Side Chick Catching Main Chick Feelings 3

by B. M. Hardin

  -Drake

  I was crying so hard that Krissie was eating her pie and crying at the same time.

  I put the letter close to my heart.

  Oh goodness.

  I was so angry with Drake for not telling me what was going on. I could have helped or come up with some kind of plan to help him.

  His stupid ass died and he probably didn’t have to.

  We could have done something about it together.

  Shaking my head, I thought more about his words.

  So it was something with money?

  Daddy had been asking about it for a reason.

  They stole it.

  And Daddy was dying?

  He had a tumor?

  After Krissie calmed down, I headed to the back room.

  I moved the clothes out of the way and immediately I spotted the hole.

  He hadn't even tried to cover it up.

  It was big enough for me to fit through, but instead I just looked inside.

  At nothing.

  There wasn’t any money, anywhere.

  It was empty.

  Hmmm…

  ~***~

  “Daddy can we talk?”

  I had so many unanswered questions and I was hoping that he could answer a few of them.

  Sure, I knew that he might be angry that Drake told me a little more than I probably needed to know, but he was dead.

  There was nothing that Daddy could do to him.

  “Sure.”

  My brother Rum walked into the room and I gave Daddy the look that it was important and that he probably didn’t need to hear it.

  “Rum, can you go to the store for me? I have a grocery list in my room. Get it and the money off of the dresser.”

  Rum frowned and stood back up from the chair that he’d just sat in.

  “If I’m going to go to the store, I might as well take a shower first.”

  Daddy didn’t respond.

  Rum was in that stage where he thought that he had to set some kind of fashion statement everywhere that he went.

  He always wanted to look “fly” as he called it so I knew that his shower and getting dressed was going to take some time.

  As soon as he was out of the room, I turned my attention to Daddy.

  “You’re dying aren’t you?”

  He looked at me as if he wanted to ask me how I knew but decided internally that someway Drake must have left me a clue.

  “Yes.”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know. Depends on which way I go.”

  “Are they looking for you too?”

  “Who?”

  “Whoever you and Drake stole money from?”

  “What are you talking about Moet? Who told you that?”

  “Drake.”

  “Drake?”

  “Yes. He left me a letter.”

  Daddy breathed hard and lit up a cigar.

  I guess he decided against it because he didn’t take a single puff from it.

  Instead, he put it out.

  “Drake and I decided that we were going to pull a fast one over on Jinx’s brother. He had been cutting corners with us for years, and as I said, no one is loyal in that business. Kane was in the hospital and he is the one that usually handles that route, but with him down, it was up to Drake. I suggested my plan to him, and he wanted in. The plan was flawless. Everything had gone smoothly. And we should have gotten away with it.”

  “But what?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t know what happened.”

  I tried to think.

  Kane popped into my mind.

  What if his speculation hadn't been a speculation at all?

  Just maybe some things in his story were a little mixed up.

  “Could Kane have done something? Had he have known the plan and maybe told Jinx’s brother the truth?”

  “I don’t see how. I didn’t mention anything to him and neither did Drake. Everything pointed to Jinx’s brother’s own men, which initially he blamed them for the missing money anyway. We made it look like his men were the ones who stole the money from him. Nothing pointed to us, Drake specifically; nothing at all. But when the break-ins started we figured that somebody was looking for something.”

  I thought about telling Daddy that Kane had overheard his confession about Naomi, but I figured that it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Could Kane have guessed it?”

  “I doubt it. Only Drake and I knew. Kane was in the hospital and the only times we ever discussed it was in person.” Daddy said.

  Then how did they find out that it was Drake?

  “Long story short, Jinx’s brother reached out to me about the money and I said that every dollar of it should have been there. He knew that Drake made the drop and his men were sent to pick up what we left just like always. I said that all of the money was there, they said that it wasn’t. It wasn’t. But we knew that they wouldn’t follow the rules and count it there like they were supposed to. I’d trailed Kane too many times to see them in action. They were sloppy and lazy. I knew that it would work. They drove hours away only to find that they were missing more than half of what was supposed to be there. Her brother owns the building that Drake left the money and picked up the product from. Jinx’s brother replayed the camera footage and all. He watched Drake get out of the van to put the bags of cash in their places without opening them, and then he loaded the van with the product and drove away. Then he watched his men chat, throw the money in the truck, without so much as opening the bags to see if the money was inside, and then they drove away. I planned for a good friend of mine that owed me a favor, to have car trouble about thirty minutes away from the building. She was dressed sexy and placed candy bars in her gas tank. She knew what they would be driving and since they took the back roads as encouraged, I knew that they would run into her. Running into her would make them attempt to help her. Helping her would make them late. Being late would make them look suspicious. And it did. My word said that they stopped and took the money and tried to blame it on Drake. Their word was that they didn’t touch it. He didn’t know who to believe, but being that I was a loyal customer, never a problem, and because of their lack of following the procedure to avoid the issue in the first place, he killed them without thinking twice about it. He apologized for the accusation being that he saw Drake do exactly what he was supposed to do and nothing more on tape. I thought everything was in the clear until the break-ins started.”

