cool.” Bobby laughed. “And you can tell Wanda that I’ll behave.”
“Whatever, Bob,” I said and got up.
Chapter 12
When we got back to the club the first person I ran into was CeCe. She used to be with a baller who called himself Cash Money. He was murdered by Mylo’s hit team. Since then, she has been trying to get with me by making herself useful, which she was, very useful at times. I tell her to do something and it’s done. But I still avoid her because CeCe is a statuesque beauty, who has the type of raw sexuality that makes men fall at her feet, which makes her a very dangerous woman.
“Hey, Bobby.”
“How you doing, CeCe?”
“I’m good, Bobby,” CeCe said to Bobby but her eyes were on me.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you,” Bobby paused. “CeCe been looking for you, Mike.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” Bobby said and walked away.
“Hello, Mr. Black,” CeCe said with that sugary voice that always makes me want to rip the clothes off her body.
“What’s up, CeCe? You look nice tonight.”
“It’s a Diane Von Furstenberg lipari dress. You like?” CeCe asked and stepped closer to me.
“Yes, I do. But you look good every time I see you.”
“Which isn’t often enough, but I love it when you like what I wear. You know I pick my outfits with you in mind. You liking what I wear makes it worth the money I paid for them.”
CeCe was in the apartment when Cash and his crew got popped. Before the police got there, CeCe took all the money and dope out of the place and left it with one of her neighbors. She sold the dope and kept the money.
Smart girl.
“How’d you know I’d be here?” I asked.
“I’ve been looking for you, but I know you know that. I know you always show up here sooner or later. But I see you got your woman with you tonight, so I won’t disrespect her and take up a lot of your time, but I do need to talk to you about some business.”
I looked at CeCe for a second and then I turned and unlocked the door that led to the office. I stepped aside to let her pass and locked the door behind me.
“So this is what’s behind the black door. You know everybody wants to know.” CeCe went up the stairs that led to the office and I gladly followed behind her. When we got to the office, CeCe walked to the window and looked out at the club. “I always thought that this was a two-way mirror.”
“See how smart you are.”
“I’m glad you noticed.”
“Can I get you a drink?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t mind if I do?”
“Of course not,” CeCe said and sat down on the couch.
I fixed my drink and sat behind Bobby’s desk. “What business you need to talk to me about?”
“You still looking for that guy Mylo?”
“What about him?”
“I saw him on the news a couple of weeks ago. His name was really Clint Harris and they said that he was a DEA agent, but it was the same guy. They found him dead in Philly.”
“I heard that too. What about him?”
“Well, you remember when you said you were looking for Mylo and I said I didn’t know who that was?”
“I remember.”
“Well after I saw him on the news, I remembered that he used to come by the apartment to see Cash.”
“But you knew him as Clint Harris and not Mylo?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
I sat there for a second or two thinking before CeCe said something. “What?”
“If Cash knew his real name, did he know that he was DEA?”
“How could he not know? I mean, it could happen, but I doubt it.”
“How well did you know Mylo or Clint or whatever his name was?”
“Not well at all. I told you I hadn’t been with Cash that long. Clint used to come by the apartment sometimes and they’d talk.”
“What they talk about?”
“They would always ask me to leave, so I never did know or really care what they were talking about, but what I could hear was Clint telling Cash how he should handle things.”
“Why you care now?”
CeCe looked at me like she couldn’t believe I actually had to ask her that question. “Why you think?”
“Enlighten me. This way we’ll both know.”
“You. I’m diggin’ you, Mike Black. I think I’ve made that plain. I know you’re here with your woman. She’s a very pretty woman and I hear she’s good people, and y’all got your thing, whatever it is. And believe me, I do respect that, but the fact of the matter is I want you. And you know what’s funny?”
“What’s that?”
“I know you want me.”
“What’s funny about that?”
“What’s funny is I can’t figure it out. I know you want me. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. I can hear it in your voice when you talk to me. I can tell it by the way you avoid me unless you need something from me. And don’t try to say that you don’t avoid me, because we both know it’s true. She'll be all right. I believe that’s your line.”
She was right. That’s exactly what I say anytime somebody tells me that CeCe was looking for me. When I didn’t comment, CeCe continued.
“And you gotta admit, when you need me, I come through for you, don’t I?”
“You do.”
“Every time. And you’re gonna need me again and I got you, baby. Anything I can ever do for you is done. But I need you to understand something.”
“What’s that?”
“I do what I do for you because I want to. I want you to know the kind of woman I am. I understand that since I used to be with Cash that you didn’t trust me, but I hope we’ve gotten past that. I want you to know that you can trust me, and you know that you can depend on me to handle mine and whatever you need me to do. I want you, Mike Black; want you bad and I want you to want me the same way. That’s why I do the things that I do for you. Not because I know you’ll break me off something. I don’t need nothing from you, I got my own.” CeCe took a breath. “Oh, I didn’t tell you, I’m getting ready to open a high-end boutique in a couple of weeks. So bring your woman by and I’ll hook her up.”
