by Tiece
The officer felt very sorry for them as she stood there. There was nothing she could do or say to bring back the victims. She’d been in many situations like this and still they didn’t get any easier. “Please, take her home. Get her from around here,” she said speaking of Amber. “I know you want to stay but there is no use here right now. I just want you to get your daughter out of here.” She pleaded to Malcolm.
Malcolm cried as Tammy took Amber from his arms. “Come on, Malcolm,” she said trying to convince him to leave. She was heartbroken but just thinking about what the officer said made her stronger for the baby. She knew that it wasn’t a scene for her to witness.
“I just wanna see her,” Malcolm pleaded, trying to accept that she was forever gone. “I just wanna see her.”
“Malcolm, please just come on,” Russell urged finally getting through to him. His heart would be evermore broken as he walked away from that gruesome scene not understanding how something like that could happen so quickly. Malcolm got inside the car with Tammy since she had the baby. He didn’t know how he was going to get through this but he had to find a way for Amber’s sake. He was all she had and she was all he had as a reminder of her beautiful mother.
Russell followed behind Tammy as Lance tailed him. He was broken up over something so horrifying. He thought about Dmitri being one of Malcolm’s closest friends other than him and he called him. Dmitri answered shortly after the phone rang.
“What’s up, man?” He answered hoping that Malcolm had made it home safely. “Is everything good?”
Russell knew why he asked that, because they never called each other even though they had each other locked in for just in case situations. “Aye man, I know it’s late but I figured I’d call you because Malcolm is going to need you.”
Dmitri frowned. “Need me,” he said automatically thinking that he’d gotten fucked up with the law. “What you mean?”
“His girlfriend was killed tonight.” Russell sadly said as the words that rolled off of his trembling lips hurt not to cry.
Dmitri was taken aback. “Say what now?” He needed clarity.
“I said that his girlfriend was killed tonight. Apparently a burglary gone wrong,” he explained disappointedly shaking his head.
Dmitri drove in silence for a good minute while heading to Atlanta then finally he was able to speak. “Daaaaaaaamn, please tell me this is a joke man.” He said shocked as hell because Malcolm was just talking about his girl and how much he loved her.
“No man, I wish this was just some big dream.”
“Noooooo,” Dmitri whispered still in shock. He was hurt for Malcolm. He’d become like a brother to him and he loved him like family. It hurt him deeply to even hear about that. “Damn man, le’me call him right now.” He said, not knowing what to say but knowing to say something to let him know that he was there for him.
“He’s ahead of me in the car with my wife. She is taking him home. So just give him some time, but I’m sure he’d appreciate hearing from you. My wife and I will be with him tonight.”
“I understand,” Dmitri said. He guessed that it was best not to call right after because Malcolm was still trying to come to grips with it himself. “A’ight, just please let him know you called me and that I’ll call him first thing in the morning. Matter of fact, tell him when I call I’ll be on my way to his house.”
“I got you,” Russell said already knowing Dmitri’s character and if he was down with you then you could count on that. On that note, they ended their call.
Chapter 18
Dmitri sat on a rundown park bench on the outskirts of Macon in an isolated recreational area that had been closed for years. He looked down at his Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece. It was seven o’clock in the morning and he was tired and sleepy from driving all night. He ended up leaving Macon that night to meet with Dom on an emergency business call in Atlanta. After talking with him for over an hour he then came closer back home for a sit down with Ronnie in their usual secluded spot.
So much had happened in so little time that he was fucked all the way up. The meeting with Dom had him queasy, so queasy he could actually lean over and throw up at any given time. Dom had become a ruthless, cold hearted man that he’d just really begin to notice. He didn’t like the game he was playing, but once in with Dom, there was no getting out. He would act like everything was fine and had let a couple people go, but then would go back on his word and have the nigga killed in a heartbeat. Not to mention the clean-up man was always on call and when his job was over there would be no traces of anything. Another unsolved murder.
