Greed

by Roy Glenn

“After the successful returned of Patiño’s daughter, they met again to expand on that prior success. At the second meeting the Comodoro’s divided up the major United States distribution points; Pérez Ferreira took New York City and his uncles took South Florida and Miami.”

  Black and Shy looked at each other wondering if any of that had anything to do with Ezequiel Simmonds or was the old man senile.

  “Emiliano Molinero, he’s a high-ranking Ferreira financier,” he pointed at them. “And a childhood friend of Juan, owned the First Americas Bank. Members were permitted to overdraft accounts and take out loans without repayment which allowed them to move and launder large amounts of money.” He laughed. “That bank used to launder so much Comodoro money that the United States government officially cited it as a money laundering operation. Through their affiliation with Matías Cabrero,” he began, but that was the moment when a bullet shattered the window and a single shot penetrated Alejandro’s heart.

  This time, Mr. and Mrs. Black wasted no time getting out of there. Alejandro was getting ready to tell them something; something important enough for him to have to die rather than tell it. That let Black and Shy know that whatever was going on, was far from over.

  “Where are we going now?” Shy asked as they left the house.

  “Where we should have gone from the beginning.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Geno was able to get Valencia to the hospital in time for the emergency room doctor to remove the bullet in her abdomen. The doctor told Geno that the bullet nicked the intestine and there was some risk of the perforation causing fecal matter complications, and that she was weak from the amount of blood that she lost, but she was going to be fine. When she was taken to a room to recover, Geno bribed the nurses so he could stay in the room with her. He was still there at shift change and those nurses made him leave the room.

  When Valencia woke up the following morning the first thing, she felt was the pain in her stomach. It brought her back to the night before, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, thinking that she was going to die. She opened her eyes and looked around the hospital room and was thankful to be alive. That was when Valencia saw Adrianna sitting in the chair next to the bed.

  “Hey, Adrianna,” Valencia said, slowly, and tried to sit up, but she felt too weak for that. Adrianna stood up and walked to the bed.

  “Why won’t you die?”

  “What did you say?”

  “Why won’t you die?” she asked and leaned forward.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  “Everything and everybody around you dies.” She got in Valencia’s face. “Everything you touch dies.” She stood up straight. “But not you. No, not the great Valencia DeVerão, you just go on hurting and destroying people. And once you’ve sucked the life out of them, like the vampire you are, you kill them, or you just leave them to die. But not you, you just won’t die. I poison you, you won’t die,” she mumbled. “I hire a hit man and you still won’t die.”

  “You’re scaring me, Adrianna.”

  “You should be scared. You should feel the fear and hopelessness you cause in others before you die.”

  Valencia tried to reach for the nurse call button, but it was too far away, and she was too weak to sit up.

  “I moved it, sorry.”

  “Whatever I did, I’m sorry. I know I made a lot of mistakes and people got hurt, I know that. But tell me who you think I hurt, and we’ll make it right.”

  Adrianna got in her face. “Think you hurt? You didn’t hurt him, you killed him. You took everything he had, sucked the life out of him and then you threw him away like he was nothing.”

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “There are so many that you don’t even remember the people you destroy.”

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “Darnel Wilkes.”

  “Darnel?”

  He was the man who, along with Sherwin Blake helped Valencia when she founded her first company, and later tried to sue her.

  “You remember Darnel, the man who made you a millionaire. And when you were done with him, you threw him away and left him for dead like he was trash. Well he was my brother.”

  After losing the lawsuit, his life fell apart, he got into drugs, found himself living on the street and went a little crazy. When he finally reached out to her and came to live with her, Darnel was too far gone and eventually committed suicide.

  “I’m sorry, Adrianna. But you don’t know that whole story. Let me explain.”

  “Explain what? How do you explain how you used him and when you were done you turned him into a homeless crackhead? How do you explain that?”

  “I tried to find him.”

  “Liar!”

  “You can talk to Becky; she’ll tell you that I settled with Sherwin and there is a trust set up in Darnel’s name.”

  “Liar!”

  “If you’re his sister that money is yours,” Valencia said as Adrianna jerked the pillow from under her head. “It’s worth more than five million dollars,” she said as the pillow covered her face and Adrianna pressed down with all the force she could. Valencia struggled as best she could, but she was too weak to fight her off and she suffocated.

