Once he started letting off rounds he refused to stop until his clip was empty. He sprayed from left to right catching everything in his path as officers scattered and ran for their lives. When his clip was empty he crawled away from the window and the house became a target for explosive gunfire like nothing he’d ever witnessed. It sounded like the house was falling apart as bullets tore into the foundation. Bones felt a bullet strike him in the back of his thigh as he laid flat on his stomach.
He grimaced in pain but still refused to go out without a fight. As he crawled to the corner of the window and reloaded his weapon, the shooting stopped momentarily. Bones staggered to his feet and aimed his gun at the various law enforcement agencies as his thirst for blood overpowered him. But sharpshooters and trained, veteran officers were already in position and once they began opening fire again, Bones was struck with a flurry of gunfire that resembled a firing squad style execution. His body bucked and danced as he was struck over twenty times before he finally dropped to the floor in a bloody mess. His reign of terror had finally come to an end. Officers cautiously moved in to secure the inside of the house, not knowing if he was alone. They found Bones on the floor with his hand still clutching his rifle.
****
Ray had a couple “do dirt” cars that he kept around just for situations like this. Tonight they pulled out both cars as Jay and Gunner rode in one while Ray and E rode in the other. This beef started so many years ago but it was finally going to end tonight. They drove to the address with a well thought out plan of attack. Surround the house, kick the door in, and kill Bones as quickly and quietly as possible. Everyone wore bulletproof vests expecting Bones to fight hard if given the opportunity. Jay was doing everything in his power to shake off the thought of what had happened back at the hotel.
He couldn’t allow his love for her to cloud his judgment. He had to do this to make sure she was always safe. He had to do this to make sure he didn’t have to watch his back anymore. But as they turned on the block they had as the address for Bones, all Jay and Gunner could see in plain sight was flashing lights and police cars on the blocked off streets.
“Oh shit!” Gunner said behind the wheel going into panic mode.
Gunner slammed on brakes and threw the car in reverse but couldn’t back up because Ray was right behind him. It only took Ray a split second to slam in reverse and back up until both cars were out of view from any law enforcement agencies on the scene. They pulled over at the nearest gas station and got out, meeting up at the pump Ray was parked in front of.
“Looks like she wasn’t lying but the police got his ass first,” Gunner said.
“We need to find out if he’s dead or alive,” Jay added.
“If he’s dead, it’s gonna be all over the news,” Ray said.
“It’s gonna be all over the news regardless,” Jay replied.
“Right. So what now?” E said.
“Let’s go get this bitch Oshiwa,” Gunner replied.
Before they killed her they needed to make sure that she wasn’t lying about Bones’s whereabouts. They left her tied up in a basement in the hood waiting for someone to come and seal her fate. They all agreed on their next move so with that said, they all got back in the cars and drove off headed to the spot that was previously a traphouse but they mainly used to store guns nowadays. Twenty-five minutes later they pulled up to the house that looked abandoned but everyone knew not to try and go inside of it. All the lights were out except for a dim light from a lamp in the basement.
With guns in hand, they slid in the side entrance and down the basement steps, each man hoping to get a piece of the action before Oshiwa took her last breath. But once they reached the basement they made a shocking discovery.
“What the fuck?” Gunner sounded.
The chair Oshiwa was tied to was empty and the rope laid on the floor split into pieces nearby. Jay went to pick up the rope and examine it.
“She must’ve chewed through the shit or something,” he reasoned.
“Bitch!” Ray fumed.
“We done let this bitch get away again,” Gunner said, remembering the incident with the mayor’s son.
Just then E stepped away to take a phone call. As the rest of them sat there momentarily speechless, E got some important information from his girl. He came back moments later.
“Well, it’s official, the police killed Bones,” E relayed.
No one was exactly happy to get the news. They’d much rather it was them responsible for the demise of a man that had caused them so much grief and turmoil throughout the years.
“It’s over now. Shit, the head is dead so the body will follow. Wherever that bitch lands she won’t be a problem anymore,” E went on.
For Gunner and Jay, E’s words had to ring true. It had to be over for them. It was the only way they could truly move on with life after the game. No one tried to offer a different perspective because at that point they just needed to be done. They needed to believe it was finally over.
“Come on man, let’s get the fuck outta here,” Jay said.
Chapter 22
Just like everyone else in the Metro Detroit area, Michelle saw the news coverage about Bones going out in a blaze of gunfire after police attempted to take him into custody. She was somewhat comforted by the fact that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jay and Gunner were not responsible for his death. The unlikely timing of his demise would remain a mystery to her but she still wasn’t sure if Bones’s demise was enough to save their relationship.
