“You keep talking about a problem. What kind of a problem was it?” Now I was curious.
He turned and looked across the water. “We lost a truck.”
“You broke a fifteen-year arrangement and showed up at my office because you lost a fucking truck?” I almost hit him.
“It was a truckload of your merchandise. Over three hundred pounds of marijuana from across the border. I was trying to show some good will and let you know from me personally, considering we ain’t never lost a shipment,” he said proudly.
“That’s awfully nice of you, but let’s stick to the protocols.”
“Again with fucking protocols. We’re partners,” he said adamantly. “Why the disrespect?”
“No disrespect. As long as you follow the protocols, you can talk to me any time you want. Now, is there anything else you wanna talk about before I leave?”
He was not pleased, but I didn’t give a fuck.
“Well, yeah, actually there is. I hear you’re thinking about getting out of the business.”
His words surprised me, and suddenly he had my full attention again, because somebody was talking that shouldn’t be.
“Yes, me and my family are discussing getting out of the marijuana business. With legalization sweeping the country, the business is starting to show a diminishing return with very little upside.”
“So, basically, it’s true?”
I nodded my head. This news did not make him happy.
“Well, if you get out, what’s that going to do to me? You’re my biggest client.... Or am I just fucked?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be compensated. Most likely there’ll be a buyout. We’ll use the trucks and facilities for some of our other operations.” I actually expected him to find some comfort in my words. Like me, KD was getting up there in age, and a buyout would set him up pretty well. But his eyes told a different story.
“Buy me out! What the fuck do you mean, buy me out? I don’t wanna be bought out,” he said angrily.
“I don’t think you have much choice in the matter.”
“It’s my fucking company. Of course I have a damn choice!” he shouted.
I gave him a skeptical look. “KD, we are all going to need to distance ourselves from the company. Liquidation is the safest bet, legally and financially.”
“Are you trying to steal from me? Are you trying to take my company, you black bastard?” Even in the dark, I could see his entire face was bright red.
I glanced back and could see Junior and the bodyguard were both at the ready.
I raised my hands defensively. “There ain’t shit you got that I want, KD. The only reason we ever got into business was because I was assured my product would make it unmolested to its destination. So, no, I’m not trying to steal a damn thing from you, but there are people who want you to be kept in check.”
“Like who?” he asked between gritted teeth.
I placed my arm around his shoulder like we were old friends. “Let me give you a little advice. Those good old boys you used to be friends with . . . you know the ones who sent you up the river to teach you a lesson? Well, they’re placing another man in your old job, and he looks more like me than you. He does what he’s told, and they like that because all they give a shit about is money and power, which, these days, you have very little of by their standards. So, I wouldn’t be making any demands or threats right now, and when the time comes, I’d take the buyout and retire. Better to live your old age in a rocking chair than rotting away dead in the hot sun of the desert.”
He shook my arm from around his neck. “You always did think you were better than me.”
I gave him a smug smile. “Only because I am better than you, KD, in every way imaginable. But this isn’t about me. Ask around. You’ll see.”
Vegas
6
“Dad!”
Before I could step into the hotel suite, my son pulled me into a hug that nearly knocked me down. Though it had only been a few days since we’d seen each other, it felt like an eternity, so I could understand why he was so happy to see me.
“What’s up, son? You good?” I asked when he let go of me and we went inside.
“Yeah, I’m good. I just want you and Mom to stop fighting so I can go home.”
“I know. That’s what I want too.”
“I think we all want to stop fighting,” Consuela said as she walked into the living room. She surprisingly greeted me with a smile and gave our son an encouraging look.
Maybe this wasn’t going to be as hard as I thought.
“However, there are some ground rules we have to discuss if we are going to co-parent. Rules that are not up for discussion.”
Then again, maybe she was going to be her usual hard-ass self.
“Consuela, before you even go there, I just want to say I’m sorry. I should have never given Nevada a condom. I was wrong.” I didn’t think I could get any more sincere.
She shook her head, and I could tell from her disappointed look that my apology wasn’t good enough. “This is not about a condom, Vegas.” She turned to Nevada. “Go to your room. I need to talk to your father privately.”
He turned to me, looking ready to protest.
I gave him a sympathetic look but told him, “Let me talk to your mother for a second, son.”
Nevada hesitated, but ultimately, he gave me another hug, whispering, “Don’t blow this. I wanna come home.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
He looked at me, then his mother, then finally left the room. I remained in the same spot. The tension was thick, and Consuela and I stood staring at each other in silence for a full minute before I decided I might
