by Rose, J. L
“Whatever!” Alinna replied carelessly, rolling her eyes as she walked past Vanessa into the house.
Shaking her head, Vanessa walked out to her BMW truck and put D.J. inside A.J.’s baby seat in the back. Then she climbed up front behind the wheel.
Pulling out her cell phone, Vanessa called Angela’s phone as she was cranking up the truck.
“Hello!” Angela answered after two rings.
“Angela, you home yet? This Vanessa.”
“I walked into the house just now. You still coming over?”
“I’m on my way over with D.J. now.”
“Okay! We’ll be ready when you get here. Have you talked to Dante yet?”
“He hasn’t called you yet?”
“Dante doesn’t like to call me when he’s out of town.”
“Well, Dante’s fine and he says they should be back by Monday.”
“That’s good to hear. But the next time you talk to him, let him know I got the information he wanted before he left.”
“What information?”
“I’ll let Dante tell you that when you talk to him.”
“Well, let me get off this phone. I’ll be to the house in a little while.”
After hanging up with Angela, Vanessa continued driving but wondered what Angela was talking about and what Dante was up to.
* * *
Finding out a little more information about Victor Fayman while trailing the guy all over Phoenix, Dante found out that he was already dealing with a little issue with some Dominican cocaine dealer who actually had Phoenix in a chokehold. That is, until Victor had shown up, stepping on the feet of the Dominican and stealing business away from him.
Dante was dressed in an all-black Sean John suit with a matching button-up dress shirt, no tie, and Sean John shoes. Dante was waiting outside next to the Ford Explorer, which was parked inside the hotel parking lot where they were staying. He turned and saw Dre and Tony T finally step out of the hotel dressed up as well.
“I ain’t feeling all this suit-wearing shit!” Dre said, as he headed towards the driver’s door, shooting Dante a look.
Climbing inside the front passenger seat, Dante looked over to Dre and said, “Relax, family. It’s just for tonight. Once we handle this clown Victor, we outta here and heading back home.”
Once Dre cranked up the Explorer and pulled out of the hotel parking lot, Dante went over the plan again with both Tony T and Dre, as they headed towards Club Royalty where Victor’s birthday party was being celebrated.
They arrived 20 minutes later to a long-as-hell line of cars, SUVs, and hooked-up trucks. Dante sat smoking a Black while staring out his window as Dre slowly made his way up the road, seeing females and groups of different guys walking up the road heading to the nightclub.
After Dre found a spot to park a short ways from the club, Dante, Dre, and Tony T walked back up towards the club. They received a few calls from the ladies in line, which they ignored, as they continued on with their business.
“I see homeboy got a lil style,” Tony T said, nodding to the two stretch Mercedes truck limos.
Dante noticed the limos but paid no attention to them, as he, Dre, and Tony T walked through the club’s front parking area. He called out to Dre and watched his boy step ahead of him, forcefully pushing open a path through the thick crowd that was blocking their way to the front door of the club. Tony T stepped ahead up to three security dudes who were blocking the doors to the club.
He spoke with the security guards while Dante stood behind and, still smoking his Black, watched Tony T hand each of the security guards some money. Tony T then nodded back at him and Dre.
They received nods from two of the guards, so Dante and Dre started moving forward to enter the nightclub. However, Dante was stopped and grabbed by the third security on the right.
“Put out the cigar before you enter the club,” the third security guard told Dante, staring hard at him.
Looking from the hand on his arm up to meet the brown eyes of the security guard, Dante calmly knocked the lit tip of the Black & Mild out of his mouth with his thumb. He looked at the security guard who then released him.
Shaking his head as he stepped through the doors of Club Royalty, Dante fell in step with both Tony T and Dre, slowly nodding his head to Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Big Sean’s song “Click” that was banging from the club’s speakers.
“Damn, baby! Who you?” a light-skinned female yelled over the music, stopping in front of Dante, blocking his path and smiling in his face.
