The Hustler's Daughter {DC Bookdiva Publications} (13 page)

His
thinking was if he couldn’t kill him immediately, he would slowly plan it. His
workers surrounded the table as he held the picture of his beautiful daughter.
The man responsible for killing his daughter stood in front of him with his
head held high, but inside he was shaking in his boots. The message was clear:
anyone that crossed Vicente’s path or hurt someone he loved had to pay.

“You
killed my daughter.” Vicente yelled. “I told you bastards to find him, kill him
and bring my daughter back to me. And I said alive, it’s that simple.” He
raised his voice, “I know that motherfucker is with my daughter!”

“We
saw him with a young looking woman who resembled Maria, but I know for sure it
wasn’t her.” The worker tried to explain himself, but Vicente held his hand up
in the air for silence. He grabbed his gun jammed it against his forehead. The
only sound in the room was the heavy breathing of the man looking down the
barrel of Vicente’s Glock 45. Sweat poured down his face in fear and his bowels
released right there.

“You
killed my daughter!” Vicente spat, “Now it is time for you to meet your fucking
maker.”

“Nooo…
please, no I’m sorry Mr. Vicente.” The worker begged him.

“Get
on your knees you fucking coward.” The man continued to beg and plead, yet
Vicente didn’t listen to or care about his cries of mercy.

“Please
don’t do this Vicente, I didn’t kill-”

Vicente
stood back and shot him in both thighs leaving him helpless and crying out for
help.

“Ahhh.”
he cried out as he held his leg in agony. Blood poured from his injuries and
onto the cream carpet, staining it permanently.

“Now
that you’re on your fucking knees like I kindly asked you, I have a question
for you.” He smiled, “You killed my daughter, my beautiful daughter. And you
think that I should let you live?” Vicente’s heavy Cuban accent came out mostly
when he was very angry and vexed.

“Yes,”
he cried out. “I have a family, and I told you that I didn’t kill your
daughter.”

“I
don’t give a fuck about your stupid bitch and kid. I will fuck her and then
kill her like you did to Maria!” He barked. He shot him in the chest causing
his shoulder blade to jump back.

“Ahhhh,”
he screamed again as his clothes were drenched in blood. To add insult to
injury, Vicente used the butt of the gun and smacked the man directly in the
jaw causing blood to ooze out from his mouth.

“See
you in hell motherfucker.”

“Fuck
you!” The dude spat as he spit blood at Vicente and started laughing
hysterically.

“You’re
jealous of Mr. Carter, you fucking spick!” Everyone in the room was shocked
that he was speaking like this to Vicente. No one ever disrespected him, no
matter what.

Vicente
laughed as he raised his gun and shot him in the head. The room was filled with
carnage from the torture that he inflicted.

“Clean
this mess up.” He demanded to one of his workers.  Looking down at the mess he
made, he spit on the carcass while saying “Fucking puta!”

As
he was about to walk out, the phone rang. The voice on the other end began
telling him that the body found wasn’t his daughter. He was relieved. A wide
smile appeared on his face as he hung up the phone. His plan continued. He knew
he could rest easier since his offspring was alive and well. In his view, the
murder wasn’t in vain. He was always ready to get rid of those not useful to
him.  He had no regrets.

 “So
Plan B, Emilio you will go into work with Carter under an assumed purpose. You
will be starting over. You will be working with him and I need you to gain his
trust and be his right hand man eventually.”

   “You
don’t think he will suspect something?” Emilio asked.

   “Listen,
Mr. Carter is good for business. With what I’ve done for him, he will be fine
returning any favors.” He smiled and continued to give orders.      “You’re
going to be an informant, letting me know his every move. Who he speaks to,
where he goes, and when he breathes. Pack your bags, you’re on your way to New
York.”

   Emilio
began to exit so he could get ready when a thought popped into his head.

   “When
I get all this information, what do I do about Mr. Carter?”

