“It’s all up to you. If your gut’s telling you shit ain’t right, then you might want to run with it, but as far as I can tell, they’re good to go, if you want. Trust me, I got their pictures saved on my computer. If anything comes up, I will be contacting you.”
“Thank you, mon. I appreciate it,” I said.
“No worries. Just have two of those sexy island gyal ready for me when I visit the island in a few months.”
“I got you, fam. Be easy.”
Okay, so I trusted my nigga’s word. This was a green light for them, but just to be careful, I wouldn’t be doing the actual drop-off. I’d have my runners meet up with them when it was time to do the exchange.
* * *
I was sitting on the verandah, reading the morning newspaper and smoking a blunt, when Camille walked out there. I knew she should be feeling better after I sucked on that pussy real good last night. I was wrong for the way I had yelled at her when we got home, so I’d had to do something quick to make the situation better.
“Good morning, boo. How long yuh get up?” she asked.
“Yuh know mi is an early riser.”
“Gaza, I wake up wit’ something on my mind.”
“Yeah? What’s that?” I turned my full attention to her.
“Do you know that gyal and that bwoy from last night?”
“Royal introduce me to them. They looking to do some business wit’ me.”
“So you don’t know them? I don’t ’ave a good feeling ’bout them, Gaza.”
“Why you say that?” I inquired.
“When I meet people and my spirit don’t tek them, something is not right. Also, I see how the gyal looking at you.”
“C’mon, Camille. Is this what it’s about? Jealousy? Yo, it’s a strictly business ting. Nothing else not jumping off.”
“Hmm. Gaza, don’t mek new pussy cloud yo’ judgment. Me telling you, it’s something about them. Them claim them brother and sister, but not even an ounce of resemblance. I also see the dirty look that the bwoy give yuh when you and the gyal was talking. It’s not a good look.”
“Camille, baby, I been doing this for a long time. Trust me when I say I am more than careful. Nothing is not going to pop off, and if it did, trust me, your man gonna handle it. Now, can I get some breakfast please?”
“Of course, Gaza. Me don’t want to lose you.”
“Me not going anywhere. We good. What I tell you is if I get a couple of these runs, that’s it. I’m done. We can open up a few businesses and live comfortable for the rest of our lives. Think about bringing some youth into the world.”
“I hear you.”
She walked off. I could tell she was still feeling some way about last night. Shit. I understand her concern, but seriously, if it wasn’t for the B, Camille probably would be lying on ice in the morgue right now.
After breakfast, I took a quick shower and left out. I had a few errands to run before I headed to the Big Man’s house to make sure everything would be straight for the business.
Chapter Eighteen
Camille
I’d seen how Gaza looked at that bitch last night. He’d thought I wasn’t paying attention, but I hadn’t missed a beat.... I wasn’t the smartest person walking around, but something was not right. Then it had just so happened that I got grabbed up by a nigga that had made his way into the club, and that bitch had been the only one that saved me. Hmm, if you asked me, it had all been set up so she could gain Gaza’s trust.
Earlier, I’d tried talking to him about the feelings I was having, but he’d hurriedly dismissed me, like I didn’t know what I was talking about. I just hoped for his sake, our sake, that this bitch and her so-called brother were really who they said they were. Tears welled up in my eyes as thoughts of losing Gaza hit me head-on. I quickly shook the feeling away and went inside to clean up the house.
I was mopping the floor when I heard my phone ringing. I rushed to the front of the house and picked it up. It was Sophia. Oh shit. I had forgotten to call her. Last night, when we left the club, I had told her we could hang out today, possibly go get a manicure and pedicure.
“Hello,” I said.
“Bitch, you just waking up?”
“No. I’m here cleaning up the place.”
“So we not going to get nails done?” she said.
“Yes. Me going to jump in the shower right now. Meet me out at Half Way Tree, because you done know me not coming to the Gully.”
“All right. Me already dress, so just call me after you bathe.”
