“No,” Stark said quickly and looked around the room. “I swear ’fore God, I didn’t know nothin’ ’bout that.”
“I didn’t think you did, but I had to ask and see your face when you answered.”
“Where did you hear that Cash knew who Mylo really was?”
“I have my sources.”
“Can’t be nobody but CeCe.” Stark looked at me for a second. “Mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“You want to know if I trust her.”
“Do you?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Any reason you know of that I shouldn’t?”
“No. Not really. I guess I’m just not a trustin’ muthafucka, that’s all. I’ll say one thing for her, when Cash got smoked she was smart enough to get Cash’s stash out of that apartment before the cops got there.”
“I heard that too. You know who she sold it to?”
“Me.”
I already knew that, I just wanted to see if he would tell me. “That’s what I thought.” I stood up and walked to the window and looked out. “No, I haven’t decided whether I trust CeCe or not, but whether I do or not, I still need to know what the deal was with that and how it ties into some other shit
I got goin’.”
“What’s that?”
I didn’t answer him ’cause my business with Vinnelli was none of his fuckin’ business.
“You know, now that I’m thinkin’ ’bout it, the first time Birdie introduced us to Mylo, Cash did say that he thought he knew him from somewhere.”
“Yeah, Cash knew he was DEA.”
“What you gonna do now?”
“I don’t know,” I said ’cause I didn’t. “But if I need you to do something for me, I need to know if I can count on you.”
“Whatever you need, Black.”
I shook Stark’s hand and left the building with Kevon. Cash definitely knew who Mylo really was. That’s why Mylo hit Cash first. The logical thing would have been to takeout Stark first. That would have sent The Commission in disarray. As we drove away from there I thought about what I was gonna do next. I needed to talk to somebody who could tell me more about Vinnelli, and knew exactly who that was.
Chapter 22
Nick Simmons
I woke up the next morning to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I didn’t know what time it was, but whatever it was, it was too damn early. When the phone stopped, the doorbell started, and then my cell started ringing again. “Okay, I get it; you’re at the door,” I said loud and to nobody. I rolled out of bed and grabbed the phone. “What?”
“Come open the door.”
It was Black. I looked at the clock. It was ten ’til ten. What the fuck was he doin’ up, first of all; and here so early? I opened the door for Black and Kevon.
Black came inside wearing a suit and a tie. He hates ties. Kevon nodded his head, turned around, and folded his arms. I closed the door.
When I got in the living room, Black was at the bar making a drink. Kind of early-but what the fuck.
“Pour me one too.”
I sat down and Black brought me my drink. He sat down and smiled. “Did I wake you up?”