   The
answer was contained within a wide devilish smirk on Vicente’s face. “Bring him
to me alive so I can kill him!”

In Love with A Thug

Mercedes
sat in the passenger seat of Chino’s car as they drove down 125th Street in
Harlem singing along to a song called “I’m In Love with a Thug.” She nodded her
head to the music as she discreetly gazed over at Chino. He was so sexy and
perfect in her eyes. For about thirty minutes they drove around and Chino
showed her where he grew up. He also took her shopping, although Mercedes wanted
for nothing, he still wanted to be the man that provided for his girl.

When
they were done shopping, Chino parked the car and took the keys out. Mercedes
was puzzled as she looked around the area and Chino chuckled.

“Why
you look all worried Ma?” Chino chuckled. “This is my crib.” Chino got out of
the car and walked over to the passenger door. He opened it to let Mercedes
out. He led her with her hand in his toward the projects. As they passed by, he
dapped up a few of his homeboys and kept it moving. She pulled her jacket
closer to her cold body as she felt all their eyes gazing at her as they
admired her body and beauty. They knew not to say a word out of  respect for
Chino.

Mercedes
held her nose as she walked up the stairs following behind Chino. Making their
way up to Chino’s floor, they passed urine, graffiti and empty liquor bottles.
Finally they reached his home and when he opened the door Mercedes was shocked.
The outside damn sure didn’t match the inside. As he opened the door and she
stepped inside, she was greeted with a fresh aroma of warm vanilla scented
candles. The house was flawlessly clean and well decorated with plush cream
carpet, nice furniture and expensive electronics.

“You
can sit down here, I’ll be back.” Chino informed her as he disappeared into the
hall. Mercedes sat down and nervously looked around. Her nerves continued when
she heard footsteps too light to be Chino’s. They were the sound of heels worn
by a woman.

As
the woman appeared from the dimmed hallway, her appearance was the first thing
that Mercedes noticed. She was short with a medium build. Her hair was styled
in a blondish brown bob and she wore shorts that look like they were painted
on. She rocked a wife beater that was so tiny her breasts poured out from the
top and sides. She had a sexiness about her that couldn’t be ignored.

She
lit a cigarette and took a seat across from Mercedes and inhaled. She eyed her
guest up and down and finally spoke.

“Who
are you?” She inquired with a little attitude.

“My
name is Mercedes…are you Chino’s sister?”

The
woman cackled and almost choked on her smoke. She reached over to grab an
ashtray and answered the question that she found to be almost ridiculous.

“I’m
Cassandra; Chino’s mother.  You’re Mercedes right? Yeah I’ve heard about you.”
She smirked as she took a drag of her cigarette.

“You
did?” Mercedes had no idea that she was a topic of conversation. Chino had not
mentioned his mother to her at all.

“Yeah,
my son talks about you all the time. I remember the first day I heard your
name, Mercedes this…Mercedes that…he sounded like he was in love.” She smiled
as she waved her cigarette around in the air. “Don’t tell him that I told you
though.” Mercedes smiled as she agreed not to tell Chino.

“You’re
a very beautiful girl.” Cassandra smiled and said while admiring her.

“Thank
you.”

 “You
remind me of myself when I was your age.”

“And
how is that?” Mercedes eagerly wanted to know.

“You’re
beautiful and smart, everything a man could ever want. But you’re in love with
a thug, just like I was.” She smirked as she blew the smoke into the air. “My
mom kicked me out of the house at the age of seventeen over Chino’s father.”
She pursed her lips together and bobbed her head up and down.

“Why
did she kick you out?”

“She
kicked me out because she didn’t approve of my boyfriend and the type of
lifestyle that he was living. I fell in love with him and not what he did. I
loved him as a person and my mother couldn’t accept it. I wasn’t about to throw
away my love for someone else’s decision.”

“Wow,
that’s crazy.”

“Yeah,
I loved that man to death. He asked me to be his wife and I married him.
Shortly after that, I had Chino.”

