Tied to a Boss 3

by J. L Rose

  “It damn sure . . . ,” came screams from outside as she was talking. Alinna took off first, with the rest of the family right behind her, busting out the door all behind each other.

  “Everything good, fam?” Dante said, laughing as Natalie hugged him tight. He held her up as she held onto him, both her arms and legs wrapped around him.

  “Natalie . . . what are you doing?” Carmen demanded as the others began putting away their guns and the security began disappearing.

  “Mother . . . Dante gave me . . . Dante asked me . . .”

  “I asked Natalie to marry me, Carmen,” Dante finished her sentence. Natalie was too excited to talk and was now showing off the diamond ring he just bought for her after he and Alinna left the justice building. “I’m taking Natalie back to the Dominican Republic to get married.”

  “Oh, Dante! This is great new!” Carmen cried happily as she rushed over to Dante and hugged her soon-to-be son-in-law’s neck.

  “Since we’re sharing the good news,” Tony T spoke up loud enough to draw everyone’s attention, he told Dante and Alinna about the new nightclub of which he, Dre, and Dante were now part owners. He then explained that tonight was the club’s opening, and that they all should go out and celebrate.

  “That’s a good idea!” Natalie agreed, but then looked to Dante and asked, “Dante, can we go, baby? Please!”

  Dante looked over at Alinna, who gave a slight nod of approval. Although he realized their flight to Puerto Rico would be pushed back another day, he said, “Yeah, Natalie. We can go out tonight.”

  Hearing her cell phone from inside her bag, Alinna dug out her iPhone and saw that Keisha was calling. “Yeah, Keisha. What’s up?”

  “Alinna, something’s wrong. Rob never called me back last night or came to pick me up,” Keisha told Alinna before explaining, “I went by his apartment and his car was gone, but his apartment still looks like it always does.”

  “Did you call or check on him this morning?”

  “I’m just now leaving his apartment, and it’s the same way as before.”

  “Alright, Keisha. I’ma handle it. Just call me later if you hear anything.”

  “What’s up, shorty?” Dante asked, causing Alinna to jump in surprise as she was hanging up the phone.

  Alinna was unaware that Dante had walked up to her. She’d have to get used to him appearing and disappearing again. As she turned to Dante, she said, “Keisha just called and said that Rob never called or showed up like he was supposed to. She went by his apartment and he wasn’t there, but I’m guessing he’s gone.”

  Nodding his head slowly, Dante said, “He found out I was home, but I’m pretty sure that’s only part of the reason for his disappearing act. There’s something going on, and I’ma figure it out.”

  “What are you planning, Dante?” Alinna asked, seeing the old look back on his face.

  “Call Greg Wilson for me,” Dante told Alinna just as Natalie walked over smiling up at him.

  “Hey, you! What’s wrong?” Natalie asked, noticing Dante’s facial expression.

  “Nothing!” Dante answered. “What’s up? What’s on your mind, beautiful?”

  “Mother wants to talk to you,” Natalie told him, taking his hand and leading him over to where her mother was standing and talking on the cell phone.

  Dante saw the expression on Carmen’s face before she focused on him. Her expression changed as she tried to give him a smile, so Dante winked his eye at her. Carmen reached out and gently laid her hand against the side of Dante’s face as a huge genuine smile appeared on her face this time.

  “Dante,” Carmen said as she finally hung up the phone and had a big smile on her face, “I have a favor I want to ask of you.”

  “Anything, Carmen. What is it?”

  “I want you to speak with Dominic,” she told him, watching his face for his feeling toward her husband, only to find nothing but the same calm, extremely handsome face she always saw when she looked at Dante.

  “You told him about me marrying Natalie?” Dante asked, holding Carmen’s eyes.

  Nodding her head slowly, Carmen said, “He’s upset, Dante. He doesn’t understand what’s going on between you and Natalie, and then there’s the fact that you just walked out of jail with all charges dropped, and he’s also noticed that he has been watched.”

  “Watched?” Dante asked.

  “He’s not sure yet, but it’s either the same people who were after you and your family, or it could be the FBI.”

