by Jhon Rose
Chapter 18
“Alinna, are you okay?” Vanessa asked her girl as they drove away from the time house. Driving in Alinna's new BMW 325I, she glanced back and forth from the road back over to Alinna. Hearing Vanessa and staring out of her window from the passenger seat, Alinna responded after a minute passed. “I think something’s up with that bitch Angela.”
“You mean Dante's daughters mom?” Amber asked from the backseat.
“Yeah, that bitch,” Alinna answered nastily.
“I thought everything was alright with you and Dante on that level,” Vanessa added.
“I was,” Alinna replied and looked to Vanessa saying, “This bitch called Dante at twelve something in the morning about some problem he told me about after he got home. Then his ass was gone again when I woke up. When I asked him where he had been he said some mess about taking care of business.”
“You know how that man is better than all of us. He’s always handling something,” Amber spoke up.
“What's wrong with him taking care of a problem?” Vanessa asked.
“I do not care about Dante handling his business. What I do care about is my man coming home smelling like some other bitch. That's what the problem is,” Alinna stated, with her anger heard through her voice. Turning her attention back out of the window Vanessa and Amber sat quietly. Alinna stared out the window not seeing anything and thinking about how she could get to the bottom of this problem.
$ $ $
Turning down the block where Harmony's trap house was after calling her worker's, Tony T slowed his Aston Martin in front of the trap house, but sat looking out of the tinted passenger window for a brief moment, trying to understand what he was seeing.
Parking the Aston Martin behind the black Escalade that was also parked out front of the trap house, Tony T hopped out only to hear Harmony yelling at two dudes who stood facing off with Harmony and her three workers.
“Is there a problem here?” Tony T asked, walking up on the group with his burner in his right fist, stopping beside Harmony. “Harmony, what's good?
“These two bitch ass niggas can't understand that I don't care who the fuck they work for. My price won't lower for them, him, or whoever the fuck ...” Harmony said as she mean-mugged the two guy's that were standing in front of her.
“You got your heat out like your planning on using it, homie,” one of the two dudes said, directing his attention on Tony T. Slowly smiling at the guy, Tony T decided to not say anything on it and ignored his statement. Instead he asked, “Who you niggas work for?”
“Who are you supposed to be?” the other guy asked Tony T looking him up and down. Shaking his head and smiling, Tony T called Harmony in close and asked, “Baby, what's up? We doing business or what?
“Fuck them niggas and the bitch nigga they work for, ain't no business here for them,” Harmony stated with attitude.
“Alright niggas, y'all ran out of time so y'all need to be gone by the time I finish talking or I’ma make sure one if not both of you go back to your boss holding onto your own insides in.”
“You mothafucka!”
BOOM!
“What the fuck?” one of the guys yelled after seeing his boy get shot in the stomach, now laying on the ground holding his guts in pain.
“That's one, you got a choice,” Tony T told the guy staring at him while maintaining a smirk on his face.
Watching the other guy help his homeboy up and out to the Escalade, Harmony shook her after the truck pulled off. Tony T asked, “Who the fuck were they?”
“I don't know,” Harmony answered and then said, “They supposedly work for some nigga named Raul. They’re not even from here. They’re supposed to be from Orlando.”
“What are they trying to get?” Tony T asked as he tucked his gun in back into his jeans.
“Supposedly whoever this Raul nigga is, he wanted five bricks and sent me some bullshit message about the twelve grand and it wasn't negotiable.”
“I know the price is nineteen a piece, but I thought you let him go for 12 when they buy four or better?” Tony T said.
“Nah, I didn't like the vibe they gave me and I don't like this Raul dude sending people to give me a message as if he is somebody on a whole other level.
“Yeah, I hear you,” Tony T said, and then added, “Just keep your eyes open and let me know if you got any more problems.”
“Aww you worried about me?” Harmony asked, smiling as she wrapped her arm around Tony's neck.
Gripping Harmony's thick ass, he replied, “I know you can handle whatever but, let me know anyway.”
“Yes, Daddy,” Harmony replied, leaning into Tony T kissing his cheek only to scream when he gave her a slap on her butt.
“Now where's my weed you promised me?” Tony T asked grinning.
$ $ $
Hearing about the murder of Captain Ben Whitehead all over the streets and even on the radio, Alinna found herself splitting her focus from business and news on the Captain. The last update was that Sergeant Angela Perez would be taking over for Captain Whitehead.
