Authors: J.L Rose
Showing his detective badge and introducing himself as Detective Sergeant Aaron Banks, he repeated his question, “Do the two of you know who’s behind this, agents?”
“Agent Martin!” Detective Fuller said, “Don’t you think it’s about time you and Agent Young here begin sharing with me and my partner exactly what’s going on here with this murder we’ve got!”
“You may want to contact Captain Angela Perez, detective,” Agent Young told him.
Agent Martin then spoke up. “Or you can help us out, detective. I have an idea how we can get to the bottom of this.”
* * *
“Here!” Dante said as he walked into the den, tossing Alinna a black leather wallet and sat down next to Harmony, while she sat watching TV with her legs folded under her.
“What the hell is this?” Alinna asked, as she opened the wallet.
“It belongs to your boyfriend!” Dante told her, watching as Alinna sat starring at the D.E.A. I.D.
“What is this bullshit, Dante?” Alinna asked, holding up the I.D. as she stared angrily at him. “Where the hell you get this shit from?”
“Read the name!” Dante ordered her, just as one of the guards walked over to him and whispered in his ear. Dante nodded his head in understanding and then turned to Vanessa and Dre and said, “Nessa! Dre! Everything ready at y’all new spot. I got y’all right on the other side from this penthouse right here. Harmony and Tony T right under y’all.”
“Dante, this is bullshit!” Alinna yelled, as she jumped from the sofa, throwing the wallet at him. Dante simply stared back at her.
Bending down and picking up the wallet, Vanessa opened it and saw the D.E.A. identification for Alex Whitehead. She looked over at Dante and exclaimed, “You was right, Dante! Alex was undercover.”
“What the hell?” Alinna said, looking over to her friend. “You know about this shit, too, Vanessa?”
Nodding her head yes, Vanessa went explained about Ben Whitehead the ex-captain and about his son who was Alex Whitehead with D.E.A.
“This is bullshit!” Alinna said, as she stormed from the den cursing and talking shit about Dante and Vanessa and how they were trying to set Alex up because they didn’t like him.
“I got her,” Vanessa said, as she went after Alinna, catching up with her inside the master bedroom that Dante gave to her and their son, D.J.
“Vanessa, I really don’t wanna hear the shit you gotta say,” Alinna told her best friend, as she walked back and forth in the middle of the bedroom floor.
Closing the bedroom door, Vanessa turned around and sat on the huge bed.
“Why the fuck can’t he just leave me the fuck alone, Vanessa?” Alinna asked, after a few passing minutes. She continued to walk back and forth in front of the bed. “It’s been over between me and Dante for months now. Shit! It’s been longer than that and his ass still won’t leave me the hell alone.”
“Do you even really want him to, Alinna?”
“What?” Alinna said, stopping where she was and turning to face Vanessa. “What the hell kind of question is that shit? If you remember, I’m the one who ended things.”
“Yeah, that’s true, but you’re also the one I’ve seen sleeping with some of his old clothes on or holding D.J. and calling him lil Dante.”
“That’s bullshit, Vanessa!”
“Is it?” Vanessa asked. “I’ve seen how you was staring at Dante when he got back. You can talk that shit all you want to and act like you hate that man, but one thing remains the same about you when it comes to Dante. That man will do anything for you because he is still in love with you. Why the hell you think he’s back here now? I called him and told him what you told me about that nigga, Fish Man, and here his ass go rushing back here to make sure your ass is okay.”
“He came because of all of us? Dante could care less about me. Didn’t you just tell me he was with someone else?”
“Truthfully, Alinna. Dante was coming back even before all this shit jumped off with Fish Man and the Haitians. He told me he was coming back because we was throwing you a birthday party this Saturday, and he wanted to be there with you even though you was so caught up in Alex’s ass.”
