“Gaza, cool off with the threats and shit. Yuh is my brother, and Gio was my partner. I ain’t no rat, and I don’t associate with rats. Jah know I kind of feel disrespected.”
I shook my head. “Royal, there’s no reason to feel disrespected. You is our family, you seet, but when you talking ’bout outside niggas in the equation, we affi be careful. You done know how the Feds set up. Yuh see how them set up Buju Banton. We just have to be careful when we doing business with these American niggas. I know none of us want to see the inside of another prison.”
“I get it. Listen, Gaza, it’s your call, my nigga. Let me know what yuh decide, so I can make the arrangements. I got to go. Got some pussy waiting at the room for me. I’ma get up wit’ all niggas in the a.m.”
“A’ight, yo. Be easy,” I said.
After he left out, Leroy looked at me. I knew he was waiting to see what I had to say.
“So, Father, what you think?” he said when I remained silent.
“I don’t really know . . . I’ll have to think long and hard on this one. I’ma check wit’ my peoples in New York to see if there was any bust or anything. As good as it sound, I can’t jump into nothing big like that without being sure.”
“Well, whatever you decide, a dat we a roll wit’.”
We sat around talking about the fact that if this was a legit buyer, we would be richer than we were now. It was very tempting, but one false move could bring this organization crashing down....
* * *
During the next few weeks, we went on with our daily routine. We made about two more trips to the United States, and everything ran smoothly. I was on edge after what Royal had said, but the more I thought about, the more I inched toward the notion that this was a legit business. I discussed it with everyone in my clique, and we all agreed that we would see what it was all about.
So as I sat in my office one afternoon, I pulled up Royal’s number and called him. I figured that he would be getting ready to come back to Jamaica soon.
He picked up on the third ring. “Hello.”
“Yo, brethren, how tings?”
“Everything good on my end. Out here by the pool, watching the little one take a swim.”
“Oh, okay. Listen, tell the people that I want a meeting ASAP. I will provide the place and time when they get here.”
“All right, boss. I’m on it.”
I didn’t respond. Just hung up the phone. I needed to pay a visit to the Big Man. If I was going to take on that much business, I needed to know that I could meet the demand. I got in my car and headed out.
Luciano’s voice echoed through my speakers. “Lord, give me strength to face another day, carry on life’s road, carry all my load.”
Lately, I had just been in my zone, trying to figure out things. I mean, I was a millionaire now, a Jamaican millionaire, but I was trying to reach US millionaire status. I needed to figure out what my next step would be when this was over. I had battles that I had to fight every day, since being locked up for thirteen years had not been easy on my mental. Some days I would be so angry that I just wanted to wile out, but then I’d remember I got Mom Dukes to worry about. Speaking of her, I was missing her something crazy. I planned on calling her later on tonight. I swear, I loved that woman with everything in me.
Chapter Thirteen
Catherine
My eyes fluttered open, and my surroundings came into focus slowly. Clearly, I was not in my bedroom. When I turned to my left, I saw his wavy hair peeking out from under the covers.
“Oh shit,” I whispered before letting out a deep sigh. How in the hell did I end up in bed with him again? After standing up, I gathered my clothes and tried to get dressed quickly without waking him up.
“So, you’re trying to sneak out on me . . . again?” Propping his hand under his chin, he stared up at me and shook his head.
“You know we shouldn’t be doing this, Miles. You’re married and . . .”
“My marriage has nothing to do with what we have between us, Cathy. I told you that I married her only because she was pregnant. Her father is one of the most prominent pastors in the city. There was no way she could’ve had a baby out of wedlock, and getting rid of my son was not an option.”
Tired of that half-assed story of his, I huffed and slid my feet into my shoes. The sun wasn’t up yet, and I wasn’t down to spending an entire night with him. To be honest, I hadn’t planned on sleeping with him. We’d been having an on-and-off affair for almost six months, and it was time for it to end. The complicated thing was, we also worked together. Both of us were federal agents with the FBI, but Miles had a bit more seniority than me. No, I wasn’t sleeping with him to get ahead in my career; I was genuinely attracted to him. Not only was he extremely good-looking, but his intelligence was a turn-on. Then add the fact that he was a little rough around the edges and played the role of tough guy very well.
