Sasha watched the nonverbal exchange between the two.
“What’s going on?” she eventually asked.
Red then looked at Sasha. “It was fucked up that Kera would mess with her girl’s man, isn’t it, Sasha? But wait a minute.” She sat back, took a sip of wine and continued, “I guess you don’t feel that way. What did you say earlier . . . something about being a woman and letting the shit go?”
Sasha glanced away. Red took another sip of the expensive wine, and a figure caught her attention. She almost choked. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was true. Blue came strutting in, looking just as good as he did when she first met him. Not that old wet-goat look he had when he came to town before. Not noticing anyone but Sasha, Blue made a beeline right to her.
“Hey, ma. Sorry I’m late. Business took longer than I thought.” He kissed Sasha on the forehead, then looked toward the third place setting and saw Red. “Ooh,” he said, “’sup, Red.”
Red responded with a nod while her eyes darted back and forth between the two. What was going on?
Blue sat next to Sasha. “I know you ain’t drinkin that shit, are you?” He pointed toward the wine bottle.
“No, it’s sparkling water.” She lifted her glass for him to smell.
“What the fuck you so concerned about, Blue?” Red spat, noticing the closeness between the two.
“She didn’t tell y’all yet?” Blue reached toward Sasha’s belly and began to rub. “We’re having a baby. Your nigga Blue gon’ be a daddy!”
“You’re pregnant? You got this bitch pregnant?” Red shrieked at Blue.
Kera leaned back in her chair to watch the exchange between the three. She was glad the heat was off of her.
“You self-righteous, pussy-eatin’ bitch,” Red yelled at Sasha. “You know you ate my pussy because I told this nigga here to make you do it. And yo’ dumb ass did!” Red looked at Blue and asked, “How you know that lil’ fucker is yours?”
“Yo’ game ain’t even tight no more. Yeah, I ate your stank-ass pussy, but you know what . . .” Sasha’s voice became direct. “I got your man, and unlike when he was with you, he ain’t leavin’ me.”
Red looked at Sasha, then back at Blue. His expression spoke loudly to Red. “You cum-tastin’ heifer, I’ma kill you!”
Blue started to speak in defense of Sasha, but she quickly stopped him.
“I got this.” Sasha had to break it down to Red and divulge the real truth. “Bitch, you supposed to be dead. Catfish wanted me to kill you. Only because I’m your friend, you’re alive. You got your man. Now let me be with mine!”
Red was momentarily taken aback at Sasha’s admission. “You know what, you pissy-ass heifer . . .” Red picked up the wine bottle and threw it across the room. “If that muthafucka wanted me dead, he had the opportunity to do it himself when I visited him the other day instead of trying to have your bitch ass do it!”
Red was incensed because she’d unknowingly put herself in danger when she visited Catfish. The sole purpose of her visit was to feed him information about Bacon and snuff him out of hiding, but now . . . Thinking about all that had transpired, Red stopped going after Sasha, and a sinister smile spread across her face. She now realized that she’d sealed Sasha’s fate, with a kiss, six feet under.
Blue’s eyes widened. He didn’t know that Sasha was Catfish’s woman. All he knew was that he was supposed to bring her to Catfish, and now he knew why. He now knew that she was the one they were talking about in the book. She was the one who was a decoy for Q’s uncle. What’s more, Catfish now knew that Red wasn’t dead and Blue would have to answer to him for that. Oh, shit, what am I gonna do now?
CHAPTER 24
Red sat outside of Andiamo Italia in the back of a patrol car and watched Sasha and Blue drive away, with Kera following quickly behind them. They were questioned only for a few minutes then let go. Their stories correlated with one another, which pointed the finger straight at Red. The patrol car took off and as Red rode in silence, she briefly thought back to Terry, realizing she had switched places with her. Scandalous muthafuckas, she said to herself. It ain’t over!
