Family Business--Book I

by Vanessa Miller

  The other guy had been one of Stan’s customers. That man put five thousand on the fight. So, Demetrius understood why his father suddenly looked like he had lost everything. Because most of their bets had been ten, twenty or a hundred dollars. Hood life didn’t afford many black men the luxury of sitting on tens of thousands of dollars. But a few of them had it, because they had been diligent savers, and now they were willing to risk it all for a chance at big money.

  Demetrius put a hand on his father’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about it, Dad. You can afford it. Those two draw bets are nothing compared to all the money we just took in.”

  Don snatched away from his son. “You don’t know what I can and can’t afford. Just keep your mouth shut.”

  Demetrius got up and stormed out of the arena. He didn’t need to be in his father’s presence another second. He could kick rocks for all Demetrius cared. The rest of the gang was planning to hang out in Chicago for the weekend and go clubbing to celebrate. But with the way his father was acting, Demetrius didn’t want to be anywhere around the man. He got in his car and headed back home to Dayton.

  ~~~~

  Angel couldn’t stop smiling when she heard Demetrius’ car pull into the driveway at around three that morning. That meant he wasn’t spending the weekend in Chicago with his father, getting into Lord knows what kind of trouble. Honestly, when Demetrius told her he was going to Chicago for the entire weekend with his dad, she thought he was probably taking Vivian or some other woman with him.

  She felt a little guilty for the not even saying goodbye to him when he left on the trip. So she got up extra early that morning, started frying bacon and flipping pancakes. She even scrambled a few eggs for him, just the way he liked them.

  By seven thirty that morning Demetrius came out of his room, rubbing his tired eyes and asking, “What smells so good?”

  “Your eggs are almost done, and I’ve got pancakes and some of that thick cut bacon that you like so much.”

  “Is it my birthday and somebody forgot to tell me?”

  Angel could admit that she hadn’t been doing all that much cooking since Demetrius brought that woman into the house a few weeks back, but she hadn’t let him starve or nothing. So, he could quit it. “Don’t act like I’m not on my job around here.”

  “All I know is I’ve been eating a lot of baloney sandwiches lately.”

  “Sorry about that,” Angel mumbled as she flipped her last pancake.

  “What... what was that?” He put his hand to his ear as if he was hard of hearing.

  She held the skillet filled with eggs over the trash can. “I said... if you don’t sit down and eat, I’m going to throw this food in the trash.”

  Demetrius grabbed a plate out of the cabinet and handed it to her. “Girl, as hungry as I am I would climb in that trash can and get my breakfast.”

  Laughing at him, she said, “Boy, you silly. Sit down while I fix your plate.”

  Demetrius turned the television that was on the kitchen counter to the news, and then sat down and eagerly awaited his breakfast.

  “Did you enjoy the fight?” Angel asked as she sat his plate along with the syrup in front of him.

  While pouring the syrup on his pancakes, Demetrius said, “I thought it was going to be a fun time. But I didn’t enjoy seeing Frazier like that. The man had been one of my childhood heroes; I didn’t think nobody could out do Joe Frazier. Even when he lost to Ali, I still felt like he put up a good fight. But, that wasn’t the same fighter in the ring last night.”

  “He probably should have stayed retired,” Angel said as she moved away from the table.

  “Sit down and eat with me this morning,” Demetrius urged.

  “I’m coming, just grabbing a plate for myself.”

  Demetrius smiled at the thought of Angel eating breakfast with him. But as she sat down a fire was blazing on the television and the newscaster was saying, “This is the home of Professor Daniel Green and his wife Olivia. Many of you will remember that Olivia Green was a member of the city council for over a decade in the seventies. She retired last year.”

  The reporter pointed at the house as he continued, “The fire was put out a few hours ago, and it saddens this reporter to inform our viewers that the Green family did not survive. Their bodies were found inside.”

  Demetrius had been eating his pancakes, but as the reporter finished detailing the situation, he lost his appetite.

  “What’s wrong?” Angel asked as his fork hit his plate.

  “I know him.” Demetrius pointed at the burning house. “I was at his house a few weeks ago.” He didn’t bother to inform Angel that Danny Green had placed a twenty thousand dollar bet with him. And that if he had lived through the night, he would be collecting about two hundred thou. But with Mr. Green dead, his father was now off the hook.

  Eight

  Don Shepherd was back in town and it was time for Demetrius to collect his earning from the fight. He wanted to ask his father if he had heard about the fire at Professor Green’s house, but something told him that he didn’t want the answer to that question. Instead, he asked, “Did you have fun with Leo’s wife this weekend?”

  “As a matter-of-fact, I did,” Don told his son with a silly grin on his face.

  Demetrius sat down in front of his father’s desk. He shook his head. “Aren’t you worried about what Leo’s going to do about you fooling around with his wife all out in the open like that?”

  Don stood and walked around his desk. He sat on the edge of it while telling his son, “Leo is done in this town. He’s going to be locked up until he’s a very old man. There’s nothing he can do to me. Because if his boys want to keep living good and eating good, they’ll be joining our team.” Shrugging he added, “Half of ‘em have already called me.”

  “So just like that, you become kingpin around here... and to the king, goes the queen, huh?”

  “You better know it.” Don patted his son on the back and then walked over to the wall safe. He opened it and took out two stacks. He put the money in Demetrius’ lap. “Go buy yourself another car or something. Take that stripper out and do up the town... whatever you want. You earned it.”

  Demetrius had seen first-hand how much it had hurt Angel when he’d told Vivian that she had been a stripper. Now he understood why she’d become so angry, because he didn’t like the way those words fell off his father’s lips. “She’s not a stripper. Angel is good people.”

  “You watch yourself, boy. Don’t go get your nose opened by some chick that just might leave you as fast as she left Frankie Day. In our business you need a woman who’s going to be down for you.”

  “I’m not worried about Angel. You’re the one who needs to sleep with one eye open... over there with Leo’s woman.”

  Don harrumphed as he tugged on the belt of his pants. “Your old man got this, believe that. I ain’t never met a woman I couldn’t tame.”

  Before Demetrius could respond to that, Al strutted in swinging his keys with one hand while the other was stuffed in his pocket. He looked relaxed, liked he’d enjoyed his weekend. “What up, black people?”

  “You know what it is,” Don responded as he and Al fist bumped.

  “Hey stranger, long time no see,” Demetrius said as he studied Al. “Why didn’t you go to the fight?”

  Al shrugged the question off. “Had too much to do around here to be hanging out in Chicago.”

  “You didn’t miss much. I doubt if Frazier will ever get in the ring again.” Demetrius shook his head. “Saddest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “That’s because you haven’t been to the Ali fight yet.” Al put his fists up and boxed around the room. He then turned back to Demetrius and said, “Ali is about to get stung.”

  “And then we are going to make another boat load of money,” Don said as he went back to the safe, pulled out a stash and handed it to Al.

  “Now, get on back out there and keep selling them Ali dreams,” Don said. “We’
ve got less than seven days before we hear the ring of that bell.”

  “And Ali goes down,” Al laughed.

  “Keep that to yourself while you’re out there taking bets. Ali is still the greatest as far as we’re concerned.”

  Demetrius got up and headed for the door along with Al. But Don stopped them.

  “Wait a minute, Demetrius. I don’t want any of our customers getting cute this week and making ‘draw’ bets. It’s either Ali wins or he loses, that’s it.”