Barely meeting the girls eyes, Dante stepped around her and continued in his direction to the bar, leaving the girl staring at him with her face balled up in both embarrassment and anger.
Making it to the bar, Dante directed his attention to the V.I.P. area easily spotting Victor Fayman as he stood with four girls surrounding him while huge crowds gathered around drinking and having a good time.
“For someone beefing with a muthafucker, homeboy hanging the fuck out, ain’t he?” Tony T said. He moved beside Dante on his left side and handed his boy a bottle of Corona while also staring at the V.I.P. area.
“Naw!” Dante replied, as he took the bottle from Tony T. “Dude on point. He got six niggas with bangers up in V.I.P. with ‘em, and I see three of his boys posted at the stairs while he up there. Homeboy at the door one of his, too.”
“You mean the dude who stopped you about the Black?”
“Yeah! I saw him with Victor once before.”
“So what’s the plan on getting up there with this clown?” Dre yelled over the D.J., who was giving shout-outs to the birthday boy. Spotlights lit up the V.I.P. section.
Not answering Dre directly back, Dante took a sip of Corona and simply stared towards the V.I.P. section.
* * *
Dominic’s chauffeur-driven pearl-white Bentley Continental GT pulled up in front of Club Royalty behind the Range Rover that had seven of his men inside. Another Range Rover followed behind. He stared angrily through his window as his driver followed the lead Range Rover through the parking lot of Club Royalty, seeing people quickly rush to get out of the way.
The Bentley stopped at the front of the club’s entrance, as Dominic’s men rushed out of both Range Rovers. Dominic waited until his armed driver opened his door for him. He climbed out of the Bentley as his head-of-security stepped up to meet him.
“Everyone’s ready, sir,” Carlos told his boss.
Nodding his head in response, while watching his men push through the crowd, Dominic spoke up saying, “Let’s get this handled, Carlos.”
* * *
“What’s going on, Dre?” Tony T asked, watching Victor and his team rushing down the stairs from the V.I.P. area.
Noticing the same thing that Tony T was seeing, Dante looked over from Victor and his crew to the doors of the club’s entrance, instantly recognizing the Dominican drug lord and the team he had with him as they rushed into the club.
“Shit about to get real as fuck up in this shit, fam!” Dre said, as he too stood watching the scene unfold.
As they were watching both crews meet head up, Dante came up with a plan. “Follow my lead, fellas! We about to make some shit happen.”
* * *
“You must really be a stupid muthafucker coming up in here like you ready for war,” Victor told Dominic, smirking at the Dominican.
“I’m glad to see this is a funny matter to you, Victor,” Dominic replied, before adding, “The problem here though is that only one of us will leave this club tonight.”
“You’re right!” Victor said, smiling, just as a gun was placed up to the side of Dominic’s head.
Dominic’s security realized what was happening, so they pulled out their guns and turned towards their boss. Victor opened his mouth to say something when the bodyguard on his right went down, followed by the bodyguard on his left. He then felt a gun against the side of his head.
“Tell your man to put the gun down and then walk over thi
s way,” Dante told Victor as he held homeboy at gunpoint.
“You must not know who . . .”
Dante smashed the handle of his banger across the side of Victor’s head. When Victor staggered to his left from the blow, Dante said again, “Tell ya men to put down their guns and walk this way.”
Blinking his eyes to get his vision back after being hit across the head, Victor opened his mouth to say something to the gunman, only to feel the gun pressed harder against his head. He thought better of his decision and did what was told of him.
From the front door, Dante watched homeboy drop his gun from Dominic’s head and lay the banger onto the ground. He waited until homeboy walked over and then released Victor, whispering, “This ain’t finished between us.”
Dre and Tony T followed Dante as they walked away from Victor and his team, still pointing their heaters at them. Dante stopped in front of Dominic and met the Dominican’s eyes. He stepped around the man and walked through his crew towards the doors.
