‘Me and Shaun are gonna go meet some people, collect some debts and shoot pool.’
‘Well, I’m fucking coming with you then!’ Wild Woman snatches her handbag.
‘Love, I need to spend some time alone with Shaun!’ Wild Man growls.
Wild Woman marches up to Wild Man. ‘What the fuck are you two up to? You planning on going to a fucking titty bar again? Is that fucking Chantelle waiting to shag you somewhere? You dirty fucking bastard!’
‘Come on, la’,’ Wild Man says. ‘Let’s get the fuck outta here.’
‘Fuck you, Peter!’
‘Fuck you!’
Wild Woman chases Wild Man from the room.
In the car, I say, ‘You two getting hostile like that’s way too stressful for me, la’.’
‘That’s nothing. We’re always fighting. One time, she went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed me in the belly.’ Raising his top, he says, ‘Look at the scar.’
‘How can you have a relationship based on domestic violence?’
‘It’s all about the make-up sex, la’.’
I take Wild Man to Club Freedom, where Keoki is spinning. Wearing a business suit and Gothic make-up, Keoki looks up from the turntables. I remove the disguise I’m wearing to dodge undercover cops: sunglasses and a bandanna. Our eyes meet. Keoki smiles like a fiend.
Spaniard spots me, his crew dozens strong – all working for Sammy the Bull – versus the six I’m with. ‘English Shaun!’ Spaniard says, approaching with some large friends.
I shake Spaniard’s hand, flanked by G Dog and Wild Man. My body steels for conflict. My heart speeds up.
Spaniard’s partner, Mark, steps up to Wild Man and looks him up and down. ‘So, this is all you’ve got for backup, is it?’ Mark shakes his head at Wild Man.
‘What the fuck did you just say, you fucking tit?’ Wild Man says, pointing at Mark.
‘What the fuck are you guys doing in here?’ Mark yells.
‘Are you deaf, you fucking spaghetti-head motherfucker?’ Wild Man says, balling his fists.
‘You’re way out of your league,’ Mark says.
‘Go and fuck yourself. Me and you outside!’ Wild Man yells.
‘No, you listen!’ Mark yells. ‘We’ve got respect for your family, but this is our turf.’
‘Let’s go outside, then!’ Wild Man yells.
Spaniard gets in between them. ‘C’mon. Chill out, guys.’
‘Yeah, come on, Wild Man, forget about it,’ I say, grabbing his arm, wanting to leave fast.
‘If you don’t wanna go outside—’ Wild Man shifts and shoves Mark.
Bracing for an explosion of violence, I say, ‘Calm down, la’,’ my heart beating as if Wild Man’s big hand is clenching and unclenching in my chest.
Spaniard pushes Mark back. Cody and G Dog grab Wild Man.
‘Calm down, Wild Man,’ Cody says.
‘He fucking disrespected me,’ Wild Man says.
Spaniard pulls Mark away from Wild Man, their eyes locked.
There’s enough of them to annihilate us. ‘Hey, Spaniard, Mark started this, talking shit to Wild Man,’ I say. ‘We don’t want any trouble. Come on, let’s go.’ I help drag Wild Man out, relieved to escape unscathed.
Hoping to have a peaceful night out in the last place my rivals would try to find us, we go to a gay club called The Crow Bar in downtown Phoenix. High on Ecstasy and relaxing with my friends, I’m soon enjoying the friendly atmosphere and the house music pumping from giant black speakers. The floor is packed with topless muscular men, some in yellow construction hats, dancing under flickering strobes. I dare any of my friends to dance topless with a construction hat. With a massive Ecstasy grin, Wild Man gets on the floor and shakes his stuff surrounded by hip-grinding hunks.
A striptease dancer partying in The Crow Bar recognises us and calls Sammy the Bull’s crew – which I’m unaware of until told by Sammy the Bull’s son in prison years later. The Bull dispatches his son as the head of an armed team with instructions to kidnap me from The Crow Bar. I’m going to be held for ransom, and if it isn’t paid, they’re going to take me out to the desert to eliminate their competition. Fortunately, Wild Man gets in a scuffle and we have to leave The Crow Bar in a hurry. The Gravano crew arrive too late.
