Jaded 2: Broken Love Series (16 page)

Now Reggie was salty because he stabbed me in my back and took a bold deal. Now he thinks he’s about the fuck me over. Surely his ass is using that booger sugar again.

I go and check on L’oriel. I’m actually relieved she’s still knocked out
;
I leave her a note telling her I’ll be back. Jordan is sitting in the kitchen when I come down.

“I don’t know what the fuck wrong with that nigga Reggie. You think that nigga still messing with that shit?” Jordan asks as I grab a bottled water from the refrigerator. I don’t even respond as we headed out. It didn’t matter to me if he was or wasn’t. He’d crossed the line. I wasn’t saving his ass this time. He’s shown me we aren’t family anymore, and I don’t give a fuck about a mother fucker that shows me he ain’t fucking with me like family.

I didn’t tell L’oriel the whole story about Reggie. Reggie only got off drugs because I forced him to. When he went through rehab
,
they suggested that he let go of those relationships that were not going to help him stay clean.

Mila was one of those relationships. Mila and Reggie had gotten pretty heavy into drugs and partying. When Reggie couldn’t provide Mila with drugs
,
she often participated in prostitution to maintain her habit. Mila’s beautiful, so she’s never lacking rich johns.

I’m not sure how much money Reggie has since he had a pretty bad coke habit. I didn’t think if he was sober he’d stoop to such desperate measures
,
or make the type of decisions he was making. He may not have known if my uncle had given me the money or not
,
but he definitely knew who my uncle was in the streets. He wasn’t just someone you mention at all. Besides
,
he knows me. He knows that I’m to blame for Cash spending the rest of his days being fed through a tube
,
as well as a few missing persons. He should know that between the two of us
,
he can’t win this.

Jordan followed me to make sure I wasn’t being followed. An hour later
,
we pull up to a house in the woods. This was my uncle’s house he used to cut dope in when he first started. We were off the grid out here. Even though you couldn’t get a cell phone signal out here
,
we still left our iPhones at the house. We turned off and removed the battery from our burners. There was no cable, internet—nothing. He even had it powered by solar panels that aren’t connected to a power grid. He had Jesse install a back-up battery system so he wouldn’t need the additional power when too much power was used. Since he didn’t actually live in the house, the times we’ve been here
,
I’ve never heard the batteries turn on. It was a small simple house. It was very similar to what my Grum-Grum would call a shot gun house. The outside had been maintained, and the siding was up to date. The inside was modernly updated as well. It wasn’t plush, but it was comfortable with new countertops
,
a white range, refrigerator, and washer and dryer. It had a small living room with nice leather furniture. Dame kept it so if he needed to crash or hide out
,
he’d be comfortable enough.

Jordan stayed outside; he didn’t really need to keep watch out here, but you never know. Besides
,
me and Dame hadn’t told anyone how the record company started; there was no need in confirming anything now.

“What’s up
,
nephew?” I look up to see Dame coming from the rear of the house pulling a beater over his head.

“What’s good with you? You didn’t come to Thanksgiving dinner
,
” I respond. When he approaches me
,
we clasp hands and hug
,
patting one another on the back.

“Ah. I tried to make it but got caught up. When I got back, you were already gone with your little beauty.” I smiled thinking about L’oriel. My uncle shook his head. “Man you are gone. You blushing and shit. You know that’s some light-skinned shit
,
right
,
” he said laughing.

“Man. Fuck out of here. I’m not blushing. I don’t blush. Fuck all that. I know you know about Reggie ass.” My uncle had been fucking with me about my complexion for as long as I could remember. My mother, he, and my aunt Kim were all like a cocoa brown; even though my brothers and I weren’t too much lighter, he always teased us.

“Yeah
,
I know about your boy. Didn’t I tell your ass a long time ago to get rid of that mother fucker? You can’t take everybody to the top.”

I nodded my head because he had pre-warned me a long time ago about Reggie. I really thought I’d cleaned up my circle.

“So
,
did you take care of everything on the books?” he asks, referring to me cleaning up his initial investment. I’d actually taken care of that a long time ago. Everything was legit now, and there was nothing that could trace back.

“You know I did.”

“Good. So why did you want to meet?” I gave him a look. He knows why I wanted to meet. I wanted to know if Reggie was dead already
,
if I’m going to be looked at as a suspect
,
or if I have to explain anything since he implicated my business being started with drug money. Besides
,
he’s the one with the connect to the FEDS. He’ll know if they’re going to check into his claims or not.

“What? You worried about that nigga?” he laughed. I looked at him affronted; he knows damn well I’m not worried about Reggie. If he hasn’t gotten him, I’m going to. I just want to do it in good time
,
when the heat is off and he’s comfortable. I know my uncle doesn’t care about all of that. He’ll do some messy shit so he can send a message; I’m stealthier and calculating.

“He’s still alive. That mother fucker went off the grid. He hasn’t used his cell phone or nothing. His momma and little brother packed up weeks ago and haven’t been heard from. Everybody he loves is missing. You know that mother fucker know how I operate. So this is some planned and thought out shit.” I ran my hand down my face. Fucking Reggie. What’s his problem
,
man? I don’t understand what he’s trying to do.

“What about the alphabet boys?” I ask
,
referring to the FBI and IRS
,
wanting to know if they’re checking into my business.

“They checking into it. You know they gon’ always check into a claim like that. Especially since that’s how damn near every black independent turned corporate record company started. Long as your books good
,
we shouldn’t have a problem. I know you keep shit tight, so you’re good. We just gotta find your snitching ass friend. By the way, how’d he find out?” He raises a questioning brow at me.

