The Black Diamond Trilogy

by Brittani Williams

  Now I felt bad for her. I was well aware of the shit that you go through for a man. I’d had many ups and downs but I knew how to keep it moving. It’s a shame that we put so much trust in a man and then they leave us out to dry. Kemp was crazy as hell and I could see him blowing her away for something that she couldn’t control.

  “Look, I’ll tell you straight up, Kemp is crazy and if he doesn’t find your man I can see him hurting you.”

  “But I don’t know where he is,” she cried, probably realizing the severity of the situation.

  “No man is worth dying over, so I would try every avenue I could to find his ass.”

  “How will I do that if he doesn’t let me go?”

  “I can try to talk to him about letting you go just as bait to find your man. Then you can let them square it out.”

  “I can’t do that, Diamond. I love Tyson.”

  “Well, Tyson obviously doesn’t love you. He knows how Kemp is and he left you out to dry,” I replied, honestly. She needed to see the truth one way or another.

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “Well, if you want to die, then so be it. I tried to help you.”

  “I can’t make it without him, Diamond. He’s all that I have. I don’t have any life or money without him.”

  “You do have a life, I learned that a long time ago when I thought the same thing. Get your mind right, Mica. You’re going to die because he doesn’t give a fuck! Girl, I care about Kemp, don’t get me wrong, but I’m in this shit to win it. He’s filthy rich and I’m trying to have it all. Fuck a man, you can do it on your own, you feel me? Me and you, we can take this shit together. All you gotta do is find Tyson for Kemp and he’ll let you go. Then we can work on the master plan together.” I had just thought a few minutes earlier how I could use her in my plan. Two heads were definitely better than one.

  “Are you serious, Diamond? How the hell are you going to take his money? You just said how crazy he was.”

  “I know, but I know him like the back of my hand. I know his weak spots. We can make this shit work,” I continued to pitch my plan to her, hoping she would go along with it.

  She sat silent as if she was contemplating what she would do. Shit, I thought it was pretty simple. There was no way in hell I would die for a nigga. A long time ago I probably would have felt the way she did but I had grown up so much so that I knew when a man wasn’t shit. Her man hadn’t been anywhere to be found for a week. He’d probably taken the money and went into hiding. If he cared about her the way she thought that he did he would have taken her with him. I mean, that’s what a real nigga would do but he seemed like a nut anyway.

  We heard the door opening without warning. I could see the fear in her eyes. I turned toward the door as Kemp came in and headed in our direction.

  “What the fuck are you talking to her for?” he yelled, probably pissed that he still hadn’t found Tyson.

  “Excuse me, Kemp; don’t talk to me like that, okay? I did you a fucking favor!”

  “Babe, you don’t need to be talking to her. I asked you to watch her, that’s all.”

  “Look, we need to talk. Can we go in the back?”

  “Not right now, I need to holla at her.”

  “No, we need to talk. Now,” I raised my tone to get his attention. He looked at me and then looked at her. He hesitated before moving.

  “Come on,” he said, turning away from her and headin toward the back of the warehouse. “What is it that’s so important, Diamond? I have shit to do.”

  “Stop acting like I’m the fucking problem, okay. I had shit to do before you dragged me over here.”

  “Okay, Diamond, what is it?”

  “Look, I talked to her, okay? She doesn’t know where he is, but if you let her go she agreed to act as bait to find him,” I lied.

  “Why the hell would she do that?”

  “Because I told her that he ain’t worth dying for.”

  “So she just gonna take your word and set up her man? Get the fuck out of here, Diamond, I don’t believe that shit.”

  “Well, go ask her yourself,” I instructed.

  He gave me a strange look and then walked away heading back to where she was sitting. If she didn’t go through with it then I could at least say that I tried. Hell, at this point the choice of life or death was hers.

  “So my girl tells me you told her you’ll help me find your man?” He stood in front of her. I stood in the back, waiting to hear her answer. I hoped for her sake she wouldn’t be stupid.

