by Tiece
He shook his head disappointedly; because his decision to allow Malcolm to stay with Diamond at the last minute was because she was going to need him after finding out that her mother was killed. Unfortunately, she was killed in the process too. It was a part of him that hated himself, but then again a part of him that was cold and bitter. He always chose the cold and bitter over anything else. That’s what kept him at the top of his game and he wasn’t falling off for anyone.
He threw the letter inside the fireplace, watching it slowly burn any evidence pointing in his direction then put the ring and the picture in his protected safe that was hidden behind a picture on the wall. His daughter’s blood was on his hands and now he had to try to find a way to wash it off before it drove him crazy.
__________
Lance sat on Russell’s front porch looking out over the neighborhood. The sun was trying to slowly creep out from behind the grave looking clouds giving off a somber feeling that nobody wanted a part of. So much had happened in the past 24 hours in which the last 12 hours of them being the most serious after learning of Diamond and her mother’s shocking death. It was hard for him to accept that, let alone, the information that Chloe had just given him prior to leaving their house. He didn’t know what to think and who to trust no more as he thought about catching Tammy at the hotel doing shit she wasn’t supposed to be doing. He dropped his head only wanting to get his mind right.
Russell stepped out on the porch turning Lance’s attention to him. “Aye, bro, what’s up with you?”
“Nothing much, kid,” Lance responded. “How’s Malcolm this morning?”
“He’s doing about as well as we could expect him to be doing. Tammy is there fixing him and Amber lunch. He probably won’t eat, but he’s one of the strong ones. He’ll surprise us all and bounce back.”
“It ain’t gonna be easy though,” Lance commented feeling Malcolm’s pain and his. He looked over at Russell and threw in a quick question that wasn’t even of relevance at the time, but he couldn’t help it. He had to ask. “If you caught Chloe cheating on me would you tell me?”
“Huh,” Russell asked with a surprised look on his face. Did he know something? He shook his head right quick to clear his thoughts. “Where is this coming from?”
“I just wanna know, bro. If you knew that Chloe was cheating on me would you tell me?” Russell swallowed hard thinking about the kiss that they’d just shared the other night. He frowned trying to figure Lance out right quick. “I would.” He said feeling like that was supposed to be the right answer.
Lance sat quiet for a moment. He didn’t even know how to approach the situation involving Tammy. Should he tell it? He was lost about it because even though he knew that she’d just finished fucking, how could he explain that to his brother. He didn’t technically see the dude that she was with. He just saw her coming out of a hotel looking suspicious. Plus, it was so much already going on that he didn’t know if it was even a good time to mention it.
They sat quiet for a moment, both caught up in their own thoughts. Lance couldn’t take it anymore so he started in. “Chloe, came to the hotel last night and showed her ass.”
Russell looked over at him confused. “She did what?”
“She showed up to the hotel I was at and somehow convinced the hotel clerk to give her my room number. Well, I wasn’t doing shit so as soon as I saw it was her knocking like the law, I opened it and she went in on me. She wanted to fight, looking all around the room and shit like somebody was there with me.” Russell was surprised because Chloe didn’t even seem like the crazy type. “Long story kid, she slapped me and before I knew it my hands were wrapped her around neck. I wanted to choke her ass to sleep that’s how pissed off she’d made me.”
“Damn bro,” Russell said thinking that shit had really gotten crazy.
“I know, kid. I felt bad as fuck afterwards, but it was too late. What had been done was done.” He sadly said. “So, this morning when I got home I’m already still fucked up over the shit that happened with Malcolm’s girl and she sitting in the house feeling all apologetic and wanting to be truthful about what she’d been doing behind my back. That was one of the reasons why I asked that question earlier. I wanted to know if you’d come clean with me if you knew of some shady shit been doing behind my back.”
Russell swallowed hard feeling like he’d gotten caught up which was the last thing he wanted to do with his brother. Damn this bitch done ran her mouth and made me promise not to say nothing, he thought. “Damn, bro.” He said feeling like it was time that he may as well come clean about that night he was with her, but Lance cut him off.
