The Banks Sisters 2 Read online

  “Are you sure, sweetheart?” he asked, once more wishing he could join her private celebration. “Because if you need to add anyone at any time tonight to the list, please just let me know. I’m here for you.”

  Bunny looked over the promoter’s shoulder into one of the many flashing lights-framed mirrors that were positioned everywhere. Oh, hell, yeah, perfect! I can see the man of the hour right over there acting like he own the entire fucking club! Smiling as she finally saw the crowd move from the main party booth and head toward the fresh food being delivered to the buffet table, Bunny told him she was definitely sure. “I’m sorry, but I’m solo tonight. Is that going to be a problem for me to have the booth?”

  “Look, sweetie, you paying, you staying, solo or not,” he lowered the clipboard he was going to write the names on and reassured Bunny that with him it’s all business when need be, so she was in good hands.

  “Okay, great. Then I guess we good then. So it’s just gonna be me, myself, and I tonight. I’m having my own private celebration, so if you don’t mind, I need to get my turn up started.” Staring in the mirror at her dread-head target, Dino, making a toast with a bottle of 1738 in hand, she smirked, knowing very soon she was going to have the sweetest revenge ever known to mankind. Feeling herself, Bunny commanded the promoter to bring her the complementary bottles of champagne she had coming and one glass.

  “No problem, sweetie. It’s on its way.” He excused himself and headed toward the velvet red rope, but not before being stopped by Dino who appeared to whisper something in his ear.

  Settling back in her private booth, Bunny checked out the scenery, meaning the other females. It didn’t take long for her to swiftly realize she was easily the pageant winner of the bunch. None of the half-dressed-in-cheap-outfitted groupies Dino had surrounding him could hold a candle to Bunny’s beauty or body. This bullshit gonna be a lot easier than I thought. This wannabe shottas fool, Dino, wish the fuck he could ever be on the same level as Spoe was. But that’s okay, though. Let him turn up tonight, because his showboat days is definitely numbered.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Simone had taken her sweet time. She’d counted every single dollar of stolen bank money they had stashed. After doing so twice to make sure her calculations were 100 percent correct, she divided the cash up into four equal piles. Of course, she’d keep Tallhya’s share for her since she was not able to deal with her own affairs. Placing Ginger’s portion, and most importantly, Bunny’s, in separate plastic bags, she would be ready Sunday morning to just call for another sibling get-together and put an end to all the bickering that had been taking place. Things between them were starting to spiral out of control, and that’s the last thing they need if they didn’t want to be caught up; division. The original plan to rob the bank where she worked stemmed from sheer necessity. Now, it was turning into an entirely different animal. The money had them all at each other’s throats at one point or another since the moment it was in their possession. Simone was starting to feel as if the money was cursed after all the bad luck that’d happened; the house, Tallhya going crazy, their mother being gutted by her very own sister, and not to mention Bunny’s newly found desire to get revenge on everyone involved with Spoe’s death.

  Knowing Ginger was holed up in his room on his computer, Simone knew from past embarrassing situations not to disturb him. Ginger was far from discreet when it came to his sex life, and walking in unannounced was definitely not the thing to do. She wanted to just toss his share on the bed and walk away, but felt maybe if he and Bunny could be back under the same roof sooner than later, they could all find peace as a family again. Going back to her own bedroom, Simone shut the door and started to focus in on her own problems . . . the fear of having to fight the death-seeking devil disguising himself in the form of cancer. I hate this. Please, God, don’t curse me with this. Please. I know I’ve done wrong in this world. I know I should’ve not did what I did to my mother, but, God, I swear I didn’t know what else to do. I did it for the family to survive. If she told on us, then the family would be separated. Me-Ma wouldn’t have wanted that for us. She wanted us to stay together as a unit and stand strong, no matter what. But now it seems like we’re falling apart anyhow. God, please help me to be strong! Lost in her own misery and terrified of possibly having to fight the good fight alone, the normally strong willed and strong-minded Simone started to break down. As she sobbed into her pillow, the distraught female fell asleep. In her dreams, all was good in the world, Me-Ma was still alive, and she and her two sisters and brother were still little kids seeking their mother’s approval.