When she threw the empty bottle of wine across the private dining area, it unfortunately almost hit their server in the head. That, plus the fact that other patrons were upset at the screaming argument, caused the manager to call the police. This was not a common scene for the crowd who patronized the high-end restaurant.
The young black officer walked Red into the station and escorted her to a small room. He left her there while he ran a fifty on her name. The young officer wanted to know if she had any priors. He came back and sat across from her while information was being gathered. I’ve seen her somewhere before, he said to himself.
“Is there a problem, Officer?” Red asked, feeling uncomfortable with his gaze.
“Nah, nothing. I just gotta make sure you ain’t no criminal or nothin’.” He laughed.
“Do I look like a criminal?” Red batted her eyes, feigning an innocent look.
“Looks can be deceiving,” he said seriously. “Just hold tight.”
“Well, I can’t go nowhere,” she said sarcastically as she held up her handcuffs.
“You know,” he said cautiously, “what’s a woman like you in there causing a scene for . . . especially over a nigga? From the looks of it, I’m sure you don’t have a problem getting any man you want.”
“Oh, trust me I don’t,” Red reassured him snobbishly, “but I ain’t gonna be disrespected, either.”
The officer shook his head. Someone brought him a report and he perused it. “Other than a small traffic violation, it looks like you’re clean.”
Red looked at him like, I know, nigga.
The officer looked at the report again and it was something familiar about the address. Something he had seen recently.
Damn, that’s where I know her from! The officer remembered seeing her picture when he searched Q’s apartment for evidence of foul play when Zeke was found.
Officer Thomas put the paper down and looked at her. “So . . . how’s Quentin?” Red remained silent. “I was the officer on duty when he called about his friend, Ezekiel.”
“Umpf . . .” Red shrugged her shoulders. “Since I’m clean, can you take these handcuffs off of me? You have no reason to hold me here.”
“Well, generally I would have to book you on a disturbing the peace charge since you were clownin’ in a white restaurant, but since you don’t have any priors, I can just issue you a court summons.” He started writing in his book and handed Red a yellow slip of paper. “Before you go, can I ask you a few questions?”
“Go ’head . . . hurry up,” she snapped.
Officer Thomas got up and walked toward Red. She rubbed her wrists after he unlocked the handcuffs. “How well did you know Ezekiel Morrison?”
“I didn’t know him well at all.”
“Umm . . .” he grunted. He tried another tactic. “What happened when he came to your apartment?”
“Loft,” Red corrected. “We live in a loft, not an apartment.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he apologized. “What happened when he came to your loft?”
Red’s eyes nervously darted around in an attempt to find something to say. “Look, I don’t know who murdered him,” she said in haste, “but I do know one thing, you’re holding me against my free will and—”
“If I recall correctly, I asked if I could ask you a few questions and you complied. I’m not holding you.” He held the silver handcuffs up in his hand. “You already have your ticket and you didn’t have to answer my questions.”
Red looked at the officer with a twisted look on her face. “And if I didn’t answer them?”
“Well . . . I would have had to let you go,” he said nonchalantly, all the while peering closely at Red. “You can go. Sorry to bother you.”
“How am I supposed to get back to my car?” Red asked, remembering she was brought to the station in the back of a patrol
car.
“Call someone.” Officer Thomas pointed to a pay phone and walked away.
Fifteen minutes later, Northwest Express Cab dropped Red off in the parking lot of the restaurant. She didn’t want to call Q because she would have to explain why she was showing her ass. Red walked swiftly toward her car. She wanted to get out of the parking lot and away from what had happened. The cop bringing up Zeke’s name had spooked her and she prayed she didn’t look uncomfortable in front of him. She was tired of hearing his name. Let dead dogs lie, she thought to herself as she drove off and headed to the office. She had one thing to do before going home for the evening. She’d had a full day, and tomorrow promised to be even worse.
Back at the station, Officer Thomas thought about his interaction with Red. I never said he was murdered.
• • •
Q sat in his car, looking at Zeke’s grave through watery eyes. “Man, I got so much to tell you.” Q didn’t realize just how close he and Zeke were until he was gone.