  Nodding his head, Dante turned and looked over to where Alinna was standing with the rest of the family. He then called out her name to get her attention. He nodded for her to come over to where he and Natalie were standing with Carmen.

  “Yeah, Dante,” Alinna said as she walked up beside him. “What’s wrong?”

  “You still got contact with Monica?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Call her for me,” Dante told Alinna. At the same time, he turned back toward Carmen and said, “Call Dominic back and tell him I’ma see what’s going on, and then I’ma gonna take care of the problem. But make sure he understands that I’m doing this for you and Natalie. He and I will talk, though, and real soon.”

  “I’ll let him know, Dante . . . and thank you,” Carmen told him smiling.

  “Dante!” Alinna called out as she handed him Monica’s sister’s phone. “It’s Monica.”

  Taking the phone from Alinna, Dante stepped away from the ladies as he spoke into the phone: “Monica.”

  “What do you want, Dante?” Monica asked with much attitude when she heard his voice.

  “I’m only saying this once, so listen clearly,” Dante began in a calm and clear tone. “Whatever investigation you’ve got going on Dominic Saldana . . . end it now! If it’s not you, then you find out who it is and get it ended!”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Find out . . . and call this number back in five minutes. I don’t hear back from you, then I’ll get involved with what Alinna has going on with your sister. You’ve got five minutes.”

  Hanging up the phone on Monica, Dante looked down at the new white and yellow diamond bezel Mickey Mouse Cartier watch that Alinna had bought for him a few hours ago, while they were buying Natalie’s ring. It was 12:10 p.m.

  Walking back over to Alinna, Dante handed her back the cell phone and said, “Monica’s going to call in five minutes. Let me know what’s she says.”

  ***

  Seeing her brother standing outside and in front of the trap spot he was running with four of his workers, Keisha parked her Infiniti Q50 behind Kyree’s Chevy Impala, on which he had had work done.

  “What’s up, baby sis?” Kyree called out as Keisha climbed from the Infiniti.

  “What’s up, Kyree?” she replied as she walked inside the yard. “I need to talk to you.”

  “What about?” he asked, walking off with his sister, away from his workers. “Everything good with you, right?”

  “I’m alright, Kyree, but I’m looking for Rob. You seen-”

  “You just missed that nigga a few minutes before you pulled up,” Kyree told her, cutting her off. “Everything good with you and that nigga?”

  “Kyree, tell me you know where he was going,” Keisha said, ignoring her brother’s question.

  “He ain’t say,” Kyree told her, staring hard at his sister. “What’s going on, Keisha?”

  “Alinna wants him,” Keisha told her brother. She then explained the beef between Rob and Alinna . . . and even Fish Man.

  “Well, I don’t know where this bitch ass nigga Rob went at. He came by and re-upped. But I do know where this clown Fish Man open up one of his trap spots at,” Kyree explained to his sister.

  “Kyree, are you serious?” Keisha asked, smiling at her brother. She quickly pulled out her cell phone and called Alinna.

  “Yeah, Keisha.”

  “Alinna, I got some good news. Kyree say he know where Fish Man got one
of his trap houses at. You wanna talk to him?”

  “Put him on the phone, Keisha.”

  “Alinna wanna talk to you,” Keisha told her brother as she handed him the phone.

  Taking the phone from his sister, Kyree spoke into the cell, “What’s up, Alinna?”

  “Kyree . . . hold on. I’m putting Dante on the phone,” Alinna told him. Dante came over the line a moment later: “Yeah!”

  Kyree remained quiet for a moment, in shock at the thought of actually being on the phone with Dante Blackwell, the same nigga who got niggas in the streets. He pulled himself together after hearing Dante say his name and said, “Yeah, Dante. I’m here, boss man.”

  “What you gotta tell me, young’n?”

  “My sister say you looking for that nigga Fish Man. I know where one of his spots at.”

