Chapter 2
VALENTINO “VEGA” BAPTISTE
“You ready to get your head in the game, fake mackin’ ass boy?
” My brother snorted in my ear as I reached the terrace.
I’d forgotten he was even on the phone, let alone what I was on my way to do after running into shorty’s fine ass.
I knew for a fact if he’d seen her he’d understand exactly how I’d gotten distracted, though.
Baby girl was stacked with a beautiful face, and just from our brief interaction, I could tell she carried herself well.
Thick ass. I just knew the pussy was fat and just marinating for me.
Before I hit the corner, I turned around to make sure she hadn’t moved and was pleased to see her sitting off to the side, waiting like I told her to.
“Don’t worry about what I got going on, I’m good. Just make sure you’re in position,” I told him, finally reaching the door that led to the ballroom. Whatever his smart ass said back got drowned out by the loud music playing.
Standing off to the side, I scanned the room and my jaw instantly clenched, seeing the nigga I was looking for having the time of his fucking life like he didn’t owe me money.
My intentions had initially been to find De’Angelo, get my point across, and make it back to shorty, so I could end my night the right way, but seeing him so comfortable had me ready to fuck him up.
Grunting, I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from immediately knocking him out once I was within arm’s reach as I maneuvered across the room.
Stupid ass nigga wasn’t even paying attention to his surroundings, and I was able to easily slip up beside him. It took him way too long to realize I was there, but when he finally did, he started choking on the shrimp cocktail he’d been eating.
“Ve-ga!” He coughed, already turning a shade of dark red as he clutched his throat.
“What’s up, D?” My voice held an air of humor despite how pissed off I really was.
“You know when I heard your son was getting married in Dubai, I didn’t believe that shit.
A muthafucka had to put the damn wedding announcement page in my face to prove it.
You’re a bold nigga for putting that shit in the papers―”
“Vega, I didn’t. I―”
I gripped his shoulder close to his neck, cutting off whatever he was about to say.
To the average person, the act looked friendly, but I was really squeezing the shit out of him as I pointed to the middle of the dance floor where the newlyweds were dancing.
“Aye, Sosa, put the spotlight on the kid.” On cue, a red beam appeared on his son’s back.
It blended right in with the strobe lights illuminating the room, but he immediately knew, just like I’d hoped he would.
“You see that shit?” I quizzed, amused by the cartoonish way his eyes bucked.
“Vega!”
“Stop sayin’ my fuckin’ name, nigga! I need you to understand, it’s not a place on this earth you can go that I won’t find you and wreak havoc behind what’s owed to me.
I want my fuckin’ money, De’Angelo, and if I don’t get it, I’m gon’ start picking off your family members one by one.
Starting with your most prized possession.
I know you gotta have a life insurance policy on one of these muthafuckas.
” I let my eyes lazily roam the crowd. Truth was, I’d rather have my money than have to kill anybody, but I wasn’t above doing so.
My philosophy was always that a dead nigga couldn’t pay their tab, so killing them wouldn’t do shit but have another body on my conscience, and I’d still be out of my money.
I knew this nigga loved his son, though, probably as much as he did gambling, which was why I’d made him the target of my frustration instead of De’Angelo’s wife.
“Shit! Okay, okay! I’ll see what I can do!” he cried, and I squeezed his shoulder tighter.
“You’ll do what?”
His face twisted in agony, and his eyes watered. “I will get it to you, Vega. Man, I swear! Just-just get that shit off him, man!”
I considered having Sosa let a shot off just so he knew how serious I was but decided against it.
I wasn’t trying to cause a panic or have officials locking the hotel down, especially when I planned to meet back up with shorty.
“Let up off him, Sos.” As soon as the beam was removed, De’Angelo’s body sagged in relief.
“Don’t test me, D. If I don’t get my money, the next gathering your family has is gon’ be a funeral,” I warned, finally releasing him with a shove and a threatening look.
A couple of people close by laughed as he stumbled, but he straightened up quickly, face tight as he rubbed his shoulder.
Pleased that I’d gotten my point across, I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray and raised it at him mockingly.
Bitch ass stalked off mad as hell, but I didn’t give a single fuck.