A few weeks later, I visit the Wild Ones’ flat in Tempe.
Wild Woman opens the door, agitated. ‘Wild Man’s been arrested.’
‘For what?’ I ask.
‘We were walking towards Mill Avenue and he slapped me across the face. A cop on a bike arrested him and took his ID. It had a woman’s name on it, Candy Huff, next to his picture. He ran his name and took him but let me go.’
‘Unbelievable! All the trouble it took to smuggle him in and he gets busted for acting like a twat to you. Now he’s had one deportation, they’ll definitely put an immigration hold on him. He’s also looking at prison time, because last time they banned him from the country for being a menace to society. Sorry, Wild Woman, but we might not be seeing Wild Man for a while. I’ll have an attorney check into it, but don’t get your hopes up.’
‘Now I’ve got my own little place in Tempe, I’m better off without the bastard. Before he got arrested, we were shagging and he reached under the mattress, pulled out a huge knife and started stabbing the mattress between my legs. When I asked him what the fuck he was doing, he said, “I know there’s a Mexican under the mattress fingering your bum while I’m trying to make love to you.”’
‘I don’t know how he comes up with these things!’
‘He’d been up for weeks on meth, Shaun. He was going mental with the mattress, saying, “Who’s under it?” The mattress is on the floor. No one could get under the bed even if they wanted to. Then, before this, he was stood for two-and-a-half hours, Shaun, with a butterfly knife behind his back waiting for the Mexicans to come and kill him. Nobody was out there. I ended up opening the door, saying, “Come on in, anybody,” being sarcastic, know what I mean? Then he flipped out on me for doing that!’
‘If I leave you some pills, can you sell them to raise cash to pay for Wild Man’s attorney?’
‘I’ll do my best.’
Chapter 48
In bed one night, I say to Amy, ‘For all I know, you’ve been using me for money the whole time we’ve been together.’
She winces. ‘I like money just as much as you, Shaun, but I also love you,’ she says, resting on her side.
‘I find that hard to believe after Mexico. What were you thinking?’
‘I wasn’t thinking. I was so high. I got scared coming home, so I made up a story. I figured it would be better for you like that.’
‘Better for me! I blew a gasket. Most of my money’s gone and I don’t even give a shit what happens anymore. I was so happy. I tried so hard to show my family how happy we were and now they’re worried sick about us. How did everything turn so ugly so fast?’
‘Look, if you think I’m using you for money, how about I do something to make you more money than you’ve ever spent on me?’
‘What are you on about?’ I say, sitting up. ‘I don’t even know how much I’ve spent on you.’
‘No one’s getting caught smuggling through Mexico. What’s the most Ecstasy anyone’s brought in so far?’
‘Twenty thousand.’
‘I’ll bring in more. I’ve got some ideas of my own, you know.’
‘Like what?’
‘Diving tanks. You know how many pills can fit in a diving tank? People cross into America with diving tanks all the time. I can actually go diving before I bring them over.’
‘You’re out of your mind! Say you get caught with pills in Mexico and end up in some Mexican prison? Think about that. You’re my bloody wife! The Mexican authorities will notify the US authorities and they’ll raid this house. And what about your parents? They’ll want to kill me.’
‘I’m going to do it, and you’re not going to stop me!’ she yells, raising herself to look me in the eye. ‘I’ll call Lucas a
nd set it up myself. And that’s another thing: if Lucas just flew over to Europe and connected with some people, don’t you think I can do that? Then we can get Lucas out of the picture. He’s such a fucking asshole to deal with. If he did as you told him, a lot of shit that’s gone wrong would never have happened. He has you by the balls. He knows it and takes advantage.’
‘True. More pills could have been smuggled if it wasn’t for him giving his word and not following through or delaying things for months. He did well going out there on his own, but now he’s got attitude.’
‘Look, Shaun, I do love you and I want to earn your trust back. I’m going on the next mission and I’m going to bring 30,000 hits.’
Amy flies to Europe. She gets pills from Lucas in Amsterdam, packs them in pillowcases and takes the train to Germany, where she meets a dealer in a nightclub and gets samples. She flies from Germany to Hermosillo with the pills in her luggage, still in pillowcases. No one stops her. Her student friends on vacation in Rocky Point pick her up in a car packed with their belongings, including diving equipment. At the border, they flirt with the guard, who waves them through. I chew the samples. All are high quality. I’m impressed by Amy and delighted with the new connection.
