Goodfellas
Page 30
“Of course, Greedy loves me. What the fuck kinda question is that?”
“Well, when a man truly loves a woman he marries her, yes?”
“Girl, let’s just count this money and handle this business.” Gigi was getting more aggravated with each passing moment. She knew Maria was the direct connect to the plug, but this was becoming all too much to take in.
“Okay, what you call it, soul sister? We count.”
Soul sister? I swear to God I hate these wannabe black wetback bitches with a passion. If this bitch say one more thing about me or Greedy’s relationship, I’ma bug out.
Twenty minutes more passed. Both females seemed to be back on their best behavior. With only three more small bundles of money to count, Maria couldn’t keep quiet. “So you and your boyfriend makes lots of money, I see.” She put an emphasis on boyfriend.
Gigi was no dummy and caught the dis. That was all it took. All bets were off, plug or no plug. “Look, bitch, you got me fucked up. I tolerated your ass earlier at the restaurant because you might not have known better. But now you stepping all the way outta line, and I ain’t with that shit.”
Maria was beautiful, but far from a coward. It was in her DNA to brawl if need be. And if Gigi was willing to step up, she’d be more than happy to meet her halfway. She liked Bobby, but she was just testing the waters to see how other guys from the D got down. Truth be told, Maria went both ways when she felt like it. And she had been even willing to see how Gigi was laying too—until she starting being so defensive about her so-called man. Not bothered about the female’s name-calling, Maria just giggled as she bent over to get her lipstick out of her purse. “Wow, he must really have a huge dick to make you wanna fight over it!”
Gigi snapped. As she mean mugged Maria ready to pounce, she noticed a unique tattoo on her lower back. It was one that was all too familiar to her. Gigi’s grandmother, mother, and aunts spoke often about that very design. It was one she and everyone else in their family were trained to beware of. Now, here this smart-mouthed bitch representing the cartel was a few feet away begging to get killed. Dropping a stack of hundred-dollar bills to the floor, Gigi pulled out a knife she always kept tucked in her bra. Creeping up on Maria while she was still bending over, Gigi was not interested in making this a fair fight. What was about to take place was deeper than money and drugs. This was about family respect. “So you part of the infamous Lopez Family line, huh?”
“Yeah, what you—”
Before Maria could finish her sentence, Gigi had slit her throat without thinking twice. Not being able to even stand, Maria used both hands to grab her neck. Her jaw dropped open as if she wanted to scream out for Bobby but couldn’t. Her eyes grew big as tears poured out of the corners. The thick black mascara she had on ran down the sides of her face. All her dreams of getting to Detroit and living a new life just ended. All her plans of going on shopping sprees and living large were done. She traveled all this way and didn’t even get a chance to find her deceased mother’s family. Maria had been a real hustler and loyal to the cartel since birth. She had seen and had done a lot of wrong in her life, but this was never how she envisioned taking her final breath. Maria had three seconds left in the land of the living for a quick “Hail Mary” before she was gone.
With the bloody knife still in her hand, Gigi stood menacingly over her victim. She quickly snapped out of her rage coming back to reality. She’d just killed the damn connect! Gigi knew there were going to be consequences for her actions down the line, but now, she had to immediately put Greedy up on what she’d done without Bobby knowing as well. Gigi texted him their private code: 921. He’d know some bullshit had or was about to jump off. He’d be prepared either way it went. Seconds later, someone knocked at the door. Gigi stood close asking who it was. Greedy replied that it was him and Bobby. She looked through the peephole seeing that her man was standing behind Bobby, so it was all good. She knew the routine. Slowly, she opened the door and braced herself for chaos to ensue.
