Page 33 of Dom

“Sure, we can take you now. It’ll be $95 with the conditioning treatment.”

I politely smiled and reached for my wallet realizing that I only had forty dollars in cash. My expression on the outside didn’t change but, on the inside, I was humiliated and even more pissed that El Blanca emptied my accounts. I paused for a second and then I stepped outside for a moment and called the one person I knew could fix it and he answered immediately with a cough.Is he sick?I wondered.

“Dom,” I said, keeping my tone low.

“You straight?” he asked.

“I’m at the salon near my job. I… um… I need to get my hair done but I don’t have enough money. I don’t have a bank account either.”

There was a long pause, but I could hear him breathing on the other end. “Where you at?” he finally asked. I gave him the name of the salon. “Aight. I’ll make a call, don’t move.” He hung up without another word.

Not even two minutes later, the receptionist called me back inside. “Miss Valerie? You’re all set. We just received a call and everything’s covered.”

I was taken back. “Seriously?”

She smiled while waving me inside. “Yes. You must know somebody important.”

I nodded my head as a small smile crept upon my lips. “Something like that.” I said.

As I sat in the chair and felt the stylist begin parting and brushing my hair, I stared at my reflection knowing damn well this new life wasn’t perfect and I’d have some hard days, but it was mine now and somehow, even though I wasn’t sure I deserved it yet, I was going to make it work. The Dominican blowout had my hair laid to perfection. It was so soft and silky as my hair cascaded down right above my ass. I was feeling like a regular woman in the city.

I stepped out of the salon with a little bounce in my heels this time, as I slid my sunglasses on and adjusted my bag before walking toward the black SUV waiting a few feet away. One of Dom’s shadows stood by the rear door, opening it for me like clockwork. I climbed in and the soft roar of the engine and the cool air conditioning took over as we rolled back into downtown. I looked out the tinted window, watching the city that was so full of life. The palm trees were swaying in the heat, couples were laughing as they crossed the street, and tourists were pulling out phones to snap pictures of any and everything.

Miami was so damn beautiful to me and the place to be, but something started to feel off all of a sudden and I got chills. My eyes unconsciously scanned the sidewalk until they landed on him. Sitting at an outdoor café, holding a folded newspaper, wearing aviator shades and sipping a café con leche like he belonged there. It was fucking Hector! El Blanca’s right-hand man. He was cold-blooded and loyal to the bone. He was one of the most dangerous and he never left El Blanca’s side unless he was sent to kill something and as far as I knew, he was still supposed to be inCuba.

My blood immediately ran ice cold as I sat up straighter with my heart pounding in my chest. He didn’t see me and there was no way he could have behind these tinted windows. We were at the red light, and I couldn’t stop staring at him. My palms were suddenly sweating and my stomach twisted into knots.

“El está aquí…” I whispered to myself, panicking telling myself ‘he is here’. “It just can’t be…” I reached for my phone so fast it nearly slipped out of my fingers. I went to call Dom again and this time with trembling hands. “Come on,” I whispered. “Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up…”

After the fourth ring, his deep voice finally answered. “Yeah.”

“Dom,” I gasped barely able to get the words out. “He’s here… Hector. He’s sitting outside of Café Verde on 5th and Marble… sipping coffee. He’s supposed to be in Cuba, Dom.”

Dom paused for a second. “You sure?” he asked, and I noticed how his tone instantly changed. He sounded like a cold-blooded killer.

“I swear it’s him. I’d know that scar on his neck anywhere as well.”

I could hear Dom moving on the other end now at a fast pace. “Where exactly you at?” he asked. I gave him the cross streets, and he said something under his breath. “That’s too close to the downtown Royal Enterprises hub. He ain’t here for coffee… El Blanca’s ‘bout to hit one of our biggest distribution sites.”

My chest began to heave up and down. “Dom… what should I do?”

“Go straight back to the condo. Don’t speak to nobody and lock the door. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Dom…”

“Victoria.” He snapped. “Go home… now.”

He hung up on me and I gripped the phone in my lap telling the driver to take me home instead of back to the spa. My heart was still pounding as the SUV made a sharp turn at the next light. The city didn’t even know the kind of hell that was about to rain down on it… but I did because if Hector was here… El Blanca was already watching, and they had officially brought the war to Miami.

To be continued!