I rushed into my closet and pulled out American Eagle shorts and a tank top. Jamaica was too damn hot to really wear clothes. Gaza didn’t like when I wear the pum pum shorts them, so I had kind of started dressing differently.
I took my shower, and in no time, I was dressed and out the door. I was excited to be spending the day with my linky. We’d been working real hard at the club at night, so we really hadn’t had that much time to get together.
I hate this traffic, I thought as I made my way to Half Way Tree. I had no idea how some of these people had got their driver’s license, because they couldn’t drive. I finally pulled up over by York Plaza and searched for a parking space. I circled around about three times before I saw a woman pulling out of a space. I quickly pulled into the space right after she pulled out, and parked. I spotted Sophia standing by the water fountain. I got out and waved so she would see me. She did and started walking toward me.
“Yo, my girl, me did not even see when you pull up,” she announced when she reached me.
“So you mean fi tell me, as pretty as my baby is, you didn’t see her?” I said, pointing to my baby blue Benz.
“You gwaan show off.” She burst out laughing.
“C’mon. The nail shop upstairs.”
“Yo, me glad you’re all right after what happen last night. The Yankee gyal save you still.”
“Me not even want to talk about it. Is this morning, me mother telling me she want me to leave Gaza. Before him come in me life, I was good. Now I got shot once and almost get shot last night again.”
“Boy, me gyal, me feel the same way like you mother, but I know you love him. Plus, you living good. Look at what you driving, and look at the money in the bank. I’m not sure if I would walk away from all that.”
“True. I love Gaza bad, but him lifestyle too dangerous. Him keep telling me just a few more deal and he’s leaving the game fo’ good.”
Sophia shook her head and frowned. “And you believe him. I overhear him and Leroy talking, and the amount a money them have them hand on, I doubt they gonna stop anytime soon. Baby, is you alone can decide if you want to leave him. Let me ask you a question. You think Gaza ever cheat on you before?”
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face her. “What make you ask me that?”
“My girl, you know how these bwoy yah stay. I see how him look at the gyal the other night. So you is my friend, and so me just wondering if you think him would cheat.”
“Well, me don’t trust no man, and in my book all man cheat, but me don’t have no reason not to trust Gaza. I mean, if him fucking another gyal, me don’t know nothing about it. I love my man, and even though right now we not on no good terms, me nah go run and left him for no next gyal to get him.”
“My girl, me hear you. Just keep you eye open, because none of them bwoy can’t be trusted.”
“So Oneil ever cheated on you before?” I asked her as we walked up the stairs to the nail shop.
“Wha, the amount gyal Oneil fuck, me can’t even keep up. Oneil a old dawg, mi gyal,” she revealed.
“And you still deh wid him?”
“Gyal, me wit’ Oneil only because him have a few dollars. Him not rich, but him is a hustler. Me never go without yet since me and him get together.”
I nodded. “I hear you. Anyways, come on. Let’s spend some of Gaza’s money and get dolled up.”
We ended the very intense conversation and walked into the crowded
nail salon. While we sat there waiting our turn, the question that Sophia had asked me about Gaza cheating on me lingered in my mind. I’d accused him before of cheating, but it wasn’t something that really bothered me. I mean, ain’t no bitch ever stepped to me and said anything about him fooling around with her, and when he was home, the phone rang only for business. I swear, I really hoped this bwoy wasn’t out there slanging dick all over this place.
“Ma’am, are you ready?” the nail technician asked me, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yes, I am.”
I got up and walked over to her station. I dismissed those thoughts before they ruined my day or my already rocky relationship.
Gaza had said that in a few weeks we would be trying to get visas to fly out of this place. I was not going to lie, I was happy he was finally going to give up this life....
Chapter Nineteen
Catherine
I took a quick shower, dried off, and wrapped a towel around myself. I went in my bedroom and sat on the bed, intending to check my phone quickly before I locked the bedroom door. But as I was about to pick up my phone, the door burst open and Miles walked in. Not able to read the look on his face, I let him know about my exasperation with him.
