Tied to a Boss 2 (14 page)

“This is James! Everything’s good at the penthouse, bro! You gotta see this . . .”

“J, listen!” Dante interrupted. “I gotta meet with some of my family. Shit just jumped off and I wanna find out what’s up.”

“Where am I meeting you at?”

“Naw, you . . .”

“Don’t even say it!” James cut in before Dante could finish. “I came down here to help, not chill up in some penthouse. Where am I meeting you at?”

“Hold on!” Dante told James, looking over at Vanessa to see if she was off the phone. “Vanessa, where we headed?”

“Card City!” she answered.

Relaying the information to James, he said that he would use the GPS in the Benz. Getting the address from Vanessa, he handed it off to James.

“Dante, look!” Vanessa said as soon as she saw that Dante hung up the phone. “I’ma tell you now before we get there. Alinna is gonna be there. So don’t trip when you see her.”

“This not about Alinna, Vanessa. I’m here because you called me and said the family needed help. Period!”

Nodding her head in agreement, Vanessa cut her eyes over to Dante to see if he really meant it, before focusing back on the road wondering if Dante was really over Alinna.

* * *

Alinna pulled up to Amber’s spot and saw Wesley, Tony T, Amber, and Harmony all talking in front of the trap house. She parked her BMW in front of Tony T’s Aston Martin and turned to Alex to ask him to stay in the car moments too late as he was already climbing out.

Shaking her head while climbing out of the car, Alinna slammed the door shut and walked around to the front of the BMW, where Alex was waiting telling him, “I wish you would have stayed inside the car, Alex.”

“You said your friend had a problem, so we’re here to find out what. Come on!” Alex told her, as he gently pushed her forward in the front yard. He was sure it was one of the many trap houses where Alinna and her friends sold drugs.

“What the fuck he doing here?” Tony T asked, as soon as Alinna and Alex walked in.

“He’s with me,” Alinna answered, shooting Tony T a look. Then she rolled her eyes, looked over to Amber, and asked, “What happened, Amber?”

“Here come Dre now!” Harmony announced, nodding out to Dre’s Land Rover as it pulled up.

Looking from the Land Rover to Alex, Alinna grabbed his hand. She wanted to tell him to go get back inside the car, but she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of everyone.

“What the fuck his ass doing here?” Dre asked, as he walked up and stared at Alex.

“Don’t worry about it!” Alinna spoke up. “He with me and I’m sure you’re here to find out what’s happening with Amber. Try focusing on that and not on Alex.”

“Dre chill!” Tony T followed, seeing the look on his boy’s face.

“Anyways!” Harmony said loudly to draw attention to her. “Can we get to what’s important, please?”

“What happened, Amber?” Alinna asked again, as she watched Amber and Wesley talking with each other.

Turning her attention back to the others, Amber began to explain what had happened, from the time she noticed she was being followed until when she was cut off by an Expedition and blocked from getting to her next drop-off. She then smashed into another Expedition when she threw her Acura in reverse after seeing men armed with guns jump out of the vehicle in front of her.

“How do you know they was Haitians?” Alex asked.

“Dude, shut the fuck up!” Dre told him, mean-mugging Alex.

“Naw! That’s a good question,” Alinna said, cutting her eyes to Dre before looking back at Amber and asking, “Are you sure they was Haitians, Amber?”

“What the blood clot?” Wesley spoke up for the first time, pulling out his burner and staring out at the streets as two Yukons and a Benz pulled up in front of the spot.

“Who the fuck is that?” Tony T said, as he pulled out his banger, staring at the rides.

“Hold up! Isn’t that Vanessa’s truck pulling up, too?” Harmony asked, noticing the BMW truck parking next to Dre’s Land Rover.

Seeing a white man climb out of the smoke-gray Benz, followed by armed men jumping out of both Yukons, Alinna heard Harmony scream just as she took off past her, rushing towards the front of the trap house.

“Blood clot!” Wesley said, smiling now at seeing who climbed out of the front seat of Vanessa’s truck.

“Oh shit!” Both Dre and Tony T said together, with Dre adding, “My muthafucking nigga home!”

Alinna watched as Dante stepped from Vanessa’s truck as Harmony ran up and hugged him. She heard Alex ask who Dante was.