* * *
Once outside, Dante, Dre and Tony T ignored the stares as the three of them left the club and headed to their Ford Explorer.
“Fam, you plan on telling us what the fuck that was just now?” Dre asked, once the three of them were inside the SUV.
Dante didn’t answer Dre and ignored Tony T staring at him from the back seat. He simply stared out the passenger window as Dre drove away. Dante wondered if he had made the right decision in helping the Dominican and not just dumping on the nigga Victor right there in the club.
“Yo!” Tony T called out from the back seat. “We got company, y’all!”
Looking back behind him through the black-tinted window, Dante saw the Range Rover, Bentley, and a second Range Rover drive past the Explorer. They pulled in front of them and blocked the middle of the road.
“Here we go!” Tony T said, pulling his hammer from under his black button-up.
“Relax!” Dante told Tony T and Dre. He then stared at the Bentley as the back door was opened and Dominic climbed out, with his team from the first Range Rover crowding around him. The rest of the team posted themselves in the middle of the road.
“Look at this shit!” Dre said, shaking his head. “It’s this same Spanish muthafucker we just helped out.”
Listening to Dre while watching one of the Dominican’s men walk over to the driver’s side, Dante told Dre to roll down the window. After a quick stare, Dre did as he was told.
“You!” Carlos said, nodding to Dante inside the passenger seat. “Mr. Saldana would like you to talk with him a moment.”
“About what?” Dante asked, staring back at the homeboy outside of Dre’s window.
“Mr. Saldana will discuss everything with you once you two are seated,” Carlos answered, before asking Dante to please come with him.
“Yo, Dre! What’s up?” Tony T asked, leaning forward between the front seats. “Bruh, you not really going to holla at this dude, is you?”
“I’ma be right back,” Dante told his boys. He climbed out, closing the door behind him.
He walked around the front of the Explorer where the messenger was waiting. Dante allowed homeboy to pat him down, finding both his hammers.
“You will receive these back before you leave,” Carlos told him. “Follow me, sir.”
Following a step behind the messenger, while ignoring the hard-staring crew who were watching him closely, Dante stopped once face to face with the Dominican drug lord.
“Who, may I ask, are you?” Dominic asked, as he stared straight into the younger man’s eyes.
“Your messenger said you wanted to talk. I’m listening,” Dante told the drug lord, disregarding the question that was asked.
Nodding his head slowly, but never breaking eye contact with the young man in front of him, Dominic called to his head of security. He then said to Dante, “Sit with me. Let’s talk.”
Dante climbed into the back of the Bentley behind Dominic. The messenger shut the door behind them. Dante looked over at Dominic as he introduced himself. “I am Dominic Saldana. It is clear that you are not from here. I wonder why you would interfere with matters you know nothing about.”
“A simple ‘thank you’ would do.”
Smiling, as he stared at the younger man beside him, Dominic said, “You are correct. I do owe you my thanks, and I do thank you. But again, exactly why would you interfere with matters that are of no concern to you?”
“Maybe I just saw that your security wasn’t handling your business, so I decided to help out.”
“Why do I feel as if that is only part of the truth? Who are you?”
“You seem pretty interested in knowing who I am.”
“I’m always interested in those who are new in town and just show up and interfere in matters, especially with the end result of saving my life. That is why I have a security team. So again I ask, ‘Who are you?’”
Deciding to answer the Dominican’s questions, Dante replied, “Dante. Dante Blackwell.”
“Well, Mr. Blackwell. What brings you to Arizona? And as most out-of-towners normally reply, I ask that you not answer that you are just passing through. You and I both know that is not the case. Let’s both start things off with honesty, Mr. Blackwell.”
Chapter 5
Dominic didn’t realize how long they had been talking but he did find out about Dante’s plan to rob Victor Fayman. They also discussed the problem between Victor and the Dominican mafia. Dominic then got Dante to open up as much as the young man was willing about his family back home in Miami, along with his two brothers in the Explorer, that were all in the same business he was in. But since there was no actually connect, he and his brothers did all the supplying for the family.