Q was thankful that he had Chass and her support after Zeke’s passing. She became his strength when he needed it. Red just didn’t give a damn. Old feelings were beginning to spark and Q just hoped that Chass felt the same way.
Q reflected on the conversation they had over lunch an hour ago.
“Quentin, I don’t hate you,” she told him after his admission that he thought she did. “I understand a lot more than what you think.” Terry had confided in her about her life, which included Red. Chass understood the life of a hustler and, truth be told, if she and Quentin had stayed together, she probably would have left him. She couldn’t have been involved with him and his street dealings, considering she was going to law school. “I’m a big girl, Quentin. I’m over it. I’m just glad that we could sit and talk to each other.” She gently touched his hands.
Q smiled at her. “You’ve always been resilient,” he admitted. “Your man is lucky to have you.”
Chass knew what he was doing and she played into his hand. “Man? I don’t have a man. I got so much going on right now, I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“Well, just know that any man who gets you will be a lucky one.” They smiled at each other and continued with their lunch.
Q’s thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he saw that the number was blocked. “Hello?” he said gruffly.
“Mr. Carter?”
“Who dis?”
“This is Officer Thomas. Could you come down to the station for a minute. I’d like to talk to you about Ezekiel Morrison’s death. I received some additional information.”
“Sure.” Q sighed. “I’ll be there.” Normally he would have steered clear of the police, but he wanted to find out what happened to his friend.
Twenty minutes later, Q sat across from the officer in his small office.
“Thanks for coming, Mr. Carter.” The officer sat back in his black high-backed chair. “Can you tell me again what you know about your friend’s death?”
Q immediately started to get upset. He had told his story twice. Once at the loft and once at the hospital. “I’ve already told you what I know, man. What are you getting at?”
“Raven Gomez.”
“What about her?”
“Where was she during this entire ordeal?”
“Why?” Q stood up, defensively.
Officer Thomas looked at Q, then grabbed his pen and started twirling it through his fingers.
Q shook his head at the officer in disgust and began to walk toward the door. Just as he reached the door, the man spoke.
“The cause of his death is still unknown; however, I just spoke with Raven earlier. Why does she think Ezekiel was murdered?”
CHAPTER 25
Maria went back and forth between the States and Mexico. She was a mule, the link between Bacon and Jose. Bacon and Maria agreed that their arrangement was strictly business, but after fucking him the night of the cruise, Maria had gotten addicted to the dick. She didn’t care if she was a mule; as long as Bacon mounted her like one, it was well worth it.
Foxy was good but Bacon needed a woman’s mouth to suck his dick and he craved some pussy to eat. Foxy had begged him to fuck her in her ass, but Bacon was waiting for the right moment. It would come soon enough. He was glad he had another pussy to nut up in, but he kept thinking about Red. Maria was cool, but she had her own money. She couldn’t hold down being wifey very well because she was very opinionated and had no loyalty. Red, however, knew her role and played it well, but loyalty wasn’t in her vocabulary. She was out for one person, and one person only, the notorious R-E-D.
“Hey, papi,” Maria said as she walked through the door of Bacon’s house with two shopping bags from Tappers and one bag of groceries from Hiller’s Market. She strutted over to him and pursed her lips. She’d brought some product to town and decided to stay a few extra days.
“You get that taken care of?” he asked as he reciprocated with a kiss. “Didn’t have any problems, did you?” He took the Hiller’s bag and walked into the kitchen.
Maria walked behind him and watched as he put up the food. “No problems at all. There were no questions asked, and no one really even looked at these.” She handed him two small plastic cards and a fat green banking pouch. Bacon loved how she was down for him. Red was never this loyal to him.
She slurped on a strawberry-banana smoothie she bought from the deli at Hiller’s and Bacon instantly became aroused. Her head game was right up there, running neck and neck with Red’s. Bacon started to miss how Red’s pussy felt because it had been a long time since he had been inside her creamy walls, but Maria was a different story. Although she was Jose’s connect, she served her purpose well. Bacon didn’t want to get too close to her because he knew it would only mean trouble, but this was business, and business had to be taken care of. Fucking was just an added bonus.
