“You didn’t . . .” she finally breathed and looked up at him with a deep sadness in her eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gene replied.
Gia cleared her throat and placed the photo back on the table. She avoided eye contact with Gene for a few moments. It was almost as if he could see her thoughts going a mile a minute in front of him. She finally looked back at him and opened her mouth to speak.
“How is my son, Gene?” she said, pushing the picture back toward him. “I want to see him.”
“No.”
“You have kept him away from me for all these years! I have a right to see him.”
“Not in the eyes of the law. And even if I told him you wanted to see him, he wouldn’t come. Not after all those times you denied his visiting requests.”
“Because you made me!” Gia said, banging her hands on the table. “You said you would kill him if he ever came to visit me.”
“And that promise is still good enough to cash in on if you push me. You’re a liability, Gia, and always have been. This prison is your heaven, because you should be dead. Never forget that.”
“It’s been years, Gene,” Gia said with a plea in her eyes. “What could I possibly say to Andrew? I just want to see my son. I need to see my boy. You don’t know what it’s been like to be away from him for all this time. I can’t imagine what he thinks about me . . . about his mother.”
“And that’s exactly why you’ll do and say whatever you need to: so that you can clear that up. No.”
“Gene, please.”
“I asked you a question, and you haven’t answered it yet.”
“And I won’t unless you agree to let me see my son.”
Gene clenched his jaw. His sister had always had a stubbornness about her that seemed to get the best of him. They were two years apart, he being the older sibling, but she’d always been able to get what she wanted out of him some way or the other.
“A phone call. I will arrange for you to get a phone for this one purpose. But try to tell him anything and I will kill both of you myself.”
“And I have your word?”
“As bond.”
“Okay,” Gia sighed happily. “Okay.”
“Good, now tell me everything you know about Lucas Dubois.”
Chapter 8
Never make a decision when you are upset, sad, jealous, or in love.
—Mario Teguh
“Sss ah!” Belle whimpered and quickly put her finger to her lips.
She’d was sitting cross-legged on a king-sized bed in nothing but a milky silk robe and a burgundy lingerie set. For an hour she’d been counting and recounting the money she’d made the past two nights, when she got a paper cut. She instantly tasted blood and sucked until it went away. That was enough counting for the day. Her money was in a huge pile in front of her and amounted to just over $10,000. She couldn’t believe that she had made that kind of money in two nights. It was easy money. All she had to do was smile and twerk something, and the money came pouring in. It was crazy.
That day the girls had decided to take a personal day before the last stop on the tour. They were in North Carolina, and that night the party they were doing would be for a group of basketball team owners. Belle was starting to get nervous because she knew that once they got to Miami, she would have to meet Gene for the first time. It put pressure on her to make the last nights of dancing count. That way, just in case he didn’t want her to really be a part of Gene’s Girls, she’d have enough money to start over somewhere.
“What am I thinking?” she said out loud, shaking her head at her thoughts.
Just in case he didn’t want her to be a part of Gene’s Girls? When did that ever become part of the plan? She’d originally just wanted to get enough money to go off on her own, but now for some reason, things were different. She’d grown attached to the other women, and the thought of never seeing Kidd again did something to the pit of her stomach. She regretted the way things ended between them the last time they spoke. But she knew that she would see him again soon. After all, he’d driven off in her car. She figured that she’d just get it back when they all got to Miami.
“You still counting that money, girl?” Russian poked her head into the room. Her long hair was pinned up with flexi rods, and her face was bare of all makeup. She was a beautiful woman naturally and surprisingly had full lips. Belle had been trying to figure out if they were real or if she had pulled a Kylie Jenner.
They were staying in a five-star hotel and had gotten a few suites to accommodate all of them. Belle was sharing one with Russian Roulette and Aria. Belle hadn’t talked to them all morning, and she guessed that maybe she’d been quiet for a little too long.