Interrupting Dante, Dominic asked, “So tell me, Dante. How long have you and your brothers been in this line of business of robbing for your family?”
“Well, I been at it since I was 15, but things with the family been going on almost a year now.”
“And how has that been going?”
“It’s good but could be better.”
Nodding his head, Dominic said after a moment, “Dante…look! I am willing to make a deal with you but I want something from you in return.”
“I’m listening.”
“Okay! I’m willing to supply your family with all the cocaine they can handle. I also have a friend who owes me a favor. This friend is a major marijuana dealer and if that is of interest as well, I will arrange it so that your family will also be supplied with all the marijuana they can handle.”
“What is it you want from me in return?”
“Your help,” Dominic answered. “I will pay you to be my personal bodyguard. I will also pay you $1,000,000 after you have taken care of Victor Fayman permanently.”
Slowly nodding his head after hearing Dominic’s offer, Dante held the Dominican drug lord’s eyes a few moments and finally said, “How about you let me think about this offer and I’ll get back to you.”
“Very well, Dante!” Dominic answered. He then added, “But I expect to have an answer from you tomorrow at 12 o’clock noon.”
Calling out to Carlos, Dominic waited until the car door was opened and then told his head of security to return Dante’s cell phone. He then turned to Dante and said, “I will see you tomorrow, Mr. Blackwell.”
* * *
Returning to the house later than she had planned on, Vanessa carried a sleeping D.J. inside the house. She locked the door behind her and then headed upstairs to put her nephew to bed.
She walked up to Alinna’s bedroom, only to find it empty. Vanessa left the empty room with D.J. and headed to her and Dre’s bedroom. She laid D.J. down on her bed, took off his clothes, and covered him up.
Vanessa pulled out her cell phone as she was leaving the bedroom. She called Alinna’s phone but it sent her straight to voice mail.
She hung up the phone as she stopped in front of Rose’s bedroom, only to see the maid and A.J. both asleep on the m
aid’s bed. Vanessa decided to leave her son asleep with Rose. Just when she was closing the maid’s bedroom door, her cell phone rang in her hand.
Expecting to see Alinna’s name on the screen, Vanessa broke out in a smile after seeing it was Dante calling. “Hey, big bruh. What’s up with you?”
“What’s up, lil sis? Where you at?”
“I’m at the house. What’s wrong? You sound a little funny.”
“I need to holla at you about something, sis.”
“Hold on a second, Dante!” Vanessa told him, as she entered her bedroom.
Undressing down to her panties and leaving on the t-shirt she was wearing, Vanessa climbed into the bed next to her nephew. She placed the phone back up to her ear and said, “Yeah, Dante. What’s wrong, big bruh?”
Vanessa listened as Dante told her about the offer he received from a connect where he and both Dre and Tony T were getting into details. Dante then explained what was being expected of him in return. Vanessa’s mouth dropped wide open after hearing the amount of money he was being paid to be a bodyguard and the $1,000,000 he’d receive after dealing with a problem for the connect.
“So, what are you going to do?” Vanessa asked once Dante had finished. “How long do you have to stay op there? Can you come home?”
“Yeah, I can come home but if I agree to stay up here for this job, you and the others will be good. Y’all can finally have the connect y’all wanted.”
“I think you need to talk to Alinna. Hold on!” Vanessa told him.
She clicked over the line and then called Alinna’s phone again, clicking back over to Dante once the line started to ring. “Dante. You still there?”
“Yeah!” Dante answered, hearing the ringing. “Vanessa, who you calling?”
“Hello!” Alinna answered, laughing.
“Alinna, it’s me, Vanessa. Where you at? I need to talk to you about something important.”
“Vanessa, I’m kind of in the middle of something right now. Can’t this wait until I get home?”