  When the nurses came rushing in the room, it was too late. Valencia was dead and Adrianna was sitting quietly in the chair next to the bed.

  Geno was sitting in the waiting room when he saw hospital security and the police get off the elevator and go rushing down the hall. After a while, his curiosity got the better of him and he got up to see if he could see what the commotion was all about. He stepped out of the waiting room and saw the commotion was outside Valencia’s room. He had started toward the room when the police escorted Adrianna out of the room in handcuffs. She looked at Geno as she passed on the way to the elevator. He rushed to the room and caught a nurse coming out.

  “Excuse me,” Geno asked the nurse. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “She killed her. Suffocated her with a pillow. Said it was about cheating her brother.”

  He looked at Adrianna as the cop put her on the elevator. “She was just the weapon ,” Geno said to the nurse, but on the inside, he was dying. He loved Valencia, the connection between them was strong and had survived years of separation. They had just spent the last few days together sharing the most intimate of experiences. Geno had killed for Valencia and now she was dead. “Greed … that’s what killed her.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Shy kissed Black on the cheek and told him not to be out too long because she had something special in mind for him when he got home. Now, armed with the proper incentive, Black got William and they headed out. Their destination was J.R.’s; in light of everything that had gone on in the last couple of days, talking to Rain about it was a good idea.

  Although he was now confident that this mess was all about drugs and The Bahamas, he needed to bring her up to speed on it. It had been his experience that what happened in the islands, always found a way to affect their New York operation and vice versa. Black also wanted to hear about what was going on with Rex Steward, Hareem Epps, and Jaylinda Harvey.

  Chelsea was on the phone when she first saw Black coming up the stairs. “I’ll call you back,” she said, and fumbled to hang up the phone. She had been a waitress at J.R.’s for years and got the job after Yarissa abruptly quit to avoid Carter after he dumped her.

  Naturally, she’d seen him in the club plenty of times, and of course she’d heard all the stories that had floated around the club during all the years she’d worked there, and for that reason alone she was a little scared. But most of the people that came up those steps have scared her, and that list included her boss. Chelsea was scared to death of Rain, scared to the point where she still jumped a little every time Rain said something to her.

  But this was Mike Black, the boss of The Family, and even though Demi had told her how nice he was, she was scared to death of him too.

  “
Hello, Chelsea,” he said and walked right up to the desk. She was sure that he had no idea who she was. “I’m Mike Black.”

  “Good evening, Mr. Black,” she said, and her voice cracked a little. He laughed to himself because Yarrisa and Demi were the same way when they first met him.

  “Is Rain in?”

  “Yes, she is expecting you,” Chelsea said, and picked up the phone. “I have Mr. Black to see you.”

  “Show him in,” Rain said, and Chelsea bounced to her feet to show him in. Her hands shook as she entered the code to Rain’s office.

  “What’s up, Black?” Rain said when Black walked in, followed by Chelsea. She went straight behind the bar and waited for her opportunity.

  “What up?” Black said and took his usual seat on the couch. “Tell me something that I want to hear.”

  “You come to the wrong place, because I ain’t got shit for you,” Rain said, and she and Black laughed.

  Chelsea waited until their laughter trailed off before she said, “Can I fix you a drink, Mr. Black?” she asked and glanced at Rain. She nodded her head and Chelsea immediately picked up a bottle of Patrón.

  “Thank you, Chelsea,” he said, as she poured Rain’s drink.

  “Would you like the XO or the Carte Blanche?”

  “Let’s try the Carte Blanche.”

  Once she had finished and served their drinks, Chelsea left the office and Black turned to Rain. “You talk to Geno?”

  “He came by here earlier. What you think this shit is really about, and what does any of it have to do with Shy?”

  “I really wish that I had an answer to that, but I don’t. But trust me, I’m gonna find out.”

  “What you gonna do?”

  “There’s somebody that I need to talk to,” Black said as his phone rang. He looked at the display and swiped talk. “Good evening, Ms. West. This is an unexpected pleasure. How are you?”

  “I am doing very well; thank you very much for asking. I am in New York and it is very important that I speak to you at your convenience.”

  “I’m at J.R.’s right now.”

  “Splendid. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  “See you when you get here,” Black ended the call and looked at Rain. “Jada is on her way here.”