  Me-Ma wiped her hands on her apron. She’d been in the kitchen since early morning, slaving away to prepare the perfect turkey-and-dressing meal and baking cakes and pies for dessert, along with her special homemade punch which had everyone feeling thankful to have been invited year after year. Thanksgiving was always a special time in the Banks’s household. With plenty of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends pouring in, the day was more like a huge family reunion other than a day picked to celebrate a handful of Pilgrims breaking bread with some Indians they decided to steal land from.

  Moreover, for Tallhya, Simone, Bunny, and Gene, it was one of the few days of the year their wild, free-spirited mother was guaranteed to show her face. Running the streets with this dude and that, Deidra Banks was well known around town for linking up with drug dealers, pimps, and hustlers of all sorts. She was often nowhere her mother and kids could find her if need be. Locating the mother of four if one of the kids hurt themselves, had a parent-teacher meeting, or just plain needed their mother’s love and attention was a damn near impossible feat. Deidra cared about one thing in life, possibly two: herself and getting money. However, on this day, Thanksgiving, the poor excuse for a mother and daughter would come around. She’d always put on the perfect-parent face and con all her long-distance living relatives into donating to this and that for the four bastard kids she never provided for in the first place. No sooner than each popped out, Deidra was back searching for the next criminally minded man to be her new potential baby daddy.

  “Mommy, please spend the night here with us. Please! Please! Please!” Simone tried wrapping her arms around her mother’s long slender leg, attempting to get her way.

  Deidra was consumed with fixing her hair just right. She’d been stuck underneath her do-good family all day and was frustrated, to say the least. Used to living life as she saw fit, she’d had just about enough of the entire wholesome environment. It wasn’t her scene at all, and it was starting to take a serious toll on her disposition. Annoyed with all the chatter her children were making, Deidra stood back in the mirror. Holding the hot curling iron in her right hand and a half-smoked cigarette in the left, she aggravatingly shook her daughter off of her leg. “Damn, Tallhya, get off my leg. You’re gonna make me rip a hole in my freaking stocking!”

  On the verge of tears, little Simone fell back onto her right side, correcting her angry mother. “I’m not Tallhya, Mommy. I’m Simone. Tallhya is over there.”

  Not caring who was who of her offspring, Deidra ignored her tearful child and went on about the business of getting herself together. There was a late-night party that was jumping off at the neighborhood lounge, and come hook or crook, she was going to be in the spot. The tragic fact that she hadn’t seen her kids in over five weeks at this point meant absolutely nothing. She’d collected enough money from her family members to party for days on end without a second thought of the gigantic responsibility that Me-Ma had thankfully taken over. Deidra didn’t give two rotten shits about that blessed fact. She was out for self and about the business of getting high, drunk, and fucked; all in no particular order.

  “Okay, look, Simone, I already done told all of y’all that I wasn’t staying in this place longer than I had to. Matter of fact, y’all should be glad I even came in the first place. But hell, naw, y’all ain’t happy for that much. Y’all all sitting over there in the corner, crying lik
e some real little bitches! Especially your sissy-in-training-ass, Gene. You’re the worst of them all. You gonna mess around and be straight pussy when you grow up!”

  “Deidra! Shut your mouth talking like that to these babies,” Me-Ma shouted, coming into the room, Bible clutched in hand. “And I’ve told you about cursing underneath my roof. I’m not going to tolerate that kind of talk around here or smoking in this house!”

  “Whatever, lady, fuck what you talking about,” Deidra mumbled, ignoring her mother like she always did. Rolling her eyes to the top of the ceiling, she kept right on curling her hair and smoking her Virginia Slim as if nothing was said. Suddenly she felt the harsh force of Me-Ma’s hand slam the Bible across her face. As the cigarette flew out of her mouth, Deidra fell against the dresser.

  Me-Ma was heated. She didn’t care one bit that she still had guests downstairs. Her only child was out of pocket and needed to be corrected, so she did what had to be done. “Spare the rod, you spoil the child,” she huffed, ready to give Deidra some more act right if need be. “I should’ve laid hands on your no-good self years ago and maybe you wouldn’t have turned out to be such a horrible mother to these kids! It just don’t make kind of godly sense!”

