New York's Finest (10 page)

“
Where did he get shot?”

“
He got shot once in the leg and once in the shoulder.”

“
So how long did they say he’ll have to stay in the hospital?”

“
They haven’t said yet. But his wife said she’ll let us know as soon as she hears something.”

“
Naomi, this is a serious business we are in, you agree?”

The question surprised me. I didn’t know where the question came from. “Yes,” I simply replied.

“
Then my dear Naomi, never lie to me again,” Marco said with so much confidence and surety in his voice that it brought fear to my heart.

I didn’t say anything . . . primarily because I didn’t know what to say.

“
Naomi, I got to where I am because I keep my nose to the ground,” he stated as he blew smoke again from his cigar. “Which means I know what’s going on with everyone who’s in my organization. I know you were robbed a few nights ago, and the guy watching your back was executed in the elevator. And before my driver picked you up, I got word that this time around Reggie was shot and is at New York Presbyterian Hospital as we speak. I also know he was shot outside a woman’s place, which means this is probably more personal than business.”

Marco’s dark eyes burnt through me. I knew he was allowing his words to fester inside of me. I was sure he wanted to see my reaction. Still, I kept my mouth shut. I had underestimated Marco. Something Reggie always warned me against doing. I now understood why so many people were afraid of him, and why he was in the position he was in. I had lost respect for the man because of his small ass dick. How could a man with so much money have such a little ass dick? And to think that when I used to fuck him, I acted like I loved it. Now that mistake may cost me my life. Believe me you, I was afraid but I refused to show it. My dad, Foxx told me on several occasions that my pride and my need to be in control of everything around me would get me killed. Maybe he was right after all. And tonight was probably the night I would see my fate.

“
And one thing you probably don’t know yet, Naomi, is two more of Reggie’s locations were hit tonight while he is laid up. So now I’m wondering what is going to happen next? Is this business or personal, or a little bit of both?”

I was really fucked up right now. I didn’t know if this was my last few minutes or hours to live, or what? Why did I lie to Marco? What was going on? It was questions I didn’t have answers to. The best thing I could do was stay calm, which I was trying my best to do. But the nervousness of the unknown was kicking my ass . . . so much that I just wanted to snap my fingers and disappear.

“
Don’t be nervous, my little Conchita,” Marco said to me. “This is a risky and deadly business we’re in. And in this business people get shot. Or they’ll get shot and killed. I have told Reggie this on many occasions to be straight forward no matter how crooked everyone else around him becomes because when you’re dead and gone, the only thing people will remember him by is his integrity. So tell him I wish him a speedy recovery and that I will be talking to him very soon.”

He took another pull on his cigar. After he blew out the smoke he immediately brought me up to speed about why I was there. I didn’t have time to process one thought to the next. I had forgotten about the real man, the real Marco I first met. Evidently, he was still Marco—the man, the motherfucker who had made a serious name in this game for himself. First, he was talking shit about my dishonesty and then he flipped the fucking switch just like that to another conversation, and there was nothing I could do but listen.

“
My son and I had a long talk about our operation and how we can expand it a little bit more and make a great deal of money,” he continued without missing a beat. “See, Naomi, we want to bring more of our product up north since there’s a market for it here. And perhaps join forces with you and your brother and take over New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey and possibly New Hampshire.”

“
So, how do you plan to accomplish this great feet?” I wondered aloud. I was surprised I was able to get the words out. But the curiosity of knowing what was on his mind was killing me.

“
Well, I’m glad you asked,” he started off and then he pulled on his cigar once more and blew out the smoke. “The fact that you work for an airline and are able to get you and your brother’s product processed through Customs without it being x-rayed or inspected is magnificent. So we’re proposing that if you agree to help us get Miguel’s shipments through free and clear without any inspections, then we’d like to offer you five percent of the value of every delivery.”

“
Why don’t you just pay me a set fee? Let’s say, three hundred grand per load,” I suggested.

He smiled and the grin developed wide over his face. He looked at his son, Miguel, who’s facial expression didn’t change. One minute I thought I was near death and the next I was negotiating for more cash. Foxx was right, my control issues were my biggest downfall.

“
No. That’s too much,” Marco finally said. “We have both agreed to pay you five percent of the load’s value.”

“
How will I know how much is being delivered?” I asked.

“
You’d just have to trust what we tell you,” Marco stated.

“
Well, can you give me a ball park of how much would be coming though on every delivery?” I pressed the issued because I needed answers. Even though I had several TSA agents on payroll, they were sticking their necks out for me. To do what Marco and Miguel wanted to do required larger payouts. And I just couldn’t go on their word that I would be told exactly how much each load would be valued at. That was a bullshit answer and Marco knew it. I wasn’t as crafty as he was when it came to the drug game but I knew enough to know that he was feeding me some shit and I wasn’t about to let him play me.

“
Okay, listen, Marco, I’ll tell you what. Let me sleep on this and get back with you in the morning. You need to realize I have TSA agents that I have to pay more money to make this work and the risk is higher. Besides, I’m tired right now. It has been a long day, and I really need to get some sleep and think about this a little more with a clearer head.”

“
Sure, no problem,” he said as he blew smoke from his cigar again. I wanted to stuff that cigar down his fucking throat. “But while you’re thinking about it, remember that this new business venture may affect the business relationship I already have with Reggie.”

He winked at me and I smiled. I was tired but the wink got to me. “I will make sure I keep that in mind,” I said and after that I was ready to go.

“
Before you go,” he stated. “Tell Damian that when a crisis like the boss getting shot happens, it’s not his place to be at the hospital consoling you. He is Reggie’s lieutenant-in-arms so he should be in the war zone, protecting his investments.”

