“Women complicate shit and I’m not the complicated type. I’ve never seen a case where they didn’t. I don’t have time for that.”
“Maybe not but looks like you’re making time, otherwise we wouldn’t be having the conversation. Just be you. Do what you do.”
“If I do what I do, that’s really gonna complicate shit.”
“Then do what you do and don’t fuck other hoes. Just be with her.” Numbers shrugged then placed the blunt he was holding to his lips, speaking through the smoke as he expelled it. “She already has you switching shit up, havinglunch datesand shit.You don’t even fucking date, so looks like it’s too late anyway. She’s running that ass already, fam.”
“Fuck you. Don’t nobody run me, but me.”
East knew it was a lie but he wasn’t ready to accept the truth yet. Joi did indeed have him and that was something he would have to get used to and pray he didn’t fuck up.
15
“This is only ten grand.” Patterson narrowed his eyes at the teenage boy who stood in front of him. His menacing glower fixed on Patterson as his teeth ground, flexing his jaw.
“That’s all I could get for it. The shit was trash. I have to cut it to make sure my money isn’t short with Ace. Everybody’s complaining about it,” Trent rattled off in a tone that expressed his annoyance.
He hated the day he got caught up with a dirty cop, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it now. His girl was weeks away from having his son and he wasn’t trying to miss the birth by doing time. Even one year was too much, which was all he would have gotten for the possession charge. A day in lockup would have been too much, considering he was the sole reason why he and his girl had a roof over their heads. Her mother put her out when she told them she was pregnant, and Trent didn’t have family. He was a ward of the system and the streets.
When Patterson offered Trent a deal, he went with it and got stuck. Nobody would deal with him if they knew he partnered with a cop, dirty or not. His trust would be gone, so he tried hisbest to deal with Patterson hitting his pockets, but it was getting harder to keep up with.
“Not my problem. Twenty grand every two weeks. That’s the deal we made.”
Patterson was running out of options. The corner boys he hit up couldn’t bring in the money he needed to keep up with his gambling debt or the money he needed to hand over so he wouldn’t lose his house.
“I don’t know what the fuck you expect me to do. If I short Ace, I’m as good as canceled. Then you aren’t getting shit, so deal with it.”
Trent was aggravated. He wanted to shake free from Patterson, but who the hell could he tell that he was being handled by a cop? That would guarantee him an empty clip and a missing person report. His girl and his baby needed him.
“I expect you to have my money or be prepared to sit in a box for a little while. Now, figure that shit out.”
“Bruh, fuck you. You aren’t about to talk to me any kind of way.” Trent got right in Patterson’s face, only halting his motion when he felt a gun press against his chest.
“Little thug tries to rob a detective. I bet I won’t even get a write up for shooting you. Doesn’t matter though, because you won’t be around to know, but your girl will. How do you think she will feel about you dying and leaving her to clean up your fuck up? And how do you think she’ll raise that baby without you? She won’t, so she’ll either be out here tricking or fucking the next little thug who your baby will be calling Daddy.”
Trent’s eyes grew dark and his fists clenched before he stepped back. “That’s what I thought. Get my gotdamn money,” Patterson warned before turning on his heels to leave.
When he arrived at his car, he eased inside and banged his closed fist on the steering wheel several times. He was fucked. He needed more money and he wasn’t going to get that with low-level workers. Patterson knew he needed big money. The type he could only get from deep pockets such as Ace, Vega, or East. The issue lied in the fact that they were smart and it was damn near impossible to catch them slipping.
An hour later, Patterson was parking and on his way to the apartment of his last chance to make something happen. He pounded on the door and waited, only to have to pound again before she answered. Patterson was met with a thin set of darkened eyes and furrowed brows, a clear indication that she wasn’t pleased to see him.
“What are you doing here?” Asako chided through her thin, tight lips, slanted eyes damn near closed as they narrowed on him.
Patterson offered a disparaging grin while admiring her features. Not expecting visitors, Asako wore tiny, tight shorts and a sports bra that exposed her body. A body Patterson used to enjoy exploring. It had been a while and he was tempted to try his hand, but he had more important things to discuss with her.
“You owe me and you’re about to pay up.”
“No, I told you I can’t go back. Do you not understand the type of man Vega is or who his family is? I had no idea back then, but I damn sure know now. If they don’t kill me, they’ll ruin my life. Just leave me alone, please?” Asako pleaded.
She truly believed if Vega saw her again, he would kill her. He lost three years of his life because of a simple phone call. One she made, which landed him in jail.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I can’t do that. You’re all I have, and with a body like yours, I know you can get the job done. You can either go willingly, or I can use force, but either way, you’re leaving with me. I need you around for a little while. You can have my guest room.”
Asako’s stomach turned at the thought of what that meant. A flood of memories invaded her mind of the things she had donein her past, some with Patterson. True enough, most of it came in flashes because she was high for almost a year straight, but the memory of being with Patterson was there. His groping and clammy hands on her. His skin on her skin while he pounded away at her body like she wasn’t a person. Asako refused to live like that again. She hated who she was during that time.
“I’m not staying with you. I won’t do that.”
“Relax, sweetheart. As much as I wouldn’t mind sampling again, I need you focused. I need you to find your way into Eastland Joseph’s bed then into his head, so I can get in his pockets. You’ll need to figure out a way for him to let you in so you can get what I need. I need money, and a lot of it, so it has to be a big name. None of these low levels that can’t do what the fuck I tell them to do. That means you have to work for it. You’ll need that sexy body of yours to convince him to trust you, but I know you can get it done.” Patterson smirked and Asako felt dirty from the way his eyes swept her body.
