"Yeah."

  "What about Shamari?"

  "I went to see him today. He's doing good, but the reality of it is that he's going to be gone for the rest of his life unless there is an act of God."

  "Yeah, and that's sad. I always liked Shamari."

  "I love Shamari. I'll always love Shamari and whoever I'm with is going to have to know that he'll always be a part of my life."

  "You think they're going to understand that?"

  Jada finished her Mimosa and said, "I don't know. I really can't answer that question."

  "And Shamari? Do you think he will understand?"

  "He's not understanding right now. But, sooner or later, he's going to understand. Reality will sink in."

  "Right, Right," Starr said. Trying to stay engaged in the conversation. Trying her very best not to think about Q, but it was becoming difficult not to think about the fact that he'd been ignoring the fuck out of her.

  "He accused me of fucking with Black."

  "Who?"

  "Shamari. Stay with me, Starr." Jada laughed because clearly her friend's mind was somewhere else.

  "You can't be serious. Trifling-ass Black?" Starr said. Though she thought some of the things Jada did were a little out there, nobody was more trifling than Black.

  "Yeah, can you believe that?"

  "You know how dudes can be when they're locked up."

  "I know, but it kind of hurt because you know I would never do that to Lani. Not to mention I ain't even attracted to Black's ass."

  "I still can't believe Lani is gone."

  Jada looked away and then she locked eyes with Starr again. "I know. I try my best not to think about it. I try to believe that she's still here. I still have her last voicemail in my phone. I listen to it sometimes. I have her number stored in my phone. I call it and I don't know why, but that phone is still on. Maybe her mom is paying the bill, I don't know. I call the phone sometimes and it goes to voicemail. And when I hear windshield wipers, it really fucks me up. That's the last thing I remember when she got gunned down—the sound of her wipers. Sometimes when it's not raining too hard, I don't turn my wipers on. It makes me so sad."

  Starr was tearing up, Jada made her way to the other side of the booth and the women embraced. Starr turned to Jada and said, "I know I've never told you this, but I'm so glad to have you as a friend."

  Jada held her tight.

  # # # # # #

  His name was John Clyburn. He was a fifty-five-year-old black man with a graying mustache and a goatee. He was of average height and was the best damned private investigator in Atlanta. He stirred a latte at a table in Starbucks as he waited on TeTe. John was a good friend of TeTe's. Moments later, she arrived and John gave her a double European air kiss. He'd spent fifteen years in the military and the majority of that time he was stationed in Germany. As a result, he ended up adopting many of their customs.

  He pulled her chair out for her and when they were seated, she said to him, "I need to find someone."

  "If they can be found, I can find them."

  "Mike Jones."

  "Mike Jones?"

  "Is that a problem?" TeTe asked.

  "No, it's not a problem. The name is just so goddamned common. Hell, there was even a rapper named Mike Jones a few years ago.

  TeTe laughed and said, "How in the hell did you know that?"

  "I know everything." John laughed then added a creamer to his latte. "There is no way I can find anyone with just a name. I'm good, but I'm not that good."

  "His brother's name is Chris Jones. He was killed about a year ago and his remains were found in the trunk of a car."

  John was listening while using the stirrer to mix his coffee. He added two Splendas.

  "You want what?"

  "His brother's whereabouts."

  John sipped his coffee quickly. "Damn, this is hot. When did this happen?"

  "What?"

  "The murder. When was the body found?"

  "I don't know. Sometime last year."

  John sat his coffee on the table and then scribbled down the names TeTe had given him on a legal pad. Then he asked, "Is this all you know about the murder?"

  "That's all."

  John said, "Just curious, what do you need this information for?"

  "Are you going to tell anybody?"

  "No."

  "I want to ask the brother a few questions."

  Do you want me to approach him?"

  "No. I just need to know where I can find him."

  "Ok, give me a week or so."

  "A week or so? Why so long?"

  "This is Atlanta. I'm sure there was more than one body found in a trunk last year."

  "Okay. If you can find them fast, I would appreciate it."

  "Them?"

  "I mean him." Tee stood and extended her hand then asked, "What is this going to cost me?"

  "You know what I like." John grinned, looking very much like the old pervert that he was.

  "I got some new girls. There is this one half Japanese, half black girl I think you would like."

  "How old is she?"

  "Twenty-nine."

  "Too old."

  "Oh yeah, I forgot, you don't like nothing over twenty-three."

  "Exactly."

  "Find this guy and I'll get you two twenty-two year olds. I promise."

  "He will be found, don't worry. It's just a matter of when I have time."

  Chapter 17

  Starr showed up at Q's building unannounced after she dropped T.J. off at school. Security buzzed Q and he told them to send her up. He opened the door wearing nothing but a bathrobe. He invited her in.

  He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming or else I would have made breakfast for you. I can order some food from the restaurant in the building if you want."

  "Quentin, I'm not here to eat or play no damn games. You know why I'm here."

  He didn't respond.

  "Where the hell have you been?"

  "I told you I was going to Houston."

  "Yeah, but you've been back for a couple of days."

  "I have."

  "And I haven't heard from you."

