by Nicety
Andrew was vexed. He had me fucked up if he thought that I was going to just feed off into his crazy shit. Since he had a little money, he figured he could run me, but what good was that if he didn't have my heart? He didn't get the fact that I was never into him like that and all of the money in the world wouldn't force me to.
He raised his hand up to me again like he wanted to beat me down like a dog. Lexi slapped his hands away from my face. The look on her face as we stood could have started a fire right there in the room. She waved her hand wildly in his face.
“It is over dude. Why the fuck can’t you understand that?” Lexi snapped.
“I didn’t ask you shit, cunt. Stay the fuck out of this,” Andrew spat as he pointed to her.
“Make me,” Lexi smiled, crossing her arms.
“You’ve got a big mouth for someone who’ll be going to jail pretty damn soon.”
“I’m not going to jail. I’m going to find the son of a bitch who killed Mindy to frame me, and when I do that motherfucka’ is going down so hard it’s going to make your head spin.”
“Oh, my God. You couldn’t be more pathetic could you?” Andre snarled through his teeth. “I killed Mindy’s old prostitute ass.”
“Huh? Why would you do that?” I gasped, feeling like the walls were closing in around me.
“She needed to take one for the team. She was a slut who deserved it anyway. I did the world a favor,” he sniggered.
“Did the world a favor by killing an innocent woman? You’re a fucking cop for Christ’s sakes,” the words erupted from my lips.
“Yeah well, it was the only way I could get little Miss Hot To Trot out of our lives for good. See, you were supposed to realize that she was toxic for you while she got locked up for most of her natural born life. You weren’t supposed to go flying into her fucking arms.”
“Why didn’t you just kill me, jackass?” Lexi questioned, sarcastically.
“Because that would’ve been too easy, and my princess here needed to learn that she can’t trust everybody that licks that pretty little clit of hers. Besides, I figured making you rot in prison knowing that we were off living the good life would be far more painful.” He was acting frantic like the psychotic sicko he was. “We would’ve been sunning on a beach somewhere by now. But it’s never too late.”
“Really? How’s that working out for you when she’s going nowhere with you,” Lexi countered.
“Oh, it’ll work out because I never make the same mistake twice.”
“What the fuck? Don’t do anything stupid, Andrew.” I tried to calm him, even though it looked like veins were popping out of his sweating neck.
“You weren’t supposed to survive that drive-by either, but rest assured you won’t get out of this apartment alive.” A grin spread across his face.
Something in Andrew’s mind had to snap. He leaned back on the wall, trembling a bit with his head hung down in disbelief. He slowly reached around to his back and pulled out a cop issued Glock. He tapped it against his forehead lightly while releasing a perfuse burst of tears.
It was like he didn’t know what he wanted to do with it, but it seemed having it in his hand made him feel like he had control over this situation. The room filled with nothing but his wincing before he looked up drenched in a complete nervous sweat. He grabbed his head, rubbing it feverishly as he debated on what to do.
“You can’t have her. I love you. I love her. Can’t you see that baby? I’ve got the money for us to live happily ever after and everything. But I don’t want to build our relationship on a lie. I’ve got something I need to tell you.” He continued to beat the gun against the side of his face. “It’s not lottery money. It’s blood money.”
“What? So, you’re a dirty cop. You’re a dirty cop who wanted me to run away with you.” I shook my head.
“Interestingly enough, I was just on my beat as usual and I was approached by a man who needed help finding out who killed his brother. I think you may know him, Alexis. Tino was more than willing to pay top dollar for the blood of the Burden sisters, when he found out they were the whores who took his only family from him.”
“You son of a bitch,” Lexi growled.
“Oh, don’t be like that. I wasn’t the one who ended their lives, but I’ll take that cash, though. When I followed you all, you were already on the brink of destruction. So, when I got ready to put bullets in your fucking skulls, two of you had already foiled those plans for me. But that only left one more. And, that’s where my baby came in at.” Andrew moved in, pulling my hair and pressing my body close to his as I cringed in horror.
