AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stared at me for an intense moment and then cracked a smile. “Then let me have what I want, and you and I are forever good.”
“How do I know you won’t try to expand or take me out?”
Giving me a crooked, admittedly charming smile, he replied, “You don’t know. It’s why you stay ready at all times. Trust no one.”
I let out a weary sigh. “Come on, Laffy. That’s the best you can do? Tell me you want certain parts of my city, and tell me to watch my back.”
Wisdom shrugged. “No matter what I say, you won’t trust me anyway. Like you shouldn’t trust Roberto.”
Just hearing him say the name of my confidante like he knew him incensed me. “What the fuck you know about my business? You trust Diamond, don’t you?”
He replied smoothly, “Most days. Roberto is not family, and he’s a Tucci. He doesn’t have your best interests at heart. You can’t ever trust someone that’s not your blood, and even then, you may have to keep one eye open.”
I defended more strongly than I actually felt, “He’s my family.”
“And ambition can be a greedy motherfucker.”
“You must speak of yourself if you think you can waltz back here and take over my city?”
Wisdom chuckled scornfully. “New Orleans is a black city, and though you dig black women, last I heard, you’re still Italian. A minority. Your white privilege makes you think you own New Orleans.”
“Still talking that racist shit. Ain’t no fucking white privilege in this dark world. I’m a boss here, a capo in Italy, but I get arrested ain’t no one going to have sympathy for the crimes I committed.”
“Bullshit, your ass ain’t getting arrested for shit. You have the cops on your payroll. Probably the fucking mayor.”
“And you don’t? You didn’t rise this high and so quickly without the law in your back pocket. Hell, your sister just attended a private affair for the Mayor and his wife.”
He fired back, “The one you attended last year?”
“Just proved my point. In this world, we have equal opportunity. I run this city because of my efforts and not because of my fucking pale skin.”
“Why do you sound like a plea for affirmative action?” His genuine deep laughter relaxed the building tension between us.
“Fuck you.” I couldn’t stop the smile that crossed my features. Laffy could always get me to smile even when I didn’t want to.
Wisdom conceded, “We can argue all day about your white privilege, but neither of us has that type of time.”
“Always had to have the last word. Dude, you would create the most insane fact just to have the last word. You told Mr. Edgerson that Egyptians first did the moonwalk when he confronted you about not doing an assignment on the history of modern dance. Had me believing that shit too. You sounded so convincing.”
This time Wisdom’s head went back in laughter. “I’m still me.” He shook his head. “G, I have missed you. In another life, we would’ve still been friends.”
“Yeah...in another life.” The sadness of what could have been hit hard as we faced each other.
“Look, G. I don’t want or need to have the whole city, just complete control over Treme and Algiers. The rest is yours.”
“You fucking kidding me? That’s the biggest tourist area. People are always looking for a good time. Giving you control would significantly cut into my profits.”
“That might be true, but all the other areas combined far surpass Treme and Algiers. Those two territories used to be Desire, and I want them back. Look, I’m not trying to start a war, but I need to feed my people and have my own connection. I’ve revealed myself to you to avoid any unnecessary death.”
“Blood already on both our hands. You’ve killed my men, and I’ve killed yours. That’s the only reason we’re meeting right now, and a fucking bullet isn’t in your head. I don’t want a war either.”
“Oh, so you admit that you’ve killed my men? Two were found dead the first night of the Voodoo Fest. Word on the street was that you were fair and hated violence if it could be avoided. That man who stabbed your man may have been Desire, but I never gave any orders. Someone paid him to set us up.”
“Who paid them?”
“All he said was some white dude before I ended him,” he said as he cracked his neck. “Only reason I’m not speaking to a dead man in front of me is that I believe Roberto and not you ordered the retaliation.”
“What’s done is done. Neither of us wants a war. Treme or Algiers? You can’t have both. So, choose.”
