Diamonds and Pearl (19 page)

“Whatever you say,
boss
.” Hank's tone was laced with sarcasm.

Diamonds cocked his head and glared at Hank. “OG, we known each other too long to hold our tongues. You got something you feel like you need to get off your chest, go on and spit it out.”

Hank glanced around to make sure no one was listening before speaking his piece. “Dawg, what the fuck are we doing here?”

“Exploring a business opportunity—what else?” Diamonds said as if his motives were pure.

“Don't be funny. You know what I mean. You promised the team a night out to unwind, yet we find ourselves in here trying to make a move, a move I advised you against, I might add.”

“We always on the clock, Hank. Money don't take days off and neither do we,” Diamonds said as if it were that simple.

“Need I remind you of our current position in all this? We just wiped out an associate of the Mexican cartel, a big-time player in Harlem, and took damn near his whole crew along for the ride. We did all this on the word of your cousin and with a suspect green light from a guy we don't even know if we can trust yet. And now, less than twelve hours later, you wanna try to put the squeeze on another power player who was never in the plans to begin with? Why do you even need me to tell you this isn't a good idea?”

“Where's your sense of adventure, Hank?” Diamonds laughed as if the whole thing were funny. “Nah, but I see what you're saying, and under normal circumstances, I'd agree, but what I've found during our stay in New York is that it's anything but normal. Things in this city move fast, and sometimes you gotta improvise. Right now we got the element of surprise on our side, and we need to use it to our advantage. Some parties we'll get invited to, and others we just gotta show up unannounced and convince them to let us in.”

Hank frowned. “I hear that shit, but what if this gate-crashing mission goes to the left and we're called to task for our bullshit because you wanted to jump the gun? You know every member of the crew is ten toes down for whatever you need us to do, but we don't have enough friends in New York yet to go to war over a piece of property that probably ain't worth the blood that'll be spilled to take it.”

Diamonds shrugged. “Fuck it. We been playing with the odds against us all our lives. What makes this any different? We came to this city to bleed it, and that's what we're gonna do. If you got cold feet and wanna step off, I can respect that. You've put in enough work to where nobody would question it if you wanted to retire early, Hank.”

“Lil nigga, you know better than that. I been with you since the beginning, and I'm gonna be with you until the end. All I'm saying is, we need to pace ourselves and not jump too far out the window too soon. You've come in here with this ol' great offer to make, assuming he's going to go for it, but what if he doesn't? Pops is very well liked in these notorious circles, and people may not turn a blind eye to him going missing like we
hope
they'll do with Pana. We ain't got nobody's blessing on this one.”

“Blessing? Since when we start lining up to take communion for the sins we commit in the name of survival?” Diamonds hissed. “New York ain't like Texas, or even Miami. The only thing niggas up here understand is persistence and violence. I'm damn good at both, so I plan to capitalize on them. This old man has something I need, and I intend to make my play for it. Anybody who got a problem with that, you tell them to go get a pistol and step to me properly,” Diamonds capped, and walked off, leaving Hank standing there.

 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

They called it the VIP area, but it was more like a section of the bar that had been roped off from the main area. There was a sectional couch, two standing tables, and just enough room in the center for a few people to dance if they liked.

From the way Sheila had made it seem, they would be the main attraction, but there were at least a half dozen girls lingering in the VIP already, with easily that same number waiting outside the rope, hoping they could gain access. Not that Pearl was worried, but none of the girls she saw looked like they posed much of a threat. She could tell from the low-end gear, synthetic hair, and the heavy stench of cheap body spray that they were bottom-feeders and hardly in the same weight class as Pearl, or even her friends, but they were thirsty, and that would give them a leg up if guys started choosing.

Sheila was standing just beyond the rope, a drink in her hand, and staring over at Boom while he whispered into the ear of some girl with too much stomach for her halter top. The longer Boom talked to her, the tighter Sheila's face got. She looked ready to blow a gasket at any second and looked fit to lose it when someone called Boom's name and drew his attention away from the girl he was talking to. Boom's posture seemed to straighten at the sight of whoever was calling him, so Pearl followed his line of vision to see who it was.

