One Blood

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Monday

Location Unknown

“My boys are on their way,” Snake said. “Is the girl ready for delivery?” 

Amir paced inside the dilapidated school where his crew was holed up. “Everything is under control.”

“It better be. Everything’s been set in motion on my end. If yuh try and fuck me, it’s gonna get ugly.”

“Don’t threaten me,” Amir replied in a calm, even tone. “We are both going to get exactly what we want.”

“I want to know where yuh have the girl,” Snake demanded. “We pahtners, right? What if something bad happens to yuh boys? Yuh know Lafitte can’t be trusted.”

“We’ve been over this a million times…the girl is my responsibility; you just worry about keeping Lafitte in check. Where are you now?” 

“Rayne.”

“Good. Now let’s go over things one last time…”

Moments later Amir hung up and exhaled deeply. Things were slowly falling into place.

* * * * *

The hardest part had been convincing Lincoln to join their cause. He wasn’t exactly the trusting type. But eventually his curiosity got the best of him, and after Panama X explained how Randy Lafitte had not only killed Lincoln’s father, but ruined his mother’s life as well, Lincoln was in.

The first plan had been to incite a riot and use the commotion as a distraction so Amir could sneak Lincoln out of the prison. Panama X quickly vetoed that idea—far too risky. After much strategizing, the three of them had come up with the perfect plan. Actually, it was more than perfect, it was damn near elegant.

Juanita Barber would finally be avenged. Amir visited his mother’s grave in Lake City often. Even though he knew he could speak to her spirit from anywhere, he felt closer, more connected, at the spot where her physical remains lay at rest. One day after one of his regular visits, he returned to his car to find a note pinned between the windshield and wiper. It read:

Meet me at The Island of Capri. 7:00 p.m. Lucky Wins. I have information you need.

* * * * *

Lucky Wins was a cheap Asian restaurant populated by septuagenarians who let slot machines digest their retirement while they consumed smelly chinese food. Amir gazed around the crowded space, searching for anyone staring at him with recognition. A fair-skinned beauty with dark hair nodded and waved at him from the far side of the room.

With a face that could stop a war, her beauty pulsated towards him like a star about to go supernova. He tried to play it cool, but his stomach was hoola-hooping around in his mid-section. As lust stirred in his loins, Amir realized how blinded he had been by his mission. Seeing this woman was like seeing food after starving for so long he’d forgotten he was even hungry.

Amir made his way over to where she was seated. Not knowing what to say, he sat down and tried unsuccessfully not to stare.

“You don’t get out much, do you?” she asked with a slight smile. Amir looked her over. She was a bewitching woman, probably in her early thirties. Her eyes were downright hypnotic—dark, piercing, and seemingly all-knowing.

 “I get out enough,” he replied. “This is my first time in a casino, though.”

“Not a gambling man?”