Dmitri looked up and saw Ronnie walking his way. He looked worn out like somebody had died close to him. Dmitri knew what was eating him up as he shook his head, feeling sorry for his good friend.
Dmitri stood up. “What’s up potna?” he spoke, giving Ronnie dap as they gripped hands with a slight hug.
“What’s up bro,” he said looking sad. As long as Dmitri had been in the game, Ronnie never looked like this. He was more of a beast than Dmitri was but at that moment he sat down already beaten up inside.
“Damn bro,” Dmitri sorrowfully said, shaking his head. “You a’ight?”
“I feel like tonight I was already pushed to do something that I promised to never do and that was to kill a woman. My mama was killed by my daddy when I was.”
Dmitri cut in, seeing a side of Ronnie that he hadn’t seen in years. “Just twelve years old.” He said finishing his sentence, thinking that they had lost their parents around the same age. Dom had took in Dmitri after losing his parent’s within weeks of each other and since Ronnie was his best friend then Dom just kind of took him under his wing too; although, he was actually raised by his aunt.
“That shit was senseless, for no fucking reason man. Then his pussy ass took his own life. Why the fuck he ain’t just do that shit the first time?” He questioned as if that shit had just happened. “Then I had to turn around last night and go against everything I fucking believed for a muthafucka that don’t give a damn about us.” Dmitri sat in silence as he listened, because Ronnie was right. He’d been thinking about that for a minute now.
Ronnie stood up and wiped a tear. He’d fucked up and he knew it. He shouldn’t have ever gone against his word. He looked back at Dmitri. “You know what gets me?” He said feeling disgusted with the whole situation. “After the job was, his bitch ass wanna talk shit to me; talking about not doing what I was told to do. What the fuck he think? I had no choice!” He raised his voice feeling overwhelmed and frustrated then took in a deep breath trying to calm down. “Did he tell you what happened?”
Dmitri silently nodded letting him know that he had. He stared in Ronnie’s eyes feeling his pain, but not knowing what to do at that point. “Yep,” he dragged. “He told me, but I want you to tell me. Break it down for me. What happened?”
Ronnie glanced at him then dropped his head and started talking. “So I go to the location. I already know that this is going to be a quick job. By it being a woman I can get in and out with my silencer and no one would ever know that I was there. The only problem is that when I made it there someone else was already there visiting, but from my understanding the woman lived alone so I started thinking that whoever was there would be leaving soon. So I wait it out, because Dom is very aggressive about me handling this business like yesterday.” He shook his head, still feeling the pressure of what had happened. Dmitri was quiet. He still was feeling like he had to throw up as Ronnie continued.
“It wasn’t an hour later this lil frail ass dude come pimping out the house then got inside the black Acura that wasn’t supposed to be there. So, I’m thinking that the coast is clear. I drive around and park on the back road behind the houses. I was up to her backdoor in 30 seconds flat and inside her home in half that time. I crept partway down the hallway and in the first room was the lady that Dom wanted me to knock off. She made it so easy,” he said, thinking back with tears in his eyes. “She looked up and saw
me. She didn’t scream or anything. It’s like she knew I was coming or something.” Dmitri scratched his head and inhaled as much air as he could muster up. It was starting to feel like he was being smothered from the inside out and couldn’t breathe as he listened. “So, I pointed my gun at her and shot her right in the center of her head.”
Dmitri took in a deep breath. “What else happened after that?” he asked just wanting to get his side of the story since it was obvious what that was.
Ronnie walked out a little in the open baseball field. He wiped a tear from his eye and looked back at Dmitri. “I didn’t even know there was another person there. She came out the bathroom and walked straight into my gun. I’d fired it before I knew it and had killed her. She didn’t even see it coming it was so quick.” He sadly said. “Then,” he got choked up and turned his back again. “I walk through the house to make sure that I didn’t leave any witnesses because I’m already in over my head and I see this little girl sleeping on the bed in one of the rooms. I almost threw up, man,” he said feeling bad as hell that he had killed those women like that. “Now that baby has no mama because of me!” He sadly said with tears in his eyes.
