CheckMate 4: Winner Takes All (13 page)

“It seems like we should’ve washed our hands of it when the story came to light, but it was difficult for my great-grandmother to let go. You see my great-grandfather was the love of her life. He asked her to marry him when they were only seventeen. Do I think he married her because her family was already wealthy? Hell yeah, but she didn’t see that. All she saw was love.” She sighed. The story was becoming even more interesting as Monty listened.

“He was better looking than smart,” She grinned. “At least that’s what I’d always heard. Unfortunately, he was underestimated.”

Monty shrugged his shoulders as he cut in. “Maybe she just taught him more than what she should’ve.” He said.

“No,” she said staring at him with the side eye. “She trusted him more than she should have. He obtained the property from her
out of love, nothing more nothing less
is what it read on the document
.”

“That was a WHOLE LOT of love.”

“It was,” Susan said with a light whisper. “It was also discussed, not written in the contract,” she added with an irritated tone in her voice. “That if anything ever happened to either of them the property would go to their children or whichever of them was the survivor. So you can imagine the horrific blow she got when she saw that the property was given to another woman
out of love, nothing more nothing less.
”

“So, let me get this right. Your great-grandfather gave his mistress the land that was given to him by your great-grandmother.” Monty said holding up a finger. “But, wait a minute. He gave it to this Shirley woman for the same written reason as what his wife had given it to him for?” Monty questioned with a frown on his face.

“I got a copy of the document. You can read it for yourself.” Susan said reaching back on her desk and grabbing the document.

Monty reached for it. “You were prepared for this conversation, huh?” he uttered, and then glanced down at the paperwork.  “Well damn. He was a cold-blooded man.” Monty said as he continued to read the document.

Susan felt it time to reel Monty in hopes that he’d want to close the deal for her. “If it weren’t for her he wouldn’t have had a pot to piss in. He married into money and even chose to take her last time in hopes of losing his own phony identity.”

“So the property was in your family first?” Monty said making sure that everything he’d heard was exactly what he’d heard.

“Yes it was and that’s why we want it back. The property was given to him as proof of how much she loved him, but he received it under a false pretense that he felt the same way.”

“I can understand that.” Monty said. “But, she should’ve put a clause in the contract that would’ve prevented him from doing that.”

“We all have done stupid things for love, Monty.” Susan said.

Monty nodded his head. “You’re right.”

“I’m sure that this property holds a great value to them as well for different reasons. Shirley was no dumb bunny. She put good use to the property and came up financially. She was able to start her own fortune.” Susan told him.

“I can imagine.” He said.  

“From what my mother told me, my great-grandmother wanted to talk with Shirley when things had come to light. All she wanted was to hear about the affair straight from the horse’s mouth, but Shirley chose not to see her. It’s like she wasn’t even apologetic to a woman who treated her more like a friend than a maid.”

“Interesting,” Monty commented.

“What’s even more interesting is that Shirley had planned to give the property to her daughter. However, her daughter died on her 18
^th
birthday after giving birth. From what I heard that broke Shirley’s heart. It was just a few years ago that I’d learned that she’d held on to the property so that she could pass it on to her first born granddaughter in hopes of healing her broken heart and moving on.”

Monty sat there for a moment with a blank face, and then he said. “Let me guess. Monica is her first born granddaughter.”

Susan nodded her head up and down. “Yes,” she confirmed. I was told that she should be inheriting the land soon since she has reached that age. I’m not sure if she knows about all of this. You know I’m sure that she’s gotten or will get their version, but no matter what it is, whether the facts, the documented proof, or the reality of the truth it’s gonna always lead you back to that property being ours first. And to me, that’s all that matters
no more no less.
”

“This shit is deep.” Monty whispered. He sat in silence for a moment, and then said, “Ahhh man.” He shook his head and casually grinned. “Sooooo, you want me to try to negotiate a deal with her so that she’ll let go of this property?”

Susan smiled back at him, and without hesitation she responded, “Yes, and by any means necessary.”

Monty chuckled a little. “Meaning, and it doesn’t matter what I gotta do to get it.”

“You got it.” She quickly agreed. “Hey, it ain’t like its nothing you’ve never done before.” She hinted.

Monty unnervingly smiled. What Susan didn’t know was that she was turning him on. He loved a chase, a satisfying thrill, and a challenge, but most importantly he loved making money.

At this point in the game he realized that he was being tested the whole time. She was a smart woman, but like her great-grandmother’s husband, he too wasn’t to be underestimated. After what she’d revealed to him his interest in her sky rocketed.

“So, are you up for the challenge?” Susan questioned.

Monty nodded his head. He was pleased knowing that a new game had begun, but he wasn’t so happy knowing that Monica had become one of his key players. The tables were now turning and he quickly realized that he’d become a pawn, Susan’s pawn. But what Susan didn’t know was that he would play his role to the fullest from the bottom if it meant shooting him past the top.

“With that much money involved, damn right I’m up for the challenge.” He told her with an eager smile. “Let me feel out the situation first then we’ll talk.”

Susan smiled as she watched Monty get up. They shook hands, and then she said, “Okay, that’ll work."

Chapter 10

Later that evening, Brendon stood behind the bar at his club. He was expecting company to walk through the door at any minute now. He fixed himself a half glass of Crown Royal with a splash of cranberry juice. He threw in two cherries and a straw. He then fixed another drink, a Patron margarita. He threw in two cherries and placed a strawberry on the side of the glass.