  After a few seconds, she replied, “Yes, I did say that.”

  “Well, I think that takes balls, sweetie, and I’m gonna let you go, but know this right here: If you try to bullshit me, I’ll blow your fucking brains out.”

  “I won’t,” she said in a low tone.

  I kept my silence but inside I was happy that I was another step closer to what I was trying to accomplish. I didn’t think it would be that easy to get Kemp to let her go but I guess I underestimated myself. Kemp definitely trusted me and I needed to keep it that way if this was going to work.

  Chapter Twenty

  Mica: Seal the Deal

  “Where the hell are you, Tyson? I’ve been worried sick.” I left out the part about me being kidnapped and beaten, how they held me while they searched for his ass.

  “Mica, I’m sorry. I got into some shit, okay, and some dangerous people are looking for me. I couldn’t stay there; I had to go.”

  “Why couldn’t you take me with you? You just left me, Tyson.”

  “I couldn’t do that, Mica. I’ll be back soon, though, as soon as the smoke clears.”

  “How do you know it will clear? What the fuck did you do?”

  “I took a shitload of money from my boss. I had to; I was tired of working for pennies while this nigga made fortunes from my work.”

  “You really stole from him?” I asked. At that moment, I believed what Diamond said. He didn’t give a damn about me. He knew that he took money from a dangerous man and he just left me in the line of fire. I couldn’t believe that I had been so stupid. “Tyson, I miss you, I really need to see you.”

  “Maybe I can meet you somewhere, but you have to give me a chance to think of somewhere safe. I will call you back in a couple of days.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yes, I promise. Make sure your phone stays on.”

  “Okay.”

  Days turned into weeks and I was nervous wondering when Kemp would come banging on my door. I prayed that Tyson would call me soon so I could get this over with. I wanted to move on with my life and there was no way Kemp was going to allow me to do that if he didn’t find out where his money was. I barely left the house in the two weeks that had passed. Shit, even when I did leave I was looking around like I was a damn fugitive running from the police.

  What the hell had I gotten myself into? I mean, when I met Tyson I thought that he was perfect in every sense of the word. He took control just the way that I liked it. He helped me and my mother out of our financial rut and kept me wearing all of the flyest clothing. Now, I could see that his greed meant more to him than I ever did and I had to make him just as important to me as I was to him, which wasn’t much at all.

  My funds were running low and I wasn’t about to look for a job. I had to figure out a game plan to get back on top. Besides the fact that I had grown accustomed to it, so had my mother and I didn’t want to let her down. I was beginning to get depressed and I damn sure didn’t want to mirror the look my mother had when my father died.

  It was Friday and I had to hurry up and make the bus to go see my brother. I was determined to patch things up with him and I’d prayed before boarding that he wouldn’t refuse my visit as he’d done in the past. On the long ride to the prison I continued to think about the turn that my life had taken and it was strange that I still didn’t regret any of my decisions. Even though the happiness was coming to an abrupt end it was happiness that I probably wouldn’t have had
otherwise.

  After checking in and being searched I was sent to the waiting room to be called. I was getting annoyed the longer I sat. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was taking so long for them to bring him down to the visiting area.

  After sitting for another hour I walked up to the window and waited in the long-ass line. Once I got up front the woman looked at me as if I was diseased or something. I didn’t know what the hell her problem was but if I’d seen her on the street and she gave me the same look her ass would be hitting the floor.

  “Hi, I’ve been sitting here for over an hour and my name hasn’t been called yet. I was trying to see if there was anything going on with my brother.”

  “What’s the name?” she asked, twisting her lip.

  “Jonathan Brooks.”

  She looked over at the book that was on the side of her desk and looked back up at me. “What’s your name?”

  “Mica Brooks.”

  “Okay, it says here that he refused your visit.”

  “Refused?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why wasn’t my name called, then?”