Maria saw how Bacon looked at her. She sipped more on her drink and allowed some of it to dribble from her lips onto the cleavage that was exposed by her silk blouse. Bacon walked over to her. “Let me get that for you.” He licked the sugary substance off her chest.
“Ooh, papi,” Maria moaned, moving his head lower, “you do that so well.”
Bacon took her cue and lifted one of her heavy breasts out of its holder and began circling her nipple with his tongue. Maria did her best to unbutton her blouse to give him full access. Bacon loved Maria’s breasts. They were firm and more than a mouthful, way more than what Red had.
Maria somehow managed to slip her skirt down and it was now gathered around her ankles. She stepped out of it. Bacon smelled her familiar sweet pea scent and looked up at her. She smiled devilishly as he lifted her up and sat her on the center island of the kitchen. Maria spread her legs to give Bacon a clear view of her pussy.
Hungrily, he buried his head between her legs and began to lap up her juices while she fucked his face. Nearing the brink of an orgasm, Maria became forceful. “Fuck me, fuck me now!” she demanded, pulling his face away from her pussy, grabbing toward his manhood. Bacon’s erect penis was already peeking through the opening of his boxers, so it was only a matter of seconds before he dipped into her honeywell.
Bacon enjoyed the way her pussy grabbed his dick like a vacuum. It must be that Mexican shit, he thought. He had been in a lot of pussy before but none compared to hers, not even Red’s.
Bacon knew that Maria came before he got his nut, and he was pleased with that. She wore herself out attempting to keep up with him, but just as he was about to break off into her, he cupped the bottom of her ass and pulled her toward him. Bacon coated the inside of her vagina with cum and continued thrusting until he was completely drained. Maria wiggled around to make sure she received his last drop. Bacon withdrew himself and watched as their juices flowed from her pussy onto the plastic cards she had given him earlier. He forgot he had it in his hands when he lifted her up on the countertop. Maria looked down in between her legs, then looked up
at Bacon.
“That’s all you had?” she teased. “I want more.” She hopped down off the counter and headed toward the bedroom singing, “Come on, Isadore . . . I have something for you.”
Bacon laughed out loud. His eyes zeroed in on the cum-streaked papers that sat before him. “Lisa Lennox,” he read, then he looked further. “Gomez Realty.” Then he saw another ID with the name Raven Gomez.
Little did Red know, Maria had signed a quitclaim deed to her business in the name of Raven Gomez. If I can’t have shit, neither will she, Bacon thought. Bacon also had an inside connection at a bank that Foxy had hooked up for him some weeks ago. Maria was allowed to close Red’s Gomez Realty account and open one up in Lisa Lennox’s name, into which she deposited the advance check that was sent from Triple Crown. Maria also withdrew money from Red’s personal account and brought it to Bacon. Maria thought Red would have had more, at least twenty g’s more, and according to Bacon, she did, but she didn’t argue with the teller. The teller received a handsome payout for allowing the transaction to go through; however, she had been skimming money all along as well.
Maria didn’t leave Red completely broke, though. Bacon opened the money pouch that Maria handed him earlier. From the looks of it, Red was on the road to paying back what she had taken from him. Then he looked at the bank slip. It read, “Available balance: $1.”
Fair exchange ain’t robbery.
• • •
At the office, Red sat behind her desk, trying to calm down from what she had just been through. Sasha and Blue, then dealing with the cop. “What could happen next?” she asked herself, exasperated. She looked around the office and admired all she had done. Red had exquisite taste and it was evident. She had spent a lot of money getting the open house together as well as the incidentals of getting a business transferred over into her name. Red was used to having her hands on loot anyplace and anytime she could get it and now she felt like she was poverty-stricken.
The Dirty Red Series Page 37