That fact still remained that Jay was willing to risk it all for revenge. When she threatened to leave him over his choices he still chose to take the streets over her. But that wasn’t how Jay saw things. He continued to explain to her that it was all about saving what they had built and he wouldn’t apologize for trying to protect her and everyone else he loved from harm. He had lost too much and he reminded her that she’d witnessed it all. So when the next day came and it was time for Gunner’s party they decided to go and support Gunner and his decision to walk away from the life. They would figure things out between them when they went back home.
****
The party was an elaborate one with an all-white theme that brought out all the rich gangsters and pretty girls in the city. Gunner rented out a huge hall and hired real security for the first time. There was a wide array of balloons and fancy features including champagne fountains and live performances.
Kelly was there and she had bought Gunner a huge birthday cake with an Egyptian King face on the front. The two had not discussed their marriage in past few days leading up to the party. Kelly just wanted Gunner to enjoy his birthday and she wanted to believe that his life as a hustler was over. All the major street figures that knew Gunner was officially retired brought monetary gifts to help cushion his transition. UGK and Outcast’s “I Do” blasted through the speakers as the Dee Jay shouted out Gunner and wished him a happy birthday.
Somehow, Niecey Girl and Ray Ray wound up on the dance floor together getting it in. Gunner watched on from afar hoping that Ray would hold the streets down now that he was out. He knew Ray was capable of being the boss but worried about his vicious nature. As he turned to see Michelle and Kelly walking by, Gunner grabbed Kelly by the hand and pulled her in his arms.
“You coming home with me tonight right?” he asked as his champagne buzz kicked in.
“Who said that?” Kelly asked, looking around confused.
He pulled her tighter.
“Nobody… I’m just asking. I miss my wife and I need you back at home, Kelly.”
She looked him in his eyes intensely.
“If I come back, I’m only coming back to Keith. Gunner has to be gone forever,” Kelly warned.
“I don’t know how much my word means to you after all we been through. All I can do is tell you the truth. You always wanted me to find a better way. Now is our chance to live the best life we can live. I’m all yours baby,” he promised as he leaned in and
kissed her.
Michelle watched on feeling a little emotional seeing the two of them reconnect. Jay snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.
“You see how much love is in this room right now? Love and happiness,” he sang from the old Al Green hit.
“Y’all think y’all so slick,” Michelle said smiling.
Michelle had to admit to herself the love she felt for Jay was strong as ever. Even though it broke her heart that he was about to risk it all, it didn’t change the way she felt about this crazy man. Just last night she had called Leslie to tell her that the wedding was being called off but she couldn’t fix her mouth to say it. The past two years with him had been some of the best times of her life even with all the drama their relationship brought on. She would continue to search inside of herself for answers even after she’d admitted to herself that Jay wouldn’t be easy to walk away from again.
****
After the party, things really started to work out for Gunner and Kelly. Now that he was out of the game he had so much free time to focus on his family life and making sure that his wife and his daughter grew a bond. It took some time but Kelly soon realized that Butter was now her family. She would never try to replace her mother but she would show her the love she desperately needed to feel welcomed in her new home. Ray and Chiku would go on to do business but not directly.
Because of the shootout in the parking lot, Ray was bumped down and forced to deal with Chiku’s top lieutenant from that point on. Chiku was highly upset about what went down but he understood the history between the two crews when explained and took into account the severity of the situation. Ray was playing the game smarter than everyone expected. He was looking like he could really last on his own. As for E, he was sitting pretty after he and Jay closed a major deal with HBO for The War Report movie script they’d written, so he was officially out of the game as well.
HBO decided that the story was too good to put in a single movie and offered to turn the manuscript into a series to piggyback off their hit series The Sopranos. If the show lasted past five years and went into syndication, Jay and E could eat off of it for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, Jay was working on his next movie script and this time, he was going to try his hand at writing it himself. If he’d learned anything in all his years, it was that you had to try in order to succeed. Michelle could not have been prouder of her man but he wasn’t the only one flourishing in their relationship. After being hurled back into the spotlight with the announcement of Jay’s HBO show, Jay and Michelle began to be invited to all kinds of heavyweight happenings.
Before she knew it, she got a call with an offer to return to broadcast news in her hometown. It was overwhelming at first because she’d all but put that part of her life behind her, but after a long talk with Jay, she decided that if she could do what she loved and didn’t have to be uprooted, she had to take the opportunity. She understood that blessings didn’t always come like this and the fairytale lives that people often dreamed of as kids didn’t always become a reality.
But today was nothing short of a fairytale as the entire families of Jay and Michelle, along with friends, stood outside of the Roostertail Entertainment Facility in downtown Detroit, not knowing what to expect. Gunner called Jay’s phone but only got the voicemail. Most of the guests were clueless to the exact location of the wedding but since they’d been given specific instructions to meet here, most were expecting it all to go down here and now.