Much to her surprise, it was the guy she had spotted earlier, popping bottles and carrying on. When Pearl had initially seen him, she assumed that he had been standing on a chair or possibly a table, but now that she was in proximity of him, she realized he was just that tall. He had to be at least six foot six, and he sported a mess of thick dreadlocks and a beard that looked like it had never seen comb or shear. One of his eyes seemed to drift, making it hard to see where he was looking. He was by no means a handsome man, but he draped himself in high-end fashion to compensate for it. The heavy jewels and head-to-toe Louis Vuitton outfit screamed money, and it was all authentic. Pearl had been bathed in designer since she'd come into the world, so she knew quality when she saw it.

Pearl watched intently as the tall dread crossed the small space and greeted Boom with a handshake before pulling him in and patting his back. They spoke briefly amongst themselves before Sheila interjected herself into their conversation. Boom gave her a disapproving look, but if she noticed, she didn't seem to care. The Jamaican rum they'd had on the way over had her on her gangster shit. Sheila went back and forth between the two men, batting her eyes and spitting game. Every so often she would glance over to the corner Pearl and Marisa had settled into. Whatever she was saying drew a mischievous smile from the tall dread, and the next thing Pearl knew, she and Marisa were being waved over.

“Marisa, Pearl, this is Doodles.” Sheila made the introduction as if she and Doodles were old friends and she hadn't just met him a few minutes prior.

“A pleasure to be acquainted,” Doodles said in a heavy Jamaican accent, and extended his hand in greeting. He gave Marisa's hand a polite shake, but when it came to Pearl, he turned her hand over and kissed the back of her knuckles.

“Fuck is that about?” Sheila asked, feeling slighted that she hadn't gotten more than a nod.

“A man know how to greet a queen when him see one,” Doodles told her. “When Boom tell me he was bringing the
entertainment,
I had no idea him meant Hollywood headliners.” He sized them all up, paying special attention to Pearl.

“I don't know about no
entertainment
. My girl said she knew some cool dudes we could hang out and have some drinks with. Beyond that, I don't know if I can help you,” Pearl told him, letting him know she peeped the slick shit. The way Doodles was talking and looking at them, you'd have thought they were circus monkeys he couldn't wait to throw peanuts at to see what kind of tricks they would do. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her gut. She glanced at Sheila, but she was trying her best to look everywhere except in Pearl's direction. The setup didn't feel right, and it made Pearl raise her guard.

“Chill out, gangster. I didn't mean to offend,” Doodles told her.

“So, why do they call you Doodles? You an artist or something?” Marisa asked. She picked up on the tension and was trying to change the mood.

Doodles looked to Boom first, who shrugged as if to say he hadn't put her up to asking. He then turned to Marisa to see if it was a serious question or whether she was making sport at his expense. “If ya must know, it's a moniker that come from my day back home. It's a long story, but in short, some men try fe test me, and I doodle me name in them chest with a knife.” He said this seriously and then made a slashing motion in the air with his finger, Then he let the dumb look of embarrassment settle in on Marisa's face over the all-too-personal-too-soon question, before breaking out into a smile. “I'm joking. They call me Doodles because I had skill with the pencil as a boy.”

“For a second I thought we were hanging out with some killers,” Pearl mumbled.

“Who says you aren't?” Franz whispered in her ear as he suddenly brushed past on his way to the other side of the section.

“We can make small talk about job occupations later,” Doodles continued. “Today Jah blessed me to see another year and we're here to give thanks for it. I'm trying to get fucked up. Who's with me?”

Doodles invited to share the couch he had reserved for the night. He shooed away some of the girls who were already sitting there to make room for his new guests, which the girls didn't seem to be happy about, but Doodles wasn't a man who you argued with. Boom sat to Doodles's right, Sheila damn near breaking her neck to take up the space next to Boom. Pearl made to sit to Doodles's left when Marisa damn near shoulder-tackled her to get to the seat first. She let it be known she was shooting for the stars that night, so Pearl let her have it, and sat at the end of the couch.

