Everything at home has been really good, Beth isn't as wary around me as I thought after we 'talked' a little and I let things 'slip' out. Actually she's been pretty happy with the way that Mom is treating her since she and I are talking and getting along really well. Abigail is more reserved around me and Mark is just oblivious to anything really that doesn't involve an obvious threat to the family or his siblings. I have siblings. It's actually nice to say that even though there are moments where I want to take one of my sisters to bed and wear out every section of my room. I do believe I've said that I find them attractive. But thanks to my getting through my classes early and basically riding out the year for the few remaining months I have free time to set up a few meetings and make some changes. First thing, switch my lease to a different unit. Hector and Lupe both came by, each one alone and once together looking for 'Jeff' but I was elsewhere and having disposed of his phone I've cut ties to that part of the plan. My new apartment is set up across from the old one so that I can look out the front and see if anyone comes by looking for 'Jeff'. I also tested to see if Lupe would recognize me without the facial hair and in my new clothes once just to see if she'd think it was 'Jeff' and nothing happened. I could see she was bothered by everything that happened and I remember when I felt bad about things like hurting people who didn't deserve it.
This is not where you puss out.
They aren't your friends; you have one friend and your family.
Everyone else is the enemy! Everyone else is just a new target!
Calm down friend, let's not rush things.
So Friday I'm cultivating a good reputation with my Mom. I don't need to but she does all this charity work so I'm taking a personal interest in one of the girls at one of the halfway houses and using 'my' new apartment to get her a head start.
"So since I can't stay at the halfway house anymore you're putting me up in an apartment you own," she asks as I show her the inside of the 'new' but same as the other one I had.
"Pretty much, you were nice to me and when Mom said it was going to be tough for you I figured you could use some actual assistance," I explained to Jackie, my new friend.
I explain the basics of my rules for the place, yes she can have company, and no it cannot be overnight. I paid for three months rent and first utilities, but she needs to find a job to pay for months two and three. I will be visiting the area and have a key of my own which she understands but then asks a question.
"So am I like your booty call girl in an apartment," she asks with a level of concern.
"No, if you wanted to have sex with me then let me know. You did something for me and you're not a bad person so I figured you could use a hand up and here we are," I explain and she nods but is skeptical," Did you want to have sex?"
"No, I mean we could but I'm not really into men. Had something bad happen to me for a couple years when I was a kid and now I'm just not into relationships and stuff," Jackie says sitting down on the couch.
"Well someday when you're more on your feet and able to take care of yourself we'll sit down and discuss childhood damage and what it did to us sometime," I joke and she laughs a little," As long as you got everything I have some food in the fridge. You have a phone?"
She nods and we part as I return to my car and I'm only five feet away from it when I almost run directly into Hector who is heading my way with a question and an attitude.
"What are you doing here," he asks me and I'm not afraid for once.
"Helping out a friend," I don't need to lie to him.
"Who," Hector asks and I don't see any of his friends.
"Nobody you'd know now back off," I tell Hector and he is a little surprised at me talking back.
"You better start talking," he warns me and I laugh.
"Okay, so what is this I hear about your girlfriend screwing football players," I ask and he's pissed but holding back," Nothing? You mean the video that went around with her saying his name and him just pounding away at her was a joke?"
"Shut your mouth pendejo or I'm gonna shut it for you," Hector is mad and threatening me.
"Haven't you kept count but you and your friends tried to shut me up, twice and I'm still here," I respond and he takes a step back.
"We didn't do that, nobody in our crew went after you," he is trying to validate himself.
"I could ask you to prove it but it'd be a lie or the word of your friends so honestly I don't believe you and even if you didn't do it I don't care," I tell him and he's confused," If you haven't noticed yet things have changed and they are going to continue to change. I don't care what you think you did or didn't do; I don't care what your friends did or didn't do. I am owed and I will no longer wait for someone to tell me when I get satisfaction."
