by K. S. Adkins
“I ain’t disagreeing with you. We are partners in some ways, but in some ways we’re not,” he says, and I feel like this argument is getting away from me.
“We are either partners in all things, or you can go protect someone else’s body,” I spit out, and wow did that come out wrong.
“I’m protecting your body, so deal with it.”
“I’ve been protecting my own body since I was eighteen. You need my intel. You need my resources. You need me.”
“I do need you,” he growls at me. “But…you need me, too,” he finishes softly.
“I don’t need—“
“Yes. You do.”
How his arms got to be around my shoulders, I’ll never know, but I do know that if he kissed me right now, I wouldn’t do a thing to stop him. If I knew how, I’d even go first. I’ve never kissed anyone before, and I want him to be the first. Desperately. Like mountain climb his body desperate.
“You’re right, I do,” I concede. When I look up at him, I realize I have absolutely no idea what we’re talking about anymore.
“Listen,” he says, not making any attempt to move. “My job is to protect, not be protected. You have to work with me here. This is new for both of us, it’s gonna take time,” he says, while his hands are rubbing circles on my shoulders. I wonder if he knows he’s doing it.
“I need to head home, to get ready for work tonight. I need to get the guest room ready for you, so how about you go do your thing, and pick me up at nine?” I say, hoping he buys it. I have a meeting I can’t miss.
“Got my bag with me, so I’ll come with you now,” he says, so I pull out the big guns. Guilt.
“I need to decompress a bit, yeah? I’m a pretty solitary person, and I just to need wind down a bit. I feel like shit for what I did to you, and I could really use a few hours to work it out in my head space. Please,” I say, going in for the kill.
“Nine pm,” he says. “Be ready.”
“Thanks for understanding. I live over in Brooklyn Lofts, second floor. I’ll let Boss know you’re coming,” I say, feeling like a dick for deceiving him.
“Venessa…” he starts.
“Hmm?” I say, turning towards him.
“Go straight home,” he says calmly. I can't help but wonder if he sees through my bullshit.
“Where else would I go?” I ask sweetly, then I hustle to my next appointment. I don’t like being late for meetings.
On my way to track Miguel, I place a quick call to Macy to give her the details on my run in with the Detective. She says it's fate, and that if she gets done with her shift on time, she might make an appearance tonight to scope him out. She’s an amazing nurse, but she will make a name for herself in pharmaceuticals someday. She wants to find that cure, and knowing her, she will. Did I ever tell you how Macy and I met? It was in Girl Scouts. I was investigating my friend Amber’s missing cell phone, and I fell out of a tree. She found me and patched me up. She told me she wanted to be doctor, and I told her I wanted to be a cop. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Where I’m below average in height, Macy Kowalski is 5’8 and 130 lbs of perfection. No, really, she is. She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever known. She can kick your ass, too, but she’d rather not. She leaves that to me.
Macy also has shit luck with men. Guys get one look at her and think ‘arm candy’, but she isn’t arm candy. She’s brilliant, and once they figure that out, they don’t last long. The only decent one in her life is her lab partner, Ben, but that’s because he’s a bookworm like her, and wouldn’t hurt a fly. It helps that she’s not into him, either, although by the way he follows her around I’d say he wants all things Macy, badly. After the showdown with Briggs, she isn’t looking for love. She’s trying to rebuild herself, and since I know what that’s like, I’m giving her the room to do it.
When you grow up a cop's daughter, one thing you learn quick is navigating the streets here. This city has a lot going for it, but there are still places even I won’t go. Mexican town is big here. People from all over Metro Detroit come here to eat and drink authentic Mexican food. It’s also where Miguel has been pulling tricks, because cops stopped coming here. I’ve warned him, nicely, twice now, and my patience has worn thin. He’s living on borrowed time. This is the last warning he gets before he finds himself in an alley as rat food.
