His apology sounded sincere, so I relented and accepted; however, I would still be on guard around him.
“Okay, apology accepted, but if you ever touch me again, you’ll pay for that shit.”
“I got you.” He looked down at the laptop on the table in front of him, as if to say the conversation about that was over.
My phone rang. It was Gaza, so I figured he had arrived to pick me up. I picked up.
“Gaza, did you find the place okay?”
Miles glanced up at me with a smirk on his face as he shook his head.
“Yeah. Mi outside now.”
“Okay. I’ll be right out.”
“I’m accessing Gaza’s phone now, so I’ll be on my way a few minutes after you leave,” Miles assured me.
Nodding at him, I headed to the front door. “All right. Keep your head in the game, Miles.”
When I got in the black Mercedes-Benz with Gaza, it smelled brand new.
“Nice ride,” I complimented.
“Thanks. Mi just bought it this mornin’.” His smile was radiant as his straight white teeth gleamed in the sunlight.
“Okay, you must be gettin’ to that paper. Is this a twenty eighteen?”
“Hell yeah. It’s fully loaded too. Dat’s what comes with di territory, though. By di way, everything’s been put in motion, so you’ll have your keys soon.” There was a contemplative look on his face as he drove.
“How soon is soon?”
“At least by tomorrow,” he replied.
“A’ight. That’s what’s up. You’re definitely right on time. I just got a call from my right-hand, and shit is gettin’ low. I can’t afford to fall off. Shit, I’m used to a certain lifestyle.”
Gaza let out a light chuckle. “Mi feel yuh, beautiful.”
The way he called me beautiful made my head spin and my body overheat. Or was it the fact that it was about a hundred degrees outside already? Nah, that couldn’t be it, being that the air was on full blast.
The rest of the ride was in silence, and in less than forty minutes, we pulled up to a really nice condominium complex. Without saying a word, Gaza got out of the car and rushed around to my side to open my door. He put his hand out to take mine and helped me out of the car like a perfect gentleman.
“Is this your place?” I asked, surprised that he would bring me here.
“One of them,” he told me as he led the way. “I don’t really lay my head ’pon here that often, but it’s a ‘lay low’ spot for me to chill and handle private meetings.”
“Okay, so I take it that we will be the only two here.”
“Yeah. I mean, is dat okay wit’ you? I trust you enough to do business wit’ you, so I’m sure you trust me enough to be alone wit’ me.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem at all.” Eyeing him flirtatiously, I added, “As a matter of fact, I prefer that.”
“Yuh should, because my niggas was on yuh hard. All of dem was talkin’ ’bout how you the perfect woman to have on their team. My nigga Royal said he like how you shot first and didn’t ask any questions.”
Once we were inside the cool building, I asked, “So, if you don’t mind me asking questions now, what was that all about, anyway?”
We stepped into the elevator before he spoke. “Not too long ago, my nigga Gio was killed, and me and my niggas retaliated. After that shit, my girl got shot, and shit got even more real. We took care of the niggas who did that shit to her, and the cycle keeps going. Now these niggas want to keep comin’ out like roaches. I won’t stop till dey all dead and gone.”
“So, Camille had already been shot before that dude put his gun to her head? Damn.”
“Yup, once in the back, and a flesh wound to the leg. She’s blessed to still be alive.”
After we got off the elevator, I followed him, and we stopped at apartment 506. Gaza pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, and gestured for me to go inside. The place was decorated quite nicely for him never to be there. He walked in and led me to a brown butter-leather sofa.
“Take a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
“Yes. Some water please,” I answered.
“Well, I was hoping you’d have a real drink with me. I got some good-ass Jamaican rum.”
“Umm, no thanks.” That man was too damn sexy for me to drink while we were alone. “I don’t really drink like that, especially not this early.”
“Yuh drank champagne last night.”
“Well, that was only one glass. That was enough for the week.” I let out a confident laugh. “I like to make sure I’m on point, especially when it comes to business.”
“Mi overstand.” He sauntered off to the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water for me. Then he grabbed the bottle of rum and a glass for himself.
