The Mike Black Saga; Payback (25 page)

"Who are you talking about bringing? Not Freeze I hope."

"No. if she’s up to it, I’d like Monika to come with us," Nick said and thought he heard Wanda sucking her teeth, but chose not to mention it.

"I’ll see what I can do," Wanda said and was about to hang up the phone.

"Make that happen, Wanda. Her being there is important to what I need to do."

"I’ll get it done, Nick. No problem."

Nick hung up the phone. Freeze looked at Nick. "I don’t mean to get in your business, Nick, but what’s up with you and Wanda?"

"What do you mean?"

Freeze laughed. "Okay, that’s how you wanna carry me after all that ride or die shit."

"I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. There’s nothin’ goin’ on between me and Wanda."

"You forget who you
was
talkin’ to, nigga? You may be able to run some of that weak shit past Bobby or whatever, but I know better. I know you."

"You know better, huh?"

"Yeah, I know. So you can tell Black and them whatever you want to, but you and I know what’s goin’ on," Freeze said smiling as he drove.

"Why don’t you tell me what’s goin’ on with me and Wanda?"

"
You fuckin’
her. And if you ain’t, you gonna."

"How you know all this?"

"I was watchin’ the two of you last night."

"What were we doin’?"

"Nick, where were we last night?"

"Cityscape."

"And what is Cityscape?"

"It’s a tittie bar."

"Exactly. You sittin’ in a room full of naked woman, I mean titties everywhere, and what you doin’, huh?"

"What was I doin’?"

"You were all up in Wanda’s face, and she’s all up in yours.
Gigglin
’. Fuckin’ Wanda was all up in your grill,
gigglin
’ her ass off. I
ain’t never
seen Wanda all bouncy and
gigglin
’ the whole time I known her."

"That don’t mean
nothing
. I was watchin’ the dancers too," Nick offered meekly.

"Yeah, whatever kid, sure you were. But I ain’t mad at you at all. Wanda’s a fine muthafucka, somebody need to bust that body. It might even chill her ass out if she
start
gettin’ some dick on the regular."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. So I ain’t mad at you at all, Nick."

"Then why you fuckin’ with me?" Nick asked and looked out of the window. If he wanted to be honest with himself, he was really starting to feel Wanda. And for maybe the first time in his life he was intimidated by a woman. Wanda was a strong willed woman, and powerful. That’s what turned him on. He’d been tempted to ask her out and probably would have at Cityscape, but Sal
Terrico
came into the club.

Nick’s plan for the day was to drop by and invite Wanda to join him at this little Mediterranean joint he’d been eyeing. He’d been looking forward to it all day, but for some reason he decided to check on Freeze first.
You know, be there for a brother who just lost his woman. But when you really sit and think about it, that’s exactly what I’m doin’. Freeze ain’t the type of guy that was gonna be sittin’ around depressed and feelin’ sorry for
himself
.
Paulleen’s
funeral would be in a day or two and her killer had to be dead before she could rest in peace. 

Freeze had just turned down Willett
avenue
when he saw it. "There it is, Nick. Beat to shit 73 Chevy Nova." Freeze got out of his truck and put his hand on the hood of the car. "It’s still warm." One of his snitches told Freeze that the man that killed Paulleen name was Paul Clay and where he lived.

While Nick approached the house cautiously, Freeze walked boldly to the front door and beat on it like he was the police.

The door swung open. "What is it now?" the man said angrily. "Who the
fuck are
you?" he asked when he realized that it wasn’t the police.

"You Paul Clay?"

"Who the
fuck are
you?"

Freeze looked at Nick and shoved the man inside the house and he fell to the floor. Both Freeze and Nick had their guns drawn and pointed at the man. "You Paul Clay?" Freeze asked again.

"No. I’m his brother," he said and tried to inch away from Freeze and Nick.

"Where is he?"

"He’s dead."

"Who killed him?" Freeze demanded to know.

"I don’t know. The last time I saw him he told me some shit about how he may die for love, next day he was dead."

Freeze dropped his head and turned away.

"What did he mean by that?" Nick asked.

"He was fuckin’ around with somebody woman. I guess the guy got Paul first."

Nick watched Freeze walk out of the house. "Sorry to bother you," he said and followed Freeze to his truck.

Once they were in the truck and had driven away, Nick turned to Freeze. "You already knew about Paulleen, didn’t you?"

Freeze nodded his head.

"It wasn’t the first time either, was it?"

Freeze shook his head.

"So if you didn’t kill him, who did?"

"I don’t know, Nick," Freeze said quietly.

