Savage Shadows

Chapter 2

It was just after nine, and Chino had already hit the snooze button a half dozen times before Domino called. Chino grabbed the phone and looked at it through slitted eyes. “Christ,” he muttered. Had it been literally anyone else, he would have ignored it and gone back to sleep. But he couldn"t skip this call. Domino was Cocoa"s right-hand man, and when the boss calls, you answer.

“Yeah?”

“Cocoa wants you to come in.”

This was unexpected since he"d just killed Manny the night before. His jobs were usually spaced out weeks or months apart. “She got a job for me?”

“Well, she ain"t inviting you over to watch Kubrick movies.”

“I"m shocked, Dom.”

“"Bout what?”

“I wouldn"ta guessed you were a Kubrick guy.”

“Why"s that?”

“I figured you were too stupid for highbrow stuff. I woulda pegged you as a Michael Bay guy.”

Chino grinned, waiting to hear Domino tell him to go f**k himself. But Domino just hung up. The dumb bastard was learning.

Chino climbed out of bed, completely naked, and strolled through the house. He fixed himself a drink and took his vitamins. Then he switched on the stereo and played some Biggie as he took a shower, shaved, and got dressed. He was ready to go a half hour after speaking to Dom. He took one last drink, locked up, and left.

Traffic was light, and it took him twenty minutes to get to Cocoa"s place in Brooklyn Heights. He parked the Beamer and walked towards the two guards standing outside. He knew them both, Eddie and Dink, and nodded as he strolled past into the building. He took the elevator up to the penthouse. When he got off, he was met by Cocoa"s bodyguard, Dameon. Chino liked Dameon but didn"t know him well. He believed they respected one another but couldn"t be sure. Maybe all the admiration was on his end. Dameon had once been a fullback for the Buccaneers but had ended his career after a string of injuries. The guy was younger than Chino, probably about thirty-two, and he was solid muscle.

“What"s up, my dude?” asked Dameon.

“Not a fuckin" thing.”

Dameon nodded and knocked on the door. Chino watched as the peephole darkened. A moment later, the door opened and Dameon stepped aside. Chino strode in and was met by punk-ass Domino. Domino was a big sumo-looking Puerto Rican with a bad attitude and an IQ too low for a midget to limbo under. The guy had worked for Cocoa for a few years, and Chino never understood why she employed him. There were some guys Chino could take one look at and know with certainty he could take in a fight. Domino was one of those. Chino hated the fucker, even though he couldn"t pinpoint why, and the feeling was mutual. They were in a perpetual pissing match, sneering and grinning at one other, exchanging snide remarks. Cocoa rarely said anything, and Chino thought it was either because it amused her or because Domino annoyed her, too, and she liked seeing somebody giving him a hard time.

“I got a question, Dom,” Chino said. “Which do you do more, eat cheeseburgers or lift weights?”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you look like you do too much of both. You look like you could bench press a Cadillac, but you also look like you just ate one.”

Domino stood there trying to look tough. “And you ain"t shit.”

“Yeah?” asked Chino. “If you and me got in a fight, we both know how it would end. I"ll give you a spoiler, kid—you"d be on the floor pickin" up your goddamn teeth.”

Domino grinned. “You think so?”

“I know so. There are some things in life that you can"t dispute. Water is wet, the sun is bright, and you"re a sorry sack of shit.”

knowDomino tried to buck up, getting in Chino"s face. They were nose to nose now, and Chino didn"t back down.

“Why don"t you say that to my face?”

“Why don"t you suck my d**k?”

Domino just stood there, looking dumb. He"d painted himself into a corner and he knew it. Chino had called his bluff, and Domino couldn"t do a thing about it. Chino knew Domino would tell himself he didn"t do anything because Cocoa wouldn"t allow it, but they both knew that was bullshit.

Chino doubled down. “Fix me a drink, bitch.”

Domino was seething. He was trying to figure out what to do when Cocoa, sitting on the couch behind, said, “Do what Chino says and get him a drink.”

Chino smirked. “Whiskey. Rocks.”

Domino stalked away, a scowl plastered on his face. Chino looked up at Cocoa, sitting there looking sexy as hell. The woman never aged, and if she did, it was like a fine wine. She was sprawled out, wearing a skimpy black skirt, with her long, taut legs fully extended. Chino tried not to stare at them, although he wanted to; especially those pretty feet with the painted toenails and toe rings.

He looked at her, keeping his eyes locked on hers. “What"s up?”

