Once we landed in Ontario, we went to the rental car desk and picked up our reserved car and headed towards our destination. I had the layout of the small house through an associate and knew it would be a breeze getting in but I just had to make sure that the element of surprise was on our side. We had to move fast and execute the plan and then get the fuck out of Dodge undetected.
Quita had been with my uncle for some years so I knew not to put anything past her. She would shoot first and ask questions later. Luckily for us, Quita was a creature of habit. I knew that day after day, she took her showers at 9 o’clock on the dot every night and I knew that the routine was so normal for her that it wouldn’t change now. We had to catch her off guard at her most vulnerable state and the shower would be the perfect place. Quita stayed out here with her grandfather. He was old as shit and was ailing so he didn’t pose a threat to us.
Once we pulled on the street that the small, two bedroom house was on, B killed the lights to the mobby which is what we called an inexpensive car that we did our dirt in and most likely dumped afterwards. I grabbed the small duffle bag that held the items that we would need and we all exited the car. As we walked up to the house, we pulled our masks down and pulled on burner gloves. We were in all black and the sun had already gone down so we blended in with the fresh darkness. The houses weren’t too close together, so it would be easy to get in and out.
I went to the front door and B and Greg went around the back. I slid out the torque tool and pick and after a few seconds, I was able to pop open the front door. I closed the door quietly and then locked it back because we would be exiting from the back door where the kitchen was located. I pulled my .38 from the small of my back and checked the front rooms. Once I saw that they were clear, I went to the back door and let the guys in.
I could hear the shower water running from the bathroom that was to the left of the kitchen. Quita’s voice could be heard as she was doing a horrible job of singing a Whitney Houston classic. That bitch’s voice had me ready to just shoot her ass dead but I was going to follow through with the plan. I gave B a head nod and he went toward the first bedroom door which was cracked open. He peeked in and shook his head. Quita’s horrible voice could still be heard and she was oblivious to the fate that lay ahead of her. B then went to the second door and eased it open, he looked back at me and nodded his head. I gave him a nod back and he entered the room. I gripped my pistol tighter as Greg and I stood in the room and waited for him to reemerge.
After a couple of seconds, B came out the room with Quita’s grandfather thrown over his shoulder like a rag doll. I know her grandfather was innocent in all this but I didn’t see any way around killing him and still getting away. He was old and had lived a full life so I saw it as putting him out of his misery.
Once B had gone into the living room, Greg and I burst into the bathroom. Quita shrieked and covered herself out of reflex. I pointed my gun straight at her as I threw her the towel that was on the back of the toilet. “Shut the fuck up and do what I say.”
Greg grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the living room where B was waiting. Once in the living room, both Quita and her grandfather sat next to each other and stared at us, waiting for what was next to come.
Tears were in her eyes but I could give a damn. She wasn’t doing no crying when she was in that interrogation room signing deals with them people. I looked at my watch and we had a little over ten minutes to get this shit over with. I pulled my mask up and looked at Quita. Her eyes bugged open in shock as she stared at me and started shaking her head while tears began to pour out of her eyes.
“You can save them tears, hoe. Better just pray for your soul ‘cus I ain’t got time for the explanation and long death speeches.”
I tossed the duffle bag to Greg and he caught it then opened it, removing the syringe and bottle of deadly nightshade that Big Tank had gotten off the black market. Once he’d filled the syringe with the powerful drug, he injected it into both Quita and her grandfather.
I then went into the kitchen and turned on the front eyes to the stove. I grabbed a pot and filled it with cooking oil and placed it on the stove and then dipped a dish towel in the pot. A couple of seconds later, B met me in the kitchen while Greg went and took the batteries out of the smoke detectors and I placed the dish towel that I had dipped in the oil pot on the eye and watched it flame up. The stove immediately caught fire and the flames began to rise and catch the wall. Greg had started a cigarette fire on the couch and I could smell the flesh burning as we stood in the kitchen watching the flames rise. I looked at my watch and we had a little less than two minutes to get out of the house.
I opened the backdoor, locking the bottom lock and holding it open as B walked onto the steps and Greg came running out of the living room and we all ran out the backdoor and didn’t stop until we reached the car. We hopped in and drove back to the apartment to retrieve the rental car, quickly change and proceed to the airport. Pam’s sister would handle discarding the car. Once we had made it to the airport, I pulled my burner and shot a text to Gio letting him know that we were about to board and then I tossed the phone.
As soon as my ass hit the seat of the plane, a feeling of relief washed over me and I just wanted to get home and climb in bed with a jar of sea salt caramel gelato and catch up on some ratchet TV. I missed my son but I was going to enjoy the little break to just kick my feet up and relax. I would also take this time to write a letter to Rico and Uncle Ken. I closed my eyes and took a cat nap for the remainder of the flight.
“Jae, wake up.”
I opened my eyes and stared at Tone as he stared at me. His eyes seemed angry and it wasn’t the love that he used to hold for me sitting behind them. The look on his face told me that I had done something wrong. I reached out and touched his face. He was so beautiful like I remembered and I missed him like crazy. Tears fell from my eyes as I rose up on my knees and reached up to kiss him, but surprisingly, he turned his head away from me. I was shocked and hurt. Had he not missed me like I missed him?
“What’s wrong, Antonio? What did I do?” I asked as he got up from the bed. I looked around and we were back in his old room at Gio’s house. I slung my legs around so that they were now dangling off the bed and watched as Tone turned towards me with fire in his eyes.
“You need to stay on point, Jae Money. You know how to peep shit when it ain’t adding up, so don’t be no dummy. Keep ya eyes open.”
