Tied to a Boss 2 (5 page)

“Relax!” Dante told Tony T and Dre. He then stared at the Bentley as the back door was opened and Dominic climbed out, with his team from the first Range Rover crowding around him. The rest of the team posted themselves in the middle of the road.

“Look at this shit!” Dre said, shaking his head. “It’s this same Spanish muthafucker we just helped out.”

Listening to Dre while watching one of the Dominican’s men walk over to the driver’s side, Dante told Dre to roll down the window. After a quick stare, Dre did as he was told.

“You!” Carlos said, nodding to Dante inside the passenger seat. “Mr. Saldana would like you to talk with him a moment.”

“About what?” Dante asked, staring back at the homeboy outside of Dre’s window.

“Mr. Saldana will discuss everything with you once you two are seated,” Carlos answered, before asking Dante to please come with him.

“Yo, Dre! What’s up?” Tony T asked, leaning forward between the front seats. “Bruh, you not really going to holla at this dude, is you?”

“I’ma be right back,” Dante told his boys. He climbed out, closing the door behind him.

He walked around the front of the Explorer where the messenger was waiting. Dante allowed homeboy to pat him down, finding both his hammers.

“You will receive these back before you leave,” Carlos told him. “Follow me, sir.”

Following a step behind the messenger, while ignoring the hard-staring crew who were watching him closely, Dante stopped once face to face with the Dominican drug lord.

“Who, may I ask, are you?” Dominic asked, as he stared straight into the younger man’s eyes.

“Your messenger said you wanted to talk. I’m listening,” Dante told the drug lord, disregarding the question that was asked.

Nodding his head slowly, but never breaking eye contact with the young man in front of him, Dominic called to his head of security. He then said to Dante, “Sit with me. Let’s talk.”

Dante climbed into the back of the Bentley behind Dominic. The messenger shut the door behind them. Dante looked over at Dominic as he introduced himself. “I am Dominic Saldana. It is clear that you are not from here. I wonder why you would interfere with matters you know nothing about.”

“A simple ‘thank you’ would do.”

Smiling, as he stared at the younger man beside him, Dominic said, “You are correct. I do owe you my thanks, and I do thank you. But again, exactly why would you interfere with matters that are of no concern to you?”

“Maybe I just saw that your security wasn’t handling your business, so I decided to help out.”

“Why do I feel as if that is only part of the truth? Who are you?”

“You seem pretty interested in knowing who I am.”

“I’m always interested in those who are new in town and just show up and interfere in matters, especially with the end result of saving my life. That is why I have a security team. So again I ask, ‘Who are you?’”

Deciding to answer the Dominican’s questions, Dante replied, “Dante. Dante Blackwell.”

“Well, Mr. Blackwell. What brings you to Arizona? And as most out-of-towners normally reply, I ask that you not answer that you are just passing through. You and I both know that is not the case. Let’s both start things off with honesty, Mr. Blackwell.”

Chapter 5

Dominic didn’t realize how long they had been talking but he did find out about Dante’s plan to rob Victor Fayman. They also discussed the problem between Victor and the Dominican mafia. Dominic then got Dante to open up as much as the young man was willing about his family back home in Miami, along with his two brothers in the Explorer, that were all in the same business he was in. But since there was no actually connect, he and his brothers did all the supplying for the family.

Interrupting Dante, Dominic asked, “So tell me, Dante. How long have you and your brothers been in this line of business of robbing for your family?”

“Well, I been at it since I was 15, but things with the family been going on almost a year now.”

“And how has that been going?”

“It’s good but could be better.”

Nodding his head, Dominic said after a moment, “Dante…look! I am willing to make a deal with you but I want something from you in return.”

“I’m listening.”

“Okay! I’m willing to supply your family with all the cocaine they can handle. I also have a friend who owes me a favor. This friend is a major marijuana dealer and if that is of interest as well, I will arrange it so that your family will also be supplied with all the marijuana they can handle.”

“What is it you want from me in return?”

“Your help,” Dominic answered. “I will pay you to be my personal bodyguard. I will also pay you $1,000,000 after you have taken care of Victor Fayman permanently.”

Slowly nodding his head after hearing Dominic’s offer, Dante held the Dominican drug lord’s eyes a few moments and finally said, “How about you let me think about this offer and I’ll get back to you.”

“Very well, Dante!” Dominic answered. He then added, “But I expect to have an answer from you tomorrow at 12 o’clock noon.”

Calling out to Carlos, Dominic waited until the car door was opened and then told his head of security to return Dante’s cell phone. He then turned to Dante and said, “I will see you tomorrow, Mr. Blackwell.”

* * *

Returning to the house later than she had planned on, Vanessa carried a sleeping D.J. inside the house. She locked the door behind her and then headed upstairs to put her nephew to bed.

She walked up to Alinna’s bedroom, only to find it empty. Vanessa left the empty room with D.J. and headed to her and Dre’s bedroom. She laid D.J. down on her bed, took off his clothes, and covered him up.

