Love & War

by Ashley Antoinette

  “Thanks, boss. Let me get the door for you,” the forty-something driver said. Indie could recognize a street nigga when he saw one. The jail tattoos on the man’s hands told a street story of years past that the man had obviously lived. Indie respected the fact that the man was now in business for himself. Despite the fact that Indie was moving on a much grander scale, he could relate to the driver. He didn’t want to be the oldest hustler hugging the block. That was worse than the old bitch in the club. He wanted to sever his ties with the coke game and make his money real. Street money could only go so far. He needed bank records, tax returns . . . He needed something that the Feds wouldn’t kick in his door to take. Security. That’s what he was searching for and he respected any man who had been able to obtain that for himself, no matter how meager the endeavor.

  “Nah, I got it. Thanks for the ride,” Indie said as he popped the door open and placed one foot on the ground.

  “Hey yo, boss, here’s my card. I don’t know what kind of business you’re into and all, but if you ever need a car service again, I’m your man.” He passed Indie a business card. Indie accepted it and gave him a nod as he extended his hand.

  They shook as Indie read the card: “Louise Vincent,” he said. “Will do.”

  The single stewardess waited at the bottom of the steps as Indie approached.

  “Good evening, Mr. Perkins. The pilot is ready to lift the wheels. Welcome,” the brunette greeted with a friendly smile. He nodded and ascended the steps. Making the trip to Italy was unexpected but when Zya summoned, he knew it was important. No matter what was going on around him her call was one that he would always have to take. YaYa had understood this without fuss because she had once been in his shoes. She was wise to the ins and outs of the game. She knew exactly what it took to be in his position so when it was time to move he received no protest from her direction. She was his ride or die, but in that moment he couldn’t help but wonder if Parker would be as understanding. They were worlds apart. Parker’s degrees didn’t mean shit in his world and her lack of knowledge regarding his dealings would keep her bitching in his ear. Why are you even entertaining what P would do? That’s not your concern. She’s not your girl, he scolded himself as he finally entered the cabin. He couldn’t help but feel some type of accountability to his woman and since his disastrous wedding day, Parker and YaYa had been included in his thoughts.

  He moved to take a seat and was completely thrown when he saw another passenger sitting on the plane. He halted his step and squared his shoulders as he instinctively put his hand near his waistline. Gangster recognized gangster and Indie could automatically sense that he was in the presence of a rare breed. He knew because he was bred the same. He looked back to the stewardess with a look of confusion.

  “He is a guest of Ms. Miller’s as well. The two of you will be making the trip over together. Please let me know if you need anything,” she said.

  Indie locked eyes with the man who nodded his head in acknowledgment.

  Indie nodded and then took a seat directly across from the surprise passenger. He didn’t want to sit behind the man because he didn’t want to pose a threat. He had no idea who the man was, but he knew that if he was a guest of Zya’s it was a bridge that she was about to connect him to. He needed to keep things copasetic until he could figure out who and why he was here, but he for damn sure wasn’t sitting up front. Many men had suffered the fate of death by being too trusting. He would never allow anyone to put a gun to the back of his head and pull the trigger. So he was smart. He sat on the other side of the aisle all the while wondering, Who the fuck is this nigga?

  The ten-hour flight was filled with tension as both men kept to themselves. Neither closed their eyes to rest on the way across the pond. Built the same, Ethic and Indie were two men who recognized a real street nigga. Being in each other’s presence was like the clash of the titans. Their egos were on high and their awareness on full alert. Ethic glanced over at Indie. As soon as he had stepped foot on the plane he had noticed the bulge on his waistline where he holstered his pistol. He wouldn’t rest easy until that gun was locked up in the cockpit. He didn’t know Indie. He barely knew Zya and he had no idea what he was getting himself into. They were on some international kingpin shit and that level of hustling was new to Ethic. He was a made man in his own right, in his own territory. The Midwest had been his for the taking, but when Zya informed him that he’d be taking a trip to Italy to finalize their deal and meet her business partner he knew that this was an entirely new gig. He was a pertinent piece to her distribution puzzle and he was stepping into the major leagues. The Sosas. The Escobars. Zya moved at their level and Ethic was being offered a seat at her table. The test of silent will he was having with Indie wasn’t his style so he decided to extend an olive branch. They had long travels ahead of them and Ethic was tired as hell. He wasn’t about to sleep with one eye open.