  “I don’t know, I just got here.”

  “Does it have a reason for him refusing?”

  “No, we don’t ask. If they don’t want to see a visitor we leave it at that.”

  “Are you sure that’s what it says? I’m his sister; he doesn’t even have any other visitors besides me.”

  “That’s what the paper says; now could you step aside? There is a long line behind you.”

  I couldn’t believe what I had just heard but I knew that there wasn’t anything that I could do at the moment. Why the hell would he refuse my visit? What had I done? I was going through so much and now was the time that I needed him the most. I wanted to cry but I held it in because I didn’t want everyone in this crowded room to see how upset I was. So many thoughts were running through my head. Was he pissed that I hadn’t been up to see him? Or was he upset that I hadn’t responded to any of his letters? I would have to write him now since he didn’t know any of my phone numbers to call me. I felt bad that I had been so distracted that I’d forgotten about him. I mean, I did have a life and I was trying to get things straight for me and Mom. I guess that doesn’t matter to you when you’re locked behind bars and no one seems to care about you. Most would say that it’s the time when you find out about who really cares. I did care about him—hell, I probably loved him more than myself—but I still had to live and I hoped that he could understand that.

  I had to wait another hour for the bus to get back to Philly and I couldn’t have been more upset. I had come all the way up there just to be turned away. I thought back to the times when we were younger and how close we were.

  My father was the most abusive man that I’d ever known. I could remember covering my head with the pillow trying to block out the sounds of the lashes my brother received. My father would use anything that was in arm’s reach, from a shoe to a chair. Anything that he could grab he would use to hit Johnny with. Now, my abuse was a little bit different. Instead of using random objects he strictly stuck to the belt-over-the-behind method with me. I guess he didn’t want to leave welts and bruises all over my body for fear that someone would see them. My brother always vowed that he would get us out of there as soon as he could make enough money to take care of me. Unfortunately, the murder of our father came first. I always wished that I could turn back the hands of time beyond that day so that I could talk him out of it. Who knows if it would really work but at least it would be more than I can say that I did now. I kind of blamed myself for hooking him up with Diamond in the first place. Johnny was pretty shy and would never talk to a girl on his own. Had I not been so quick to tell her that he had a crush on her they would have never been an item.

  Once I was back in Philly I caught a cab from Center City to get back home. I wasn’t in the mood to catch another bus, so I would just pay whatever the cost was to bypass the aggravation of the bus riders. My phone rang just as I was a few blocks away from my apartment so I fumbled through my purse until I found it. The number was private and I usually don’t answer private calls but something told me to pick it up.

  “Hello?”

  “Mica, it’s Tyson.”

  “Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to call me weeks ago.” I was angry because I could have been killed, thanks to him.

  “I know, I’m sorry. I got caught up in some shit, but where are you now?”

  “I’m in a cab about to go home.”

  “Look, tell the driver to drop you off down Hilltop at the store.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. I knew exactly what store he meant and I guess he said that just in case anybody was listening. I told the cabbie to head down Lansdowne and then I did the unthinkable. Actually, I did what I had to do. I called Kemp and told him where I was meeting Tyson and he told me I better be telling the truth or he’d kill me. I was scared shitless praying that Tyson would be where he told me he would be. I couldn’t imagine what Kemp would do if he got there and Tyson was nowhere to be found.

  I paid the cabdriver the forty dollars it cost me for the detour and got out of the car. It was getting dark outside—it was about 7:15. The street was pretty empty besides the men who held the corners down. I hated corner hustlers—to me they would never make enough money to do anything else. I looked around nervously as the cab sped away. I held my pocketbook close to my body hoping that no one would try to rob me. I entered the store and asked the guy at the counter if Tyson was there. He looked me up and down for a second before picking up his phone and calling him. Tyson came out the back of the store and smiled when he saw me.

