Tied to a Boss 2 (2 page)

Chapter 2

Leaving the hotel that he was checked into and driving back across town and meeting up with Angela at her request to discuss something important, Dante pulled the Range Rover into the coffee shop parking lot. He easily found a spot inside the half-empty lot, shut off the SUV, climbed out, and locked up the Range Rover behind him.

Leaving the parking lot and walking over to the coffee shop’s front entrance, Dante entered the shop, hearing his name as soon as he stepped through the door.

Seeing Angela seated at a booth next to the window that overlooked the front parking lot, Dante headed over in her direction.

“Hey baby!” Angela said, smiling as she stood up to kiss and then hug Dante.

“What’s up, Angela?” Dante replied, sitting down across from her.

Hearing and seeing how tired Dante looked, Angela reached over and grabbed Dante’s hand inside both hers. She asked, “Papi, what’s the matter? You don’t look so good.”

“I’m just a lil tired, Angela,” Dante answered. “What’s up, though? What you wanna talk to me about?”

Staring worriedly at Dante a moment, Angela continued holding his hand, sighed, and then said, “I had a meeting this morning with the Chief of Police. They’re still investigating Captain Whitehead’s murder.”

“They have any leads?”

“As of right now, no!”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that I’ve just found out that the DEA is in on the case now, too. And the added problem is that the lead agent is Captain Whitehead’s son. He’s with the DEA, Dante.”

“What’s his name?”

“Alex Whitehead.”

Quiet a moment, thinking and trying to get his mind in correct order, Dante shifted his eyes back to Angela from the window just as the waitress walked up to their table.

After the waitress took their order, she shot Dante a smile to which Dante paid no attention before walking off. Angela noticed and was now mean-mugging the white woman. Dante spoke up, getting Angela’s attention back on him. “Listen! I want you to get as much information on this Alex Whitehead guy as you can. Then let me know. I’ma deal with Whitehead Junior myself.”

“I’ll start on that as soon as I get back to the office, but I’ve got something else to tell you.”

“What’s up?”

“Do you remember the guy you asked me to have my people watch for you?” Angela asked, seeing Dante nod his head in response. “Well, I have information for you on this Raul Martinez guy. It’s out in the car.”

Nodding his head in response to what Angela just told him, Dante then said, “Look! After I handle this thing with Raul, I’ma leave town for a while to handle some business.”

“What about what I just told you about Captain Whitehead’s son?”

“Just have the information for me when I get back in town.”

“How long are you gonna be gone for?”

“I’ll let you know before I leave town,” Dante told her, just as the waitress returned with their food smiling brightly while staring straight at Dante.

* * *

Getting business for the day taken care of after dropping Harmony off at the spot where Tony T was supposed to meet up with her later, Alinna made it back to the house and parked the BMW in front of the house just as her cell phone went off.

Digging for the cell phone in her bag as she headed to the front door to the house, she saw that it was Amber once she touched the screen. Alinna answered the call as she was unlocking the front door, “Yeah! What’s up, Amber?”

“Alinna, where the hell you at?”

Hearing the tone of Amber’s voice and how rushed her words came out, Alinna locked the front door to the house once she was inside and responded, “Amber, I’m at the house. What the hell wrong with you, girl?”

“You ain’t heard about Rick?”

“Heard what about Rick?” Alinna asked, as she headed upstairs. “What’s up with Rick’s ass anyway?”

“Alinna, he dead!”

Stopping where she was right before stepping off the steps onto the second level, Alinna asked, “Amber, what the hell is you talking about?”

Listening to Amber, her girl told her how she heard about Rick’s body being found with a hole in the side of his head. Alinna made her way to her bedroom and then asked, “They found out who done killed ‘em?”

“Nobody really knows, but word on the street is that some out-of-town niggas did it.”

Dropping down onto her bed sighing loudly, Alinna had a pretty good idea who the out-of-town niggas was that killed Rick.

“What’s up, Alinna?” Amber asked, speaking up. “You thinking it’s who I’m thinking?”

“Pretty much,” Alinna answered. “Look, Amber, let me call you back, alright?”

“Alright, girl.”

Hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the bed beside her, Alinna sighed, pushed herself up from the bed, and headed towards the bathroom when her phone rang again.

Dismissing the call, Alinna continued to the bathroom, only to stop and back up in front of the closet where she noticed a white piece of paper and a gold key taped to the closet door.

Snatching up both the key and paper, Alinna unfolded the paper and read the note, which she quickly realized was from Dante. Balling up the note angrily after reading his bullshit, Alinna stepped into the closet and noticed that all of Dante’s things were gone.

“Muthafucker!” Alinna said, marching back over to the bed, snatching up her cell phone, and calling Dante’s ass.

Hearing the wireless customer no longer had service, she realized he had cut off his phone. Alinna then looked up Vanessa’s number and called her.

“Yeah, Alinna! What’s up?”

“You wanna explain to me why the hell Dante left a message explaining that if I wanted to contact him concerning my son or business, I had to go through you?”

“Alinna, I spoke to Dante earlier and he told me that since you wanted to believe what you want, then he was done trying to stop you from believing it. I got him to agree to continue with doing business with us, and, yes, he’s asked me to be his contact person.”

“Oh, so you just done jump on his side now, huh?”

“I haven’t jumped on anyone’s side. I just think you’re making a big mistake concerning Dante. Instead of kicking him out, you should have talked to him.”

“What the fuck you think I been trying to do with his lying ass?”

“If you was doing what the hell you doing to me right now, then I’m surprised Dante ain’t knock your ass out. You yelling for nothing.”

“For nothing, huh?” Alinna yelled. “So me dealing with my man having a baby with some police bitch is nothing, huh? Or the fact that he still fucking this bitch, huh?”