She smiled a seductive smile, but then she always smiled seductively. Everything she did was seductive. She was the type of woman that could get a motherfucker in trouble real quick, and Chino constantly reminded himself to steer clear of her traps. One wrong move, and he could end up lying next to Manny in a hole somewhere. She motioned towards a chair. “Have a seat.”

He nodded and sat down.

“You lookin" good, Chino.”

“Thanks.”

“Everything go okay last night?”

“Motherfucker"s dead. Not much else to say.”

“And you did what I asked? Stuck ice picks in both his eyes?”

“Plus put a bullet in his face.”

“Get much resistance?”

“I had to kill a few guys. Nothin" serious.”

“I wouldn"t think so.”

He smiled. “I should charge extra for goons and lackeys.”

“What would be fair, about a dollar apiece?”

“That"s too much. These nickel and dime motherfuckers ain"t worth half that.”

“You"re a good hitter, Chino. Nobody can say otherwise.” She looked towards the kitchen, where Domino had disappeared. “I don"t think Domino cares for you.”

Chino smirked. “You don"t say.”

“Why you always fuckin" with him, Chino? He"s not that bad.”

thatChino gave her a sarcastic look. “Guy looks like he went to Sizzler and wiped out the whole buffet. And he"s got the intelligence of a retarded infant. And his demeanor…”

She stopped him. “He"s my consigliere.”

consigliere“Sorry. Just stating facts we both know.”

She nodded and grinned. “You"re funny, Chino.” She looked back towards the kitchen, seeing Domino reemerge. She leaned towards Chino and whispered, “I wouldn"t drink that if I was you.”

Chino smiled, turning towards Domino. Domino handed him the glass.

“You spit in this?” asked Chino.

Domino shrugged. “Maybe worse.”

Chino looked him in his eyes. “You didn"t.”

“You don"t think?”

“No. Because I scare you, and you don"t want me to hurt you.”

Domino started to respond, but Chino turned back towards Cocoa, ignoring him. She looked at Domino, waving him away. Domino frowned and sulked his way to the corner.

Chino sat there staring at his drink.

Cocoa chuckled. “You gonna drink it?”

“f**k no. Dumb motherfucker probably jerked off in it.”

She laughed. “Nobody makes me laugh like you, Chino.”

He sat the drink on the glass table beside him. “Aside from makin" you laugh, why am I here?”

“I got another job.”

“That"s quick.”

“I got a b***h needs clipped.”

“A b***h? As in a woman?” He turned back towards Domino. “Or you mean a man-b***h like him?”

bitchwomanCocoa didn"t smile. “It"s a woman.”

“No offense, but you know my rule—no women.”

“Maybe you got too many rules.”

“I only got one, and it"s not new.”

Cocoa looked at him, still smiling, but somehow menacingly serious. “Haven"t I always done right by you, Chino?”

“I"m not saying—”

“Answer the question. Haven"t I?”

Haven"t IHe nodded.

“Then do me this solid and I"ll never ask again.”

Chino sat there, flustered. He didn"t wanna do this. He believed if he did it once, he"d be expected to do it again. He hated that she put him in this position. He"d always felt close to her and had always sought to please her. It was more than just attraction. There was something about her; something he couldn"t define. And she had, as she"d said, treated him well.

“Who is it?”

“Does it matter?”

“Humor me.”

“No one important,” she said. “Just a regular ol" b***h. Nightclub singer. Probably wants to be Rhianna.”

“Why her?”

“She"s not the problem,” said Cocoa. “It"s her dipshit daddy.”

“Who"s her daddy?”

“It don"t matter, Chino. I need to teach him a lesson.”

“By capping his kid?”

She nodded. “If that don"t teach him, nothin" will. Let"s get to it. You gonna do it?”

Chino sat there thinking, disappointed with himself because he knew he was gonna say yes. He nodded. “Just this once.”

“Good. You do this for me and I"ll make it up to you.” She said it in a seductive way, maybe hinting she"d sleep with him if he did the thing. She gave him a hard-on for sure, but he would never screw her again.

Cocoa turned towards Domino. “Get the file.”

Domino nodded and disappeared into the next room. While he was gone, Cocoa made small talk. “How"s the killin" game?”

“Same old same. Pays the bills.”

Cocoa smiled, taking a drink from a mug that said WORLD"S BEST BOSS. Domino returned with a folder, making a point of giving him the stink eye as he handed it to him. “How quickly you need this done?” asked Chino.

“I"d like her in the ground by the end of the week.”