He knew better than to try and fuck with my family and had still pressed his luck, so if he didn’t heed my warning, his son’s blood would be on his hands.
My family, the Baptistes, ran an underground casino where we hosted high stakes poker games for the who’s who in Chicago.
Aside from running bets and offering loans, we also ran a few legal businesses.
I only fucked with big money businesses; a beauty supply, a dispensary, a laundromat, and an apartment complex.
All places that were guaranteed to make me money, but even still, the casino brought in so much that I knew I’d never go fully legit.
There were times I had to press muthafuckas like I’d just done De’Angelo or lay niggas to rest, but for the most part, it was more profit than trouble, so it was damn sure worth it.
After draining my glass, I set it on an empty table and checked the time on my AP.
I’d managed to wrap that shit up in less than ten minutes, and I was already on my way back outside.
The second the music faded, Sosa’s goofy ass was talking shit.
“You should’ve let me clip that nigga. He wouldn’t have missed an earlobe, ole overly nice ass muthafucka.
” He scoffed, and I could hear him disassembling his Barrett M82 in the background.
“You did that shit, and I’d have been held up in this bitch for hours. Fuck all that.” As I spoke, I scanned the terrace area in a slight panic when I didn’t immediately see baby in the same spot I’d left her in. I was already annoyed, but Sosa’s cackling only made it worse.
“Bullshit! Nigga, your ass just tryna hurry up and get back to ole girl! Consider it wrapped, sweetheart, face ass!” His voice deepened, trying to sound like me, and I couldn’t help chuckling. I’d definitely been laying that shit on thick. “Wait ’til I tell Quick this shit!”
“Maaaan, you look like y’all niggas be on the phone, gossiping about what the fuck I got goin’ on.
We’re in fuckin’ Dubai, and yo’ ass all on my nuts.
Why don’t you find you something to slide into besides my business?
” I cracked, mood instantly lifting when my eyes finally landed on the person I was looking for.
She’d ventured closer to the beach, as if she’d considered leaving but changed her mind.
Judging from the way she was pacing and wringing her hands, she still hadn’t fully decided, but that was enough for me.
“I did hear the hoes be out here letting niggas shit on their chest and shit,” he acknowledged, and I instantly cracked the fuck up.
“Yooo, get yo’ nasty ass off my phone, nigga!”
“I ain’t say I was gon’ do that shit! I’m just sayin’ that’s what I heard!” his ass rushed to say, but I wasn’t trying to hear that shit.
Truthfully, my head was 300 feet away, already thinking about baby girl’s thick ass legs wrapped around my waist. She must have finally felt me watching because she looked around until our eyes locked.
My feet were already carrying me closer as Sosa weakly pled his case in my ear, but I was laser focused.
Even from a distance, I could see the uncertainty on her face, and I put a little more pep in my step before she could change her mind.
I’d never been a thirsty nigga, not when I had pussy being thrown at me just off the strength of who I was, but the thought of shorty getting away without me even knowing her name had me rushing.
“Aye, bro, for real, don’t be telling nobody I’m into that weird shit!”
“Aye, that’s your business, R. Kelly Jr. I’m gon’ get up with you later, though.” I hung up before he could protest as I reached the edge of the sand. “You weren’t tryna get up outta here on me, were you?” I quizzed, cocking my head once I was within earshot.
Her lips lifted into a smirk.
“I thought about it,” she admitted with a shrug. “But I really don’t wanna be alone tonight.” Her eyes widened like she hadn’t been planning to let that slip, but little did she know, I was on the same type of time. As we spoke, I continued taking slow steps in her direction.
“I’m glad I caught you then, ’cause I’m not tryna be alone either.”
She let out a snort and narrowed her eyes doubtfully. “Oh, really?”
“I rushed back to you, didn’t I?” I challenged, noting how thirsty I sounded with a shake of my head. What was crazy was that I was willing to go further, but I didn’t even need to because she surprised the fuck out of me with her next words.
“I’ll give you that.” She nodded before letting out a deep sigh. “I’m gonna be honest before I lose my nerve. This is my last night here, and I wanna spend it with you… upstairs.” Pausing, she let her words sink in, and I motioned for her to continue.