"What the hell is her problem?" I asked.
I watched, astonished. Kayla tore up the damn concrete making a demon's run exit out of the parking lot.
"I guess that's how it looks when a woman isn't falling hook line and sinker for the bullshit you're constantly selling." Kenyon replied with infatuation written all over his face as he watched her until she turned the corner.
I frowned at him.
"You mean that's how it looks when a woman is losing her damn mind," I said, turning toward the office still confused by what had happened with Kayla.
The meeting was a success. I couldn't wait to get back and tell her about it. Instead all I got for my effort was attitude and more attitude. Women might as well have been from another planet that instead of using common sense, sat around and talked about how they had been wronged by men all day. I hung around the office until it was time to close, and then Kenyon tapped on my door on his way out.
"Antonio, are you about ready to call it a day?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm ready. Just finishing up filing away a couple of things." I replied.
"Did you want me to wait until you've finished?" Kenyon asked.
"No, I got it, go ahead and go home," I said.
Kenyon looked as if he wanted to say something else before he left, he decided against it at the last minute.
That's right, let that shit ride.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Kenyon said before letting the office door close behind him.
"Not if I see you first K." I answered to nobody in particular.
What the hell was that I drove up on with him and Kayla? Kenyon was violating. Didn't he know Kayla was mine? If he didn't, he would. I let my thoughts drift to her and this afternoon when she pissed all over me for skipping out on her with the meeting. Damn she was sexy when she was mad. Her hazel eyes went emerald green with rage.
I had to make this right with her. I couldn't afford to lose her, because I tried to protect her. But I would be damned if I apologized for it, though. I grabbed my car keys off my desk. I was going to see her and try and salvage our partnership.
I would make her understand that she was now my responsibility and it was up to me to keep her safe. By the time I pulled into the parking lot of Kayla's motel it was already dark. The establishment still had yet to turn the property lights on. It was next to impossible to see your hand in front of your face. Kayla and I had to talk about her changing motels. Maybe she could come and stay with me for the rest of her time in Miami.
I could keep a closer eye on her and at the same time send a message to Kenyon without having to step down. I noticed a black man, who looked as if he played linebacker for the Dolphins, picking the lock to her room door. My instincts made me reach for my gun that normally was in my waistband. The gun was inconveniently tucked in the glove compartment of my car. Shit.
From the size of the guy the only thing I had on my side was the element of surprise. I reached down and picked up a brick from the pathetic excuse for a rock garden the motel owner's had put down for decorations. I crept up the stairs taking care not to be heard. Half way up the stairs I felt the distinct cold metal from the barrel of a hand gun pressed firmly against the base of my skull.
"You move and I will add red to the color of these stairs." I heard a familiar female voice whisper next to my right ear.
"Kayla?" I asked.
"Antonio?" She whispered as she pulled the barrel of the gun from the back of my head. "What the hell are you doing creeping around my motel room?" She asked.
"Creeping? I'm not the one who's creeping. The guest who just let himself into your room would be the one creeping." I said.
"I saw him I assumed he was with you." The motel property lights came on and we heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat. We both looked up. The man who had broken into Kayla's room was leaning against the door frame, his arms were crossed and he wore pissed off expression on his face.
"Big John!" Kayla exclaimed in surprise.
"Kayla." The giant said raising an eye brow at her.
"You know him?" I asked.
Kayla tore her eyes away from the man and looked at me. "He's an old friend of the family. Big John what are you doing here?" She asked.
"I'm here because instead of waiting for me in the Bahamas like a good girl you ran off without me. You left me with the job of bustin' heads until I found out your location," Big John said.
"Oh, I forgot. Ruby called and told me you were coming but my transportation had to leave early so I couldn't wait," Kayla said.
"Yeah well I'm here now so no harm no foul, oh and aunt Ruby said call her, she's not going to be quite as forgiving as me," He said, staring down at me with eyes devoid of emotion.
"I'll give Ruby a call tomorrow," Kayla said, waving him off.
"Who's the Latino brother, Kayla?" Big John asked.
Kayla spared me a glance before marching up the stairs to push past Big John. "He was helping me to find Miah."
"Kayla, I wanna talk to you," I said, while taking the stairs two at time to catch up to her. Big John refused to move aside to allow me entrance into Kayla's room.
"Talk about what Antonio, how you deliberately lied to my face to exclude me from a meeting, I had every right to be included in?" She said heatedly while peering at me from around Big John's huge left arm.
"I told you, Kayla I was only trying to protect you. That meeting was no place for you. You don't know those kinds of people like I do. This is not like the movies where you make a mistake and you have a chance later on to redeem yourself. This is reality and shit don't get more real here in Miami especially Little Havana. If you make a mistake here you're dead and there is no second chance," I said.