From where I sit, I see him sell to a pregnant girl, who can’t be more than sixteen, and it makes me sick. Some of these kids just never stood a chance. Not with guys like Miguel selling temptation on street corners. Around here, a lot of folks are doing things they never thought they’d do, just to survive. Had my family lived, I wouldn’t even know the dark side of Detroit exists, because my Dad never brought his work home. He hid it from us well. But I do know it exists. I live it now, and I owe to them and myself, to make things right. Or to die trying.
I knew she wasn’t going straight home. Does she think I’m an idiot? I track her to Mexican town and know, right then, it’s a job. She ain’t ordering no carry out. I hear a male voice and, right away, my fists clench with the need to protect her. Does she have any fucking sense of self-preservation? Rounding the corner, I watch her approach with more confidence than what’s healthy. Seasoned cops don’t even approach dealers like this. It’s fucking insane. When you’re on a dealer's turf, you never know what kind of situation you’re walking into. Does this faze her? Not even a little bit. Yep, just as I thought… she has a death wish.
“Miguel, Miguel, Miguel. You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said, have you?” Scanning my brain, I recognize Miguel as ‘Big Dom’, which is funny, considering he’s no larger than a boy. But he is a cagey bastard, and has gotten away with a lot of shit he shouldn’t have. He’s also not one to fuck with, ever.
“I ain’t done nuthin’ wrong, chick,” he says, smiling, which is never good, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
“No? So that pregnant teenager I just saw wasn’t buying from you? Was she lost, then?” she asks. As I round the corner further, I know that I can’t get any closer without her seeing me. If I’m spotted, I’m fucked.
“Not from me. I’m straight”
“I don’t like liars, Miguel. You want to push on adults who know better? I don’t care. But these kids deserve a chance. That was strike three,” she says. I hear the change in her voice, and I realize she’s about to do some damage. Yes, I want to see it, and no, I don’t want to see it. Shit.
“Don’t do it, chick. I like you. I don’t wanna tussle with you,” he says, getting nervous.
“No tussle, we’re past that now,” Venessa says, while I try to find a way to get close in case she needs me.
Just as I clear the corner fully, I see her put Miguel down flat in seconds. If there was ever an inappropriate time to get hard, this would be it. But, damn, violence does it for me. I’ve got no time to think on that, though, because any one of his boys could show up, and by boys I mean grown men, all family, all crazy.
“Fuck, chick, come on” he says, totally humiliated.
“Don’t move, Miguel, and listen carefully. Trouble's coming, and the first thing this new crew is going to do is seek out the little guy. That’s you, my friend. Your boys won’t step up; you know it, I know it. These guys coming in will wipe you out because they can. I’m trying to help you, here, so stop selling. Tell me we have an understanding?” she says. I’m shocked to hear her say this to him. He’s a fucking dealer. He belongs in jail, but here she is negotiating.
“I got kids.”
“No, you don’t,” she laughs.
“But,” he tries to explain.
“If you choose to continue, you will die. The decision is yours,” she gives as a final warning.
But I know these types…he ain’t quittin'.
“I don’t know nothin’ else”
“Cut your losses while you can, Miguel. Stay in the game, and know that if they don’t kill you, I will,” she says with authority.
“Thought we was frien
ds, chick,” he whimpers.
“I have one friend, and she isn’t you. Listen or don’t, the DPD has enough problems. I will take you out to save them the paperwork. How do you want to play this? You want to die right here? You’re better than this, Miguel,” she says conversationally.
“Wait! Just wait, okay? I could be your eyes and ears, chick. Real official. Tell you shit, you know?” he pleads.
“What could you possibly tell me that I don’t already know? Make it fast, because I can’t be late for work.”
“Let up and we’ll talk” he says. I edge closer.
“How about you talk, and I listen. Now go on,” she counters.
“I like you,” he says, chuckling. “Word is big shit is coming up from Miami. Real heavy hitters: drugs, girls, weapons, just about everything. Why you still here? Why stay? Why do you care? You should jet while you can. The boys did, fuckin’ puntas,” he says, sounding genuinely curious.