“I don’t know
,
I never told him or anybody.” This really had me perplexed. I don’t know if Reggie just threw some shit out there to see how we’d react
,
or if he really overheard or saw something in the early days.

I mean
,
when we first started doing parties, we were young and wild. I wasn’t trying to save money. We were at the shopping mall all the time. I had every expensive flashy name brand item I could think of. I had a diamond grill, diamond chains, and iced out Rolex’s. We did all the typical shit young black boys that’s not used to nothing did. It wasn’t until I started doing more producing and ghostwriting that my uncle finally pulled me to the side. He told me I needed to save and find something to invest my money in. He asked me to sit down and put together a plan. I did, and my uncle believed in it
and
gave me the money to get started. He knew in his line of business that he couldn’t be a partner
,
but he funded a lot. My books say my money came from ghostwriting, producing, and parties; those are what affronted me the money to start the record company. Reggie found our first artist on the label
,
and the rest is history. Even though my uncle gave me the money to get started
,
I made sure to put every dime I made back into the business. The first few years
,
I didn’t spend money on anything but the business. I earned respect from my uncle and earned every damn thing I have now. I worked my ass off for it. I can’t believe Reggie’s corn bread ass is actually trying to end what I built.

“You sure you weren’t pillow talking with Alexis’ tramp ass?” Dame asks
,
interrupting my reverie. Dame’s ignorant ass was starting to piss me off trying to push my buttons. What did he take me for? Alexis and Mila were friends
,
and that caused some of Alexis and I’s problems. Reggie would tell Mila shit that I wouldn’t speak on or talk about with Alexis. I always saw a woman as the weaker vessel
,
so I wasn’t too much into expressing business matters with her. When Mila would run her mouth to Alexis about what Reggie said
,
Alexis would accuse me of being cold and emotionally closed off. She probably wasn’t too far off.

I hadn’t realized that I must have been mugging my uncle until I heard, “Damn. Don’t look at me like that. I just had to ask. Man, you light-skinned cats are so sensitive.”

“Man, I got your light-skinned.” I shake my head. I swear, my uncle is old enough to be my father and is actually a year older than my father. However, he acts like he’s my age or younger. He was always a jokester. There’s very few moments when you’ll catch Dame serious. Sometimes his personality is refreshing; then there’s other times when it’s annoying as hell. Dame walks to the window and looks through the blinds.

“What the hell is Jordan doing sitting outside? I swear
,
ya’ll asses over do everything. We talking about Reggie’s punk ass here. He’s not a threat. I trust Jo-Jo. I thought you would have told him of all people that I gave you the money
,
though I’m sure he figured it out.” He opened the front door. “Jo-Jo. Man
,
if you don’t get your ass in here. What the fuck you doing sitting out here like we under attack?” he laughs. Jordan ducked down
,
stuffing his tall—wide frame through the door. He and Dame gave one another pound and a half-hug.

“So this was ya’ll boy. Ya’ll don’t have any idea where he could be?” I shook my head. I guess I’d underestimated Reggie. I never thought he’d be able to dodge my uncle.

“I’m going to have Jesse look into it. See if he made some purchases on some properties in the last few years in his name
,
or anyone else’s name.” My uncle shakes his head.

“You know I already checked into that shit. There’s nothing my people have been able to find.”

Jordan took a seat on the sofa. “Aye. You need to get with Mila. See what you can get out of her
,
” Jordan says as he stretches out his long legs. I nod my head in agreement.

“Speaking of Mila. What the fuck the nephew doing? Putting baby batter in that gutter broad? I blame you for that one,” he says, pointing at me. “Troy. You supposed to make sure the nephew knew all about her. You coddle him and Derrick too much. You don’t let them fall for them ole loose booty ass females
,
” he says, rolling marijuana through his thumb and index finger
,
breaking it up so he can roll it in the cigar paper that he has sitting beside it.

“Man
,
I did. He knows you’ve hit that, knows she a coke head…everything. He still messing around with her.” I dropped into the loveseat. “Dame
,
why I catch them fucking on the sofa in the living room
,
and without a rubber? Talking about because she’s pregnant.” Dame’s eyes bulge and his mouth drops.

“What the hell is wrong with Jason?” He dramatically throws his arms up in the air and runs his hands down his face. “You know you go have to get rid of that sofa now, don’t you? That shit’s contaminated.” He curls up his lip
,
then continues sealing the cigar paper that was now filled with marijuana.

“Already on it. I had it replaced the next day. Nasty ass knew we were having everybody over for Thanksgiving.”

“What the hell is Jay thinking? I’m going to have to talk to my nephew. It’s some females you just have to pass on
,
and Mila is one of them. She’s been more than ran through. It’s some miles clocked on that pussy
,
” he said as fired the blunt and took a couple of pulls and released the pungent smoke into the air.

“Shit
,
it was almost ten years ago when me and Reggie ran a train on her. I can’t imagine that the box is still any good
,
” he said
,
taking another pull. “Must. Be. If. Nephew. Sprung. Huh?” he says as he attempts to talk and try to hold as much of the thick smoke in his lungs as he can. He points the blunt towards Jordan
,
who shook his head. He didn’t even extend the invitation to me. He knew I didn’t touch anything that could alter my thinking or slow me down. I drank, but that was about it. I even kept that to a minimum. I’d watched my mother struggle with drugs almost all my life. Reggie would always say it was because I was too much of a control freak to let anything control me. Reggie lied about many things, but that was the truth.