  I just looked at him and gave him the go ahead to keep talking.

  “Drake and I both started to wonder if he had suspicions. So, we started to prepare for the worse. Drake just had a feeling like someone was watching his every move and he just kept saying that he felt like something was going to happen to him. And it did. If Jinx’s brother is responsible, I can’t say that he suspects that I was in on it or not. If he does, he might come after me too. I’m surprise that he hasn’t already.”

  “Why not give the money back?”

  “It doesn’t work like that Moet. At this point even if we had tried, Drake still would have died. It’s the principle.”

  “The money is missing anyway.”

  “What?”

  “Drake left where to look for the money in the letter and when I looked there, it was gone. Someone had already taken it.”

  “He always felt like someone was following him. Maybe they followed him there.”

  I shook my head.

  “So I’m not safe there either?”

  “Chances are whoever stole the money is who killed him too. They wouldn’t go back there. There’s no reason to. Drake is dead.”

  “So they may kill you next? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “I don’t know Moe. Could be a possibility. We hadn't done any business since that last time. Either way I’m a dead man walking anyway. I was planning to help Drake fake his death. I’d set up a fake attack and everything. He got the idea the day before he sold the company. He
was going to pack you guys up and I had already had everything else set up. The burglars. The witnesses. The fake body and everything. Everything was set to go. But they beat us to the punch.”

  “Why? Why would the both of you do something so stupid?”

  “Why? I’ve already told you a few reasons but there were plenty.”

  “But you already had enough money. What was the point?”

  “It was about much more than money.”

  “And Drake died because of it. And hell, you might be next.”

  “That doesn’t matter. I’m dying anyway. As long as you guys are safe and set for life, that’s all that I care about. I miss your mother anyway.”

  He was quiet for a while.

  “No one knew about that house that you’re in but Drake and I, just like no one knew about our plan. So, someone had to be following him, and someone seems to be finding out something. Somehow. Someway.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  “Nothing.”

  I thought about everything that Daddy had said.

  All of this was over money that neither one of them needed in the first place.

  I was glad that I hadn't listened to Kane and decided to ask Daddy for myself.

  Kane must have overheard Daddy setting up Drake’s fake attack and that’s why he’d thought that Daddy had something to do with his death.

  And I was sure that if Drake knew, Kane must have known that Daddy was dying too.

  I guess which way he was going to go was the question.

  But the reality of it all was that Daddy and Drake brought the situation on themselves.

  “Here,” Daddy said interrupting my thoughts.

  He reached me some papers off of the table.

  “If something happens to me, whether by force or by nature, everything in the bank is left to you and when you access the safety deposit box, there will be instructions to my other stash that you are to get and split between all of you.”

  I looked at the papers.

  I was frustrated to say the least.

  “Why can’t you just kill him?”

  “Easier said than done. We are both connected to a lot of people. There’s no point in starting a war. Then all of you might be targets, and I just can’t risk that. It’s just not worth it. It won’t bring Drake back. And it won’t heal me. We did it. And if I have to pay for it just like Drake did, I’m fine with that. I’m all about sacrifice, remember?”

  I shook my head.

  How could I forget?

  “It is what it is Moet.”

  “What is what it is?” Rum appeared in the doorway, now fully dressed and asked for Daddy’s keys.

  “Nothing.”

  He said a few more words and walked out looking as though he was headed to the club or something.

  Daddy waited until he heard the door close to speak.

  “If it means anything to you, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the life that I chose. And I want you to know that I was always a part even if you didn’t see me. Drake wasn’t the only one making sure you had money on your books while you were in prison, or paying you tuition. I handed him money for you on several occasions. I just played my part with keeping your mama off of my case in the process.”

  I was about to respond but the loud boom caused us both to jump to our feet.

  I ran towards the door with Daddy right on my heels.

  I screamed at the sight of Daddy’s car on fire with Rum still inside of it.

  I tried to run towards him, but Daddy grabbed my arm.

