Gangsta Twist 3 (18 page)

Chapter Twenty
-
five

Tazneema was smiling brightly as she hung up the phone and quickly called her father. When Taz answered the phone she said, “I just got off the phone with the company attorney and everything is ready for you to sign off for the purchase of your G5, Taz.”

“That's cool, Neema; send me whatever needs to be signed by fax and I'll handle it.”

“Okay. You do need to know that along with the over fifty million we're spending it's going to cost at least a million more yearly for maintenance and operating costs as well as paying for the pilots and flight attendants.”

“The money made from the interest on my money that Won left me should cover all yearly costs so we're good there, Neema. Let's close this deal. I want my plane ready as soon as possible.”

“Actually, everything is already, Taz. Your Gulfstream 5 will be delivered to Will Rogers World Airport by this time tomorrow afternoon.”

“Good. Did you make sure everything was as I requested?”

“Yep. Everything has been confirmed. You will have your office, a bed, TVs, Wi-Fi, state-of-the-art avionics, a full bar, seating for fourteen; all we need to do now is hire your pilots and flight attendants.”

“Cool. Looks like you've handled everything, Neema, good job. Fax me the papers so I can sign off on everything, then get me some pilots and flight attendants hired ASAP. I plan on taking a few trips soon.”

“I'm on it. Check the fax machine in a few minutes,” she said and hung up the phone.

After Taz hung up the phone Sacha was frowning at him. He stared at her and asked, “What's wrong with you, li'l mama?”

“I still can't believe you're spending all of this money on a damn private jet.”

“You need to get over that and think about all of the up sides that come along with having our very own private jet.”

“What up sides, Mr. Freaky? Joining the mile high club?”

Laughing, he said, “Exactly! Seriously, we can move at a faster clip when need be, you can be able to bounce back and forth to Cali and the City for your many philanthropic endeavors, and when I need to go out of the country we will be able to save a lot of time. To me the money is well spent.”

“If you say so. It's just hard to believe you've actually spent all of this money.”

“Believe it, because here comes the fax now with the papers for me to sign,” he said as he stepped to the fax machine and grabbed the papers that Tazneema faxed him. After reading everything that was sent he quickly signed the papers and faxed them back to his daughter. When he was finished he smiled at his wife and said, “Done deal, li'l mama. Your husband now has his own G5.”

“You and your damn toys, Taz Good,” she said with a smile on her face.

He was about to respond but was interrupted by his phone ringing. He frowned when he saw that it was Saint Tramon's number in New Orleans. He answered the phone by putting it on speaker so Sacha could hear the conversation. “Hello, Saint Tramon.”

“Good afternoon, Taz. How are you doing?”

“Good, and you?”

“Alive, alive and well.”

“Yeah, well that's better than old Malcolm Brown.”

“True. Actually, that's the reason for this call. I think it's of great importance that we hold our quarterly council meeting earlier with this sudden tragedy occurring.”

“I was thinking about that but since our next meeting will be next month I don't see why it can't hold off until then.”

“With certain decisions needing to be made for the replacement of Malcolm on the council that should be reason enough to have the meeting sooner I think, Taz.”

“There's no rush to find a replacement, Saint Tramon. That is unless you have someone in mind to replace Malcolm already?”

“Actually, I do.”

It figures,
Taz said to himself. But to Saint Tramon he asked, “And who may I ask is this person?”

“It makes perfect sense to let Malcolm Brown's second in command of his business affairs be elected to the council.”

“From what I've heard Ed Polly has been handling things quite well since this went down. But we will have to bring this to everyone on the council's attention before we make a vote.”

“I know this; that's why I am asking for our meeting to be stepped up.”

“Again as long as the business has not been hindered I don't see the need to up the date of our quarterly meeting. You will be contacted when and where the next meeting will take place next month. But since you are so interested in having a sit-down with the council I thought maybe we can get together and have a sit down of our own. You and I only, Saint Tramon.”

“Concerning?”

“I think you already know.”

“If I knew I wouldn't have asked, Taz,” she said with obvious attitude and irritation in her tone.

The dislike between the two was palpable. Taz gave a sarcastic laugh and said, “It's time for the game to stop, Saint Tramon. I will not speak on this while on this phone. When we see each other at Malcolm Brown's funeral Saturday we will finish this discussion. That is if you're attending the funeral service?”