  “So you the twins’ brother, right?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Kyree, right?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Alright. Listen, Kyree. First, I want you to kill all that ‘yes, sir’ shit you on. I’ma nigga just like you, and ain’t nothing special about me. As long as my wife fucks with you on this business level, you good with the family. We clear on that?”

  “No doubt.”

  “Good,” Dante said. “Alright, young’n. This what I want you to do: I’ma send some niggas over to you. I want you to move in the nigga Fish Man direction and bring his ass to me. We clear?”

  “Not a problem, boss man.”

  Hearing Dante hang up the phone, Kyree handed the phone back to his sister, with a smile on his face.

  ***

  “What are you up to, Dante?” Alinna asked as soon as Dante hung up the phone with Kyree, watching and listening to him the whole phone call.

  “You still dealing with them Haitians?” Dante asked without answering Alinna’s question.

  “Yes, Dante,” she replied, catching the fact that Dante had ignored her question. “You want me to call Zoe Papi?”

  “Zoe who?” Dante asked. “What happened to that other Haitian dude? Never mind. Go ahead and call him. Send a team of Haitians to Kyree for backup.”

  Wondering what Dante was up to, Alinna went ahead and made the call to Zoe Papi just as Monica’s sister’s phone started to ring.

  “I got it!” Dante told Alinna, walking past her over to the bedside table, where he picked up the cell phone. “I’m listening.”

  “I figured out who’s behind the investigation on Saldana,” Monica told Dante after hearing him answer the phone. “It’s not the DEA, but you was right. It’s the FBI that’s behind Saldana’s investigation. The good news is that it has nothing to do with you. It’s about the murder of known drug lord Victor Fayman and many other things the FBI has been investigating on him.”

  Quiet a moment, Dante stood thinking before finally saying, “Alright, Monica. I’ll be in touch.”

  “What about my sister?” Monica asked him.

  “I’ll be in touch!” Dante repeated, hanging up the phone.

  “What she say?” Alinna asked, drawing Dante out of his thoughts and placing his attention on her.

  “From what Monica say, it’s not the DEA that’s trailing Dominic. It’s the FBI.”

  “So what are you planning?” Alinna asked, seeing the look on his face.

  Staring at her but not really seeing her because he was too deep in thought, he focused and said, “I wanna talk to Carmen before I decide anything.”

  Dante left the bedroom, leaving Alinna to her ringing cell phone. He walked to the other side of the mansion to Carmen’s quarters and knocked twice on her bedroom door.

  “Are you looking for me, Dante?” Carmen asked as she was walking up the hallway, heading to her bedroom.

  Looking to his left and seeing Carmen, Dante turned and said, “I wanna talk to you, Carmen.”

  “What is it, sweetheart?” she asked, opening her bedroom door and waving him inside, only for Dante to gently grab her hand. He stopped her and asked, “Could we talk in the office in the library?”

  Smiling and nodding her head, Carmen allowed Dante to lead her from her bedroom to the library. She followed him into the well-put-together office.

  “Let’s sit here,” Dante suggested, motioning to the black fur couch across the office, against the wall.

  Sitting down beside Dante, Carmen turned toward him a little and asked, “So what do you want to talk to me about, Dante?”

  “Carmen, I need you to be honest with me about something.”

  “Dante . . . I’m always honest with you. What is this about?”

  “Is there a problem going on between Dominic and the other members of the Council’s Covenant? What are the other bosses talking about with Dominic having Victor Fayman?”

  Staring at Dante a moment and holding his beautiful eyes, Carmen sighed softly and then said, “I won’t ask how you know about Victor . . . but yes. The Council isn’t happy with Dominic’s decision with Victor and has expelled him from the Council.”

  “So basically what you’re saying is that the Council is against Dominic and is turning its back on him, right?” Dante asked. Before she could say anything, he continued, “That’s why the FBI is on him, or is it that the FBI is trying to get Dominic to work for them, and if I’m correct, you’re back down here not only to see me but because Dominic wanted you far away from what was about to happen. Am I right, Carmen?”