  “My man, I’m Ethic,” he said as he leaned over and extended his hand.

  There was a brief pause before his gesture was returned. “Indie,” he greeted.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m not trying to be on guard for the rest of the flight,” Ethic said as he removed his gun. He ejected the clip and took the bullet out of the chamber before placing the shell on the seat next to him. “I don’t know you. You don’t know me. You keep the gun until we land. Without the clip it’s useless. You get my drift? Maybe I can get some rest if I’m not worried about a new nigga popping my melon on the way over.”

  Indie was hesitant and Ethic continued, “You’ve been yawning and shit for the past hour. This way both of us can get some sleep.”

  Indie smirked and then emptied his clip and popped one out of the head. The men exchanged weapons.

  “I was tired than a mu’fucka, man,” Indie admitted with a slight chuckle.

  Ethic laughed and finally relaxed as he lay back in the plushness of the private jet as they made the trip overseas to see the one woman who had brought them together.

  “Good to see you, gentlemen, I’m glad your travels were safe,” Zya said as she stood at the bottom of her opulent staircase while watching them walk into her Italian villa.

  Her property was exquisite and she looked like royalty. She was the queen of this castle and she was ready to connect with these two to expand her empire. She was a kingpin, fuck a queen. She played second in command to no one, but even being the best in the game was not enough for Zya. She wanted that corporate money.

  “Welcome, Ethic, it’s good to see you again,” she said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek politely.

  Indie followed suit but when she greeted him she paused for a moment. “Are you okay?” she asked in a low tone so that only the two of them could hear.

  He nodded in confirmation.

  “Is she?” she pushed.

  “She will be,” he assured.

  A look of sympathy crossed her face as she offered, “If you need anything . . .”

  “We’re good,” he confirmed sternly, letting Zya know that his personal relationship wasn’t up for discussion.

  She noticed his standoffish demeanor and she replied, “Good. Then its time to get back to business.” She walked off. “Follow me, gentlemen. My chef prepared a spread for you. You must be starving after a ten-hour flight.”

  Zya spared no expense when it came to catering to Indie and Ethic. As they sat down on the vast lawn of her estate, overlooking the small Italian town that sat below the hills, they sipped champagne and ate the finest Italian dishes. She got down to business. “So let me explain to you why you’re here,” she said. “Ethic runs a trucking company out of Flint, MI. In the past seven years he’s built his company up to a multimillion dollar business. Given that he used to move more weight in the Midwest than both of us combined, it doesn’t surprise me that he was able to build his business so quickly. The best part is he had government contracts with several cities, which means that his company is reputable. His drivers get stopped less
frequently and they aren’t under the scrutiny of local cops. This makes him the perfect person to transport our goods.”

  “And what exactly are your goods?” Ethic asked. “I’ll need to know exactly what I’m moving. Weed? Coke? Pills?”

  “We are moving away from street drugs. Indie is a shareholder in Vartex,” Zya informed.

  “The pharmaceutical company?” Ethic asked, intrigued.

  Indie nodded and responded, “I got my foot in the door recently and now it’s time to plant the money trees.”

  “The rate has already been discussed,” Zya informed Indie. “Ethic and I have struck a deal that will get us all rich. The purpose of today is to introduce the two of you. Is this something that we all are still interested in doing? Many operations have been toppled by trying to force chemistry among partners. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit.”

  “Business isn’t personal. As long as you hold up your end of things I give no protests,” Indie said, directing his words toward Ethic.

  “Good,” Zya said as a smile spread across her beautiful face. She knew this was the beginning of something epic. “I have a network of doctors who want to buy their meds on the black market. The drug companies’ prices are too high. They want to come through us. We’ll also put Oxy, Xanax, Adderall . . . We’ll run those through the streets.”