“Of course I am attending the service; Malcolm was a longtime friend of mine.”

Some friend. You have your friends blown the fuck up, hate to see what you'd do to me,
he said to himself. “Okay then, we will have a chat then. Afterward hopefully things can be clear as to how things are going to be from now on.”

“I must say you have piqued my interest with this conversation, Taz. To my knowledge everything has already been made quite clear. Things have progressed positively as you predicted they would. Everyone on the council has contributed to the new order of business and the profits have been great. That's why I'm so intrigued by this conversation.”

This bitch thinks she can play mind games with everyone. Stupid.
“True, everything has progressed as I knew they would. The business is doing well and everyone is eating good. Real good. What we need to discuss is the future. I'll see you at the funeral, Saint Tramon,” he said and hung up the phone tired of the weak mental games she was playing.

“Ugh! She really thinks she can manipulate you. I really can't stand that woman, baby.”

“She is a trip, li'l mama. After this meeting either she will accept what I have to say or she will die. I'm tired of her games and it's time to show her who I really am.”

“Normally I would try to talk you out of handling things violently but this woman is dangerous, baby. I hate to say this but Saint Tramon is evil and she needs to be dealt with.”

“I've killed for many different reasons: revenge, out of anger, and to protect me and mines. I know for a fact the bloodlust for revenge is the most destructive. Keno and Bo-Pete's deaths showed me that I'm capable of committing cold-blooded murder without a care who's in front of my gun. If I decide to take care of Saint Tramon it's going to be me who takes her out. I will not order a hit and stand back and wait for the confirmation of the kill. If she has to die she dies by my gun.”

 

 

Bob and Gwen had just finished another of their extremely intense sex sessions and they were both winded as they lay wrapped in one another's arms. After catching his breath Bob slid from his wife's embrace and went to the bathroom to relieve himself. While he was in the bathroom he received a couple of back-to-back text messages. Gwen reached out and grabbed his phone off of the nightstand to see if it was someone important. She stared at the text and read it aloud. “‘Stop playing games, Bob, and call me.'” She checked the next text and read it. “‘You're pushing me, Bob. Not good.'”

Gwen had a frown on her face when Bob came back into the bedroom and saw her holding his phone. Before he could speak she asked him, “Who is this texting you these kind of messages, Bob?” She tossed him the phone so he could see the texts for himself.

After reading the texts he glanced at her nervously and said, “It's business, baby. Nothing for you to be worried about. What were you doing checking my phone?”

With raised eyebrows and much attitude Gwen said, “No, the fuck you didn't just get at me like I'm some weak bitch. I'm your wife, nigga! I'll check your fucking phone whenever the fuck I feel like it! Now! Who! The! Fuck! Was! That! Texting! You! Bob!” she screamed.

“You need to calm the fuck down. Like I said it was business. Business only, Gwen.”

“Business my ass! That was a bitch! Nobody gets at you like that and it's just business. Nigga, you think I'm stupid or something? Don't you fucking dare stand there and insult me, Bob. I don't deserve that shit!”

Shaking his head from side to side he said, “You're absolutely fucking right. You don't deserve that shit. You are my wife! I love you more than I love my life itself! You are not only my wife you are the mother of my kids. You mean the world to me and there is no fucking way I would ever risk losing you by fucking with some bitch. I got all the money I need in this world. I have a perfect family. There is no way I would ever do anything to lose you. Never! I would never do anything to come close to disrespecting you, Gwen. You should know that shit. When I say its business that's exactly what the fuck it is: business!”

Feeling thoroughly checked and ashamed Gwen started to apologize to her husband but her female intuition got the best of her and she had to follow what her gut was telling her. Something wasn't right. “I love you and I trust you, Bob, I really do. But something about how those texts sound has made me feel fucked up. Your words are touching and all that but right now I need more than words, baby. Prove to me that those texts were business related, Bob.”

Bob looked down nervously then looked back up at her and said, “Your lack of trust is fucked up, Gwen, and that's the true fucking insult.” He then stepped to the bed and sat down next to her and pulled the text back up on his phone and then dialed the number the text was sent from. He showed Gwen what he did and pressed the send button to connect the call. When the phone started ringing he pressed the speaker button before the line was answered.

