Heels of Love (G Street Chronicles Presents From Love to Loathe Series) (28 page)

“Shit girl, when was the last time you ate? You don’t look like you have missed any meals, and girl, the white men are going to love your fat ass. They all come over looking for a video vixen. Girl, they see one Lil Wayne video, and they lose their God damn minds.”

“I’m trying to make some money, so I can get me a place.”

“Oh, you need a place to stay. Girl, C.J. will handle all that.”

“How much does it cost?”

“Well, C.J. will protect you from the police and jerks. We have to bring him five, and we can keep one.”

“So, where does the really rich men drive thru at?” I asked her.

“Well, alright then, somebody got they big girl draws on. I’m gone call C.J., and then I’m gone’ take you to Rachel. She won’t like you, but she knows money when she sees it.”

We walked four blocks, and then we were on a busy street. Cinnamon hung up the phone and said, “Okay, he said to take you to Rachel and if Rachel says no, you got to go.”

I shook my head with wide eyes.

“Don’t worry. She just thinks she’s the queen bitch.”

We walked up to a bar, and there were a few tables outside. A couple of women were sitting out there talking. Cinnamon walked up and cleared her throat. Both of the women looked up at us.

“C.J. wants you to check her out,” Cinnamon told her.

The woman sitting across from the tall blonde got up and went into the bar. The blonde pulled a seat out and gestured for me to sit down.

I did, and Cinnamon sat next to me.

“Let me see your arms,” the blonde demanded. I slid out of my jacket, and she looked at both of my arms thoroughly. “Let me see your teeth.” I opened my mouth wide, and she looked in. “Do you have any scars?”

“No,” I told her.

“Go make three and come back,” she told me. I opened my purse and gave her the seven hundred dollars I had stashed in my zipper.

“I made this tonight already,” I told her.

“Shit girl, I bought a slice of pizza. You was holding out on me,” Cinnamon said.

“Where you from?” the blonde asked.

I am originally from Tennessee, but I just moved here from Vegas,” I lied.

“Why you leave Vegas?”

“Well, see my sister got in a little trouble and got me in some too, and she ended up getting herself killed, and I got out of there.” I told her the truth.

“What’s your name?”

“Cricket.”

“What’s your poison?”

“Rich men, clubs, casinos.”

Since our four block walk, I would have to say we were now six blocks from The Three Strike Casino. I was not sure where Jyme and them were held up, but I was almost positive someone in that casino would know.

“Okay, Cinnamon take her over to the Three Strikes and see how she does,” the blonde said. Cinnamon grinned wide, and she jumped up and yanked me up with her.

“What’s a three strike?” I whispered loud enough for the blonde to hear me. I heard her chuckling, and Cinnamon laughed and told me to come on. We walked for about a block, and then I pulled out my phone. There were no messages.

I cringed and called Chelle.

“I need a ride,” I spoke into the phone. I told Chelle where we were, and she came around the corner. I told Cinnamon those were my friends, and she got in with me. Once we got into the back of the truck, I turned to Cinnamon.

“Shit, you’re a cop,” she yelled and turned, trying to get out of the truck, but the child safety was on.

“I’m not a cop. I’m looking for someone. I will pay you a thousand dollars to help me out.”

She thought about it for a minute and agreed. I gave her five hundred cash and told her I would give her the rest after we got out at the casino. I gave Cinnamon a brief and much edited version of what was going on and who we needed to find. So Jyme turned into Ayashe’s boyfriend. and I was her best friend who was trying to help. Chelle was a friend and driver plus she spoke Spanish. I just threw that in there for a twist.

Cinnamon’s eyes were wide. She thought this was so exciting. I thought for a moment and realized that I lucked out with her.

“You need to talk to Joey,” she told me.

“Who is Joey?”

“He’s a bodyguard over at Three Strikes, but he’s cool.”

“Do you know how to get in touch with him?”

“Yeah, he’s a regular.”

“Okay, can you call him and see if he has any friends that would like some company tonight because we’re trying to make some serious money? Make sure you tell him you got a brand-new girl that can suck the chrome off a bumper.”

I saw Ayashe’s head whip over towards Chelle, but neither one of them said a word. Cinnamon called Joey. I used two makeup remover wipes and reapplied my makeup but with a little more class this time. I reached over Chelle and pulled my purse from under the seat and dug in for the little box. I pulled it out and slipped the cricket on my ring finger. I knew I needed something to distract me for what I was about to do, and this was it.

“Okay, he down. They’re having a party, and he said the more the better,” Cinnamon said looking at Chelle and Ayashe.

“No, just me,” I told her.

“Cricket,” Chelle said.

I rolled down my window and opened the door, and Cinnamon slid right out behind me.

“Hey listen, they gone want to
really
play once we get up here.”

“Just remember what I told you, and if this works, there may even be a bonus in it for you.”

After clearance with security, we made it to the penthouse. Cinnamon walked in, and I followed. There was a serious coke fest going on. This could be a very good thing or a very bad one. You never can tell with cokeheads. I saw six bodyguards, and they were all sober. The room was massive; there were at least five bedrooms as far as I could tell. One of the bodyguards looked at me and started over. Someone stopped him, and I went in the other direction.

Cinnamon came back and told me the man in charge was not there yet, but he was coming. She then pulled in a little closer to me.

“He’s at his house dealing with some out of town issues.”

“Do you know where he lives?”

“Slow down GI JOE. Let’s get in the house first.”

There were already some girls here, but the pickings were slim. This was better for me because the less skinny made the fat beauty look ten times better. I pulled out my phone and texted Chelle that everything was ok.