  ~~~~

  Demetrius knew that he should have been out there taking bets and collecting numbers, but he had a bundle of cash and was itching to spend some of it. So, he called Angel and told her to be dressed and ready to go by the time he got to the house.

  The car seat was still in the back of his SUV since their last trip to the grocery store. Angel came out the door carrying her purse, the baby bag and the baby. Demetrius rushed to her side and grabbed DeMarcus out of her arm. He strapped him into the car seat and then got back into the driver’s seat.

  “Thank you,” Angel said while looking at Demetrius as if the single act of strapping her son into a car seat had caused her to see him in a different light.

  “Looked like you could use some help.” Demetrius pointed at DeMarcus. “And little man back there is picking up weight.”

  “I haven’t been out shaking my money maker and leaving it to someone else to feed him. DeMarcus has been getting three, sometimes four meals a day.”

  Demetrius eyed DeMarcus as he said, “Boy, I’m gon’ put a lock on them cabinets. Don’t nobody eat more than three meals a day unless he has a job.”

  Angel shoved at Demetrius shoulder. “Leave him alone. He’s a growing baby.”

  “Well he can eat whatever he wants today. And I’m going to buy him a bunch of toys too,” Demetrius told her.

  “What’s got you in the mood to splurge?”

  “I’m flush baby... just got paid,” he told her as they pulled out of the driveway and headed to the mall.

  Angel was grinning from ear to ear as she picked out toys and new shoes for DeMarcus. But when Demetrius turned to her and said, “Okay, DeMarcus is all squared away. Now, what does his mama want?”

  She shook her head, “I don’t want anything, Demetrius. You’ve been so good to me already that I can’t take anything else from you.”

  Demetrius wanted to pull Angel into Macy’s and buy her everything that he thought would look good on her. But he could see in her eyes that she still didn’t trust him. Maybe she thought that if she took too much from him, that one day he would put her on the stroll like Frankie tried to do... heck, like his own father did to his mother.

  So he didn’t fight the issue. He simply said, “Can I at least take you to dinner?”

  “As much as I cook for you... boy, you better take me to dinner.”

  Putting her arm in his, he said, “Okay girl, just tell me where you want to go, and I will make sure you get there.”

  “I’ve got a taste for seafood. How about Red Lobster?”

  “Let’s hit it and get it.” Demetrius took DeMarcus out of Angel’s arm as they headed to the car. He locked him back in his car seat and then they headed to Red Lobster.

  Angel ordered shrimp and a baked potato with chicken fingers for DeMarcus. Demetrius ordered lobster. When the plates arrived, Angel told him, “I wanted to order lobster, but it cost too much.”

