Chapter 9
“I’m attracted to the bad boys.”
—Leena
BANG!
The sound of the loud bell sent the beautiful horses bolting as the race began. The beautiful stallions were like well oiled machines as their strong bodies darted around the track. Dirt kicked up from beneath their hooves as each jockey swatted their individual beast, pushing them to their limit. The crowd was loud, rowdy, and watching in pure marvel Miamor and Aries sat back, watching anxiously as the jockeys rode the horses with expertise around the track. Timmy “Two Times” Bono stood to his feet as he and his cohorts cheered along the sidelines, in the first row of the stadium seating. Miamor had no doubt that they stood to make a pretty penny on the race, or at least they would have if she hadn’t tampered with the odds. Despite the 85-degree weather, various members of the Italian mob were dressed to the nines in expensive suits. Miamor’s heart raced in rhythm to the sound of the the hooves hitting the dirt. She could hear the stampede in her ears and feel adrenaline pumping in her chest as she fisted the guardrail in front of her. Mona Lisa was in the lead and Miamor had to admit it was an exquisite animal. It was strong and determined as its nostrils flared while its legs moved swiftly. Miamor was enthralled. She anxiously stood to her feet. “Why isn’t it working?” she wondered as she watched as Mona Lisa neared the finish line. “Aries . . . its not . . .”
Before she could finish her sentence Mona Lisa suddenly bucked and raised on its hind legs. The entire crowd stood and gasped as the horse seemed to freeze in mid-air, kicking its front legs in distress. The jockey struggled to hold on but was thrown off as Mona Lisa fell with a loud thud to the ground. The stampede of other horses raced right by the champion bred animal, but no one seemed to focus on the winner. As an underdog stole the race and emergency team rushed out onto the track.
Miamor glanced at the Italian mobsters and saw not a trace of jovial excitement in their expressions. They each had lost a fortune, as had most of the people in attendance. She had to force herself to keep the sly grin off her face. “Let’s go Mia,” Aries whispered.
Miamor tore herself from the scene as she thought of the next part of her plan. Now she had to set-up the proposition to get Broome to drop the case against The Cartel.
Leena sprayed her Dolce Blue perfume as she stared at herself in the mirror. The emptiness that occupied her eyes was undeniable. As much as she wanted to tell Odom he was wrong, she knew that he was right. He could see through the fancy clothes, chauffeured cars, and queen on the throne, persona. Leena craved normality. If she were a normal girl in a normal world, her man would still be with her. He wouldn’t be faking his death or running from federal cases. Sadness was paralyzing and she had been forcing herself to live in a fog ever since Monroe had first disappeared from her life. Mecca and Monroe had consumed her with lust, with love, with money, and power . . . she had been sucked in by it all. Like a moth to a flame it all was so enticing. Now she had been burned and Odom was there, saying all the things that she wanted to come from Monroe’s lips. No, she didn’t want Odom, but she would love to experience life on the right side of the law. She stepped into her Donna Karan dress and maneuvered her arms awkwardly to zip it to the top. She placed a blazer over it and slid into six-inch heels. She exited her bedroom and descended the steps to find her son playing boisterously with Breeze.
“Thank you for keeping him,” Leena said.
“He’s my nephew Leena. This isn’t considered a favor. We are family,” she replied. She turned her focus to Monroe’s son. He looked so much like him, but his demeanor was mischievous like Mecca’s. Li’l Money might have been Monroe’s seed, but he had a piece of Mecca inside of him as well. Breeze recognized it even at such a young age. “What did auntie teach you? Huh? Diamonds are . . .”
“Forever!” the three year old quipped loudly with nothing but youthful innocence. He had no idea how deeply rooted that statement was or how true it rang. He was born, Monroe Diamond II, he would grow into a powerful man. “We’ll be fine. Just get the money, finish this business and tell Odom to quit stalling you.”