Alinna got quiet for a few moments and stared at her best friend. She was unsure of exactly what she was supposed to say. Alinna walked to the sliding glass door in her room and stood staring out over Miami Beach, before she finally spoke: “What’s this girl’s name who Dante is seeing? And don’t tell me you don’t know because I see now that he tells you everything.”
“Her name’s Natalie and she’s the daughter of the Dominican drug lord that Dante works for.”
“You think he’s serious about her?”
“Honestly, Alinna,” Vanessa said in a tone that made her turn around and face her, “I think Dante cares for her as much as he does you.”
“So, he’s in love with her?”
“Maybe! But she’s different from you and there’s a difference in him because of her. The problem is that he still loves you, Alinna. He may not admit it, but Dante is still in love with you!”
“So, what am I supposed to do?” Alinna asked, as she walked over and sat down next to Vanessa. “I think I’ve pushed Dante completely away.”
“Maybe!” Vanessa replied before adding, “You can change that, Alinna. You know what you gotta do.”
Chapter 18
Dante stood out on the balcony leaning against the rail. He was listening to the line ring as he waited for Natalie to answer, returning a call from earlier. Dante looked back over his shoulder as the sliding door opened and Alinna stepped out onto the balcony with him.
“Dante, we need to talk!” Alinna told him, as she closed the glass sliding door.
Hearing Natalie’s voicemail start, he hung up the phone as Alinna stepped up beside him. “What is it now, Alinna?” he asked.
Sighing deeply and softly, she looked out over the city lights. After a moment, she said, “Dante, look! I’m sorry, okay?”
Looking over at Alinna with a surprised expression on his face, Dante laughed lightly as he looked back out over Miami Beach. He began, “Is this where you tell me you wish you wouldn’t have met me? Well, you can save it, Alinna! It’s clear you hate me, alright!”
“I don’t hate you, Dante!” she said, turning to face him. “I know I’ve been acting really crazy towards you and there’s really no way to explain that other than I was hurt and jealous. The truth of it all is that I still love you, Dante!”
She stared at Dante waiting for a response. “Dante, did you hear what I just said?”
“I heard you!”
“So, why didn’t you say nothing?”
“What the hell you want me to say, Alinna?” Dante asked angrily, turning to face her. “All this muthafucking time and now you come up with this shit!”
“Do you love me still, Dante?” she asked, ignoring his anger.
Laughing even though nothing was funny, Dante turned away from her and said, “Go away, Alinna! I’m not playing your games anymore!”
Grabbing Dante’s arm while snapping him around to face her, she asked, “Dante, tell me the truth! Do you still love me?”
“Yeah, alright!” he answered, snatching away from Alinna saying, “What the fuck do it matter now? I’m already with . . . !”
“Natalie!” Alinna said, cutting him off and seeing the surprised looked on his face for a split second. She continued, “I know about her and I don’t care, Dante! I want my family back! Can I have it back?”
Staring at Alinna, Dante opened his mouth to speak when his cell phone went off.
Looking down at the screen, he recognized Dominic’s private line. Dante looked at Alinna and said, “I gotta answer this. It’s Dominic calling.”
“Go ahead!” Alinna told him, as she stepped into Dante and wrapped her arms around him laying her head in his chest.
Caught off guard by Alinna’s actions, he decided to allow it for the moment. “Yeah! What’s up, Dominic?”
“Dante, how’s everything going in Miami so far?” Dominic asked, as soon as he heard Dante’s voice.
“So far, so good!” he answered. “Everything good with you and the family? How’s Natalie? I missed her phone call and when I tried to call back a few minutes ago, she didn’t answer. How is she?”
“Well, Dante! Natalie is actually the reason I’m calling you now. She’s here with Carmen and me inside my office. Before I put her on the line I’d like you to tell me something first. What are you feelings towards my daughter, Dante?”
“I love her!” Dante replied, shifting his eyes down to Alinna, as she looked up at him. He focused back on the phone call and continued, “Dominic, what’s going on? Where’s Natalie?”