That quickly changed when two large luxury buses pulled up and Leslie appeared from inside waving and directing everyone on. They all obeyed, still confused as ever, and once the buses were full they took off to an unknown destination. Shortly after, they arrived at a beautiful park in Royal Oak, Michigan. All the guests were then led to a botanical garden that had obviously been decorated for the occasion. There was a red carpet leading up to a gold threshold entrance.
When the double doors opened there was a beautiful woman with a gold harp playing the most enchanting melody. All the chairs were gold as well and on the opposite side of the harp player was a white grand piano. The beautiful array of flowers mixed with hypnotizing music made the room feel like a complete paradise. Minutes after the guests were seated, Butter and three of the bridesmaids began to walk down the aisle spreading rose petals until the entire walkway was covered. The pastor stood at the altar right next to Jay, looking proud to be a part of such a lovely ceremony. Jay wore an all-white, Tom Ford Windsor Base Peak-Lapel Tuxedo, with a red bowtie trimmed in gold and a red boutonniere. He smelled as good as he looked waiting to see his bride, the woman he would be spending the rest of his life with. Once the last flower was laid the pastor made the announcement.
“Would everyone please stand and turn for the bride?”
The crowd stood and turned as the pianist played “Never Felt This Way” by Brian McKnight. A beautiful all-white carriage pulled by two white horses dressed in red and gold with roses perfectly attached to their long manes stood out front. Once Michelle was assisted off the carriage by her father and the driver, the crowd awed at her beauty. Michelle wore a white, mermaid, off-the-shoulder, chapel train, tulle lace wedding dress with beading sequins. She opted for a veil that did not cover her face, allowing her future husband to look into her eyes as she made her way to him.
Arm in arm with her father, Michelle walked down the aisle covered in rose petals feeling all the nervous butterflies she could handle swimming in her stomach. Jay watched from afar, smiling like he’d just won the lottery and feeling as if he did. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep this woman now that he had her. So far removed from the streets now, no bad decision could turn him back. No friends or family for that matter could trick him back into the street life. He was finally at a place in his life where he could let every man be responsible for their own actions. He’d won. He’d lost so much along the way but in the end, he’d won…and most importantly, he got the girl.
As Michelle arrived at the altar, the pastor smiled and then began the ceremony. After giving a brief definition of marriage and the values, it was time for the wedding vows. Michelle took a deep breath and let it out. She reached back to Leslie for the vows she carried in her flowers and unfolded the paper.
“Jason, I remember the first day I met you. I must admit you caught my eye, but I didn’t think I would ever see you again. Then we met again at the charity event and you pulled out all the stops to let me know you were interested. It took some time for us to really get to know one another but once we did, I completely fell in love with you. Life took us on a rollercoaster ride that at one point I thought there was no coming back from. But we overcame every obstacle in our way. God worked it all out so that I could spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams. You are everything I could ever ask for in a husband and I can’t wait to love you for the rest of my life. I love you,” she finished.
Jay stood there grinning like a child. He then reached in his pocket and removed his vows.
“The first day I laid eyes on you was on my television screen but even then I knew in my heart that you were different. I think I could stand here all day and night and wouldn’t grow tired of speaking on the many ways I’ve come to love you.”
Jay turned to the crowd.
“I’m not gon’ put y’all through that though, relax.” He chuckled as the crowd laughed on with him. “But this is truly ‘til death do us part. If there’s a love that’s better than this I don’t want it. If there’s a happiness that reaches higher than this I’d never need it. All I need is you. We have something so special that it makes everything we’ve been through together feel like it was just a stairway to heaven. I always knew we had a love worth fighting for, that WE were worth fighting for. So from this day forward, I promise to make you the happiest woman on Earth for as long as God allows me to. I love you Michelle, and I’m so blessed to be the man you chose to spend the rest of your life with,” he finished.
&nb
sp; The two stared briefly into each other’s eyes, still in awe they were finally about to do it before turning to the pastor. After the exchange of the rings, the pastor proceeded with the ceremony.
“May the peace and the unconditional love of God surround you and remain with you now and forever more. You may kiss your bride.”
“Come here, woman!” Jay shouted, making everyone laugh before he grabbed Michelle into his arms for a long, passionate kiss.
When they finally broke the kiss they turned to their guests.
“I now introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Burks,” the pastor finished, and the crowd went wild with clapping and whistling as Michelle and Jay took in the moment, both smiling harder than ever before. The real war had been a war of hearts, but this love was definitely worth fighting for.
The End
Oshiwa (a spin-off) coming soon
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Married to the Game Page 16