“You don’t know if Dante . . .”

“I followed his ass to the bitch Angela’s house, Vanessa. I saw her kiss him and he allowed it.”

“But did you see him fucking her?”

“You know what? Just from the way he stood there and let that bitch kiss him was enough to tell me everything I needed. She can have his ass!”

“That’s gonna be your loss, Alinna.”

“Whatever!” Alinna responded, sucking her teeth. “Just give me Dante’s new number. I need to talk to him about what happened to Rick.”

“I already told him. He knows.”

“Wait!” Alinna said in disbelief. “You mean to tell me you called and told Dante our business before you called and made sure I knew what was going on?”

“I had Amber call and tell you.”

“You know what? Whatever, Vanessa! Just give me Dante’s new number. I know you got it!”

“He told me not to give it to you.”

“What?” Alinna screamed. “You know what, Vanessa. Keep the fucking number!”

Alinna hung up on Vanessa and caught herself before throwing her cell phone across the room at the bedroom wall. Instead, she stood up, tossed the phone on the bed, and marched back towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Dante hooked up with both Dre and Tony T at his hotel room. He explained to his boys about the hit out in Phoenix of some major drug dealer, Victor Fayman. He went into what details he had, explaining that they were leaving in two days, on Friday afternoon.

Noticing Dre’s mood, Dante decided to talk with his boy before he and Tony T left, walking both his boys out to their rides.

“Ay, yo, Dre!” Dante called out to the big man, as he was dapping up with Tony T.

Watching Dante walk over to him from Tony T’s Aston Martin, Dre turned and faced his best friend . . . his brother.

“What’s up, fam?” Dante asked, slapping five with his boy. “What’s on ya mind kin folks?”

“You tell me!” Dre replied, before asking, “What’s up with you and Alinna? Why you let her kick you out the house?”

Sighing deeply as he leaned against the side of Dre’s SUV, Dante pulled out his box of Black & Mild’s and said, “Family, look! I’ll admit that I fucked up in the beginning by not telling Alinna what was going on between me and Angela, even if she was putting the force game down on me. The problem is that Alinna can only see what’s happening from her perspective and closing her eyes to the sacrifices I made that were meant for her. She don’t see the bullets I’m barely getting away from just to give her what she wants. All she can see is that I fucked up!”

“So you just giving up then?”

“Naw!” Dante answered. “I promised I’d never give up on her, but I won’t force her to stay if she don’t want it. I still gotta son and a daughter I gotta take care of and as long as I’m breathing, I’ma make sure they want for nothing.”

“It’s just one thing though - family!” Dre said in a voice that caused Dante to shift his eyes over to him. He continued, “Them some bullets you keep ducking for this chick, fam. You just better make sure one never finds yo ass.”

Hearing his boy but not bothering to reply, Dante had a quick thought and wondered if Alinna would even give a fuck whether he was shot and killed.

* * *

After leaving the hotel a little while after both Tony T and Dre were gone, Dante pushed his Ninja, driving across town to meet up with Wesley at one of his trap houses he ran out in Opa-Locka.

Pulling up to the trap a little while later and parking behind Wesley’s Cadillac Escalade, Dante shut off the Ninja, climbed off the bike, and removed his bike helmet.

“De original gangsta is here!” Wesley yelled in an excited thick Jamaican accept. He walked up to meet Dante from where he stood on the front porch of the trap house with a few of his co-workers. “What go me, brethren?”

“What’s up, Wesley?” Dante asked, embracing the Jamaican. He released him and asked, “You ready to put in some work, Rude Boy?”

“Who de blood clot boy is, me brethren? Me ready to dead dem now!” Wesley replied, smiling as he placed his right hand on the print of his burner that was under his shirt, stuck in the front of his jeans.

Dante broke down everything he had on Raul Martine, whom Wesley remembered. After explaining, Wesley asked, “When do we leave?”

“Now!” Dante replied.

Wesley turned back toward the house and yelled out to one of the workers on the porch to bring him out his toy.

A young-looking worker rushed back out of the house carrying a black leather duffel bag. Dante took the bag through the passenger door window and felt the weight. He recognized the feel of what was inside.

“Where de dead boy live?” Wesley asked as he pulled off from in front of the trap house.

* * *

They made it out to West Palm and easily found the high-rise apartment building, which was out near the beach. Wesley parked the Escalade across the street from the front of the 14-story apartment building. While Dante sat and watched the front door as women and men walked in and out of the building, he noticed the doorman at the front entrance.

“What go on?” Wesley asked, watching Dante and waiting.

Remaining quiet for a moment in thought, Dante continued staring out the window at the apartment entrance and then broke his silence, “Leave the duffel bag inside the truck. We won’t need it. But follow me inside after five minutes, alright?”

Not waiting for a response, Dante climbed out of the Escalade and shut the truck door. He started across the street and walked to the front entrance where the doorman pushed the door open for him.

“Good afternoon, sir!” the doorman spoke.

Nodding his head to the doorman and glancing around the building’s lobby, Dante turned to face the doorman, just as he was opening the front door for a couple.

Nodding a greeting to the couple as they passed him on their way to the elevator, Dante shifted his eyes over to the doorman, who turned to face him and asked, “Yes, sir! Can I help you with something?”

“I’m looking for what apartment either Gina Ortez or Raul Martinez is living in.”

“Are they expecting you, sir?”

“No.”

“Well then, sir, I’m sorry. I cannot help you,” the doorman replied with a smile to Dante. However, as the doorman turned around when hearing the door open, he was met by a dark-skinned man pointing a black gun at him. “Oh, God!”