by J. L Rose
“And you are?” the female officer asked while looking Angela over with an attitude.
“I’m Lisa Hernandez,” Angela told her, ignoring the way she was being looked at and while digging out the fake ID that Alinna had given her the day before to visit him.
The officer took the ID from Angela and then punched a few keys into the computer’s keyboard. She then looked back to Angela and said, “Ummm . . . Ms. Hernandez, Mr. Blackwell has already had both of his visits for the week.”
“Excuse me?” Angela asked, not believing what she just heard. “You must be mistaken, ma’am. Dante Blackwell couldn’t have had both his visits yet. He’s expect—”
“Ma’am, I’m sorry,” the female officer said, cutting off Angela as she handed her back her fake ID. “Mr. Blackwell will have another chance at visitation come Monday of next week. You may come back then.”
“Can you tell me who it was who visited with him, please?” Angela asked as the officer handed her back the ID.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the officer responded. “We cannot give out that information. I’m sorry again.”
Sucking her teeth as she turned away from the front desk and ignoring the smirk on the female officer’s face, Angela stormed from the jail, cursing in Spanish as she headed toward her car. She couldn’t believe that Dante had her drive all the way out to the jail to visit him, only to be turned away.
Angela unlocked and snatched open the door to her car as she angrily dropped into the driver’s seat and felt tears run down her face. She found herself grow even angrier for crying over Dante, after everything she had to put up with for him.
“Let me find out some bitch . . . ,” Angela started as she snatched her phone from her bag and then punched in a few numbers.
“Miami-Dade County Jail,” a male voice answered after two rings.
“Hello . . . this is Captain Angela Perez with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Can you put me through to whoever it is that’s over visitation, please?”
“Hold please,” a male voice said, clicking over the line, only for a female’s voice to come over the line and ask, “Hello. Visitation Department. This is Sergeant Lee. How can I help you?”
Introducing herself again, just as she had done with the male voice that answered the first time, Angela then said, “I’m looking for some information on one of your inmates.”
“His or her name, Captain Perez.”
“Dante Blackwell.”
“Okay, Captain Perez. I have information right in front of me. What can I help you with, ma’am?”
“Can you look and tell me everyone who is on Mr. Blackwell’s visitation list, please?”
“There are four names here, ma’am.”
“Okay. Can you just tell me the two visits that Mr. Blackwell had this week?”
“Hold please,” the woman responded. She then continued, “Mr. Blackwell received a visit from a Ms. Alinna Rodriguez yesterday, and today there was a visit from a Ms. Natalie Saldana.”
“What did you say that name was again?” Angela asked, wanting to hear the name one more time.
“It’s Natalie Saldana, Captain Perez.”
“Thank you very much,” Angela replied, hanging up the phone.
* * *
The Maybach Benz pulled inside the parking lot at Granny B’s Soul Food, followed by two Benz trucks. Alinna continued eating her lunch of rib tips, yellow rice, collard greens, sweet cornbread, and candied yams while James sat across from her enjoying his fried chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, and a few other sides.
“They’re here!” Alinna spoke up right before taking a drinking from her fruit punch.
“I know,” James replied as he continued eating his food.
Alinna smiled a small grin as she stared over at James. She shook her head and looked back out the window just in time to see the back door being opened by a tall, muscular, Spanish man dressed in a suit. She then shifted her eyes to the slim, light-skinned woman who climbed out of the Maybach. She was dressed in a full-length dress that hugged her body perfectly and showed off her nice, curvy build.
“That’s Natalie there!” James said, also staring at her out the window. He then turned and looked at one of his security personnel and nodded to him to go and greet Natalie.
“That her boyfriend with her?” Alinna asked as she continued watching Natalie and the big man with whom she was walking and talking.
“That’s Gomez!” James replied. “Yeah, he’s Natalie’s personal bodyguard and friend.”
Not even bothering to count how many men Natalie had for security, yet seeing more than ten surrounding her, Alinna went back to eating as James stood up when Natalie and Gomez were escorted over to their table.
