Chapter 4 #3
I waited for Don’s playful grin, but it hadn’t made its usual appearance. No man put fear in my heart, but there were some I had to put extra planning and thought into going against, and Ines Ledesma was one.
At one point, he was something like a legend.
I’d heard tales of the Ledesma Family growing up, and like the Cuppacio men that came before me, nothing was good.
There were claims floating around about the Cuppacio, and while some of it was false, most of it was true, so I knew most of what I heard about the Ledesma Cartel held some truths as well.
Still, I was a man who believed none of what I heard and only a fraction of what I saw.
If I were the type to believe what I heard, then I would say that the Ledesmas made the Cuppacio look like play toys.
They were ruthless and, some years ago, had been responsible for the rising crime in Mexico City.
It was so bad that you had to be vetted before stepping off the plane.
Even if you were just a tourist, you had to check in or you’d find yourself with your wig blown back before you could snatch your luggage from baggage claim.
That was back then, though. These days, the gossiping-ass niggas in the streets claimed that the Ledesmas were being bitched out by a younger, more ruthless, and deadlier familia: The Rodríguezes.
Even though I didn’t believe most of that shit, I knew that Don’s little pop-up was more than a favor. It was like risking death by putting me at the table with a shark.
“We already got a cartel locked in,” I said, more so to myself.
We had the Navarro Cartel, and I fucked with Goal and looked forward to my pickups. The nigga was a fool, even though he had me side-eyeing him for lending Don his aquarium for our last mission. From what I know, Ines Ledesma also moved cocaine and owned coca farms just like the Navarros.
“I don’t need him for his work. If you’re not a friend of the Rinaldis, you a foe. That nigga claims he wants to be a friend. I want you to see what the fuck he’s offering, and if the offer is even worth my time. If it is, you come back and report that shit.”
“And if it isn’t?”
“Look, I need you on this.” A vein appeared down the center of Don’s forehead as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants.
For the first time since I’d met him, Don looked stressed.
This nigga was always popping off at the mouth, so seeing his face tight almost threw me for a loop. Still, I stood idle.
“You couldn’t send Reuchie? Where the fuck he at?”
“Reuchie on a… extended leave of absence. According to his son, that shit is indefinite. You the only man on my team that can get this done. I trust you with this.” Don was on a roll today because his trusting me with anything was a new one.
“You just admitted that I was unpredictable, but now you trust me?”
“I said I trust you with this. I didn’t say I trusted you. Trust is earned, and just as I haven’t earned yours, you ain’t earned mine.”
“Aite.”
“Aite?”
“Yeah, Don. Aite, I’ll do it,” I agreed while mentally assessing my plate, trying to figure out where I would fit this in. Once he gave me a date, I’d move around whatever was scheduled at the same time to make it to this dinner party.
“You know…” Don reached forward, knocking dust off the tombstone.
“You loved your pops. That’s why you upgraded his grave unbeknownst to your cousins.
They think he still lined alongside their bitch-ass pops, but little do they know, he way back here, resting eternally in luxury.
The grass is greener, the trees are shadier, and the tombstones are taller in this area. ”
My body tensed at his revelation.
“You leave in the next hour.”
My head whipped so fast that it sent a pain down my spine. “What?”
“I’ve already given your pilot the new course. He’s to take you straight to Mexico City. And don’t worry, he’s being billed to me.”
“I ain’t worried about no fucking bill. If I couldn’t afford it, I wouldn’t have charted him to begin with.”
“Nigga, I know you keep his ass on speed dial. Having him charter you to see a dead nigga that ain’t worth yo’ sympathy seems like a waste, though.”
I sighed, not giving a fuck about his opinion.
Tonight was my date with Glow. I hadn’t even brought my main phone with me because this visit was supposed to be in and out.
The phone I had on me only had Ezio’s and Tune’s numbers stored in it.
I could have easily called Ezio and had him ask Jisei for Glow’s number since I didn’t know it by heart, but she deserved better than that.
Don looked down at his Ademar. “You got about fifty-five more minutes to get to the hangar.”
“You still haven’t told me what to do if his plan for friendship ain’t presentable, for lack of better words.”
Don shrugged and turned to walk away. “Kill that nigga and pray to God you make it past his guards so that you can bring yo’ ass back home. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
Don took some steps, and only then did I notice his driver in the distance, along with two guards outside a white Phantom.
“After I do this, have the meeting with me, Don.”
The quicker I sat down with Don, the quicker my brother could get his ass in.
I could have brought it up while I had Don alone, but this wasn’t the time nor the place.
Plus, I wanted Tunan present so he could speak on his own behalf.
Don already knew what the meeting was about.
That nigga had more eyes than the alphabet boys; he was just being lowdown, a favorite pastime of his.
Don waved me off, walked a few paces, but then stopped. “Oh, and Shio?” he called over his shoulder.
“What?”
“You’re unpredictable because you're battling your emotions. You discreetly loved yo’ daddy—still do.
You want nothing more than to avenge his death, and what better way to do it than to off the nigga who killed him?
Just make sure you keep battling those emotions.
I would hate to have to do you, and have your family on some ‘slow singing and flower bringing’ type shit.
” A grin stretched across his face before he started chuckling.
Running my tongue across my teeth, I blinked. This man was psychotic, and I knew this because I could meet him where he was if I wanted. Instead, I keep it cool because it wasn’t worth the blowup that would happen if I killed his ass.
With the same neutral face I’d had this whole encounter, I replied, “You don’t even believe that shit.”
Don continued his pace and held up a middle finger. “Forty-eight minutes.”
“Fuck!” I barked out before fishing my phone out of my pocket. I went to my dial log and hit the name. Placing the phone to my ear, I waited until it rang.
“Married, though?” was Tunan’s greeting.
“Aye, get the fuck over that shit. You ain’t even had the meeting yet and you crying about some shit you can’t change. I need a favor, though.”
“What is it, big bro?”
After giving Tunan instructions, I ended the call.
Mexico City, though? What the fuck Don got me getting involved with?
I took a deep breath knowing my frustrations wouldn’t do me any good. Running through my ever-growing list, I turned and walked away without speaking a word to my father’s tombstone.
God first.
Make sure the family good.
Eye them Cuppacio boys, the little and the big ones.
Build a relationship with my brother.
Get my brother rich.
Health and wellness.
Stay on top of my mob shit.
Keep Hobo alive.
Get through the meeting with Ines Ledesma.
Find a wife.