At some point a large curtain was drawn, cutting off the VIP section from the view of the rest of the bar, and that was when the real party started. Doodles wasn't as bad as Pearl had expected him to be. He was loud and uncouth, but the man knew how to have a good time. Drinks were flowing and weed was being rolled nonstop, but never once did he allow any of them to dig into their pockets to pay for anything. He was indeed a gracious host. The fact that everything was free meant that most did their best to overindulge, and the party really got loose … too loose in some cases. Pearl spent half the night rejecting the advances of Doodles's people, who kept trying to push up on her. Some of them were okay-looking, but they were far too aggressive.

Needing some space, she got up from the couch and moved to a less crowded spot near the edge of the curtain. A few feet away Franz sat alone on a chair, sipping from a bottle of vodka. He wore a very uninterested look on his face, as if he had a million other places he'd rather have been but there. Franz hadn't been the most engaging fellow since she'd met him, but he started acting downright funny once they'd gotten inside. When Pearl made eye contact, she flashed him a smile, to which he replied by shaking his head before getting up and walking to the other side of the room.

“Well, fuck you too then,” Pearl mumbled, slightly dumbfounded by the brush-off. She had thought Franz to be a cool dude, but apparently he was just as much of a dick as the rest of his friends. Whatever his problem was, it was obviously beyond her understanding or care, for that matter. She looked down at her watch and realized that time had gotten away from her; she'd stayed at the bar for more than an hour longer than she had intended to. It was time for her to find her friends and bounce.

Pearl noticed a small commotion brewing near the entrance as another guest was escorted into the VIP area. She was a tall drink of water with high yellow skin, blond hair, and thick thighs that strained against the fabric of her tight leather shorts. She strolled confidently across the room, large sunglasses covering her face, and swished hard enough to throw her hips out of place. Pearl expected the men to swarm her, as they had every other woman in the room, but surprisingly they kept a safe distance. From the respect they showed her, Pearl knew she had to be someone of importance.

Pearl looked on curiously as the woman approached Doodles and planted a kiss on each of his cheeks. They exchanged a few words before Doodles handed her a rolled-up knot of money, which she dropped into her purse without bothering to count it. The whole time Pearl watched the blonde, she couldn't help but feel like she had seen her somewhere before. She wasn't sure if it was her posture, or the way she flipped her wig every time she laughed, but there was definitely something familiar about her. It wasn't until she removed her sunglasses that she realized why.

*   *   *

The last time Pearl had seen Zonnie, she had been tugging at Big Stone's pant leg and pleading for him to accept her back into his life. It was the most pitiful thing Pearl had ever seen. She could tell by the way her father's body trembled that he was mad, but she didn't understand how much so until the back of his hand graced Zonnie's face. It was the first time she had ever seen him raise his hand. Had Pearl not just walked into the room, it was very likely that Big Stone would've killed Zonnie right there in the middle of their living room. Instead he banished her from the lifestyle he'd allowed her to be part of and the son she showed no interest in raising when she dropped him off on their doorstep a year prior … Stoney. The last Pearl had heard, Zonnie had relocated to LA and was shaking her ass in rap videos under the guise of pursuing an acting career.

Zonnie must've felt like she was being watched, because she started looking around. It was like she had radar, because her eyes zeroed right in on Pearl. Since it had been years since Pearl had last seen Zonnie, she hoped she didn't recognize her, but when the blonde headed in her direction, Pearl knew she had no such luck.

Pearl stood there like a deer in headlights as Zonnie crossed the room. She stopped just short of Pearl and let her weed-slanted eyes travel the length of Pearl's body. The younger girl tensed, not really sure what to expect, considering Zonnie's history with her father. For a minute Pearl thought it was about to go down between them, but a smile formed on Zonnie's heavily glossed lips.