Still thicker than water (20 page)

His partner nodded and made his way out and the Filipino woman made her way back in.

Father rolled over onto his back and pulled away his towel, revealing his erect, no more than three inch penis.

“
Now, I done got all tensed up. Grab those stones Noki, come work it out of me.”

She bowed slightly and grabbed her stones, and made her way over to him and began to massage Father’s small dick, obediently.

“
Ikaw Na Nga… Ikaw Na Nga… Ikaw Na Nga…”

“
The court calls Tatum Mosley.”

Tatum made her way up to the stand thinking of the testimony from Nikki that she had just heard. She wondered if they would be asking her the same type of questions, which were basically what made her a better provider, how the kids behaved around her, what their grades were like, things like that.

Tatum did have to admit that Nikki did a pretty convincing job on her commitment to stay clean, and her commitment to being a good mother. She even had a sworn statement from her mother who vouched for her and assured that she would be there every step of the way helping Nikki. Tatum had to fight the urge to tear up when Nikki began to cry. Back when her brother and Nikki were set to get married, Tatum had loved her, but when she fell off the wagon, Tatum had found it hard to forgive her. Hearing her testimony today though, she actually started to look at drug use as a habit, a sickness, a disease, and not a conscious selfish decision.

As she began to answer the simple questions, she was sure she was doing just as well of a job as Nikki had done, but was also sounding a little more competent, being that she had no demons, like Nikki. Her lawyer had asked her repeatedly if she had ever done drugs, been arrested, anything like that, and she had secured to him that the answer was no. He smiled at her as she seemed to ace the cross questioning from Nikki’s attorney.

“
And do you have steady employment to where you can provide for the children?”

“
I do…I am a beautician and I make a pretty good living doing so.”

The judge seemed pleased to hear that.

“
Are there any aspects of your lifestyle that may situate the children in any danger?”

Tatum looked at her like she was crazy.

“
No, not at all.”

Nikki’s lawyer nodded and then asked.

“
Have you ever placed the children in any direct danger, knowingly?”

Tatum shook her head no and the judge informed her,

“
Please answer the question aloud Ms. Mosley.”

“
Oh, no. No I haven’t.”

Her lawyer looked at her pleased as the questioning was wrapping up, and then…

“
Who is Sean Knights?”

Tatum’s heart stopped.

Nikki’s lawyer noticed the look of surprise on Tatum’s face and used it to her advantage.

“
You seemed surprised Ms. Mosley. Do you not know who Sean Knights is?”

Tatum’s lawyer looked at her suspiciously and Tatum’s face grew hot.

“
Um, n-n-”

“
Please remember you are under oath Ms. Mosley,” the lawyer reminded with a smirk, and the judge turned to Tatum. Tatum dropped her shoulders in defeat.

“
Yes.”

“
Excuse me?” The lawyer probed.

“
Yes…yes, I know who Sean Knights is.”

Tatum’s lawyer looked on with disbelief, knowing that this was not good.

“
Well, maybe your honor, you are not sure who Sean Knights is. Ms. Mosley, let us include everyone on who Sean Knights is. Sean Knights, was Ms. Mosley’s boyfriend. He was…is…also a major drug dealer, murderer, and gangster-”

Her lawyer jumped in.

“
I’m sorry, but was he ever convicted? I believe you should use the words alleged.” Although he had no idea that Tatum was connected to Respect, he, like every judicial person in the tri-state area, was aware of who he was and how bad the state was trying to get him two years ago. They were also aware that it was undo-able.

“
Oh, I’m sorry
alleged
…but still…do you take eight and ten year old little girls across state lines with a possible criminal? You did go to Florida with him, correct?” She didn’t even give Tatum a chance to answer as she continued to tear into her. “A possible criminal who your brother allegedly worked for, selling drugs? A possible criminal, that if your brother would have lived to tell it, his testimony would have put Mr. Knights away, for running one of the largest drug and criminal rings of this decade…
allegedly
.”

Tatum felt faint and felt ashamed. In a way, she was no better than Nikki. She was just on the other, more glamorous side of the game. Dealers, users, still all in all, the same kind of people.

“
Did you, or did you not do this Ms. Mosley?”

Tatum sighed and let out a barely audible, ‘yes’.

“
No more questions, your honor.”

And the court rested.

“
Please, close my door…can I get you gentlemen anything?”

Father was seated at his ivory desk in his humongous office, and Chauncey and E were seated across from him. There were deer heads and stuffed birds all around, and rifles and various other weaponry lined the walls in glass cases.

Chauncey wore a blank expression, one that was hard for Father to read, however E’s mean mug, ice grill, expressed all of his animosity. He knew why Father wanted to see them, and he was prepared for anything.

The bright sunlight pierced through the wall length windows and two of Father’s henchmen stood posted next to the door, both with black suits, black shades, and black Mac-11’s in their hands.

Chauncey and E declined his offer for refreshments, so Father proceeded to get right down to business.

“
You know, when I heard of some New York niggas making their way down here… pumping some shit through my streets…”

“
Your streets?” Chauncey questioned, cutting him off.

“
That’s right,” he agreed.

