“If we gonna be going two separate ways we need to go to the garage and get the Infiniti because I ain’t getting on another bus.” Messiah said.
Tiffany was rather quiet and wished Messiah would tell her the truth between the ride home so she wouldn’t have to make matters worse.
“What you get on dude?” Messiah asked.
“Um, he has a few traps he running and he looks like he getting his boys ready in case Mallory wants to retaliate. That’s about all I could see from those few minutes of riding.” Tiffany replied. “He called, so I’ll return his call and see what the deal is so we can get this over with.”
“Right, I’m ready for it to be over real soon too.” Messiah said rubbing her thigh. “Remember you promised me my month long rendezvous I’m looking forward to that shit, Love.” Tiffany smiled trying to mask the pain she felt inside. They pulled up to their duck out and hopped out. Neither of them expected to see Ms. Anna waiting. Tiffany gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
“What are you doing here? Why you didn’t call and say you were coming by?” Tiffany asked.
“Well if you would answer your damn phone maybe I would tell your assess.” Ms. Anna stated sarcastically.
“I apologize.” Tiffany said.
“It’s pretty late what are you doing out?” Messiah asked.
“Checking on my babies.” She replied. The woman always did have motherly love for the two.
“It is appreciated.” Tiffany said going into the bathroom to run a shower placing her throwaway phone on the counter.
“I made the deposits today and it’s been suggested that we open another cleaners and franchise with the revenue that the cleaners is pulling in.” Ms. Anna informed her.
“What do we have to do?” Tiffany asked taking her shirt off. Ms. Anna was like a mother so seeing her naked wasn’t anything new.
“Buy another cleaners. It’s too much money being deposited and I’m doing a great job with the books making sure everything adds up, but soon it will be questioned. The next step is to open another location and hire some help.” Ms. Anna explained to Tiffany that Teflon Mafia needed to expand their brand. She was always good with cleaning money up. Tiffany hadn’t realized they were at that level to expand as much as they talk about not having enough money.
“I trust you know what you’re doing so go for it.” Tiffany said getting in the tub hoping a hot bath would make her feel better. She was still secretly mad with Messiah for not coming clean about his history with Mallory. Normally Tiffany wouldn’t have anything to worry about and now it felt like she had everything to worry about with this Mallory and Messiah situation. She needed to get herself in order before she proceeded. She didn’t need her emotions to be in the way, but she would find out the truth. Tiffany’s gut was telling her that something was off about this job from day one and she couldn’t put her fingers on it.
If Mallory thought she was going to come raise hell between her and Messiah she was mistaken. Tiffany saved the bitch an expiration date for after she knocked Binx off. Ms. Anna closed the bathroom door and sat on the toilet. She knew Tiffany like the back of her hand to know the blank stare on her face.
“What’s the matter?” Ms. Anna asked. Tiffany washed her body and shook her head no, but Ms. Anna knew different. “Chile, don’t lie to me. I don’t like liars and you know that.” She said with a stern face.
“Nothing I’m fine.” Tiffany replied. Ms. Anna snatched the towel from her back then lathered it up and got down on her knees beside the tub and began to wash Tiffany’s back.
“You know I can tell when something is wrong with the two of you,” Ms. Anna started. “You and Messiah are on two different pages right now. I see that and I don’t even lay in the same bed witcha and I’mma tell you this- Talk about it.” Ms. Anna advised.
Tiffany hated that Ms. Anna was so good at reading people especially Tiffany she tried to wear a hard shell, Ms. Anna had the gift of breakthrough.
“It’s nothing.” Tiffany said.
“Hush up; a mind like yours right now is the devil’s playground.” Ms. Anna said. “Talk to his ass and say what you feel.” She gave Tiffany the towel back, and then got up from the floor to dry her hands.
“Thank you Ms. Anna.” Tiffany said sitting back in the tub. Ms. Anna left the bathroom.
Messiah let Ms. Anna out, and then went in the bathroom. He peeped her attitude, but he didn’t act on it because his head needed to stay focused on the money.
“You won’t believe this shit Love,” Messiah started. Tiffany sat back up in the tub at attention.
“What?” She asked.
“This bitch Mallory and Binx are together!” He said, and Tiffany’s eyes grew in shock. She walked up on them talking in the end so she didn’t know if Messiah had been telling the truth or lying.
“What? Together?” Tiffany asked.
“You heard me right.” Messiah said. “She say he been abusing her and shit and then he takes her to different hospitals so the staff won’t grow suspicious. She didn’t think we would get rid of him if she told us it was a domestic situation. I told her that I would have to cancel the job, but…” Messiah’s voice trailed off because he now felt guilty for when he put his hands on Mallory.
“But what?” Tiffany asked.