Chapter 49
With the pills Amy smuggled beginning to restore my wealth, I’m caught off guard by reports that Wild Woman’s place has been firebombed. It’s almost a year since Wild Man was arrested, and she’s now selling large quantities.
Concerned for her safety, I speed to her place and rush in. ‘What happened?’
She’s slumped on a chair, gloomy-eyed, a cut on her face. ‘I was sat at the desk by the bedroom window and Grady was on the bottom of the bed. I was talking to him, weighing out stuff, and the next minute there was a loud bang. The firebomb skimmed past my face and blew up. Grady dragged me out and I was like, “No!” I went back and grabbed my stash. I gave it to one of my mates and she locked it in the back of her car.’
Relieved she isn’t seriously injured, I’m shocked that someone had the nerve to attack one of the Wild Ones. ‘Do you think it’s Sammy the Bull’s crew trying to run us out of Tempe?’
‘No,’ Wild Woman says. ‘One of my dealers, Joey Crack, told me Skinner was making a bomb thing. When that went off, his was the first name that came into my head. I knew it wasn’t the cops ’cause they don’t raid with firebombs.’
Skinner! ‘When did Joey Crack tell you that?’ I ask, incredulous.
‘It was about a week or two ago. He’s lost the plot, hasn’t he, Skinner?’
‘He’s smoking sherm and meth according to Mari, but I don’t think he’d go this far. You had any problems with him I don’t know about?’
‘No. I think his problem is that he thinks if he hurts me in some way it’s like hurting you and Wild Man. ’Cause he can’t hurt you two physically.’
‘Mari said now you’re in the scene, taking over Tempe, he’s no longer getting the attention I used to give him.’
‘Well, I’m selling more than him now, aren’t I?’ Wild Woman says, her eyes lighting up. ‘Those black gangsters Skinner shot up Fuzzy’s house with showed up here right after the firebomb, telling me to grab my drugs and get in their car.’
It dawns that she’s right, but my mind struggles against it. Will Skinner strike at me next?
‘I told them to stay away from me. They kept telling me to get in their car. They wanted to take me to some strange place, an apartment in the middle of the Foothills. I was like, “I’m not getting in no fucking car with you. I don’t know who you are and I don’t trust you.” It was just the way they turned up. It was dead sketchy. I wigged out on them and they’re like, “We’re not gonna hurt you. We’re just gonna take you somewhere safe.” I said, “I don’t know who just put that through my window. You might be taking me out to the desert. Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” The other thing is, Wild Man’s been calling Skinner from prison, threatening him over money he owes me. But he thinks ’cause Wild Man’s in prison, nothing’s gonna happen to him.’
‘Let me check into this. I’m sending my immigration attorney to see Wild Man. It’s been almost a year. They shouldn’t be holding him this long. I just remembered something else: a few days ago, Skinner asked me if Wild Man was facing prison time in England. Does Wild Man know about the firebomb yet?’
‘Yeah, it’s got his red dots going. He said Skinner just dug his own grave.’
A few days later, I track Skinner down at an apartment, walk in and give him a hug. ‘Viddy well, little brother.’
‘Viddy well, big brother,’ Skinner says.
After chitchat, I ask, ‘Hey, did you hear what happened at Wild Woman’s?’
‘No, big brother. What happened?’
Recounting the story, I study Skinner’s face. He’s either telling the truth or he’s a great actor. He suggests Sammy the Bull’s people did it. I play along and leave on a friendly note, unsure how to deal with him.
In Wild Woman’s apartment, I install Vince – one of my bouncers, 6-foot 4, with a chiselled body and a thick scar streaking down his right cheek from a machete wound. I instruct him to answer the door with a shotgun and to flaunt it to deter further attacks.
Wild Woman calls, complaining: ‘Vince is making me more nervous and scared.’
‘What’s he doing?’ I ask.
‘He’s supposed to be looking after me, but he keeps walking around with this big gun all the time, parading round the house.’
‘I told him to.’