“Can you believe that she was coming to hotel to meet another nigga, but saw my whip there and decided to make herself feel better about being a fucking whore and showed off on me?”
Russell was taken aback. “Huh?”
“Yep, she said that she’d been fucking around since before I got out of jail. I thought she was a down bitch, but the only thing she was down for was fucking over a nigga that was trying to do right by her ass.”
“Damn, is that all she confessed?” Russell pondered.
“Hell, if it was more, I’m glad she didn’t,” Lance said already feeling fucked up over that shit. “I just packed my shit, and I’ll be staying in a room for the next few weeks. It’s over between us.”
“Damn,” Russell said again, feeling bad for his brother, but glad as hell that she didn’t mention him.
“Bro, you know you can stay here with us until you get on your feet.” That was the least he could do after almost fucking his ex too.
Lance nodded in approval, but he knew that it wasn’t going to work as another fucked up feeling came over him just seeing Tammy pull up in the driveway.
She got out of the car and walked up on the porch. Just seeing Lance sitting there with Russell caused her heart to sink lower than the deepest sea. She damn near tripped over her own foot trying to step on the porch from the steps leading up to it.
“Uh, hey Lance,” she spoke. She couldn’t even give him straight eye contact.
“What’s up,” he nonchalantly spoke back.
“How’s Malcolm?” Russell asked.
“He’s okay,” she responded. “Lane had just made it there before I left. She is the only company that he wanted. Dmitri had called right after you left, but he insisted that he just needed time to himself for now.”
“Man, I don’t know what to do.” Russell said feeling so helpless at that moment.
“There is nothing we can do, but give him time and just be here for him.” She said leaning down and kissing him on the forehead as she apologetically glanced over at Lance. She knew that she’d fucked up but she still loved her husband and even more after what had happened. Lance had to see that. “I’m going inside the house and get myself together. I have to go get the girls from mamas in a lil bit.”
“A’ight, babe,” Russell said as she walked into the house. He loved his wife but he was no fool. Something wasn’t right about her last night. Thoughts of her not answering his phone calls was already out of character, but after smelling weed on her, he could tell that she’d been smoking. Her whole demeanor seemed different and even though she was devastated over Diamond’s death he still knew his wife like the back of his hand and something wasn’t right.
He disappointedly shook his head. “Yeah, something about that ain’t right.” He whispered in a low tone.
“What’s that, kid?” Lance asked.
“Oh nothing,” he said not realizing that he was thinking out loud. He looked over at his brother. “Man, bro it’s some fucked up shit going on ‘round here. Whoever did that shit to Diamond and her mama gonna have to pay for that shit. You know Malcolm ain’t resting till they do.” He said thinking that the police better get whoever did it before they did.
“I’ve already thought about it,” Lance said, suited and booted for whatever.
“I started to go on back over there, but I’ll tex
t him. I know he just wants to have a little peace and quiet.”
Lance nodded in agreement as they sat on the porch both of them again stuck in thought. What was done couldn’t be erased and from that point on they had to be extra careful about digging around Diamond’s death. Whatever was going to happen would happen, so he didn’t sweat the small stuff. He just knew that he had Malcolm’s back and if they had to fuck a nigga up then that’s what they were going to do until somebody paid for their treacherous sins.
__________
Malcolm walked Lane to the door. She was a comfort to have as a neighbor. She’d just prayed with him and reassured him that it may not seem like it right now, but that it was going to be alright. He had to know that things happen for a reason, but it was up to him how he would handle the aftermath. She didn’t want him to lose himself in the process because he had Amber to look after. She promised that she’d be there for the both of them anytime he needed her then offered to take Amber for the night, but he insisted that she stay with him. Since she was peacefully sleeping, he didn’t want to wake her. Plus, at that point, all he wanted to do was protect her from the world and keep a close eye on her.
