Filthy Rich-Part 2 (19 page)

It was a week before Thanksgiving, and Nessa, Trinity and Sidra were now sitting on her townhouse's glassed-in patio, staring through its floor to ceiling windows out at the home's spacious backyard. The branches of the trees were bare, their leaves now golden and strewn about the beautiful green lawn.

"Nothing new from the cops?" Sidra asked, sipping from her glass of Ciroc.

"Nothing," Nessa answered as she sipped Ciroc from her glass. Even though pregnant, she was still drinking and smoking with no worries about how the unhealthy habits could affect the child inside her.

"Well, I've got my people out looking hard for her. NaNa's folks are doing the same."

"I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it."

"Can't help worrying. The shit is weird. First we find out somebody blew Brandon’s brains out, someone whom I couldn't give three fucks about. Two of our spots got robbed recently, and of course money has mysteriously gone missing that only you, NaNa and Trinity touched.  Then my mom goes missing! That's a hell of a coincidence. Something's not right about all of this shit.”

Although the money situation had Nessa fired up, she was worried sick about Piper.

Seeing how worried her friend was, Sidra squeezed her leg and said, "She's going to turn up."

"I'm hoping that's true, Sidra, but something's telling me differently."

"You got any suspicions?"

"Chavez."

"Why?"

Nessa thought back to that day when she'd taken Piper with her to Chavez's. She could still remember the looks he was giving Piper. Something about those looks didn't sit well with Nessa
then
. And they still weren't sitting well with her
now
.

"I don't know," Nessa answered her friend. "It's just something about the way he was looking at her when they met. It was weird, real strange." Shaking her head, she said, "Maybe I'm reading more into it than what it was."

"I think you are. I don't know Chavez like you, of course. But if he's fucking with you as hard as he is now, I couldn't see him murdering your mom. I mean, shit, that's bad for business, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but if he did do something to my mom, I'm going to have to deal with him, business or no business. That's something I can't let ride." She was dreading it.

"Well, before we jump to conclusions, let's give it time and find out exactly where she is first. The last thing you want to do is go accusing a man like Chavez of something that serious."

"Of course."

There was a moment of silence when a knock came from the door. Sidra hopped up to answer then immediately developed a frown when Trinity waltzed in like she owned the place. Sidra always dreaded when Trinity was around. She felt she was mentally unstable and interfered with all the plans she had for Nessa’s empire.

“So, everything good with your workers?” Nessa asked Trinity, watching her take a seat, and fire up a cigarette.

“Of course. What about yours?” she snapped.

“My what?” Nessa shot her the evil eye.

“How your workers doing?” she asked sarcastically.

Nessa took offense. “This my shit, Trinity…remember that. You’ve been acting a little crazy lately. Pump your breaks. I brought you in to help you out, so we could step to your mother, together. But you don’t run nothing, okay?”

Trinity just stared at her. Then changed her glare to focus on Sidra who was staring her down.

“Take a picture Sidra, it’ll last longer, bitch.”

“Fuck you, Trinity. You need fuckin’ therapy. Some days you happy, partying, and spending money…then some days you hate the world.

Trinity puffed real hard then blew circles of smoke into the air.   

“Look, I run my own shit,” she said, referring to Nessa’s original comment. “I agreed to link up with you so we could get back at Chetti, but since that doesn’t seem to be happening, I may need to rethink things. Besides, I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”

“Oh boy, here we go,” Sidra interrupted.

“Sidra, of course your pay is good in all, since you seem to be stealing right up under our nose.”

The room went silent.

Nessa looked at Sidra shadily.

Sidra didn’t have a response. She just prayed Nessa didn’t believe Trinity.  

Then, something unsuspecting happened. Nessa received a phone call she least expected.

“Nessa, I need to meet with you? Cedrick’s deep voice radiated through the speaker phone.”

Nessa’s eyes darted throughout the room, looking at Sidra then back to Trinity. She tried to play it cool but she was in complete shock upon hearing his voice. She wondered if she should tell Trinity he was on the other end but thought against it as Trinity had gone through enough with her family. Telling her Cedrick was on the phone could open another can of worms.

“I am glad to hear from you but where are you and why do you want to meet with me?” She asked in a whisper. Trinity looked at her as if she knew who was on the phone which made Nessa anxious.

She would have to deal with him later.

                   * * *

For what seemed like forever, Cedrick just stood in the center of the great room in silence. It had been so long since he'd seen it let alone the rest of the mansion. It looked the same as the many years before, minus the cobwebs and dust. The home held so many memories. In his ears he could still hear the laughter of him, Darien, Luke and Trinity echoing throughout the halls when they were children. He could still remember the games of Hide and Go Seek. He could still remember sitting beside his father at such a young age and being explained the rules of business, the rules of stocks and bonds, the rules of owning property. God, how he missed those days.

"You okay?" Mr. Falou asked him.

He nodded.

Amelia squeezed his hand as she stood behind him. She had definitely been holding him down. She cooked for him, shopped for him, and had become his personal assistant. She made sure he had whatever he needed; and was always there when he needed someone to talk to. And although she was a big girl, far from the type of woman he'd always attracted, she had a heart that had him falling for her. He was definitely learning that when it comes to love, it's what's on the
inside
that counts.

