by Tiece
Chapter 17
Malcolm pulled up at his house and quietly sat in the driveway inside the truck for a moment. He smiled, feeling relieved that he didn’t have to walk out of Diamond and Amber’s life. He would forever be thankful to Amara for finally speaking up for him. From the moment she said that they had to end things he thought it was because she was jealous and didn’t want to see him happy. It was obvious that he was wrong and the first thing he was going to do when they met face to face again was to apologize for feeling like she didn’t have his back. His son’s mother wasn’t so bad after all.
He got out of the truck, closed the door behind him then hit the locks. The night breeze felt good as it blew lightly through the air causing chill bumps on his upper arms. The stars danced above his head in the black night sky lighting up the city. As he walked up on the porch he picked up a piece of paper off his freshly cut grass. He looked over at his neighbor’s yard and shook his head with a smile. Lane still had the nicest yard in the whole neighborhood.
He walked up to the door and unlocked it then walked inside the nice one story, four bedroom house. He was expecting to see Amber running his way screaming Daddy, but once inside the house he realized that Diamond hadn’t made it there yet or either she’d left to run out to a store somewhere. He walked inside the kitchen and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. He wanted to fix himself a drink and celebrate having a second chance at proving himself to the women that mattered most.
Walking over to the bar, his thoughts reflected on his life and how good he was living. He did have it made and knew that he was wrong for taking advantage of it by going to Miami. All he wanted to do now was get himself together and possibly settle down with Diamond by asking her to marry him. He figured that if they got married then it wouldn’t be so easy for Amara to break them up.
He fixed himself a small glass of peach Ciroc then glanced at the time on his Cartier watch. It was almost twelve at night. With a confusing raise of an eyebrow, he pulled out his cell phone to check to make sure that it hadn’t powered off. The light on the screen shined bright when he touched it, indicating that it was still on so he called Diamond’s phone. It rang until it went to voicemail. He drank from his glass then sat down on the sectional in front of the 60’inch TV. He rested his head on the back of the sectional tapping the side of his glass. Starting to feel uneasy, he decided to call Diamond’s phone again. No sooner than the phone could go to the voicemail a knock was heard at his front door followed by the loud sound of the doorbell. Malcolm went to the door peeking out the side window beside it. He saw Russell’s ashen gray 2011 Chevy Camaro 1SS parked behind his truck. That was strange within itself because Russell never just showed up to his house unless he called first; especially not that time of night.
He opened the door. “Damn, what’s up fam? Are you still feeling bad?” he questioned not knowing what the reason for the visit was about.
“Yeah I’m still fucked up, but I’m not here about that.” He said not really knowing what was going on himself but not wanting to alarm Malcolm if it wasn’t really nothing serious.
“What’s up?” Malcolm asked feeling stranger by the passing seconds as they seemed to rush by.
“I gotta call from my lil homey and he said that um, police and shit are surrounding Diamond’s mama house.”
Confusion quickly set in. “Huh… The police?” Malcolm pondered.
“Yeah, he said that Diamond’s car was still parked in the driveway so he didn’t know what was going on. So, I came ‘round here to see if she was here or if you’d heard anything.”
“Nah,” Malcolm scratched his head. “I hadn’t heard nothing since I spoke with her earlier tonight. Matter of fact, I’m just getting here. I called her phone after I got home but she ain’t answer.” He started feeling nervous all of a sudden thinking about the break-ins occurring in the neighborhood. “Aye man, take me over there right quick. I need to know what the hell is going on.” He said attempting to call Diamond’s phone again but getting no answer.
Russell had heard more than just that, but he didn’t know how to approach his boy and tell him without him losing it and maybe for nothing, so he agreed to drive him over there so they could see for themselves what was going on.
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Tammy leaned over kissing Cash on the lips. She was supposed to have been gone, but she only left to go around her cousin long enough to make a call to Russell then hurriedly rushed back to the hotel room. Cash had that come back and she was certainly cumming back to back fucking with him. It wasn’t that Russell wasn’t doing his job it was just that the dick was new so it gave her a different thrill. The touch was different, the conversation was more engaging, and the sex was amazing. She hadn’t felt that alive in a long time.
“I can’t believe that you came back.” Cash said with his head lying in her lap. He enjoyed looking up in her cute face. He had a kool-aid smile that was sexy as hell. His teeth were perfectly straight and white which really set off his handsome looks.
She blushed. “Hell, I can’t even believe it.” She softly raked her fingers through his dreads as Cash grinned at her comment. He already knew that if he got a hold of her it was going to be over. He wasn’t called king ding-a-ling for nothing. He was known to swoop in and turn them out. Funny thing was that he wasn’t even looking at Tammy like that. He couldn’t help but notice her beauty, but he wasn’t down for fucking her. She’d made that move first. He would’ve felt like a pussy if he didn’t handle his business so he did like any other thug lover would do and handled his business.
She smiled at him. “You are too much.”
“You ain’t slacking either,” he responded. “Speaking of not slacking, what did you tell your husband when you left here?”
“Hell, I told him that the girls and I were still hanging out and that they wanted to check out a new spot downtown so I was going too. He heard my cousin in the background so he was good I’m sure.”