The elevator dinged, and three men got off. I knew the man who ran things was in this bunch somewhere. They all just had this aura about them; one was native, one was some kind of mixed race, and the other was black; and fucking shit of all fucking shit—I knew him. Our eyes met instantly, and I turned from him.

Cinnamon watched me and followed.

“What ya doin?” I kept moving

“Is that them?” she whispered.

“We gotta go,” I rushed out.

Cinnamon turned and started going back up the steps towards the elevator and I followed. We almost made it to the top when an arm gripped mine.

“Where you going, Cricket?” the voice asked.

Then the bodyguard who was approaching earlier was now standing beside me. I now knew why he was coming towards me; he knew me too, and this was not good.

Troy and Trey knew me and my sister very well. We all used to strip together in Fresno. Troy and Trey were twins from Palo Alto; they were alright guys until they started drinking. And with the looks of this crowd, they’ve come a long way up from Fresno. They took us to one of the empty bedrooms, and Cinnamon looked like she was about to bolt.

“What ya doing here, Cricket?” Troy asked.

“I’m working.”

“Nawh, you look too good to be working. You looking damn good, girl,” Troy said.

“She still got that baby fat, but it’s working for her,” Trey said looking at my butt.

“Where’s your sister?” Troy asked.

“Dead.”

“Shit, what happened?” Troy asked.

“I don’t remember,” I lied.

“Bullshit,” Trey said.

“They call it some kind of blockage that can happen when you’re in a trauma,” I told them.

“Well, you look too classy to be working. Now her, she’s working,” Troy said looking over at Cinnamon. She gave him the finger and told him to eat her.

“Hell fuck no!” he answered.

“So, what you guys doing now?” I asked.

“I’m Mr. Paul’s right hand man, and Trey’s one of his bodyguards,” Troy told me.

“Who’s Mr. Paul?”

“He owns this Casino and two in Washington State.”

I swallowed hard and bit back the cry that was trying to get out.

“Cricket, can you still do that thing with your tongue?” Troy asked.

“Troy, that was child’s play. I’ve so many more tricks in my bag now.”

“I bet you do too, woo!” he said, reminiscing about the old days.

Troy looked over at Cinnamon and asked her who she worked for. She told him C.J.

“Cricket, what the hell you over there nickel and diming it for? Girl, you got way too many skills for the streets. You need to be inside a casino working on the floor with the high rollers.”

“So, do you have a job for me?” I asked.

“You know what, as a matter a fact I do,” Troy answered.

“Wait, what about me,” Cinnamon asked.

“You can’t do this job,” Trey chuckled.

“I can teach her,” I assured them both.

“Okay, she’s your responsibility,” Troy told me. I stared at him and licked my lips slowly. He laughed.

“Girl, you’re good,” Trey said shifting in the seat of his pants.

“Four hundred a head, and any tips are ours,” I told him.

“Three hundred a head, you keep your tips, and free room and board,” Troy negotiated.

I looked over at Cinnamon and then back at Trey and Troy. “You need to take care of C.J.”

“Well, what about you?” they asked.

“I don’t work for anyone but myself, you know that.”

I stood, and Trey pulled me against him.

“Cricket, we’re having a private party tonight, why don’t you and your friend come out to the ranch?”

“Sure.”

“Where you staying?” Troy asked.

“Nowhere actually. I just moved here, and I haven’t had time to find anything yet.”

Troy picked up his phone and dialed a number. “This is Troy. Mr. Paul has two new employees who will need a two-bedroom suite for, well, until otherwise.” He hung up the phone. “It’s taken care of. Just check in at the front desk, and give them this card,” Troy said. He handed me a business card. I gave it to Cinnamon, and she slid it in her purse.

“Cricket, fix her tonight, and then tomorrow we can have you an account set up with one of the stores,” Trey said frowning at Cinnamon.

“Blow me,” Cinnamon told him.

“Hell no,” Trey told her, shaking his head. “There will be a limo downstairs in two hours to bring you out to the ranch.”

Cinnamon and I walked towards the door.

“Ladies, your employment starts as soon as you leave this room. Everything you see or hear from here on out is confidential,” Troy told us both. We nodded and left.

As soon as we got back on the elevator, I texted Chelle, “On our way.”

We got into the car, and Cinnamon started yelling at the top of her lungs. “YOU ARE FUCKING AMAZING. I LOVE YOU.”

“What happened?” Chelle and Ayashe both asked. I filled them in on the very well-edited version, and I told them that Cinnamon was so stoked about us going to this A-list party. Ayashe seemed pleased, but Chelle stared me down through the review mirror. I asked Cinnamon if she needed anything from her old stuff and she said, “HELL NO.”

We stopped at Macys in the Beverly Center so Cinnamon could get another dress and shoes. Ayashe went to the bathroom, and Cinnamon was in the dressing room. Chelle and I sat in the waiting area.

“You love him. You really do love him, and I can see that now,” Chelle told herself this.

“Chelle if-”

She interrupted me. “You are going to find them, and you will get them back home. I know that. But I also know, you’re not coming back with us,” she said, not making eye contact with me.

“Chelle, I need you to get him out of here, and make him forget me and make him let this casino go,” I told her through tears.

“What are you going to do?”

I looked at her and smiled, “A trade.”

We made it to the ranch, and Chelle was about a mile back behind the limo. I told her to wait until she heard from me to do anything. We walked into the house, and everything was clean. There was music coming from all over the house. A server walked up to us with a tray full of champagne flutes. We both got one, and Cinnamon was about to chug hers down. I stopped her at once. We found the nearest plant and poured them out. We walked on into the house and saw Troy coming from a door. That door had steps going down, and I knew that had to have been the basement. He smiled at us and waved us in. He gawked at Cinnamon and said, “My brother has to see this.”