Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1) (20 page)

Within a blink of an eye, Diamond grabbed a glass of champagne from the table next to the rude guy and threw the shit right in his face. “Argghh!” the dude screamed out. I could tell his eyes must’ve been on fire because he hadn’t seen that shit coming from her.

“
Diamond!” I screamed.

The dude pulled himself together real quick and went after her. “You dirty bitch!” he hollered.

The next thing I knew, he pulled back his huge hand and smacked Diamond so hard she went sailing backwards on her ass and hit the floor.

“
You muthafucka!” I screamed, racing over to Diamond to see if she was all right. She was looking a little dazed. That bastard stalked over to us, stood above Diamond and hawked a wad of spit right on her.

“
You asshole!” Diamond shouted. She was struggling to get off the floor. “Oh no this bitch ass nigga didn’t just spit on me!” She wiped the spit off her body, but before she could go back at the guy, the bouncers had finally made their way over to the commotion.

The big, cock diesel bouncers grabbed and tussled with the dude. The guy’s friends tried to go at it with the bouncers, but one of the big men lifted his shirt to display a handgun. Those dudes backed down. I guess they had left their shit outside in their cars. All of the men, including the one Diamond had the beef with were forcefully put the hell out of the club. The bouncers followed them all the way just to make sure they didn’t try to come back in with any weapons.

All I could do was shake my fucking head. Maybe it was me. I must’ve been the bad luck because every time I came to the club some shit jumped off. This gave me more of a reason to put my plan in motion. I needed to get my dough from Duke. I was tired of this shit.

“
You alright?” I asked Diamond. I knew she wasn’t all right, but what else was I gonna say after that whole scene.

“
I’m fucking pissed off! I can’t take this bullshit no more. These bastards get worse and worse every day,” Diamond said as I walked her towards the stairs that led to the dancer’s dressing rooms. I guess her high was completely blown now.

When we got downstairs, I sat on a short stool in front of Diamond’s little locker where she kept her outfits. I watched as she cleaned the nasty spit off her and got herself together. I took this opportunity to sell my idea. This couldn’t have been a better time, because I could tell Diamond was feeling as if she was at the end of her rope.

“
See Diamond, you gotta get the fuck up outta this place. This shit is fine for a temporary gig, but long term ain’t the move.”

Diamond rolled her eyes. “Lynise, I ain. (rt up for no goody two shoes lecture tonight,” Diamond snarled at me. “Especially when I’m the bitch footing the bills right now.”

“
I’m not trying to lecture you,” I clarified. “I’m trying to tell you about a plan for both of us to come off with some real money. I had started to tell you about it earlier today before your man interrupted.”

Diamond pulled off her skimpy outfit and started putting on her regular clothes. “I’m listening,” she said.

“
I’m going to blackmail Duke with those pictures and that paperwork. But I need you to be down with this. I need you to help me set up a drop for the money and have my back when it goes down.” It was obvious my announcement had caught Diamond slightly off guard.

Diamond looked at me skeptically, but she didn’t speak against the plan. I think deep down inside she knew I was on to something. “I’m listening,” she said in a low voice. Yes! I, at least, had her ear and her interest now.

“
I’m gonna call that nigga and tell him if he don’t come up with at least a half-a-mil, I’m going straight to the cops with the information I have about that girl and that fucking butcher shop shelter he running with that doctor,” I said.

She looked at me like I had lost my mind. “Bitch, you really think that man is gonna just turn over a half-a-mil just like that? Five hundred thousand dollars for some pictures you got that you can’t even prove came from him? C’mon Lynise,” Diamond retorted.

“
See, that’s where you wrong at,” I replied. “The paperwork I got has money amounts paid to Duke directly. Yeah, I know it may sound like he was stupid for keeping tabs, but remember he just didn’t figure I would ever search his shit.”

“
If you say so. So you just gon’ dial his number, say give me a half-a-mil or else?” Diamond asked with doubt lacing her words.

“
Hell yeah!” I replied. “Duke had a lot to lose, Diamond. Without his reputation he won’t be able to make no money and if he goes to jail, even worse.”

“
I hear that hot shit. All of a sudden you a ride or die bitch, huh?” Diamond said sarcastically.

She was starting to piss me off, but I really needed her so I was taking her shit. “It’s either ride or die or be broke and fucked up,” I replied.

“
I don’t believe you gonna call him Lynise. It’s just not your style . . . maybe my style, but definitely not your cornball ass style,” Diamond said, twisting her lips. She was egging me by doubting me. Maybe that was a good thing because I needed somebody to hype me up and give me the courage to do this.

“
Watch me!” I snapped. “But after I mak e the call, we need to come up with a quick plan on how to get the money. We need to plot out the where, when and how.”

“
That’s all good . . . that’s if you make the call,” she said, continuing to doubt me.

Diamond twisted her lips and dared me to make the call. She actually started laughing, saying I wasn’t going to make the call.

“
A’ight, you don’t believe me? I can show you better than I can tell you,” I said, snatching Diamond’s cell. “Now give me your phone because he will recognize my number and he won’t answer it.”

Diamond crossed her arms and watched me closely while I made the call.

I guess she wasn’t doubting my seriousness now.

Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

Chapter 26—Threat

Diamond had put the battery in my back, but she wasn’t able to soothe my nerves one bit while I made the call.

My heart was hammering when I heard Duke’s phone ringing on the other end. I started walking in circles in the dressing room, because I was so damn nervous. Diamond had her arms folded across her chest looking at me like she thought I was faking the call.