“I care, alright? From here on out, what you know, I know. What you see, I want to see. What you hear, I want to hear. You help me, I’ll help you. That’s how this will work. I work tonight, so you come by and ask for Max. Tell him I sent you, and that you need work. I’ll make sure you get it, yeah? I warned you about your boys, Miguel. Can’t say I’m surprised. You have an opportunity here, prove me right yeah? You gonna take me up on it?”
“Yeah, chick. Yeah,” he says, turning away from her.
She gently turns his face to look in his eyes and I wonder what it is she sees in this dealer's eyes that’s worth a job offer versus jail time.
“What?” she questions him.
“Why do you care ‘bout me?” he asks again, quieter this time.
“I just do,” she replies.
“A real job, no lie?” he asks, sounding hopeful.
“No lie,” she promises. It hits me like a lead brick in the face: that that’s how she gets shit done. Loyalty.
Venessa starts to rise up and remove his ties, and he makes no effort to run. He actually looks relieved.
“See you tonight, then?” he asks.
“I’ll be there. Make sure you are too, Miguel. I want to make sure you make money for them kids of yours, yeah?” She chuckles, turning around, then walks away without looking back. I watch as he just stares at her with awe, and I know that he’s another one in a long line of many that will have her back. You can’t help but want to make her proud of you.
Approaching Miguel with questions of my own, he immediately takes one look at me, hoping to make a quick exit. Knowing he can outrun me, I try to show him I’m harmless with my approach, but I’ll say this: he’s smarter than he looks.
“Miguel, just need a minute of your time, man.” Appear as non-threatening; that’s my goal here.
“I don’t deal with cops. Ain’t done nothin’ wrong here.”
“How’d you know I was a cop?” I ask him, because I’m in plain clothes
“Could smell you comin’” he says. “Stay away from chick, she’s legit”
“I’m a friend of Kharma’s, just need a minute.”
“You ain’t no friend of chick's. She don’t swing with cops, so fuck off.”
“Listen, man, no trouble here, alright? I saw her leave, so I’m wondering what brought her out here.”
“Got work to do, cop, so keep walkin’ before you find yourself hurt.”
“I’m her guard, man, keeping her safe at the club now. Didn’t know she was a friend of yours, so chill. Just making sure she’s okay.”
“Chick don’t need no guard, ‘specially one as mean lookin’ as you. Chick is always okay. She’s tight with me, that’s all you get. Unless you got a problem with chick, then you got a problem with me. You got a problem with me?”
“No problem. Like I said, making sure she’s safe. See ya around, man.”
“We never met, boss, keepin’ it that way.” Pulling his hood over his head, he stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks off.
That didn’t go as planned, but it was as I expected. Loyalty.
All humans understand it, criminal or not, that you don’t fuck with loyalty.
It ain’t easy to get, so when it’s earned, you treasure that shit.
My phone alerting me saved Miguel from further questioning. Making sure he’s out of range I notice she’s on the move, again. She’s already almost four blocks up, and I’m stuck deciding to grab the truck or hoof it. Watching the movement, I decide to grab the truck in case I need to get her out of there.
After she stops, I park about a block away and catch sight of her talking to Ricardo “Ricky” Rios. Law enforcement and civilians alike know you don’t just talk with Ricky. You see Ricky, you keep moving. Better yet, you don’t find yourself in places Ricky might find himself.
She’s on his turf, so it’s his rules, yet there she stands talking, laughing and looking confident. Around here, there’s an hierarchy of things, and like it or not, one of those things is Ricky. He runs everything: you name it, he runs it for a price. Only reason he’s out on the streets is that he keeps crime from rising, and up and comers from starting more trouble. What you need to know about Ricky is he’s a quiet guy; never raises his voice or his hand from what I’ve seen, but I also know you don’t need to do either of things to kill someone. He’s feared for a reason, and we stay away from him for a reason. What I want to know is why she isn’t.
Walking away from Miguel, I feel fairly confident he’ll show tonight. However, I wasn’t bluffing when I said I’d kill him. That may seem cold to some, but being taken out by me is preferable to the alternative. Thing about Miguel is he wasn’t always like this. Circumstance put him in a position to make a choice. Sadly, he didn’t have anyone to tell him he was making the wrong choice then. He does now, and what he does with that is his decision, but deep down there’s good there. Now he needs to prove it, because if he doesn’t, I’ll keep my promise.