After handing me the water and sitting down beside me, he placed the glass and the bottle of rum on the smoky glass coffee table and poured himself a shot. Then he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Mi gon’ turn dis off, so mi can give you my undivided attention.”
My heart stopped at the mention of him turning off his phone. Hopefully, Miles already had our location, but with Gaza’s phone off, there would be no way for Miles to access his phone’s camera and mic. Shit! It was a good thing I had a backup plan. My smart thinking had led me to consider that he’d be cautious; therefore, I had a tiny digital recorder clipped to my bra. The thing was, I was sure he wouldn’t have me searched this time.
“Uh, yuh got your strap on you?” he asked me.
With a curt smile, I nodded. “Of course. I never leave home without it, but you don’t have to worry. I won’t shoot you.”
He smiled back. “It’s okay. Mi glad you kept your strap on you the other night. That shit kinda turned a nigga on.” With a sly laugh, he put his phone down on the coffee table.
Although that statement got to me, I played it off. “Really now?”
Gaza grinned at me slyly. “Mi tink yuh should turn your phone off too.”
Damn. So Miles wouldn’t even be able to access my phone instead. “Why? I mean . . .”
“Just ’cause mi wan’ your undivided attention too. What we are about to discuss is confidential. Mi would like it if yuh don’t even share di details wit’ your brethren.”
“To be honest, Gaza, my brother’s my partner. We have no secrets.”
“Well, in dat case, mi guess we won’t move any further with dis.”
“Why? It’s not like he’s going to tell anyone. I mean, damn, he’s about to buy a hundred kilos from you.”
“And that’s that, but mi don’ want him in on dis shit. Mi just need an American woman’s voice for dem to hear on di other line. For some reason, Americans trust other Americans, which is dumb as fuck. When dey hear a foreign accent, dey automatically hang up, tinkin’ it’s a scam.”
“Well, it is,” I added for good measure.
“Which is the reason I need yuh on my team. Yuh feel me, star? Yuh can make millions.”
“Yeah, and I won’t tell Miles anything about this.”
After he took a shot of liquor, Gaza’s eyes met mine in a lustful gaze. “So, he don’t know yuh wit’ me right now?”
“No. I told him I had called a driver and was going to do some shopping.”
“Good,” he remarked and poured himself another shot.
As I sipped my water, I waited for him to get down to business. Not long after, he did. In less than an hour I knew everything I needed to know about the scam he was in on. He wanted me to be the one who conducted the correspondence with potential victims in the United States. That shit was perfect, Everything that he had said was recorded and sent straight to the federal database. The evidence against Gaza and his crew was adding up, and I couldn’t help but wear a satisfied, shit-eating grin on my face.
A few hours later, Gaza stood and told me that he was taking me home. Everything had been professional, and he’d fed me a hearty lunch too. We’d had curry goat, roti, steamed rice, and cabbage.
“Thanks to my favorite cook.” He smiled. “Amya is my cousin and my personal chef. She cooked everything and left before you got here.”
“Well, let her know that it was the best food I’ve ever tasted in my life.”
“Mi sure will.”
We made it to his car, climbed in, and headed toward the villa. All I could do was hope the case ended soon, because there was no way I could be left alone with Gaza on a regular basis. The sexual tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. We made small talk as he lit a blunt and offered it to me. After refusing, I had to smooth it over.
“No, like I said, I had enough weed and drink for the week.”
“Let mi find out you ain’t really a gangsta,” he teased.
“I’m a hustler, and my money comes before pleasure,” I told him, making it clear that I wasn’t one who’d put pleasure before my funds. “I secure the bag, and then I enjoy myself.”
“Smart thinking, and that’s why mi wants to fuck wit’ yuh. Hmm . . .” He looked over at me and licked his thick, sexy lips. “More mu’fuckas need to tink like yuh.”