“Yeah,” Belle said and started neatly stacking the bills in thousands so that she could place rubber bands around them. “I just want to be sure my calculations are correct.”
Russian invited herself inside the room and sat at the end of the bed, watching Belle. She too had on a robe that was tightly tied around her petite waist. Russian was quiet and didn’t touch Belle’s money. She just stared at her. Belle could feel herself growing warm because she knew Russian’s eyes were on her. When she was done and the money was tucked back into the small duffle bag it had come out of, Belle focused her attention on Russian.
“You okay?”
“I could be asking you the same thing.”
“Why is that? I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” Russian raised her eyebrow at Belle. “I’ve been seeing you popping those pills with Drip. I know they take the edge off, but they’re too addictive, honey.”
“What are you saying? That you think I can’t handle myself? Why does everybody seem to think that I can’t handle myself?”
“I’m just looking out for you, that’s all,” Russian said, ignoring the rise in Belle’s tone. “Have you thought at all about what you’re going to do?”
“Do about what?”
“I mean, when all of this is over,” Russian said and waved her hands around for emphasis. “After tonight, there is only one more stop before we head home for a while. Are you going to stay in Miami?”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Belle told her. “In fact, Aria said that maybe I could stay and, you know, work for Gene permanently.”
Russian’s eyes widened at her words. “What do you mean, permanently?”
“As in become a permanent part of Gene’s Girls. She even said that I would be able to go on tour all the time with you guys.”
“Belle, I don’t . . .” Russian closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why would you choose this life?”
“The same reason you all did. The money.”
“No. You don’t understand. Once you choose this path, you will become a prisoner to it forever. You’ve already gotten enough money to start new somewhere.”
“What do you mean, prisoner?”
Russian grabbed Belle’s hands and held them tightly while staring into Belle’s pupils. “I don’t know what all you know, and the reason I didn’t say anything is because I thought you’d be going your separate way soon. But this isn’t a life you want. You’ve only seen the luxurious part of it. You haven’t seen the ugly. And it gets ugly, Belle. And when it does, you can’t go anywhere. The Bliss Lounge isn’t what you think. It’s—”
“That’s enough, Russian.”
Aria’s voice caught them both off guard, and Russian Roulette dropped Belle’s hands. The stern look Aria was giving her made her jump to her feet and hurry for the door. Before she was completely gone, she turned back to Belle and looked at her with sadness in her expression.
“One more thing,” she said. “If you can’t go out there and do what you need to do without a drug enhancement, then maybe this isn’t the line of work for you. Get out while you can.”
She sashayed away before Aria could say anything else to her, leaving Belle with a puzzled expression. It didn’t go unnoticed by Aria
, who sighed and sat down where Russian had just gotten up from.
“It’s crazy that she can say anything to you about drugs when she pops pain pills like they’re Tic Tacs,” Aria said and tried to offer Belle a smile.
“What’s the Bliss Lounge?” Belle asked, ignoring her.
“Why?”
“Because Russian was just about to tell me something about it before you cut her off. I know you kind of told me about it before, but you didn’t go into much detail then.”
Aria sighed again. “The Bliss Lounge is what Gene’s Girls belong to. It’s the place we come from.”
“So it’s like your headquarters or something?”
“Exactly. The Bliss Lounge is the main pleasure house. In order to be a part of such pleasure, one must purchase one of three memberships. The high-flying customers get treated to a stop in our tour.”
“So it’s like a brothel?”
Aria laughed out loud. “It’s a gentlemen’s club. The men don’t merely come for pleasure. They come to fulfill their heart’s desires. Sometimes that could be sex, other times it may be drugs, and sometimes it is to pour out their darkest secrets to a pretty face. The girls who work there—”
“Wait, there are other girls?”
“Of course there are other girls, silly. As big as the Bliss Lounge is, you’re going to be thankful for that. Those girls don’t get the same perks we do. They’re paid a fixed salary and aren’t allowed to take tips from the clients. We, on the other hand, get a salary and tips and get to live in our own homes.”
