7. A Girl’s Best Friend #3
Time flew by like the wind, and we were pulling into the parking lot.
The safe house was in the next city over giving it a forty-minute drive from Magnolia, but we cut that shit in half.
Dice was pulling inside the warehouse to hide the truck.
Rebel and I were parking right behind her.
As we got off the bikes, Tarrie walked over clapping her hands.
“I know you said you’d be in and out but girls, I underestimated the in and out. Where are the jewels?” she questioned.
“In the truck. Where’s the money?” Rebel threw back.
Tarrie pointed to the table where three separate duffle bags sat. They looked heavy which brought a smile to my face.
“Already separated into 1.5 million dollars each.”
Dice tossed her the keys to the truck and headed straight for the funds. She played absolutely no games when it came to her money.
“The catalog is in here as well?”
“Everything is everything. We appreciate you coming through for us,” I said extending a hand in her direction.
“The pleasure is all mine. Your father looked out for me so many times, I owe him more than this.”
“Do you want to inspect anything?” I inquired ‘cause once we were gone in the wind, wasn’t no doubling back to question shit.
“I never inspected anything from your father. He kept his word and supplied exactly what he said he would. I’m trusting you that you do just as good business as he did. Am I wrong?”
Shaking my head, I chuckled saying, “Nah. All I know is loyalty. I scratch backs so they can scratch mine. Trust is hard to come by and I’m in a field where I got to trust somebody besides my sisters in order to make bread.
I appreciate you coming through for real.
Take your shipment and be on your way. Don’t mention us and we won’t mention you.
I’d hate for you to violate that and end up in an unwarranted grave,” I warned her.
“You are your father’s daughter alright.” Tossing the keys in the air, she caught them and offered one last laugh. “Nice doing business with you Gang of Roses. I hope we meet again somewhere in the future.”
With that, her and the two men accompanying her gathered the cases of jewels from the truck and left just as quick as they came. I too joined Dice and Rebel at the table to assess the blue faces.
“What we feeling like heffas? We good?” I inquired.
Dice couldn’t do shit but smile from ear to ear as she used the money marker on each Franklin she touched. My guess, Tarrie came through with real bread and ain’t flank on us. Seeing that I ain’t have to double down on my threat, I relaxed a bit.
Rebel collected her shit and headed over to her bike. “I’m good. I’ll see y’all when I see y’all.”
“Damn, Rain. You can’t stay and kick it with yo’ sisters? We just finished a job. You can give us a fuckin’ minute,” Dice fussed.
“I’m a grown ass woman. I ain’t got to do shit I don’t feel like fuckin’ doing. Who the hell you feeling like?” Rebel threw back. With that, she pulled out the warehouse without giving us so much as her ass to kiss. She came through when we needed her so I took what I could.
“Just… let her go, Dice. It’s clear that Rose is still effecting everybody right now. A year feels more like a day, so I get it. You dipping out too, huh?”
“Yeah, my da… I got shit to take care of back home.”
Dice rearranged her sentence thinking I wouldn’t catch on to it. I cocked my head to the side with dipped brows out of confusion.
“What? Why you looking at me like that?” she questioned.
“You was gon’ say something. What was it?” I was giving her a chance to put it on the table. We bonded before any of the other roses. I was her best fuckin’ friend. She could confide in me, and she knew it.
“I said it. Thanks for the job. I got to go.” Dice was a woman of many words so for her to not say shit… yeah, that had me ready to push for more information. However, the place that all the roses were in emotionally, it would do no good.
Throwing my hands up, I said, “If that’s how you want to play it, then so be it, sis’. I ain’t gon’ hold you up. Thank you for coming through for me.”
She nodded and dipped the fuck out. I had my sisters back for a few days and for that, I was grateful. I wasn’t telling them how to grieve and thankfully that same energy was reciprocated. We’d find our way back to each other eventually.
Grabbing my funds, I removed my cell from my pocket and called D-Row. He answered with, “Where you at?”
“On the way to the condo. What’s the word?”
“Everybody is clueless as hell. Y’all did good. Give me an hour and I’ll be home to you, aight?”
“Yes, sir ski!”
I was climbing onto my bike and checking my emotions. This was as far as they went. I needed to focus on centering myself and genuinely loving my man. It seemed as if he was the only one I could share a space with without expecting anything in return.
My sisters were here for the bread, and they made that very clear tonight. D wanted me in his life permanently. I figured it was ‘bout time to stop being hung up on ruining people’s life and take a risk.