  “Fuck God and you too, Momma,” Deidra fired back, enraged from being struck.

  Simone, Bunny, Tallhya, and Gene all huddled together in the corner, not knowing what was going to happen next between their mother and grandmother. With their tears flowing in the background, the two elder Banks went head-up, trading insult after insult, followed by blow after blow. Satisfied that she’d put enough of a spiritual, mental, and physical beating on Deidra, Me-Ma ordered her out of the house. As Deidra scrambled to gather her small duffle bag full of belongings, the devout Christian faith mother demanded she only return when she was ready to be a real mother to all four of her children. Hearing the thunderous sounds of the front door slam shut, Deidra Banks’s children made the pact that nothing or no one could pull them apart from each other. Of course, Me-Ma agreed. Even when Simone went to go live with her father, she still kept her word; family first above anything else.

  * * *

  Simone was soon awakened by Ginger giggling and knocking at her closed door. Not bothering to wait for her to tell him to come in, he pushed the door wide open. Full of excitement, he jumped on the bed with his still half-asleep sister protesting the entire time. When Simone was finally quiet, Ginger explained he probably would need her help tomorrow at church for a very important presentation for the congregation to view.

  “You, Ginger, of all people, going to church without a gun at the back of your head! I must still be asleep and dreaming.” Simone wiped out the corners of her eyes.

  Ginger had a huge smile plastered on his face as he snapped his painted acrylic fingernails in a circle. “Girl . . . I wouldn’t miss Sunday service tomorrow down at the Faith and Hope Ministry under the esteemed leadership of Pastor Cassius Street if Madonna, Cher, and RuPaul begged me to! It’s going to be better than any sermon he ever said, and I believe somebody may even catch the Holy Ghost!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Excitement filled the club. Taking in the tropical beats of reggae, Bunny bobbed her head to the music while avoiding eye contact with the rest of the people in the club. Thinking back to one of the many fabulous trips she and Spoe had taken, Jamaica in particular, Bunny almost started to have a good time posted at the spacious booth by herself. Nursing her third glass of champagne, she regained focus on the true reason she was slumming VIP style at Club You Know. Okay, now let me get my shit back together and my mind right. Okay, Bunny, back to the plan.

  Assuming that her mark Dino had yet to notice her, Ms. Banks had to work fast to remedy that situation before he decided to leave and maybe take the party elsewhere. Sliding around the seat, Bunny seductively stretched her long legs outward. Taking another small sip from her tall flute of bubbly, she took a deep breath. It was now time for her to put her plan into full action. All right, girl, let’s get on his thirsty ass! He ain’t ready!

  Standing up, she casually checked the mirrors from all angles to see who might be checking for her. Ignoring the cold stares of several females who, nine out of ten times, wished they were her, Bunny tugged down on her T-shirt, making her perfect-size breasts stand more at attention. Already knowing how her ass bounced when she walked in the shorts she had on, she was ready to make a splash. Licking her lips, she moved like a panther toward the long ice-sculpture-decorated table. Getting closer, she happily found the table was filled with every Jamaican delicacy a person could imagine. Removing one of the china plates from the stack, she was greeted by the hired servers dressed in traditional island colors. Wow, this nigga done tried to do it big up in this low-class dump. All right then, I’ll eat his little food, but only because a bitch hungry.

  Bunny had them give her a small portion of just about everything they had to offer: jerk chicken, beef patties, banana fritters, fried plantain, sausage rolls, curry goat, oxtails, stewed pepper steak, and steamed fish, to name just a few. Without reservations or embarrassment, she reached for another plate but was strangely met with some other hand grabbing the same piece of china. “Oh, excuse me.”

  “No problem, baby doll. You take the plate. I’ll grab another one.”

  There he was standing there, right in her face. Dino. He had come up to her just as Bunny had hoped. Maybe not while she was ready to feed her face with some of her and Spoe’s favorites, but here he was. Now she had to put her plan into overdrive. “Oh, hello, there. Naw, you take it. I probably don’t need a second plate anyway.”

