“So, what happened?”
“She threatened to kill me, that’s what happened.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. She said she wanted to know where I stood and I told her that I didn’t want to get involved. Then I asked her if Black knows what going on and that’s when she threatened to have me killed.”
“She’s as bad as Rain.”
“I really don’t think Black knows what these bitches are doing. If he did they wouldn’t get so worked up and want to kill me when I say anything about talking to him.”
“I think you’re right. But Monika just came from down there. Why don’t you ask her.”
“I am,” Jackie said and went to the door. When she made eye contact with Monika, she signaled for her to come to the office. Monika came in and Jackie closed the door. She told Monika what she knew of what’s been going on. “Does he know what’s going on up here?”
“To be honest with you, Jackie, I don’t think he does.”
“I think I need to tell him. What do you think I should do?”
“You gotta do what you think is right, but when I mentioned that he needs to come up here he said Nick’s got to handle things for himself. Besides, he got too much going on down there with the expansion and CeCe being sick all the damn time. He thinks he needs to stay close to her.”
“His family or his family,” Travis said.
“That what it comes down to,” Monika said. “Hey, daddy, you need to come home ’cause the big kids are fighting.”
Jackie laughed. “But the big kids got guns and will kill me if I tell.”
“What you gonna do?” Travis asked.
“I don’t know. I need to think,” Jackie said and sat down.
“Well while you thinking there are some people out there that want to talk to you.”
“Who’s that?”
Travis left the office and escorted six men into the office. Irving Spencer and Gene Hazelton ran gambli
ng spots. Tony Rizzo, Earl Jones and Jerry Demet ran number spots. And Chester Brightman, he was a loan shark. Each of them had worked for Black and ran their small, but profitable operation quietly. Having small operations, none of them had a lot of muscle and were fearful that they would get caught up in the war.
Jackie sat at her desk and Travis stood next to her and they listened as one by one, and sometimes all at once, the six operators expressed their concerns. Finally Jackie asked the only question on her mind. “Why come to me?”
“Word is that you threw Rain outta here yesterday and then you ran her men out of Impressions,” Spencer said.
“We don’t have access to the kind of muscle it’s gonna take to hold off Rain,” Rizzo said.
“Wanda already had Nick killed, what do you think she’ll do to us?” Brightman demanded to know.
“Rain told me that Nick is alive,” Jackie said.
“I think she’s just sayin’ that to keep Wanda from goin’ all out. I heard Nick took six in the chest and died in front of JR’s,” Jones said.
“All were askin’ is that you extend your protection to include us,” Demet said.
“What you gonna do, boss?” Travis whispered in her ear.
“Don’t call me that.”
Jackie promised to do what was necessary to protect Black’s interest. When the operators left Travis and Monika asked the question again. “What you gonna do?”