L.A. Blues III by Maxine Thompson Read Free Book Online Page A

now.” Mayhem pulled up the chair that sat in the corner of the room. “But that’s not what I’m here about. I have some questions for you now.”
    â€œShoot.”
    â€œWhat do you know about Tank?” Mayhem leaned close to me.
    An image of Tank, beheaded with glazed eyes, flashed like a hologram in my brain, but I shook my head to clear this horrific image. He took that as a “Nothing.”
    â€œWell, can you try to find out what happened to Tank?”
    â€œI’ll look into it.” I felt funny lying to my brother, but I didn’t know the whole story. How could I tell him his friend, Tank, his lieutenant, was dead? That he’d been beheaded? “When was the last time he was seen?”
    â€œIt was just before you left for Brazil.”
    For a moment, I remained silent, which was my way of lying. The old me would have been afraid of Mayhem, but after what I saw in Brazil, after what I went through, I was no longer afraid of too much of anything. “I don’t know anything.”
    Tank had been Mayhem’s lieutenant, his main man and his muscle. I hated to have to tell him the truth. Tank had been dead for the past three months. I decided this wasn’t the time to divulge this information. I needed to find out who was trying to blackmail me first.
    â€œThe last time I saw him was when you sent me to get information on how and where to pick up your kids and get them out of L.A. Why?” Now that was a partial truth. That was the last time I saw him alive.
    â€œIt seems like you might have been one of the last persons to see him. He’s been MIA since about that time.”
    My heart plunged. I thought when I put in the 911 call from the phone booth about Tank’s head, someone would have come and gotten that part of his remains. Obviously not. What happened to his head then? Moreover, what happened to his corpse? Then, who was it who was texting me? Well, who could be trying to blackmail me?
    What a mess! I went against what I thought was right in order to help my brother. I mean I got involved with crooked feds/gangbangers/ drug dealers/cartels/strippers/porn stars, in the quest to free my brother. Yes, I helped get him away from his kidnappers, but at what cost? I lost my man, I lost my integrity, I’d added more sins on my list, and now I was trying to cover up my lie.
    Who saw me dump Tank’s head, which was inside the basket? Was it Agent Braggs? Was it Agent Stamper? Now I had lied to my brother, saying I didn’t know where Tank was. Was this how you crossed the line? With one lie, then another?
    I changed the subject. “Have you heard from Venita?” I wasn’t sure which city my mother had fled to with her three grandsons, Mayhem’s “little thuglets.”
    â€œYes, she’s safe with the boys. I’ve already told her to come on back. They will be safe now. But they gon’ have to stay with Venita for now. After I go get their mama, the boys can come back home.” He let out a deep sigh.
    â€œZ, I’m going to need you to go back to Brazil. Look, we gon’ have to go put some work in.”
    So that had been his agenda all along.
    â€œWhat?” He might as well have punched me in my solar plexus. “Run that by me again.” I pursed my lips like “Really?”
    â€œI’m going to Brazil to get Appolonia. I’d like you to go with me since you know the territory.”
    â€œHold up! What did you say?” I paused for dramatic effect and emphasis.
    â€œAw come on, sis. I’ve got to get Appolonia back. I’d like to get my kids back and they’re going to need their mom to take care of them while I work.”
    I held my hands up in surrender. My eyes dive-bombed into his, and the person who most people were afraid to look into the eye saw a fool equally as crazy on the other end. “I know you’ve lost your freakin’ mind.”
    At first, David,