WHEN STONE SAW the news of the discovered murders in Little Haiti, it only took him one look to realize that he was staring at one of his trap houses.
“Four men found dead in a drug house” is what the Latina news reporter informed everyone watching the television.
When Stone saw the body bags being carried out, he smiled and thought about China.
Baby gal handle business like a soldier, Stone thought, with a smile on his face.
Stone was feeling like a million-dollar man again. Without JoJo and his other three workers, he had a chance to take his case to trial and win. Stone left the dayroom area and walked back into his cell, where he could be alone. Seeing that his reach was so far and unexpected gave him a new respect for China and Smooth.
“I gotta keep them both on my team when me get outta here and go back to Jamaica,” Stone said to himself while looking in the mirror.
I wish I had China’s number. I’d kiss thee gal through the phone, he thought.
Stone took off his tank top and started his daily workout. He got on the floor and did a rep of push-ups. Stone worked out every day after the last meal was wheeled into the dorm. He was doing another set when the dorm got dead quiet.
What the hell is going on now? Stone thought of the sudden silence.
He knew that when shit got quiet, there was something going on that wasn’t supposed to be going on. When he looked up, he saw Captain Baldwin with four COs and two sergeants walking toward his cell.
Thought y’all would have come sooner, Stone thought as the entourage entered his cell.
“Mr. Stone Bolt, we need you to come with us. Cuff up, and let’s take a walk,” the captain said, with handcuffs in his hands.
“I got him, Captain,” a sergeant said as he stepped forward and cuffed a not resistant Stone.
“Can someone inform me of what’s going on?” Stone asked.
“I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Bolt. Everyone knows what’s going on in Little Haiti. Do you have any information?” Captain Baldwin asked.
“So, I’ma need my lawyer right, mon?” Stone asked.
“Send him to the hole. Security threat to our facility,” Baldwin ordered his COs and sergeants.
“Yes, sir,” a sergeant replied as he walked Stone to isolation.
* * *
Agent Jones was pissed after learning that Stone Bolt immediately screamed for his lawyer. But despite Stone’s uncooperative attitude, Jones had good news for Big Mitch. When she met him in the interrogation room, he was very attentive and eager to hear what she had to offer him. Without wasting any time, Agent Jones removed two documents from a folder and slid them across the table to Big Mitch.
“Can you read?”
“Do it look like I can’t?” Big Mitch shot back, feeling offended.
“The best we can do is nine months, with a year probation
and a year of house arrest,” Jones said. “It’s better than life in prison, Nelson. Sign on the highlighted line.”
“I told you I wanted to be free, and not set up to fall back in the system, lady,” Big Mitch said.
“And I told you that this is the best my office could do, Nelson. Take it or leave it!” Agent Jones said.
Fuck! I don’t want to be on house arrest. That’s a straight up set up, Big Mitch thought.
He saw it more like a trap for his enemies to have easy access to catch him at home if the deal backfired.
“Nelson, this isn’t something hard to think about. You’re looking at life in prison. What’s nine months followed by a year on house arrest?”
“How easy is it for my enemies to find me at home?”
“That’s nothing to worry about. We will set you up in our protection program,” Agent Jones informed Big Mitch.
“Now we’re talking,” Big Mitch said as he signed both documents without reading them.
“Now, give me Donavan Johnson’s location,” Agent Jones ordered.
“That’s easy! Try looking at the Martin County Jail in Stuart, Florida. He’s looking at a boatload of time,” Big Mitch said as he winked at Agent Jones, who felt extremely stupid and cheated out of her own game.
She wasn’t happy with the system one bit. When she first looked up his name, it should have shown that he was incarcerated. So what the fuck is Martin County hiding? Agent Jones thought.
“Thank you, Big Mitch.”
“No! Thank you, Agent Jones,” Big Mitch said with a smile.
When Agent Jones came into the booth with Captain Baldwin, she found him on the computer pulling up Donavan Johnson’s file in Martin County.
“Bingo!” Captain Baldwin shouted, when he got a hit from the Martin County data. “Arrested by Martin County DEA after an informer revealed a trafficking drop. Suspect was found in possession of one hundred kilos of cocaine. He was positively identified by informer #12143CJr, whoever the hell that is!” Baldwin informed Jones, who was jotting down everything on her notepad.
“Looks like we’re on our way to Martin County,” Agent Jones said to the captain.
“Good luck, pit bull in a skirt!”
“Shut up! I hate it when you call me that!” Jones laughed.
“I think I’m the only one who can get away with it.”
“You are, Captain!” Agent Jones assured him.
* * *
“I’d really like to thank you, Nurse Tara.”
“You can just call me Tara, and like I told you, he will be okay. We will find a home for him,” Tara said to China, who had just given Lucky away to be cared for and placed in a nice home.