“Dis me brethren! The bad boy rasta man come home!” Wesley said happily, as Dante, Harmony, Vanessa, and James walked up.

“My muthafucking brother!” Dre said, as he and Dante embraced each other.

Releasing Dre and then embracing Tony T and Amber, Dante turned around to see a huge smiling Wesley. In patois, he said, “What’s up, Wesley? You been handling what I told you?”

“She right behind you, me brethren, only that she mess with the blood clot boy there with her,” Wesley answered in patois.

Nodding his head, Dante turned back to a smiling Amber and said in English, “What’s up, cutie? You alright?”

Nodding her head yes and smiling at Dante, Amber said, “What happen to you? You done went away and came back even sexier then when you left.”

Smirking at Amber while giving her a wink Dante answered, “Let’s all go inside and talk. Try to figure this shit out.”

“What’s up with all them?” Dre asked, nodding back out to all the suit-wearing men in the middle of the street.

“James!” Dante called out.

“What’s up, bro?” he answered.

“Tell the team to relax and come join us inside the house,” Dante told James. He shifted his eyes over to Alinna’s friend and said, “Whoever you is, wait for Alinna out in her ride.”

“Hold up!” Alinna spoke up. “First of all, you don’t come back here demanding shit. Alex is with me.”

Ignoring Alinna as he stared at her friend, Dante calmly said, “I don’t know you which means I don’t trust you either so you can either wait in the car or you can wait in the trunk for Alinna. Decide now!”

Dante stared at the new guy a moment before noticing the way Alinna was looking at him. Alex called to Alinna, but she only replied, “Go wait in the car, Alex.”

Smiling as Tony T nudged him in the side laughing, Dre watched the bitch-ass nigga walk out to Alinna’s car. He looked back at Dante and said, “Damn, it’s good as fuck to have your ass back home, fam.”

Chapter 16

Once everyone was packed inside the trap house, Dante introduced them to James.

After the introductions were complete, Dante held up his hand to stop the questions that started. Then he turned to Amber and asked her to tell him what had happened between her and the Haitians had shot at her.

Dante listened as Amber broke down the full story of what had happened. He even asked her to repeat a few things. He wanted to make sure it all added up. Then he held up his hand to stop Amber from going any further.

“Wait a minute! You said you smashed into one of the SUVs? The one behind you, right?” Dante asked her, as he stared at Amber, his face balled up as he played out everything in his head.

Nodding her head yes, Amber said, “I was trying to get the hell outta there.”

“And they just let you go?” James asked, drawing everyone’s attention.

“You peeped what I’m thinking, J!” Dante asked James, as he looked over at Amber and back to James.

“I think so,” James answered, as he folded his arms across his chest.

“Well, how about the two of you fill us in if you got it figured out already!” Alinna demanded, staring straight at Dante.

Dante ignored the attention Alinna was looking for, along with the attitude she was throwing his way. He replied, “I figure that if they really wanted Amber dead, that was the perfect chance right there.”

“They only wanted to scare her and send a message,” James added, catching Dante nodding his head in agreement.

“What type of message are the Haitians trying to send us?” Harmony asked. “We ain’t got problems with them.”

“True!” Dante agreed. Then he said, “We do have problems with this clown, Fish Man, though.”

“So, what you saying, fam?” Dre asked from across the room, with both thick arms folded across his chest.

“I can’t say for sure yet but what it looks like is that this nigga, Fish Man, done went and teamed up with these Haitians to get at us,” Dante explained as he sat looking around the room at the others.

“Ain’t this some shit!” Tony T said, as he leaned back in his seat next to Harmony on the brown, worn-out couch.

“So, what’s the plan?” Alinna asked, still staring at Dante.

Dante heard the question and noticed the way everyone was waiting and staring at him for a reply. After a few moments he said, “Alright! I know how each of y’all handle business but until we figure this shit out, I’m placing security on all three of the girls. Alinna, I’m giving you two guards since you is who this nigga, Fish Man, got the beef with. And also, I think it’s time y’all moved out of the house. If Fish Man really playing the game like this, I’m sure he knows where each of you lays your heads at.”

“Wait a minute . . .”

“Alinna, can you just stop talking for a minute and listen to what the hell is being said,” Dante told her, seeing the expression on her face.