  Dino looked her up and down with admiration and visible fiery lust. “Oh no, baby girl, you perfect just the way you are. Thick in all the right places, but if you wanna get a li’l thicker in your boom boom, it would always be good with me.”

  Bunny wanted to be flattered, but this man that stood before her ogling her body was the same hideous piece of filth that had killed Spoe. How dare he! she thought to herself. She wanted to spit in his face, and then pull out the sharp blade she had concealed in her purse and stab him right in the heart. I wish I could just kill this bastard right now. He ain’t doing shit but taking up space on earth. However, Bunny was no dummy. She knew if she really did something like that, his posse would be on her before Dino’s body even hit the ground. Sure, he’d be dead, but so would she, or locked up in prison for life. Needless to say, she got ahold of herself and stayed on the path she’d planned. “Well, thank you, I guess. There’s just so many great things here to choose from.”

  “So, baby doll, you like Jamaican cuisine, do you? Let me find out you an island girl at heart.”

  “Yeah, I do love most of the traditional dishes. And whoever’s party this is picked out some of my all-time favorites. It all smells so damn good. I pray it taste as delicious as it looks.” Bunny raised her voice to be heard over the earsplitting music.

  “Oh yeah.” Dino was now doubly intrigued as he semi-yelled as well. The mystery female he’d been checking out on the low since she’d arrived was not only beautiful, but loved all the homeland dishes he craved for constantly. “Well, I have it on good authority that he’s a pretty all-right dude. Matter of fact, I heard these were his favorite dishes too. Maybe I can see if he can come and sit with you at your booth; maybe buy you a drink or two.”

  “My booth?” Bunny played innocent, letting Dino take the lead.

  “Yes, girl, your booth. Should I make that happen or not? Maybe he can get his personal chef to share some of his recipes with you. Maybe come and cook for you personally.”

  Bunny was secretly elated. This night was going better than planned as she agreed to meet the deep-pocket sponsor who had made this entire Jamaican-themed party possible. Of course, she knew she was speaking to the man himself, but she had to play along. If Dino wanted to go through the cat-and-mouse game, then so be it. Bunny was down for anything that would get her closer to Spoe’s murderer. With an extra sway in
her hips, she turned and headed back to her booth. Less than five minutes later, Dino appeared at her booth with one of the waitresses carrying a bottle of imported European liquor and two glasses. He slid in next to Bunny, and she felt her skin crawl as his forearm touched hers.

  “Oh, hey, you,” she spoke with a fork in her hand. “I was just sitting back tasting this curry goat and vegetables. It’s excellent.”

  Dino couldn’t contain himself any longer. He had to let her know exactly who he was. His ego couldn’t stand not letting the most desirable female in the spot know it was because of him that she was enjoying a meal fit for a Jamaican kingpin. “Well, I’m glad you like it. I had my chef prepare it.”

  “Did you say your chef?” She pretended to be surprised and giggled like a silly teenage girl impressed by a guy wearing a new pair of sneakers and driving his parents’ car. “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me this whole thing is you?” This stupid motherfucker is working on my damn last nerve; like he some sort of a real boss. I swear if this food wasn’t so good I’d throw up in his face.

  “Yup, baby girl, this right here is all me. My name is Dino. This is my party, and yeah, my personal chef did all the cooking. You didn’t know?”

  Bunny went on with the petty charade she was playing. “I’m sorry, how rude of me. My name is Krissi. And no, I didn’t know whose party it was. I’m not from this area at all. I had the driver bring me to a spot that he thought might be jumping. So I got myself a booth; well, the best they had to offer in this place, and here I am.”

  “Your driver? What do you mean, girl, your driver? And you paid all that money for a booth just for yourself?”

  “I had the Metro Car service from the hotel downtown bring me here. And I don’t care what the cost is for a good time and good service. It’s priceless to make sure you have a good time,” she casually remarked, knowing none of the crowd Dino was running with in the club or his Bloody Lions Posse would recognize her. Thank God even though Spoe might have run the streets to get leads on who to hit a lick on, Bunny stayed her uppity self out of the local limelight. Her face and name weren’t household and Facebook-rumor ready.