Madman

by Ws Greer

  “We’re having lunch at Vetri, on Spruce Street,” she says. “We’re gonna have a table that’s next to the window. If you want, you can watch from a distance. Don’t get too close, because Dante tends to look around a lot when he’s out. But if you’re still feeling unsure about me, come watch.”

  I nod once in response.

  “Gotta go. I’ll see you soon,” Reina says before turning around and descending the stairs.

  “What are we doing here?” Nix asks from the driver’s seat. I sit next to him staring straight ahead, looking down the street and through the window of Vetri, where Reina and Dante sit side by side, talking and smiling together.

  Dante is wearing gray slacks with a matching jacket over a white button-up. His hair is messier today and his beard is scruffier than before. He’s less business-like now, and he’s leaning towards Reina as she eats something I can’t make out from this distance. He’s talking her ear off, and I can imagine myself walking into the restaurant and slicing his ear from the side of his face just so I can feed it to him. He shouldn’t be anywhere near my Reina. I know she said she has this all under control and she’s playing a role to get what she wants out of him, but maybe I shouldn’t have taken her advice about coming to watch her eat with Dante. I should be far away from this, because the longer I watch, the harder it is for me to hold myself back. I’m not a man who is reserved. I don’t hold back. If I did, I wouldn’t have become the feared man I am today. I want to let loose and fill Vetri with the sound of broken glass and whizzing bullets. I want everyone within a block of this place to know not to ever come near Reina.

  “Solomon!” Nix shouts, stealing my attention away from the two of them. “What are we doing here?”

  “I told you, I want to see,” I reply as I refocus on the restaurant.

  Nix, wearing a navy blue jean jacket, stares at the side of my face as I look straight ahead. Something is bothering him, and has been since Reina came back into the picture. He lets out a loud sigh and rests his head on his hand.

  “You sure about this, Solomon?” he asks.

  “Sure about what?” I reply.

  “Look, I know you love Reina,” he says. At the mention of her name, I look over at Nix and wait for him to make his feelings known. “I had love for her too, back in the day, but we’re not teenagers anymore. This isn’t Cash N Check or Julia’s Jewels. It’s the mob. Are you sure you want to trust her with this? She’s been gone a long time, and you know she’s changed. Of course she has. Maybe letting her into the mix right away isn’t the smartest way to play this. You know what I’m saying?”

  “Nix, you’re my closest friend,” I say as I let my eyes drift back over to the restaurant, where I find Reina looking in our direction. It seems she’s spotted us, and she flashes a quick grin while Dante is stuffing his stupid face with pasta. In a heartbeat, the smile fades and she’s back to business. “You’re the only person I’d ever call my friend—the only person I trust one hundred percent. You came up with me in this game of ours, bled with me, and killed with me. And it’s because of all of those things that I’d really hate going to war with you. You know me better than everyone else, so you know how much Reina means to me. It’s never changed, Nix. If I listened to you, and it turned out you were wrong about her, it’d ruin everything.”

  “Solomon, I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I know how much Reina meant to you. I’m just saying that maybe you should exercise caution when it comes to her.”

  “I am exercising caution,” I snip. “You think my feelings for Reina will cause me to act like an idiot? You think it’d somehow change me into some love-struck buffoon who’s no longer worth fearing? You think I’d let it destroy everything we’ve built?”

  “No, Solomon,” Nix replies, glaring at the side of my face. “But I know you love her, and love makes people do stupid things, and it makes you vulnerable. If Dante finds out about you two, he’ll use her against you. You know that.”

  “Then it’s best he doesn’t find out, huh?” I blurt without looking over at him. I feel the tension in the air, but it’s something we’re just going to have to work through, because Reina isn’t just some chick from the club I met last night. It’s Reina, and she’s everything.

  “Do you trust me, Nix,” I ask, looking at him now.

  “You know I do.”

  “Good. Don’t let her presence change that. She knows what’ll happen if this turns out to be garbage, and she’s still over there with him. Soon, we’ll find out if she’s telling the truth again. Don’t forget, it was Reina who saved our asses the other night at the Asylum.”

