Page 16 of Nikki Sinatra: For Her Lover
Nikki shook her head. “He don’t know anything about this part of my life and I’m keeping it that way.”
Juda nodded his head. “I don’t blame you. Shit. I don’t blame you.”
“If I try to take care of it myself, the family might get blowback. And I can’t risk that. They’ve got to stay out of this.”
“But even Emilio isn’t crazy enough to go after Mick Sinatra.”
Nikki frowned. “What you bringing him up for?”
“Because of what I heard about Mick the Tick. Emilio might have heard it too.”
“What are you talking about?” Nikki asked him. “What have you heard?”
“I heard Mick Sinatra is in love with you.”
“Boy bye! That man is not in love with me. He’s my father-in-law for crying out loud. Stop being ridiculous.”
“That’s what they’re saying. I heard ain’t nothing he won’t do for you. But I get it. Even he’ll probably kick your ass to the curb if he knew the truth.”
Nikki didn’t disagree with that statement, which told Juda all he needed to know.
“You gotta know somebody can do it, Juda,” she said with a plea in her voice. “Somebody. You’re in the underbelly now. I know you’re back out there slinging that dope again.”
“What you know about what I’m doing?”
Nikki didn’t respond to that.
“I came to town for your help, but you wouldn’t even give me a job on the docks where they make that real money.”
“I got you a job.”
“But not on the docks.”
“I couldn’t have you around me. I wanted nothing to do with that shit from my past. Nothing.” Then she exhaled againas the stress was building right back up again. “Can you find somebody or not?”
“I know somebody that can take him out. Somebody unconnected to both of us. But if Mill brought an army with him that we don’t know about, it’ll be war.”
“ Yes I know that.”
“But you still want him out?”
“Yes. If there’s an army and there’s blowback, it’ll be blowback without their leader. Which is easier to manage.”
Juda nodded. “I agree with that.”
“So you’ll handle it?”
“I’ll handle it. But it’s gonna cost you.”
It had already cost her more than she should have ever had to pay. “How much?”
Juda could see the desperation in her eyes, and he wasn’t above exploiting it. “Two hundred thousand. One hundred up front. The other hundred when the job is done.”
“Get real.”
“You know how dangerous this is, Nikki.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t dangerous. But I’m not paying somebody I don’t know two-hundred grand to do a job you and me both know I can do myself.”
