by J. L Rose
“Food, Gage!” Dante told him as he dug out his phone to see that it was Dre calling. “What’s up, fam?” he answered the phone with a smile.
“Fam, you ready to get in some work?” Dre asked Dante. “I know you been out there in Miami laid up living like the king of Miami, but your boy just showed up out here in Jersey and homeboy got some friends with his ass. I’m already dealing with his bullshit now, so what’s up? You ready to play, or what?”
“I’m leaving tonight. Meet me at the airstrip in Jersey,” Dante told Dre, hanging up the phone immediately afterward and then calling Alinna.
“Hello?”
“Lil’ man, where’s your mom?” Dante asked, recognizing his son’s voice.
“She’s right here. Hold on, Daddy!” Dante Jr. told his father.
“Yeah, Dante,” Alinna said over the phone after a few moments.
“Alinna, pack me up a bag. I gotta fly out to New Jersey to help Dre out with something.”
“Whoa! What’s happened, Dante?”
“It’s Fish Man,” he admitted. “Dre said his ass showed up again, but he supposedly brought a team with him this time!”
“I wanna—!”
“No!” Dante cut off Alinna. “I know what you’re about to ask, but you need to handle shit here, and then you still ain’t decided what you’re gonna do with Angela. Just let me handle this, and I’ll be back afterward.”
“Dante, I don’t want you out there by yourself. I know you’re taking James and Gage with you, right?”
“That’s not even a question!” he told Alinna, shifting his eyes back to his boys up front. “Tell Monica I need her to call Nash and tell him I’ma need some toys that’ll wake God up in heaven.”
“I’ll let her know. How long will it be before you get home?”
“Maybe twenty minutes.”
“I’ll meet you there!”
* * *
Dante reached the mansion sooner than he thought, pulling inside just as Alinna and her security team were pulling inside the gate. Dante climbed from his G-Wagen as Alinna was climbing out of her Wraith. The two entered the mansion behind their son while Yasmine was talking with her Japanese security team.
Dante and Alinna were talking with each other while walking up the stairs instead of using the elevator. They made it to the bedroom to see both Natalie and Damian asleep in their bed. Dante kissed Natalie awake and let her know what was happening while Alinna was packing him a bag and calling Monica for him.
“My husband,” Yasmine called out as she entered the bedroom and got Dante’s, Alinna’s, and Natalie’s attention, “I’ve spoken with ten of our security men who I’ve trained myself. They will be going with you to protect you as backup. That is not a request, my husband, but they have their orders and will do whatever is needed to ensure that you’re safe and return back to us. Are we clear, my husband?”
Dante was not surprised by Yasmine’s protectiveness over him, and he was unable to stop the smile that spread across his lips.
“We’re clear, Yasmine!” he replied.
SIXTEEN
Dre watched as the G-4 jet landed and rolled to a stop as the hatch opened a few minutes later. Dre broke out in a smile at the sight of his brother once Dante appeared in the door opening of the plane. Dante then looked over to Tony T to see his other brother also smiling at the sight of him standing there.
“He’s even brought friends,” Tony T stated, seeing James, Gage, and the Japanese security team Yasmine brought. “Those dudes were killing up shit when she sent them with Dante and the others when they got at Garcia Francisco.”
“What’s good, family?” Dante said as he walked up on and then embraced with Dre and Tony T.
“What’s good, family?” Dre replied to him as he and Tony T then embraced with James and Gage.
“So, what’s up?” Dante asked, getting straight to the point. “What’s the deal on this clown Fish Man?”
“I’ma let Tony T tell you what’s up!” Dre told Dante as he pulled out his phone. “I’ma hit up Vanessa and have her send a ride for ya team, since you ain’t tell us you was bringing a team.”
“Yasmine made me!” Dante admitted. “Matter of fact, tell Vanessa I said to call Harmony because the both of them and the other women need to pack bags because I want all of them down in Miami with Alinna.”
“You know Vanessa’s not gonna be feeling that, bruh,” Dre told him as the line began ringing.
