CHAPTER SEVEN
Nassau, Bahamas
If there is one thing you could say about Jamaica, it’s that he is very good at his job. In a few short months he had just about taken control of the illegal gambling in Nassau. Jamaica and his men had forcibly taken over most of the gambling houses on the island and had opened up new ones. The only real problem he had was with a man named Harry Walker and his wife Deidra. Together they ran a few spots, Deidra was in charge of the women who worked the trade on the island and they stuck their hand in when there was money to be made as a middleman for drug deals. But, Jamaica knew he would turn them in due time.
He turned his attention to extortion. He began shaking down anybody who made money on the tourist industry. From tour operators, to bus and cab companies. From the guys who took tourists out on their boats for fishing trips, to the port merchants. If you made money, you had to pay Jamaica.
His latest target was Henry Clay. Mister Henry, as he was known to the locals, owned and operated a small restaurant near the beach that was a popular tourist spot called The Grill. During the last tropical storm, the roof of the restaurant sustained quite a bit of damage. The cost of repairs was substantially more than Mister Henry could afford. With no one else to turn to, he went to Jamaica for help.
When Jamaica told Black about Mister Henry’s request, Black told him to go ahead and give him whatever he needs. “In fact, make sure he has enough money to expand.”
Jamaica smiled. He knew exactly what Black had in mind. “How big a place you want?”
“I’m thinkin’ it needs to be big enough to add a band and a dance floor,” Black recommended.
“It shall be done.”
Two months after the roof was repaired and the expansion was complete, Jamaica told Mister Henry at gunpoint that he had a new partner. “You can stay on if you want to run the place. It wouldn’t be the same if Mister Henry wasn’t here. Right fellows,” Jamaica laughed with his men. They had their guns drawn too. “But if you wanted to stay at home and retire, I would send one of me brethren each week with a fat check for you. The choice is yours.”
“Choose wisely, ya know,” one of Jamaica’s men leaned in to recommend.
Mister Henry let go a nervous laugh. “I was thinkin’ ‘bout retiring anyway. I’m getting too old for this type of stuff, ya know.”
“A wise decision.” Black was there the next day and The Grill was under new management.
Black had owned a club since he twenty years old when him and Bobby opened The Late Night. Years later, he opened Cuisine and Bobby opened Impressions. When he moved to Freeport, he and Cassandra opened and ran Black’s Paradise until they moved back to New York. He had wanted to open a club since the day he arrived on the island, but he hadn’t had the time to pursue it. His days were taken up with doing business with Meka and nights were filled with his family.
They lived in a house called The Yellow Rose. “Modern grandeur amid the tropical splendors of Lyford Cay,” their real estate agent, Mr. Lightbourn began the day he showed them the house.
“This is beautiful,” CeCe said as she walked around the elaborately furnished house with her eyes wide open.
“You like it?” Black asked.
“Yes,” CeCe said as they followed Mr. Lightbourn around the house.
“And it’s no wonder that you do my dear. This impressive modern masterpiece was designed by a noted Bahamian architect and offers luxury and comfort in a tropical setting. It has 10,426 square feet of living space on more than a half acre of land. An awe-inspiring great room embraces dining and television areas and a two-story living space. It is uniquely positioned with 152 feet on the canal and a wide-open view. The main house consists of four bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, plus a one-bedroom one-bathroom apartment on the grounds. It truly presents a treasure trove of the finest marble from Greece, Spain, and Portugal. Custom interior doors and door frames of Cypress wood; Crystal dining room sconces and a chandelier custom made in Austria. Etched-glass panels, marble treads, and stainless steel balustrades transform the grand staircase into an elegant work of modern sculpture. The enclosed grounds sequester a 25-meter lap pool with cabana and sauna. A private dock extends into the water and can accommodate up to a 120-foot yacht in the deep water canal.” Mr. Lightbourn turned to Black. “Well, Mr. Black, what do you think?”
“Are you thinking about buying this?” CeCe asked.
“I am if you like it.”
“Me?”
“If you don’t like it, we can look at some other places,” Black said and put his arm around her.
“I love it.”
“I do too,” Black said and turned to Mr. Lightbourn. “So what are you asking for this?”
“The asking price is ten million, nine hundred thousand dollars.”
“Nine, cash.”
“I think we can make that happen,” Mr. Lightbourn said with a big smile on his face.
“This house is so beautiful. I can’t wait to come back.” CeCe kissed Black. “This means a lot, you know; it makes me feel like you really do want me to be a part of your life and that makes me happy.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re happy.”