to make money.â Rossi reached into his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope. âAnd the money I made tonight is going to help me to continue to do just that.â He opened it up and showed me a wad of bills, way too much to count. âOne hundred large,â he said, folding it up and placing it back into his pocket. âI owned the tables tonight.â
I put two and two together at the night spot we just left. âThatâs a hell of an operation they have going,â I mentioned to Rossi.
âRodneyâs the truth, man. Heâs a man of many ideas.â Rossi waited for the waitress to pour our water. âYou and the baby girl enjoy yourselves, tonight? Meet any new friends? â
âNot like we had hoped,â I told him. Rossi had his eyes on me extra tight like never before. I asked him what the problem was.
âNo problem, bro; to each his own is what I always say.â
âSlow down your thoughts. You know how I do things.â
Rossi looked over at the girls. âI always thought I was the wild one in this relationship, man, but youâve stolen my crown.â
âBelieve me, youâre still king in that department. I was there looking for someone.â
âOh yeah? Who?â
âSomeone to lead us to a killer for a friend of a friend . . . And then thereâs this two million dollars.â
âtwo million dollars you say?â
Chapter 18
Who would have thought Rossi would be our in? While we broke bread Rossi revealed that he had been a patron of Rodneyâs poker nights for the past two years. He boasted of big-time connections inside his entire operation. When Rossi heard about the two million he wanted inâbut at a price. I couldnât sanction a deal on the prospects of another manâs money. But I did have the ability to get everyone in the room to discuss it. Rossi had a private poker game with a few other insiders of Rodneyâs circle in a few nights. I let Rossi know I would parlay a meeting with him and Tavious Sunday at my shop.
It was storming outside when I arrived at my place of business. It was a few minutes past eleven. Tavious was already there, sitting on the hood of one of the cars left over for the weekend. He didnât speak when I walked in. As I got closer to him I could see he wasnât doing so well.
âGeez, did you even hit the other guy?â I wanted to know.
Tavious had a hell of a bruise under his eye and way too many scars and scrapes to count on his body to go along with his ripped clothing.
I moved in to take a closer look at him. âWhat the hell happened?â
âCops . . .â
âCops?â
âYeah, the same two police from the other day. They followed me out of the house. I was on my way to get a bite to eat last night. Hit me with the flashing lights, pulled me overââ
I cut him off. âAnd when you rolled down the window, popped you one, right?â
âHowâd you know?â
It had been the same way they treated me a few years ago. I went into the kitchen of my shop to get Tavious some ice. When I returned Rossi and Tavious had already met.
Rossi turned away from Tavious and looked at me. âYou see this, West?â Rossi asked.
âYeah, I see itâAtlantaâs finest at their best. And get this, one of the officers following him is the one in the same who dragged us into that vacant house.â
âMan, you donât even know what kind of loser scumbags these dudes are,â Rossi said to Tavious.
âI think I have an idea now,â Tavious admitted. âThey dropped me off outside city limits, took all my money, and I had to walk back.â
I gave Tavious the ice and he placed it on the side of his head.
âFuckinâ bastards,â Rossi let out.
Tavious took the ice from his head then pointed at Rossi. âSo, whatâs this all about, man? I need to go lie down.â
I looked at Rossi then