“What’s good?” Kev said and put out his hand to shake Jason’s. Then he looked at me. “I didn’t know you would be here. What’s up, Reese?” He smiled, bent down, and kissed my cheek.
Jason interrupted. He stood up. “I can’t call it.” Jason’s expression told it all. He was frustrated and wanted to know who the thief was.
“What’s up, Jay? Why you lookin’ like that? What’s goin’ on?”
Jason sat back down, then took in a deep breath. “Man, somebody stealin’ from us.” Jason looked over at me. I saw him but I was trying to act as if I wasn’t really paying attention to them. I was very nervous sitting there and praying they didn’t figure me out.
“Reese, I’ma need you to go over there and sit for a minute.” He nodded his head over to another table nearby. My eyes and Kev’s followed his. I got up and went over there and sat down. No questions asked, but I did wanna hear what he knew. So I positioned my seat to hear it all.
Kev was surprised and responded to Jason, “Naw, man! Jay, you sure you didn’t spend some on one of yo’ li’l honeys? You know how you splurge, man,” Kev whispered. They both looked over in my direction but I never allowed my emotions to show. I sat there acting like I couldn’t hear a thing. I didn’t care what Jason did, not even a little bit at this point. Kev shook his head back and forth and watched Jason’s face. He was serious.
“Naw, man, that money comes out my stash at home. I don’t get it confused wit’ this,” Jason claimed.
“You can’t be serious,” Kev said.
“Yeah, they stealin’. I’m tellin’ you when I find out who it is . . .”
I started talking to myself in my head. Oh my God! They gonna kill me! I knew I had another pickup scheduled in the next few days while Jason was out of town so I figured that would be my last. My revenge had to end; it was time for me to stop. Jason stood back up, then put his hand on his gun underneath his suit jacket.
“Lower your voice, man,” Kev stood up and demanded of Jason.
Jason was loud and others in the restaurant were watching.
Kev looked around the crowded restaurant, then took off his jacket and sat back down. He was getting angry too. They shared this business, starting it off with a hundred bucks apiece back in the day, and now they were bringing in well over a couple of hundred thousand dollars a week.
“Who is it, Jay? Do you know?” Kev asked. I sat there and looked over at Jason’s mouth to see what he was going to say.
“Naw, I don’t know.” I was so relieved. Jason leaned in across the table real close to Kev. “I’m tellin’ you, when I find out I’m gonna kill ’em.” He was serious.
“Aww, I feel responsible since I’m the one in Columbus the most. You travel to and from New York, Miami, Jamaica, Detroit, and L.A. getting our business set up nationwide.” That left Kev doing the business in Columbus and he couldn’t believe he had let someone sit up underneath him and steal. It angered Kev and frustrated his brain trying to figure out who would do it. He kept saying, “We treat everybody good. We share the money. Who’s greedy, Jay?” He shook his head in confusion. He couldn’t understand it.
“Man, don’t worry ’bout it. It will come to the light. It always does,” Jason stated, showing Kev his pearly white teeth and the dimples in his face.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It will come to the light,” he responded, not sounding so sure of himself.
“I tell you what, though,” Jason said, “I’ma get ’em whenever we find out who it is.”
From that point Kev was suspicious of everyone. They decided not to share what they had found out with anyone, not even their closest workers. It was between him and Jason until somebody slipped up. I didn’t know why I was worried because by the conversation, they never even suspected me.
They figured they could lose a few more dollars and a little more dope to find out who it was.
Jason and Kev shut their mouths and opened their eyes and continued to do business as usual until the thief was brought to the light.
Chapter 16
Love Is Blind
After Jason told Kev and me what he suspected I was feeling paranoid and nervous. I wrote it off, thinkin’ my nerves were shot. I promised myself this was it.
It was a couple of days after Jason was in Miami on business when I got the call from Jason that it was time for a pickup. “Sweetie, I need you to go to the airport and pick up my sisters for me,” Jason said to me on the phone. That was the code to get to the airport and pick up the women.
“Okay, are they here yet?” The inside of my palms were sweaty and my stomach was flipping somersaults.
“Yeah, babe, they there. Hurry up! I don’t want my sisters waiting, you understand?”
“Yeah, I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and hurried and put a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and my coat on. I ran down the stairs and out the house.
It had to be all of twenty degrees outside that night when I left. My cell rang constantly as I drove toward the airport. I looked over at it but never answered. I knew it was Jason and I knew he would be yelling and calling me every name in the book because I wasn’t there yet.
I zoomed down the freeway, not even really paying attention to the other cars on the road. I was just trying to get to the airport as quickly as I could.
I reached for my phone to make the arrangements to get some of the dope off the ladies before meeting Kev and the crew. I dialed one of the ladies who was waiting for me at the airport.
“Hey, you out there?” she asked.
“Not yet, pullin’ up in a few minutes. Where y’all at? Is everything okay?” I was concerned.
“Oh, girl, yeah.” She laughed. “I had to use the restroom so Money walked wit’ me that’s all.”
I shook my head. I was in disbelief how naïve these girls were. Here they were in the airport with all this dope and money attached to their bodies and they were joking and laughing. Wow, I thought, how silly. “Well, be out front, we need to hurry and get this taken care of fast.” I hung up then speed dialed another number.
“Hyatt hotel, how may I help you?” the nice, pleasurable voice stated.
“Hello, I have reservations for today and wanted to confirm,” I said. I would take the ladies to different hotels around the city to get some of the dope and money off them. I read the clerk the confirmation number, hung up, and continued to drive toward the airport. I figured I needed to call Kev. I dialed him and waited for him to answer; then I explained.
“Hey, Kev, what’s up?” I said.
“Nothin’,” he said dryly. “Jason just called, I’m letting you know.” His tone was laced with attitude.