“You…you used me to get to her?” I sobbed dryly.
“Don’t act so surprised, baby. You were using me, weren’t you? Now we can use each other together with nothing or no one standing in our way. No more lies. No more secrets.” He licked my face with his breath smelling like old cow shit.
“You won’t get away with this shit, you asshole,” Lexi egged him on.
“Won’t I?” Andrew yanked the radio out of his pocket and put it to his lips. “Dispatch, this is Officer Jacobs. I’m at 5702 S. McVicker, and I need a bus.”
“What are you doing, Andrew?” My lips felt dry as I spoke.
“I’m doing what the fuck I should’ve done in the first place. I’m going to kill Alexis Burden.” His smile was creepy.
“You don’t have the balls to shoot me. You’re a coward and everything you’ve done up to now has been a bitch move. You don’t fucking scare me, bitch,” Lexi continued to push him on.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, pulling away from him.
“Because you belong to me. And, I always get what I want,” he confessed.
“No, you dip shit. She belongs to me.” Lexi rushed Andrew, grabbing the hand his gun was in.
I moved out of the way just in time, ducking so as not to get hit myself. Lexi was struggling to snatch the gun, since Andrew used his large stature over her to his advantage. I jumped in trying to help, but was constantly pushed and shoved out of the way by the both of them.
They were trying to protect me, and I was trying to help her. I ran towards my bedroom searching through the closet for my small black bat. Snatching it up from the floor, I ran frantically back to the living room and began beating Andrew in his kneecaps.
The man went down hard, but also swinging; still refusing to release the gun from his fingers. My arms rose high in the air then came down hard, beating him with the bat like there was no tomorrow. I beat every inch of him, every part I could think of got a beating and if I could’ve reached his dick that would’ve gotten it, as well.
We were winning. He was becoming weak, giving up his strength in the fight and laying his head on the carpet. I couldn’t stop beating him, though. The burst of adrenaline flowing through me wouldn’t allow me not to continue to seek the revenge that I so desperately needed for fucking Lexi’s life up.
I smiled at her as she shook her head at me telling me not to continue any further. I stopped abruptly looking down at Andrew’s mangled, bloody face, thanking God that he was still breathing. Lexi went for one last try at the gun, but when she did, he yanked away, raised it up in the air, and shot me in my shoulder.
“Baby. Baby. What the fuck have you done?“ I could hear Lexi’s voice as I collapsed to the floor like an old bag of bones.
A single tear flowed down my cheek as I slowly felt life slipping away from me. I thought it was over. It was just my time to go, I guessed. My body spewed blood and urine out onto the floor. Lexi moved over to me; kneeling down by my side, and covering her mouth with both hands to conceal the whimpering that was forming in her throat.
“Jasmine? Are you okay, baby? I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to do it. I’m sorry. I swear to you that I am so sorry.” Andrew’s lip quivered as he looked up with one eye at what he had done. “I’m so fucked up. I’m just so fucked up.”
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here.” Lexi’s smile was so angelic
as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I’m not scared. That’s what’s so funny.” I smiled. “I’m not scared at all.”
She smiled at me as Andrew stood and walked over to the scene. He hovered over my trembling body, breathing insanely with his eyes bulging. Lexi did what she could by removing her shirt from her body to apply pressure to my wound. He never blinked one eye at her as he raised his gun to her head.
She was sure that she was next, but seemingly she wasn’t afraid either. She felt his presence behind her and knew what was coming. I knew that her heart had to have felt like it was dropping into her stomach, as she anticipated a bullet to be planted in her brain.
“I loved you, kitten. I’m so, so sorry.”
“Get on the ground! Drop the fucking gun.” The police had finally made their way to the apartment and had kicked in the door.
“It’s okay. I’m a cop,” Andrew mumbled.