Leena nodded and then kissed Breeze on the cheek before leaving. The attention that Odom showered Leena with was flattering, but instead of making her feel good, it made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted Monroe to do those things, she wanted him to say the things that Odom said so eloquently. She wanted a square life. She could not endure any more of the streets. Although they came with many perks, if Monroe wasn’t there to enjoy them with her, it wasn’t worth it. Leena smiled at her driver as he held open her door and she slid into the back seat.
Her thoughts were so plentiful that they distracted her and made the thirty-minute drive fly by. Before she knew it she was pulling up to Odom’s office. Passersby stopped as they attempted to see who was pulling up as the driver hit his hazards and hopped out to open her door. All they saw was legs for days as she stuck her Manolo out first to steady her balance. Leena exited smoothly, ran her hands over the fabric of her dress to smooth the wrinkles and then double stepped it into the building. Oddly, butterflies filled her stomach. So much weighed on her shoulders. She had to be coy enough to not disrespect Monroe’s legacy but open enough to Odom’s flirtation to keep him from turning snake. I’ll be glad when he come up off this money, she thought to herself. She was tired of the charade because honestly it left her confused at the end of the night. Odom seemed to spot the empty spaces of her life and put them under a magnifying glass. He made her question Monroe’s love for her. If he truly loved me would I even be in this position? She thought. “Stop it, of course he loves you,” she whispered, scolding herself. “This man is about to stop playing with my money. I’m not leaving here today until it’s in my possession.”
Leena’s step was more confident as she marched into Odom’s office with determination. “Good morning Ms. Devereaux,” the receptionist greeted at first sight. The many calls she had been instructed to place and flowers she had ordered for Leena on Odom’s behalf . . . the woman was very familiar with Leena. “Please go right in. He’s expecting you.”
Leena gave the woman a gracious smile and headed into Odom’s office.
She went to close the door, but Odom interrupted her. “Leave it open,” he said with a direct tone. Leena paused and looked at him. “Sit.”
He passed her two manila folders, sliding them across the table. “This concludes our business. The account numbers and trust information is inside the folders. Thanks for coming by.”
Leena was taken aback by his tone and change of attitude. Just last night he was sending flowers . . . she thought. She was confused. He was abrupt with her, almost rude. He didn’t even look at her in the eyes as he spoke to her.
He looked up from his desk. “You’re still here because. . .” he let the words linger and Leena jerked her head back, insulted. She flipped through the pages of the manila folder and saw that all of what she needed was inside. The jig would have been up anyway. Now that she had all of The Cartel’s assets in her possession she no longer needed to play nice. Leena stood to her feet abruptly. There was a weirdness in the room as if there was an invisible elephant between them. Fuck it, I’ve got what I came for, she thought. She turned on her heels but the nagging feeling that something was awry wouldn’t let her leave without finding out what the hell was going on. She stopped as she reached the threshold of the door. Turning to Odom she opened her mouth to speak, but Odom held up his hand to stop her.
“Just leave Leena. I don’t want that kind of trouble. You’re off limits,” Odom said, visibly shaken as he lacked his usual confidence. He was abrupt, almost rude, and obviously intimidated. This wasn’t the flirtatious Odom that she had come to expect. In fact, it was almost as if someone had set him straight and she only knew one man that would do such a thing on her behalf.
Leena smirked as her entire chest warmed. She knew that Monroe had sent a message to Odom. He had reached all the way across the world to put a man in his place for coming at his lady. It was then that she realized that no matter the burdens, she loved the swag of being with a dope boy . . . especially one that had risen into infinite power. Monroe had status and because of that so did she. Odom never stood a chance.
“You see Odom. That’s why you would have never been able to get even a whiff of this. I’m attracted to the bad boys and the fact that you were so easily scared off shows exactly how much bitch you have in you,” she said with a laugh. “And to think . . . I almost bought what you were selling.” She shook her head back and forth before adding, “Good-bye Odom.”
Leena strolled out of the office with complete confidence that her man was alive and well. She just hoped that Miamor and Aries did what they had to do so that he could finally come home.