A male answered the phone. “Damn, Bob, why the fuck you not returning my texts, man? We have some serious business to discuss.”

Staring directly at his wife Bob took the phone off speaker and said, “I was taking care of something with my wife, Robert. It only takes one time for you to text me, white boy; you're not my bitch so stop acting like it. I'll get at you in a couple of hours,” Bob said and hung up the phone.

After setting his phone back onto the nightstand Bob stood and said, “I'm about to take a shower now. As you've just heard I have some business that I need to take care of.” He turned toward the bathroom, stopped, and turned back around and faced Gwen and added, “Oh, and don't you ever fucking check my phone again, Gwen. If you gon' act like a fucking kid you don't have that fucking right. My wife should know me better than that.”

Feeling totally wrong and extremely stupid Gwen couldn't find the right words to even try to apologize for insulting her husband. She just dropped her head in shame as he turned and went back inside of the bathroom just as his phone started buzzing with another incoming text. She stared at it, frowned, and then threw herself back on her pillow wanting to smother herself with it for being so stupid.
Fuck!

Chapter Twenty
-
six

After interviewing over twelve different pilots and over twenty flight attendants Tazneema finally came to the decision who she was going to hire as the pilot and copilot and the two flight attendants for the company's G5. She sighed with relief as she grabbed her phone and called Taz as she left the office to go have some lunch. When Taz answered the phone she told him, “I'm on my way to the Outback in Edmond; care to have lunch with me and Lyla, Taz?”

He had just finished a strenuous workout with the crew and a big, thick, juicy steak sounded perfect. “Sure, babygirl. I was just about to take a shower and get dressed so I'll meet you there in about forty minutes, cool?”

“That's fine. I've made my decision on the hires for the G5 and wanted to let you go over their credentials during lunch.”

“Did you pick the flight attendants, too?”

“Yes, I did, Daddy.”

Laughing, he asked, “Are they cute?”

“Ugh! I swear between you and Uncle Wild Bill! He called me every twenty minutes reminding me to make sure they were cute.”

“Well, are they?” Taz asked and laughed again.

“You're a happily married man.”

“But I am still a man, Neema. And if I'm going to be traveling for long periods of time in my private jet I want to be looking at some cute flight attendants. So, again, are they cute?”

“Ugh! I have their pictures with me in their files; you'll see for yourself when you get to the restaurant. Bye!”

Taz was laughing as he hung up the phone.

 

 

By the time Tazneema's and Lyla's appetizers arrived Taz was entering the restaurant casually dressed in a pair of black slacks, crisp white dress shirt, and some brand new Air Force Ones on his feet. Lyla smiled appreciatively at Taz and told Tazneema, “I swear you have one super sexy fine daddy, girl. If he would only give a white girl like me a chance to steal him from Sacha his sexy ass would be forever in the wonderful world of sexual bliss.”

Shaking her head Tazneema said, “Trust, if there was going to be a white woman in Taz's life it wouldn't be you, besty. It would be Tari.”

“Damn shame.” They both laughed as Taz made it to their table and sat down.

“Good afternoon, ladies. You're both looking good this day.”

“Thank you, Taz. I was just telling your daughter here how I wish I could steal you from Sacha. What you think my chances are?” Lyla asked flirtatiously.

Laughing, Taz said, “I must commend you for your determination, Lyla. You been on me since you were a little freshman in college. I wouldn't bet any money on that happening though, babygirl. I look at you as my daughter too.”

“Damn! Damn! Damn!” They all laughed.

“Order you some food, Daddy, so we can go over this stuff and I can see if you like who I chose to pilot you around the world, as well as take care of your needs while you're up in the air,” Neema said as she gave Taz a menu.

After Taz gave his order to the waiter he sat back in his seat and went over the files Tazneema gave him. He had a smile on his face while going over the flight attendant's file. After a few minutes he set the files down and said, “We're good to go here, Neema. The pilots' creds are impressive and so are the flight attendants'.”

“Plus they're cute,” she said with a smirk.

“Very cute. Young, but not too young, and experienced enough to maintain their professionalism. I think they will work just fine. What did you offer as far as pay?”