  Slowly smiling at Dante, Carmen reached out and laid the palm of her right hand up against the side of Dante’s face and said, “You know, Dante. From the first time I saw you, I knew that you were special and extremely smart. I’m overly happy that Natalie has you in her life, but to answer your question, yes, you’re right, Dante. You’re right on every point you made, but now I have to ask you to help Dominic, even though he turned his back on you when you were arrested. Understand that I’m not asking you to do this for Dominic. I’m asking you to do this for me, Dante. Will you do as I ask, please?”

  Dante slowly shook his head while holding Carmen’s eyes. He sighed deeply and then said, “What do you want me to do, Carmen? How can I help?”

  17

  D ante had a long talk with Alinna after talking with Carmen for a little over two hours. He listened to her plan and actually agreed with it. Dante then broke down everything to Alinna, but added a few small ideas of his own.

  “So the trip out to Puerto Rico is being put on hold, right?” Alinna asked Dante once he was finished explaining everything to her.

  “For the moment . . . yes!” he answered. “But before we leave for Phoenix, I want you to contact a few people and set up a meeting. I want the family to also meet and discuss something.”

  “I’ll take care of all that, but one more question,” Alinna told him. “What about Monica? I spoke with Greg Wilson, and he say that Monica is back with the DEA.”

  “That may just be a good thing,” Dante replied, but then said, “Call Papi Zoe or Zoe Papi . . . whatever the fuck his name is. Tell Playboy we’re meeting tonight at this new club that Tony T was talking about. Also call the head of the rest of the teams that are buying work from the family. Have all of them meet us tonight at the club. Where’s the cell phone that Monica calls on?”

  Walking over to the bedside dresser, Alinna grabbed Monica’s sister’s cell phone from inside the drawer. She walked back over to Dante, handed it to him, and asked, “Are you planning on letting me know what’s going on?”

  “Pretty much,” he answered while sliding the phone into his pocket and leaving the bedroom in search of Natalie.

  Watching Dante leave the bedroom, Alinna shook her head as she walked over to her dresser, picked up her phone, and began making the calls that Dante had asked her to.

  Alinna called Zoe Papi first and let him know about the meeting at Club Hypnotic. Alinna then made three more calls to her people, passing along the message about the meeting. She was just hanging up the phone, when it rang again.

  “Yeah, Kyr
ee?” Alinna answered the phone, seeing his name on the screen.

  “Alinna, what’s up? Dante with you?”

  “No. What you need, Kyree?”

  “He had me handle something and . . .”

  “Did you find Fish Man or not, Kyree?”

  “That’s just it, Alinna! I rode out over to this nigga spot, and the shit was shut down. There wasn’t nobody there. But this smoker that was hanging around the spot told me that Fish Man and like four other niggas left in a black Escalade about ten minutes before me and the team showed up.”

  “Alright, Kyree. I’ma let Dante know what you say, but keep watch out for both Fish Man and Rob. Call me directly if you see either of them. You understand?”

  “You sounding like that nigga Dante, but I got you, boss lady.”

  Hanging up the phone, Alinna left the bedroom to find Vanessa.

  ***

  Dante was seated inside the entertainment room, smoking a Black and shooting pool while Alinna stood at the other end talking on the phone with one of the twins. Dante lifted his eyes and saw Dre, Vanessa, Tony T, Amber, Wesley, and Harmony all walk into the room.

  “What up, fam?” Tony T spoke first as he walked over to the wall where the pool sticks were lined up. “What’s this meet all about?”

  Dante ignored the fact that Tony T was now messing up the pool game he was in the middle of as he began racking up the balls. So Dante instead addressed the family: “What’s up, family? I won’t make this too long, since there’s a lot going on that’s being handled. I’ve already spoken with Alinna and Natalie. But the reason I called this meeting is to explain about what’s happening tonight at Club Hypnotic with the rest of the heads from the other families working with our business. But before I go into explaining that, me and Alinna want to know how each of you feel about the family expanding business not just in Florida, but also out of the state as well.”

  “Out of state? Where, Dante?” Vanessa asked from over against the wall near Dre.

  “Phoenix!” Alinna answered, speaking up from across the room.