He had coffee-toned skin, sexy honey-brown eyes, and a tall, athletic build, and he was also ten years my senior. I’d never dealt with a man that much older than me before, and I wondered if I had Daddy issues. My father, Samuel Reed, was also a federal agent, but he had been killed in the line of duty when I was merely ten years old. On the day he died, I vowed to follow in his footsteps. An only child and Daddy’s girl, I wanted to make him proud, even in death, by continuing his legacy.
“This can’t happen again, Miles. It’s over.” Looking back at him as I walked over to door, I noticed the smirk on his face. He didn’t believe me.
“You’ve said that before, but here you are.” His doubt made me want to try even harder to defy the attraction I felt for him.
Tossing the long tresses of my sew-in over my shoulder, I shot him a look of contempt. “You know you shouldn’t have invited me out for drinks, because you claimed you needed to talk. It was all a setup to get me in bed again.”
Miles knew that I couldn’t drink alcohol without getting horny. I’d tried to have only one drink, but he had kept them coming. I’d also tried my best to keep it professional with Miles, but he was a relentless flirt. I could also tell that if he wanted something, he went after it . . . hard. Gossip around the workplace had confirmed that not only was he a cheater, but he’d also had numerous affairs over the years with female coworkers. I didn’t want to believe it, but he flirted with other women at work right in my face. One thing I didn’t need was any drama over him with his wife or someone that I worked with. Jeopardizing my career was not in the cards, nor was a continuous sexual relationship with a man I knew I couldn’t have.
“A setup?” Miles chuckled and pushed the covers back before sliding his nakedness out of the bed. Damn, his body was breathtaking. His muscular chest and broad shoulders were a testament of his all-vegan diet and fierce workout regimen. Not only was his body a dream, but he was blessed with a huge dick that he knew how to work too. My eyes were on him as he closed the distance between us. “We’re both adults here, so don’t make it seem like I took advantage of you. You knew what was going to happen when you agreed to come to this room with me.”
“You’re absolutely right, so don’t ever ask me to meet you for drinks again. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to see you outside of work, Miles. I’m sure it’ll be awkward at first, but I’m okay with us just having a professional relationship only.”
“Okay.” He shrugged his shoulders before slipping his boxer briefs on. “If you say so. Just know that I’m with it if you want to get dicked down again.”
Rolling my eyes, I put my hand on the doorknob. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“I’ve heard that before,” he said nonchalantly as he stared at me with lust in his eyes. “You could be full of me too if you stop playing games. C’mon, beautiful. You need to take those clothes off, and let’s get round two in.”
“No, Miles. I’m serious. It’s over.”
He shrugged and turned to walk into the bathroom. “All right. I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
&
nbsp; Without saying another word, I walked out of the room and headed to the hotel’s exit. It was a good thing I’d driven myself to the hotel. My three-inch heels clicked loudly on the marble floor as I walked out the double doors of the DoubleTree and made my way to my white Chevy Impala. Once I was behind the wheel, tears burned the backs of my eyes. At the age of twenty-seven, I was still single and didn’t have any kids. Looking at myself in the rearview mirror, I had to admit that I was an attractive woman.
Standing at five feet seven, I had a curvaceous figure that turned plenty of heads. My Coke-bottle shape wasn’t the only thing I had going for me, though. My hazelnut complexion was flawless, except for a splash of freckles across the bridge of my nose. With my slanted copper-colored eyes, long lashes, deep dimples, and full lips, I was often told that I should’ve pursued modeling. Never wanting to use my looks or femininity to get by, I’d decided to use my brains instead. In a male-dominated field, I was often looked down upon as the pretty girl who wasn’t taken seriously. Cutting off any sexual contact with Miles was imperative to keep my reputation intact. Climbing the career ladder was my priority, not climbing on top of a man. But being ambitious made it hard to find true love, and I hoped I wouldn’t wake up one day regretting that.