“James!” Natalie said, smiling as she and James embraced each other. “It’s good to see you.”
“You look good, Natalie,” James replied, smiling at her. He then nodded at Gomez before finally introducing Alinna: “Natalie, this is Alinna Rodriguez.”
“So you’re the Alinna I’ve heard so much about!” Natalie said as Alinna slowly stood up from her seat and ran her eyes over the other woman, admitting to herself that Dante’s son’s mother was extremely beautiful.
“Dante’s told me about you as well,” Alinna said as she held out her hand to Natalie.
“We’ll let you two talk,” James suggested as he and Gomez turned and started to walk over to the next table across from the women.
Alinna motioned for Natalie to have a seat as she herself sat back down. She then nodded her thanks to James as he cleared the table, taking his and her trays. She then looked back toward Natalie and asked, “So tell me. How far along are you with this pregnancy?”
“A few weeks,” Natalie answered before adding, “and, yes, I’m sure Dante is the father of our baby.”
“Relax!” Alinna told her, showing a small smile. “I believe Dante if he says it’s his baby, so that’s why I didn’t outright question you.”
Nodding her head in response, Natalie sighed softly and then said, “Alinna . . . look. I understand you don’t like the fact that I’m a part of Dante’s life. Just like I don’t like that he still loves you after everything you two have been through. But I love Dante, and whatever it takes to make him happy is what I’m willing to do.”
“Then I guess we both agree on something then,” Alinna told her while slowly smiling, just as Natalie began to smile back. “So what is it that Dante is plotting now?”
Leaning forward toward Alinna, Natalie told her in a lowered voice what Dante was planning and what he wanted them to do.
4
D ante watched the news that was playing on the unit’s TV as he lay half asleep on his bunk. He looked over toward the phone area and saw a phone finally open up next to an inmate that had spent the last twenty minutes making calls. Dante left his bunk and started toward the phones. He passed the officer’s desk where Officer Jefferson sat mean-mugging him, with a balled-up face.
Ignoring the officer, Dante continued walking over toward the phones. He stopped in front of the last phone next to the wall. Just as he was about to grab the headset, another inmate snatched up the receiver before he could.
“I’m next . . . right here,” the inmate told Dante, smirking sarcastically at him.
Dante recognized him as one of the same two inmates who before had been shooting him looks and trying to get in his way. Dante leaned slightly forward and looked past the inmate. He then nodded his head and asked, “You see that?”
Moving just as soon as the inmate barely turned his head to look to his right, Dante slammed an open hand and turned sideways, hitting the inmate in the throat. This caused the inmate to drop the phone receiver as Dante grabbed his throat. Dante caught the phone receiver and then gently reached out with his free right hand and pushed the gasping-for-breath inmate away. He dialed Angela’s phone number.
Hearing Angela finally answer the phone, Dante sat waiting until she accepted the collect cal
l, and never got a chance to speak, as Angela went off yelling.
“You lying, game-playing bastard! Who the hell is Natalie Saldana?” Angela yelled into the phone. Before he could answer, she continued, “I drove way out there to visit your ass and waited in a long line for over twenty minutes, only to be told you had a visit from that bitch Alinna and some bitch named Natalie Saldana. Who the fuck is she, Dante?”
“You finished yet?” Dante asked once Angela finally shut up.
“Nigga, don’t play with me!” Angela told him, spitting her words at Dante.
Ignoring Angela’s attitude, Dante said, “First, I tried to call you to tell you not to drive . . .”
“Muthafucker, you need to . . . !”
“Angela, shut the fuck up!” Dante demanded in a quiet voice, which caused Angela to stop talking. He continued, “I called you to tell you not to drive out here, but you never answered your phone. And to answer your question about Natalie, she’s someone I met while I was out of town.”
“Why is she here, and why did you accept a visit from her when you knew I was coming?”
“Angela . . . look!”
“Answer the damn question, Dante!”