‘I said to him, “Can you put that fucking gun away? I’m sick of looking at that gun all day.” Grady’s better than Vince. Grady sits all night with a gun while I sleep.’
‘Vince is just following orders, but I’ll tell him to chill.’
I’ve been testing Vince – a newcomer to my organisation – with a view to promotion. I like that he frightens Wild Woman – who doesn’t scare easily. Her customers are probably terrified and any potential robbers they talk to are put off. Rewarding him with more responsibility, I give him 500 Ecstasy to sell, but he returns claiming he was robbed. After interrogating him with Wild Woman, I discuss the matter with her.
‘I don’t trust him,’ Wild Woman says. ‘There’s something dead sneaky going on. Since I met him, I’ve thought he’s trying to be something he’s not, telling his tall stories and what he has and hasn’t done, but it’s all false. He’s also up Skinner’s arse. I’m convinced Skinner’s sneaking around doing underhand shit with Vince, too.’
Has Skinner corrupted Vince already? ‘When was he up Skinner’s arse?’ I ask, alarmed.
‘In my flat. You’re always in Tucson. I don’t want Vince near me no more. I don’t trust him. He’s lying about the pills. When you were quizzing him, his story kept changing. He kept tripping himself up, saying it was three dudes, then it was two.’
Disappointed, I grant Vince one mistake, but advise him there’ll be consequences the next time. I drop the price of the 500 pills he lost to my cost and tell him he must work to repay me, starting with helping collect a debt.
While I drive to the people who owe the debt, Vince asks, ‘What’s the deal with these guys?’
‘Primo and Marcello are into me for thirty grand. They’ve been getting off their heads on meth and ketamine and anything they can get their hands on. They’re so spaced out, they think people are on the roof. They’re mellow. It’s not going to turn hostile. I just need to teach them a lesson.’
‘How’re you gonna get them to pay up?’ he asks.
‘You’ll see,’ I say, not expecting to get paid today, but hoping to demonstrate the meaning of consequences to Vince.
Primo and Marcello answer the door, their eyes bush-baby wide, with dark bags below. ‘Come in quick,’ Primo whispers, swivelling his head, casting paranoid glances up and down the street. ‘Did the neighbours see you?’
‘You guys need to take some Xanax and chill,’ I say. We walk into a living room painted gold with a red sofa,
Greek statues and rave posters. I hug them and introduce Vince. ‘So, you guys got any money for me?’
‘We got robbed!’ Marcello says, pacing like a prisoner in a cell.
‘By who?’ I ask, frowning.
‘Crackheads,’ Primo says. ‘They’re still on the roof.’
I glance at Vince and shake my head. ‘You said that days ago. How can they still be on the roof?’
‘They just are!’ Primo says.
‘Do me a favour, Marcello. Turn the music up,’ I say.
‘Why?’ Marcello bites his bottom lip.
Vince stares, confused.
‘I don’t want your neighbours to hear what I’ve got to say.’
Marcello and Primo gaze at each other, terrified, as if turning the music up might kill them.
‘Vince, can you turn the stereo up, please?’ I ask.
Marcello’s and Primo’s eyes follow Vince to the stereo. He turns up the house music.
‘So, the guys who robbed you are still on the roof?’ I ask, staring at the ceiling.
‘Yeah,’ Primo says.
‘Can you point out exactly where they are on the roof?’ I ask, putting my hand in my pocket.
Primo and Marcello shuffle around, whisper to each other and check out the ceiling. They point at a section near a back corner.
‘Are you sure that’s the right part of the roof?’ I ask, positioning myself below it.
They nod.
Extracting a Glock handgun, I brace for the noise. They watch in disbelief as I aim at the ceiling. Bang-bang-bang … They all jump. Plaster sprays down.
With the noise ringing in my ears, I say, ‘I guess that takes care of the thieves on the roof. I suggest you guys sober up and have some money for me next time. Let’s get out of here, Vince, in case the neighbours call the cops.’
A few days later, Mari calls: ‘I’ve dumped Skinner and moved in with my mom.’
‘What’s he done now?’ I ask, sat at my computer.
‘I was over at Grady’s apartment. I went to my car to get something. You know how the back parking lot is so dark by the train tracks?’
‘Yes.’
Party Time_Raving Arizona Page 27