  Nix nods his massive head, remembering how Reina tipped us off about the assassination attempt.

  “Okay,” he says as he looks ahead himself. “I’m riding with you on this, and I’ll be there with you if it turns out to be bullshit.”

  Knowing what he means by that, I simply nod my head and face the restaurant just in time to see Reina and Dante standing outside Vetri, moving into a hug. My heart rate picks up as Dante leans in for a kiss, and Reina quickly turns her head to the side, forcing him to her cheek. I struggle to exhale through a sigh of relief as Dante smiles at the move and looks her up and down. I can see the lust in his beady little eyes, and I want to gouge them out. Once they separate, a black Mercedes pulls up to the curb, and out steps a kid dressed in a white button-up and purple vest. The valet walks around the car and hands the keys to Dante, who takes them, waves goodbye to Reina, and hops in the car. Once he’s gone, Reina looks in our direction and starts walking over to us.

  “Did you enjoy the show, boys?” she says once she’s in the back seat.

  “Enjoy the show?” I ask. “No, I wanted to burn the show to the ground!”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t, because I have good news,” Reina says, her voice perky with excitement. “Hi Nix!” she chirps, as if seeing him for the first time.

  “Hey, Reina,” he replies in his low drone of a voice. “Nice to see you again. Surprised to see you with Dante, though.”

  “I bet you are,” Reina answers playfully. “I’m sure Solomon already filled you in on what I’m doing with Dante.”

  “Yeah, he did.”

  “Good, then I won’t bother going into it again,” Reina says, completely confident. She’s fearless, even as she sits behind two men who’d kill her for being wrong about all of this. “Anyway, Solomon, am I correct in assuming you’ve got a crew behind you on this?”

  “Of course I do,” I reply.

  “Good, you’re gonna want to call them up and set up a meeting tonight.”

  “Is that right? Why would I do that?”

  “Because I got it,” she answers, grinning like a kid on Christmas.

  “You got what?”

  “Everything,” she says. “Without even knowing it, Dante just opened up a gigantic window of opportunity, and something tells me you’re gonna wanna climb your sexy self right through it.”

  Reina and I smile at each other before I look over at Nix, who’s as stone-faced as ever. He won’t believe anything until he sees it, and I get that. Hopefully what Reina has will convince him.

  “Alright,” I say as I turn around and look out the windshield. “Let’s do it.”

  CLUB ASYLUM HAS always been my sanctuary. I’ve always loved the blaring music and dancing women, the lowered inhibitions and flowing money, and the feeling of being a god amongst men as I sit in the Box with Nix or whatever crew I was working with recently.

  Now, the feeling is heightened as I sit on the white couch, wearing white pants and a black tank top, exposing every muscle and tattoo, as Reina sits next to me in a long white sweater that hangs to the middle of her thighs with tan leggings. As the baggy sweater hangs off of her shoulders, Reina is the epitome of sexy. She sits with one leg over the other and her hand on my thigh, watching as the waitress sets our drinks down on the small, red end table next to me.

  I hand Reina her short glass as I take mine, an
d I’m shocked to see her take a sip of the expensive Remy Martin Louis XIII as if it’s not a big deal. Part of me expected her to order something fruity or some stereotypically weak drink, but she sips the cognac just like me, and doesn’t seem at all fazed by the burn that accompanies a straight drink. I’m nearly as impressed by that as I am by how her hair flows over her shoulder in perfect waves, and her eyes shine blue as she looks through the glass walls of the Box. She’s clearly miles above any woman here, and the confidence in her demeanor makes her even more of a standout. She’s so perfect—everything I want in a woman. Nix sits at the glass conference table with a drink of his own, sporting a black-on-black suit, but he’s an afterthought to me at this point. My mind is solely focused on Reina.

  Outside the Box, it’s the usual club scene, but with one exception. Music from the DJ on the first level is blaring loudly, as usual, and there are tons of men and women roaming both levels, sipping drinks, ordering new ones, dancing, exchanging numbers, basically what you’d expect from a nightclub like this. Tonight though, the women who dance around and on top of the Box are fixated on the blonde woman sitting next to me.