Vanessa pulled out her cell phone as she was leaving the bedroom. She called Alinna’s phone but it sent her straight to voice mail.

She hung up the phone as she stopped in front of Rose’s bedroom, only to see the maid and A.J. both asleep on the maid’s bed. Vanessa decided to leave her son asleep with Rose. Just when she was closing the maid’s bedroom door, her cell phone rang in her hand.

Expecting to see Alinna’s name on the screen, Vanessa broke out in a smile after seeing it was Dante calling. “Hey, big bruh. What’s up with you?”

“What’s up, lil sis? Where you at?”

“I’m at the house. What’s wrong? You sound a little funny.”

“I need to holla at you about something, sis.”

“Hold on a second, Dante!” Vanessa told him, as she entered her bedroom.

Undressing down to her panties and leaving on the t-shirt she was wearing, Vanessa climbed into the bed next to her nephew. She placed the phone back up to her ear and said, “Yeah, Dante. What’s wrong, big bruh?”

Vanessa listened as Dante told her about the offer he received from a connect where he and both Dre and Tony T were getting into details. Dante then explained what was being expected of him in return. Vanessa’s mouth dropped wide open after hearing the amount of money he was being paid to be a bodyguard and the $1,000,000 he’d receive after dealing with a problem for the connect.

“So, what are you going to do?” Vanessa asked once Dante had finished. “How long do you have to stay op there? Can you come home?”

“Yeah, I can come home but if I agree to stay up here for this job, you and the others will be good. Y’all can finally have the connect y’all wanted.”

“I think you need to talk to Alinna. Hold on!” Vanessa told him.

She clicked over the line and then called Alinna’s phone again, clicking back over to Dante once the line started to ring. “Dante. You still there?”

“Yeah!” Dante answered, hearing the ringing. “Vanessa, who you calling?”

“Hello!” Alinna answered, laughing.

“Alinna, it’s me, Vanessa. Where you at? I need to talk to you about something important.”

“Vanessa, I’m kind of in the middle of something right now. Can’t this wait until I get home?”

“It’s about Dante and business.”

Sucking her teeth, Alinna told Vanessa to hold on.

“Dante, you still there?” Vanessa asked.

“Yeah!” Dante responded.

“Hello! Vanessa, you there?” Alinna asked, coming back on the line.

“Yeah. I’m right here, girl.”

“Well, hurry up and talk. I’m out with Alex and you’re interrupting.”

“Alex? Who’s Alex?”

“Girl, this sexy-ass guy I met earlier today. He asked me out to dinner and we just left the movies,” Alinna explained. “I’ll tell you more tonight. Just hurry up and tell me what’s so important.”

Quiet a moment until Alinna called out her name, Vanessa answered, “Yeah, I’m here.”

“So, you gonna tell me what’s up or what?”

“Look, Alinna. I talked to Dante and he says that he’s found us a connect but the problem is that he gonna have to stay in Arizona for a while. But the deal with the connect is only if Dante stays and becomes his personal bodyguard and takes care of a problem the connect is having.”

“Okay. Why are you telling me this?”

“Alinna, you not serious? This Dante we’re talking about.”

“Fuck Dante! He can stay his ass wherever he at. I don’t give a fuck what he does. But if he’s getting us connected then tell his ass to go right the hell ahead and do it.”

“Thanks for the go-ahead.”

Quiet for a second, Alinna called to Vanessa asking her, “Who the fuck was that Vanessa?”

Shaking her head even though Alinna couldn’t see her, Vanessa said, “It don’t even matter, Alinna.”

“I know you just didn’t set me up like that. That better not be Dante that’s on the phone.”

“Yeah, it was Dante. But he’s hung up now, though.”

“Bitch, what the fuck was . . .”

“Don’t even try it, Alinna!” Vanessa cut her off. “How you gonna sit there acting like you all mad after all that shit you was just talking about Dante. He called to talk to us about this deal he was just offered and to see how we felt about it but you in the street up in some nigga face. Don’t worry about it, though. You just helped Dante make his decision to stay in Arizona. Thank yourself, Alinna.”

Vanessa angrily hung up the phone while Alinna was still running her mouth. She still couldn’t believe what she just heard Alinna saying about Dante. And to make it worse, she was out with some other nigga.

“Fuck her!” Vanessa said out loud to herself, still thinking about how Alinna was talking shit about Dante. “She wanna fuck with some nobody, that’s her business. I just hope my big brother finds something better where he at.”

* * *

Dante stood at his hotel room window staring out over the city of Phoenix. After hanging up on the women and hearing Alinna’s words, Dante couldn’t even understand what was going on inside his head. At the moment, he just wasn’t sure where his emotions were.

Raising his cell phone that was given to him, Dante looked at the screen. He found the number that Carlos told him was the direct contact line to Dominic. He hit “send” to call the number.