“Dante!” James said, drawing his attention over to him. “Since you’re putting security on all the girls and want them to move out of their house, why not have everyone just move into the penthouse where we’re at? Dominic bought out the whole top two floors and from what I’ve seen, it’s more than enough space for all of us.”

“Who the hell is Dominic and what penthouse does Dante have?” Alinna asked, staring at James and then over to Dante.

“Listen good Alinna because I won’t repeat myself again,” Dante told her. “You either want my help or you don’t. As for everybody else, I’ma do whatever must be done to make sure they straight. You got the choice to accept my help and everything I’m offering or you can take your chances on your own. I don’t really give a fuck either way.”

Staring at Dante in shock and feeling a bit hurt after hearing how he spoke to her in front of everybody, Alinna kept her eyes on him as he stood up and started for the front door. Everyone else followed.

“You alright?” Vanessa asked, walking beside Alinna.

Looking from the door after everybody followed Dante, Alinna met Vanessa’s eyes and said, “What was that just now?”

“Come on, Alinna!” Vanessa said in a soft tone of voice. “You can’t tell me you don’t see the change in Dante. He not the same as before he left and he may or may not still have feelings for you. But after what happened between the two of you, do you really think he’s gonna respond to you how he once did?”

“Why didn’t you tell me he was back, Vanessa?”

“He told me not to say anything.”

“Vanessa!” Amber interrupted, as she stepped back into the house.

“Yeah! What’s up, Amber?” Vanessa said, looking from Alinna to Amber at the front door.

“Dante wants you and Alinna to come out here,” Amber told them. Seeing the look on Alinna’s face, she asked, “Alinna, you okay, girl?”

“I’m fine,” Alinna answered, as she walked off brushing past Amber as she stepped out the front door.

“What’s wrong with her?” Amber asked, looking back at Vanessa.

“She good!” Vanessa replied, as she walked over to the front door. “Come on! Let’s see what Dante wants.”

Once Vanessa finally showed up outside with Amber and the others, Dante assigned one of the armed guards to Vanessa. After introducing the two, he made sure the guard knew that if anything happened to Vanessa, he would be better off killing himself.

“Vanessa, do me a favor,” Dante asked, as he nodded over toward Alinna and the guy she was talking to. “Let your girl know I’ve got other things to do and if she wants my help, then she need to bring her ass over here.”

“Amber, let me talk to Dante really fast, please!” Vanessa asked her girl. She then held up her hand toward her new guard, as she pulled Dante off to the side and asked, “Dante, what’s up?”

“What you mean?”

“I mean this attitude and the way you treating Alinna. You do remember that’s your son’s mother, right?

“Vanessa, I’m done playing with Alinna. I’ve tried to do everything I could. Look! I’ma do everything I can to deal with this problem with Fish Man and the Haitians but after that I’m done. I’m out of here. Period!”

“So you not staying? You going back to Arizona?”

“Pretty much.”

“What about Mya and D.J.?”

“I want them to stay with their moms, but I will come back to see them.”

“Truthfully, Dante. I think you’re running because you still have feelings for Alinna and you’re jealous of Alex.”

“Jealous of Alex! Hold on!” Dante said, as he shifted his eyes over to where Alinna and her supposedly new guy were talking near her BMW.

“Dante, what’s up?” Vanessa asked, noticing the change in Dante’s facial expression. “What’s the matter?”

Ignoring her question, Dante walked away from the group and pulled his burner out as he stepped up beside Alinna, facing her man.

“Dante, what the fuck are you doing?” Alinna asked, noticing the gun.

Ignoring Alinna while staring straight at Alex, Dante calmly asked, “What’s your name, dude?”

“Dante, what the hell . . . !”

“Alinna, come on!” James interrupted, as he walked up and reached out to escort her away.

“Get the fuck off me!” Alinna yelled, pushing James in the chest. She then turned back to Dante, standing between him and Alex.

“Get her outta here!” Dante demanded, still staring straight at Alex.

“Muthafucker! Don’t touch me!” Alinna yelled, as James snatched her up and walked away with her across his shoulders.

Fam, what’s up?” Dre asked, as he, Tony T, Vanessa, and Wesley walked up. “What the play is, bruh?”

“Who is this nigga?” Dante asked, never taking his eyes off of him. “Where he come from? Who checked him out?”

