Black is the Color of Beauty

Chapter 12

Bo's POV

February 25, 2019

2:30 a.m.

Brooklyn, New York 

       "Bo, you need to come get her. She's been acting like a spoiled princess this whole time now," Leo whispers into the phone. Currently, Leo and I are FaceTiming which has been a weekly ritual once he moved in NiNi's place to help watch over her. " Why the hell are you whispering?," I question. Leo takes in a deep breath and sighs. Damn, how bad can it be? " You're one of the most feared assassins in Shanghai. Yet, mean to tell me that you're scared of a woman that's acting like as you call it 'a spoiled princess'? You must be losing your touch or maybe your backbone. Either get NiNi to comply by the rules set forth OR I am going to come there and handle you both.... then fire you." Leo's eyes dim a bit when I mention firing him. I feel bad for threatening him, maybe I should take it back. Leo is a good guy with a family he needs to provide for. Its not his fault that NiNi is out of control. 'Your softness is going to be your downfall,' Lei's words echoes in my mind from a conversation we had a month or two prior regarding the Hai family empire and taking down the Greeks. " Okay, I hear you boss. But, what should I do about ...," Leo starts. And, for the next five minutes I listen to Leo telling me about NiNi sneaking out the house multiple times, her tantrums and being disrespectful towards.

     At some point and time during his retelling of the bullshit that has happened the past week or so with NiNi, I pull a "blunt" out and spark it. I'm use to smoking weed from out of a bong or joint, but since moving to New York I've grown fond of using Backwoods instead. " Boss, she's out of control. What should I do? I am trying to be respectful since she is your girl, on the other hand with the Greeks roaming around her behavior is putting everyone at risk. I don't know it returning home is the best idea." Before I answer his question, I need to take one deep inhale. As soon as I take a long "drag", inhale or puff as they call, and hold it in for a few second I feel my body sag into the chair a bit. Yeah, that's it. "Okay, what you need to do with NiNi is..." my suggestion was cut short by a female's voice in Leo's background. "Who you on the phone with?" NiNi questions. "Don't worry about it, this is a private conversation. You need to be getting ready for bed. Its late and I have to drop you off at work in the morning." Leo states. "I'll go to bed once you tell me who you're on the phone with." I raise my eyebrows slightly at her demand. After everything NiNi put me through, who does she thinks she is? Leo adjusts the phone, bringing it closer to his chest. "NiNi, I'm not playing these games with you. Its time to go to bed now. Either you go in your room willingly, or I'm going to have to take you in there." Leo's voice deepens a bit. Shit, he must be serious. All I hear next is, " oh you got me fucked up "..... then some and rustling.... and BOOM I am now staring at a tile floor. 

     Then, there is some rustling sounds and more yelling in the background. "NiNi, I am tired of your tantrums, just go to your room. I swear some days you act like a child instead of an adult." There's a moment a silence before NiNi's thick American drawl fills the room. " I act like a child? This is coming from someone that needs another man's permission to fucking breathe. All you do is stalk me and take notes for Bo... and don't get me started on his wannabe 'I'm in charge ass'. You can't tell me what to do. And, Bo damn sure ain't in charge of shit. This is my fucking place, which means what I say goes." NiNi yells. Oh, so this is the shit that Leo is talking about with NiNi and her 'moments'. I take in another inhale, this time I make sure keep on breathing in until my lungs are about to pop. Yes, I am going to need this for what's about to happen next. "And, you a lucky muhfucka that I smack your phone out of your hand instead of smacking the shit out of you. Period Pooh," she finishes up. Period what? I exhale. My shoulders droop a bit more. Now, you are ready to take care of some business. "You know what, I don't see what Bo...." I cut Leo's statement short. "Leo, get your shit off the floor and pass NiNi the phone now." I see the underside of Leo's chin for a moment. "Here, Bo wants to talk to you." He puts the from in her hands. " Hello," NiNi stares into the camera with an attitude. Yeah, I definitely don't have time for this shit, especially now that the weed remove "I give a fuck" filter.

     " Go to your room right now, we need to talk." NiNi opens her mouth to say something back. But, I am not in the mood for the sass right now. "Now and apologize to Leo," I state with a hard edge to my voice letting it be known upfront that this is not up for debate or discuss. "Yes," she replies softly and bites her bottom lip. " I'm sorry Leo," she glance away from the phone and mumbles in his direction. I know she doesn't call that an apology. " I know you don't think that is an apology. Do it again," I rub my temples. Damn, she is stubborn as hell. She rolls her eyes. "Leo, I apologize for the disrespectful stuff I said to you earlier. But, you should respect that I am my own person." Did she really just apologize, but not really? Forget it, for now Leo is going to have to deal with that half assed apology from NiNi. 

   Once entering her bedroom, NiNi props the phone against her window sill. Immediately, my eyes are overwhelmed with seeing different shades of purple and gray, except for a small painting I see above her bed. For some odd reason, it drew me in. " What is that a painting of?," my curiosity getting the best of me. " Oh that, its a painting I did of a black rose." A black rose?!?! Out of all of the colors, she chose black. "Why not red or yellow roses? They possess more beauty," my question and comment dripping with my current mind state looking at the painting- confused. She huffs out and rolls her eyes. "Of course you don't understand. People just think everything associated with the color black is either death, evilness or ugliness. There is so much beauty and depth to it. No other color can match its presence. In one of my favorite books, black roses symbolize the birth of something new." NiNi smiles a bit and her eyes grows bigger as she explains it to me.I can tell that this is something that NiNi is passionate about. I wish I could bask in  her excitement, peacefulness and passion about this painting. But, its time to get to business. " I am only going to say this one time and one time only, no more temper tantrums. If Leo tells me that you've had another one, then I am going to come to Cleveland and put you on 24/7 lockdown. Do you understand?" My question is not welcomed with yes or no, but rather silence. Maybe, I should just put her ass on timeout now. Okay, let me try this again. "Ni'era Johnson, look at me," NiNi eyes connect with mines in response to me using her full name. Ah ha, that's the trick. I make a mental note of that for the future. "If Leo tells me that you've had a temper tantrum, I am going to come to Cleveland and put you on 24/7 lockdown. Do I make myself clear?," I stare into her eyes as I repeat my statement. NiNi squirms for a bit and begins to take an unusual amount of interest of pulling the frayed strings on the grey sweatshirt she is wearing. "Yes, I hear you loud and clear," she replies. Good, at least she hears what I am saying to hear. "Now, what I say next I don't want to any backtalk or fuss about. In a few months, Lei and I are returning back to Shanghai. Now, whether we take you girls by force with or not is completely up to you," I state calmly as if I was talking to NiNi about the weather instead of her future.