Payback

take him, but you got to do exactly what I say.'

'Okay, okay, brain. What you think I should do?'

'You’re right about one thing: You gotta bust back or Birdie and his people will think that you’re weak.'

D-Train thought for a second. Birdie was his rival for power. If Birdie saw him as weak, he and his people would go off on their own, and that would be bad for business. 'I should call Freeze and-'

'No, silly. That’s the last thing you want to do. I know your ego wants to sit down with Freeze, but that is not the way. What you gotta do is make people see Freeze for the stupid, weak muthafucka that he is.'

'I’m listening,' D-Train said.

'You’re gonna have to change your tactics. Don’t send any more people into their spots. That’s over. They’ll be waitin’ for you now. What you need to do now is hit them. Take their money. You rob them, let people know that Freeze ain’t-' Melinda paused. She started to say 'Freeze ain’t Mike Black,' but she knew better. D-Train hated for Melinda to even mention that name. Last time I said Mike Black, his dick went soft.

'Let people know that Freeze ain’t the man. That they can be touched. Make Freeze come to you. That puts you in a position of strength.'

'Yeah, I’ll hit one of their spots,' D-Train said and tried to push himself deeper inside Melinda.

'What did I just say?' Melinda asked and moaned her approval. She ground her hips harder into him. 'That’s over. They’ll be waitin’ for you now.'

'Where should we hit?' D-Train asked, breathing heavily.

'Impressions.'

'Bobby’s club? You out your fuckin’ mind. That’s fuckin’ suicide. They got so much security up in that bitch it ain’t even fuckin’ funny. On top of that, they always got at least three, four off-duty cops working outside, usually more. How we gonna get past them?'

'Do I have to think of everything?'

D-Train gave her a look that screamed YES!

'You have two people, a man and a woman, start an argument in the parking lot away from the cops, but not too far that the cops can’t hear them. The cops will think it’s a domestic dispute, and at least one of them will come over there to see what’s goin’ on. When they see the cops coming, have the woman fire a gun. All the cops will run toward the shot.'

'I see, create a diversion.'

Melinda rolled her eyes. D-Train pumped harder. 'Once the cops are away from the front door, send in four men; one to watch the cops from the door, one to cover the hall leading to the club, one covers security while the other one gets the money. It doesn’t matter how much money they get. The fact that you hit Bobby’s spot will be enough to bring Freeze to the table.'

'Yes!' D-Train screamed.

'He’ll be callin’ you beggin’ for a meeting. And at that meeting, you’ll kill him.'

'Yes!'

Chapter Eighteen

Bobby pulled up in front of Mike’s house and put his car in park. He was tired, hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. Even though it was early in the morning when he dropped Mike off, Bobby didn’t go home. He went by Cat’s apartment and did what they do. 'Had the best sex I ever had,' Bobby said as he got out of the car and went to ring the bell.

From inside the house, Mike could see Bobby coming, and opened the door. 'Come on in and sit down,' Mike said then took a closer look at Bobby. 'You look like shit.'

Bobby walked straight to the bar and poured himself a drink. 'Thank you, Mike. You’re lookin’ very good yourself. But shit would be a step up from the way I feel,' he said as he turned up his drink and poured another one.

'What’s wrong with you?'

'Didn’t get much sleep last night.'

'Why not? You and Pam up all night?'

'No.' Bobby paused. 'I didn’t get home until after nine.'

Mike laughed. 'Shit, Bobby, is the pussy all that?'

Bobby just looked at Mike and shook his head. 'When I got home, Pam was sitting in her spot, waiting for me. First thing out her mouth was, ‘Where the fuck you been?’ I told her that I was out lookin’ for Shy with you. She looked at me and said, ‘That’s your story. You were with Mike lookin’ for Shy, right? That’s your story.’ '

Bobby recounted the story for Mike.

'Yeah, that’s where I been,' Bobby said and started toward stairs.

Pam got up immediately and followed him up the steps. 'You look tired, baby.'

'Yeah, I’ll nod for a couple of hours then I’ll go pick up Mike and we’ll get back to it,' he said and went in their bedroom with Pam on his heels.

'You didn’t get any sleep, huh?'

'No, I told you we been riding all night.'

'Just you and Mike, huh? Ridin’ all night, huh? Just like the old days, huh?'

'What the fuck is wrong with you?'

Pam gave Bobby a wide-eyed look. 'Oh, you wanna know what the fuck is wrong with me? Is that what you wanna know?'

'Yes, Pam. What the fuck is wrong with you?'

'Where were you last night and this morning, Bobby?'

'I told you-'

'And don’t tell me that you were with Mike.'

'Pam, I was with Mike. Shy’s been kidnapped, and we been out all night looking for her.'

'Did you find her?'

'No! I told you I wanna grab a couple of hours sleep and hit the streets again.'

'Bobby,' Pam said. 'I’ma ask you this one more time, and this time I want the truth. And don’t give me that shit about you being out with Mike all night, ’cause I know you weren’t with him, at least not all night.'

'This is insane, Pam. Why don’t you call Mike and ask him?'

'Why? So he can lie to me too?'

'Fuck this,' Bobby said and started for the door.

Pam moved quickly to block the door before Bobby got to it. 'Who is she, Bobby? Who is the woman who called our house?'

'I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Pam. What woman?'

'At six-thirty this morning, some woman called here and said I don’t have to worry about where you are ’cause you were safe there with her.'

'I have no idea who that could have been. I was with Mike.' Bobby lied to his wife, but now he was thinking, Goddamn it, I’ma kill Cat.

'Well, she must have been with Mike too, because she called from your phone!' Pam yelled.

At that point, Bobby looked down at the cell phone on his hip and knew that he couldn’t say he’d lost it. He was caught.

'It was just that simple, Mike. She had me.'

'How’d she get your phone?' Mike asked.

'I was asleep.'

'She took your phone while you were sleeping and called Pam.' Mike laughed. 'Do we need to roll by her spot so I can kill her?'

'You know you don’t kill women, Mike.' Bobby laughed right along with him.

'You’re right. I’ll send Freeze over there right now,' Mike said, laughing, and then he got real serious. 'No, no, wait a minute. I got a better idea. I’ll send Wanda instead,' Mike said and busted out laughing again. 'Hold up. I