“Damn, man.” Dmitri said thinking that it could’ve been easily him that shot those women, but instead it was Ronnie. The same women that he now knew were Malcolm’s girlfriend and her mother. “Did Dom tell you why you had to kill the lady?”
Ronnie shook his no, still not able to face his friend.
“Well, it’s crazy because just last night Malcolm’s ol’ lady was shot and killed too.” Dmitri informed him. “She lived in Augusta, of course the place of your location.”
Ronnie was caught off guard as he turned to face Dmitri. “Hold up, Hold up,” he said with confusion written all over his face. “Malcolm’s ol’ lady was murked last night too?” He was baffled and felt bad as hell for Malcolm. “What the fuck?” He dragged. “Who would do something like that and why?”
Dmitri sadly shook his head, pulling out his LC9 9mm then pointed it at Ronnie causing him to jump. “Whoa! What the fuck man?” He called out.
“Man, you fucked up tonight bro,” he said feeling bad as hell that the shit had gone down like it did.
“D,” Ronnie called out. “Why are you doing this? Is it because Dom is tripping that I shot the other girl?”
“You didn’t do as you were told. You should’ve gotten the hell outta there as soon as you’d hit your mark.”
Ronnie was shocked as he stood there. “Man, the girl came out of nowhere. Please believe me, bro. Don’t do this! We’ve been through too much.” He pleaded then thought about it for a moment. “Noooooooooo!” He cried out. “That was Malcolm’s girl? Was that Malcolm’s girl? Tell me?” He worriedly pleaded.
“Yes, that was Malcolm’s girl and the white lady you killed was her mama.” Ronnie was beyond shocked that something like that could go down and he not have a clue about nothing. He was just following orders.
“So I don’t get this. I know you and Malcolm are close, but we’re deeper than that. I’m sorry I killed his girl, but I was just following orders. I can’t help that she walked out on me like that! You gotta let me live, bro. Don’t do what Dom says.” He begged with visible tears now tugging on Dmitri’s heavy heart. “You know I’ve always had your back. Hell, I’d kill that nigga for you!” He firmly stated letting him know how serious their brotherhood was. “It shouldn’t even matter to Dom anyway as long as nothing is traced back to him… unless Malcolm was working for him too.” Ronnie said trying to figure out why a hit was now out on him. “Think about it. Why would he want you to kill me because I killed the lady that he asked me to kill and a possible witness?”
Dmitri sadly shook his head. “Because that possible witness was his daughter.” He informed him then fired three shots at Ronnie knocking him to the ground. Ronnie lay there as Dmitri walked off in tears. He had a better aim than Ronnie’s so he knew that he’d hit his target.
__________
The clean-up man had just left Dom’s suite. He’d handed him all the things that he took from the house as he swept it clean to make sure that no traces were left behind. Dom looked through the bag and saw the jewelry and the purses that belonged to his ex-fiance and daughter. He pulled out an envelope with Diamond’s name on the front of it. Slowly he opened it, pretty much knowing its contents. He leaned back in his big office chair and began to read.
Hey Diamond, I know we’ve not had a perfect mother and daughter relationship and I’m sorry for that. I know you fault me for not giving you the opportunity to meet your father and I’m sorry about that. I also know that you hated me for making you work in that strip club and I can’t say sorry enough for that. I can sit here with a dozen excuses as to why I’d made those foolish decisions but none of them will make up for me being so selfish. The only thing that I can do at this point is try to make amends in hopes that someday you will forgive me. Just always know that I had my reasons though.
Lately, you’ve been really on my ass about me telling you who your father is and I’ve only kept that a secret to protect you. But, first let me explain this, because I can’t half ass tell the story.
I was engaged to your father a year and half before I got pregnant with you. I know that’s shocking, so you can close your mouth now.
