“Told you she was gonna do good for you. That bitch there a soldier for real,” Rain said and the three went inside.
While they waited for Chao to arrive, Rain told Ryder everything that Milton told her about DP’s legal and illegal businesses. Ryder listened intently and by the time Chao arrived with his men, Ryder already had a plan of how she wanted to do it. Rain and Carter listened as she talked.
“I would have much rather scoped these places, so I know exactly what I’m dealing with. Especially the legit joints, there may be some contingencies in place that I can’t anticipate,” Ryder said.
Carter looked at Rain, and she nodded her head. “Do it,” he said, “but we go at the gambling joint, tittie bar and the online porn spot today.”
Rain sat back and watched her consigliere handle the situation and knew that she had chosen wisely.
Ryder looked at Chao and knew that there was a question that needed to be answered before things went any further.
“If I’m putting in the work, who gets the spots?” she asked.
“Fair question,” Rain said, and she looked at Carter.
“You put in the work, the spots are yours,” he said.
“Hold up now,” Chao said quickly. “It’s my people putting in the work-”
“I got my own people,” Ryder said. “So, you can go.”
“You heard the lady. Send your guys on,” Carter said and leaned close to Chao. “But you come back. I wanna see what she got, so I want you with her every step of the way. Understand?”
“Understood.”
“That means you take orders from her.” Carter leaned forward. “Got that?”
“I got it,” Chao said, and Carter had known him long enough to know that he wasn’t happy about that.
“Look, Rain made me her consigliere. That means, at some point, somebody has to step into the captain seat, and I expect it to be you.”
“Understood,” he said and then Chao went into the club to tell his waiting men that they weren’t needed. When he left the office, Ryder made a call to get her people to meet her at the first spot.
Bennie’s Bodega was the spot where DP ran all of his gambling operations. You could play a number up front, but if you wanted to bet on a game or a pony, or you wanted to gamble, the back of the store was where you wanted to go.
Ryder walked in the store along with Chao and her people. While she and Chao looked on, Chee-Chee walked up and stood in front of the counter.
“Can I help you with something?” the cashier asked.
“No,” Chee-Chee said as Ledell went behind the counter and Natrick stood by the back door.
“You can’t come back here!” the cashier shouted, and that was when Chee-Chee pointed her gun at the cashier.
“You want a job, or do you want to die, honey?” Chee-Chee asked.
“I want a job,” she said.
“Good girl. You work for me now.” Ledell sat down behind the counter. “What’s your name, honey?”
“Denise.”
“You just keep doing what you always do. Ledell is just there to make sure you behave yourself,” Chee-Chee said and then she walked to the back door that led to the gambling with Ryder and Chao right behind her. Natrick opened the door for them and after walking down a short hall, they were confronted by a man. He stood up when he saw them coming
“You can’t be back here,” he said as Chee-Chee raised her weapon and pointed it at him. He put his hands up.
“Don’t shoot, I don’t have a gun,” he sai
d, and everybody laughed at him as they passed.