  “Do you trust your drivers?” Indie asked.

  “I have a few in mind for these runs,” Ethic answered. “They don’t need to know what’s being transported. The less they know the more normal they’ll behave. The pills need to be concealed in other packages. Something discreet.”

  “I can work that out,” Indie assured.

  Zya couldn’t help but smirk. Her boys were playing nice and the good vibes meant good business. She raised her glass and cleared her throat before proposing a toast. “Here’s to power,” she said.

  The threesome tapped champagne flutes and as they indulged in their meal and drinks Zya stood to her feet. “Enjoy your time here in Italy, boys.” She turned to Indie and finished, “I’ll leave it up to you to make sure he is a familiar face to your shooters. Acclimate them to Ethic so that there will be no unnecessary tensions. When the two of you get back to the States it’ll be time to put in work.”

  As she made her way back up to the house while two beautiful models made their way toward Indie and Ethic.

  “See to it that they are well entertained, ladies,” she instructed as she slipped them a hefty payment.

  She left Indie and Ethic to their playthings as she made her departure.

  Chapter 12

  YaYa was grateful for Indie’s impromptu trip out of town. It was the only time that she didn’t worry about his whereabouts. As long as he was tied up in business with Zya, he couldn’t be with Parker. They had never had that type of relationship. Never had she been so insecure about her place in his life. Suddenly this bitch had come to town and rocked her entire world. YaYa’s heart burned with jealousy and resentment. She didn’t care that Parker had come way before her or that the Indie shared a child with her. It didn’t seem fair that this storm had come into their lives without warning. Confrontation was on her brain like cancer, plaguing her, illing her to the point where her stomach was in constant knots. In the blink of an eye she had gone from queen pin, to Leah’s victim, and now to concerned wifey. She had never thought she would play that role . . . the bitch who lost sleep because her man’s loyalty was uncertain. This can’t be life, she thought as she rifled through Indie’s things. Here she was checking pockets and drawers. She was disappointed in herself, but it didn’t stop her from opening a full-blown investigation on her man. This entire situation was Indie’s fault. He should have put Parker out on her ass the moment she disrupted their nuptials, but when he didn’t YaYa’s antennas went up. She knew her man like the back of her hand and she saw the hesitation in his eyes when he looked at Parker. There was something between them and not time or distance had put out that flame. YaYa wasn’t going to leave her life up to chance and she wasn’t about that competition life. The day Indie made her go head up for his love would be the day he lost hers for good. She looked around the room at the mess she had made and couldn’t help but wonder how things had come to this. “Get a hold of yourself,” she whispered. She bent down to pick up the disarray when she noticed a napkin hanging out of the pocket of Indie’s jean pocket. She picked it up and opened it. The London. It was the logo printed on it and she dropped it instantly as if it was hot to the touch. YaYa saw red as she made up her own interpretation of why Indie had visited the hotel. It didn’t matter how she tried to cut the situation, all roads led back to Parker.

  He was at her hotel, she thought. Her throat went dry as tears came to her eyes. She didn’t even think of the fact that she herself had spent the night with a man she barely knew. Nothing had gone down between them, despite the fact that Ethic had crossed her mind a time or two since. Indie didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. His interaction with Parker was more than a chance meeting. They had history and YaYa could sense it in every fiber of her body that Parker was a threat.