"So what, you don't care who put you in the hospital," Hector is so slow on the uptake.
"It isn't that I don't care, it's that I'm not very picky with who I'm going to take what I feel I'm owed from. Since 'nobody' knows who attacked me twice then 'all' will suffer and 'all' will be held accountable. Now what is that girlfriend of yours name again," I end on a question and a smile.
For the first time in almost four years Hector is backing away from me and sadly not going to fight me. Mostly sad because I have a pair of brass knuckles on my left hand and am waiting for a fight that doesn't come. More's the pity if you ask me cause I want a fight. I watch him leave and when he stops to take a look back it's not at me, it's at the old apartment; I almost give myself away and laugh. She hurt him worse than I thought. I check my phone and realize that I have a meeting with some people that I don't really want to miss at a place I'm pretty much over dressed for, silly forgetful me. I head back into the apartment and surprise Jackie a little and let her know I actually need to change and after getting into some worse clothes, a dirty tracksuit and sunglasses. I return to my car to take it to the new rental car I got last week and drive to Denny's to meet with my new acquaintances. They are already sitting down and I recognize them, a skinny nervous black man and a white man who looks like a scab. I sit and they both look at me like I'm not what they expected.
"You the one who hit me up through one of my…," the scab face asks and I nod," I hear you know how to expand my business?"
"I do, geography," I say it and he gives me an odd look.
"Like a class or something," the twitchy black man asks and his 'better' slaps his arm.
"Shut your mouth, you are talking about expanding my area. Where do you think we're going to expand to," the scab faced man asks and I smile.
"South side," I say it and he laughs at me.
"South side is a no go kid. No places to set up business that won't get moved on," nervous black man says and I smile.
"Okay who am I talking to here? Which one actually makes a decision," I ask and the scab face nods," Okay so you got moved out right? They did what exactly? Threaten you? Rob you? Beat you?"
"Pretty much but they have numbers," he tells me picking at his cheek.
"So why don't you just stand up to them, push back. Actually show some backbone," I ask knowing a bit of where and why but I like to hear it.
"Can't buy a piece worth shit unless you go through the south and the south doesn't sell to us," the black one comments and I nod.
"What happens when someone says they'll sell you better, what then," I ask and scab face snickers, nervous black one laughs, I'm not laughing.
"And who is gonna do that, you? You barely got any hair on your nuts," the black one jokes and I stop the laughter.
Get 'em boy.
I'm quick enough that most people don't see it but the scab face does and that's what is important as I draw out the pistol I carried in my loose track pants and put it to
the now not so laughing black man's ribs. Nobody is joking around now and both are looking at me and reevaluating their positions on who I am.
"I am THAT person, I'm the one people don't talk about because when you do I'm standing in the shadows listening in. Now I'm here to make a deal and do some business," I look from scab face to pale black," And the hair on my nuts could make a rope to hang your skinny ass."
Granted it couldn't but my balls are probably bigger than his are as I put my piece away and pull myself out of the booth. They follow me outside but not too close, they're nervous and rightly so but I'm making a point.
"You get your boys together, you get enough of them and you move on a few key spots, places they will come for you and then you surprise them with this," I tell the two as we reach the back of my car and I open the trunk.
I only brought one duffel bag of hardware and ammo but I kept it simple, AK-47's and Tech-9's being the bulk of the bag but a few pistols and shotguns just to keep things rounded. Both are staring in disbelief at what they are seeing and both have no clue how they're going to pay for it, but I do.
"I can't afford this right now, gotta give me a few weeks," scab face informs me and I laugh.
"I don't want money, I'm going to give these to you but I expect only one thing from this trade. I want them used," I say it and he doesn't really get it," How does anyone in your position gain any sort of real respect? Nothing, try fear. Enforce your claim to the area. Stamp out anyone who tries to remove you from what you know will be a profitable location. I want you to use them, that is my price."