Gangsta Twist 3 (22 page)

Taz was lying down next to Sacha having some pillow talk after their lovemaking. He explained everything that went on in Chicago as well as what Tari accomplished with Damon. Sacha was amazed but not surprised because she knew Taz could outthink any of his peers when he was calm and thought things through. When he was angry he was prone to make mistakes because he would let his emotions get the best of him. That's really when she feared for him most, when he was emotional. The more calculated he was the more comfortable she felt everything would be okay. After hearing what he had just told her she knew that he was in total control and calculating his every step.

“When you are calm and thinking rationally you are better equipped to make the right decisions, baby. When you are caught up with emotions you tend to become more dangerous to yourself and everyone else around you. Looks like you're about to bring this to a close and things can get back to normal. We can go back home and get back to our daily routine.”

“Yeah. But for real, I'm thinking about not going back west. Our home is here in the City. I like the Cali life and all but I'm an Oklahoma City man born and raised. What you think about us coming back, li'l mama?”

She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Whatever you want is fine with me, baby. You know I go where my husband wants me to go.”

“You know I love it when you roll with me without a fuss. Come here, let me give you some more of this thang for being such a good wife to me,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. Just as their kiss went from tender to passionate they were interrupted by Taz's phone ringing. He pulled from Sacha and grabbed his phone because he knew it had to be important for someone to be calling him this late at night. He listened to Tari speak and sat up in the bed. When she finished he told her, “Okay, Tee, this is what I need you to do. Get confirmation on the things I asked on the plane.”

“What, whether or not Saint Tramon had Malcolm hit?”

“Yeah. Also if she is linked with Danny Orumutto against me.”

“Okay, I'll hit him right back now. But, Taz, did you hear what I just told you? Saint Tramon is going to order a hit on you and she's paying the assassin a half a million dollars. What are you going to do about that?”

Taz smiled into the receiver and said, “I'm not going to do nothing, Tee. Get me that info and get here with the rest of the crew around noon. We'll talk more then. Don't panic, snow bunny, everything is going to be all good. Out!”

She sighed into the receiver and said, “Yeah, out!”

Taz set his phone back onto the nightstand and grabbed his wife. “Looks like the silly broad is forcing my hand, li'l mama.”

“Who, Saint Tramon?”

“Yep.”

“Uh-oh, she's in big trouble now.”

Taz smiled at his lovely wife, gave her a kiss, and said, “I couldn't have used better words. But right now the only one who's in bigger trouble is your fine ass. Bend over and gimme some of that Good good from the back, li'l mama.”

“Ooooh, you know I like it when you give it to me like that, daddy,” Sacha said as she turned and got onto her knees so her husband could give it to her just how he wanted to.

 

 

After Tari hung up with Taz she sent a text to Damon and told him she needed for him to confirm whether Saint Tramon was in cahoots with Danny Orumutto against Taz and if she had anything to do with what happened to Malcolm Brown in Chicago. His response to her text was for her to call him. She dialed his number wondering what she was about to be told. When Damon answered the phone he wasted no time with a greeting.

“Yes, to your questions. She has been hooked up with Danny Orumutto from the start of Taz's decisions to end the drug activity within the Network. She enjoys the profits she is seeing from the new adjustments Taz has made but she feels they should have never even thought about abandoning the former. She's a greedy woman, not only for the money but for the power as well. She hired the person responsible for the explosion in Chicago, too. That's the same person she is going to hire to take care of Taz. A problem arose though so all of that will have to wait because that particular person has informed me that he is out of commission for the next sixty days. He was in an accident and won't be available until he heals properly. She doesn't know this yet so I'm sure she's going to be extremely pissed off when I let her know.”

“That's good, gives us time to make our counter move. You done good, babe. Keep it up and real soon you'll have all the power in the Bayou. You ready for that, sugar?”

Laughing, Damon said, “I've been ready for something like that my entire life. You know what else I'm ready for, sexy gorgeous?”

Tari smiled into the receiver because she had a feeling she knew what he was about to tell her. She played along and asked, “What's that, babe?”