  He stood and he paced nervously and he said, "I got major shit to deal with right now."

  "So you're phone doesn't work?"

  "My phone works."

  "Why didn't I get a call?"

  He sat down on the arm of the sofa and said, "Because I felt guilty."

  "Guilty? What the fuck do you mean guilty? So you're not feeling me no more? Do you have somebody else? Is that it?"

  "There's nobody."

  "What is there to feel guilty about?"

  "Because I lied to you."

  "About?"

  "Look, I'm going to work again. I don't want to do it but I can't leave my friend there."

  "Ok, that's no reason to feel guilty. You're a grown man. You can do what you damn well please."

  "I know, but I told you that I was getting out."

  "So, why ain't you getting out?"

  "I know this sounds crazy to you, but this is something that I chose to do with my life and as crazy as it sounds, I don't think I can get out. If I get out of the business, they are going to kill me."

  "What?"

  "Look, I'm nobody's punk and I damn sure ain't afraid to die but I got children that I have to be there for. I can't let them down."

  "So you going to have to keep dealing and possibly go to prison? Look, I was the girl whose father got sent to the Feds. I loved my daddy but I was so hurt when he went away."

  "But he came back. He got out. Your dad is still here. Living. Breathing."

  He had a point, and she knew her dad was never tied to the cartel. Even though he was big in Atlanta, he was small fish compared to Q. She thought Q would never get out if he were ever caught.

  "So you're just going to keep dealing?"

  "Supplying."

  "Dealing. Supplying. It's all the same thing."

  "I've got to get them to let my friend go. I have to get him back to his wife and kids."

  "How do I know this is true?"

  "You think I would lie about something like that?" Q was visibly angry and Starr had never heard him talk to her like that. He removed a phone from his pocket and presented her with pictures of Rico with his feet tied, looking extremely frail as if he hadn't eaten in days.

  "What the fuck? What kind of people are these?"

  "When I tell you that this is the cartel, I mean it. They don't play no games."

  "But how are they going to just make you sell drugs?"

  "They feel that they made me rich and so I owe them. But I had money before I even got involved with them."

  "So they didn't make you rich?"

  "They did. I told you, I have more money than I can count, more than I can ever use."

  "So you're back in the business?"

  "I have no choice. What would you do if they had one of your friend's hostage?"

  Starr stood and made her way to the door. He stepped in front of her.

  "Get out of my way, Quentin."

  "Don't leave."

  "I told you that I couldn't go through this again. I'm too old for this."

  He leaned forward and took hold of her neck and she struggled to push him away, but he was too strong. He pressed his mouth against hers and she couldn't resist him. They kissed. He opened his robe and this was the first time that she'd seen him naked. Though he was older, he had an incredibly chiseled body. He removed the robe and his dick stood at attention through the white boxer briefs that were shellacked on his thighs and ass.

  She kicked off her Uggs and removed her jeans. She was wearing yellow lace panties, a pink bra and Hello Kitty socks. Nothing matched and in her mind she felt she looked a hot mess but to him, she was absolutely breathtaking. It had been very cold this morning when she'd dropped T.J. off and she never thought anyone would see her, but now she was standing in Q's penthouse in just her panties and bra. He leaned into her and kissed her again. This time, he gripped her ass and she felt herself becoming wet. He scooped her up and carried her to the huge marble coffee table and lay her across it before ripping her bra off like an animal. He stared in admiration at her completely natural body and thought to himself that it was amazing that this girl didn't work out or hadn't had any work done. Her body was better than ninety-nine percent of the women he'd seen.

  He removed her panties and saw her pussy hair was shaved in the shape of a triangle. She would usually have waxed, but since she hadn't been having sex, she saw no reason to subject herself to that kind of pain. He lowered his head between her legs and licked her pussy and she moaned. His mouth covered her clit and she wiggled a little before getting comfortable. He inserted his finger and finger-fucked her while licking her clit. Then he turned her over on her stomach.

  She said, "This table is cold."

  He ignored her and just took hold of her again. He handled her rough but gentle at the right time. He was a grown-ass man and she could tell that he was very skilled at lovemaking and fucking. He was exactly what she needed.

  He placed her gently on the sofa and kissed her softly. He whispered, "I love you, Starr."

  She didn't want to reveal that she loved him, but she couldn't help herself. "I love you, too."

  He bit her neck and then sucked her nipples.

  She said, "I want you inside of me." She reached for his dick. It was as hard as a piece of steel. Then she got on her knees and examined his dick. He had the thickest dick that she'd ever seen. So beautiful and veiny. The shaft was chocolate like ice cream and the head was pink like strawberry. All she needed to do was make him explode so she could see the vanilla and she would have her Neapolitan. She started to suck his dick.

  She looked up at him and he smiled. She knew that guys liked this for some reason. Perhaps they felt dominant. She sucked the head of his dick and licked the shaft while toying with his balls.

  "You feel so, so good," he said.

