The Corner III (No Way Out) (26 page)

Noonie began to walk away, then stopped. He asked, “How do you know all this?”

Boogie knowing what type of rapport he has with Noonie spread his arms and said, “I’m fucking his bitch. Give her some good dick and she’s one pillow talking hoe.”

Noonie smiled and said, “My nigga.”

*     *     *

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and LaTanza was at the Lincoln Park Zoo on N. Clark Street. She and Carlita were both dressed in jean shorts, low-top K-Swiss and a colorful knit shirt. Their hair was tied in a ponytail and they sported shades. Carlita’s by Disney and LaTanza’s by Channel. They had looked at the lions, monkeys, pandas and other creatures. They were taking time to eat a snack—hotdogs and a bag of Lay’s chips when Fernando and Liza, who were keeping a watchful eye on LaTanza and Carlita, but from a safe distance, joined them at their table.

“This better be important,” whispered LaTanza. She looked irritated that she and her daughter were being interrupted.

Liza pulled a stuffed animal out of her bag. It was one of Lincoln Park Zoo’s newest additions, a baby Eurasian Lynx, and began to play with Carlita to distract her from LaTanza and Fernando.

“It was Chacho Mendoza’s people. They called and said he wants you to call him directly on his satellite phone tonight. They said to tell you it’s what you’ve been waiting for.”

LaTanza managed a nonchalant smile then said, “Thanks, Fernando.” She glanced at her daughter who was admiring the stuffed lynx. She then said, “Carlita, I bought an ice cream maker. Do you want to go home and make some ice cream?”

“Yeeesss!” Carlita said as she threw her arms in the air while still holding on to the stuffed Lynx.

LaTanza knew how her daughter loved ice cream so she used that to get her to willingly to leave the zoo. She didn’t want to spoil her daughter’s fun, but she had to get home, make a few phone calls and get some things in motion in the city because she knew what the phone call was about. She had used a connection she had in Laredo, Texas, to set up Antoine Villarreal, the main supplier of cocaine and heroin to the Midwest. She knew Chacho would hand out swift justice to anyone who cooperated with DEA, or the
Federalies
as he called them.

The four stood then LaTanza and Carlita walked away, but stopped to look at the monkeys, Carlita’s favorite, one more time. Fernando and Liza, as usual, were a safe distance away in case the Queenpin’s help was needed.

*     *     *

Reynard was stretched out on the queen-size bed. After the run in with Shaun at the club, he and his right hand man, Kenny, left and went to another spot, a pool hall on the west side where only people from that area frequented. Reynard felt like being around his people, but most of all he wanted to pick up a piece of ass he hadn’t hit before and what a better place to pick one up at than Tuffy’s pool hall. While drinking and shooting a couple of games, he and Kenny noticed two dark sistas staring at them. The women joined them for drinks and a few games of nine ball. The women could play, and hustling was their game. Not pool hustling though. Hustling a dope boy, and with Reynard and Kenny, they knew they had a couple of paid brothas.

“Damn, what time is it?” Reynard said as the light shone through the cheap blinds into Notrie’s bedroom.

The woman stirred, but didn’t answer. Reynard raised his torso and realized he was still clothed. He shook his head to gather his thoughts. He quickly reached for his ankle then felt relieved as he felt the steel of the small 9mm he had tucked in an ankle holster. He rubbed his temples then looked over at the woman laying beside him and smiled. His mind began to clear. The sight of the voluptuous woman in the t-shirt that had ridden up exposing her juicy round ass reminded him of the night. A night filled with him and Kenny chilling at the woman’s apartment with her and her friend while drinking Tequila and smoking blunts.

“My clothes are still on, so I guess I didn’t get any pussy,” Reynard mumbled.

He stood and stretched as his stomach growled. “Damn, I ain’t ate since ’bout six last night.” He glanced at the small digital clock on the cluttered dresser. He mumbled, “Fuck, it’s two in the afternoon. This bitch had some good ass weed to knock me out like that.”

He walked out of the bedroom and saw Kenny who had on nothing but a t-shirt and socks.
Country nigga
, Reynard thought. He walked into the bathroom and noticed the woman, who Kenny had apparently fucked, had taken a shower and was drying off.

“Damn, my fault. Didn’t know you were in here, “Reynard said while looking the heavy-set woman over.

“No problem,” she said as she set the towel on the rack then slipped on a pair of panties and walked out. Saying “I’m about to cook something for your boy, you want something?”

“Yeah, don’t matter I’m hungry than a mothafucka.”

“Cool,” she said then went to her bedroom.

Reynard’s dick had awakened at the sight of the woman’s nakedness. Her thick chocolate nipples and neatly trimmed bush was enough to turn him on, so he pissed, washed his hands and face then went back to the bedroom to wake Notrie from her slumber so he could get some. He definitely couldn’t be outdone by Kenny.

Notrie finished giving Reynard some bomb head and was slipping the condom on his tool which was rock hard. She assumed the position, Reynard’s favorite. Most of her weight rested on her forearms and she was on her knees. Reynard stood behind her and liked the way her round ass shook when he smacked it.

“Oooh, don’t be playing. Put it in me, baby,” Notrie cooed.