“I'm ready to make that tall, sexy body of yours shake and tremble. I'm ready to have you all to myself so I can devour all of you.”

“Mmmm, that sounds so sexy and turns me on, babe. But are you sure you can handle all of me? I'm a lot of gal.” They both started laughing.

“This is true. I want every inch of you, sexy gorgeous. Honestly, I know you're not going to get at me like that, Tari, so don't tease a man of my intelligence. It's business and I respect that. I've done my homework and I know you are totally loyal to Taz. I respect that, too. You can't blame a man for trying though.”

In a serious tone Tari told him the truth. “You're right, Damon; I am loyal to Taz and Taz only. But don't forget that Taz is a married man. I'm a grown woman who has needs and when I choose to have those needs met sexually Taz has nothing to do with that decision. Keep up the good work and you will be surprised what your rewards will be, other than being put in a position of power. Never say never, big boy.” She hung up the phone with a smile on her face.

She then sent Taz a text telling him that everything was as he suspected and they would talk more in the morning. After that she set her phone down and wondered how all of this mess was going to play out. She sighed heavily, let her head fall back on her pillow and wished Won was there to deal with everything. She shook her head from side to side.
Won may not be here but Taz is and no matter what I will not lose faith in him,
she thought as she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.

Lyla couldn't sleep at all; she tossed and turned for the rest of the night. She was confused, scared, and frustrated. She didn't know what to do with the DVD she found in the attic. Should she tell Tazneema and give her the DVD? Or should she call the police and give it to them so they could arrest Sacha for the murder of Keno? Or should she tell Taz and let him deal with this crazy situation? She didn't know exactly what Taz was into but she'd been around the Good family long enough to know he was a boss and into something high powered on the not-so-legal side of things. She was no fool either; she would never do anything to upset Taz Good, so that meant not turning the DVD in to the police.

She sat at the island in the kitchen eating some oatmeal thinking about how no one ever heard from Cliff ever again and shuddered at that thought. Cross Taz and you disappeared forever.
What if I give Taz the DVD and Sacha disappears forever; would I be able to live with the fact that I assisted in something foul happening to her? Would Taz be so cold as to harm his wife and the mother of his sons? Oh, God, help me,
she prayed silently as she stared into her bowl of oatmeal and swirled the spoon around inside of the bowl.

Tazneema came inside of the kitchen and went straight to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of orange juice. After taking a swig she sighed and said, “Ahhh, good juice. What's up, white girl, why you up this early in the morning?”

“Got some deliveries arriving at the boutique so I have to start my day way earlier than normal. What about you?”

“I have to go out to Bricktown and meet with the carpenters so we can get the ball rolling for the restaurant.”

“Cool.”

“Real cool, I'm so excited. I finally got all of the permits situated thanks to Taz's connections so everything is a go. We should be open by mid-July. Later on this week I'm going to start interviewing for the cooks and other staff. So I'm going to have my hands full for sure, but it's going to be fun, too.”

Laughing, Lyla told her best friend, “Only Tazneema Good can find constant work fun. I wish I enjoyed my work as much as you do.”

“Stop it. You know you love owning your boutique and all of the challenges that come along with it.”

“True, I love what I do but that doesn't mean it's fun. I'd rather be doing something fun for real. Like you know, flying to an island and having hot sex with a stud on the beach.”

“Sex. Sex. Sex. You always have to have sex on the brain. You are too crazy, white girl.”

“Maybe I am.” Changing the subject Lyla asked, “Can I ask you a question without sounding as if I'm prying in your personal business?”

Laughing, Neema said, “Now when was the last time you asked to pry in my personal business? That's too damn funny. Ask away.”

“Whatever happened to Cliff? I know you said something to the effect like he would never come around you again but that was so vague. Where did he go?”

Tazneema stared at her friend for a few seconds and then answered her honestly. “I don't know where he went and I don't care. I do know that he will never bother me or come around me again.”

“'Cause Taz made sure of that?”

After taking another swig from her bottle of orange juice Neema had a frown on her face when she asked Lyla, “What has you on this Cliff stuff? What's wrong, girl?”

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to hide anything from Neema she took a deep breath and said, “Remember when I overheard that phone conversation Cliff had when he was in the bathroom of our apartment?”