  He flipped her over on her stomach and entered her from behind. He yanked her hair and she loved that shit. The perfect gentleman that could fuck like a thug. He slapped her ass hard and she came on his dick. Seconds after she came, he came all over that big beautiful ass. She turned and she was on her knees again, slurping up every last drop of her vanilla ice cream. She had gotten her full serving of Neapolitan.

  Chapter 18

  When Black entered the house, he called out to L. No response. He peeked inside the guest bedroom and spotted a backpack and two guns lying on the bed. L's shoes were under the bed, so he knew L was there. He figured L had to be in the basement with Avant. He was about to make his way to the basement but decided to take a peek inside the backpack. To Black's surprise, the backpack was full of cash. Stacks of money. He knew he didn't have any cash in the house, so where did L get this money? Whose money was it?

  Black limped to the edge of the stairs. Crutches in hand, he didn't feel like going down those stairs. His leg had been bothering him. He stood on the edge of the stairway and yelled down. "L!?."

  L was down in the basement sitting on a folding chair eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos and watching Breaking Bad. Avant was lying down on a blanket inside the cage facing the opposite side of the TV.

  Black yelled, "L, what the fuck is going on, bruh?"

  "Watching a little TV. What do you think I'm doing?"

  "We need to talk."

  L sat the bag of Cheetos down and ran upstairs to find Black standing with his crutches resting underneath his arm.

  "Wassup?"

  "Where did you get the money from?"

  "Huh?"

  "The money in your backpack."

  "You've been searching through my shit?"

  L licked the Cheetos residue from his hand and Black realized how big L's hand was. Black knew that if he and L were to fight at this point, he would have to slap the fuck out of him with his crutches.

  "Where did the money come from, L?"

  "It's not your money."

  "I know it's not my money."

  "So what difference does it make?"

  "I know you've never had that kind of money in your life."

  "Well, now I do." He grinned. "Look, you asked me to do a job and I've been doing a damn good job."

  "You have, but why can't you tell me where the money came from?"

  L looked away. He was trying to think up a good story. A good lie. A good reason for the money but at the last minute he said, "Look, I took the money from someone."

  "I know."

  L looked confused. "Why do you care?"

  "Well, you are staying in my house, L. So, who did you get the money from?"

  "D-Boys that Avant knew."

  "You robbed them?"

  "Why the fuck not?. Look, man, I ain't never had shit in my life, and here's my chance to come up. Why can't I shine?"

  "L, you're forty-five. Damn near fifteen years older than me. You are too old to be acting like this."

  "I've been in prison all my life. I wanna win sometimes. And why do you have to be the one with all the money? You're just happy with me being your fucking flunky."

  Black knew that L was getting out of hand, and that he needed to get rid of L. He didn't want to kill him, he liked L, but L was becoming too reckless.

  "Look, L. That was something you shouldn't have done."

  "Do you want half the money? It's yours if you want it, bruh. I'm not like that. If I got it, you got it."

  "L, that is not the point."

  "Help me understand the point."

  "We have a man in my basement."

  "A man that I brought here."

  "Look, L, the point is that I don't want you to do anything stupid. I don't need you robbing anybody else."

  "I can dig it."

  "Can you really?"

  "Look, I won't do it again. I have more money than I've had in my life."

  Black stared at L for a long time. His lips were orange from those Flamin' Cheetos. He wanted to cut L out, but L knew too much about him.

  # # # # # #

  When Fresh woke up, he realized that he was in Jada's bed, but she wasn't there. He stood up from the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a pee. He washed his hands and brushed his teeth with the toothbrush that Jada had given him the last time he was there.

  He was staring in the mirror when she burst into the bathroom and said, "Damn, baby, you're so sexy."

  "You think so?"

  "You know what turns me on?"

  "What?"

  She smiled and said. "First, you have to promise not to laugh at me."

  "What turns you on?"

  "Your doo-rag. I don't know why. I think I have a doo-rag fetish."

  He laughed, but then he said, "You know that's not actually that weird. I knew another girl that used to say that."

  "Well, she better stay away now."

  "Is that so?"

  "Oh, don't let the good looks fool you. I'm known to beat a bitch down."

  "I believe that."

  "You better. So you better tell all your other bitches to stay away."

  "What's for breakfast?"

  Jada wrapped her arms around him and bit softly on his ear. "What did you say?"

  "Breakfast."

  "Oh, mama hooked you up. I fried eggs and turkey bacon, toast. And cereal. I didn't know if you was the type that ate turkey bacon or if you like swine, so I gave you turkey bacon. I'm a Georgia peach, born and raised, so I ain't gonna lie, I prefer swine, but lately I've been rocking with the turkey bacon."

  "I like turkey bacon too."

  "But you know, I think they be lying cuz some of that shit taste like pork. How in the fuck do they do that?"

  "I don't know, babe."

  Her hands were now caressing his abs and then she took hold of his dick and said, "Can I get some of this for dessert?"

  "No. Tonight, I promise. I got a lot to do today."

  "How in the hell do you have a lot to do in Atlanta? You ain't even from here."

  She released him and he removed his doo-rag and brushed his hair. Then he followed her into the dining room, where their plates were waiting on them.

  "So what do you have going on today?"

  "Business."

  "I know that."