I heard a rumble come from Big John's chest that suspiciously sounded like laughter. "You protect Kayla? I bet she coul-, ouch, Kayla that hurt," Big John said bending down to rub his calf.
"Shut up Big John and mind your own business," Kayla ordered, stepping around him outside of the room door.
"Antonio, were you really trying to protect me?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at me with doubt in her eyes.
"Yes. I don't want anything to happen to you, Kayla and if that means telling you a few white lies to keep you out of harm's way, then so be it." I answered, making the mistake of staring to closely into her eyes, damn near forgetting my order of thoughts.
"Antonio I appreciate your concern, but I don't need looking after. I need a partner who is going to be straight with me not constantly coming at me from the side because he thinks I can't handle myself in an unpleasant situation," she said.
I stared at her in disbelief. Maybe I should have put it down last night because if I did, I damn sure wouldn't be going through the shit I was going through right now with her.
"Okay," I said nodding. "I got you. You wanna be treated like one of the boys, well then I'll treat you like one of the boys. Tomorrow night we meet with the man who arranged the sale of your sister. You wanna roll you're gonna have to play the game by my rules or not at all."
"Meaning?"
"I need you to look the part. I need you to be submissive, and not this, all up in your face attitude having, foot dragger who prefers hunting boots to Manolo Blahniks." I looked her up and down and spit over the rail to show my distaste. She puffed up, ready to let me have it. But I turned to leave before the crazy jumped off, and then threw over my shoulder as I descended the stairs. "And you might wanna get started with your makeover now. Something tells me it's gonna be an all-night project."
Big John's laughter floated down the stairs after me, and was shortly followed by a sharp cry of pain. "Ouch damn, Kayla I didn't say it." I smiled all the way home.
Once home I took a shower. I had learned a few things from my meeting with Victor Hernandez. The guy he put our seller in contact with was a man by the name of Roberto Guevara. He said that Guevara and the seller never met under the sellers instructions, since the deal was so lucrative making all parties involved a lot of money, Guevara was pressuring him for the name of the seller. He said, so that he could thank him, but my guess was that it's a strategic move to cut Hernandez out of any future deals', sending Roberto's cut of the sell from thirty-five to forty-five percent.
So I told Hernandez to give Guevara exactly what he'd asked for. A name. Since nobody had ever met the seller personally, not even Hernandez. Who better to play the part than me? Hernandez called and set up a meeting between me and Guevara for tomorrow night at club Dream. It was my idea to have the meeting at the popular night club, because it's neutral and I could involve Kayla in on this meeting to an extent. Only to an extent.
*****
"Yeah Ruby I know but I had to act fast or I would've added the same problem to my list I'd already solved," I said.
"Or you could've created a whole new problem even you wouldn't have been able to solve." Ruby snapped.
For the last thirty minutes, Ruby had chewed her out for not waiting on Big John and she'd just about reached her limit.
"Ruby it was a risk I had to take."
"What do you know that will justify you putting your damn life in danger?" Ruby asked.
"I'd rather not say until we get Miah back."
"Why?" Ruby snapped.
"I don't want you to worry over the possibilities of Miah's situation. All you need to know is she's alive and I'm going to bring her home."
"Not knowing is what has me worried," her voice cracked over the line.
"I'm sorry Ruby."
"Don't be I'm sure you have your reasons," Ruby said.
"How are mom and dad doing?"
"Things have not been good around here since you girls have been gone. Your daddy is never home and your mama doesn't leave her bed. I don't think they'll ever come back from this," she answered.
Ruby and I talked for another half hour before we hung up. I stared at the ceiling and reveled in my thoughts. Until they drifted to Antonio, and then my heart began missing beats. Especially at the thought of why he'd left me out of the meeting. He'd wanted to protect me. The thought of him wanting to protect me, intrigued. I'd always been the protector, fighting everyone else battles. To the point that no one ever offered to help fight mine.
A frown replaced my smile as I remembered what he said about my appearance. What the hell did he mean my getting ready for tomorrow would be an all-night project? Fashionista would not be a word used to describe me but I wasn't so jacked up there was no help for me. The appearance in the mirror begged to differ. Why did I even care what Antonio thought?
*****
I'd agreed to meet Guevara at Club Dream by midnight, yet here I was sitting in the parking lot at Kayla's motel waiting for her to come down fifteen minutes 'til. Five minutes was all she would get before I went up and dragged her out that room. I drummed my fingers to the beat to my favorite Trick daddy song. What the hell was keeping her?