“So that's what this is all about?” Alinna said aloud, talking to herself as she and Vanessa drove off from the dropping off Amber with Wesley to get her car from the shop.
“What, what was about?” Vanessa asked, glancing over to Alinna.
“That's what Angela needed Dante for; she used him to get another promotion at the police station.”
“So you think she lied to Dante and had him kill this Whitehead guy just to take his spot?”
“She probably wasn't lying completely, but I don't think this Whitehead guy knew everything she said he knew. I think she had added more to it so Dante would go after the guy; she knows how Dante is, just as much as I know.”
“Why do I have the feeling you are thinking something else, Alinna?”
Quiet for a moment, Alinna replied, “I think she is after Dante.”
“After him how?” Vanessa asked
“She is gonna use her position to give Dante the freedom to do whatever he wants and in return he will have to turn away from me.”
“Now you know Dante is crazy about you. You gave that boy his first son.”
“Yeah but she gave him his first child,” Alinna replied just as her phone went off. Pulling her phone from her purse, Alinna saw that it was one of her major buyer's calling.
“What's up Rick?” she answered.
“What's up Alinna? You too busy to holla at a nigga doing your queen-pin thing or what?”
“I got time for you boo, talk to me.”
“Check this out, I got a dude from outta town who’s trying to do business with you, but he’s trying to cook up some pot sew. He wanna get like 10 onions.”
“Okay, you know this dude, Rick?”
“Real talk. I have heard of him Alinna ... but, he's been missing off the maps for some months now.”
“So are you putting your word in for this guy that he will do good business?”
“Alinna ... look.”
“Just answer the question, yes or no?”
“Alright, yeah,” Rick hesitated
“Alright. You know if shit’s not right with this guy you’re sending me that I will need to have Dante clean up and then come see you.”
“Damn, I thought we were cool. You gonna send that crazy ass dude after me?” Rick said baffled.
“It's business, Rick,” Alinna told him. “What's this guy's name?”
“He goes by Fish Man.”
“Fish what?” Alinna asked with sarcasm as if she hadn't heard Rick correctly.
“Fish Man, like with the scales and what not.”
“Oh, okay ... Fish Man. Send me his number and I will text him tonight,” Alinna said.
$ $ $
Hearing his phone go off as he and his son laid sleeping together, Dante reached back behind him and answered, “Yeah?”
“Hi baby, you busy?”
“What's up Angela?” he asked, l
ooking down at his son after hearing D.J. moan while rolling over onto his side.
“I am just calling like you told me to, but guess what?”
“Tell me.”
“They are promoting me this Friday. I won't work on the streets anymore and it will be a desk job from now on.”
“Where are you?”
“Out in my car in the parking lot, why?” Angela responded
“I thought you were inside the station talking to me.”
“Dante come on, you mean the world to me, and you are the father of our daughter. I am really careful when it comes to anything to protect you. I love you.”
“Yeah I hear you,” Dante replied. “What time do you get off?”
“I'm not sure. I will call you when I find out,” Angela told him. “Are you coming to see me and Mya tonight?”
“Just call me when you get off, Angela,” Dante told her, hanging up the phone and shaking his head.
$ $ $
Finishing her business runs, Alinna rode with Vanessa to her trap house to drop off more work with her crew. Remembering Fish Man that Rick had told her about, she went through her phone to find his number. Listening to the line ringing as she called whoever this Fish Man was, Alinna nodded her head to Vanessa after she said she would be right back.
“Who's this?” Alinna heard a heavy country sounding voice answer.
“I am calling for whoever Fish Man is,” Alinna replied.
“You the chick I have been hearing about, the one that's supposed to have the city locked down?”
Ignoring the comment Alinna said, “Rick tells me you are looking to connect on a business level. Is that correct?”
“So it's true then?”
“Is what true?” she asked.
“You having shit on lock in the city.”
“Look Fish Man or whatever, if you are looking to discuss history or my background wait for the autobiography. What the fuck you gonna do?”
“Ooh feisty,” he replied. “I am sure Rick told you I am looking for ten k ...”
“He told me,” she said abruptly interrupting his speaking. “We can discuss facts in person and not on the phone.”
“Fine, when can we meet?” Alinna gave Fish Man a time and a location for their meeting and hung up, just as Vanessa was getting back into the car.