After China explained to Spencer her desire to get rid of the baby, Spencer suggested that she let him help her. When Nurse Tara showed up at Spencer’s luxurious beach house, China was surprised to see the nurse who had cared for her. She had no idea that Spencer and Tara were friends.
“Well, I guess we’ll be on our way,” Tara said while holding Lucky in a car seat.
China took one more look at the baby and got teary-eyed. She tried to control herself, but all she could think about was the loss of her own baby. She wanted to care for Lucky like he was hers, but she couldn’t. She could only feel content knowing that she had saved Lucky from crib death or an overdose.
“Don’t worry, China. He will be well taken care of,” Tara reminded her. “See you two later,” she said to China and Spencer, who were both sitting at his mini bar.
“Okay, Tara. Drive safe,” Spencer said.
When Tara was gone, China sighed, wiped her face, and turned around, staring into Spencer’s eyes.
“Do you really trust her not to go to the police?” China asked, immediately feeling stupid after the words left her mouth.
She knew that if Spencer didn’t trust Tara, then he wouldn’t have called her.
“Relax, China, and have a drink with me,” Spencer said as he poured her a glass of Remy on the rocks.
“How come I gotta accept your offer when you always decline mine?” China asked.
“Because you’re always offering me coffee and not a man’s drink.”
“I’ve always said to help yourself,” China said, with her hands on her hips and a sexy pout on her face.
Despite her protest, China walked over to the bar and took the drink. As she took a sip, Spencer stared at her with lust in his eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” China asked Spencer, who came closer to her.
He then took his hand and rubbed the scar on the bridge of China’s nose and gently felt the scar on her lips. Before she could say anything, Spencer leaned into her and softly kissed her lips. China brought her hand to his face and caressed the smoothness of his baby face while looking him in his adorable eyes. China then leaned into Spencer and responded with a passionate kiss. She was amazed at how great a kisser he was. Spencer stood and picked China up off her feet and carried her to the living room. She kissed him the entire way. Spencer then laid China down on the sofa and tore off her blouse. In return, China tore off Spencer’s dress shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck while he sucked on her erect nipples.
“Spencer!” China purred.
Spencer helped her out of her jeans and slid off her black thong. Neither of them could believe what was happening, but neither of them wanted to stop. Spencer stood up and took off his jeans. When China saw his fully erect cock, she was amazed at how nicely he was hung. His cock reminded her of a porn star’s cock. She spread her legs and invited Spencer inside. When he slowly slid inside her tight pussy, she was gasping for air as she was all choked up on passion.
“Oh my gosh, Spencer! It feels so good!” China purred loudly as Spencer sank inside her love box as deep as he could.
China clawed at his back and bit down on his shoulder. The pain quickly subsided to pleasure. As Spencer slow-stroked her, China was enjoying giving herself to another man.
Smooth was the only man she had given herself to, and now it was over between them. China couldn’t see herself forgiving him for his infidelity. He had fucked her friend, and she was now fucking his hit man. Spencer kissed her tears away and helped her get Smooth out of her system. He had no clue what she was going through, but he knew how to comfort her undisclosed pain.
“Spencer, I’m coming!” China purred loudly as she came to a stimulating orgasm.
He’s definitely a winner. He made me come. This is no white boy, China thought as Spencer continued to thrust in and out of her love box.
They found themselves having sex until dawn approached. They then showered together and had sex again before China departed for home.
* * *
When China pulled up to her house, she met Roxy, who was sitting in her Lexus about to pull off. China realized that her iPhone was still turned off after her second round with Spencer. She wanted no interruptions to ruin her time with him. As China stepped out of the Benz wearing one of Spencer’s T-shirts, Roxy was stepping out of her Lexus. She looked stressed and like she was crying.
“Roxy, are you okay?”
“Oh my gosh, China! You won’t believe this, but someone killed Jane, and Tabby just found her this morning,” Roxy informed China.
“Damn! That’s crazy! I just saw her yesterday,” China replied in feigned disbelief.
China was doing everything but crying. She wished she could tell Roxy everything, but she knew that her sister couldn’t stomach the truth.
“Sue Rabbit said the same thing. We were worried about you, and Smooth has been trying to get in touch with you. I talked to him an hour ago when he called Sue’s phone.”
“Fuck Smooth, Roxy! Me and him are no longer together.”
“Wow! He didn’t tell me that!” Roxy said.
“He didn’t tell us a lot of shit, Roxy. I don’t have shit to say to him, like serious!” China stopped and became speechless when she saw the big-ass diamond on Roxy’s hand.
“Bitch, what’s wrong with you?” Roxy exclaimed.