I stepped out of the car, two people came toward me. A man and a woman, as they drew closer I could see the man was Big John dressed in a designer suit. The female beside him though was who had my attention. She looked like she had stepped off a runway in Milan, her swag had me. I gave Big John a nod and looked around him to see if Kayla was behind them.
"Well, what do you think? Does mama clean up well or do I still need work?" Big John friend asked with a smirk.
I glanced down at her, shock completely fucked my mind. The sexy woman was a well-polished Kayla. Now waxed, plucked, primped, and buffed. She barely resembled the woman I had seen the night before.
"Kayla?" I asked still unsure.
"Who else would it be?" Kayla asked with an attitude.
Unable to resist, I took a little walk around her so I could take full inventory of the merchandise, and the merchandise was right. The red dress she wore was just begging for me to take it off.
"This your car man?" Big John asked.
"Yeah, that's my baby," I said, my chest puffing with pride.
"I can't fit in there Kayla." He said as he turned to Kayla waved his hand at my car.
"No I don't suppose you can." Kayla said, frowning down at my ride.
"What the hell am I going to ride in, because I'm going? There is no way in hell I'm allowing you to go alone," Big John said.
"Why don't you take my bike and follow us." Kayla suggested.
She gestured to her motorcycle parked a couple of spaces down from my car.
"I guess that's the only option I have," He said, glaring at my car, and then me.
Big John took the keys Kayla had fished out of her purse and started toward her bike. He mumbled something about lil' boys and their toy cars as he went. I opened the passenger door for Kayla and waited until she was settled in, before closing it after her. We rode for a couple minutes in silence. I glanced at Kayla when I pulled to a red light.
"You look amazing angel," I said.
She gave me a coy smile which immediately turned me on. "Thank you, I was wondering if you noticed."
"How could I not, you'd command the attention of any man with in two hundred feet of you." I leaned back in the driver seat licking my lips at the thought of her on top of me. The image of her with that red dress pulled up around her slim waist made me insane. Someone laid on their car horn behind us, and the image shattered.
"Antonio, the light's green," Kayla said with a smirk.
Shit. Focus; there will be plenty of time for fun later. My eyes stayed on the road for the rest of the trip. I didn't want to be drawn in again by her. We pulled up in front of Club Dream. I hopped out and tossed my keys to the valet. Big John cruised up after me, and he also opted to let the valet park Kayla's bike. We walked past the line which wrapped around the building. The doorman instantly recognized me.
"Antonio man long times no see."
"No shit. How it's been going Richard, have all my beautiful mami's missed me?" I asked with a grin.
He laughed. "Why you don't go ask 'em." Richard moved aside to allow us entrance to the inner domain of Club Dream. Club Dream was one of the hottest night clubs in Miami. From movie stars to street criminals it didn't matter, they all resided at Club Dream. I grabbed Kayla's hand and led her up the stairs to the VIP section of the club. Carla the lady who guarded VIP with an iron fist gave me a quick hug before letting me pass. The champagne flowed freely in VIP if that was your thing, if not they offered something a little harder to help you get your party started. We sat in vacant booth, and Big John remained standing at Kayla's side.
"So how will we know who the guy is when he shows?" Kayla asked. Her gaze flicked around taking in everything.
"He will be the one in all white at least that is what I am told." I said.
A Cuban man swamped by two body guards and two beautiful women sat down at a table across from us. The man was decked out in a white Dolce & Gabanna suit. This was our guy. I looked to Kayla and she nodded letting me know she hadn't missed the parade. She leaned over and whispered something to Big John. He gave her a nod and walked over to Roberto's table. Big John said something to one of the bodyguards who in turn leaned down and spoke to Roberto.
The annoyed look disappeared from Roberto's face. He stared across VIP at me and swatted the girl who had him blocked in the booth out of the way. Stealthily, he approached our table with a ready smile.
"Julio Machado?" He asked.
I nodded and waved my hand for him to sit.
"Mr. Guevara, this meeting has been a long time coming. But finally, here we are with no man in the middle. Allow me to introduce my protégé Rose." I replied and waved my hand at Kayla.
"A lovely name for a very lovely woman..." Roberto said, he reaching across the table, to take Kayla's hand, kissing each fingertip one at a time.
"Thank you Mr. Guevara." Kayla cooed with a forced smile that was a borderline grimace.
"Please Rose, call me Roberto," He replied, with a smile that would give a crocodile pause.
"Of course," Kayla said, withdrawing her hand from his, and discretely wiping it on the side of her dress.