“Tell her I said I’m not asking, Dre!” Dante told his brother, only to receive a nod in response.
Dante turned his attention back to Tony T and stood there and listened with James and Gage as he broke down the news about Fish Man and his so-called crew. He caught Dre’s words as he repeated what he told his brother to say.
* * *
Dante saw Vanessa’s metallic-gray Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG as it turned out onto the airstrip, followed by an Escalade truck. Dante put out the Black & Mild he had been smoking as the Benz truck pulled up in front of Dre’s H1 Hummer.
“Dante, I am not feeling this shit!” Vanessa told him as she, Harmony, Keisha, and Emmy and the kids climbed from the trucks.
“Vanessa, relax!” Dante told his sister as she angrily walked up on him. “I’m doing this for a reason. Just trust me, a’ight?”
Vanessa sucked her teeth and then rolled her eyes at him.
“Baby, can you grab my bag?” she asked Dre.
“Dante, what’s up with Alinna?” Harmony asked.
“She’s a’ight!” Dante answered. “But I want you and the others with her while I’m up here. She’s holding shit down, but I need y’all to watch her back.”
“We got you, boo!” Harmony told him, kissing him on the cheek.
Dante escorted the women to the jet and then waited until the G-4 was in the air. Once again, he and the rest of the Blackwell men climbed into Dre’s Hummer while the Japanese men climbed into Vanessa’s Benz truck and the Escalade. Within moments, the three vehicles pulled off and headed toward the airstrip’s exit.
* * *
Dirt watched the three rides drive away from the airstrip, recognizing Dante Blackwell out of all the men who arrived on the jet. He sat listening to the line ring while continuing to watch the vehicles exit the airstrip.
“Yeah! What’s up?”
“Fish Man, this is Dirt!”
“Talk to me!”
“You was right! That nigga Dre called that nigga Dante back out here. It was Dante and about twelve other dudes. But I just saw that tall female and three other women leave on the G-4 Dante just arrived in.”
“You say Dante got here with twelve dudes?”
“Yeah!”
“Ain’t no bitches come with the nigga?”
“Naw! Just hard legs!”
Fish Man was quiet for a few minutes but then spoke up again and said, “A’ight! Meet me at the airport. We’re taking a trip!”
* * *
Dre drove around to some of the spots out in New Jersey, letting the workers see that Dante was back. Dante also stopped by and saw his cousin Floyd and his crew, as well as his sister’s boyfriend, Norise, and his team over in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Dre finally pulled up to the two-story mansion that he and Vanessa found out in Jersey City.
“You say this nigga Fish Man is back and he’s got a team, right?” Dante asked as he stepped into the mansion behind Dre.
“Bruh! I already know what you about to say!” Tony T spoke up from behind Dante. “I peeped the same thing. This nigga Fish Man ain’t been seen nowhere all day!”
“His fake-ass crew either!” Dre added.
“So have either of you seen this nigga Fish Man since he supposedly got back?” Dante asked.
“Naw!” Both Dre and Tony T answered, but then Dre added, “The young soldier you put in charge of the spot over in Newark said he saw that nigga Fish Man and three other niggas with him.”
“And now they’re just missing in action, huh?” Dante asked as
he sat down on the sofa, sitting back while trying to make sense of what he was hearing. After a moment, he continued: “A’ight. This is what we’re doing. Have every soldier and worker we got out here in New Jersey and New York on the lookout for this clown and this team he got. Let them niggas know the first person who finds or sees Fish Man and reports back to me gets $100,000.”
“You dead serious, huh?” Dre stated, smiling across at Dante. “For $100,000 you gonna have this fool Fish Man being hunted down like a runaway slave!”
“That’s the whole fucking plan!” Dante replied with a smirk.
However, Dante’s facial expression quickly changed. “This shit with Fish Man supposed to never went this far! I fault myself for that, so I’ma end this shit now!”
* * *
“Hello!”
“Alinna, it’s Diamond, girl! I gotta talk to you!”
“Hey, Diamond. What’s up?”
“I know Mr. Dante Blackwell took you back to Miami after what happened, but why aren’t you with him now in New Jersey?”