Once Lane had left, the house was quiet. That’s all he wanted since it happened. He didn’t want people making a fuss over him or feeling like he was going to lose it. He’d done enough of that standing outside in the yard trying to get to her. His heart ached. If only he knew who did that to her; they wouldn’t be walking around a free man too long. He wasn’t a killer but he’d been pushed. Nothing was going to control him if he got in the sights of the man that so coldly killed his woman. Hate was fueling his veins; it’s like he didn’t know what to do with himself. Amber was the only reason that he was still sane. Other than that, he’d been nutted up.
He walked over by the bar looking up on the wall at the picture of him and Diamond on one of their cruise trips. He felt like he was going to burst at any moment. His heart was heavy, so heavy it almost wore him down to his knees as he strained from crying. The doorbell rang causing him to somewhat get it together, walking over to see who it was. After peeking out the blinds and seeing Amara’s Audi S6 parked behind his truck, he immediately opened the door. She stood there with Marco gripping on to her finger, her eyes full of water.
The scene seemed like something out of the movies as they stared at each other, both broken. She had no clue what had happened and who did what, all she knew was that she’d gotten word that it had happened and it wasn’t good news. Malcolm was her main concern at that point, because she knew how he felt about Diamond and that was the last thing in the world she expected to happen.
Seeing Amara standing there with his son was overwhelming. It explained that Amara had always been down with him regardless of what happened between the two of them. She’d never made a trip to his house in her life, but she was there now. The look on her face told him that she was just as hurt as he was, but more so, her hurt stemming from him hurting.
“I’m sorry to hear what happened,” She softly said then immediately hugging him. He broke down in her arms not being able to hold it back any longer as they stood in the doorway embracing each other. “Don’t worry. We’re here for you. I won’t leave until you’re good,” she whispered.
It was unreal how a man’s broken heart over another woman could affect her so deeply, but the truth was that she loved him just as deeply. Over the years, they’d built a bond. He’d become more than just one of her dope boys and she’d become more than just one of the women that loved him. She was the real definition of a rider and if he never knew it, he did at that moment.
__________
The Next Morning…
Dmitri sat inside his car at the airport looking down at his expensive watch. It was 7a.m. and he wanted nothing more than to jump on one of those planes and never come back, but he knew at this point in the game it was crucial for him to stick around. He wanted to know what the real story was behind Dom wanting Diamond’s mother dead and why would he have his estranged daughter connected to Malcolm, a man that was one of Amara’s workers. After thinking a little deeper about Dom’s plans he started to even second guess why Dom connected him with Malcolm. Maybe his reasons weren’t really his reasons. He was confused as hell as he sat there in the parking lot waiting to make sure that things went as he’d planned them too.
His thoughts reflected to earlier events that happened the prior morning. The confrontation between him and Ronnie was even more disheartening. He never in a million years would think that Dom would ask him to kill his best friend. But, a man in his line of what work did what he had to do, even if that meant not doing what he was asked to do. He was no fool and he knew that killing Ronnie wouldn’t be for his own good. So he shot at him three times with intentions of missing as the bullets passed right by him and hitting the target on a tree that he’d been aiming at. Ronnie didn’t catch on until the very last minute when Dmitri held his index finger up to his mouth indicating that it wasn’t going down like that, so to stay calm.
Ronnie hit the ground hard, pretending that he’d been shot, because Dom had the clean-up man on standby with a recorder making sure that Dmitri did as he was told. What Dom didn’t know was that the clean-up man owed Dmitri a huge favor and reported back to Dom that he’d gotten rid of the body, only to let Ronnie go.
Dmitri looked up, and there was his best friend coolly walking by in front of his car with a black Nike book bag on his back. They nodded at each other with smiles as Ronnie chunked up the deuces as a salute to his partner and kept walking. He was now heading to Texas to lay low for a while, but when the time was right, he’d be back and they would have a score to settle with a powerful man. This was only the beginning of breaking down Dom’s empire, piece by piece, and what better way to do it than by completely surprising him with an unexpected standoff that no one would see coming.