Chapter Thirteen
Bobby stepped inside first as Gigi hoped he would. Once Greedy entered and closed the door, he pulled out his gun. Gigi then started explaining. Bobby heard nothing she was saying. He saw Maria slumped over on the floor and hoped that she was playing. She had to be. Only a short time ago she’d been laughing and joking, telling him all the things she planned to buy with her newly acquired wealth. He rushed to her side. Getting down on both knees, he scooped up Maria. Her arms flung out to the side and her head tilted back. It was then that he and Greedy saw the huge gash across her throat. Momentarily, both men were speechless. They’d heard no arguing out in the parking lot. There were no signs of a struggle, and the money appeared to be neatly stacked and rubber band bound on the bed.
“What the hell happened? Why did you do this? What in the fuck!” Bobby was in shock as he fired off question after question, not waiting for a response.
Greedy was pissed and on the same thing as Bobby. He wanted to know what’d gone down so drastic that caused Gigi to do what she obviously had done—killed the connect and probably any chance, hope, or prayer of ever getting a bag from the cartel again. That was, if they both lived to see another sunrise. “Yo, damn. What in the fuck happened in this son of a bitch? Why you do that to that girl? I know you wasn’t still on that bullshit from earlier.”
Gigi had killed before, with no remorse or purpose. But this time was much different. Although she wondered if her man or Bobby would understand, this was bigger than drugs and money. She’d killed Maria on point and principal. “Listen, bae,” she tried to reason with Greedy who now stood mute with his gun still on Bobby. “That bitch last name is Lopez.”
“And . . . so?”
“Look on her lower back. She has that tattoo I told you about.”
“Huh, tattoo? Gigi, what in the fuck is you talking about?”
Bobby had tears in his eyes as he still held on to Maria’s lifeless body. “You mean the one she said was her family crest or something like that? What about it? What the fuck that have to do with your ass?”
In any normal situation, Greedy would chin check the next man for breathing on his girl like that, but all things considered, he wanted to know that answer as well. “Well, what the fuck?”
Gigi took a deep breath as she started to explain the strange but true connection she and Maria had. “See, listen, when I was a young girl, my mother’s sister ran off with this man. He was scum. That shit had my grandmother’s heart aching for years behind the bullshit. It was some fucked up Mexican she started dealing with. My mother said he had her strung out on drugs. Then the dirty bastard killed her. My people told us all while growing up that any of them Mexicans with the last name Lopez that ran with the cartel wasn’t about shit and definitely wasn’t to be trusted. Well, that bitch’s last name not only was Lopez, she was proudly wearing that murderous family crest tattoo like she was untouchable. So, see, I had to kill the bitch for having a tainted bloodline.”
Greedy said nothing. He just stood staring at Gigi knowing this time she’d crossed the line. She and her bad attitude and fairy-tale stories of yesteryear were going to probably get him, his mother, uncle, and entire generation slaughtered behind this.
Bobby gently laid Maria down on the carpet. He was hurt. He was confused, and now he was infuriated as he stood to his feet. “You stupid-ass little wannabe tough bitch. Do you even realize what in the fuck you just did, huh? Do you?”
“Yeah, I do,” Gigi defiantly barked back. “I killed a family member of the monster that killed my aunt. So it is what it is.”
“You dumb hood rat. You right, you did kill a family member of the man that killed your aunt—their daughter, you fool! Your cousin! Maria told me the story of her parents while we were on the road. That’s why she said she volunteered with the cartel to be the Detroit connect. She wanted to come here and search for her family that she’d been robbed of so many years ago as a small child.”
Gigi for once i
n her life was speechless. Not only had she murdered her own cousin in cold blood, she’d fucked up the pipeline and money. At this point, she didn’t know what to do or what to say. Greedy, however, no matter how pissed he was, had to think quickly. He had to make some tough decisions if he wanted to stay alive, let alone maintain his kingpin status throughout the city. The cartel was not for games. He’d seen hustlers come and go over the years for calling themselves fucking over the plug. But Maria Lopez dead in the middle of the motel room was a major fuckup, a major fuckup with the plug of all plugs. Lowering his gun, Greedy asked Bobby on a scale from one to ten how bad he thought this was. Bobby kept it brief. He informed Greedy that he himself was terrified to even walk outside the room. He’d spent a lot of time in Texas near the border. He’d witnessed unspeakable acts that he prayed would never be his fate.