“Yeah, thanks to you I found out what a lying bastard he was.”

“Was? Don't you mean is?”

Neema rolled her eyes and sat down at the island next to Lyla and said, “Talk to me, Lyla. Something is obviously bothering you. You look real funny and you're scaring me, white girl.”

“I have tried to forget about Cliff and leave all of that in the past because I felt that if I said anything about him I would upset you or Taz and that's the last thing I would ever want to do. But I can't help but wonder what happened to him. I know Taz is heavy into some things; what things I don't know and you know I don't want to know. Your dad is not to be messed with, that I do know.”

“You are like really confusing me here. What does Taz being into some heavy stuff have to do with you Lyla? Has someone said something to you about Taz? Has someone tried to threaten you? If so tell me so I can tell Taz and he will take care of it. Don't be afraid. Taz loves you girl and he would never let anything happen to you.”

Shaking her head furiously, Lyla said, “No, nothing like that has happened, Neema, honest.”

“Something has happened and you need to tell me, Lyla. Now.”

“I can't tell you, Neema, because putting what I found into words seems like the most difficult thing in the world for me to do. I can show you. Come on,” she said as she led her best friend upstairs to her bedroom where the DVD she found in the attic was still inside of the DVD player in her bedroom.

Chapter Thirty
-
one

Saint Tramon was highly upset when Damon informed her that Ninth Ward Twine was laid up hurt and therefore not available for the task she needed him to complete. There were plenty of other hired guns she could summons but she wanted the best to take care of Taz and in her eyes Ninth Ward Twine was the best. Frustrated and dejected she gave Damon a nod and said, “Okay, we wait. It's not like Taz will be able to find anything concrete against me so time isn't a major concern of mine.”

“I thought you wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible so you could move forward with your plans, ma'am,” said Damon showing concern as only a loyal assistant would. At least that's how he hoped he was coming across to his employer.

“That was the plan but this accident with Twine has set me back. Still everything will work out in my favor because before the summer begins Taz will no longer be in my way. I need to figure out who we will appoint as our next leader. The Network needs a person who knows not only how to lead but to make the hard decisions. Decisions that will continue to push us forward for many decades to come.”

“Why not yourself? You have the vision as well as the leadership skills. You would be perfect to lead the Network.”

She smiled at Damon and said, “This may be true but that is something I've never wanted. I prefer to assist and remain in my current position. I can't really explain it but I just don't care to be the top person. Malcolm Brown was my first choice but since his obvious disappointments he had to be discarded. Stupid ass. Chill Will is too emotional. Any of the others are too Taz-like for me and I will definitely not support anyone who supported Taz.”

“That leaves just one person.”

“Yes, it does. A woman. Piper Dixon. But I wonder if she is really ready for something like becoming the leader of the Network. Not only that, but the first female leader of any organized criminal enterprise. Mmmm, interesting. This is something I have to think about.” As she sat deep in thought about this her cell phone started ringing and snapped her from her thinking. She grabbed her phone and saw that it was Danny Orumutto.

She answered the phone by asking a question. “Can you please tell me when you're going to handle the situation with Taz in Oklahoma City? I feel it's way past time. In fact if my people would have been operational I would have put this in motion by now. Since that's out can you handle this shit please? Taz has been on my ass and actually feels he will soon have enough evidence against me to be able to present it to the council and move against me with their blessings.”

“Calm down. That prick is not as tough as he thinks he is. His days are numbered. I have people in place right now waiting for the right opportunity to do what they do. Taz is not stupid by a long shot and I don't want to tip my hand by making a move without it being on target all the way. I miss, then the war begins and the losses will be heavy on both sides. That's not good for business because then the Russians, Cubans, and Colombians will be pissed and shit will get really thick.”

“When you hit him they will still be pissed so what's going to stop them from acting a damn fool then?”

Danny smiled into the receiver and said, “Me. I'll agree to take Taz's spot with the arms dealing shit at a much lower percentage. Those greedy fools only care about the dollar and when they see they can keep everything going and save more money then it will be easy for them to forget the former leader of the Network.”