* * *
When I got back to the villa, I realized that Miles wasn’t there. He must’ve been on his way back. I decided to get comfortable and wind down a little bit, so I took a seat on the sofa and leaned back. Playing the part of Indica was exhausting, so it felt good to be myself. Less than twenty minutes later, Miles walked in, seemingly in a foul mood.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I scolded.
“So, you both turned your phones off,” he spat.
“You know he’s being cautious. Besides, I had a plan B, so everything he said was recorded and stored in the FBI database. I already alerted Special Agent Morris. It’s no big deal.”
“You’re really being naïve and oblivious to what kind of man Gaza is. Do you realize that you were with a very dangerous man, with no backup? It’s a good thing I had enough sense to follow you two right away, so I was able to watch your location. Be careful, Cathy.”
Miles walked off in a huff, and I sat there wishing he’d just let me do things the way I saw fit. From where I was standing, I was making more progress with Gaza than he was. Maybe he was jealous because I was getting somewhere with the case in such a small amount of time, and because he thought Gaza was into me. What he didn’t need to do was worry about me.
“I’m a big girl. I don’t need you to protect me. We both know that,” I threw over my shoulder with an attitude, though I wasn’t sure if he was within earshot.
Letting out a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. I couldn’t wait for this shit to be over with. We’d been in Jamaica for only two days, and I was ready to go. It was a different story to be here due under these circumstances. It damn sure wasn’t a vacation. While I sat there musing, my phone vibrated, and I looked down at the screen. It was Gaza, so I picked up.
“We’ll be making the exchange tomorrow, around six. I’ll let you know where to meet at before then,” he said, his deep voice penetrating my eardrums.
“Damn, you’re on it.”
“Gotta be. Time is money. Until next time. Take care, Indica.”
“You too, Gaza.”
Chapter Twenty
Catherine
A month later . . .
Still in Jamaica, building our case against Gaza, Miles and I were talking less and less by the day. The only time we conversed was when we absolutely had to. I was also getting a little homesick, and I longed for my own personal space, instead of being in the middle of paradise with someone who seemed like a stranger to me. At this point we had enough evidence to lock up Gaza and his entire crew for the rest of their natural lives. The number of bodies on their hands was possibly enough for them to get the death penalty, given that some of the murders they were connected to had occurred in the United States.
Over time we’d done more than one drug transaction with Gaza. Of course, we’d gotten the hundred keys and he’d gotten his money, but Gaza hadn’t been physically involved in the transaction. We could get him for conspiracy, though, because I had the recording of us hashing out the details. Not long after that, we had got about fifty pounds of ganja from him. I had collected all the information I needed about the ganja farm that he got that shit from. In addition, I’d infiltrated the scam he was involved in. Gaza and I had been spending more time together without Miles, and it was clear that he’d accepted me as part of his crime syndicate. That shit was all falling into place, and only a few loose ends had to be tied before an arrest could be made.
The drugs had all been shipped to the United States, where the Feds had eventually picked them up by posing as undercover drug mules. The coke and the marijuana would be housed in the evidence room in the federal building until the arrests and trials took place. The government funds that had been used to purchase the drugs would be recouped after Gaza and his men were charged with their crimes and were behind bars. All their houses, cars, cash, and other assets would be seized and later sold in government auctions. That money would go back to the government to stop more bad guys, as well as into the bank accounts of some of the higher ranked federal agents.
Miles was feeling some type of way because Gaza never included him in anything other than the drug transactions. He was never really invited to any parties or get-togethers that Gaza had. I was always invited, though, and the last time, I’d decided to bring Miles along to clear the air. He had to understand that it wasn’t personal. Like Gaza had said, he just needed a street-smart chick on his team. There were plenty of niggas around him just like Miles, so he had no real need for him other than what he thought was his money.
“So, you brought your brother, huh?” Gaza had asked when he had the chance to talk to me without ears around.
“Well, he’s overprotective, Gaza. He’s not that comfortable with us possibly doing business without him. I haven’t told him anything.”
“Or is he worried about something else happening between us?” Gaza’s eyes had sparkled menacingly as he held a champagne flute up to his full lips and took a swig.