Alinna was caught off guard by what she just heard. She looked over at Yasmine, who sat on her right inside the den at the Miami mansion.
“Diamond, how do you now Dante’s in New Jersey?” Alinna asked her.
“Because I just got a call from Kyle, and his ass said he’s coming to Miami and wants me to pick him up from the airport.”
“How do you know he knows I’m in Miami?”
“Because he told me he has unfinished business with you, and since Dante’s out of town in New Jersey, he wants to deal with you now!”
“He said that, huh?” Alinna questioned. “Alright. When is he supposed to be here?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Alright, here’s what I need you to do, Diamond,” Alinna told her as she began breaking down her plan to deal with Fish Man’s sorry ass.
After hanging up with Diamond once they were finished talking, Alinna looked at Maxine, who stood at the entrance of the den.
“Tell me I wasn’t just hearing shit, Alinna! We about to finally dead this fool Fish Man, huh?”
Alinna nodded her head and then began breaking down everything Diamond had just told her about Fish Man. She then broke down her plan for Fish Man’s ass.
“So, he knows you’re here but doesn’t know Diamond works for us, huh?” Maxine asked, just as Rose walked into the den interrupting their conversation.
“I apologize, Alinna, but Vanessa is here and driving up to the house,” Rose announced.
“Vanessa?” Alinna repeated as she stood up from the sofa and started out of the den with Yasmine and Maxine behind her as they all headed to the front door.
Alinna unlocked the door and then opened it to see Vanessa, Keisha, Harmony, and Emmy climbing from Dante’s G-Wagen. Alinna broke out in a smile when she saw her sisters were actually in Miami.
“Looks like this bitch is happy to see us!” Harmony said jokingly as she and the other women approached the front door.
“What the hell is y’all doing here?” Alinna asked, hugging her girls.
“Your husband sent our asses out here!” Vanessa stated as they entered the mansion.
“Auntie Alinna!” Andre Jr. called out, getting her attention.
“Yeah, baby!” Alinna answered, smiling down at her nephew.
“Where’s D.J. and Mya?” he asked her.
“They’re upstairs, A.J. Go ahead up to D.J.’s bedroom,” Alinna told him, smiling as he took off rushing up the stairs. She turned back to Emmy and said, “Emmy, go ahead on up. Natalie’s up there with Damian.”
Once Emmy left, Alinna and the women went into the den happy to all be back together minus Amber. Maxine then mentioned that Fish Man was in Miami.
“Wait!” Harmony said, after hearing what Maxine just announced. “What the hell you mean Fish Man is in Miami, when Dante just flew out to New Jersey to deal with his soft ass!”
Alinna spoke up and began first explaining to her girls that she had received a phone call from Diamond. She then discussed a plan she was setting up for Fish Man once he arrived in the morning.
“Girl, you been around Dante’s ass too long!” Vanessa told Alinna after hearing what her sister just finished explaining to her and the other girls.
SEVENTEEN
Diamond easily spotted Fish Man as soon as he walked out onto the lobby floor of Miami International Airport, but then she also noticed three guys who were with him. She got control of herself feeling her heart beating fast in nervousness. She then stepped out into the opening, which allowed Fish Man to see her. She also saw the smile that spread across his face at the sight of her.
“What’s up, baby?” Fish Man said as he walked up onto Diamond, leaning in to kiss her lips.
“Let’s go, nigga!” Diamond told him, holding up her open hand and pushing his face away as she turned and started toward the exit.
“Damn, Fish Man, my nigga!” Ace said with a smile while watching Fish Man’s people as she walked away. “Where you find that baby from?”
“I’ma tell you about it later!” Fish Man told his partner while following Diamond outside the airport and into the parking lot over to a pearl white Land Rover Range Rover.
“When you get this?” Fish Man asked once inside the SUV and looking around at the new ride Diamond was pushing.
“Don’t get in my shit questioning me, Kyle!” Diamond told him with an attitude. She rolled her eyes at him as she was driving away from the parking spot. “Where am I taking you, nigga?”