“She’s my baby’s mother, and she wanted to see me, alright?” Dante replied, giving Angela what she wanted. He was tired of her asking about Natalie.
Angela remained quiet for a full minute, unable to believe what she just heard Dante admit to her. She finally got control of herself and asked, “Dante, what the hell do you mean she’s your baby’s mother? Matter of fact, nigga, fuck you! I don’t even want to hear shit else you got to say. I was gonna offer you a way out of this mess you’re in, but I can care less what the fuck happens to you. Fuck you, nigga! I hope it was worth turning yourself in for that bitch Alinna.”
Hearing Angela hang up the phone in his face, Dante stood where he was for a moment but finally hung up.
Leaving the phone area and playing back the conversation in his head that he just had with Angela, Dante felt that something was not right. But he was unable to pinpoint exactly what was said that was bugging him. Dante stepped into the shower/restroom area and walked up to the second sink, with the good mirror.
He turned on the cold water and splashed his face a few times. Dante then sat up from the sink, wiping his face, when he caught movement from his left-hand side. He looked to his left to see homeboy from out by the phone standing there along with two more inmates that were with him.
Dante smirked and let out a light laugh as he turned to face the three inmates. He locked eyes with the inmate from the phone area. As Dante nodded, the inmate rushed him.
Just as the inmate swung at him, Dante caught his forearm and then stepped into him, kicking out one of his legs and tripping him. He then followed through with a solid forearm to homeboy’s face that sent blood flying and the guy slamming down to the ground hard.
He shifted his eyes to the other two inmates, who both took steps backward. Dante shook his head as he turned back to the sink, washed his hands and forearm, left the shower/restroom, and walked right past both inmates.
Dante noticed the surprised look on Officer Jefferson’s face as he was walking past his desk. Dante made it a point to meet the officer’s eyes as he continued walking back to his bunk. He was pretty certain that Officer Jefferson was responsible for his visit from the three inmates.
* * *
Listening to the phone ringing as she called Dante’s attorney, Jonathan King, Alinna sat in the backseat with James as they road in her Phantom. After leaving Granny B’s, she replayed her conversation with Natalie about what Dante was putting together while still locked up. When she heard the attorney answer his phone, Alinna said, “Mr. King, this is Alinna Rodriguez. Do you have a moment?”
“Hello, Mrs. Blackwell. What can I do for you today?”
Smiling at the title the attorney gave her, Alinna said, “Mr. King, I’ve spoken with Dante, and he’s asked me to speak with you about a few things concerning the case. Can you meet me at the penthouse and bring what information you have on everyone that’s on Dante’s case?”
“How is tonight at 7:00, Mrs. Blackwell?”
“I’ll see you at 7:00, Mr. King,” Alinna told the attorney.
“Everything alright, Alinna?” James asked as soon as she hung up the phone.
Nodding her head in response, Alinna turned her head and stared out the window as she began wondering exactly what Dante was really up to.
Alinna lost her train of thought once the Phantom came to a stop and James spoke up announcing that they were at their destination. She then turned her head and looked out the opposite window at the two-story royal blue and white house that was in a middle-class neighborhood.
Climbing from the Phantom once James opened the door for her, Alinna stepped from the car and received a nod from her driver. When she heard her name, she looked toward the right to see both Vanessa and Harmony walking toward her. She saw Vanessa’s truck that was parked in of the driveway to the house.
“You finally decided to make your way around this way, huh?” Vanessa said, rolling her eyes at Alinna as she and Harmony stopped in front of Alinna. “Hey, James! What’s up?”
“What up, Vanessa?” James replied while looking around the area, since Alinna had dismissed the security, leaving only James and the armed driver.
“How my boo doing, Alinna?” Harmony asked with a smile.
“Harmony, you know how Dante is,” Alinna told Harmony, shaking her head and smiling. She then looked over toward Vanessa and asked, “Nessa, who’s this you want me to see?”