The minute he stepped from the behind the bar to sit down, his company came scrolling inside the building. Brendon looked up with a smile on his face. He was hoping that this meeting would be short and sweet.

“Hey,” Trina called out like she was in a good mood while swinging her COACH bag on her wrist.

“What’s up?” Brendon spoke back as Trina made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug.

“Nothing much,” she responded as Brendon hugged her back. She backed up like she was taking a look at him, but in actuality she wanted him to take a look at what he was missing.

Brendon smiled at her thinking to himself that she was wearing the hell out of that black, Michael Kors, strapless jumper with the black and gold Michael Kors sandals. Her toes were always on point and her make-up was beat to death. The sweet fragrance of her Lancôme perfume definitely made him nod his head for approval that she was indeed the baddest bitch of them all.

Trina’s eyes glanced toward the bar. “Oh, you fixed me a drink.” She said immediately going for the margarita. She sipped it, and then looked at him with a smile on her face. “You know what I like.”

Brendon nodded his head. “I do,” he responded.

Trina sat down on the bar stool at the bar and Brendon followed suit, sitting right next to her.

“So, what do I owe the pleasure to be called here on such an unexpected, late afternoon date?”

“Well uh, I wouldn’t exactly say that it’s a date.” Brendon said to correct her, followed by clearing his throat, and then sipping from his glass of Crown Royal.

Trina looked a bit disappointed, but she quickly played it off. “Okay, so what do you want to talk about?” She said sipping from her glass of margarita.

“I just wanted to see what your plans were while you’re here in Georgia. I mean, I’m still trying to figure out the reason why you’re here.” He added like he wanted her to answer that part first.

Trina looked at him thinking that he was such a fool for not recognizing a good woman that only wanted to be with him. “Brendon, I’m here for you.” She told him with no shame in her game.

Brendon frowned. “You have been here for the past few weeks and we’ve not crossed paths, yet you’re here for me?”

Trina disappointedly shook her head. “We’ve not crossed paths, because you stay far away from me. Why is that? I’ve been nothing, but good to you. Over the years we’d been together I proved to you over and over again that I was that chick. Even back when your ex wanted you to leave the game, I was still holding you and the game down.”

“My ex?” Brendon mocked her, but with a serious tone in his voice. “She was never my ex and I’d appreciate you not talking about her like that, because she’s no longer with us.” He said beating himself up for what happened to her.

“Brendon, you had some important decisions to make if you stayed with her. Have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten anything.” Brendon responded now almost sounding like he was defending his relationship with Raven to Trina. “We were still together when she died and you’re missing that point.”

“No, but you’re missing the point that she wanted out of the drug game. Things had gotten so crazy that she didn’t want to hang around your friends anymore and she didn’t want to make deposits for you anymore, and for good reason.” She said thinking back at what happened that last night when Raven was alive.

“Trina, don’t do this right now.” He said feeling bad as hell as thoughts resurfaced of Raven that night before she left to go make that night deposit for him. He had said that he would do it, but she insisted since he was in his feelings about her wanting him to leave the drug game alone. He agreed to let her go since he was in the shower getting prepared to handle other important business later that night. Unfortunately, Raven never came back. She was robbed and shot in the chest by some muggers that took the whole deposit and left her to die. Brendon hadn’t been the same since.

“All I’m saying is that for months, your girl wanted out. You needed a ride or die, not someone that lived the life, but
didn’t want to live the life.
She said like she’d just said something that made perfect sense for Brendon to understand where she was coming from.

“Don’t do this,” he asked her again. Trina had a way of pushing his buttons, buttons that he definitely didn’t want anyone remotely close to.

“Don’t do what? I’m just speaking the truth.”

Brendon stood up. “Well, if you’re going to speak the truth, speak the full truth or don’t say shit at all.” He spat. “Let’s,” he started. “Let’s speak the truth then. The truth is that Raven was scared.  Somebody had been calling our phones playing. They were calling her phone threatening her. We’d even been followed a couple of times. I thought it was a female trying to be funny, because nigga’s know I don’t play like that, but apparently the threat was real. So, if you’re gonna bring up something, bring up the fact that she was a ride or die and if she was still living I’d be with her right now.” He told Trina in hopes that he had hurt her feelings for bringing up such painful memories.

“I wouldn’t have stayed your side bitch if that’s what you would’ve been thinking.” She shot at him thinking that being his side bitch had certainly played out after awhile of them kicking it with each other. By that point, she definitely wanted more out of their relationship. 

Brendon shook his head at her. “It doesn’t matter if I was thinking or not, you still wouldn’t have been my main bitch.” He flat out told her as tears wailed up in the corner of her eyes.

Trina sat her glass down on the bar and picked up her COACH bag. She angrily shook her head, and then looked in Brendon’s face. “All I’ve done for you, nigga and this is how you talk to me?” She spat. “I’ve stood by your side and never once thought about leaving you.” She said while trying to stop the pesky tears from falling down her face.  “I’ve done things that I never thought I’d do and all for you.” In that moment she wiped her tears. She was no longer able to hold them back. Thoughts of the things that she’d done for the love of Brendon had her feeling like a fool.