“That’s not possible. He knows me. I don’t mix business with pleasure.”
Gaza offered me a glass of champagne. “Mi know yuh don’t drink like dat, but make an exception for me. We have to celebrate. Since you came in on dis shit mi been building, mi ’ave made over twenty million in a month. Dat’s worth toasting to.”
After taking the glass from him, I held it up and clinked it against his. “I’ll drink to that.” As I turned the glass up, I looked around at the large crowd of partygoers. “It seems like you all just find any excuse to celebrate. In one month alone, I’ve been to at least five of these functions.”
“Well, expect to celebrate some more. Part of di culture is to celebrate life. As a matter of fact, mi ’ave tis ting tomorrow. Mi need a beautiful woman to accompany me. Mi hope you’re free.” His eyes sparkled as he looked down at me.
“Shouldn’t you take your girl?”
My question made him laugh good-naturedly. “To be one hundred wit’ yuh, mi don’ know if she even wanna be my girl anymore. Her mom’s been gettin’ in her head ’bout me. Since dat episode at di club, it’s been tension, yuh know? She even packed a bag and left the other night. She claim my lifestyle’s too dangerous for her, and she left the Gully to stay outta bullshit. Mi told her she can go if she like. Mi guess mi single now.”
“Really?” After giving him a skeptical smirk, I looked away quickly. “Well, maybe she just needs some space. That doesn’t mean your relationship is over. I don’t mind accompanying you, but it’ll be as a business associate. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Irie, mi guess dat’s good enough.” With a smile, he kept his eyes on me, making me kind of nervous.
I returned his smile and turned to walk away. I figured it was time to leave.
“Where yuh goin’?” His voice broke thro
ugh my resistance.
“Home. It’s getting late and . . .”
“You’re a grown-ass woman. Don’t leave just yet. I’m really enjoyin’ your company.”
After turning on my heels to face him, I shook my head at him. “Is that because you’re having problems with your lady?”
“Nah, it’s because mi really actually enjoy your company. If your brother wants to leave, that’s fine. I’ll be happy to take yuh home.”
His expression showed that he really meant it, but what was he up to? Damn. Maybe Miles was right. The way he looked at me was intense, and I could feel that shit all in my bones. So it was best for me to take Gaza in small doses.
“I really have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow . . . ?”
“I’ll pick you up by eight. Be dressed to impress.”
“Will do,” I told him before putting my empty champagne glass on the bar.
I spotted Miles and walked over to him. “Are you ready to go, bro?”
Flashing a slick smile in my direction, he cleared his throat. “Nah, actually, I think I want to stay a little bit longer.”
I followed his eyes as he stared at some thick, dark-skinned chick who was practically naked. She kept on grinding and winding her waist, and every man in the room was staring. Obviously, he’d spotted some pum pum.
“Well, I’m ready to go,” I told him. “Give me the car keys. I’m sure you’ll find a way back to the spot.”
With his eyes still glued on ole girl, he passed me the car keys with no hesitation. “You’re right. I’ll get back there. Be safe.”
He walked off and stood behind the chick he’d been gawking at. As he slow ground into her ass, I left the party, wondering exactly how shit was going to go down with Gaza the next day. The attraction between us was getting stronger, and as much as I tried to ignore our chemistry, that shit wasn’t easy at all. The way I saw it, if Special Agent Morris didn’t pull the plug on this operation soon, I’d be doing some things that would not be approved by the FBI.
* * *
The next morning, I noticed that Miles still hadn’t returned to the villa. The only reason I knew this was that his bedroom door was wide open, his bed was made, and he was nowhere to be found. The day went by quickly, and by 6:00 p.m., Miles still hadn’t returned. I called his phone because I was concerned about him. We were in Jamaica, and I didn’t know if he’d been hurt or killed. Besides, that chick who kept dancing all freaky like may have had a nigga who was up in there. What if he’d slit Miles’s throat with a machete or something? All types of thoughts went through my mind as his phone rang.
Carl Weber's Kingpins: Jamaica Page 17