“Can I have another tea?” Felipe asked, waving his glass to the passing waiter. It was a great sign that Felipe was mulling over everything Lucy had said. She remained quiet. The waiter returned with the iced tea. Felipe took a sip. “How do I know you’re not playing me?” he asked, giving Lucy a smile, showing off his gold tooth. But really trying to intimidate her.
Lucy wasn’t about to back down now and went in for the kill. “You don’t, but it’s in my best interests to keep you informed.” Staring him down, she played the intimidation game with him. “My connections to narcotics agents and gang enforcement are rock solid. I’m saving your life right now. Don’t take my advice, and you’ll be in jail inside of a few days.”
He sipped on his tea. “What’s in it for you?”
“I’ll never pay you a cent for protection.”
Rubbing his face, he looked like he was questioning himself. “Frank called me. He wants me to make a big drop, way more than usual.” He stopped talking. It was obvious he was taking Lucy seriously. “You might be right. This could be the setup.” He waved his boys to the table. “That punk thinks he can fuck me over?”
Stella reached for her gun, obviously about to take them both out. Lucy shook her head, and Stella settled back in her chair.
Felipe shot off some demands to his guys, half in English, half in Spanish, and they hurried out.
Felipe turned back to Lucy, “I’m out of the snow business.” Then he got up and sat with Darlene.
Slipping her gun back into her purse, Lucy walked out, motioning for Stella to follow.
Stella took a seat in an unmarked police car, and Lucy stood street side. Leaning into the window, Lucy said, “Thanks for showing up. This meant a lot to me.”
“I don’t know what your involvement is with that guy, but watch your back.” Stella patted Lucy’s hand.
“Felipe and I are good. We settled our differences,” she said. “And again, thanks. I don’t know how to ever pay you back.”
In one swift move, Stella pulled Lucy’s neck into the car and gave her a kiss directly on her lips. It was a passionate kiss, and Lucy didn’t pull away. “There, you just paid me back,” Stella said, then stepped on the gas and left some rubber in the street.
Lucy stood at the curb, watching the taillights of the car fade into the distance, her heart pounding like a teenager’s at a first kiss. A tingly sensation came over her. “What the hell just happened?” she mumbled.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Two days later the front page of The Times-Picayune newspaper read “Club Owner Arrested on Drug Charges.” The article went on to say that Frank Pearson was being held without bond on drug possession, drug dealing, and drug trafficking. Frank’s party house, The Landmark, had been raided and closed down on money-laundering charges.
He’d been unable to live up to his bargain with the DA’s office to bring down Felipe and a drug kingpin. Frank was going away for a long time.
A knock at the salon door got Lucy to look at the wall clock. What the hell? We don’t open for thirty minutes. She opened the door to a sobbing Bernadette Pearson. “Bernie, I just read the news,” Lucy said, getting a bear hug from her.
Bernie smeared the tears from her eyes. Then she grinned. “Bless you. For the first time in twenty-two years, I’m free.” She handed Lucy a wad of cash. “A little bonus for getting Frank out of my life.”
Bernie left, but not without letting Lucy know she’d spread the word for her, of course confidentially. Lucy counted out three thousand dollars and stacked it in the safe next to the ten thousand Bernie had initially given her. If this continued, she’d have to open another salon just to wash all the money.
Putting the finishing touches on her makeup upstairs, Lucy was interrupted by Wanda. A man was waiting for her in the salon.
Lucy stopped at the end of the stairs and looked at the person, but didn’t recognize the man. Halfway across the salon, he met her with his hand out. Her stomach flipped when she noticed a hummingbird tattoo on his thumb.
“Ms. Lucy, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” the man said. “Felipe is out front and has asked if you would join him.”
A well-mannered thug. It was a first for Lucy. She wished she’d been prepared. It wasn’t wise to meet with Felipe without a gun or her newfound friend, Stella. The brute gently took her hand and escorted her out the front door. Felipe sat in his fancy car with a smile.
“My friend,” he said. He reached for a shopping bag on the floorboards. “A little something for you, to show my gratitude.”
Her heart pounding rapidly, Lucy took the bag and peeked inside. It was loaded with cash. Speechless, she just looked at Felipe.
“I’m told Frank Pearson will get about twenty-five years,” he said. “And me, I’m alive, well, and not in jail. That’s the best ten G’s I’ve ever spent.”
“I’m just glad you trusted me,” Lucy said. She had to hold onto the door to keep the shaking in her hands from showing.
“Ms. Lucy, you need anything—call me.” With a quick wave, Felipe was gone.
With her heart still racing, she took her package back to the safe. At times, a sense of guilt came over her. She didn’t sell drugs or kill people. Ruined some lives, but those people had it coming and deserved everything that happened. Once again, she shook off the guilt and focused on now being respected by one of the evilest people in town, Felipe Cruz.
She stashed the money in the safe and straightened, catching a glimpse of herself in the bedroom mirror. A yellow and white polka dot sundress, and a pale-yellow sweater with a matching purse reflected back at her. She made one twirl, getting a view of herself from all angles,