I knew why she threw that in. By now, CeCe must have heard that I bought a gym for Maria to run. Since she was a personal trainer, I thought it was a good match for her since I made her stop dancing at Cynt’s.
“Let me know when you open, and I’ll drop by.” I thought about legitimate business opportunities for the future. “Depending on how you do in business, I may want to talk about investing in your expansion.”
“Partners with Mike Black, I like the sound of that. It will make me work that much harder.”
I bet it will. “My name ever come up in any of these discussions between Cash and Mylo?” I asked, switching the subject back to business before I said something that would take this conversation in a direction that I wasn’t willing to take it. But CeCe was right about me. I do want her; wanted her bad. Every time I see her, she makes me want her even more. Then why do I avoid her? Maybe it’s because I haven’t wanted a woman like this since I met Cassandra, and I wasn’t ready to feel like that.
Not now, maybe not ever.
“Nope, I would have told you by now if I had heard your name. Him and K Murder used to talk about you all the time. Talk about you like you was Darth Vader.”
I laughed. “No one ever compared me to Darth Vader before.”
“How you know?” CeCe said and stood up. “You don’t know how these niggas in them streets are scared to death of you.”
“I guess I don’t.”
“That’s why you got me to let you know these things. And you do got me, Mr. Black, all
of me. I’m just waiting for you to take me.” CeCe started walking toward the desk. “I know you got to get back to your woman. She’s probably looking for you and giving Bobby a hard time about where you are.”
I picked up the phone and called Kevon on his cell. “Yes, boss.”
“Come to the office.”
“On my way,” Kevon said and hung up.
I got up and led CeCe to the door. “The least you can do is give me Kevon’s number.”
I went back to the desk and wrote it down. I handed the paper to her. “Thank you. I promise not to blow it up.” CeCe looked at it and then looked at me. I felt that urge to rip her clothes off as Kevon knocked on the door.
I opened the door for Kevon. “Escort the lady out and tell Bobby I need to talk to him.”
“Well, I guess this is goodnight, Mr. Black.”
“We’ll talk again, soon.”
“Is that a promise or a threat?” CeCe remarked as she closed the door behind her.
I walked over to the couch and sat down. I sat there thinking about what CeCe had just told me about Cash and Mylo. Did Cash know Mylo was DEA? If he did know, how did Vinnelli fit into this?
Chapter 13
Nick Simmons
I was tired when Black dropped me off. I had gotten up early that morning and it had been a long day. I decided not to fight it any longer and got in bed. I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing. “Hello,” I said, but I was still half-asleep.
“Nick, its Tamia. I got something for you.”
“What you got?”
“The way I hear it, the murders were drug related and the robbery was just a cover.”
“That the official line?”
“Pretty much, but I heard some talk that the robbers might be associated with a gambler named Jasper Robinson, calls himself J.R.”
“Thanks, Tamia. If you hear anything else let me know.”
“I will,” Tamia promised and hung up the phone.
I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep when I heard somebody knocking on my door. I thought about ignoring it, but I got up anyway. I got my gun and went to the door. I was about to see who it was when I heard the key hit the lock.
The door opened and Wanda stepped in.
“Hello.”
Wanda jumped. “You scared me.” Then she saw the gun. “Were you gonna shoot me?”
“Yes,” I said and turned around and headed back to bed.
“You all right?”
“Just tired,” I told her and got back under the covers.
“Too bad,” Wanda said and began getting undressed. “You been with Mike all day?”
“No. I took some money to Mrs. Phillips. I spent the day looking into the murder at Paradise. I was with him most of the night.”
“Did Mike ask you what you wanted to do?”
“I told him that I was thinking about running the game.”
Wanda frowned. “What did he say?”
“Black said to give Jackie a chance; Said she got Travis up there now.”
“What good does he think Travis being there, knowing less about the game than she does, is gonna accomplish?” Wanda asked, questioning Black’s logic.
“Security? I didn’t ask him. He wants me to check on them every night.”
“Just the game?”
“No, Black wants me to check on everything.”
“Anything else he want you to do?” Wanda asked without commenting on what I had just told her, which surprised me. Maybe she didn’t understand what everything meant. But knowing Wanda, she just wanted to know everything before she said anything about it.
“No, that’s it.”
“Okay,” she said and headed for the shower.
Once she got out of the shower and dried off, she got in bed. When Wanda rolled close to me and kissed me, I thought we were getting ready to have sex, but Wanda had other ideas. “I have to be honest with you, I’m not sure I like the idea of you checking on everything.”
Now it comes.
“I didn’t think you would.”
Wanda rolled her eyes at me. “I mean, I can see where this is going.”
