"Over there," Black said and pointed at Cruz.
The man put his hand on Black’s chest to stop him. "Nobody goes back there," he said.
"Okay." Black grabbed the man’s arm then twisted it behind his back. Black tightened his grip. "You tell Cruz that Mike Black and Bobby Ray would like a few minutes of his time," Black said and let go of the man’s arm and pushed him toward Cruz.
The man walked away shaking his arm as he went. He went to Cruz’s table and whispered in his ear. When he pointed in their direction, Cruz looked up and saw Black and Bobby standing there.
"Shit," Cruz said and leaned close to his partner Jorge. "What the fuck they doin’ here?"
"I don’t know," Jorge said.
"Let them come," Cruz said, and the man went to get Black and Bobby. When he got close to them he signaled for them to follow him.
Cruz saw them coming. "Stay close," he said to Jorge, and he and the women got up from the table.
"Hello, ladies," Bobby said to them as they passed. Both ladies smiled and kept walking.
Black and Bobby got to the table just as the busboy came to clear it. Black and Cruz looked at one another. No one moved or said a word as the busboy did his work. When he was finished and left the table, Black and Bobby sat down. Jorge stood next to the table.
"Mike Black and Bobby Ray, huh? My Uncle Hector used to talk about you guys all the time," Cruz said.
/> "How is Uncle Hector?" Bobby asked.
"He’s doin’ good. My uncle is a great man."
"How’s your Aunt Nina?" Black asked.
Cruz looked at Black. "She’s good, too."
"You tell her I asked for her," Black said and thought about the last time he saw Nina. It was right after Shy was kidnapped in the Bahamas. The kidnappers left the island by boat and headed for Miami.
When Black, along with Bobby and Nick, got to Miami, he stopped at La Covacha to ask Hector if he knew anything about the kidnapping. They checked inside and then went out on the patio, but Hector wasn’t out there so they went back inside. That’s when Black saw Nina coming out of the VIP room and make her way to the bar. Black walked up behind her.
"Hello, Nina."
Nina closed her eyes and her head drifted back at the sound of his voice. "Hello, Black," she said without looking at him. "What are you doing here?"
"I’m looking for Hector."
"I was hoping you’d say something noble like you came here looking for me; that you couldn’t live another minute without seeing me."
"It is good to see you, Nina, even if you won’t look at me." Nina took a deep breath and turned around slowly. "You look good, Nina."
"So do you. Very good."
"Where’s Hector?" Black asked quickly before he took the conversation in another direction.
"He’s in the VIP room. But if you stand here and talk to me long enough, he’ll be out here soon. I’m sure somebody will run and tell him that I’m out here talking to this big, fine black man," Nina said and put her hand on Black’s chest.
"I wanna talk to him, Nina," Black said and very slowly removed her hand from his chest. "Not have to kill him over you."
Nina looked at the ring on Black’s finger. "You’re married?"
"Happily."
"Now that we’re both married, maybe you’ll come down here to see me."
"I still don’t mess with married women."