*Leo*
Bianca’s text ca through as a surprise.
When I first read her text asking to talk, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think of it.
I wasn’t at ho. I was heading into a situation where I couldn’t tell her exactly where I was going or what I’d be doing.
It was sowhat of a jolt to my senses to see the words, "I just wanted to know if it would be all right if we talked when you got ho?" Because usually when soone asked to talk, it wasn’t to impart good news or to ask for more, which was exactly what I wanted from Bianca.
I wanted to talk to her, but I wasn’t eager for the conversation. I had a feeling I knew what it would be about, but I wasn’t sure of the outco.
In my business, I was usually the person making the decisions that brought about the outcos. Besides, if I didn’t know, or at least guess, the outco that could be hazardous to and my n’s health.
I’d rather be in control of every situation I found myself walking into, including this one, but them’s the breaks. I had considerable charm. Maybe that little asset would help with Bianca if I got lucky.
I was on my way out of the real estate firm to et up with Franky, so I tapped out a quick excuse for not being ho that evening and a request for a rain check and hoped for the best.
: "I’m going to be away in San Francisco on business overnight. Is it OK if we talk tomorrow when I get back?"
Bianca: "Yes, of course, we can talk then. I hope your business goes well. Have a safe trip."
I didn’t care for lying to her. It made feel like a bastard. I knew I wasn’t good for her, but I wanted her, and if she’d have , for however long she’d have , I’d take her over and over again.
Amara was scheduled to leave the next day, and I figured it would probably be better if Bianca and I had whatever conversation she wanted to have without Amara present. I wondered what she wanted to talk about.
I knew it had sothing to do with us having sex the other night, but I didn’t know which way the conversation would go. Regardless of what she would say, I knew one thing she probably didn’t think I knew, nor would she have wanted to know.
I knew Bianca wanted just as much as I wanted her. It was evident to . The desire was in her eyes, her eye contact was intense. She always seed to be focused on when I was around her.
Bianca had this amazing way of gazing at as if she could pull closer to her and hold there with her forever. I often wondered when I saw that look of yearning in her eyes and that expression of longing on her face if I looked at her the sa way.
I assud her hunger was way more muted than my own. Her eyes were soft and lovely. Her facial expression was hopeful and sohow frightened at the sa ti. I don’t think she was afraid of specifically. If I had to guess, I’d say she was afraid of what I made her feel. She wasn’t alone in that. If she was afraid, I was terrified.
I just didn’t know how to let her go, I hoped she felt the sa, but how was I supposed to know where her thoughts were? I knew desire would never be enough for , and maybe I was thinking too damn hard about this thing we had going.
But, if she stayed in my arms, I wasn’t going to let her go until she released from this strange hold she had over .
I shook my head at myself. This line of thinking was crazy. I didn’t have ti to think about a woman. Even though she was the primary entity of my thoughts lately, I had to push her to the rear compartnt of my mind.
The situation Franky and I were headed into could beco dangerous in an instant. I had to be aware and ready to have his back just as I knew he’d be ready to have mine. So, I compartntalized. I pushed all thoughts of the woman who was becoming to an entirely too much to to the back of my mind, got in the car and drove to the warehouse from the real estate office.
When I arrived at the warehouse where I was eting Franky, I grabbed my go bag out the back, parked the SUV I was driving for the day and went into the warehouse.
"Where the hell you think you’re going in a suit?" Franky asked.
"Don’t give shit, man. You know I was at the office all day."
Franky gave a lopsided grin and slapped on the back so hard I nearly flew forward.
I started stripping down right there in front of all the guys.
"What’s the plan?" I asked, knowing Franky and I had already gone over it, but I wanted to hear it again.
"Mostly, tonight is just surveillance. Just in case anything pops off, we want to be ready, though," Franky answered.
"That’s fine," I said, pulling on a black T-shirt, black sweats, and a pair of black cross trainers. Franky looked over as if I were a kid just learning how to do this.
"Looking good, sport," Franky teased.
"Yeah, better than you, anyway," I said, shoving at his shoulder and picking up my bag.
"We’re taking the other SUV," Franky said.
"Fine with ," I said, putting my stuff in the back of the SUV I drove in with.
Franky and I walked to the black SUV.
Franky got in the driver’s seat, and I climbed into the passenger seat and buckled in.
We traveled in silence as we rode to one of our car lots where we kept old cars for this very purpose.
I threw the keys to an old slightly scraped up gray Camry at the far back of the lot to Franky.
Franky and I left the lot and showed up at the et up spot right when Manuel did. We followed Manny from there.
I was so pissed. I wanted to jump out of the car and beat the living shit out of the stupid son of a bitch. How could he betray us like this? I kept thinking about all the tis Elio and I had him helping with runs or invited him to family gatherings where the won and children would be.
Manny knew too much about how we operated. He knew where we lived and where our private hos were. Thank God we hadn’t been so trusting that we shared private codes and invited him deeper into our private lives.
He was already showing himself as a traitor. What if he’d known private codes and led the enemy into the heart of who we were as a family?
Our won and children were already possibly in danger because Manny showed himself to be a traitor and we couldn’t trust he wouldn’t give away locations, addresses, and other information other people lower in our organization wouldn’t be privy to. And for what? A few gambling debts he could have avoided by making better decisions or asking for more jobs.
Elio, Franky, and I would never have turned him down. We knew him. We’d trusted him, and now, we were starting to realize just how wrong we were to do so.
In that mont, as I thought of all we’d trusted this man with, all I wanted to do was kill the son of a bitch, but I knew we had to follow him and figure out what the other LA family wanted.
"Bastard," Franky hissed, slamming his right palm against the steering wheel, as we watched Manny et up with Elijah, the right-hand man of the LA family.
We watched as Manny, Elijah, and a small crew emptied our warehouse out in minutes. Then, they were gone.
We sat there and watched as one of our other vehicles pulled out behind the crew discreetly and followed.
After tonight we’d always know where Elijah was, and where Manny was taking him. We’d know if there was another run on our warehouses. We’d keep a watch on everything until it all went up in smoke for Elijah and Manny. No one betrayed us and got away with it. No one!
"Fuck," I said rubbing my hand down my face.
"You were hoping we were wrong. Weren’t you?" Franky asked, as he drove back to my SUV.
"I wanted to be wrong. I know you don’t make mistakes this fucking big, but I was loath to believe a man we’d had in the compound would pull shit like this."
"Yeah, I was sick about it too," Franky admitted.
"Yeah, we’re going to have to kill the dumb fuck."
"Sucks to be him, I guess," Franky said.
"My God man, did you just make a joke?" I asked, staring in wonder at him.
"Shut up, man, and get out the car, so I can take it back."
I tilted my head and got out the car. "Thanks for the ride," I said, saluted Franky and headed for my own SUV.
When I got to the compound, I was as quiet as I could be. I used the servant’s stairwell and walked softly to my room. I didn’t want Bianca to know I was back ho yet.
It was way too early in the morning or the middle of the night depending on one’s perspective. Either way, I didn’t want to answer the hard questions that would co my way if she caught coming in this late, especially when I’d already lied and said I’d be ho the next day.
Besides, Bianca was going to be leaving in a little while to see Amara off. I didn’t want her to catch skulking through my own corridors like a thief in the night. Talk about questions. She would have plenty if she saw sneaking into my own ho like a recalcitrant teenager.
I sent her a text.
: "I should be back ho by the ti you get back from taking Amara to the airstrip. Co find when you get back."
I assu she was asleep because she didn’t answer . I blew out a breath of relief and went into my room to get a little shut eye before my very important eting with a very lovely lady.
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