Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1) (26 page)

“
Did you hear me?” she said. Her voice was cold and hard. My feet were stuck in cement. I couldn’t move.

When the oversize driver got out of the truck, I decided to cooperate.

I slid in and she came in after me, closing the door behind her. The truck immediately pulled off. I sat with my back to the driver in the big truck. Sitting across from me was Kat and next to her was one of the finest men I had ever seen. Also, someone I had seen on several occasions at the Magic City.

“
You remember, Ms. Washington,” Mr. Tall and Sexy asked me. He stood at least six feet three, slender and fit. His hair was chopped short and what shadow of hair he had was visibly wavy. Combined with his neatly cut mustache that connected to his chin and facial hair made him someone I wish was in my bed every night.

“
Yes sir. They call you The Bishop,” I replied. He was the kingpin. The master criminal that ran things from D.C. to the Big Apple . . . from selling drugs to running illegal upscale gambling establishments to money laundering, The Bishop was the man. He had visited the club on several occasions and he and Neeko were very friendly with each other.

He smiled and slightly laughed. “Ms. Washington, my name is Buckley Bishop,” he said in a proper voice with perfect diction. “Neeko was my older brother.”

My mouth dropped open. This was the last thing I would have thought. Why didn’t Neeko tell anyone? Why did he even sweat the shit Duke did to him? He could have called his brother, The Bishop.

“
What you want from me?” I asked timidly.

“
Any and everything you can tell us about Duke Carrington and his operation,” Kat answered with attitude. She was now sporting dark sunglasses. I knew she was still hurting. I understood . . . especially if she knew Neeko was trying to help me.

“
Ms. Washington, Neeko and I have different fathers,” The Bishop volunteered. “But it didn’t stop him from being there for me when our father died. My mother was a junkie and our father died when I was eight. Neeko was nineteen then, the oldest of my dad’s five kids. He literally worked two jobs and got his hustle on to take care of the four of us. Three of the four of us went to college, thanks to Neeko.”

The Bishop stopped. He was staring in my eyes. It was a steady stare. No sadness. His eyes were soft, but very serious.

“
Bottom line, Ms. Washington,” he began again. “I want Duke Carrington . . . and I want you to tell me everything you know about him and his operation. And by everything, I mean everything. If his favorite color is black, tell me that, if he licks his own balls, I want to know that too.

“
Neeko never asked me for anything. As you know, he would even let me and my entourage come to his club and let us have the run of the place without us spending a penny. Why? Because he was still being the big brother.

“
So believe me when I tell you this . . . Mr. Carrington will hate the day he ever heard of Lynise Aaliyah Washington. He will finally understand what Johnnie Taylor meant by, it’s cheaper to keep her.”

I finally smiled. He was right! I looked at Kat, then at Mr. Buckley Bishop, aka The Bishop. I had my team. I was ripe for my revenge. The Bishop reached his hand out and I shook it. This was followed by Kat doing the same thing.

Duke, it would’ve been cheaper to keep me, bitch, I thought as I sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Cheaper to Keep Her (part 2)

Green Eyed Bandit