  I smiled too. I was happy to see him though I knew that I had set him up for his downfall. I didn’t say a word. I just wrapped my arms around him for what would probably be the last time I’d ever see him.

  “I missed you so much,” he whispered.

  The sound of his voice so close to me sent chills up my spine. What the hell was I doing? How could I feed him to the dogs? This was once a man that I admired and now he was going to be out of my life. I stared into his eyes as if I was trying to read his mind. I didn’t want him to let me go but I knew what was coming next.

  “I missed you too,” I replied, after a few seconds delay. “Why did you do what you did, Tyson? I don’t understand.”

  “Baby girl, you’ll probably never understand it. Things are so different when you’re hustling for a fucking crook. Kemp was trying to break me off with shit and I always went above and beyond. I tried to keep things basic but the longer I stayed the more I say that he didn’t give a fuck about me. Kemp doesn’t care about anybody, not even that fucking trophy bitch Diamond he carries on his arm.”

  “Baby, there had to be another way. I mean, what are you going to do? You can’t be on the run forever.”

  “I know, but I don’t plan to be. I just want to let things die down a little bit.”

  I didn’t get a chance to respond before I heard the bell of the store’s door opening. We both turned to look, though both of us had different reasons for it. I saw Kemp’ face and I quickly moved to the side. Tyson looked like he had seen a ghost as he looked at Kemp and then back at me.

  “Thought you could rob me and run away, huh? Guess you’re not as smart as you think you are.”

  “What the fuck do you want, Kemp? I broke my fucking back for you and you never gave me what was due to me.”

  “Nigga, I made sure your pockets stayed fat. What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “You know exactly what I am talking about,” he yelled, as he stood his ground.

  I was practically shaking in my boots. I didn’t know what was about to go down but whatever it was I prayed that I came out of it alive. They stared each other down as I tried to get as close to the wall as I could. Without warning, Kemp pulled his gun out and shot Tyson five times, not wasting one bullet. Blood sprayed all over me, the counter, and the potato chip rack that w
as close to where Tyson had stood. As if five shots weren’t enough, Kemp moved closer to him and pumped two more shots in his head.

  “No one steals from me! I mean that shit,” he yelled, before spitting on him. He looked at me standing in the corner crying. I couldn’t believe the man that I had loved was gone.

  “Let’s go!” he yelled, grabbing me by the arm. I didn’t say a word. I just did as I was told. I thought for sure that I was next. We got inside of a black Yukon where there were two other men inside. I had blood all over my leather jacket, face, and hair. Kemp got in the driver’s seat and drove off. “You all right, baby girl?” he asked as he sped up the expressway.

  I didn’t respond. I couldn’t respond. What the hell was I supposed to say? I just saw him blow away the love of my life. He was my everything and now I was going to be forced to fend for myself. I mean, I was glad to be alive but I wasn’t glad that things had to be this way. I had hoped that there would have been a way that they could have worked through their differences so that I could have my life back, but I guess Kemp did what he had to do.

  Kemp continued the drive to the unknown destination since I had been too afraid to ask where he was taking me. Soon, we pulled up in front of an apartment building. I was still staring out of the window thinking about what I had just witnessed. The sight played over and over in my mind. All I could see was Tyson’s body falling to the floor. “Get out,” the slim thug sitting next to me spoke while nudging me.

  I did as I was told and slid out of the car. Kemp got out of the driver’s seat and grabbed me by the arm, leading me to the apartment entrance. He unlocked the door with a key, swung it open, and pushed me inside.

  “Look, you can stay here as long as you need to. I know you probably won’t be able to pay the bills at your man’s place alone. I’m going to send somebody over with some clothes so you can change. You’re gonna have to lay low for a little while. That asshole said my name so I’m sure the cops will be looking for me.”

  I still didn’t speak. I sat down on the sofa and listened to what he had to say. What else could I do? I was stuck here whether I wanted to be or not. Kemp wasn’t the kind of guy that you wanted to test.