  “Jada? In New York? What’s up with that?”

  “Since whatever this is, involves the Bahamas, I’m guessing that she wants to talk about that.”

  “Let’s hope she’s got something to say that you want to hear,” Rain said as her cell rang. “This Rain.”

  “It’s Jackie.”

  “What’s up?”

  “There was a murder at Conversations tonight.”

  “One of our people?”

  “No.”

  “Now tell me why I give a fuck?”

  “It’s Twan, one of Gavin’s people.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have wasted your time.”

  “I’ll be through there.”

  “What?” Black asked.

  “Twan, one of Gavin’s top people got popped at Conversations.”

  “That means Dawkins and her task force will be showing up there.”

  The phone rang and Rain answered. “Yes, Chelsea?”

  “I have Jada West here to see Mr. Black.”

  “Bring her in.” Rain turned to Black. “Want me to wait for you?”

  “I do.”

  Jada was escorted into the office by Chelsea. Dressed in a sleek tight fitting Akris V-neck Leather Sleeveless Wrap midi dress that buckled at the waist for an alluring but edgy look. After Jada was introduced to Chelsea, she sat down on the couch next to Black. After fixing her a French seventy-five, Chelsea left with Rain.

  “I’ll be in the lounge,” Rain said, and followed Chelsea out of the office.

  “How are you, Ms. West?”

  “As I said earlier, I am doing very well, but I am troubled by recent events.”

  “As am I.” Black took a sip of his drink. “So I’m really hoping that you can tell me what this is all about.”

  “All that I can tell you is that several months ago, Johnny came to me and said that somebody from The Comodoro Cartel wanted to speak with me. And once he explained that it was narcotics trafficking that he wished to speak about, I told Johnny that I had no interest in seeing him.”

  “I see.”

  “Since I heard no more about it, I assumed that the matter was closed.”

  “What do they want to do?”

  “They want to transport their narcotics through Grand Bahamas as opposed to Nassau, because of the distance.”

  “I understand their interest. It’s only sixty-six miles from West End on the rock to West Palm in Florida. Speed boats, at night, makes for an easier run for them.”

  “Logical,” Jada sipped her drink. “I’d be very interested to hear your feelings on the matter.”

  “Although we don’t have any arrangement with Rodrigo Iñíguez, we do have an understanding.”

  “Yes, I know.” Jada sat up straight and cleared her throat. “I don’t care how a man makes his money, as long as it doesn’t interfere with mine,” Jada said in her best Mike Black voice and then she giggled, and he smiled at her.

  “So tell me, to this point, has it been a problem?”

  “Not at all. In fact, several of Mr. Iñíguez’s associates are clients and they always spend money.”

  “So, you’d say that to this point it’s been a good arrangement. You have no knowledge or involvement in their business, and they spend their money with you.”

  “At several establishments.”

  “Now I’d be very interested to hear your feelings on the matter.”

  “My position on the matter of narcotics adheres to company policy,” Jada giggled. “No drugs, period.”

  “I remember when that was true. That line is so blurred now.” Black drained his glass and stood up and started toward the bar. “You want another?”

  “Please,” she said, and joined him at the bar.

  “I’ve gone from no drugs period to having no knowledge or involvement arrangements with Rodrigo Iñíguez, Hector Villanueva and Leon Copeland.”

  “Things aren’t as cut and dry as they once were.”

  “No, they’re not. I’ve had to compromise my principles for the sake of peace,” he said, as he thought about Vickie.

  “So what are you going to do? Because, despite the fact that Mr. Simmonds is dead, I fear that this is far from over.”

  “As soon as I know.” Black raised his glass to her. “I’ll let you know,” he said, and drained the glass.

  “Yes, I’m sure that you will.” Jada took a sip of her French Seventy-five and leaned on the bar. “You know, Mr. Black,” she smiled, devilishly, “You never did answer my question?”

  “What question was that?”

  “Come, come, Mr. Black, you know exactly what question that I'm referring to.”

  “I do.” Black leaned on the bar. “You asked me if I ever missed us; what we used to be to each other.”

  “Yes, that was the question.”

  “Yes, Jada, I do.”

  The End of Greed

  The Deadly Sins

  continue in:

  LUST

  AND WRATH