“Saldana” Dominic answered after three rings.

“Alright!”

Quiet for a moment, Dominic finally asked, “Am I to take your statement as you accepting my offer, Dante?”

“Yeah! I’m accepting it. But there’s a few things we need to discuss and understand if I’ma be working for you.”

“Very well, Dante,” Dominic replied. “I would like for you to be here at my home by 10 o’clock and on time. We can talk while we ride to the meeting I have tomorrow.”

Dante wrote down the address he was given and then hung up with Dominic. He then called Tony T and Dre, telling both of his boys to come to his room so he could discuss the new plans with them.

Within five minutes, while still standing at the window, he heard a knock on the door. Dante turned from the window and went to answer the door.

“What’s up, bruh?” Tony T asked after Dante opened the door as he and Dre walked into his hotel room.

“We got a change of plans, fellas,” Dante told them as he picked up his box of Black & Mild’s from the dresser next to his Glock.

Seeing the look on Dante’s face, Dre asked, “Fam, this shit got something to do with you talking with this Dominican dude?”

Nodding his head, Dante lifted his eyes up from lighting the Black and looked toward Dre, meeting his boy’s eyes. He pulled on the Black until the tip was fully lit. While blowing thick cigar smoke, he said, “I want you two to head back to Miami.”

“What?”

“Fuck is you talking about?”

Tony T and Dre responded at the same time, with Dre adding, “Dante, what’s up? We not hitting this nigga Victor no more?”

“Check it, fellas!” Dante told them. He went on explaining the offer from Dominic and his decision to accept it. However, he wanted them both to head back home and look after the family until he was finished in Arizona.

“You joking, right?” Dre asked, staring hard at Dante. “What type of shit is you on, nigga? I ain’t going nowhere without you, fam!”

“I wasn’t asking!” Dante replied, staring straight back at Dre. “This my decision, and we not about to discuss it.”

“Bruh, come on!” Tony T spoke up. “You asking us to just leave you up here with no back up, and you don’t know shit about these muthafuckers. Yeah! You do ya thing when it comes to putting in work, but even you can be bodied.”

“If that day comes, then it’ll be a whole lot of muthafuckers walking that dark road with me,” Dante replied, but then said, “I’m meeting up with Dominic tomorrow and letting him know both of y’all handling getting the work back to Miami.”

“You dead serious, ain’t you?” Dre asked, heated as he stood staring at Dante.

Shifting his eyes from staring at Tony T and looking into Dre’s angry eyes, Dante added, “When have I ever played about business, family? This what it is. Period!”

* * *

“Vanessa!”

Rolling over onto her back and looking up to her bedroom door as Alinna burst inside yelling her name, Vanessa looked down at her nephew to see D.J. was still asleep. She looked back at Alinna while holding her cell phone up to her ear and asked, “What do you want, Alinna?”

“Bitch, don’t play with me!” Alinna yelled, only to get Vanessa to respond angrily. “Alinna, I promise you, if you wake up my nephew, we are going to have a real problem.”

“We already have a real problem!” Alinna told her, staring hard at Vanessa. “How the fuck you gonna set me up like that? Why the fuck would you call me with Dante on the phone and not warn me he was on the phone?”

“Hold on!” Vanessa told her, rolling her eyes as she focused back on the phone. “Andre, baby, let me call you back. Tell Dante I got his message and call me later tomorrow after he handles his business.”

Hanging up the phone with Dre, Vanessa focused back on Alinna but she never got the chance to say anything. Alinna beat her to the point saying, “What the hell you mean, Dante’s message? And what business is he handling, Vanessa?”

“If you would have been paying attention and not all up in some new nigga face, you would know what’s going on.”

“Vanessa, don’t fucking play with me. What’s going on with Dante?”

Shaking her head as she sat staring at Alinna, Vanessa climbed out of bed and headed for the door, dragging Alinna out into the hallway and shutting the door behind them.

Facing Alinna, Vanessa angrily said, “Dante set it for both Dre and Tony T to bring back 50 bricks and 50 pounds. Dre says that that’s just until Dante gets right up there in Arizona.”

“So he’s really not coming back then?”

“Isn’t that what the fuck you wanted?”

“Vanessa, don’t play with me!” Alinna screamed. “You know I don’t really want Dante up there. He needs to be here with his family.”

“Family, huh?” Vanessa repeated, staring at Alinna like she was crazy. “I’m surprised you remembered you had a family with Dante. That man has done everything he knew how and even now when you showing him your ass, he’s still doing more all because he gives a fuck about you and the rest of us, even if you don’t care about him. I’m happy he’s staying where he is. Truthfully, Alinna, I hope he finds someone that realizes what type of dude he is because Dante is really one of a kind and you too stupid to realize what he was.”

Unable to believe how Vanessa just talked to her and the shit she just told her, Alinna stood in the hallway staring at Vanessa’s closed bedroom door into which her supposed best friend just walked.