Reynard’s cell rang, and he knew the ringtone, so with one hard thrust Reynard did. He stroked his thickness in and out as she moaned pleasure. He stroked and smacked her ass as he enjoyed the sight of his pole sliding in and out of Notrie. He then flipped her over, bent her legs damn near to her ears as he pounded hard touching every inch of her walls until he came.

Reynard rolled off Notrie and she acted as if it was the best she’d had. Reynard was nonchalant about the situation. He wasn’t going to lie and tell her how good her shit was. He hadn’t made love to her, she was simply a fuck and he didn’t want her to think otherwise.

“I’m ’bout to hit the shower. Can you fix me a plate of whatever your girl is in there cookin’ up? That shit smells good and I’m hungry.”

“Sure, Rey.”

Reynard thought for a second about how she’d called him ‘Rey’. Already she had a name for him. Little did she know he hated when people called him Rey. Reynard was his name, and that’s what he liked to be called. Rey reminded him of his father. That’s what they called the sorry ass man who used to hit him for no reason. That is, until Reynard shot and killed him in their Ida B. Wells project home when he was nine. He hid the weapon, sat and watched cartoons, until his mother came home. That’s when he whipped up some tears and told his mother that two men came in demanding money from his father then shot him.

Reynard smiled and kissed the woman, who was sitting on the bed, on the forehead. “Thanks baby, “He told her then went to the bathroom to shower and call—LaTanza.

*     *     *

LaTanza was putting ice in the maker as Carlita waited patiently. They had made two flavors of ice cream—vanilla and strawberry.

“Momma, this is fun. I love when we do things together! You are the best mommy in the whole wide world,” Carlita said.

“You’re my world, and I do everything for you.”

“Can we go see Daddy? He’s the best daddy in the world and I miss him. I want to see him today. Can we go see him? I wish he was home,” she pouted.

Not wanting their happy mood to be spoiled, LaTanza said, “We can’t see him today, honey. It is too late, but I think you have a great idea of visiting him. Tomorrow’s Sunday, and it would be a good surprise, so how about we go visit, then afterwards we head out shopping?”

The child’s demeanor returned to upbeat. “Okay, Mommy. Because I have to visit him, and that will make me a good daughter!”

LaTanza thought about how smart her daughter was, but knew that was a given. She and Carlos were smart so she definitely has that gene.

LaTanza clicked the on switch and the bucket began to turn as Carlita poured the vanilla mixture in and it immediately started to form into ice cream, then her cell rang. She checked the number and saw that it was Reynard.

“Hello,” she answered.

“You rang?” he said.

“We need to meet,” she told him.

“Name the time and place. When and wherever is good for me.”

“I’ll call you about six tonight and tell you where. Be ready.”

“Is it that time?” he asked.

“Six.”

Reynard got a dial tone. She’d hung up the phone because she had nothing else to say because what she was planning had no room for error and that meant not talking on the phone about certain things because there was no telling who was listening.

*     *     *

It was dusk casting an orange haze over the city streets of the near west side. LaTanza sat in her E-class Mercedes as Fernando and Liza sat patiently in separate cars as protection as their boss met with the west side street gangster. As LaTanza waited, she made the call to Chacho.

The satellite phone rang about ten times before a woman with a heavy Spanish accent answered in Spanish. When LaTanza spoke English the woman gave the phone to her boss.

A jovial Chacho said, “My favorite woman in the America. And most beautiful I might add. How are you?” 

“I’m fine, and aren’t we in a good mood? You must have something good to tell me,” LaTanza replied.

“Good mood, yes, I am because I see the future. You, no?”

“It depends on what you have to tell me.”

“I want you to fly to Mexico in a couple of days. Spend a day on my yacht—”

“Oh, this must be good if you are going to finally let me on your baby.”

Chacho sipped a glass of wine then said, “Like I said, we have things we need to talk about. I’ll run them past you and then you return to the Midwest and decide. I think you know what I’m talking about.”

Keeping a steady businesslike voice, LaTanza said, “I do, Chacho.”

“Good. We’ve said enough on the phone. Make flight arrangements, call back and leave your flight information with the woman who answers. The next time I talk to you, mommasita, it will be about business.”

In her rearview mirror, LaTanza saw a grey Suburban parking behind her and in front of Liza. She made a quick glance to the side and saw that Fernando’s eyes were locked on the two men who’d pulled up. LaTanza placed her .40 caliber Glock in between her cream colored pants covered legs. She said, “Will do, Chacho, later.

“Until then, mommasita.”

They ended the call, and LaTanza put the satellite phone in her glove compartment as she watched Reynard get out of the driver’s side. He was wearing baggy Roca Wear jeans, a white doo-rag, white Bulls cap and an oversized crisp white t that was covering a 9mm pistol that the shirt had clung onto the handle when he stepped out of the truck—LaTanza noticed but knew the gangster packed heat at all times.

Reynard scanned the business district and thought how there were better places they could have met, but it was LaTanza’s call, and he knew that if things went, she would set him up to be
that nigga
, so he was willing to follow her lead.

Reynard sat in the luxury car then extended his hand. “Hello, Mrs. Fuentes,” he said using her last name to show respect.

She shook his hand as she said, “No need for the formal. Call me LaTanza.” She searched with her eyes for a wire then said. “Let me see your cap, take that rag off your head and raise your shirt so I can see your waistband.”

Without question, Reynard did as told.