"What were you expecting to find here?"

"What you mean?"

"I mean, we know that the guy was tryin’ to shoot you and shot Paulleen. Do you think this guy was tryin’ to kill you over her or was he a soldier for your boy Curl?"

Freeze banged the steering wheel. "I don’t know, Nick. Just shut the fuck up and let me think for a minute, okay!"

"Lighten up, man. This me and you, and that’s where this stays, me and you. Nobody has to know."

For the next few blocks they drove in silence. "You ever know something, but it’s still hard to hear."

"Yeah." Was all Nick could
say.
"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"But you know what Nick? I ain’t got time for that shit now. We got work to do."

"That’s what I’m sayin’. So you think this nigga was one of your boy’s soldiers?"

"Not that it matters,
cause
I was fuckin’ everybody too, but she was fuckin’ everybody. I really needed to be done with her ass a long time ago."

"Why didn’t you?"

"I ain’t even gonna front. Pussy was all that, Nick. She just liked to fuck all the damn time. Her ass get mad, damn near ignorant when she don’t get no dick."

"I know what that’s like," Nick said and thought about Camille.

Freeze started to laugh as he thought about Camille too. "Yeah, I guess you do."

Nick laughed.

"But you see Nick, that’s how things turn around. Now it’s Bobby that’s losin’ his mind over some little trick."

"Yeah, what’s up with that?"

"Bobby ran up on a little dancer who got him pussy whipped, that’s all. Why you wanna meet her?"

"Oh hell no. I don’t need to get nowhere near anybody Bobby fuckin’ with no more in life."

"I’m just fuckin’ wit’ you Nick. That bitch crazy anyway. I hate I introduced him to her."

"Anyway," Nick said trying to end the discussion. "What you gonna do now?"

"I know you got a date with Wanda and shit."

"It’s not a date," Nick interrupted quickly.

"Whatever, Nick. So I’m gonna roll you back to your car."

"What you gonna do?"

"I’m gonna find out if that nigga worked for Curl."

"And if he did?"

"I’m gonna wait for you or Black or Bobby before I go kill him."

Chapter Thirty-five

Bobby parked his car across the street from Angelo’s and he and Mike when inside. Diego finally called and was ready to meet. As always they were met by Jimmy who escorted them to a private room just off the bar area. Inside the room
was
a table and five chairs.

Once they had made themselves comfortable Angelo came into the room with a bottle and three glasses. "Mike, Bobby, how’s everybody doin’?" he said and took a seat at the head of the table. "As you can see, Diego is even later than you are."

"Diego had Shy all along. That shit with Nick was just a cover," Mike told Angelo.

"You’re fuckin’ kiddin’ me," Angelo said and poured himself a drink.

"We caught up with Sal
Terrico
last night. Diego told him to bring her here."

Bobby took the bottle from Angelo. He poured himself a drink and one for Mike. "How you wanna play this, Mike?" he asked.

"I’m not gonna let on that I know he has her. Let him lay it out anyway he wants —." Mike was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come on," Angelo yelled.

Jimmy opened the door and showed Diego
Estabon
into the room. "Get two more glasses, Jimmy," he said as Diego walked toward him followed by another man. "Diego, how are you," Angelo said as the two men embraced.

"Very well, thank you, Angelo." Diego turned to Mike. "Mike Black, my old friend, it has been too long. You must come to Lima someday soon and let me show you how we live."

Mike stood up and embraced Diego. "Like the king that you are Diego, my friend."

Bobby shook his head in disgust and offered a hand. "How you doin’ Diego?"

"Like Mike said, like a king, Bobby," Diego said and tightened his grip. "Like a king."

Once everyone had taken a seat Angelo asked, "So tell me Diego, what
can I
do for you today?"

Diego paused and looked at Angelo. "For me, nothing." Diego turned to Mike. "Today there is something that I can do for you, Black."

"You have my undivided attention," Mike said trying to sound as gracious as he could.

"I heard about that unfortunate business that went on in your club."

"Bad news travels fast," Mike said and leaned forward.

"A man in my position, I hear things, things that only men like us are in a position to do something about. This is what I have done for you, my friend. When it came to my attention that your wife was taken, I took steps to intervene on your behalf."

"So what are you sayin’, Diego?" Angelo asked. "Are you sayin’ that you got Shy?"

"I was able to use my influence to assure her abductor that our business is not your business and that despite appearances to the contrary they have nothing to fear from you. They have assured me that your wife has not been harmed and she will be released."

"When?" was Mike’s single word
question.