Cedrick began to make his way throughout the mansion with Amelia and his attorney. Through a deal worked out between Mr. Falou and the Feds, he was able to get ownership of the mansion along with one of the family's accounts. Without hesitating, Cedrick then got with a broker and began investing money in numerous stocks. Even after all these years, he hadn't forgotten how to make his money work for him.

As he walked through the mansion, it didn't take long before he reached the room he'd been held captive in. Walking inside it, he stood in the center of it just like he'd done downstairs. And just like his mind had been bombarded by happy memories downstairs, it was now bombarded with horrible nightmarish memories, memories that made him cringe.

"This is the room," he said.

No one could speak. Standing beside Cedrick, both Amelia and Mr. Falou cringed themselves at the thoughts of everything Cedrick had been subjected to in that room.

Unable to take it anymore, Cedrick left the room and headed back downstairs. Reaching the bottom of the staircase, a face greeted him at the foyer, a face he thought for sure was a mirage...

Chetti's.

Cedrick, in disbelief that she had the audacity to show up, stood there frozen. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to react. All he did know was that he hated her with everything inside him.

Chetti was standing at the foyer with Mac beside her. Little did Cedrick know, Mac had his hand on the trigger inside his jacket pocket.

For a moment no one spoke.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Cedrick finally asked.

Giving a smile, Chetti finally asked, "You're not going to give your mother a hug, darling?"

Cedrick didn't answer. He just glared at her.

Chetti attempted to hug her son as if there was no bad blood between them.

"Bitch, if you touch me, I'll stomp your head into the floor," he said.

Mac took a step forward.

Amelia squeezed Cedrick's hand once again.

Mr. Falou watched from the top of the staircase.

Everyone was uncomfortable.

Halting, Chetti smirked. She then shook her head and said, "Just like your brothers and sister; fucking ungrateful."

"Ungrateful?"

"Yes, ungrateful."

"You really are sick in the damn head."

"Where's Trinity?"

"Don't worry about it. After what you did to her, you're lucky I'm not bashing your damn head in right now."

She chuckled. "Darling, I have no worries about you or Trinity doing anything to me."

Mac unbuttoned his suit coat to reveal a gun in a shoulder holster. Luckily, Mr. Falou had already managed to dial 911 while still at the top of the stairs.

"No worries at all," she said.

Cedrick wanted to kill her but he knew there would be consequences. Mac would definitely kill Amelia.

Chetti smiled. Then looking at Amelia and sizing her up, she said to Cedrick while still looking at Amelia, "I see you're scraping the bottom of the fruit cup these days."

"Chetti, watch your mouth."

"Yeah, bitch," Amelia co-signed. "Watch your mouth before you get punched in it."

"Get some fashion sense about yourself, hoe. That shower curtain you're wearing and those damn run over shoes aren't working for you."

Seething, Amelia said, "Bitch, don't push it. I'm about a half a second off your ass."

"Fuck you. Isn't there a bucket of KFC somewhere you should be inhaling?"

Amelia charged Chetti.

Mac stepped in between both ladies just in time, giving Cedrick a chance to pull the gun from his holster, concealed under his pant leg. He held it closely to his side. 

"You child molesting bitch!" Amelia screamed as she tried to get hold of Chetti.

Luckily, Mac was able to keep them separated.

“The police are on the way!” Mr. Falou yelled from above.

"Eat a dick!" Chetti yelled from behind Mac. "And Cedrick, put a leash on that big bitch before someone mistakes her for a wild grizzly bear and shoots her!"

"Get out of my house, Chetti!" Cedrick demanded.

Stepping from behind Mac and standing at his side, she asked, "
Your
house?"

"Yes, my fucking house. You're trespassing."

Chetti pulled a gun from her purse causing everyone to stand still. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

Cedrick didn't answer. His eyes were on the gun. Everyone's eyes were on it.

Aiming the gun at Cedrick's face, Chetti said, "Boy, it was I and your father who purchased this house. It was I and him who grinded in these streets for it, not you. Fuck what you think. And don’t think that I give two fucks about you having a gun! I’ve never been afraid to die!"

Nervous but refusing to show it, Cedrick told her, "No, bitch. Fuck what
you
think."

She cocked the gun.

"Mrs. Bishop, this isn't in your best interest," Mr. Falou said, scared of dying.

"Shut the fuck up!" she ordered. "This is family business!"

He quieted.

She focused her attention back on Cedrick.

"So, am I supposed to beg you for my life or something?" he asked, looking her directly in the eyes. "Am I supposed to be scared now?"

Chetti's eyes narrowed. She stepped closer to him and placed the gun to his forehead. Cedrick allowed it without aiming back at her. After all she’d done, he still didn’t want to become a murderer.

"Muthafucka, I could murder you right here and right now."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Sirens sounded from afar. Chetti knew the police were approaching.

“Don’t you hear that?” Mr. Falou shouted!

Chetti knew now wasn't the right place and right time to kill Cedrick. She knew the heat was too heavy…too many witnesses. The Feds would come directly for her. She had no choice but to stand down.

"I didn't think so," he told her. “Mother,” he added putting stress on their relationship to one another.

"Don't get it twisted, Cedrick. This isn't over."

"The house is now mine. And in a matter of time, all the family's accounts will be mine also. Everything will belong to me."

"And what the fuck do you think I'm going to be doing? Do you think I'm going to stand by and let you take everything I've ever worked for?"

"I don't give a fuck what you do."

"I
will
have my damn house back, Cedrick, even if I have to kill you to do it. You can mark my words."