“Man, look, I wouldn’t give a fuck if you were the President, alright? Drop the motherfucking weapon, now,” one of them ordered erratically.
“You aren’t running this shit.” Andrew’s tears ran down his face. “I run this shit.”
He stood there breathing oddly for a minute, never taking his eyes off of either of us. With the amount of pain I was in, I couldn’t focus my vision on much else. All I kept thinking was that someone needed to come in and help me quickly before I bled out right on my living room floor. Minutes later, he raised his gun towards the cops at the front door as they yelled, ordering for him to stop what he was doing. One second after they warned him, the house was riddled with bullets, too many to even count. As the bullets flew, Lexi lowered her head to my chest.
Andrew fell to the floor, convulsing like a fish out of water before becoming completely still. The only sound I heard after that was the sound of people entering my living room. Lexi raised her head back up to me. I thought she was dead for sure. We didn’t even bother to look over at the carcass lying a few feet from us. He wasn’t worth our time anymore, and he was going on to his rightful throne in hell.
“Hang in there, Jazzy. You’re going to be okay.” Lexi sent a few sweet pecks to the back of my hand as the paramedics began working on me.
“I hope so. I guess I just had to take one for the team.” I felt blood fill up in my throat as we smiled at each other.
Fifteen
Six months later
Lexi
My fingers rubbed the lip-gloss stick across my lips and ruffled my hair with my fingers. I had been waiting for this day forever, and it seemed like it would never come. I walked up to the mirror checking myself to make sure that everything was in place.
Walking out of the bathroom with my head held high, I hoped that everything would go as well as I dreamed it would last night. I felt like God had sent me that dream to ease my nerves about the impending decision that would make or break the rest of my life. When I was in jail, the guard that reached out to me made perfect sense. And, ever since that day that I met him six months ago, I had a new outlook on life.
“You ready baby?” Jasmine said as she straightened the collar to my ruffled button down white blouse.
“Yeah, I think so.” I kissed her lips, relishing in her presence.
To say that Jasmine was blessed to be alive was an understatement. Since being by her side while she was in the hospital, I’ve viewed her in a very different light. She was now my all, my one, and my only. I could see myself with no one else, but her.
Jasmine was the epitome of what a down ass bitch was supposed to be like, and I was willing to give her all the respect and love that she deserved. But, I couldn’t fully give her all of me until I got one thing settled, once and for all. It was the only thing looming over my head, but the time had come to either pay the piper or celebrate a victory.
“Baby, what do you think they will do?” Jasmine asked, fluffing her hair as we walked out the door. “I’m just so nervous about this.”
“It’s gon’ be alright, girl. You trippin’. I mean, by the grace of God you were able to get me a damn good lawyer and the things he’s been saying to me has been on point. So, I’m not worried.” That last part was a lie, but it was what she needed to hear to ease her mind.
“Well, I know it’s been a nice little while since the craziness happened. But there is something that I’ve been holding back from you,” Jasmine recited as she pressed the keychain button to unlock the car doors.
“Awe, man. Jasmine, we were doing so good, though.”
“I know. But, it was something that I felt like I couldn’t tell you until I could see the change in you. Baby, you are so good to me now. You are everything that I have ever hoped and dreamed for now, and it seems like its only getting better. I didn’t want to hide the shit from you, but I just needed to make sure you never leave me again. I had to make sure you wanted me for me.” Jasmine’s words sounded sincere.
“Alright, well talk and drive because I don’t want to be late for court.”
She sat there for a minute staring out the front windshield, unable to move or speak. I buckled my seat belt then leaned over to get a good glimpse of her facial expression as I wondered what was wrong. Whatever it was it was obviously so deep that she needed a minute to collect herself about it.
I began to seriously worry that she had done something wrong or devious to get back at me for all of the bullshit she had endured from me. I was thinking the absolute worst and to top it all off; she was busting this shit out on me at the worst possible time.