When I was wrapping up with Miguel, I got a tip from one of the girls. After reading the message I decided I needed to pay Ricky a visit in person. What can I say about Ricky? Well, to start, we share a common goal: clean the streets. Yes, he’s a criminal, however he also keeps the balance out here, and you don’t fuck with the balance out here. It’s not my place to judge him; over the years he’s had my back and I’ve had his. The reasons are my own, but I will tell you that for the past ten years my life has been a dark one, and Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Rios has kept me as close to the light as possible, yet has covered for me when the darkness took over.
Ricky may not know exactly what drives me, but he understands I’m driven, just as I understand he’s a businessman. He doesn’t mess with my game, and I don’t mess with his. Oddly enough, he’s one of the nicest guys I know. So when I show up on his turf, he welcomes with me a hug, followed by a kiss on each cheek, while his boys stand guard.
“Thought I might be seeing you today, Hermosa,” he says while looking me over. “You need to eat, come inside.”
“Wish I could, Ricky, but I need a quick word before I get to work tonight,” I say, looking up at him. Did I mention Ricky is really tall? “Got a problem, thinking you might be having one, too.”
“What’s the problem's name?”
“A name, I don’t have,” I explain. “However, what I do know is, hitters are coming in from Miami. Word is they want the streets now. Plan is to start at the bottom, and work their way up the food chain, and you’re the top of the food chain.”
“You worried about me?” he asks, smiling. I cannot help but admire his gold teeth; works of art, really.
“And if I was?”
“You’d be the only one,” he whispers. “What else do I need to know?”
“I took Miguel out, saved you the headache,” I tell him. “He’s working at the club now, so he’s one less to worry about, but word has hit the DPD, plus the higher ups at the club are talking, and some are even scrambling. Girls are missing, cops can’t help, so I want you to be safe, and know that I’m here
if you need me.”
“You know I got nothing but love and respect for you, Kharma,” he says, putting an arm around me, but not pulling me close. “I worry about you. Word is you got a cop watching your back now?”
“That was fast. Nothing gets by you, does it?” I laugh. “I guess the secret's out. Yeah, he’s got my back, since the crazies can’t seem to stay away from it. Max and Tony out voted me.”
“When it comes to you? I make it a point to be in the know. What I hear is he’s a good cop, or was, since he’s a detective now,” he admits. “He keeps you safe, we got no problems. Just don’t bring him ‘round here, and don’t tell those two he’s a cop neither. Fuck.”
Laughing, I lean into him and whisper, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Ricky, but cop bullshit aside, I’m safe with him.”
“I know, Hermosa,” he says in a serious tone. “That’s why he’s still breathing.”
“Okay,” I surrender. “I’ve said my piece. I want you safe, Ricky. You keep those eyes open always. Sleep with them open if you have to.”
“I may be losing a few things, Kharma, but my touch isn’t one of them.” He laughs. “You watch your back, too. You know how to reach me if things get hot, and I promise to do the same.”
“Fair enough,” I say. “I’ll be seeing you around, then, and say hey to Rita for me.”
“Will do, Hermosa,” he says, then signals his boy Luis over to walk me back down the block. I wave to Ricky, thank Luis, ask him about his mother and sisters. Then I haul ass back to my place to get ready for work and the arrival of the detective, and dammit if that didn’t have me practically skipping back.
So Ricky knows I’m a cop. That shouldn’t surprise me. I’ve never got on his case but, as proven in the past, nothing gets past this guy. And he’s fond of Venessa which, I’ll admit, pisses me off, but even I can see it’s a solid friendship nothing more, at least not on her end. The way he sizes her up, though? Fuck. I should probably be more concerned about her affiliation with Ricky and his crew, but honestly? I’m not. My main concern is what he wants with her, and if ever intends to do something about it. I’ll think more on that later, because right now I’m ignoring his advice and approaching anyway.