“Get to?”
“What?”
“You said, ‘get to.’ Are the other girls not allowed to leave?”
“Yes, they can leave, but they have to come back.”
“Or else what? Things will get ugly like Russian said?”
“Russian was just being dramatic. Don’t listen to her. She’s just trying to scare you because she knows her spot on Gene’s Girls will be threatened. Technically we have one girl too many, and if Gene wants to keep you, he may kick one of them off. I mean, you’ve only been with us a short while and are already raking in the dough like a pro. It would be an easy decision.”
“What did she mean when she said that if I chose this life, I’d become a prisoner to it forever? Is she talking about the other girls at the Bliss Lounge?”
“Those girls are on a contract, Belle. A contract they willfully signed. Understand that a lot of Gene’s clients come to see and spend time with one specific girl. And if said girl breaks her contract by running off, it costs Gene money. Lots of money. Name one business owner who would be happy with that.”
“I . . . I don’t know any.”
“Exactly.”
“Then that means I’d have to sign too. A contract, I mean, in order to be officially a part of the Bliss Lounge?”
“We all sign contracts. It’s like when you fill out the paperwork at any other job.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t let the other girls scare you away,” she said and stood up.
“They’re just intimidated by my presence, right? What about you? If what you said is true, couldn’t your spot be on the line too?” Belle asked, and Aria chuckled slightly as she walked to the door.
“Honey, I’m the head girl,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Belle. “My spot is engraved in blood. Not even God could knock me from my spot. One thing Russian said was true, though.”
“What’s that?”
“You need to lay off those pills. A sober mind is a sharp mind, remember that. I’m about to go grab something to eat. Feel free to get dressed and join me if you want to.”
She left, and when she was gone, Belle couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Not even God could knock me from my spot.”
There was something about the way Aria said it that didn’t sit right with Belle, but she put it to the back of her mind. Her stomach was growling, and it wasn’t until then that she remembered that she hadn’t put a single thing in her stomach. Before she got up, she grabbed the new cell phone she’d purchased since the other one she had was a part of the family plan she’d shared with her deceased family. She’d secretly gotten Kidd’s number from Phil’s phone the night before when he was busy raking Luscious’s money up.
Hey. This is Belle. Lock me in. I’m sorry for the way things went the last time we talked.
She wanted to add more, but she didn’t know what to say. She missed him and almost told him that, but she stopped herself. No point in saying it just in case he didn’t text back. She hit send and proceeded to get dressed for the day. She had a lot to think about.
* * *
“Ahh, shit!” Ollie shouted as his shoulder jolted back. A casing from the gun he was shooting caught him in the eye by surprise, and he stopped shooting for a moment.
“I told you this is a place for big boys,” Kidd joked and set his Glock 19 down on the table beside him in his lane.
“Shut yo’ ass up, nigga. You can keep that boy shit. I’m a man.”
“Yeah, the same man who used to cry when we didn’t make curfew on time.”
“Ay, man, chill with that,” Ollie said and stepped out of his lane. “You know just like I do that my mama didn’t play that shit.”
Ollie had grown to be a tall, muscular man. He’d let his hair grow out, and he wore it in long locs that went down his back. That day he had them braided in four neat rows. He must have recently sat in a barber’s chair, because his line was crispier than a plate of fried chicken. Same for his sideburns and the short beard on his chin. Like Kidd, Ollie liked to be well groomed. Appearance was everything to a king, and the last vibe either of them wanted to give off was that of a sucka. That day was a casual day for both of them. Cargo shirts and designer T-shirts hugged their muscles. Where Kidd had opted for Fendi, Ollie rocked Gucci all the way down to the socks.
“Whatever, man,” Kidd said, checking his watch. “Where is this nigga at? It’s been two hours already.”