I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t open my mouth. So I nodded my head and headed towards the front door. My mind was racing in overdrive. How dare this old motherfucker give us an ultimatum? Shit, he’s basically saying that if I didn’t help his son Miguel get his coke through my channels with the airline, then he was going to cut off Reggie’s supply. And then to talk shit about Damian like that. That shit he was on was bogus as hell! I knew I couldn’t tell him to his face what I was thinking so I thanked him for sending a driver to get me and then I told them both to have a good night.

Back at my place, I immediately got Damian on the phone. I told him everything that transpired at Marco’s house and then I told him that he needed to come by my place in the morning. After he assured me he would be by to see me, we hung up.

I believe I laid in my bed for about an hour before I was able to doze off. I kept thinking about my brother. I couldn’t wait until he got out of that God forsaken place and away from that dumbass wife of his. Shit, we had business to take care of. Not only did we need to find out who robbed me and killed Lucky, we also needed to find out who shot Reggie and lastly, we needed to get a handle on this shit with Marco.

I felt as if I was being backed up into a corner and I didn’t like it at all. Somebody needed to do something—and do something now.

New York’s Finest Kiki Swinson

I tossed and turned all night. I didn’t think I got one good wink of sleep thinking about all the shit that was going on. I looked at my alarm clock and noticed that it was a few minutes after eight, so I got up and ran two miles on my treadmill. When I was done I took a long hot shower. My mind was all over the place. I couldn’t get Reggie off my mind. I needed to know how he was doing, but I dared not call his dumb ass wife. I wasn’t in the mood to curse her out this morning, so I figured I’d try my chances with going back to the hospital to see him.

After I got out of the shower, I slipped on a pair of cutoff Levi denim shorts and a tight fitted t-shirt with little Ms. Hello Kitty pasted on the front of it. This was going to be a dress down day for me, so I slipped on my blue leather Gucci drivers and my blue leather Gucci bag to match. After I combed my hair back into a ponytail, I was ready to hit the street. But before I left my apartment I pulled out my Blackberry and noticed that Damian had tried to call me twice. So I dialed his number back but it kept going to voicemail, so I left him a voicemail to let him know I was on my way to the hospital to see Reggie and for him to meet me there so we could discuss a few things.

On my way to the hospital, I fumbled with how I was going to break the news to my parents that Reggie was in the hospital with a couple of gunshot wounds. My mother would probably have a nervous breakdown, but my pops would play it cool and want to know what condition he was in. But the thought of the grueling questions I would get wasn’t something I was looking forward to, so I held out on the decision to call them for right now and proceeded to my destination. It was a Sunday and valet parking at the hospital wasn’t available. I parked my truck back in the parking garage.

While I was getting out of my truck, my Blackberry rang. It was Damian. I pressed the send button and said, “Hello.”

“
I just got your voicemail about you coming up to the hospital to see Reggie,” he began. “But you may want to hold out on that for a bit ’cause I just got up here a minute ago myself and when I tried to go in his room to see if he was up, I got jammed up by a couple police detectives at the door.”

“
What did they say?” I asked as my heart began to race.

“
They asked me what my name was?”

“
Did you tell ‘em?”

“
I had to because the other detective asked me for my ID to see if I was lying to them.”

“
What else did they say to you?”

“
They wanted to know how I was related to Reggie. And then they asked me if I knew who shot him? But I told them I didn’t know shit.”

“
Did you get a chance to see Reggie?”

“
I saw him for a quick second.”

“
Was he up?”

“
He was lying back, but his eyes were open.”

“
Did he see you?”

“
Yeah, he saw me.”

“
Was Vanessa there?”

“
I didn’t see her.”

“
Where are you now?” I continued to question him.

“
I just walked out of the hospital.”

“
Well, meet me on the third floor of the parking garage,” I instructed him.

“
Okay.”

As soon as Damian reached me in the parking garage, my Blackberry rang, and it was Foxx telling me and Damian to get our asses up to Reggie’s room. Before I could tell him detectives were up there, he had hung up.

I told Damian and we did as we were told.

When we reached the hallway of Reggie’s room, the first person I saw was Stone standing next to the door, as if he was the bodyguard and protector of my brother. As I passed Stone, a man who has acted like my uncle since the time he and my father Foxx started hanging out back in the day, he gave me a look of disappointment. And when we entered Reggie’s room, Stone stepped inside the door. I was happy to see Reggie was wide awake. Foxx was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

“
How you feel,” I asked my brother. He didn’t immediately say anything. I felt like my world was collapsing around me. The eyes on Damian and I made me feel as if we had destroyed the world and somebody forgot to tell us.

“
I shouldn’t have to hear that my son was shot from Stone and anyone else,” my dad spoke up. I could hear the venom in his voice. “If I expect to hear it from anyone, it should be one of you two.”

Both Damian and I didn’t have a comeback. I felt small and I’m sure Damian felt the same. This supposed to be a joyous occasion, but now I was sweating bullets. I felt like the damn criminal who didn’t know what crime he was being convicted of.

“
And your brother shouldn’t have to wake up to his fucking wife complaining about him getting another woman pregnant, because his fucking sister couldn’t control her fucking temper and mouth,” Foxx said. Foxx rarely swore. When he did, it meant he was either very upset or disappointed, or in my case, both.

Still, I didn’t say anything. What could I say? That I let a two-bit bitch get the best of me?

“
Both of you, I don’t need this shit,” Reggie weakly stated. He raised his bed up a little. Both Damian and I were still standing at the foot of the bed. I’m sure Damian felt as I did, that we were on trial and was just finding out what the charges were.