“Where do you see it going?”
“He’s got you taking money to that family, something Freeze used to do. You’re going to start making the rounds every night, something Freeze used to do. Black wants you to take over.”
“That’s exactly what he wants. But you have a problem with it?”
“Frankly: yes. Yes, I do. You know that I think that we need to be moving away from all that, not have you move into Freeze’s spot. But I guess Black has other ideas about what we should be doing.” She folded her arms across her chest.
Wanda is so fuckin’ sexy when she pouts.
“Black understands that we need to be moving in that direction; and he said that he is taking more of an interest in our legit business.”
“Did he say that, or are you just guessing?”
“That’s what he said, especially since we’re making more money on that side. But he understands that right now, we are still in the business and somebody needs to stay on top of that.”
“I agree.”
“I’m glad you do,”
“Why you? Why can’t him or Bobby do it?”
“Because you got him busy getting-up on the legitimate business, and Bobby, I guess you need to ask him about that.”
“I will. But why you?”
“Why not me? Don’t you think I can handle it?”
“That’s not it and you know it.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t want to lose you, Nick. Don’t you understand that?”
“Of course I understand that.”
“But that is not gonna stop you from doing it, is it?”
“No, it’s not. If that’s what Black wants me to do, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”
“I knew he was just playing me off with all that shit about how we gonna get out and makeup that income.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because I think he wants to get out. He’s lost a wife; I know he doesn’t want this to touch Michelle.”
“I should have been prepared for him; anticipated him asking that. Next time I’ll be ready.”
“If you were paying attention, he gave you the answer to both questions.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have everybody buy us out and then you take that money and flip it. Invest it in shit that will make up the income. But I guess you weren’t paying attention.”
“I guess I wasn’t.”
“Too busy pouting.”
“You love these pouty lips,” Wanda said and pushed them out.
“Yeah, I do, so I tell you what I’m gonna do.”
“What’s that?”
“While I’m making the rounds, I’ll feel everyone out on it. When we think the time’s right, I’ll bring you around with me and you can run it by them, establish a price and then we’ll go to Black together.”
Chapter 14
Jasper Robinson.
I knew J.R. from the old days, but I hadn’t seen him in years. Him and André were friends, used to run together. He owns a nightclub called J.R.’s and he ran a poker game, craps, the usual stuff, in the basement at night. I would roll by there later tonight.
After I checked on a few of our spots, I stopped by J.R.’s. It was still early when I got there, a few people; probably regulars seated at the bar. I took a seat and signaled for the bartender.
“What can I get you?”
“Johnnie Black on the rocks.”
When the bartender came back with my drink, I hit him with my question. “Is J.R. here?”
“Who?”
“J.R., the guy who owns this place, is he here?”
“You a cop?”
“Nope. Old friend.”
“Wait here,” the bartender said and came out from behind the bar. He took another
look at me before he went in the back. It wasn’t too long after that when I was approached by two big mutha fucka’s.
One tapped me on the shoulder. “Who you here to see?”
I turned around on my barstool. “Jasper Robinson. Calls himself J.R., owns this place.”
The other man looked at me. “I know you, don’t I?”
“I don’t know. Do you?”
“Yeah, you’re Nick Simmons, you work for Mike Black.”
“That’s right.”
“I’m Jeff Ritchie,” he said like I should know the name. He looked disappointed when I said, “I don’t know you; I just want to talk to J.R., is he here?”
“Yeah, he’s here. Follow me.”
Jeff Ritchie led me in the back to the office and he knocked on the door. When J.R. answered, Jeff Ritchie stuck his head in. “Somebody to see you, J.R.”
“Who?” J.R. asked and I walked in. “Nick, Nick Simmons.”
“What’s up, J.R.? How’s it going?”
“Not bad for an old man. What about you? I heard that you were back in town. I haven’t seen you in what … fifteen years?”
“About that.”
“Come on in, have a seat. Can I get you a drink?”
“Johnnie Black on the rocks.”
For the next hour, J.R. and I sat in his office and talked about the good old days and I drank his liquor.
“Young bucks these days don’t respect nothing. No respect for the game, no respect for each other,” J.R. said.
“Tell me about it.”
“You know what the problem is, Nick?”
“I know you’re about to tell me.”
“There was a time when you had to be brought into the game. You know, the way André brought Black in, and then he reached out to you and brought you along. You learned the game that way; learned that there were things that you just didn’t do. Men had respect for one another. Now, shit, any dumb nigga with a couple of dollars he can rub together can get him a package and bam, there he is. Dumber than a mutha fucka; not knowing shit, but how to pull his gun and shoot over stupid shit.”
“Times change, J.R. After a while there won’t be a place in the game for things like honor and respect,” I said and thought that this would be a good time to talk about what I came here for. “While we’re on the subject, J.R., there is something I need to talk to you about.”