  Just as he did, there was another explosion that went off inside of the car and I started wail.

  Daddy stood there holding me as we watched Rum burn to death.

  Daddy made the call for help and my screams had to be heard a mile away.

  All I could think about was that the bomb was meant for Daddy.

  And from the look on Daddy’s face, I could tell that he’d wished that the person in the car had been him.

  ~***~

  I headed inside of the car lot.

  Daddy was at the secret house watching Krissie.

  Though no one was supposed to know where it was, the police had agreed to watch it for a while since they could assume that someone was out to kill Daddy.

  Of course they were.

  But neither of us could tell them that.

  There had to be a way to save Daddy, but he was sure that they would be back as soon as things cooled down again.

  But not if I could help it.

  Kane knew how to get in touch with Jinx’s brother.

  Maybe I could get him to help me.

  And by help me, I meant that maybe I could get him to kill him.

  And then it would all go away.

  Daddy already didn’t have long to live, but he could at least live his last days in peace.

  What was my plan?

  I had no idea.

  But seducing and persuading Kane to help me was the beginning of it I was sure.

  If he was obsessed with me, the way that he portrayed to be, then it shouldn’t be that hard to do.

  I knocked on his office door and twisted the knob at the sound of him yelling.

  At the sight of me, and my small stomach, surprisingly, he smiled.

  But he quickly stopped as though he didn’t mean to smile in the first place.

  Yes.

  My baby was still hanging in there so I knew that I had to be careful.

  I had two kids that didn’t have a father so they at least needed their mother.

  But I had to do something.

  The thought of the pregnancy somewhat reminded me that I hadn't exactly thought the whole seducing thing through.

  How in the hell was I going to seduce him pregnant?

  “So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

  “Well, I have been thinking.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, and I heard about your brother. I would have tried to make the funeral but I had a few runs to make.”

  I just looked at him.

  Before I could get started, his receptionist buzzed and told him that his lunch was there.

  And in walked Lee Lee.

  She looked at me with disgust or maybe it was with concern.

  “Hey Moe,” she said.

  She and I were definitely in a weird space, but it was what it was.

  “Here you go,” she said to Kane reaching him his food.

  “So, you two are a couple?”

  Lee Lee said yes and Kane said no.

  Uh oh.

  This should be fun.

  “We are friends.”

  “Really? Because I thought we were a little more than that.”

  “Friends.”

  “Okay,” was all that she said.

  She walked over to me.

  She touched my belly and then leaned down to give me a hug.

  “See you later, and give Krissie a kiss for me,” she said and she walked out of his office.

  “She has lost her mind,” I said aloud.

  “Yes. She really has. I think what happened to her messed up her up a little bit. She may need counseling,” Kane laughed as though he found humor in the situation.

  “If you leave her alone she will be fine.”

  “I’m not bothering her. She’s bothering me. We’re just friends. Anyway, why are you here Moet?”

  Briefly I wondered how bothered Legacy was going to be that I was about to pursue him.

  I couldn’t tell her why and I was sure that she wasn’t going to be happy about it.

  But he was the only one close enough to help me out.

  To help out Daddy.

  Or maybe he could at least try to get word and confirm that Jinx’s brother was the one really after Daddy and responsible for Drake’s death.

  “Well, as you can see I have a baby that will be coming soon.”

  “And? What does that have to do with me? We both know th
at this one really isn’t mine.”

  “Yes we know that. But I’ve been thinking. We’ve lost so much. My husband is dead. Your wife and your ex-wife are both gone.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Before you started acting out we did have some kind of connection or something. That man, the one that you were before has to be in there somewhere right?”

  “That’s my nice side,” Kane chuckled.

  This was going to be harder than I thought.

  To deal with Kane that is, with his stupid ass.

  “Well, what if we try again.”

  “What? Are you serious right now?”

  He was still smiling.

  “Well, you did promise me dinner didn’t you?”

  Kane eyed me suspiciously.

  “I’m sure you know about Daddy’s tumor since you were his ace. He’s dying. Drake died. My brother is gone. All of the men that I care about will be gone soon.”

  “And what you don’t want to be alone?”

  “I don’t think that’s it. But maybe it’s just that I want to be with someone that’s familiar. My Daddy trusts you like no other so you have to have some true and good qualities about yourself. And considering that you did try to save me from the attack, there has to be some kind of genuine feelings there that you have for me. You call my phone every day, so maybe we can do the dinner thing; as long as there really isn’t anything going on with you and Lee Lee.”