“Where’s
your husband now, if you don’t mind me asking?” Mercedes inquired, she wanted
to know more about Chino’s past.

“He’s
dead,” she took in a deep breath and finished the last of her cigarette. “He
was into the streets hard and had a lot of enemies. One day it caught up to him
and he got shot almost two dozen times.

Mercedes
could tell she was trying to hold back the tears. Cassandra continued to tell
the story and grew more emotional at the memory. “I just remember seeing him
and him telling me that he loved me. Now I don’t even get to hear him say that
anymore.”

“Oh,
I’m so sorry to hear that.” Mercedes sympathized for her.

“Yeah
this world is cold as fuck, so make sure you snuggle up.”

“Yeah,
I know.” Mercedes simply said not knowing how to comfort this woman. A few
moments ago she was a stranger, now she seemed like an aunt. 

“Baby
Girl, don’t let anyone make decisions for you or try to tell you who to date.
Do what your heart tells you is right. Live your life and you will learn from
your own mistakes. If you can learn from others mistakes, by all means do so.
However, don’t let their fear stop you from doing what you want.” Cassandra
informed her.

“Yeah
it’s best to learn from your own mistakes.” Mercedes agreed.

“One
thing I can tell you is that you are in love. It’s in your eyes and on your
face. I remember that look. It’s the look of love.”

“I’m
really enjoying talking to you. It’s nice to get to know my man through his
family.”

“Well
you can call me Ma now.” Cassandra smiled as she lit another cigarette.  Chino
appeared in the living room and leaned against the wall. He smiled from ear to
ear.

“So
are ya’ll ladies in here talking about me?”

“Ain’t
nobody talking about you Chanito, so hush.”

Mercedes
laughed at his mother’s comment. She tried to sound all young and hip.

“Whatever
Ma, I know ya’ll was in here talking ‘bout me.” He walked over, bent down and
kissed her on the cheek.

“Ya’ll
aren’t going to stay for dinner?” She asked as she put out the cigarette in the
ashtray on the table.

“No
Ma, I gotta go make moves. See you later, love you.”

“Love
you too Chino, be safe.” She yelled out before he left out the door.

“It
was nice meeting you Cassandra, I mean Ma.” Mercedes said as she smiled. She
loved having someone else to talk to openly about her love for Chino.

“Same
here…remember, learn from your own mistakes and not anyone else’s.” She smiled
as Mercedes nodded her head and left behind Chino.

“What
was that all about?” Chino inquired.

“Oh
nothing, me and your mother were just kicking it.” Mercedes smiled.

“Uh
huh.” Chino smirked.

“Your
mom is a nice woman.” Mercedes said as they walked down the steps. Her quote
was stuck in Mercedes’ head. It was on repeat like a song on a CD. As Mercedes
sat in the car, she looked out the window and replayed his mother’s words, “One
thing I can tell you is that you are in love. It’s in your eyes and on your
face. I remember that look. It’s the look of love.”  Mercedes knew she was in
love, but she didn’t know the consequences that could go along with it.

xxxxxxxxxx

Chino
and Mercedes sat opposite each other as they ate dinner at a Spanish restaurant
in Harlem. Mercedes felt Chino staring at her while she was eating. She
swallowed her food and looked up to see him staring into her eyes. She smiled
and with feigned attitude questioned him and his intentions. .

   “May
I help you?” Mercedes said sarcastically.

“What,
I can’t stare at you?” Chino chuckled.

“No
you can, I was just kidding Babes.” Mercedes smiled.

“I’m
just mesmerized by how beautiful you are and how I’ve never met a girl like
you.” He admitted, “I’m lucky to have a girl like you.”

“And
I’m lucky to be with you too Chino.” Mercedes reached across the table and
kissed him slowly on the lips. She gazed at Chino’s sexy features and finally
took a good look at the long scar that ran down to his cheek from the corner of
his right eye.