* * *
The next morning, I pulled up in my usual parking spot at the FBI headquarters in New York, New York. As I stepped out of my car, the strong wind whipped my hair in my face, making it hard for me to see ahead of me. With a box full of files in one hand, I used the other to move my hair out of my eyes. That was when I saw Miles stepping out of his flashy-ass silver Range Rover. When I said that he was my superior, I meant that salary-wise and all.
“Cathy, good morning,” he greeted politely, but I could see him undressing me with his eyes.
“Morning, Miles.” Walking right past him, I could feel him staring at me. Not looking back, I used my badge to open the door. Miles was on my heels, and I could hear his feet shuffling behind me. With my eyes trained straight ahead, I headed in the direction of my work area.
There was a new file that I hadn’t seen before on my desk, with a memo on top of it explaining that I’d be involved in a new case starting ASAP. It was priority, I assumed, because I hadn’t been given a heads-up on starting something new. I’d been swamped with the case I was already working on. Before I could even open the file, Special Agent Morris, who was the head honcho, walked up to me with that usual stern expression on his face. He was an older white man, probably in his fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair and green eyes.
“Agent Reed, I’m taking you off the Montgomery case and putting Agent Simon on that. I want to get you out in the field, so this will be your first undercover operation.”
Hearing him say those words had my adrenaline pumping. What I needed was the opportunity to prove myself and what I was capable of. Hopefully, a promotion would be coming too. I’d been stagnant in my position for a while, and it was time for me to move up in the ranks.
He continued, “I need you to pay close attention to the information in the file. This case is top priority, so you must be on your A game. As a matter of fact, if you haven’t read the file already, you will have to go to Jamaica for this case.”
“Jamaica?” I flipped the file open and took a look. The suspect’s name was Donavan, but he was known by the alias Gaza. His rap sheet was pretty long, and he’d just completed a lengthy prison sentence. “But he did his time. Why are we investigating him after he’s been deported?”
“We have reason to believe that he’s still involved in trafficking drugs across our borders. He’s also suspected of other crimes, so we need you to be the eyes and ears to find out exactly how we can infiltrate him and his criminal organization. I don’t care what you have to do to get him. Of course, I won’t be sending you to Jamaica alone. Agent Paulson will be accompanying you.”
My eyes shot up, and he cleared his throat. “Is there a problem, Agent Reed?”
“No, sir, not at all.” Miles, of all people, would be going with me? That put a damper on my mood big-time. There I was, trying to leave him alone, and we would be spending time together solving a case on a beautiful, romantic island.
“The authorities in Jamaica are aware of the case, and if for any reason, you need them for backup, utilize them. I mean it. I want you to do whatever you have to do, but follow protocol to a tee, Agent Reed. There could be a promotion on the other side of this for you.”
“So, when will we be leaving?”
“We’re still waiting for the paperwork to be finalized, but let’s say a week or two at the most.”
The thought of a promotion in my future made me feel a little bit better, but not much. As the boss man walked away, I thought about how Miles had looked at me this morning. Was he already aware that we’d be working this case together? Had he pulled some strings to make that happen? Part of me wondered why I’d be partnered with him when he was known for having office affairs. Was Special Agent Morris trying to catch me in some shit? Maybe him sending the two of us was a cover-up for him knowing about our affair. But how would he know? I had been sure to keep what was going on between us a secret, and I hoped that he had been too. What if he’d told someone?
Biting down on my bottom lip, I knew that I had to stick by my guns and really stop sleeping with Miles. He wasn’t worth me losing what I’d worked so hard for. I’d come too far to let it all fall down for a good piece of dick and a strong pair of arms to hold me occasionally.