"Mr. Machado, my dealings with you have been quite prosperous I-"
I held up my hand silenced Roberto. "I did not invite you here to speak of such things, especially not in front of my beautiful Rose. I would like for us to enjoy each other's company tonight. We will discuss business when we are in a more appropriate place."
"Ah, yes let us enjoy ourselves tonight."
Roberto clapped his hands signaling a waitress over to our table.
"Let me have a bottle of Cristal. And please, keep them coming." He waved his women over to the table, and gracefully they crossed the room, their movements almost feline. Roberto didn't bother to introduce them and they didn't seem to mind either. Finally! Women who knew their place. How rare was that?
The air in VIP became festive after that. Roberto made sure the drinks kept coming while his women put on a provocative show on the dance floor.
A white chick with strawberry blonde hair and sexy turquoise eyes showed up with a baller from the Atlanta Hawks, after they showed VIP went bananas. I looked over at Kayla her, expression threw me off guard. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. Damn, did she know the lady? A few minutes later she mumbled something about wanting to dance and headed to the dance floor.
"I'm leaving tomorrow for my private island would you and your associates consider coming with me and being my guest. I never thank you properly for the business you so generously brought my way." Roberto said.
Did I really want to be trapped on an island with nothing but water as my exit? There was really nothing to think about, I had questions and he had answers.
"It would do me a great pleasure to accept such a generous offer." I replied.
"Good, good, we will have ample opportunity to discuss future business ventures, then," Roberto said.
He rubbed his hands together, while his beady eyes held a greedy gleam.
"That sounds promising," I said.
I raised my glass to him in a toast. He laughed and clapped his hands for another bottle of champagne. One of Roberto's bodyguards leaned down and whispered something in his ear. Shit. The bodyguard nodded his head toward the dance floor. I turned and saw nothing but a crush of gyrating bodies on the dance floor.
"My friend, there is a disturbance on the dance floor concerning your 'protégé', but the situation can be easily handled by one of my guards," Roberto said.
"No, I will go myself. It is something minor I'm sure. Probably, like the time we were in the South of France."
I slid out of the booth and walked out of VIP flanked by Big John.
"Why didn't you go with her?" I asked.
"Why would I? Kayla can take care of herself," Big John said.
On the dance floor Kayla stood with her back to me talking to the baller from the Atlanta Hawks about twenty feet away from us. Their conversation was heated. Kyle angrily waved his hands about like a mad man as Kayla shook her head. After a minute of dude's theatrics she threw her hand in his face and turned to leave. Kyle Washington obviously not done with the conversation grabbed her roughly by the arm and yanked her back. Kayla stumbled in her heels that fueled me into motion. But before I made it to her she regained her balance and sent her now stable left heel into Kyle Washington's right foot. His face crumpled in pain, but Kayla was not done. She smashed her right fist into his nose and the blow brought him sprawling to my feet. In disbelief I stared down at a now unconscious Kyle Washington in open astonishment. Big John gave a low whistle beside me.
"I taught her that one myself; the jerk had it coming." Big John spit on Kyle's lifeless body and stepped over him. A bouncer I knew approached me.
"Antonio, what the hell is going on? Did you do that to Kyle Washington?" He asked.
"No, man he didn't do it. The super hero chick did. She's the one over there by the dance floor in the red dress talking to that huge black guy." A skinny white guy with shaggy blond hair that hung down to his shoulders explained. The guy was not only drunk but also blitzed out of his got damn mind. I gave the bouncer a 'don't believe that shit look'. I gestured for the bouncer to follow me away from the white guy over to the bar.
"No man, I didn't hit him and I didn't see who did either. By the time I walked over the guy was already laid out at my feet. You know how it is when these athlete types come to the club. Everybody wants to try 'em." I replied with a shrug.
The bouncer nodded in understanding. I'm sure he had seen the exact same scenario time and time again; thank god he was jaded by the job.
"Alright Antonio thanks man, I'ma go get his people and let 'em know what happened to him," The bouncer said.
He flagged over two more bouncers to help move Kyle off the dance floor before any more damage was done to him. I walked over to Kayla who now watched as the bouncers move Kyle over to an empty booth in the corner of the club.
"He always did have a glass nose," She muttered.
I wanted to question her about what happen but saw Roberto and his party exiting VIP. Roberto's entourage paused at the edge of the dance floor. One of his body guards stepped into the mass of people on the dance floor and searched through the throng of dancing bodies until his gaze fell on me. He then walked back over to Roberto and whispered in his ear, before Roberto headed in my direction.
"The hour grows late Mr. Machado and the work I have to do in the a.m. is endless, I fear I must call it a night. Is everything alright with your beautiful acquaintance?" Roberto asked as he leered over my shoulder at Kayla.