“All I know is that a nigga is hungrier than two BBWs,” Ollie said, gripping his stomach. “And since Maria ain’t here, I’m thinkin’ we should go to that seafood spot by the beach.”
“We can do that,” Kidd said and pulled his phone out to make sure he hadn’t missed a call due to the loud gunshots.
He didn’t miss a call from Gene, but he did have a text message waiting to be opened from an unknown number. When he opened it and read the message, a smile he didn’t even feel come on made its way to his cheeks.
Ollie gave him a knowing look and shook his head. “Who is she?”
“What you mean?” Kidd asked as he typed out a message: It’s cool, shorty. You were doing your thing. I ain’t mean to step on your toes. And don’t worry about your car. She’ll be here waiting for you when you get back. I’ma get it detailed for you, too.
“The only times I ever seen you smile like that is if money is involved or a bitch is. So which one is it?”
“Come on, man, let’s go get this seafood you want so bad,” Kidd said and patted Ollie’s arm.
Before Ollie could interrogate him anymore, Kidd left the gun range and was making his way upstairs. He checked to make sure everything was good before they left the house and locked the door behind him. That day he’d opted to drive his own black-on-black G-Wagen instead of Belle’s Camaro. It was more his style of car. He liked feeling the leather under his body and sitting up higher than the rest of traffic. It reminded him that he had made it out of the trenches despite all odds against him. Ollie offered to drive his BMW to the restaurant, but Kidd told him to hop in his whip. He hadn’t been home for a whole month, and he wanted to push his own wheels around his city.
“Show off,” Ollie said when he got into the passenger’s seat. “I can’t even lie, though. This bih kinda nice.”
“Yeah, it’s time for you to upgrade, my G,” Kidd told him as he pulled out of the long, circular driveway. “That Beemer is nice
and all, but you need a Ferrari or somethin’.”
“Crazy you said that. I got one gettin’ made for me as we speak.”
“Oh, word?”
“Yeah. While you’ve been gone, Gene done had a young nigga puttin’ in that work,” Ollie said. “These last few jobs paid pretty good, and I figured I’d treat myself.”
“That’s what’s up.”
Kidd had gotten Gene to put Ollie on too once he saw the kind of money to be made. He didn’t feel right balling out if his partner couldn’t be right there with him. Together, the two were untouchable and the best hired shooting team. Sometimes the jobs they did were just security jobs for the girls, but most times they were more than that.
Gene had never completely given up the drug game. He just got smarter while in it. He had graduated from a king to an emperor, and he had the entire city on lock. Nothing came in or out of the city without him knowing it, and if he found out about any funny business, the problem would be dealt with. Kidd and Ollie were the ones who would deal with it.
It didn’t take too long for them to get to the restaurant, and it felt as if Kidd had started starving on the way. Maybe it was because he was thinking about the shrimp and crab legs platter he was going to order, or maybe it was because he hadn’t eaten all day. Whatever the case was, he was going to throw down. He parked near the entrance of the restaurant and got out. From where he stood, he could hear the soothing sound of waves smashing against the land, and he paused for a second. He turned his head to look at the beach in the distance and soaked in the beautiful scene.
“Damn, G, you’ve only been gone a month. You act like you ain’t never seen the beach before.”
“Some shit you just never get tired of. It makes you wonder how anyone could ever live anywhere but here.”
“True that,” Ollie agreed. “I can see myself travelling all over the world, but I can’t see myself living anywhere but here.”
“Come on,” Kidd said after watching the water for a few more seconds. “Let’s go get our eat on before we have to head back.”
When they entered the restaurant, Crab Racks, Kidd took notice of a few other people eating there, but not many. Normally when he got food from there it was takeout, so he’d never taken the time to examine the place. It was decorated like the inside of a boat, with props like anchors and photos of fishermen hanging on the walls. It was nice, and Kidd loved seafood, so the smell of it was warming to his soul.
Belle Page 10