“Hm, you kinda tough,” he teased.
“Nah, he just doesn’t suspect anything. I’ve not ever cheated on him even when we went our separate ways for him violating our marriage.”
Cash nodded his head in approval. “So you’re the true definition of a ride or die, huh?”
“Maybe,” she said thinking that a ride with Cash could certainly cause her to die if Russell found out about their affairs. “Honestly, I just couldn’t see myself with another man.” She explained.
“Yep, you’re the definition.” Cash commented. “What about now? Can you see yourself without him?” Tammy sat for a moment, thinking. She didn’t want to respond to quickly because the dick was good and just as she opened her mouth to answer his question her phone rang. She picked it up to see that it was Russell.
“Damn, that’s him.” She said instantly catching intense butterflies as she held her stomach.
Cash quickly sat up. “You better get outta here. He might not be as slack as you think he is and honestly, I don’t wanna get caught up in here. That’s why I switched out cars with my homey before I came.” He said thinking that the thrill was great but now it was time for her to go. For some reason, it seemed like things were getting too close for comfort and he didn’t wanna lose his right hand man behind fucking his ol’ lady.
Tammy jumped up and started putting on her clothes because Russell was calling back again. It almost sent chills up her spine like she felt he knew something.
Cash sat back watching her scramble. “Calm down,” he said. “If you’re supposedly in a club then it’s possible that you won’t hear your phone ringing.”
Tammy let out a deep breath. “Yeah, you’re right.” She said as if she was going to slow it down, but it seemed as if she’d speeded it up. A text message came through so she grabbed her phone to read it while putting her Jimmy Choo pumps on.
Why the hell you ain’t answering your phone? Meet me over to Diamond’s mama house as soon as you get this message. Russ
Tammy wa
s baffled as to what was going on. Meet him over to Diamond’s mama house, she thought. She quickly grabbed her Coach bag to leave. She turned to look at Cash, quickly blowing him a kiss then exiting the room. She hurriedly walked to the elevator and pressed the button to go down. The phone calls alone from her husband were nerve racking, but the text message was even stranger. She bit her nails as she stood waiting for the elevator doors to open. Damn, should I call him back? She questioned herself. Her mind was racing fast as hell then finally the elevator doors opened.
Tammy stepped inside the elevator and immediately pressed the button for the first floor followed by the button that closed the doors quicker. As the elevator went down to floor one her heart pumped faster. She wiped her forehead feeling as if she was sweating and as soon as the doors of the elevator opened she took off walking as fast as she could to get to her car. The quicker she could call Russell back, the better.
She squinted, her eyes looking toward her ride. It seemed that somebody was standing there leaned up against her car. What the fuck? She thought slowing her pace a little trying to see who it was. At first it looked like Russell, almost immediately giving her a panic attack, but then she realized it was Lance.
“Oh my God,” she grabbed her chest. “What are you doing here? Is this a set up?” She immediately scanned the parking lot looking for Russell to jump out the bushes and choke the hell out of her at any given time.
Lance disappointedly shook his head. “I knew it was you,” he said almost in a whisper, thinking about the laughter he’d heard earlier from room next door.
“Where is Russell?” Tammy nervously asked. If nothing else she was scared shitless of him finding out that she’d just fucked another man; let alone his right hand man.
“Obviously he’s not with you.” Lance threw his hands up in the air, disgusted with her. “My brother was home sick and you were out here fucking around on him?” He shook his head. “I don’t have time to sit here and go back and forth with you but you better hope that he never finds out about this.” He didn’t know who she was there with, but it didn’t even matter because whoever it was had already fucked her. He could tell by the cheesy look on her face as she stared at him like a deer caught in headlights.
“Please don’t tell him. I promise I won’t do this again.” She pleaded but he pushed her to the side.
“Get in your fucking car and get your ass over to Diamond’s mama house. I’m headed there now myself.” He softly scolded her.
“What’s going on?” She asked with tears forming in her eyes. She was scared as hell to call Russell at this point to even find out.
“I don’t know, but I’ll follow you.” He said walking off and leaving her standing there looking crazy. She quickly hit the unlock button and got inside her car. By the time she crunk it up, Lance was already waiting inside his car for her to back out so he could follow her. She looked up in the rearview mirror making sure that she didn’t have the, I just got fucked, look then backed out. She was more anxious now than ever to find out what the hell was going on.
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Russell pulled up to Diamond’s mama house and sure enough they could see the police lights a block down the street. There was also an ambulance there with its flashing red and white lights. The scene was so thick that they couldn’t even get a close park. The people alone outside surrounding the home already had Malcolm sitting on eggshells before his feet could even touch the ground. His heart sank as he jumped out of the car and took off running toward the house.
“Aye bro,” Russell called out pulling over to the side of the street then immediately jumping out the car to catch up with him. Malcolm pushed his way through the crowd and was only feet away from the front door when a police stopped him in his tracks.
“Sorry brother, but you can’t go in there.” He said.
Malcolm got past him with a quick shove but was stopped by two more police who wasn’t having it. “You can’t go in there,” they attempted to tell him.