My phone vibrated at that moment, letting me know that I had received a text message.
Miles: I’ll see your sexy ass in sunny Jamaica.
There was a winking smiley-face emoji at the end of his short message. It taunted me to no end to know that he thought we’d be continuing our sexual trysts while on assignment. What he didn’t know was, I was much stronger than he thought, and I was determined to show him just how much.
Chapter Fourteen
Catherine
On the way home from work, I had a lot of shit on my mind. Among my many thoughts was my impending trip to Jamaica with Miles for my first undercover assignment. As excited as I was, I was also disappointed. Of course, they had to assign someone to accompany me, but why the fuck did it have to be Miles? Part of me wanted to ask them to get someone else to go with me, but I didn’t want to raise any suspicions. I’d surely be asked why, and I’d have no explanation to give. With a deep sigh of frustration, I tried to stay positive about everything. It would be difficult not to let my intimate feelings for Miles take over, but I was going to defy them with everything in me.
The sound of my phone ringing interrupted my thoughts as I drove. I reached inside my black MK bag for my phone, pulled the phone out, and saw my mother’s number on the screen. My first instinct was to not answer the call, but then I decided to see what she wanted.
“Hey, Ma.”
“Why do you sound like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like somebody pissed in your iced tea.”
“I’m okay. What’s up?” I said, wanting her to get to the point. I was losing my patience.
My relationship with my mother had been strained for years, and that was for good reason. Soon after my father’s murder, she had moved on to another man, one named Byron Fields. He was a very successful defense lawyer who made lots of money. I often wondered if my mother had already been having an affair with him before my father’s death, because she married him less than six months after my dad was buried. I had hated Byron with a passion since the day I first laid eyes on him. That wasn’t just because he thought he was going to take my father’s place, but there was something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. Not too long after their marriage, his true colors showed with a vengeance.
“Do you have plans for this weekend?”
“No. Why?” I was surprised she’d asked me that.
“Well, I’d love for you to come over and join Byron and me for dinner.” Her voice betra
yed her skepticism, because she knew how I felt about him.
“Mom, why do you constantly try to get me to make amends with that man? You chose to stay with him after what he did, and I chose not to deal with him. I deal with you only because you gave birth to me. Don’t make me cut you off too,” I spat.
“You’ll do anything to make sure I’m just as lonely and miserable as you are,” my mother hissed angrily. “You know damn well Byron never tried to do anything to you. You just want me all to yourself, Catherine. You don’t want me to have a life. You just want me to continue mourning your father, but it’s been seventeen years. It’s time to get over it.”
“Like you did? It’ll never be as easy for me as it was for you. He was my father, not some piece of dick and a check. You’re pathetic, Mother. I don’t want to have anything to do with the man you brought into my life that molested me. He didn’t try to. He did it, and you can be in denial all you want!”
“Since your father died, you’ve been manipulative and attention seeking. I got you counseling, but that shit didn’t seem to work. There’s no proof that Byron did anything to you, Cathy. You’re delusional, and you have been for years. I don’t know how you even passed the mental evaluation to join the Feds. If you don’t start dealing with reality, you’re going to be in some psych ward somewhere . . .”
“Please stop!” Shaking my head, I tried not to go off on the woman who had pushed me out of her birth canal. “You know damn well I’m not delusional, nor am I crazy. You’ve been trying to convince me that I’m loony for years, but clearly, I’m not. That’s why I was able to pass my mental evaluation with flying colors. You are the one who’s delusional. You don’t care about anything but money and your fake-ass reputation. You are a woman who allowed a strange man to touch your daughter. Face it. You are just a money-hungry jezebel who has always used her pussy to get by. Too bad I’m not like you, huh? I’m not miserable and lonely, like you think. I have a life and a career, unlike you. All you have is a rich man and a daughter who only tolerates you because you’re all I have left. Don’t call me again. If I want to talk to you, I’ll call.”
Carl Weber's Kingpins: Jamaica Page 11