“One last question, Dante!” Dominic said, ignoring Dante’s question.
“I’m listening!”
“Do you have any plans to my daughter, Dante?”
Quiet for a moment, Dante thought of Alinna and what they were just talking about. He then signed and said, “Truthfully, Dominic, Natalie and I haven’t spoken about it but I’ve thought about it a few times before.”
“Well, I’ll tell you this, Dante. I love you like you were my own son and I have a lot of respect for you as well. But now that Natalie is pregnant, I expect that you will agree that marriage is the right next step?”
“What?” Dante asked, shocked at what he just heard. “Did you just say that Natalie’s pregnant?”
“I did!” Dominic answered. “Here is my daughter, Dante.”
Hearing the phone being exchanged, Dante heard Natalie’s tear-filled voice: “Dante!”
“Yeah, baby! I’m here!”
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how this happened.”
“Natalie, relax! Relax and calm down!” he told her as calmly as he could. “When did you find out you was pregnant?”
“Earlier today when I noticed I was late on my period. I went and got a test.”
“How are you feeling though?”
“I’m fine, Dante!” she answered, “Baby, are you mad at me?”
“Mad…for what? No, I’m not mad, Natalie!”
“When are you coming home?”
“Look! Let me get business here worked out and right after that I’ll be home, alright?”
“Alright! I love you!”
“I love you, too, Natalie! Let me talk to Dominic.”
“Alright, hold on!” Natalie told Dante.
A few moments later Dominic’s voice came over the line. “Yes, Dante?”
“Dominic, alright! I’ll be back as soon as I get things worked out here but I need a favor from you.”
“Anything for my son-in-law. What is it?”
“I want a business connection with my ba…family here in Miami,” Dante told him. “I want you and my family to begin a business relationship.”
Quiet a moment, Dominic finally said, “Okay, Dante! I will agree to a business deal of a 45-55 split of whatever your family makes. I will not charge them for my product but they will be expected to pick up here. I will not have my people do all the work. And understand, I do this only because of you.”
“Thanks, Dominic!” Dante told the drug lord before realizing had already hung up the phone.
Lowering the phone from his ear, he looked at Alinna. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. “So I guess D.J. and Mya have either a brother or a sister on the way, huh?”
“Yeah! Pretty much!” Dante answered. He then asked, “You okay?”
“Not really!” Alinna answered, as tears broke loose, running down her face.
Shaking his head as he pulled Alinna against him, Dante wrapped his arms around her while feeling Alinna wrap hers around him. He kissed the top of her head and said, “I’m sorry, Alinna. This shit is crazy right now. I’m really sorry, baby!”
* * *
Unable to sleep, Agent Monica Martin piled through the notes that Agent Alex Whitehead had gathered on Alinna Rodriguez and Dante Blackwell. She sat thinking, trying to figure out what she was going to do. She put off making the phone call to her Agent-in-Command.
Snatching up her Kool cigarettes from the dining room table, she noticed her phone going off. She looked at the screen to see that it was Detective Sergeant Aaron Banks calling her.
“Yes, sergeant!” Agent Martin answered the phone.
“Agent Martin! Myself and my partner thought about your offer and if you can . . .”
“Don’t worry, sergeant!” Agent Martin interrupted. “If you’re worried about my side of the deal, don’t be! I will fully come through on my part. Now, do you accept my offer?”
Quiet for a moment, Detective Banks sighed deeply through the phone before answering, “Alright, Agent Martin. We’ll accept the deal!”
Chapter 19
Dante woke up to the sound of his ringing cell phone. He grabbed at it blindly on the nightstand next to him and answered, “Yeah?”
“Dante! It’s Angela!”
“What’s up, Angela?” Dante asked, sitting up in bed, instantly remembering where he was. He looked over to his right to see his son and Alinna lying next to him.
“Dante, listen! I don’t have much time.”
“What’s up?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at home. What’s up, Angela?”