“What did I tell you about busting up in my room? God, can you knock?”
“Don’t act like I haven’t seen you naked before.”
“It’s not about that. You are still invading my privacy. Damn!”
“Okay, fuck that. I’m in love with you, Catherine, and I set this all up to show you that. I wanted to let you know how I really feel, and to help you get to the next level in your career.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I turned to look at him. “I didn’t need you to do that. I told you from the beginning that I didn’t want you to interfere with me getting a promotion. As far as you being in love with me, that’s bullshit. You wanted to do this assignment with me only because you thought we’d have all the time in the world to fuck while we’re here. Sorry, but you were wrong. I refuse to be your mistress, but I will milk this for all it’s worth and will get that promotion, with or without you.”
“Okay, fine. I’m tired of sweating your ass!” Miles shook his head and walked toward the door.
I was ready for him to leave so I could lock the door behind him. “Good. Hopefully, it’s over now, and we can do what we really came to do and take down some bad guys.”
He turned and walked back over to where I was sitting on the bed. After grabbing the back of my head, he pressed his lips into mine, and his tongue touched mine. I pushed him away, and then I slapped the shit out of his ass before wiping my mouth.
“What the fuck? Why would you do that?” I snapped.
“Stop acting like you don’t love me too, Cathy. I know you do. I can feel it every time we touch. Whenever we kiss.” The intense expression in his eyes told me that he was really serious.
“I’m not acting like shit. I don’t love you. What we had was just sexual, Miles. What is wrong with you? You’re really acting crazy! Get the fuck out of my room before I use my gun again.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” He smirked at me.
“Try me, motherfucker!”
“And how will you explain that to Morris?”
“I’ll come up with something.”
Miles shook his head in defeat. “Just let me eat your pussy, baby. I just wanna taste you.”
“No! Get the fuck out!”
He grabbed my ankles and pulled me down to the edge of the bed. As he did so, my towel unraveled, exposing my breasts and stomach. In a split second, his hands were on my flesh, exploring, but I wasn’t feeling that shit. I didn’t want him to touch me at all, let alone put his mouth on me. Then I felt his warm, wet lips making a trail down to my belly button.
“Just let go, baby. It’s not like I’m a stranger . . . ,” he coaxed.
“You’re acting like it, Miles. Please, no . . . Stop please!”
“No. That pussy’s all fresh and clean too. Just let me make you feel good, baby.”
“No! Get the fuck off me!” I pushed his head away, but I wasn’t able to move my legs, because of the weight of his body on me.
Before I knew it, Miles tossed my towel to the side, and my naked body was fully exposed. He stared down at me as if he’d laid eyes on the most divine creature. That shit made me nervous, and as I took in the sick, ravenous look in his eyes, I was actually afraid that he would rape me. Still trying to get him off me, I swung my fist and connected with his forehead before he could take my clit into his mouth. That shit didn’t stop him. His warm tongue clasped my clit, which was hard against my will. Not enjoying that shit, despite my body’s reaction, I was finally able to move my legs and lifted one up, and I swiftly kicked him in his face.
Miles staggered back, clenching his jaw, as he looked down at me in disbelief. “Why the fuck would you kick me in my face?”
“Why the fuck would you try to eat me when I told your ass not to! Get the fuck out now, Miles. I promise I’ll shoot your ass!” I grabbed the .380 from my nightstand and pointed it in his face.
As his chest heaved from breathing hard, like I’d knocked all the oxygen out of his lungs, he walked backward out of the room. Not knowing how I was going to make it through another day on assignment with him, I hurriedly locked the door and threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top. After that, I headed out of the bedroom and then out the front door. Not long after, I was standing right by the swelling tide of the ocean. The waves pushed cool water toward my feet, instantly changing my foul mood. How dare Miles try to force himself on me! I’d told his ass no, and I hadn’t given him mixed messages. His declaration of love further proved that crime in Jamaica wasn’t all that I had to worry about. He’d made it off his rocker, and I was worried that he would drop the ball on the investigation.