“I haven't brought that up to them. I wanted to check with you first on that.”

Taz shrugged and said, “As long as they agree to remain on call and know that they will be bounced back and forth from here out to California I'm willing to give them a healthy salary as well as top-of-the-line benefits. Set up a package for health insurance as well as a good retirement deal for them. Salary-wise let's give the flight attendants thirty-five thousand a year and fifty thousand for the pilots. How does that sound?”

“Generous? Shit, if I knew you were paying thirty-five thousand to be your flight attendant on call I would have hired some help for my boutique and do that shit for y'all. That's crazy easy money right there!” said Lyla.

“I want my flight team well paid and ready at all times so paying a little extra is fine with me. We can afford it.”

“True. I'm sure they'll accept these terms so I'll give them each a call when I return to the office.”

Taz stared at his daughter for a few minutes while she nibbled on her salad and asked, “What you been up to, Neema, besides work I mean? Are you having any fun?”

Pointing toward Lyla, Tazneema said, “There is no way I wouldn't not be able to have any fun living with a party animal like this white girl here. She makes it a point to get me to go out with her at least every other weekend or have drinks twice a week down in Bricktown. I'm good, Daddy.”

“Yeah, she's good, Taz, and that's the freaking problem, she's too damn good! She refuses to give any guy a chance to get remotely close to her. She doesn't trust her judgment of men anymore and for that she is causing her coochie to get cobwebs!”

Taz was sipping some water when Lyla made that statement and he had to quickly cover his mouth with his hand before he spit a mouthful of water all over them. After wiping his mouth and hands Taz set his napkin down and said, “You don't mince your words, Lyla, I respect that. But you are crazy you do know this right?”

Lyla smirked at him and said, “Nah, Taz, I'm not crazy, I'm serious. I love my besty and I want her to enjoy her life and not live like some old dried-up maid. She is young, college educated, financially secure, and damn hot and gorgeous. There's no way in the world she should be living monk-like out here. And all because of a bad decision made when she was in her teens.”

Taz nodded in agreement with Lyla and stared silently at his daughter waiting for her to say something in her defense.

Tazneema sighed and said, “I wish it was as easy as you make it seem, Lyla.”

“It is! Girl, you got to forget the past. What don't kill you only makes you stronger, Neema.”

“This is true, baby girl. God knows I am not a real fan of you being with any man for real, but that's the father in me. I have to agree with Lyla: you got to move on with your life. I always want you to remain cautious. You know how I am about security for my family. But that doesn't mean I don't want you to meet someone and be happy. That stuff that happened with that fool Cliff is ancient history. Time to move on with your life, Neema.”

Tazneema stared at her father for a moment and in a small voice that touched him deep within his heart she said, “I'm scared, Daddy. I don't ever want to feel that pain I felt with Cliff. I don't ever want to feel betrayed like that ever again. Honestly, I'd rather be by myself than go through that again.”

At that moment Taz wished he could bring Cliff back alive so he could kill him a thousand times for the pain he caused his oldest child. He reached across the table and took hold of his daughter's hand and gave it a squeeze and in a stern but loving tone said, “Listen to me, Tazneema Good. No man can ever steal your joy. No man can stop you from being the sweet, gorgeous, strong black woman you have become. What happened with you and Cliff was one of your life lessons that you had to learn from. You are not a weak woman by any means; that's not in your pedigree. You're a Good and there is nothing weak about us. This is the last time we will speak on this subject. Live your life and enjoy what you got. If you need some time off to go fly somewhere and chill to get your mind right then let me know and you and Lyla can take a flight somewhere on our new G5. Do whatever it is you need to do; it's time to get back on that horse and date and live your life. You hear me, Neema?”

She smiled at her father and said, “Yes, Daddy, I hear you. Thank you.” She smiled at her besty and told her, “Though you have told me all of this repeatedly, thank you too, besty.”

“You know this girl right here got your back, besty,” Lyla said and smiled at her best friend. Their food arrived and they all enjoyed a pleasant lunch together.