“Look! There’s been a meeting set up and the chief just called me in. It’s something to do with the D.E.A. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but I’ll let you know if it’s about you and Alinna once the meeting is over.”
“Just to put you up on a little information so you won’t go into the meeting blind,” Dante told her, “It’s probably about homeboy I had you look up for me. He got handled yesterday.
“You mean Alinna’s boyfriend?”
“Yeah!” Dante answered. “We’ll talk about it later after you get outta the meeting. Where’s Mya?”
“Jennifer is on her way to watch her while I’m out.”
“Let her know I’ma be by to pick up Mya in a little while.”
“Alright! I’ll talk to you later, Dante!”
Hearing Angela hang up the phone, Dante tossed his cell back onto the night table. Then Alinna asked, “What does Angela want?”
Looking over to Alinna, he explained to her about Angela’s meeting.
Turning to her son after listening to Dante, Alinna bent down and kissed D.J.’s cheek, just as her own cell started to go off.
She picked it up and saw that Vanessa was on the other line. Alinna quickly answered to keep from waking her son. “What now, Nessa?”
“Damn! That how you answer the phone?”
“It is when you calling about to wake up my son! What you want?”
“You seen the news yet?’
“No! Why?”
“You may wanna look at it.”
Reaching for the remote, Alinna turned on the wall unit flat screen and turned to a news station. She saw a picture of Alex on the screen. She listened as the reporter discussed the murder of D.E.A. Agent Alex Whitehead, son of murdered Police Captain Bob Whitehead. Alinna continued listening as the reporter said that Alex Whitehead was found with a broken neck with the letters D.E.A. carved into his forehead and the word
undercover
carved in his chest.
“Alinna, you there?”
Alinna answered her girl, saying she’d call her back and hung up. She looked over at Dante texting on his phone. She asked, “Dante, you did this without telling me. Why?”
Lifting his eyes and looking over to Alinna, Dante met her staring eyes and said, “Would you have listened if I told you that your boyfriend was undercover?”
“So, what now?” Alinna asked, ignoring the question he just asked.
Catching the way she ignored him, Dante let it slide and asked, “You remember the phone call I had last night with Dominic?”
“How couldn’t I, Dante?” Alinna replied, rolling her eyes.
“So you heard what I got planned with the family and Dominic.”
“I heard what you was telling him. Did he agree, though?”
Breaking down the conversation to Alinna while telling her of Dominic’s demands, Dante added, “I’ve also got two other connects I’ma introduce to you. I don’t want you to just depend on Dominic. I’m not sure what he’ll do if something happens to me.”
“What do you mean ‘if something happens to you, Dante?”
Shaking his head, Dante said, “Listen! These two guys are from out of state but they both owe me their life and I want payback.”
“Who are they?” Alinna asked, glancing down at D.J., who made a soft sound but rolled over onto his side still asleep.
“One’s name is Larry Sutter. He’s into heroin and cocaine. The other guy’s name is Lorenzo Goldmen. He’s also into heroin but he got his hands in cocaine, pills, and a few other things. They both know James so if anything happened to me, James can handle the connection.”
“Dante, why do you keep saying if something happens to you? What aren’t you telling me?” Alinna wanted to know. She followed him with her eyes as he left the bed and headed into the bathroom.
Alinna heard the shower go on a few minutes later. She got up to join him in the bathroom when her cell phone rang again.
Seeing that it was Amber calling, Alinna took another look at the bathroom before answering. “Yeah, Amber!”
“Alinna, where Dante at?”
“He in the shower, Amber! Why?”
“Tell him that Wesley wanna talk to him about something. He went to handle something, but he’ll be back.”
“Yeah, alright! I’ll talk to you later! I need to handle something, too,” Alinna said, hanging up the phone, as she opened the bathroom door.
* * *
As he stood under the showerhead, letting the water beat down on his neck, back, and shoulders, Dante leaned back from under the water when he heard the door open. He looked back to see Alinna completely naked as she stepped into the shower with him.