“We all dead. Period.” He paced the floor as he kept looking over at Maria. “Them motherfuckers don’t play, and we can’t hide. Damn, bitch! You done got us all killed! Maria was into this shit deep.” Bobby lunged at Gigi, but Greedy held him back.
Just then, Maria’s cell phone rang. The room grew silent. It rang once more, then a third time. No one moved. No one said a word until it stopped. Bobby went over to Maria and slid the cell out of her rear pocket. Before he could check the call log, the cell started to ring once more. “Oh, shit! It’s them probably wanting an update. So fuck the dumb shit. I ain’t do nothing; she did. That’s your girl, not mine. I’ma just tell them what happened and that’s on y’all.”
Greedy stopped Bobby from answering the call. “Wait a minute, hold tight. Maybe we can both make a few moves and be all right behind all this.”
“Be all right? Dude, I ain’t do shit—she did.” He pointed at Gigi who was still stunned about Maria’s true identity. “They gonna kill her first when the shit do hit the fan.”
Greedy started thinking about his uncle Ed and the day he’d gone to visit him. He swore he’d never let him down for hooking him up with the plug. He promised to protect his mother and siblings from harm or any negative fallout that came from the game. Up until this point, Greedy had kept his word, and it was bond. It was his word that kept his territory strong. His word that had his workers’ loyalty, and his word that had Juan get the cartel to front him all the extra product that made him who he was. Greedy’s lifestyle flashed before his eyes. He was not done living and not done making money. He craved slanging dope and was not willing to give all that up—not now, not ever. He had to make things right with the cartel. He had to do something major to show he was still worthy of their favor. Seconds later, out of nowhere, Greedy smashed the side of the gun against Gigi’s skull. Dazed, she fell to the ground. Like a gazelle, he leaped on her, striking her once more. Bobby stood well over to the far side not knowing what was about to happen next. Greedy dragged Gigi over to the side of the bed. Snatching two pillows off the bed, he told Bobby to turn the television up loud. Bobby wanted to get out of the room and get some air anyway and figure out his next move. He couldn’t believe Maria was gone, but she was. As he passed by the television, he did as he was asked. An episode of Law and Order, of all shows, blasted through the speakers.
Greedy and Gigi had come up tighter in the streets and the game. She was, without doubt, one of the realest niggas on his team. If he rocked, she rolled. She had his back time and time again. But this and what she did would not be overlooked by the cartel. Before he placed both pillows on her face, he explained that he was sorry and had no choice. “My bad, baby girl. You always been a rider for daddy, and I appreciate the fuck outta you. But with me, it’s always gonna be money over bitches when the bag is in.” Just like that, Gigi was dead lying next to her long lost cousin. Greedy prayed the cartel accepted his sacrifice and knew his loyalty was true.
* * *
Bobby Bands was devastated. He finally found the courage to answer Maria’s cell. He swiftly told the caller what had happened. He knew better than to leave anything out. Jefe claimed to be all right with what jumped off and how Maria’s death was paid back in blood. But with the cartel, one never knew. He had strict details on how everything was going to go as far as the load was concerned and them getting all monies owed. They’d send someone to pick up Maria’s body, clean the room thoroughly, and transport her back home. Sitting around the main table, high-ranking members tried to speculate on just who the original leak was in the organization or pipeline that set all this madness in play in the first place. Some thought it was Greedy and ordered him watched.
Meanwhile, on the west side of Detroit, Marisa the housekeeper sat in front of the television. Ironically, she was watching the same episode of Law and Order that was on in the motel room. Just receiving another self-ordained degree in Crime TV, it would only be a short time before the dizzy, paranoid-minded old bitch believed she’d seen another dead body stuffed in a duffle bag, setting off a new chain reaction of wild and crazy events.
The End