Chapter 67
“Yeah, we’re in love.”
The following Monday, Bubbles, whose real name was George Grant, decided to take Lucas on what he called a road trip, which meant someone was going to be beaten to within an inch of his life. Bubbles could always count on someone to miss a payment and incur his wrath, which he dispensed with passion. This week’s victim would be a longshoreman named Bruce Micheaux, who was behind on his payments.
Bubbles, born and raised on the mean streets of Chicago, enjoyed his work. He was tough, and loan sharking was his pride and joy. Napoleon promised to take care of him when they were released from prison. Bubbles saved Napoleon’s life in prison, where Bentley was serving three to ten on a manslaughter conviction in an Illinois Federal Penitentiary some ten years earlier. Though Napoleon killed men before, he was innocent of the charges levied against him. He took the rap for Vinnie Milano, one of Chicago Sam’s chief capos. Sam told Napoleon that John Stefano, the boss of New Orleans, owed him a favor. If Napoleon was willing to relocate, he could have the Colored section when he got out.
While quietly serving his time, a riot broke out in the prison cafeteria. Napoleon was about to be stabbed when Bubbles, who ran cell block E, subdued the would-be assassin and killed him in the struggle. Bubbles liked Napoleon. He wasn’t like any white man he’d ever met. Napoleon didn’t have an air of superiority like so many white men he’d known in prison. He found it strange that even in prison, white men thought they were somehow better than colored men were.
Later, Napoleon and Bubbles discovered that Vinnie Milano was the one who tried to have Napoleon killed in prison. The colored section of New Orleans was promised to Milano before he was implicated in a barroom shooting. Upon Napoleon’s release, Chicago Sam kept his promise, and Napoleon moved to New Orleans, taking Bubbles with him.
As they drove down to the pier, Bubbles decided to give Lucas a warning without tipping his hand that he knew, or at least suspected, that something was going on between him and Marla.
“So kid, you and that girl of yours in love?” Bubbles asked.
“Yeah, we in love.” Lucas smiled. “You ever been in love?”
“Once or twice, I guess,” Bubbles admitted. “But the trouble with love is it can get all complicated and shit. You know what I mean?” He shot Lucas a menacing scowl. “Sometime people be in love, but they get a hunger for somethin’ that don’t belong to ’em. If they ain’t careful, that hunger takes over, and they just gotta have what they set their hearts on havin’. Before you know it, somebody finds out and people end up dead.”
Lucas realized that he was talking about Marla and himself. Fear shook his body. Does Napoleon know? He wanted to ask but was afraid.
“Sometimes all a man needs is a stern warnin’, and that’s enough for him to set his mind on other things. Things that won’t get his ass killed over some pussy. I told Napoleon that very thing the other night at the club. I don’t know if he heard me, though.”
So, Marla was tellin’ the truth. Napoleon’s after Johnnie. But why is Bubbles warnin’ me? Maybe he’s warnin’ us both. Maybe he senses what could happen and he doesn’t want this thing to get out of hand. But what do I say? Do I just pretend like I don’t know what he’s talkin’ about? Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. If I tell him I know what he’s talkin’ about, he’ll have to tell Napoleon. So, that’s what he meant. Okay, I take the warnin’ and go on about my business. But what about Johnnie? What if Napoleon didn’t take the warnin’? Will Johnnie betray me? Probably so. I mean, she just gave me permission to fuck Marla, didn’t she? Me and Johnnie gotta talk about this shit before somebody gets killed.
“Well, I hope he heard you, Bubbles,” Lucas finally said. “Sure would be stupid for a man to be warned and still end up dead over some pussy.”
“Uh-huh,” Bubbles grunted, satisfied he made his point.
It was 3 o’clock in the morning when they boarded the ship. Bubbles believed that the element of surprise was always the best approach. He preferred to catch them when they were in a deep sleep. “Nothing like wakin’ a muthafucka outta his sleep and beatin’ the shit outta him,” he told Lucas with a ruthless smile.