“We need to talk!” Alinna told him, walking up to Dante as he turned to face her.
“You couldn’t have waited until I got out?” he asked as Alinna wrapped her arms up around his neck.
“I want to make love now!” she told him before demanding,” Pick me up, Dante!”
Doing as he was asked, Dante lifted Alinna by her ass as she wrapped her legs around his waist and reached down to grab his semi-hard manhood.
“This still belongs to me, right?” she asked, slowly stroking his dick. “I’m not asking you, Dante. I’m telling you that our family is getting back together. I know you have feelings, maybe even love, for this Natalie girl. And because I love you and lost you once, I’ll allow you to continue to see her because she’s pregnant. But I come first, Dante!”
Sighing, Dante admitted the truth about Dominic’s demands. “Alinna! Dominic expects me to marry Natalie now that’s she’s pregnant. He’s actually demanding it!”
“What are you going to . . . ?” Alinna broke off, unable to finish the thought as she closed her eyes and began to moan as Dante’s manhood entered her.
Gripping Alinna’s hips as she began moving up and down on his dick, Dante backed her up against the shower wall, allowing him to push deeper inside of her.
Alinna lost count after her first orgasm. She came harder each time Dante brought her to climax.
Listening to Alinna scream his name over and over as she dug her fingernails into his upper back, Dante felt himself close to climaxing when Alinna asked, “Dante, will you marry me? Baby, I love you!”
“Shit!” Dante said, exploding deep inside her, pushing and holding himself deep inside of her while Alinna’s pussy muscles milked his dick.
“I love you, Dante!” Alinna kept moaning over and over, as she held onto him around his neck.
Once the two of them calmed down and Dante lowered her to her feet, Alinna spoke first, saying, “Dante, I was serious about what I asked you. I want you to marry me.”
“What about Natalie?”
“Do you love her, Dante?”
“I can’t lie to you, Alinna. Yeah, I love her.”
Sighing, Alinna responded, “Alright! Let’s move her down here. I can’t believe this is coming out of my mouth, but the three of us and D.J. can find a house together.”
Staring at Alinna for a moment, Dante asked, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Dante! I lost you once. I’m not about to let it happen again. If I got to deal with you having another baby momma, then she needs to live with us because I want you here and not outta the state.”
Shaking his head and laughing lightly, Dante said, “I gotta talk to Natalie and see what she thinks. But I’m with the plan.”
“You better be! Because my family is getting back together and that’s not up for discussion!” she told Dante as she turned around and kissed his lips. “Now, let’s finish showering! We have things to do today.”
* * *
Once Dante and Alinna finished showering, they got dressed. Dante left with James to go pick up Mya. Alinna made some business calls to customers and workers who she knew she could trust.
By the time Alinna finally got out of the bedroom, she barely made it to the front of the penthouse when she heard the doorbell.
Unlocking the door, Alinna opened it and saw Vanessa and Dre standing at the door. She said, “What’s up, y’all?”
“Where my brother at?” Vanessa asked as she and Dre entered the penthouse.
Shooting Vanessa a look back over her shoulder, Alinna rolled her eyes, but said, “He and James sent to pick up Mya. They’ll be back soon!”
“Wait a minute!” Vanessa said, smiling as she stopped and stared at Alinna. “What’s up with you, girl?
“What are you talking about” Alinna asked, looking back at Vanessa and seeing the look on her friend’s face.
Slowly smiling as she continued staring at Alinna, Vanessa announced, “You slept with Dante!”
Sucking her teeth, Alinna turned away from Vanessa and started to walk away when she grabbed her arm.
“You did, didn’t you?” Vanessa asked, as she stepped in front of her. Seeing Alinna trying to hide a smile, Vanessa dragged her behind her to the back bedroom as she called over her shoulder, “You and I gotta talk, and I wanna know everything!”