“Come on!” Vanessa said, waving at Alinna as she walked around the back end of the Phantom, entered the front gate, and opened the door to the house.
Following both Vanessa and Harmony inside the house, Alinna was surprised to see that the inside was actually fixed up nicely. She looked toward the kitchen just as a middle-aged black woman walked out of it.
“Mary . . . get Keisha, Maxine, and Kyree for me,” Vanessa told the woman, receiving a smile right before she walked off and headed upstairs.
“Who the hell was that?” Alinna asked while staring at the woman as she headed upstairs.
“This Keisha’s mom, Alinna,” Harmony answered as she started walking toward the kitchen.
“Hold on!” Alinna said, looking from Harmony to Vanessa with a balled-up face. “What the hell going on in here, Vanessa? Why the fuck is we in some woman’s house, and who the hell is Keisha and them?”
“Just re—” Vanessa stated, just as Keisha and then Maxine came down the stairs behind each other.
“What’s up, Vanessa?” Keisha said as she stopped on the bottom step and noticed the Spanish female and the white boy. “Who’s the white boy with Alinna?”
“You know me?” Alinna asked the young, light-skinned female while staring at her.
“Who don’t know you?” Maxine spoke up. “Everybody knows the wife of Dante Blackwell, with his too fine-ass self.”
Looking from one young woman to the other, Alinna realized she was looking at twins. She then looked back at Vanessa and asked, “Who the fuck is this?”
“That’s Keisha, with the nose ring, in front of you . . . and that’s Maxine,” Vanessa told Alinna, as she nodded to both girls. She then looked up at Kyree who came walking down the steps. She smirked and said, “And this is Kyree. He’s both Keisha and Maxine’s older brother.”
Looking the young guy over, Alinna shook her head and turned to step away from Kyree and over to Vanessa, only to catch Kyree’s hand reaching out to grab at her arm. In a blur, she saw James move, and Kyree was pinned facedown on the ground.
“Damn!” both Keisha and Maxine said together after seeing their brother being taken down by the white boy with Alinna.
Maxine smiled at James as she asked, “Alinna, who’s the white boy?”
“Allow me to introduce James,” Alinna told them while nodding to James to release Kyree. “He my persona
l bodyguard and Dante’s best friend.”
“How can we become best friends too?” Maxine asked flirtatiously as she walked up to James with a smile.
“Now that we know each other,” Vanessa started, smiling at Alinna, “I wanted you to meet the three of them because, first, Kyree is going to be my new lieutenant at the two new spots out in Hollywood, Florida.”
“You sure?” Alinna asked, looking back to Kyree, who stood rubbing his left shoulder and staring angrily at James.
“Don’t let Kyree make you think bad about him, Alinna,” Keisha spoke up for her brother before adding, “He just stupid when it comes to the women he picks.”
“He rather James than Dante,” Alinna replied before looking back toward Vanessa and asking, “So what’s up with the two ladies, Vanessa?”
“Well, as for Keisha and Maxine . . . ,” Vanessa said, smiling as she looked at the twins, “Let’s just say that if Dante was still home, he would love these two.”
“What do they do?” Alinna asked, looking back to Keisha and Maxine.
“Other than guns, these lil’ hoes is some deadly bitches and love breaking down niggas who think they too gangster,” Vanessa explained, still smiling.
“So where you find these three at?” Alinna asked Vanessa while looking over Maxine and then both Keisha and Kyree.
“Harmony knows their uncle,” Vanessa answered just as Harmony walked from out of the kitchen eating a stacked-up sandwich, with a bag of Doritos tucked under her arm.
“Harmony . . . what?” Harmony asked, mouth filled with food.
Ignoring Harmony and looking back at the twins, Alinna said, “Alright . . . I’ma see what’s up, Kyree. But you get one try. I don’t accept anything but the best because that’s what me, Dante, and this family build this family off of. You sure you’re ready to handle what you’re being offered?”
“I’m ready when you and Vanessa ready,” Kyree told Alinna, showing a cocky-like smile.