“Since she’s already given us the money and we came this far why not finish?” Messiah said thinking quickly.
“Right.” Tiffany said, and then let the water out of the tub. “We are going to definitely get this nigga by tomorrow baby.” She said standing to get out.
“I’m calling his ass back tonight; we are going to chill out no if’s ands or buts about it.”
“You think you got it like that huh, Love?” Messiah asked rubbing one of her plump cheeks then smacking it for good measure.
“I know my power boo.” Tiffany said drying her body off. Tiffany had an agenda to eliminate Binx, and then Mallory right after she paid her. Then she would tell Messiah she knew they had history.
Chapter Eight
Mallory lay in the hospital bed frustrated because Messiah walked out on her and Binx sent his goons to watch her door. Maybe Binx really did love her, but she wasn’t buying any of that shit. He’d done enough damage to her heart when he cheated. Mallory was hell bent on getting Messiah into her possession and to do that she needed to make Tiffany a whore. Her phone rung, and she tried to reach for it but the pain in her arm was excruciating.
She took her time sitting up and by time she was able to get to the phone, it stopped. Looking at the caller ID it was Binx who called, but before she could call him back the room door opened. It was his goon with his arm stretched out holding a phone. Mallory grabbed the phone from him and dismissed him.
“I was trying to answer you but I’m just sitting up straight.” Mallory answered already knowing it was Binx.
“You want one of them to come in with you and sit?” He asked concerned.
“No, I’m good. I like my privacy. Where are you?” She asked as if she cared.
“Riding with Styles,” he replied. “Tell me what happened.” He said getting straight to the business. “Does it have anything to do with yo’ Pops?”
“When I came in from shopping I went upstairs to undress and when I turned around I was hit. Then I was dragged to the stairs and down them. I didn’t see who it was; I heard them say your name though,” she lied.
“FUCK! You sure you didn’t get a look at them?” Binx asked. “They didn’t take anything?” Mallory rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.
“No none of that. They clearly wanted to send you a message.” Mallory replied. “When are you coming back here?” She asked.
“Not tonight baby girl. I’ll be up to see you tomorrow.”
“Alright baby, this headache done came back so I’m about to lie down,” she said.
“If you need something let them niggas know.” Binx said before hanging up. The goon came to retrieve his phone and left Mallory alone to her thoughts. Messiah came to mind and she wondered just how she could get him back when she had summoned them to knock Binx off in two days. Mallory knew she wasn’t cut out for the cutthroat life because she had overstepped her boundaries by landing herself in the hospital.
“I have to get the fuck out of here!” she said to herself. Mallory needed to be with her father when the plug gets pulled and she came up with the perfect plan. Mallory tried her best to stand and with all the pain she felt through her body, she managed to do so. “Dammit.” she said, and then took a few deep breaths. Mallory made her way to the door and noticed the two goons sitting and playing on their phone. When they saw her, they stood up to her aid. “Come in,” she said making sure the staff was out of earshot. They all went inside the room, and then closed the door she looked at them seriously before speaking. “I’ll pay you both to take me to my condo and I’ll call Binx when we get there.” Mallory said. “I hate hospitals and my condo is unheard of.” She said.
“I’on know Mallory we gonna have to call Binx and see what he say.” One of them said like a little bitch.
“I said I’m paying you… ten thousand dollars each plus I’ll get Binx to front y’all. I just want to leave this hospital.” She said laying it on thick.
“Well in that case are you packed?”
“I have everything I need on me, just get me a wheelchair and we’ll tell them y’all just taking me outside to smoke a cigarette,” Mallory said.
**************
Tiffany lotioned her arms, legs and feet with coco butter on the bed while Messiah caught up on the news. She couldn’t wait to leave this city and buy their beach house so she could stop having those sadistic thoughts. Tiffany felt like maybe it is time for a break in the game of contract killing. She felt a little out of her element this time around. Messiah used to talk to her about everything; he kept the fact that he and Mallory were together to himself.
Tiffany assumed it was her own demons haunting her for not telling him the extreme detail about her family and past. She decided that once this job was done she would lie on his chest and relive her past by telling him exactly what happened; even about the millions she had to her name. Anything to bring the truth out of Messiah she would most definitely give it a try and if that didn’t work she will result to a more harsh approach.
When she finished lotioning up and down she dialed Binx’s number and he answered on the second ring. Tiffany got up and walked into the living room. “Yo,” he said.
“Hey, I thought this was you calling.” Tiffany said into the phone putting on her best act.
“Yeah sweetheart I thought you might have given me the wrong number,” he admitted. “Had me nervous.”
“Naaaah, I don’t play them games. If I didn’t want you I wouldn’t have even approached you the way I did,” she said.
“I mean that.”
“So am I going to see you tonight, I wanna be where you are?” Tiffany said.