  Usually, when I have a woman in the Box, I switch the Smart Glass to privacy-mode so people can’t see inside, and that usually happens after the business portion of the night has come to an end. Tonight is different, because Reina is here now, and there will be no need to use the Smart Glass. Reina is here for both business and pleasure, and women I’ve hooked up with over the years seem to be able to tell the difference as they watch how Reina and I interact, laughing and touching each other as if the past seven years hasn’t gotten in the way of anything. Every now and then, Nix and Reina share a laugh as the two of them work to get reacquainted as well, and the whole vibe seems to be irking certain people who’ve made the mistake of growing attached to me for whatever reason. In particular, a certain redhead I recently had a one-night stand with.

  Even after being kicked out of the loft the morning after we had sex, Cynthia is peering into the Box with envy written all over her face. She’s wearing a black dress that’s so tight it looks like it’ll have to be peeled off of her, and dancing with a few of her girlfriends right next to the Box. And just like before, she’s doing her best to get noticed, hoping to win favor with the madman. But tonight, her staring is gaining the attention of someone else, and as soon as Reina’s eyes lock onto Cynthia’s, her attitude shifts a bit, and I swear I feel a cold breeze sweep into the hot club.

  “You’re a celebrity,” Reina says to me, breaking eye contact with the redhead standing directly in front of us on the other side of the glass.

  “Why do you say that?” I ask.

  “Because the women in here are basically throwing themselves at you without saying a word. They all want you, Solomon, I can see it in their eyes.”

  “Maybe I’ve made a bit of a name for myself over the years,” I say behind a small chuckle. “How does that make you feel?”

  Reina peels her eyes off of Cynthia and looks at me with a devious grin.

  “It’s fine,” she says, but something much more sinister is behind her eyes. “I didn’t expect you to become celibate while I was away. I wasn’t. However, I’m back now. We’re back.”

  I smile at the words.

  “Yes, we are.”

  Reina smiles wide as she cuts her eyes towards Cynthia, who’s still staring too hard. Seeing the redhead watching us, Reina turns to me and passionately presses her mouth to mine. Warmth shoots through my body in all directions as our tongues graze against each other, heating both of us up right here in front of everyone. Once the kiss is done, I open my eyes to find Reina already looking back at Cynthia, who now looks as if someone killed her puppy before turning away, leaving her drunken girlfriends behind. My woman and I share a laugh, just as we see our guests ascend the steps to our level and walk up to the entrance of the Box, where Lenny stands with his giant arms crossed. After a brief discussion with Rock, Lenny turns to look at me, and I nod my approval.

  Rock, Marcell, and Ricky walk into the Box with their usual grim faces. Rock is dressed to the nines, wearing a white suit with black features and a black tie. Marcell is the nerd of the group, with skinny jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt and his signature glasses, while Ricky is wearing an orange and red flannel shirt and the emotion of a man who lost his only brother just a few days ago. The three of them walk in and take a seat at the conference room table with Nix, who greets them all simply by nodding his head. As they make themselves comfortable, all of their eyes fixate on the person none of them has ever seen before, and I’m sure they’re wondering what a stranger is doing in the room if we’re here to talk business.

  “Shall we?” Nix says to the two of us.

  Reina and I stand up to move to the table with the crew. I grab for my red leather chair at the head of the table just as I see Cynthia come back into view out of the corner of my eye. When I spot her, so does Reina, and before I can make an introduction to the crew, Reina shifts her position and starts speed-walking towards the door.

  “Excuse me,” she says to the five of us, before walking out of the Box.

  Reina quickly pushes the door open and snatches a bottle of Moet off of a waitress’s tray. The waitress starts to protest, but it’s too late. Reina swings her arm and shatters the bottom half of the glass bottle on a table, sending people around her in VIP reeling and scurrying to get away from whatever is to come. Cynthia can only watch in horror as Reina races over to her with the jagged, top-half of the bottle still in her hand. As Reina approaches, Cynthia backs up in fear until her back is against the glass of the Box, directly in front of me. Reina has her trapped, and she raises the sharpest point of the bottle, pointing it at Cynthia’s bare throat. I hear Cynthia gasp, followed by the gasps of the people in VIP watching it all unfold.