 

 

On the other side of town Sacha and Gwen were having lunch but instead of dining at a steakhouse they were sitting inside of McDonald's eating chicken McNuggets and fries while watching their kids as they played in the small playground in the front of the fast food restaurant. Gwen sighed heavily as she nibbled on some fries and said, “I screwed up big time, mommy. All these years together Bob has never given me a reason to even try to think he was screwing around on me. And what do I do, I go left on him the other night 'cause he received some back-to-back text messages that seemed out of line to me.”

“Wait, first off what were you doing checking Bob's phone and looking at his texts in the first place?”

“It wasn't even like that. We had just finished having another one of our super sex sessions and I was lying on the bed getting my wind back. Bob went to use the bathroom, and his cell started buzzing and beeping signaling he had some texts. So I reached over to check them for him while he was using the bathroom, not trying to be snooping or anything like that. I trust Bob one hundred percent. But when I read the texts the shit sounded kinda fishy to me.”

“What did they say?”

“One said, ‘Stop playing games, Bob, and call me.' And the other said, ‘You're pushing me, Bob, not good.'”

“And you took from that what, Bob was cheating on you?”

“Come on, mommy, you have to admit that sounds kinda off right?”

“It depends. What did Bob say when you asked him about the texts?”

“He said it was business related and for me not to be tripping. But he looked nervous for a few seconds and that threw my bullshit detector into high gear.”

Sacha rolled her eyes at her best friend and said, “Oh, my God, mommy, what did you say?”

“I went semi-ballistic because he actually asked me why was I checking his damn phone. I told him I'll check his phone whenever I wanted to and demanded he told me who was sending him those texts.”

“Did you accuse him of anything, mommy?”

With an ashamed look on her face Gwen shook her head yes and said, “When he said again that it was just business I told him it wasn't business and that it was a bitch texting him.”

“Not good.”

“Don't I know it. He grabbed the phone, sat down next to me, and dialed the number the text came from and put the phone on speaker.”

“What happened next?”

“When the phone was answered a man said, ‘Damn, Bob, why the fuck you ain't returning my texts?' And something about them having some serious business to discuss. Bob then checked him and told him not to be texting him like he was his bitch.”

“So right then and there you felt like shit.”

“What an understatement, mommy. I felt less than a piece of shit. What made me feel even worse is before Bob made the call to show me it was in fact business related he swore how much he loved me and the kids and would never put what we have together in jeopardy by cheating on me.”

“After hearing that you still accused him of doing something foul?”

“Basically, yeah. Like I said my bullshit detector was off the charts and I wasn't trying to hear none of that shit he was talking. Then he goes and makes that call and made me feel lower than dirt. He hasn't said a word about it since but he's been icy toward me to the point where I don't know what to do or say to him. I've apologized and he shrugged it off like it was nothing. I fucked up, mommy.”

“Yeah, you fucked up big time. Bob loves you though and he will get over it. He's making a point at your expense so you will know not to ever question his love or loyalty for you. Right now with all the stuff they got going on with the Network business he's not trying to have to deal with some weak issues like that, especially when he knows he hasn't done anything wrong.”

“I know huh? Damn, mommy, I love that man more than I love life itself. I never thought I'd be able to love a man again after losing my family. Bob came into my life and has blessed me with a happiness I never thought I could ever have. And what do I do, accuse him of cheating on me. Ugh!”

Laughing, Sacha said, “You turn that man on like crazy so you will have to resort to what he likes best. Sex. Put it on him and make up for your wrongs. I'm sure after another one of you guys' super freaky sex sessions he'll forgive you and all will be good again.”

“I wish it was that easy. He's not only been icy toward me since then he's been staying gone late at night and coming in well after I've went to bed.”

“He's that salty at you? Damn, that's not good. Love isn't only sex but sex with you two is one of the key components to your relationship. If he's ducking the sex with you that means he's really bothered by your actions.”

“Exactly and that scares the hell out of me, mommy. I love that man and there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for him. What if I've pushed my man away from me?”

Shaking her head no, Sacha said, “No way. Men can be stubborn creatures just like we can when we're in the right. He's teaching you a lesson, mommy. I'm sure of it. That and he's probably in fact handling business. Don't you think for a second that he doesn't love you and is even thinking of leaving you and those kids; y'all are his universe. So be patient and take your punishment like a big girl. Everything is going to be all right.”