“What
happened to your face Baby?” Mercedes inquired as she reached across the table
and touched his face and caressed it.

“Oh
this?” Chino chuckled as he pointed to his face. “It’s a really long story Ma.
I don’t even want to talk about it.” Chino took a sip of his drink and tried to
change the subject, but Mercedes kept digging-not taking no for an answer.

“Come
on Chino, I’m here for you talk to me.” Mercedes placed her hand over his hand
and stared him in his eyes with an eager look. The look melted his heart and he
began to open up to her.  Mercedes and his mother were the only women he
trusted.

“Alright
Ma, it happened a long time ago when I used to live in Harlem. When I was about
twelve, my moms was in the kitchen preparing dinner and I was in my room
playing with my toys. The door bell rings and I can hear my father saying ‘I’ll
get it.’ Then a few seconds later I heard a loud bang and my mother screaming.
They were yelling where the money at, where the money at? That’s when I came
out my room to see what was going on and I dropped to my knees as I watched my
father getting pistol whipped. The others tore up our house. I can never forget
one of the dudes pulled my mom by her hair and smacked her in the face with the
gun. I couldn’t take it no more, so I ran downstairs thinking I was all tough
and shit.” Chino chuckled. “I tried to fight them, but one of them pushed me on
the ground and told me if I didn’t stop acting a fool he would shoot me right
then and there. As the dudes came from the back rooms searching, they were
upset because they couldn’t find the money. They instantly shot my father
twenty times in his chest. I felt like I was watching fireworks and shit, the
bullets ripped through him from an AK-47. The only sounds were the shots and my
mother screaming. One of them shot my mother in the leg to shut her up and tied
her up in a chair while covering her mouth with duct tape. They snatched my
little ass up and said, ‘You lucky we might let your little spick ass live and
your Madre. Your father deserved to die, and just so you remember your sorry
ass father everyday-I’ll leave you with his mark.”

Mercedes
noticed a tear forming in his eye, but he wouldn’t let it shed.

“He
sliced me in the face with a huge knife and stabbed me in the chest one good
time, leaving me for dead. I pretended to die by staying still.” Mercedes
placed her hand over her mouth as she listened to the story. She couldn’t
believe what he was telling her and she wanted to cry, but held in the tears.

“Oh
my God Baby, I’m so sorry.” Mercedes walked over to him and she embraced him
and whispered in his ear.

“It’s
not your fault Ma.” He rubbed her back.

“It’ll
be okay Baby, I’m here now and I’ll never hurt you.” A tear slid down her cheek
and she wiped it away before they parted from the embrace.

“Are
you ready to go Ma?”

“Yeah
I’m finished here, thank you.” Mercedes smiled. Chino helped her put on her
jacket and he threw a hundred dollar bill on the table and kept it pushing. As
they drove Mercedes watched the sky out of the window and realized that they
weren’t going back to his house.

“Where
are we going now?” Mercedes asked as they pulled up in front of a fancy hotel. 

“We’re
staying here for the night Ma, if that’s alright with you?” Chino asked. He
wanted to make sure she was comfortable before getting out of the car.

“Yeah,
I told my mom I was staying over at Candy’s. So I’m good, I guess it was a good
thing I packed some clothes.” Mercedes said, as she looked down at her Louis
Vuitton duffle bag that was filled with her clothes.

“Alright
Ma, I just hope she don’t find out and go ballistic on a nigga.” They both
chuckled as they exited the car and walked through the huge French doors. Chino
checked them into their room and started walking down the hall. He took her bag
as they hopped on the elevator and arrived on the 6th floor, which was the all
suite floor. Chino slid the card in the door and the beeping noise went off.
The door unlocked and they both entered the room.

Mercedes
placed her bag on the floor and walked over to the bed and nervously sat down.
Chino walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed and began rubbing her
leg.

“Yo,
are you alright Ma?”