Celeste POV
I sit with Vic as we watch some of his people about to make a drop he dials 911
"I want to report a drug dealer on Washington, West of Morgan. He's wearing Grey pants, a blue shirt, and he's got a briefcase full of opiods." Soon he hangs up and tosses the phone out the window, I look at him.
“You wanted me to see you rat on yo people?" He shakes his head as he calls someone putting his finger to his lips as he speaks.
"Hey, pop. It's me. Listen we got a huge fuckin problem..." Soon he tells him what happened before he hangs up and pulls off and I look at him and I wait until we make it on the expressway.
“Are you kidnapping me?" He chuckles and shakes his head.
“No, but I want to do something non-work related." I nod as I relax and I see Tommy is calling me, I ignore the call and I continue to enjoy the calmness of the ride until is see we're pulling up to Fleetwood skating rink and I smirk.
“You can skate?" He grins and nods and I quickly get out and we walk inside and I see it's adult skate night. I look around as I remember memories coming up this way when I was younger.
Vic directs me to the skate and shoe area after a man stamps my hand and I tell the man my size and we swap my shoes for my skates. Vic grabs his and we go and find a booth and sit down slipping our skates on. Once I have mine on I stand up and I wait on Vic seeing him having problems with the extremely long laces. I get down and wrap it around his ankle before tying it along with the other before standing up. He tries to stand only to do the weird chop skate motion people do before they fall and I quickly grab his wrists to stop him and he's breathing hard. I raise an eyebrow grinning.
“You sure you can skate?" He stares at me for a second before nodding. I nod before moving my right hand from his wrist to his hand and I slowly lead us to the rink and he grips the wall like it's a bank roll. I chuckle as I try to let his hand go but he quickly tightens his grip on my hand. I walk next to him until he's comfortable enough to stop hugging the wall and I start to skate for real making him keep up as he tries to not try to walk-skate.
"You can't skate, why would you come down here?" I watch as he watches his feet and I tap at his chin making him look up at me as he clears his throat as he tries to avoid looking down at his skates. I turn around in front of him and that kind of freaks him out but I grab both of his hands keeping him balanced.
“Gloria told me that you and her used to always come out here and to the MLK skating rink. How you both would be here until closing. She said it was really relaxing and fun thing you guys used to do." I finally look at Victor and I mean look at him and I smile sadly.
“Yeah, but Vic... I don't think you hanging out with me is helping your mourning process." He frowns and he straightens his back and he pulls me closer unintentionally and he speaks up with a firmness and finality in his tone.
" No, no that's not why I'm here and doing this. While hanging out with you has been helpful with my problems... I guess I'm using what Gloria has told me about you as a guide on how to get to know you better. You're the only person I trust right now Celeste and I don't really want to lose someone else, not someone that reminds me of the better times of my life. Yeah you were Gloria's best friend but I'm not trying to replace her with you or anything like that, I promise I'm not trying to do anything weird like that." I look into his eyes searching for anything else that could be between his words but I see him being truthful and I nod before I fix myself so we are facing the same way.
" I feel like we both could use someone who we can depend on without expecting them to call in a favor." I look up at him and I smile as I nod.
“Yeah, I guess I can use a friend like that." He nods and gives that boyish smile and for the time being we quietly skate until Vic is comfortable enough to let my damn hand go and once he does I leave him making him freak out and try to keep up only making him fall. I laugh as he curses and tries to get up.
Once we finish up our time at the rink I finally remember to check my phone and I see Tommy hasn't texted me. Miguel has but I ignore it. I text David as Vic drives me home. When we get to my house I look over at him and I smile before reaching over hugging him tightly and he does the same.
"Thank you for the hang out. I needed that and that laugh with your ass falling all over the place." He gives a dry laugh at my joke before smiling genuinely as he shrugs.
"It's no problem. See you later?" I nod as I get out heading into my building. Only to see Diamond texted back telling me to send him my address. I send it and I head to the bathroom ready to shower.
By the time I'm dressed the lobby receptionist is letting me know he's here to see me. I let him up and I unlock the door heading in to the kitchen. He comes in and he looks around before meeting me here.
"Nice place. Better than the last one," Thanking him I offer him a beer and he takes it thanking me. We sit down and he speaks as I eat my left over steak.
"Miguel ain't giving us our re-up or doubling up our order. I think he on to us." I scoff as I shake my head. Of course he is, ain't no way yall ass doing that fucking good.
“I could've told you that. He gotta talk to his boss, he can't be giving yall shit like that especially when he got others he's supplying and they was hit. They gotta catch up." He hums as he thinks and I push the rest of my steak over to him and he takes it as I eat my shrimp Alfredo.
"So what exactly do you want me to do? I obviously can't sway Miguel like that. That's all Che." I see his jaw clench as he thinks before he shrugs.
"See if you can get him to talk to Che. That dinner you owe him." I scoff, he really wants to pimp me out to this guy. I mean mug him and he holds up his hand.