Within that time period, I’d an affair with his best friend and he found out about it. Don’t ask me why I would do something like that when the man took great care of me. I guess you can say that I’ve lacked in common sense most of my life. But honey, the truth was that I loved your father, but he scared me. He was a dangerous man, and I’d found out some things about him that I didn’t like. Long story short, I turned to his best friend for comfort and one thing led to another. The next thing I know, we’re fooling around on a regular.
A few months had passed and eventually we got caught. Well, I was so smart I told on myself, because he was only fishing. Unfortunately, I didn’t know any better at the time. Your father was so mad at me that he could’ve killed me and the only thing saved me was that I’d just found out that I was pregnant with you. He gave me an option to move out the state of California to anywhere as long as it wasn’t by him or he would have me killed. Needless to say, I moved away as fast as I could and didn’t look back.
Before I left California though, I’d found out that his best friend was found dead and a couple of days after his death then the body of the best friends wife was found. She’d apparently take an overdose. The bastard didn’t want you but he took in their son and raised him like he was his own. I couldn’t get away fast enough so I moved to Georgia and planned a life here. Two weeks after you were born, your father showed up on my doorstep. I don’t even know how he found me, but he came to pay you a visit. He’d brought his people with him that did a blood test on you right there on the spot and it proved that you were his. I always knew it anyway. He gave me one hundred-thousand dollars and told me to make good with it and to also stay out of his life for good. Well, I’d spent that money buying the house we lived in and raising you, so by the time you got older there was nothing left.
Just be careful when asking questions about this man. He’s on another level and have plenty people working for him. He didn’t just fall in that position, he took it. Your father also has another daughter that’s eight years older than you. Her name is Amara. Even though he raised her, he still did some shady things to her mother’s side of the family that she doesn’t know about; none of them do. Her grandfather once had your father’s position. He’s no longer here to tell us why he lost it. I’m privy to most of that information which is why I’m surprised that I’m still here and able to write you about it. He’d for sure kill me if he knew. Just so you know, I reached out to him for you, not for me, but because I was tired of this strain in our relationship, but he asked me not to call him ever again.
I’m sorry, I tried. The last bit of information you need to know is that your father’s name is Dominique Butle
r and ever since I’ve known him, he has owned and operated a squad of dope boyz. He is the Head Nigga in Charge and has been for a very long time. He has a list of people on his payroll, even the law. So just be careful and if at any cost let it rest if you can so we can move past this. It’s not worth my life or yours. I love You, Sweetheart,
Mommy…
Dom reached inside the envelope again and pulled out the engagement ring that he’d given her. He was very surprised that she still had it because its worth was at least forty-five thousand dollars. A part of him felt bad for Diamond’s mother, but she knew too much and was calling him like they were on good terms. He didn’t want to be fooled with her. She’d hurt him deeply and keeping her as far away as possible was the solution to her living. He’d even been staying in the same state as her, due to business, for years, and she didn’t know because he’d kept his distance. Somehow she’d managed to contact him and that wasn’t going to go unnoticed.
He shook the envelope of the rest of its contents and a picture fell out. He picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture of him holding Diamond when he’d made that quick visit to drop off the dough and leave. The plan was to show Diamond the picture and tell her that he’d died, but her mother put the picture up and never told her anything about him. Dom was a strange being, but preferred her showing Diamond a real picture of her father even though he wasn’t going to be a part of her life.
He stood up and walked over by the fireplace then pressed the switch above it as the fire dashed up inside it and began roaring hot like it had been lit for hours. He felt bad, sick, and most of all hurt that he’d let this happen. Even though he was an absent father, in his mind, he still protected Diamond. He’d linked her up with Malcolm for his own selfish reasons involving Amara, but all the while knowing that Malcolm would take care of her. In return, Amara could get over it and continue to stay focused on her duties. Nobody had a clue what was going on, but Dom knew that if Malcolm was led to that strip club that he’d for sure choose Diamond because she and Amara shared the same bloodline. The attraction would already be there, he just wouldn’t know why.