“Okay, Jasmine. You’re fucking scaring me now. Just spit it out already. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“When I was in the hospital, I didn’t know what I was coming home to. I kept thinking in my head that it was probably not going to happen to someone like me, but it did. I feel like I was blessed to have everything that I ever wanted in you, and I’m just not ready to give that up,” Jasmine spoke but never moved an inch.
My palms grew sweaty. In the back of my mind, I knew what she was pussyfooting around, and I didn’t know if I was ready to hear it. She was the best person I’ve ever known, and she never turned her back on me when she knew I needed her the most.
Everything she did, she did it out of love to teach me to grow the fuck up and stand on my own two feet. I was forever grateful and indebted to her for all of that. But, I was wondering if I could give her what I think she was trying to give me.
“Um, Jasmine. Are you trying to propose to me?” I swallowed a big gulp of saliva in my mouth.
“Propose? Well, I guess that wouldn’t be a bad idea either.” She smiled brightly turning to me, as she lovingly caressed my hand. “Is that something you want to do, right now? Do you wanna get married?”
“I don’t know. Is that what you were going to say?”
“Lexi, I would love to marry you one day,” she pointed out. “But, that’s not what I was about to say though.”
“Oh, my bad. Okay then, what were you going to say?” I bit my lip and prepared myself for bad news.
She was hesitant to speak as she gazed into my eyes, seemingly looking for the right words to say. Her shimmery glossed lips were bumbling against each other. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but it proved to be difficult for her to release the words to me.
I was becoming impatient, but I didn’t want to display my irritation. My eyes cut from hers to the clock on the dashboard realizing I was going to be late as hell for court. That was something that I was not prepared to do, and as the sweat bullets formed on my forehead, I knew it was time for us to go.
“Baby, can you please tell me what it is or at least talk about this as we’re driving. I’m going to be late,” I pleaded with her as she turned to start the car.
We drove down the street, pass the airport and down towards Cicero Avenue. We were at the stoplight right in front of Giordano’s pizzeria, when she pulled over on the side of the road. I couldn’t believe it. She was forcing me to miss my court date because of somet
hing she couldn’t even voice. My fears increased the more we sat there watching the planes take off and land in the airport that was directly across the street.
“What’s going on, Jasmine?”
Her chest moved up and down rapidly seeming like she was hyperventilating, “In my truck is a black duffle bag. In that bag is approximately $300,000, at least that’s how much it was after I put back the $60,000 I had stolen from out it to bail you out.”
“What the fuck? Are you serious? Where the hell did you get that kind of money?” I was ecstatic and confused all at once.
“I stole it, well more like hid it from Andrew. That’s the money he was talking about. I found it hidden in my closet and so I hid it from him. I thought for sure the cops would find it once they began their search of the crime scene.” She grabbed my hand. “But, when I finally got home from the hospital and realized it was still there I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.”
“How could you hide this from me?”
“Baby, I’m sorry—“
“No. I mean, how could you hide this from me without me knowing about it? I cleaned every inch of that apartment, and I never found any black duffle bag in there or in the car.” My mind was going crazy trying to replay in my head everything I did during the cleanup.
“The kitchen was the prime place to use, underneath the kitchen sink, on the side with the broken cabinet door that’s difficult to get open.” She covered her eyes with her hands. “I kept it there until you went to sleep last night. It was the only time I took it out to count exactly how much there was in all. I put it in the trunk last night, along with a few of our mementos and favorite knick knacks.”
“So, you’re telling me this because of what, Jazz?”
“Because…I think we need to be on one of those planes right now going to a far off country where no one knows us and preferably one that doesn’t have any extradition laws that tie with the U.S.”
“Jasmine, I think I’ve got a good chance of beating this, though. Your crazy ex-boyfriend didn’t exactly have the picture perfect background and the lawyer said that he believes he can get me off. I don’t want to be a fugitive on the run anymore. I want to take this head on,” I was proud of myself when the words exited my mouth.