“I like.”

“I figured you would. Like I said, calm down and let me handle this. Taz told me to make my next move my best move and that's exactly what I intend on doing. When my people feel they have the best angle they will get at him hard and that will be that. The end of Taz.”

“You make it sound so simple that I have no other choice but to trust you on this and see how it all turns out.”

“That's all you need to do, Saint Tramon. Go get one of your young bucks and do whatever it is you cougars do!” Danny Orumutto said and hung up the phone laughing.

As soon as he ended the call he received a phone call from a longtime friend he hadn't heard from in quite some time. Danny smiled as he answered the call. “Well I'll be damned, the one and only Siggy Loko. What in the hell have you been up to, my man?”

“Same old same old, Danny boy, working and enjoying life as a free and legal man.”

“That's what's up. So, how's the family and all your damn kids?”

“Great. All of them getting bigger and bigger every day trying their best to drive me crazy. Got to love them though.”

“And your man Squid, what is his crazy ass up to?”

“He's good too. As a matter a fact he's sitting right across from me right now. He's the reason why I made this call. Word got to him from the street's grapevine that you're into some heavy shit and from what the streets are saying a war is slowly brewing with your organization and the Network. What's up with that, Danny?” Siggy asked with genuine concern in his voice.

“Nothing to it, Siggy. You know how it goes; sometimes beef can't be avoided.”

“True. But real men can do real shit and make certain compromises for the better of their business. Ain't no weakness in compromise, Danny. I don't know that dude Taz, but from what I've heard he's a fair type of nigga. You on the other hand I do know, and I know you can be one stubborn asshole when you want to be. Everything can't always go your way, Danny.”

“This is true. But I cannot let people dictate my moves either. Got to stand for something or fall for anything, Siggy, you know that.”

“So, what, the word on the streets is real?”

Laughing, Danny said, “You know damn well the word on the streets is always amped up more than what it really is.”

“Come on with that bullshit, Danny. This is me you're talking to. You can't sell that weak shit to Siggy, dog. What's the real, beef or what?”

Sighing loudly, Danny answered his friend honestly, “Yeah, it's beef. But I'm handling it and everything will be all good in a minute.”

“One thing I know about beef is the beef don't stop until somebody dies, dog.”

“Exactly.”

“We go back, Danny, and you already know I got mad love for you and yours. Watch yourself.”

“Always. You never know, I might need you to knock the dust off and come out of retirement and bring your gangsta side back out to help me make it through this power move. Can I count on you if I need to, Siggy Loko?'

“I told you when I first came home years ago that my days in that life were done. I have six kids and a wife to look after, dog; that wild Wild West shit is over with. After Tanisha's death I vowed to make sure I'm here for mines and there's nothing in this world that can make me go against that vow. I know you, Danny, and I know how that devious mind of yours rocks. You got to have it all your way and sometimes that's not a good look, dog. Sit back and look at this beef from every angle and I'm sure you will see a way out of this without having to rock with a war. It won't show weakness; it will show smarts.”

“You asking me to duck shit and ducking any beef does show weakness, Siggy. There is nothing weak about me or the Orumutto organization. I did what I had to do to get this far and I will continue to do what I need to do to further my business.”

“Actually, I did what needed to be done for you to continue to do what you needed to do for your business. Don't forget that fact, Danny.”

Thinking about how Siggy, along with some serious Samoan Bloods and his right-hand man Squid, had murdered his father and uncles in self-defense years ago to put Danny in his current position of power as the head of the infamous Orumutto crime family made Danny smile. “How could I ever forget what you did for me, Siggy? You know better than that. Don't you forget that I too played a key part in saving your ass.”

Siggy sighed and said, “Don't make me have to choose between helping you and risking losing my family, Danny. That shit ain't cool at all, dog.”

Laughing, Danny said, “Same old emotional-ass Siggy Loko. Don't worry I'm good. Glad to know you still got my back though. I give you my word: I won't call unless I have absolutely no other choice. Cool?”

“Whatever.”

“Give my love to the wife, the kids, and all your other baby mamas!” Danny said and hung up the phone laughing.