  Demetrius was dumbfounded. He’d told her to order whatever she wanted and still she had picked shrimp instead of the lobster. Now she was looking like she wanted to grab his plate and make a run for it. Demetrius lifted a hand, getting the attention of the waitress. When the waitress came back to the table he said, “Can you bring another lobster fest and put her shrimp in a to-go box.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Angel told him when the waitress left the table with her plate.

  “You should have ordered what you wanted in the first place.” Demetrius shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you. One day you’ll realize that you’re worth a lot more than you think.”

  “I’m not concerned about what I’m worth. I’m more worried about what certain things might cost me in the end.”

  Putting his fork down, Demetrius was clearly offended. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I am not Frankie. I’m not looking for anything more than what you want to give.”

  “That’s what you say now. But what happens once I let my guard down?”

  He wanted to tell her that his guard was already down, because he had fallen for her. Angel was the one for him, and Demetrius didn’t care what anybody else had to say about it. But if she didn’t know by now that she could trust him, how could he even begin to share his heart with her?

  “Out spending your earnings from the Frazier fight I see.”

  Demetrius was caught off guard as he looked up to see Coach Johnson. He smiled at first but then he noticed the angry expression on the man’s face. “I saw the news, I’m sorry about Mr. Green.”

  Sam Johnson put his hands on the table and leaned so close to Demetrius that they were almost nose to nose. “You can tell your daddy that I got my gun locked and loaded.”

  “What are you talking about? You don’t have anything to fear from us.” Demetrius was shocked by the way his former coach was acting. They had never had any bad blood.

  “That fire at Danny’s house was no accident. Same old Don Shepherd... don’t want to pay his debts. But I better get my money after that Ali fight; or I’m going to have a bullet for the one that tries to take me out.” With that said, Johnson stalked off.

  “What was that about,” Angel asked as she pulled DeMarcus out of his high chair and sat him in her lap.

  “Let’s just eat our dinner. I don't want to talk about this right now.” Demetrius turned his head and watched his former coach open the door and walk out of the restaurant. The man had been good to him since the time he was a child playing in little league baseball. Coach Johnson had trusted him with his life savings, and now the man thought that he would rather kill him, than pay if he won his bet. Many times as Demetrius was growing up, he had wished that Coach Johnson had been his dad, because at least Coach had been at all of his games. And had believed in his future. Don Shepherd hadn’t even attended his final game. The one Demetrius had broken his ankle in... he’d been too busy in the streets.

  Coach Johnson had nothing to fear from him, and he would make sure that no one else did anything to him before he could get his wife to the South just as he’d been planning.

  Nine

  “Why is it that so many people think we had something to do with Professor Green’s death?” Demetrius had put off saying anything to his father for several days, but Coach’s words kept eating at him. Then customers started telling him that they didn’t want to put their twenty dollar bet in because they heard Don Shepherd doesn’t like to pay up. The gang was getting ready to leave for the Bahamas the next day for the Ali fight, and Demetrius didn’t want to leave town without getting to the bottom of this.

  “Who are these people?” Don snarled.

  “Haven’t you noticed that I haven’t had as many bets this week?”

  “Yeah, but I thought you was out spending your money instead of doing your job this week.”

  “I’ve been on my job,” Demetrius defended himself. “But everywhere I go, someone is telling me that they don’t want to place a bet, because they don’t want to end up like Professor Green.”

  “That’s just ridiculous. How many house fires do they think can be set in this town without the police asking questions?”

  Demetrius just came out with it. “So, are you saying that you didn’t do it, or that you wouldn’t burn down another house in order to kill someone?”

  Don stared at his son for a long moment. When he finally spoke his voice was calm. “Wasn’t I in Chicago when Danny’s house burned down? If the people are mad because I didn’t try to find a f
amily member to give Danny’s winnings to, that’s one thing... but don’t accuse me of murder when I wasn’t even in town.”

  That was true. Demetrius could verify that his father had been in Chicago. At least, he’d been there up until the time Demetrius left. From the timeline given by the newscaster Demetrius had been home, sleeping in his own bed when the fire started at Professor Green’s house. So, if he had made it back to Dayton before the fire started, then his father could have done the same. But if Don Shepherd had come back to Dayton the same night of the fire, then why would he have gone back to Chicago? Because from what he knew, Don, Joe-Joe and Stan partied hard in Chicago that weekend.

  He shook the doubt off. No, his father was not in Dayton at the time the fire had been set. And his dad was probably right about people having sour grapes because Don wasn’t about to give Professor Green’s winnings to a family member. It wasn’t like they were some legitimate business that could be taken to court.

  “You’re right, Dad. People around here just mad because they didn’t have enough money to make the kind of bet Professor Green made.”

  “Exactly.”

  Demetrius stood. “I’m going home to pack. Are you bringing Leo’s wife again?”

  “What can I say,” Don popped his collar. “The lady can’t keep her hands off of me.”

  “Is anybody else bringing a date to this fight?”

  “Stan’s bringing his old lady.” Don laughed as he added, “Joe-Joe is trying to find a lady so he won’t be the odd man out.”