An evil smile touched C's lips as he watched the black Lincoln Town Car pull off the road into a one way alley. He'd followed Miguel damn near the whole day, but this was the first opportunity that he'd had to reach out and touch his brainless ass. Things had worked out ten all because he wanted a quick nut.
After respecting the streets and the dangers that came with it for the past week the silly motherfucker had played himself by letting his guard down for a piece of tail. He expected more from Miguel, Reyes' most trusted cash counter, bodyguard, and all around go to guy. After all was cooked, chopped, and flipped, he'd been done in by the pussy.
Putt silently questioned him with a raised brow from the passenger seat. He answered by holding out his hand, for the Louisville Slugger. Once his grip tightened around the smooth wooden bat, he opened the door and slipped from the car. Even though he didn't hear footsteps he knew Putt and Ortiz followed.
He crossed the street to the dimly lit alley. Without hesitation, he crept on the dark Sedan until he stood an inch or two behind the driver's door. Battering the fuck up, he swung like his arm was Sammy Sosa blessed. The window shattered on the first swing to reveal Miguel wearing a dumb as shit expression and a street corner hooker scrambling backwards towards the passenger door while rubbing at the corners of her mouth.
On a mission and adrenaline pumped, C's snatched Miguel through the broken window by his neck with his pants still wrapped around his ankles. The chick who was putting in mouth and lip service opened her dick sucker to scream, but he snatched the breath from her body with a unit that said: I wish you would, bitch! Tossing the bat to Ortiz, he snatched his glock from the waistband of his jeans and leveled the barrel with the center of Miguel's forehead. "Get his ass in the trunk, yo."
"What about the bitch?" Putt asked jerking his head at the bitch in question.
C's glared at the hooker cowering against the passenger door. "What the fuck just went down here?"
"Not a motherfuckin' thang," she said in shaky voice.
"Get the fuck outta here. And don't let me hear about this shit again, ya dig?" He hissed through clenched teeth.
"With a spoon, baby." The prostitute scrambled from the car and stumbled and half ran from the ally.
Laughter erupted from the ground. "You're softer than a virgin's pussy, niño. I woulda smoked the bitch," Miguel said, shooting hate makers up at him.
"Fuck her. I'd rather chain smoke your ass." C's glanced at Putt. "Snatch his ass up, and let's ride."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Ay, pass me those pliers," C's said through gritted teeth, cutting his eye at Ortiz. "If this motherfucka don't wanna talk then I'll make his ass scream."
Miguel coughed up blood as he laughed. "Scream? You little puta. You're making my dick hard with all of your soft touches."
Pissed off, C's backhanded him with the metal end of the pliers. Teeth, blood, and slob flew from his mouth, spraying the far wall and floor. When a smile trembled at the corners of Miguel's mouth, he bashed him again, before shooting Putt a unit. They were getting nowhere fucking fast. For the past two hours he had done everything, but peel the bastard like an apple, and he still wouldn't talk.
You'd think he was getting some fire ass head by the way he moaned when C's put blade to him. At this point he wouldn't have been surprised if Miguel's deranged ass bust right there in his boxers. Vato was G-ed the fuck up. He refused to say shit about Reyes or his dealings. Grudgingly, the pendejo had earned his respect. Too bad respect wouldn't save his ass. If he wasn't going to talk, prolonging the inevitable was a waste of time. They might as well put him in the dirt and move the fuck on to another plan.
C's dropped the pliers on the hood of the Sedan and jammed his hand in his pockets. The softness of folded leather teased the pads of his fingers. He'd forgotten that he'd scooped Miguel's wallet off the floor on the driver's side. Withdrawing it from his pocket, he flipped it open and a pleated plastic filled with pictures of a family, Miguel's family, unfolded.
A deliberate smile inched across his mouth and corrupted his lips. The sick expression Miguel wore, betrayed his mind like a snitch faced with jail time. Everybody had a weakness, even ride hard and die harder vets like Miguel, and they both knew C's had found his.
"Your wife and daughters are beautiful, Holmes," he said, purposefully licking his lips as he stared at a picture of a smiling mother with her daughters. "Think I can make them scream?"
C's watched the crazy that lit Miguel's eyes, spark to full fledge desperation. "I have tapes," he said in broken whisper. "Of Reyes and Vasquez. Stay away from my familia, and I'll tell you where to find them."
C's tossed the wallet on the ground at Miguel's feet. "Holla at me." Not long after that, Miguel bust it open like an ex-convict fresh out from a ten year bid.
~ ~ ~ ~
After they dumped Miguel's body in the bayou and turned his car over to one of New Orleans grimiest chop shops, they burned up the interstate getting back to P'Cola. With tapes and files stuffed in his Gucci back pack, he damn near floated into his house. He couldn't wait to call Maldonado to let him know the lick. Now he'd scratch his name off the endangered list.
For almost two weeks he'd lived his day to day on a countdown. Finally, he could chill the fuck out. Get back on his grind, and set some time aside for his girl.
Weightless, C's crossed the living room to the stairs. His mom's stepped out of the kitchen, dishrag twisting in hand, while concern etched wrinkles across her forehead. Ever since Maldonado rolled through he and she had played the, don't ask don't tell game, but it didn't take twenty-twenty to see she still lived in fear over his throwed ass lifestyle. He wished he could lift that burden off her mental, let her know he was okay for now, but then that would be admitting to the shit he do, and putting her up on game would only add to the load she already carried.
"Is everything okay?" She asked as her gaze drilled him.
"Yep." He bobbed his head, while resting his hands on the staircase rail. "Messed around at the mall for a while, and then schooled my niños on the courts for a few hours. Other than that things were chill today." C's lied without guilt. His mom's preferred the dream. It helped her to sleep at night.
Her shoulders sagged as she returned his nod with her own. "Good." When he moved to climb the stairs she pressed pause again. "Cleo's birthday is coming up."
"I know," he said. "It's the day after the Fourth of July."
"Do you have anything planned?" She asked, drifting closer to the staircase. "Because I was thinking we could throw her a block party too. Let her know that she's family and she belongs here...with us."
What the hell was his mom's tripping on? He didn't have to let his girl know no shit like that. She already knew where she belonged. With him. "Sounds good to me," he said with a shrug, anxious to get upstairs and square shit with Maldonado. "Just let me know what you need and I'll handle it."
"Caesar, I want you to do more than just, handle it," she said, mimicking his voice. "You need to be involved with the planning. It'll show her you cared enough to take the time."
"Fine, ma," he said, stepping on the first step. "However you wanna do it. Anything else?"
She pursed her lips, but reluctantly shook her head no. He left the stairs to snatch the cordless phone from the cradle. Phone in hand, he jogged upstairs to his room. Slipping inside and closing the door after him, he punched in Pesto's number and waited.
"Hola," Pesto's voice cracked over the line after the second ring.
"Set the meeting with Maldonado. I got it," he said.
"Who the fuck is this?" Pesto snapped.
"Your fruit slinger, motherfucka," he said, gripping the phone tighter. "Just let him know." With that, he hit the end button on the phone.
With three days left to spare, he'd dug up the grave where Reyes kept the bodies. Not only had Miguel recorded tapes with meetings between Vasquez and Reyes, he also kept ledgers. Double books of sorts. One set contained the amount of dinero collected for specific drops that in turn was paid to Maldonado and the other contained the real amounts collected, and pocketed. Over the span of fifteen years that dirty bastard had taken Maldonado for millions. When Maldonado hears about this shit, he'd probably spray Reyes' ass in front of his familia.