"Yes she's fine. I'm afraid not only is her beauty a blessing, but at times it can also be quite tedious," I said.
Roberto nodded in agreement.
"Tonight has been filled with unexpected surprises. I'll be in contact Mr. Machado with the arrangements. Until tomorrow," Roberto said.
"Until tomorrow."
I watched as Roberto and his party left the club. I spun on Kayla who was having a quiet conversation with Big John.
"What the hell was that all about? You could have ruined everything."
"Me, what about you Mr. I didn't invite you here to discuss business." Kayla replied.
"I know what I am doing. These kinds of things cannot be rushed. Everything falls apart if you do." Explaining myself to her frustrated the hell out of me.
"You give him enough time he's going to realize you are a fraud, and then where will that leave us?" Kayla asked.
"Look you came to me for help remember? This is my job and I've been doing it for years. If I say follow my lead then you sure as hell better get in line, because if you don't, I have no problem packing your ass up and shipping you back to where ever the hell you came from." I turned to leave.
"Antonio wait." Kayla placed her hand on my arm, I sighed and turned around.
"Look I'm sorry. I'm just wrestling with my mental right now. Of course you are doing a great job. I shouldn't have taken my issues out on you."
I stared into her hypnotic eyes a moment longer than I should have, because I was sipping everything she was pouring. And hell, I usually did the pouring. "Don't worry about it. We all have our nights. Just try not to let it affect the job. How did you know that ball player anyway?"
Kayla's features went blank and her mask fell into place. "My past is not open for discussion," She mumbled as she pushed passed me.
I looked to Big John; he held up his hands to wave off my questions. "Don't ask me. I'm here to observe, not make comments on things that don't concern me."
He followed Kayla out of the club. I shook my head. Would I ever understand the minds of women? Probably not, the older I got the more alien to me they became. Outside my car was parked at the corner, a hundred feet away from the club. Why the hell didn't they have my car parked out front like it always was? I turned to find the valet, but my eyes fell on Kayla instead.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
"Where's the keys?"
"I don't have them."
"What do you mean you don't have them? Didn't you have the car brought around?" I asked.
"No."
I exhaled and walked over to the valet parking stand.
"Hey man, where's the keys to my car?" I asked.
"What car?" He answered with attitude.
"The black on black Camaro."
"Naw, I don't have any keys here to a Camaro. Where's your stub?" He asked.
"I never get a damn stub, man. I never have these damn problems." I replied.
"You should have got a stub." I heard the valet mutter under his breath.
"Look, there goes my car sitting over there at the curb, one of the other valet's must've brought it around. All I need is the keys, man."
"Well if someone already pulled it around then the keys should be in the ignition. Did you check?" He asked.
The valet stared at me like I was stupid. I took a deep breath and headed toward my car. Kayla was on my heels. Half way to the car someone ran passed us with a baseball bat. They planted the bat solidly against the passenger side of my car door. What the hell? The person with the bat turned around and smiled at me with cojones hanging to her knees. Kandi.
"Antonio you thought you would be able to flaunt your whore in my face and not suffer the consequences," Kandi screamed.
She brought the baseball bat down on my trunk. Man I'ma kill this bitch.
"You crazy bitch, get the fuck away from my car."
"Bitch? Is that what it all comes down to after countless blowjobs, endless backdoors, and all the pussy you wanted at the drop of a dime?" Kandi asked as she sent the bat through my back window.
I dived for her; she swiftly ducked out of my reach.
"When I catch you Kandi your ass ain't gone be worth shit." I growled through clenched teeth as I chased her around the car.
"Fuck you Antonio, when I'm done here this car isn't going to be worth shit. I should have sat your condo on fire instead of trashing it, but I be damned if you get that insurance check."
"That was your crazy ass?"
"Who the hell else did you think it was? One of your other women?"
Pissed off she burst out a head light. Man this bitch was going to die slow when I finally got my hands on her. A white convertible Mercedes pulled up on the side Kandi was on. She took a final swing and connected a solid blow to the side of my car before hopping into the convertible and speeding away. From behind me Kayla erupted in uncontrollable laughter. I turned and shot her a murderous look which only made her laugh harder.
"Get in the damn car Kayla." I barked.
I walked around to the driver side and climbed in. The keys were in the ignition as the valet said they would be. I reached for the switch and the laughter coming from Kayla abruptly stopped.
"Antonio, no. Get the hell out of the car."
She flung open her door and threw her body from the car. The engine came alive but years as a cop taught me how to go with my instincts so I flung myself from the still open driver's door. Before I hit the ground I was blown farther by an explosion that ignited from my car.