the wall, on her knees on the bed, and even the floor.
In the middle of a stranger’s bedroom, with her life a shadow of what her Grams prayed for, Harmony’s wants became clear. She loved to sing. Whether sad, happy or nostalgic, singing made her complete. Jazz was all she had left. But she didn’t need Harlem to have jazz. No. It could be wherever she brought it. Heartache and regret is all that she had left in this city.
Harmony eased on her undergarments. A man’s voice barked loudly from below. Whoever it was sounded angry. It came from beneath her and echoed up through the empty rooms along the hall. Harmony grabbed the robe on the chair and covered herself. Carefully she crept from the room to the hall then down the hall to the stairs. She kept going along the shadows until the sounds of men could be heard clearly.
Romano struggled to accept the news delivered to him. But the messenger was a hundred percent trustworthy. Jimmie was a large man. With big farmer’s feet and hands he looked like a man used to hard labor, born for it. Under Romano’s employ, he wore a suit and enforced his wishes with his fists. He wasn’t the brains of the crew, but he was loyal and honest. His intimidating presence usually got the information Romano sought without much argument. Tonight what he had to share disappointed and saddened him.
Another matter pulled on his attention. His gaze once again shifted to the shadowy stairs beyond his parlor and his chest tightened with need for the woman who waited for him in his bed. The sun would be up soon and he struggled with why he dreaded the idea of parting ways. Had she awakened?
“ I need more from you Jimmie. Is that all?” Romano asked.
“ Word is Mickey Collins now deals with the Negress Queenie, supplies her speakeasy. Suddenly Mickey has enough hooch to supply all of Harlem. And this ain’t the can shit. It’s top of the line Irish whiskey too. Leftie is coming in. Maybe he can shed more light on it.”
Romano accepted the truth. He fumed over his brother’s absence. But he’d blown his top once already. It was best not to set Jimmie on edge.
“ I understand. My booze is missing. We have Mickey bootlegging with the coloreds and Antonio offering protection from the cops to the coloreds. And a missing colored boy in between them all. None of it ties together.”
“ That’s how it figures boss.”
“ The boy? Did Mickey accuse him of stealing?”
Jimmie frowned. “Not sure what the kid did. My guess is it ain’t the booze boss. Maybe he handles the payment. Yeah. That’s it. He came up short on the money. No way to know really because the coloreds aren’t talking and Mickey, well he’s suddenly held up with his crew down near Five Points. Quiet. The streets are too quiet.”
Romano stroked his jaw. He shook his head and sipped his scotch. How the fuck did his brother think he would get away with this?
“ Stay on it. I’ll deal with Antonio. I sent Nunzio to find the boy. He’s late with news. Find out what’s keeping him. I want the kid first. I suspect he could shed some light on where the fuck my booze is!” Romano threw the glass to the wall and it shattered. Jimmie didn’t flinch. Romano’s angry gaze cut his way and he nodded his huge head that he’d do as he was told.
No! No Willie what have you done? Harmony withdrew with her heart in her throat. Could her brother be stupid enough to steal from the Romanos and not Collins? And to add to matters, bootleg the booze to Queenie of all people? Many revered her as a healer. Others said she practiced old customs, akin to witchery. One thing they all could agree upon was she didn’t take any mess from the cops, Sicilians, no one. Now she was in the mix and her brother didn’t stand a chance between them all.
A door closed. Harmony heard the approaching steps of her lover and dashed back to the room. She began to dress as
In the middle of a stranger’s bedroom, with her life a shadow of what her Grams prayed for, Harmony’s wants became clear. She loved to sing. Whether sad, happy or nostalgic, singing made her complete. Jazz was all she had left. But she didn’t need Harlem to have jazz. No. It could be wherever she brought it. Heartache and regret is all that she had left in this city.
Harmony eased on her undergarments. A man’s voice barked loudly from below. Whoever it was sounded angry. It came from beneath her and echoed up through the empty rooms along the hall. Harmony grabbed the robe on the chair and covered herself. Carefully she crept from the room to the hall then down the hall to the stairs. She kept going along the shadows until the sounds of men could be heard clearly.
Romano struggled to accept the news delivered to him. But the messenger was a hundred percent trustworthy. Jimmie was a large man. With big farmer’s feet and hands he looked like a man used to hard labor, born for it. Under Romano’s employ, he wore a suit and enforced his wishes with his fists. He wasn’t the brains of the crew, but he was loyal and honest. His intimidating presence usually got the information Romano sought without much argument. Tonight what he had to share disappointed and saddened him.
Another matter pulled on his attention. His gaze once again shifted to the shadowy stairs beyond his parlor and his chest tightened with need for the woman who waited for him in his bed. The sun would be up soon and he struggled with why he dreaded the idea of parting ways. Had she awakened?
“ I need more from you Jimmie. Is that all?” Romano asked.
“ Word is Mickey Collins now deals with the Negress Queenie, supplies her speakeasy. Suddenly Mickey has enough hooch to supply all of Harlem. And this ain’t the can shit. It’s top of the line Irish whiskey too. Leftie is coming in. Maybe he can shed more light on it.”
Romano accepted the truth. He fumed over his brother’s absence. But he’d blown his top once already. It was best not to set Jimmie on edge.
“ I understand. My booze is missing. We have Mickey bootlegging with the coloreds and Antonio offering protection from the cops to the coloreds. And a missing colored boy in between them all. None of it ties together.”
“ That’s how it figures boss.”
“ The boy? Did Mickey accuse him of stealing?”
Jimmie frowned. “Not sure what the kid did. My guess is it ain’t the booze boss. Maybe he handles the payment. Yeah. That’s it. He came up short on the money. No way to know really because the coloreds aren’t talking and Mickey, well he’s suddenly held up with his crew down near Five Points. Quiet. The streets are too quiet.”
Romano stroked his jaw. He shook his head and sipped his scotch. How the fuck did his brother think he would get away with this?
“ Stay on it. I’ll deal with Antonio. I sent Nunzio to find the boy. He’s late with news. Find out what’s keeping him. I want the kid first. I suspect he could shed some light on where the fuck my booze is!” Romano threw the glass to the wall and it shattered. Jimmie didn’t flinch. Romano’s angry gaze cut his way and he nodded his huge head that he’d do as he was told.
No! No Willie what have you done? Harmony withdrew with her heart in her throat. Could her brother be stupid enough to steal from the Romanos and not Collins? And to add to matters, bootleg the booze to Queenie of all people? Many revered her as a healer. Others said she practiced old customs, akin to witchery. One thing they all could agree upon was she didn’t take any mess from the cops, Sicilians, no one. Now she was in the mix and her brother didn’t stand a chance between them all.
A door closed. Harmony heard the approaching steps of her lover and dashed back to the room. She began to dress as
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