Chapter 65
“You know what I mean.”
The house seemed to have just as many people inside as outside. Benny saw his sister and Johnny, the only father he had ever known, walk in the kitchen through the back door. He and Brenda were sitting at the table eating their dinner. Excited to see him, Benny embraced Johnny and said, “Long time, no see. You and your family have to come out to the coast and see us sometime.”
“We will, son,” Johnny assured him. “Is this little Jericho?”
“Yeah,” Brenda said. “You wanna hold him?”
“Yes,” he said, taking the toddler in his arms. “How’s your training comin’, son?”
“Good. I’m in great shape,” Benny told him. “Jack Wilkins is a tough son-of-a-bitch. Gotta be in the best shape of my life.”
“Wish I could be there for you, son.”
“Yeah, me too, Dad. So, how long y’all gon’ be in town?” Benny asked him.
“A couple of days,” Johnny answered.
“Yeah, me and Brenda gotta be goin’ tonight. The fight’s in Los Angeles. Long drive home, man.”
“I know what you mean. Jasmine is a principal back in East St. Louis. We gotta be gettin’ back too.” He handed the baby back to Brenda. “If y’all don’t mind, I need to talk to my daughter, okay?”
“Sure, no problem,” Benny said. “We understand. Y’all need to catch up.”
“Come on, Daddy.” Johnnie grabbed his hand. “I’ll find a place for us to talk.”
“How you doin’, Lucas?” Marla asked. He was standing under a tall, leafy tree, trying to avoid the scorching rays of the sun. “You sure have changed your style of dress since the last time I saw you. That’s a really nice suit. Did your girlfriend pick it out for you?”
“Thanks, Marla,” Lucas said, looking around to see who was watching them, hoping Napoleon wouldn’t put two and two together. “Yeah, she picked it out.”
“So, have you been thinking about me since that last time we saw each other?” Marla asked. “ ’Cause I’ve been thinking about you a lot. The offer’s still open. You do remember the offer, don’t you, Lucas?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Lucas tried not to smile. “So, where’s Napoleon? Is he here?”
“Is that what you’re worried about?” Marla wondered aloud. “He’s here someplace, probably looking for your girlfriend.”
Lucas frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” Marla smiled. “I know my husband, and I’ve seen your girlfriend. If you want to talk about it, you know where to find me.” She walked away.
Lucas was about to follow her, but he got the feeling he was being watched. He looked over his shoulder and saw Bubbles staring at him. Bubbles raised his glass of Johnny Walker Red and took a swallow. Lucas smiled nervously, wondering if Bubbles knew what was going on. He walked over to Bubbles to try to find out if Napoleon was having him watched.
Bubbles didn’t suspect anything until he saw the guilty look on Lucas’ face, like he had done or was about to do something he shouldn’t. He’d seen that look many times. In fact, he too had once worn that look of guilt, that paranoia that came from wondering if anyone suspected that he’d had what didn’t belong to him. If he was right, Bubbles thought, he would have to warn the kid without letting him know he suspected something. And if he suspected, others might too.
“So, where’s Napoleon?” Lucas asked.
That confirmed it for Bubbles. Something was definitely going on between the kid and Marla. “He’s around, kid,” Bubbles admitted. “You never know when he’s gonna show.” He waited a few seconds to let his words sink in. When Bubbles saw the wheels in Lucas’ mind start to churn, he quickly changed the subject. “Startin’ Monday, I’m supposed to show you the ropes. You ready for this kind of life, kid?”
“Yeah, Bubbles, I’m ready.”