  “Hi! My name’s Reina, and if I were you,” Reina says without regard to who may be listening, “I’d get my shit together and stop staring at Solomon. Whatever you had with him before is over, because I’m back now, and he’s mine. Do you understand? He’s mine! If you look at him one more time, I’m gonna come out here and gouge your eyeballs out with this broken bottle. Got it?” When Cynthia doesn’t respond quickly or loudly enough, Reina keeps going, completely relentless. “What? Speak up so everyone can hear you! Do you understand?”

  “Yes, yes, I understand,” Cynthia replies as tears stream down her face, and she turns her head to the side as if she can get any further away from the bottle now being pressed against her cheek.

  Nix looks over at me with wide eyes, and I’m not even sure what to say. I knew Reina was different before she left, but I never thought she would come back like this. Everything she went through in France and with her parents has apparently pushed her over whatever limits she may have had before. She wasn’t kidding when she said she’d been through a lot, and I’m convinced that this isn’t the same Reina that left seven years ago. This is a new and improved Reina. The teenage Reina was down for robbery, this one is down to commit murder in the middle of a packed nightclub! Watching it all happen in front of me makes me want her now more than ever, and I can feel the oncoming arousal in my pants as I look at her holding the bottle to Cynthia’s weeping face.

  “Solomon,” Nix says to me, wondering what we should do, because everyone in VIP is watching.

  “Go get her,” I tell Nix, who moves quickly. I watch from inside the Box as Nix approaches Reina, grabs her by the shoulders, and pulls her away from Cynthia. As Nix drags Reina away and Cynthia’s friends move in to console her, Reina bursts into loud, maniacal laughter. She laughs like she was just kidding the entire time and she’s entertained by Cynthia’s tears. The people in VIP frown, wondering what the hell is wrong with her.

  I can see the looks on their faces, and I recognize it. My heart pounds with excitement as I see what Reina has done in one act of violence. With a single show of force, she showed them why she’s different, why she’s with me. She jus
t became the madwoman who’s in love with the madman. The perfect queen of chaos. As Nix pulls her back into the Box, the smile on my face is too large to wipe away, and I pull Reina into a rough, passionate kiss in front of all the people watching. They want a show, and we’ll give them one. After we kiss, the two of us laugh together as we look out at Cynthia being helped down the stairs by her friends who are too scared to look back. Once they’re gone, I walk over to the silver button on the floor and step on it, activating the Privacy Smart Glass.

  “Now that’s how you start a night off right!” I exclaim as I take my seat at the head of the table. Nix sits to my right, in his usual spot, and Reina takes her place on my left, the new designated spot for my queen.

  “Well,” Rock says, staring at Reina as if he’s not sure if he can trust her not to attack him. “I was gonna ask who you were, but you already made quite the introduction.”

  “You can relax, Rock. Allow me,” I say with a smile. “Gentlemen, as you heard her say a second ago, this is Reina Wilde. I met her well before I knew any of you—back before I had a cent to my name. She knew me before all of this, and she recently came back into my life with a grand entrance, similar to the one she made here tonight. To go along with all of this beauty, Reina has brains. More than you can imagine. And she has information you’ll never believe. So, I need you all to give her your undivided attention.”

  “Hold up,” Ricky chimes in with a raised hand. “That’s great that you know her, Solomon, but I don’t. How do I know she can be trusted?”

  “Oh, that’s not a good question to ask,” Reina replies behind a giggle.

  “Because I said so!” I snip.

  “See?” Reina whispers, still giggling.

  “Let’s make sure this is clear from the beginning,” I continue. “Reina is mine, and I’m hers. Our bond is thicker and tighter than any of you could ever truly understand, so I won’t bother trying to explain the depths of it, but know this; she’s the queen of my growing empire, so if she says something, it’s as good as me saying it. You’ll afford her the same respect you show me, because there isn’t a man in the universe who could protect you if I ever hear otherwise.”