Raunchy 2 (95 page)

“So, how has life been treating you?” She asked looking me over again.
“I been doing pretty good.”
“Really?” I couldn’t get over how pretty she looked. It was like time hadn’t touched her one bit.
“Yeah, I live in a mansion in Fort Washington.” I opened my purse and eyed the corner of vodka in the bottle and wanted to finish it off. Knowing her square ass though, she’d probably have a problem with it. “It’s a really nice place.”
“Oh…so what do you do for a living to afford a mansion?”
“What, you thought I’d be living in the projects or something? Just because I ain’t finish school?”
“I’m just asking what you do for a living, Harmony. I always took an interest in your life, you know that.”
“I do a little bit of everything, Mrs. Duncan.” I said taking the bottle out of my purse. Fuck her. I was drinking this shit. “But mainly I do consulting work.”
“You shouldn’t drink that in here. I’m driving, Harmony.”
“Well let me out.” I told her. “You picked me up remember?” I swallowed the last of the corner. “Anyway it’s gone now. See.” I said showing her the bottle.
She shook her head. “Are you sure life is treating you well?”
“Yeah, why you say that?” I smirked. “You gonna give me yours?”
“I’m asking because you don’t look so well, Harmony.”
“Damn, this is why I couldn’t stand your ass back in the day! You too fucking nosey.”
“I don’t mean to be. It’s just that this is the lifestyle I was trying to steer you away from. This is the lifestyle I feared you would have.”
“What lifestyle is that?”
“A lifestyle of prostitution. Of alcoholism and personal abuse. You look older than the years you are. Have you looked into the mirror lately?” She paused. “And what happened with that scar on your face?”
“Wait.” I laughed. “You think I’m a prostitute?”
“After everything I said, that’s all you heard?”
“Well do you think I’m a prostitute or not?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Why you say that?”
“Look at how you’re dressed.” I looked down at myself. The short black dress I had on was skimpy but not too bad. After all, I just ate breakfast with Irma and met the social worker so I was trying to keep low key. “What else would you be?”
“Let me out.”
“But you aren’t home yet.”
“Just let me the fuck out!”
When the truck stopped I jumped out. “You know it’s never too late to start all over, Harmony. And I really hope you know that.”
When she pulled off some man pulled in front of me seconds later. “You wanna ride sweetheart?” From the look he gave me I knew what he wanted. Sex.
I hadn’t fucked in awhile and as far as I was concerned, he was as good a candidate as any. “Yeah. But after that, you gotta take me home.”
“Take care of me and I’ll take care of you.” He paused. “Get in.”

JACE
SHIT IS SERIOUS

Jace roamed around the deli and he was an emotional wreck. Days passed since he seen or heard from Antoinette and he wondered what could have happened to her. So he called a meeting with Kreshon, Paco and his bodyguards Antony and Kevin. They were sitting in Gee’s Deli avoiding the pink elephant in the room. That if Antoinette was missing, it was very possible that Kali had her.

“Boss, I know you said she was going to leave you.” Antony said. “You sure she didn’t just do it?”
“Naw. She wouldn’t. She ain’t got no place to go for real.” He said. “Something else is up.”
“Well I had two different bitches I fuck with ask about Antoinette at the salons she went to and they didn’t hear shit.” Paco said.
The disappointment of the news showed on Jace’s face.
“What about you, Kreshon? Were you able to find out anything?”
“No, man. I’m sorry.”
Jace paced the deli before Kevin broke silence. “I think Kali got her. As a matter of fact, boss, I’m sure of it.”
Jace looked at all of the men. “You think the same thing?” He asked eyeing all of them.
One by one each of his men nodded. “I was afraid of this shit. I mean, don’t this nigga know what I would do to him if he put his hands on her?”
“Yeah, but we killed his cousin,” Paco said. “He might not give a fuck about none of that shit. He wants revenge.”
“Or his money.” Antony said.
“I don’t know how he caught Antoinette. I always told her to be careful. And I always had somebody on her because I knew this nigga was lurking. She was so mad at me that she threw caution to the wind and now this shit!”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“When she went to get her nails done.” Jace paused. “And I asked around that salon and nobody wanted to answer my questions. I had a feeling Kali got to them before I did. He probably threatened them or something.”
“He got her, man.” Paco said.
“Have you been able to get a lead on Kali again, Pac?”
“Not since he was at the mansion.” Paco said. “I know he not staying there no more. That would be stupid.” He paused. “Plus the day I did pop up there, the only people I saw was your daughter and three Spanish broads. Oh, and that bitch that looks like a dude.”
Jace thought about Jayden. He hadn’t seen her in days and wouldn’t answer her calls because he had a lot on his mind. And the times he did call the house he was trying to reach Madjesty but she was never home. He figured she’d know something if he could just get her on the phone. Maybe throw a little money her way for some information.
Part of him blamed Harmony for Antoinette’s kidnapping. Spending time with Jayden also allowed him to see her daily and because of it, his attention was taken off of home. There was something he found alluring about Harmony and she was truly the most interesting person he knew. He was falling for her scandalous ass again and there was no stopping him unless he put space between them. He made a decision that if things worked out with Antoinette, and he was able to bring her home, that he wouldn’t be over Concord Manor so frequently. If Jayden wanted to see him she would have to come to his house.
Jace wished Tony Wop wasn’t out of his mind because he could really use his advice right now. But ever since he was poisoned at that party and tried to kill himself with a hammer, he was in a mental institution and his condition went from bad to worse. Outside of his physical body that was deteriorating by the day, Tony was not the same man. He didn’t know Jace, his friends or even himself.
Jace also thought about his father Rick, who he wrote off after discovering that he lied to him about his gambling habit in Mexico. Shit in his life was fucked up and things around him were falling apart. He was big on trust. And looking at his men, he couldn’t be sure that there was one amongst them that he could say without a doubt he trusted. Essentially he felt alone.
“Yeah, he’s definitely not at the mansion no more.” Paco continued.
“I’m there all the time anyway.” Jace assured them. They looked at him strangely. “My kid is there. It’s not even about that bitch no more.”
They didn’t believe him.
“Somebody told me he hangs out at this spot in Maryland. Not too far from Oxon Hill. I can check it out if you want.” Kreshon said. “I mean, I rode past myself a few days back and never saw nobody. It’s worth another try though.”
“Yeah. But if you find him, don’t kill him. I need to get Antoinette back safe first.”
“You got it.”