"I ain't saying fuck him. I'm just saying... Use that innocent, feminine shit you use to get your way." I blink in mild confusion before I shake my head.
"What the hell are you talking about?" He gives me a unimpressed look and I cross my arms ready to be offended.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You pretend to be a damsel in distress to make whoever ego you tryna inflate do your bidding. It's not that difficult." I scoff slightly offended and slightly complimented. He thinks I do that?
"For one... I don't do that intentionally. Second fuck you for thinking you know me and three who says that shit is gonna work on Miguel? That man ain't dumb he's gonna know I'm only there for work." He shrugs.
"That's fine. But whatever you do, you can't let him have an inking of a clue that we did the hit." I scoff.
"Come on, when have I ever been a snitch? I'm telling you now if he tries to fuck me I'm shooting you in yo big ass foot." He rolls his eyes obviously not taking me seriously and I huff.
"Why can't Tommy work fucking Mireya? He's tryna fuck her. Have her talk to her brother or some shit." He frowns and I roll my eyes. Such an innocent soul, he curses and I hide my smirk.
"You know that's not gonna work. You're our only angle right now." I look at him before I huff grabbing my phone seeing Miguel's text before I agree sending it and I turn off my phone looking at him.
"Happy?" He nods and I roll my eyes and I see him staring at me and I look to the sides of me before bugging my eyes at him.
"What you staring for?" He exhales loudly and I watch him as he plays with the fork.
"Are we still cool? Like what are we?" I tilt my head confused.
"We ain't got no beef David. We good." He nods but he obviously still has something to get off his chest.
"I ain't mean for shit to go down like it did... I ain't want it to go like that." I smirk as I shrug.
"Well you know, shit happens. Hell we fucked each other over for two dumbasses. You more so than me," He laughs and I grin.
"But you know that you still my heart, regardless, unless you try to kill me then it's really fuck you."He laughs and I smile looking over his face.
"Let's get this crazy shit together before we try to open that 10,000 piece puzzle up again." He laughs and just as I go to talk about that woman my phone dings and I see it's Victor telling me he killed the guy who wanted to sell the bad drugs I send back a good job and I tell David.
" Victor solved a problem for us."He frowns basically saying, 'how?'
" Remember when I told you about the person who'd help us clear the shit from Miguel? It was him. But anyway, his dad wanted to sell some bad drugs up over here and Vic nipped that shit in the bud, he ratted on the drop then killed Ole boy. Now his daddy in deep shit with Dublin."David leans back slightly surprised and I shrug.
" Why he tryna fuck over his people like that? And why he telling you? That don't seem suspicious to you?"
I shake my head.
" Vic is still mourning and I'm the closest to Gloria he can get to and he's a good guy, so he's not gonna get me into any shit. I trust him."He looks at me for a second before nodding.
" You talk to your brother?" I nod, why does he care about my brother?
" Yeah that man is bugging the shit outta me everyday. Making sure he knows where my ass is at all times. Got that location shit on my phone and everything. He lowkey tryna get me mirco-chipped." He laughs and starts to agree but I cut him off not even entertaining the shit.
"All yall men get on my nerves. Done got all my girls killed and now I'm stuck here. With you bastards." His face becomes serious before he tilts his head slightly at my words.
"How you doing with that? You lost a lot people within a six month time span. That fucks with a person." He studies me and I shrug.
"I'm hurt... Hurt in a way I don't really understand to be honest... I done lost some people you know that... But never my people. Liliana and Gloria was my family and them being collateral messes with me everyday. Like yeah they on Tommy and Vic and even the Serbs and the Flynns but they were my people. And I couldn't do shit about them. Hell each of their deaths was news to me. I was even the last person to hear about they shit. Especially Liliana." He nods before grabbing my hand.
" We got this shit. They in a better place now. I know you hate that shit but it's true. They were good people they ain't suffering no more down here. That's a good thing." I nod as I look at the table.
"Maybe you're right. But that shit still sting regardless. I know it's selfish but I don't really care. Gloria was my sister. Now she's gone forever. Liliana was a great friend too now she's gone." He nods and presses his hands against the table and I look at him.
"Well. What you love to say? Life moves on regardless of the situation. Make sure you don't lose no mo people. We got this right?" I nod and he nods as he stands up and I do the same and he hugs me tightly before kissing my hairline before holding my head to his chest as I think about everything.
"Thank you for sticking around for so long,D. Really even with all the bullshit we went through together. You always been there. Thank you." He rubs my head and I know he's shaking his head even without seeing him.
"You're my girl. Ain't shit tearing this apart. You know that." I squeeze him even more and he chuckles before pulling away and I sigh and before he looks me over before I nod and he pulls me into his arms again kissing my forehead.
"I'll tell you how the dinner goes." He nods before leaving out and I follow after locking the other doors. I exhale as I look around my house before shaking my head.
What the hell is my life?