“That’s my girlfriend in there!” He screamed out. “My daughter is in there! Diamond!” He desperately called out. “Diamooooond!” Russell came up behind him and grabbed him so the police wouldn’t have to use no more force to hold him back. “Please!” he hollered out! “Le’me get in there. I need to see if they’re okay!”
Russell shook his head not knowing what to do, but hold him back and talk to him. “Calm down, bro. Calm down,” he urged. “We don’t even know what’s going on yet.”
Malcolm cried out, because a part of him knew what was going on. Diamond hadn’t answered her phone when he called nor had she come to that door when he called her name. She was a true ride or die that would’ve ran out that door at just the sound of his voice.
“Please somebody let me in there! I gotta see her! I need to see my daughter!” He cried out, but nobody was budging to let him in. Russell knew that he was devastated beyond repair and all he could do was hold him. He felt hopeless at that moment for his best friend. Then out of nowhere Malcolm became angry, tussling with Russell to get loose but to no avail it just wasn’t going to happen with all the police there to stop him.
“Please bro, please!” Russell cried out. He was hurt too just seeing Malcolm’s reaction as the tears cascaded down his cheeks. “Please don’t go to jail tonight. You need to be here for Diamond and Amber.” He said trying his best to calm him down.
“Where is Diamond; nobody won’t let me see her,” he cried out just as the mama’s boyfriend came walking out of the house with the police.
He was tore up himself as he wept out loud. “I shouldn’t have left the house,” he cried out. “I shouldn’t have left the house!”
Malcolm saw this and broke down to his knees. “God nooooo!!! Noooo!” He wept. Russell continued to hold on to him.
Malcolm jumped up and tried to get at the mama’s boyfriend. “What did you do?!!” He struggled to get loose but it was too many of them holding him back by this time. “What the fuck did you do?!!” He cried out again.
“I didn’t do nothing!” A shaken up boyfriend responded. “I swear to God I wasn’t even here!” Russell could tell that he wasn’t lying because nobody could act that scared. He saw the hurt in his eyes and the sound of his cries was enough to make even the hardest man breakdown, but Malcolm couldn’t see anything at the moment, not even his girlfriend or his daughter. Fear had now turned to confirmation and in his heart he knew that his family was gone.
Moments later, Tammy pulled up with Lance tailing her. They both parked and ran up to the house. Tammy screamed out as she saw Malcolm crying in the palm of his hands as he sat on the ground. He was out of breath from trying to get in the house. Russell ran over to comfort her as she cried.
“What happened?!!” She cried out, noticing Diamond’s car parked in the driveway the minute she ran up to the house. “Where is Diamond?!! Where is Diamond?!!”
“Calm down, babe.” Russell said trying his best now to calm her down. “Please, calm down. We don’t know what has happened here.” He said, although it was mighty obvious.
Lance made his way over to Malcolm and just hugged him. “It’s gonna be alright bro,” he said. They weren’t best friends like him and Russell was but they still had each other’s backs, that was an unspoken, for sure thing, between all of them.
Malcolm looked up as Tammy screamed out Amber’s name. “Amber!” He said as an officer walked out the house holding the four year old. She was alive and that was the best news he’d gotten thus far. He ran over to the officer and she immediately reached for him.
“Daddy,” she called out as he grabbed her, kissed her, and just held on to her for dear life.
“Thank God you’re okay,” he said holding her tight. “Can you please tell me anything? How is my girlfriend?” Is she going to be okay too?” he nervously questioned looking for some glimmer of hope. The officer was a woman that had paid close attention to the relationship between Amber and Malcolm. She had just that quickly
studied his demeanor, his reaction, and his tears to make sure that he wasn’t the suspect. What she saw was a loving man who was hurt and loved his girlfriend and their daughter so she decided to fill him in on what had happened. With Russell, Tammy, and Lance now surrounding her they listened in too as she ran down the events that had happened.
“We got a call from Mr. Fryer, the boyfriend of the homeowner, saying that he had just returned from the store, seeing that someone had broken in the house and had apparently shot his girlfriend and killed her.” Malcolm dropped his head. It was as if his heart had stopped pumping, because he was trying like hell to catch his breath before she could finish. Tammy broke down in Russell’s arms again already waiting to hear Diamond’s fate as the officer continued.
“At first he only saw her, but then as he made his way down the hall to check on his girlfriend’s daughter he found her lying in front of the bathroom on the floor with gunshot wound that killed her too.”
“Oh my God,” Malcolm fell against Lance as he supported him and Amber holding them up.
“Damn bro,” Lance whispered. “I hate to hear that. Damn, Damn…” Tears filled his eyes but he had to be as strong as possible because Russell was already having a hard time doing it on his own. Tammy almost fainted at just hearing what had happened. The scene itself was crucial, watching all the faces whispering and already speculating who did it.
“It’s been a few burglars in the neighborhood. I didn’t think it would get this bad, but it has. There are items missing like the purses of both women, jewelry out of a jewelry box, the drawers were open with clothes throwed around everywhere. Typical signs of a robbery gone bad,” she explained. “The thing that puzzles me is that no one saw or heard anything, but please know that we’re gonna do everything we can to bring this killer to justice.”