“What you mean, Dante?” Vanessa asked, pushing Dre out of the way so that she could stand next to Dante. “This the same guy I told you about. This Alinna’s new man.”

“What’s your name, homeboy?” Dante asked, addressing the question to Alinna’s man.

“Man, what’s this . . . ,”

Suddenly, Alex was cut off as Dante’s hand shot up. He was now staring down the front of a .45.

Ignoring Alinna’s yells from behind him, Dante held homeboy’s eyes as he calmly asked again, “What’s your name, dude?”

“Alex!”

“Alex what?”

“Williams! It’s Alex Williams!”

“Williams, huh?” Dante repeated, slowly smirking while still holding Alex’s eyes. He slowly lowered the burner and said, “My fault, playboy. I thought you was somebody else.”

Dante turned and started back over towards the Benz when someone grabbed his arm. Looking back, he saw Vanessa’s hard staring eyes. She asked, “What the fuck was that, Dante? That’s not like you. What are you up to?”

Shifting his eyes from Vanessa back over to Alex, he saw Alinna walk back up to her man. Dante ignored the others who were now crowding around him with questioning looks on their faces.

“Bro, what’s up?” James asked, staring from Dante over to Alinna and the guy Dante was now staring back at.

“Yo, Whitehead!” Dante called out, watching as Alex looked his way. “We cool, right?’

“Yeah!” Alex answered. “We cool, man!”

Nodding his head, Dante turned his attention back to the others just as Vanessa spoke up, “Are you planning on telling us what the fuck is going on, Dante? Why the hell you so worried about Alex for?”

“How long y’all know this dude, Alex?” Dante asked, looking around at each of their faces.

“I really don’t fuck with the guy!” Dre spoke up.

“Dante, Alex been messing with Alinna ever since you and her broke up,” Vanessa explained in a calmer voice.

“Harmony!” Dante said, looking from Vanessa over to where Alinna was still talking to the new man she was fucking. “I’ma need you to handle something for me, baby girl.”

“What you need, bro?” Harmony asked, smiling at Dante.

“Give Amber the keys to your ride and go with Alinna and Alex. I’ma need you to get Alinna away from homeboy for me, alright?”

“I got you, boo.”

“Dante, what’s going on?” Vanessa asked, as Harmony handed Amber her keys starting in Alinna and Alex’s direction.

Looking from Harmony to Vanessa, Dante said, “I’ma tell y’all this. The next time y’all decide to allow someone outside into the family, make sure one of y’all check that person out first.”

“What ya mean, rude boy?” Wesley asked, folding his arms across his chest as he held his eyes locked on Dante.

“Tell me something!” Dante asked, looking around at the rest of the crew. “What was homeboy’s name again?”

“You mean Alinna’s dude, right?” Tony T asked.

“Yeah!” Dante answered. “What’s dude’s name?”

“He says it’s Alex Williams,” James spoke up, staring at Dante.

“He say, huh,” Dante repeated. “Listen y’all! If any of you was listening when I called homeboy’s name just now, he answered to . . . ?”

“Whitehead!” Amber announced, drawing the others attention to her.

Nodding his head and smiling at Amber, Dante winked at her and said, “If y’all remember the captain that got killed back when Angela was still a lieutenant, his name was Ben Whitehead. Same last name as our friend, Alex, over there with Alinna and Harmony.”

“Hold up!” Amber said, putting her hand up for Dante to stop talking for a few moment. “So, what you saying is that Alex is this dead captain’s son, Dante?”

“Pretty much!” Dante answered, slowly nodding his head. “Homeboy undercover with the D.E.A. I’m pretty sure he’s been watching you since he been fucking with Alinna.”

“How the hell you know all this?” Vanessa asked, before answering her own question. “That’s what Angela wanted to tell you, isn’t it? That’s the stuff you been reading in that file inside the truck, isn’t it?”

Nodding his head, Dante continued, “Look! I want y’all to start closing down each of the spots y’all running and we moving out of the house today. Everyone’s moving into the penthouse until we find a new spot to rest our heads.”

“What we doing about the blood clot boy over there?” Wesley asked, nodding over toward Alex, Alinna, and Harmony.

“Don’t worry about him!” Dante told Wesley, looking over to see him climbing inside the BMW. “I’ma handle homeboy real soon.”