“
Yeah,” Duke answered. I almost shit on myself and cried at the same time when I heard his sexy ass voice. “Speak,” Duke called into the phone when I didn’t say anything right away.

My mouth was open but nothing was coming out. I was at a loss for words for a minute. Then I heard Duke’s fucking wife’s voice in the background ask, “Baby, who is that?” That’s when I was finally spurned into action. I got angry and that made me feel bold.

“
Yeah muthafucka, I’m just calling to tell you that you’re done! I have you by the balls and if you don’t meet my fucking demands your life is over!” I boomed into the phone.

“
What? Who is this? Lynise?” Duke asked nice and calm. I could hear his wife saying something but I couldn’t make out what she was saying.

“
You damn right it’s me!” I hollered into the phone. “I ain’t calling to beg for you back or no shit like that, so don’t flatter yourself. But I am calling to let you know that your life will be over. I’m calling to tell you that I know all about your little baby snatching ring!”

Duke coughed. It sounded like a nervous cough to me. I was feeling slightly powerful as I spoke. I felt like I had his ass under pressure now. He didn’t say anything so I took that as my cue to keep going.

“
Oh yeah, I overheard you and Dr. Gavin talking about how ya’ll snatch homeless pregnant girls and take their babies by forceful C-section. Then you tell those poor girls that their babies died. That is, if the girls make it . . . see, I saw one of the girls dead on the news. You know just who the fuck I’m talking about too! I also heard you say how many clients is paying you. I also know the babies you said died are actually alive and in the possession of some very rich people. I just so happen to have the list and price you was paid from those people. Oh Duke, I know everything . . . and guess what? I got the pictures Dr. Gavin gave you of all the girls!”

I was telling it all. I wanted him to know how serious the situation was. Duke was quiet and that made me wanna say even more.

“
I know one of the girls died from the botched C-section Dr. Gavin gave her at your request. I got the pictures right out of your desk! I can send the cops to the people who bought that baby and when the DNA from the baby matches the dead girl’s and I show this list of the people that paid you for that baby, you will be done! Do you hear me done!”

He was listening intently. I could tell. I felt as if I had him right where I wanted him, because if I didn’t have his ass in a crunch, knowing Duke like I did, he would have hung up on me a long time ago. Diamond was moving in front of me excitedly trying to ask me what he was saying. I put my hand up halting her while I finished.

“
What do you want?” Duke said calmly.

“
Now be patient! I was going to tell you,” I said with my voice shaking. “Here is what the fuck I want! I want five hundred thousand dollars in cash. I want you to come to the Magic City and bring the shit in a duffel bag. You need to come at a time when the club is packed. I want you to leave the fucking bag on the left side of the bar. You won’t see me, but I will see you.”

There was silence on the phone. That shit was making me uncomfortable. I mean, here I was extorting his ass and Duke was still cool, calm and collected.

I was kind of shocked at his reaction given the fact he and I both knew my evidence against him was rock solid. “Do you hear me you asshole!” I screamed.

Duke was getting a rise out of me by being so calm. I wanted to get under his skin like he had done to me for so long.

“
Ok, Lynise, I will meet your demands,” he finally replied. “I will come tomorrow at ten o’clock. Is that good enough for you?”

I felt a flash of heat come over me. It was a combination of excitement and fear. I couldn’t believe it was that easy to get him to bring me that kind of money. Something about that didn’t sit right with me, but I wasn’t going to back down at this point. What if Duke was really willing to pay to have those pictures back? I mean, I had watched him waste large amounts of money before so I already knew money was no object for him.

“
You need to follow my instructions and don’t try no bullshit. If shit doesn’t go down right, I have instructed someone to drop the pictures and stuff off to the cops and the media. I’m sure you don’t want your little preacher’s daughter wife to be embarrassed publicly when she finds out her so-called Christian husband is a murderer and baby snatcher.”

“
That is fine. I just need to know who else has been able to review these documents?” Duke asked, sounding all official and strictly business and shit. He was speaking to me like I was some business partner. I guess he didn’t want his wife to be suspicious.

“
Don’t worry about who else knows. You don’t know the person. But trust me, if one hair on my head is harmed, the person will turn your ass in so fast you won’t know your own name before it hits the general public and every media outlet you can think of,” I bluffed. By now Diamond couldn’t take not knowing what was going on, so she pressed her ear close to mine and the phone.

“
I will be there tomorrow . . . but you need to hand over the documents and pictures when I leave the bag,” Duke demanded. I knew he would ask for the stuff, but I was not planning on letting him see me. I was too scared he might try some shit.

“
I will leave them in a place that is secure,” I replied. “There will be a note in the spot where you will leave the money. When I have seen the money for sure, you will get the information.”

There was no fucking way I was going to let him see me. I was going to have Diamond dress in a disguise and pick up the bag when he leaves it.

“
Ok, Lynise, I look forward to doing business with you again,” Duke said calmly, still sounding all official.

His demeanor unnerved me. It was strange for someone being blackmailed to be this calm. Diamond moved her head away from the phone and looked at me. After I hung up the phone, I was completely spooked. My hands were trembling and sweat was pouring down my back.

“
What happened at the end of the conversation?” Diamond asked. Damn, she seemed nervous too. Shit, I didn’t know if we could survive this. Hope was becoming my best friend.

“
He said he was going to do it tomorrow at ten,” I told her. “But he was too fucking calm, girl. It was real weird he was that damn calm.”

Diamond was quiet and so was I. Both of our minds were racing. I could tell. I was biting on my nails to try and combat the huge butterflies flitting around in my stomach.