Looking down at my cell phone, I wanted to call Special Agent Morris to let him know that I wanted off the case. Miles was a loose cannon, and I didn’t want to take any chances. Then again, I also didn’t want to risk the promotion that was looming in my future. Damn. What was I going to do? As I strolled along the beach, I hoped that putting that gun in Miles’s face had shown him that I was serious as hell. If he tried it again, I’d surely do whatever I had to do, but until then, I’d just play it by ear. It wasn’t like he was really a rapist. I guessed he thought I’d give in eventually, but my actions had shown him that I wouldn’t.
Why did men think they could just violate a woman like that? Whether I’d fucked him before or not didn’t give him a right to do what I had told him not to. Tears burned my eyes as I thought about all that I was sacrificing. I did have feelings for Miles, but he’d told me time and again that leaving his wife was out of the question. Being a mistress wasn’t something that I’d envisioned for myself, and I wasn’t about to take that title now. If I was going to have a man, I wanted him to claim me as his own. Sharing a man with his wife wasn’t something I wanted.
The sound of my phone ringing in my hand made me look down at the screen. It wasn’t a number I recognized, but I answered, anyway.
“Hello?”
“Indica, dis is Gaza. Is dis a bad time?”
“Oh, no, not at all. Me and Sway were just wrapping up our business and heading home.”
“Cool. Mi want to link up with your tomorrow so we can talk more about what we talked about earlier.”
“Umm . . . okay. What time do you want to meet up with us?”
“No, just you. I don’t want your brother to come. I think we should keep this between us. Is that irie?”
“I guess, but I don’t have a car. Sway does, but—”
“No worries. I’ll pick you up. Just shoot me the address, and I’ll be there tomorrow, around two p.m. That cool?”
“Yes, it is. I’ll see you soon.”
My heart skipped a beat as I ended the call. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way that he wanted to meet me without Miles, but I needed to get away from “my br
other.” Maybe, just maybe, I’d crack the case myself and leave Miles to wallow in his hurt feelings.
* * *
The next day I was up by 6:00 a.m., anxious to meet with Gaza. Most of the first half of my day was spent outside, by the pool. I ate a light breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, and coffee alone by the pool and didn’t bother to cook anything for Miles. After that shit he’d pulled the night before, I didn’t know if I ever wanted to be near his ass again. Was he really capable of rape? Shit, I couldn’t call it. All I knew was, he’d violated me for the first and last time. After writing an update report for Special Agent Morris, I decided to take a dip in the pool. Once I was done with my swim, I headed upstairs to get dressed for my meeting with Gaza.
When I stepped into the sitting room, fully dressed, Miles looked up at me, and his eyes widened. “Where are you going?”
“I have a meeting with Gaza. He’s going to put me in on his money scam.”
“You’re going by yourself?”
“Technically. Look, don’t start with that jealous bullshit. This is all business. I need you to access the GPS system and hack into his phone’s mic and camera. Record everything he says, and when you get the location, make sure you do surveillance from a distance, just in case something happens. You know he and his crew are hot around here by what happened at the club the other night.”
“I’m on it, but for some reason, I feel like you’re trying to do some solo shit.” Miles was shirtless, in only his pajama pants. He probably thought his broad chest was enticing me, but I was repulsed by him.
“Well, I advise you to get out of your feelings. We need to close this case as soon as we can, because I don’t think I can stay here with you much longer. After the shit you did last night . . .”
“I’m sorry about that. That’s not me, and you know it. There’s just something about you that does something unexplainable to me. I act on impulse, when I’m normally more . . . rational. Don’t worry. It’ll never happen again. I get the point. You don’t want to fuck with me like that, and I respect that. Besides, I probably had one drink too many.”
Carl Weber's Kingpins: Jamaica Page 16