“No, bitch! Where did you get that big-ass rock on your hand?” China replied, grabbing Roxy’s hand to examine the ring.
“I’m engaged—and pregnant!” Roxy said with a smile on her face.
“Really?” China shrieked with excitement. “I’m going to be an auntie!” she added while hugging Roxy. “This is wonderful news.”
“It’s scary, though,” Roxy confessed.
“Why is that?”
“Because I don’t know what to expect. I’m about to be a mom,” Roxy cried.
China hugged Roxy to comfort her. She understood what Roxy was going through from experiencing it herself.
“You’ll do good, Roxy. There’s no need to stress. It’s not good for the baby,” China warned her.
Roxy had no clue that China had just given up an innocent child for adoption. China had lost two kids in the same year, and now she found out that her man wasn’t the man for her.
“Well, I have to get to work. We’re holding a vigil for Jane at the restaurant tonight. Will you be there?” Roxy asked.
“I can’t, Roxy. It’s too much. Besides, I’m preparing to go out of town sooner than I expected,” China told her.
“Okay, China. Well, call me when you sit down. I’ll put some flowers down for you. It’s a good thing that the kids weren’t in the apartment,” Roxy said.
“Yeah, that’s a good thing,” China said.
But I wouldn’t have killed no kids, Sis! China reflected.
China watched Roxy leave, and then walked inside the house. Zorro met her at the door and jumped all over her.
“Hey there, boy!” China said, rubbing his head and pulling back his jaws.
China walked into the kitchen and got Zorro some fresh water and a fat bowl of chow. When she turned on her iPhone, she found a dozen missed calls, six from Smooth and the rest from Roxy.
* * *
Smooth was surprised to hear that Jane was murdered. He was perplexed trying to figure out who would have wanted her dead.
“Rosco, I just can’t believe that she’s dead. Maybe it’s the Mexicans retaliating because they knew she was living in my apartment complex,” Smooth said to Rosco, who was playing a close game of chess against Baby Dread.
“Why didn’t they just burn the complex to the ground?” Rosco suggested.
“That does make sense. Any enemy would do that first if that was the case.”
“Exactly, son,” Rosco said as he made a move, putting Baby Dread in check. “Check!” Rosco shouted and signed to Baby Dread.
“Then, China’s not picking up the phone either.”
“She’ll come through, mon. You were honest, and that’s better than lying to her, mon, and having her find out on her own,” Rosco suggested. “She’ll realize that she can’t stay mad, especially when you kept it honest,” he added, speaking from experience.
Rosco had no knowledge of Smooth’s HIV status. Smooth
was afraid to tell him about what was going on. For if he did, a prudent man such as Rosco might have some different advice for him.
In fact, Smooth was still indecisive as to whether to he was going to reveal his status to China. Part of him wanted to be honest, but being honest about Amanda had gotten him in a bad situation with her. He could only imagine what her reaction would be when he told her that he had HIV.
“I’ma go try her again,” Smooth said to Rosco as he strutted from the cell to the phone area.
He tried her number again, but he got the same number of rings and then it went to voicemail.
Damn it, China! Please pick up the damn phone! Smooth thought as he tried her again.
* * *
Money walked out of Jackson Memorial Hospital trying his best to bridle his emotions. But it was hard for him after seeing the plug get pulled on Choppa. Choppa’s entire immediate family stood around his hospital bed and prayed before removing him from life support. His condition had worsened over the months. Money hopped in his Range Rover and checked the time. It was 8:30 p.m., and Tabby was attending her girl Jane’s vigil.
This entire day is a mess! Money thought as he navigated out of the hospital parking lot.
Money’s phone chimed, and he answered immediately. “Hello.”
“What’s up, Money? I need eight ounces,” his client requested.
“Where you at?”
“27th.”
“Give me thirty minutes,” Money told him.
Money accelerated to the trap house to pick up the eight ounces. He never rode with drugs on him if he wasn’t making a sell. Metro-Dade police stopped anyone and conducted illegal searches every day in Miami. When Money pulled up to the trap house, he quickly rushed inside, leaving his Range Rover running. He then grabbed eight ounces of crack cocaine and placed it inside a brown paper bag. When Money stepped outside and closed the door to lock it, he only heard the loud pop—and then he heard and saw nothing else. Money’s body hit the ground, where his remaining brains poured from his head. Miguel looked at the front door and was thrilled as he stared at the blood splatter. He ran from the scene and hopped into the SUV where Marco was waiting on him. Money became an easy target after they spotted him a couple blocks back.
“One shot. Perfect kill, esé!” Miguel informed Marco.
“Good job, esé!” Marco congratulated Miguel.
“He never saw it coming.”
“That’s how it’s supposed to be, homes,” Marco said as he accelerated far away from the scene.