“
I’m sure the J-crew would have something to say about that,” Chauncey quipped, knowing that they had just as much of a lock on Atlanta’s drug trade as Father did.

Father’s jaw tightened in aggravation.

“
J-crew knows their place.”

He leaned forward and folded his hands, breathing heavily.

“
Like I was saying… when I heard of this,
situation
, I had no idea that it was you. Now that I know, I am sure we can come to some…resolution.”

Chauncey rubbed his chin, slightly interested in what Father had to say.

“
What do you suggest?” He asked, taking the bait.

Father, relieved that it was up for negotiation, took out a piece of paper and scribbled a number on it. He handed it to Chauncey and waited for a response.

Chauncey looked at it and then back to Father.

“
For what?”

“
To get the fuck out of Atlanta…you and your product.”

Chauncey chuckled and crumpled up the paper, a clear sign of disrespect.

“
Get the fuck outta here.”

Chauncey felt as if Father was trying to play him like a sucker, meanwhile, Father’s anger was growing by the minute.

“
Either that, or we talk about you working for me. You can’t just come and take my customers, man. That’s not how we do things. Capo is under me.”

“
Capo is his own entity, as far as I’m concerned,” E butted in.

“
Capo is money. He has what I want, I got what he needs. Anything personal needs to be handled between y'all,” Chauncey added blase-like.

Father cracked his neck slowly.

“
You know, you New York niggas been doing this shit for years…thinking we some bamma mothafuckas that you can just come around, set up shop, take shit from our plates, and we just supposed to fall in line. Is that how you think shit supposed to work?”

Chauncey could see his point and that what he was doing was fucked up, for them anyway, but the way he looked at it, he had the ill connect. Best product, best price, that’s business.

“
How about you do business with us…we supply you, everybody eats,” Chauncey suggested, feeling generous. He felt like he was doing him a favor, get down, or lay down.

That’s when Father became agitated.

“
Nigga, I don’t work for nobody! And I’m loyal to my people. How dare you insult me, in my own office?”

Father was foaming at the mouth and Chauncey was cool as a breeze. He could see the meeting going nowhere.

“
Let’s just cut the shit,” Father said angrily. “You continue to supply mothafuckas, my mothafuckas, down here, and we got ourselves a problem, youngin’.”

Chauncey laughed hysterically.

“
Really? Is that really what you wanna do?” Chauncey leaned forward. “You know, I thought we could do business together…but I guess you must’ve forgotten the company I keep.”

Father matched Chauncey’s intense stare, knowing exactly what he meant.

“
And you my young friend, must’ve forgotten that your boss…your
former
boss…is out. No Respect… equals… no respect.”

The men eye boxed for a few seconds before Chauncey stood up, followed by E, and began to make his way to the door.

The goons at the door remained stone faced, and as Chauncey and E made their way out, Father shouted behind them.

“
You have three days to reconsider…And that’s only a pass for the company you
used
to keep.”

Father had much respect for Ree, but he’d put his young, knuckle-headed protege in the dirt if he had to.

Chauncey paid him no mind as he continued to walk confidently out of the office. If he was preparing to takeover, then a war was expected. He just needed to make sure that he was prepared, because one thing he didn’t have, was home field advantage.

“
What are you saying, Sean?”

Ree exhaled deeply before responding.

“
Trinity, we went through this already. I don’t…I don’t understand, why you’re not getting it.”

“
You said space Sean, space. It’s been days, you haven’t called me. You see me at the desk, and you tell me to get the reports, like…like I’m a worker.” Trinity was trying to keep her emotions in check but she felt like she was losing him, and she didn’t like it. She knew she would never find another man like Ree.

“
You are a worker,” he affirmed.

“
Is that all I am?” She questioned, hurt.

“
Trinity, I apologize. But I can’t give you what you want. Not now…not ever. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

Her body shook as she began to sob, and Ree’s heart went out to the girl. He had genuinely cared about her. He tried to be easy on her before, but it seemed as if it didn’t get through the first time. Now he tried a more direct approach, and he felt bad knowing that direct was also painful.

“
This is about that girl, right? I know it is, it’s about that damn girl.”

“
What girl?” Ree feigned ignorance.

“
You know what fucking girl! That
bitch
that came down here, and fucked your head all up…now you treat me like this. For what? For
her?
Where is she Sean? She left!” Trinity cried harder and got on her knees in front of him, while he sat in his office chair. Ree looked into her wet and heartrending face.

“
She left you Sean. But I’m here, I’m right here.”

She leaned in and tried to kiss him, but he pushed her away lightly.

“
Trini, please.”

She cried harder at his rejection and in the moment of desperation, she tried to throw herself onto him. She pulled at his clothes, tried to grab his face, his dreads, his arms, his legs, anything. She needed to touch him, to have him, to keep him.

“
Please, please just hold me, Sean. Please, hug me like you used to, make love to me, please. Please, I’ll do anything for you. Please, don’t leave me.” She was on her knees, begging. Touching him, grabbing him and Ree firmly grabbed her arms and pushed her back, causing her to fall back on her ass, and then he stood up.

“
Trinity! Stop it!”

She looked up at him as he walked over to his bar. He was so tense, so angry, so intimidating, so powerful, and it was so captivating.