“I’m staying with you, but you can drop my niggas off at the Hilton on 7th and 29th Streets,” Fish Man told Diamond, only to have her correct his ass.
“First off, nigga. You don’t just invite yourself to any fucking place, and I’m not about to drive way the hell across town into the city for your boys you didn’t even tell me was coming out with you! But I’ll take their asses to the Days Inn over on 199th and 441st Street. Take it or leave it!”
“Whatever, Diamond!” Fish Man replied with a dismissive wave of the hand.
* * *
Diamond arrived at the Days Inn and let Fish Man and his boys head inside to get a room. She rolled her eyes when Fish Man told her not to leave. She quickly pulled out her phone and called Alinna.
“Yeah, Diamond!” Alinna answered.
“Alinna, I’m at the Day’s Inn you told me about!” Diamond told Alinna, looking toward the entrance of the hotel. “Fish Man wants to come back to my place though, so he’s leaving his people at the hotel.”
“That’s perfect!” Alinna told Diamond. “Diamond, I want you to do whatever you have to do to get Fish Man tied up, and then go ahead and call me back. I’ll be at your place once you call me, alright?”
“Alright! I gotta go! Here he comes!” Diamond quickly told Alinna, hanging up her cell phone right afterward and watching Fish Man walk his lying and trifling ass back out to her SUV.
* * *
After hanging up the phone with Diamond, Alinna smiled at what she heard. She dialed her husband’s cell phone number while walking out of her bedroom and heading downstairs.
“Yeah!” Dante answered after the first ring.
“Hey, you! You busy?” Alinna asked as she entered the den and saw her sisters as well as Brenda, Natalie, and Yasmine.
“Naw, shit’s dead out here right now! You got everything under control? You good, right?” he asked.
“I’m fine, Dante. But I need you to come home now. It’s very important!”
“What’s up, Alinna?” Dante asked, taking on a dead serious tone.
“Dante, just come home!” she told him. “And bring Dre and Tony T with you.”
“I’m on my way!”
Alinna heard the call end on Dante’s end of the phone. She then lowered the phone from her ear, only to hear Vanessa ask, “What’s going on, Alinna?”
Alinna smiled again and told the Blackwell woman everything that was just told to her by Diamond about
Fish Man. And what Alinna had to say quickly put a smile on Vanessa’s lips as well.
* * *
Diamond crawled out of the bed beside Fish Man when she heard him loudly snoring after giving him the rough sex he loved so much. She snatched up her cell phone and headed into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. She walked over to the sink and turned on the water, and then she called Alinna’s number.
“Yeah, Diamond!”
“Girl, his ass is out like a light! When can you get here?”
“We’re already in the area. Do you have him tied up?”
“No! But I can take care of that right now.”
“Do it! We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
After hanging up with Alinna, Diamond shut off the water and went back out into the bedroom to find Fish Man still asleep. She quickly got the handcuffs she kept in the bedside table.
Diamond gently moved Fish Man until he was stretched out on his stomach. She then handcuffed his wrists to the bedpost and then tied his ankles to the bed using a sheet on each leg and around the steel bed frame. Once she was finished, she stepped back and smiled as she looked down at Fish Man stretched out naked across her bed. Diamond then walked over to her dresser and grabbed some underclothes and went to get cleaned up.
* * *
Alinna stared out the back window of the Rolls-Royce Wraith as her chauffeur pulled up in front of Diamond’s condo, and saw her Land Rover Range Rover she recently bought. Alinna waited until the driver opened the car door for her, and then she, Vanessa, and Yasmine climbed from the back of the car.
“Yasmine, have two men come inside with us,” Alinna told Yasmine as she and Vanessa started up to the front door to the condo.
Alinna rang the doorbell once at the front door. She looked back to see Yasmine and two of the six guards walking over to the door with them. They waited a moment and heard the door being unlocked and then swung open.
“Everything ready?” Alinna asked.
“His ass is still knocked out!” Diamond told Alinna as she stepped back and allowed Alinna and the others into the condo.