  Fire pulsed through her veins. Heated beyond measure YaYa stormed out of her bedroom in search of her daughter. “Sky! Baby, where are you?” she called out, bravado shaking her voice as she willed herself not to cry. A million scenarios played through her head. Did he fuck her? Why was he at her room? Is he going to leave me for her? Just days ago YaYa’s feet were firmly planted on the ground and in the blink of an eye everything had changed. Now she seemed to be freefalling through life. She had finally found the semblance of peace after Leah had died, but Parker had appeared out of nowhere. She was the new bitch in YaYa’s life, but this was one battle that she didn’t intend on losing. Leah had gotten inside of her head; she had weakened her. YaYa wouldn’t give Parker the chance to. She was going to be on the offensive instead of waiting to defend. Fuck it. If Parker had the balls to burst into her wedding ceremony unannounced than YaYa certainly had the balls to pay this bitch an unexpected visit. A part of her wanted to leave Skylar with Elaine. She didn’t want to take her child along just in case anything popped off, but she feared that Elaine would try to stop her. So against her better judgment she decided that Skylar was coming. She had to be sure to act accordingly now that her mini me was coming along for the ride. She found her daughter sitting on her bedroom floor, playing so peacefully. She was the most precious thing in YaYa’s life. Everything about this beautiful brown baby was beautiful and the perfect mixture of YaYa and Indie. So many times she had been the glue in their relationship. Skylar deserved a father and a mother that defied the odds and stayed together. Her heart melted and now more than ever YaYa wanted to fight for her family. The beautiful angel who relied on her was worth the fight no matter how hard it may be. She told herself that she would not confront Parker with aggression. She wanted to talk. That was all. YaYa deserved to face off with the woman who had ruined her wedding and more importantly Parker needed to hear that YaYa wasn’t lying down to take an L. She would fight tooth and nail for Indie because there was so much more at stake than just her winning a man. He was her friend, her confidant, her soul mate, her everything. Indie was the only other person in the world who knew what it felt like to parent her daughter. He was the only other person in the world who could read her thoughts. They had been down together and he had loved her in moments when she was completely unlovable. Through tricking and drug use, even when her heart was painted black with revenge, Indie had loved her. Men weren’t made like him nowadays. No one wanted the tough love. No man was willing to stick out the bad days. They wanted bad bitches. Perfect wifeys to sport as arm candy yet wouldn’t put up a fuss. YaYa had been none of those things. She was so far from perfect that she was in the realm of wrong but he still stayed. He still loved her. No, YaYa wasn’t giving that up. As she rubbed her daughter’s head lovingly she whispered, “I love you, little girl. I’m so sorry for all of the things I have done wrong as your mom. I’m go
ing to get it wrong a lot of times, but I can promise you that I will always try. Nobody is going to destroy our family. Nobody.”

  She knew that Skylar didn’t fully understand what she was saying. In fact, Skylar hadn’t even looked up from her toys, but YaYa meant every word. She grabbed her hand and said, “Come on, baby, follow me.” She wrapped Skylar up and slipped shoes on her little feet and with a heavy heart she made the trip into Manhattan.

  YaYa stood in front of the hotel room door as adrenaline pulsed through her body. Had this been five years ago, YaYa would have come beefing, ready to slap fire from Parker’s ass for the stunt that she had pulled. There was still a part of her that wanted to hold on to that young girl from the hood, but she knew that she would only be putting the ball in Parker’s court. The lump in her throat made it hard for her to swallow as she stood, listening to her heart as it beat loudly in her ears.

  “Mommy, where are we?” Skylar asked in a toddler’s babble.

  “Mommy is just visiting a friend, Sky. I need you to be a good girl,” she said as she held on to her daughter’s hand.

  “Okay, Mommy,” Skylar replied.

  YaYa took in a sharp breath and held it for a beat before releasing it slowly as she knocked on the door. She didn’t know what to expect, but she was prepared for anything. When the door finally opened YaYa was prepared to state her case. She was prepared to give Parker a few choice words for the fiasco she had turned the wedding into, but she was completely taken off-guard when she saw the little person at the door. Her eyes drifted downward to the boy before her and her heart immediately sank into her stomach. Tears burned in her eyes as she stared into the face of this child. Nothing had ever hurt so badly. There was no doubt about it. This kid belonged to Indie. YaYa knew it because he looked exactly like Skylar. They shared the same eyes . . . the same lips . . . the same complexion. This was Indie’s son. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of her lungs as she stared into this boy’s eyes and her hand trembled as she grasped her own child’s hand.