I nodded my head but I didn’t know what I was supposed to be keeping my eyes open for. I had been being extra cautious in the streets but I soaked up his words and hoped that I would see whatever I was supposed to see before it was too late. Tone walked towards me and then leaned down and kissed my lips passionately. I became dizzy like my body had been missing the life that this kiss was giving me but now it was too much and I was drunk in this kiss. Tone pulled away and I kept my eyes closed as he rested his forehead on mine.
“I will always be there. Shit will get rough but you a survivor. Don’t trip, I got my little prince.”
I smiled and opened my eyes but Tone was gone. I looked left and right but I was now sitting in the room alone.
“Jae Money.” I turned around but I didn’t see anything.
“Jaeda.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I opened my eyes and heard the pilot announce that we were making our final descent into Oakland International. I looked to my right and Greg was staring at me with a smirk on his face.
“Yo ass was over there knocked out. Fuck you was doing, having a wet dream?” he asked, chuckling. I shook my head. “Nasty ass Jaeda,” he said and I laughed as I lifted the blinds and stared out the window as we began to slowly drop from the sky.
Tone’s words kept replaying in my head. “Keep your eyes open.”
I
walked into my house with Baby Tone in my arms after a long day of school, running around getting last minute things for the baby’s birthday and a couple of hours on the block. I was exhausted and Tone was cranky as hell. He had gone to the doctor earlier and gotten shots so right now he was irritable and whiny and it was just time that we both crashed and called it a night. I was so tired that I just grabbed one of my wool blended throw blankets out of the hall closet and removed Tone’s clothing and we settled on the couch. I didn’t feel like lugging his chunky butt up the stairs and trying to get settled up there so I turned on Netflix and started an episode of
Scandal
. After about ten minutes of my son rubbing my cheek with his tiny fingers, he was out cold, snoring lightly as he lay on my chest.
As tired as I was, I couldn’t make myself fall asleep or even focus on the television. I picked up my phone and saw I had some notifications. I had texts from Loren and Lexis and about ten missed calls from Chris. I couldn’t understand why this nigga wouldn’t just leave me alone. He had been calling and texting me all day, every day and I didn’t understand how he had time to work as much as he stalked me. I shook my head, just as I was about to send him a text another text came in from him.
Christian:
Why are you doing me like this? I ain’t no lame ass nigga but u keep trying to play me like I am. All I want is to make shit work with you.
Me:
I’m not doing you like shit. Mr. Marbry please leave me alone. I told you I’m koo on you now u got me feeling like u on some stalker shit. Now that’s lame.
I shook my head as he started calling again. I sent him to voicemail but he called again. I was starting to get pissed. I didn’t want to talk to him or even hear his voice at all. I just wanted to move on peacefully. I looked at my phone and he had sent another text.
Christian:
It’s good, bitch. We’ll see if you still talking slick when I pull up on you. See you shortly hoe ass bitch!
Something was truly wrong with this dude and I didn’t have time to play games. I sat up and adjusted my son in my arms and then carried him up to my room and placed him in my bed, pulling my covers up over him. I kissed his cheek and walked out the room, pulling the door a little. I stopped for a brief second by the door as I got a whiff of a familiar scent, I looked around and thought that I was tripping.
I was clearly tired and becoming delirious because I was hit by the scent of Chris’ cologne and he hadn’t been in my house since the day I’d broken up with him, and that was weeks ago. I continued walking back down stairs as I dialed up Greg. As the phone rang, I checked all my doors and windows and made sure they were all locked.
“Sup, Jae Money?” Greg said, answering the phone.
“Hey, don’t mean to bother you but this nigga Chris won’t leave me the fuck alone and he just called threatening me and shit. Can you come over here, please?” I asked as I sat down on the couch and muted the TV.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in 10,” Greg said and ended the call.
I was thankful that they stayed so close because I wouldn’t know who to call if I was out here by myself.
I called Loren and added Lexis to the call and began to tell them about Chris’ crazy ass. I wasn’t scared of his retarded ass but I didn’t have time to be trying to find out if he was little crazy or big crazy. Tomorrow was Baby Tone’s first birthday and I had planned to have a little gathering here at the house for him with just those that were closest to us. I was telling Lexis what time I needed her at the house when I heard a car door shut outside my house. I got up to look out the window.
When I peeked out, instead of it being Greg, it was Chris. His crazy ass had really come to my house. He looked a mess. You could tell that he hadn’t had a haircut or a line recently and his eyes had bags under them and they were bloodshot.
“Bitch, this nigga Chris just showed up,” I whispered harshly into the phone.
“Man, me and Jizz about to come over there. Where the fuck is Greg?” Lexis asked.
Chris started banging on my door. “Open the door, Jaeda. I just need to talk to you!” he yelled through the door.
“Chris, just go home. There ain’t shit to talk about,” I said through the door.
“Fuck that, bitch! How you just going to leave me like I’m some kind of busta? Huh?” he yelled.
“Aye, my nigga, you need to leave!” I heard Greg say and I looked out the window and saw that Greg and B had come together.
Chris turned around and faced them. “Bruh, no offense, but this shit has nothing to do with y’all,” Chris said and turned his back to them as he began talking back through the door.
Just then, Lexis and Jizz pulled up as well. You would think that Chris would have just turned around and left but that nigga was in his own little world as he went back to banging on my door and yelling at me like they weren’t even standing there.
“Chris, bruh, you doing hella shit right now and you need to cut,” B said as he took a step forward.
“Aye, nigga, I know y’all love playing Captain Save-a-hoe for this bitch but back the fuck off!” he yelled as he took a step towards Brayden.
Before I knew it, B had swung and had placed Chris in a chokehold. “Nigga, you got me fucked up. Don’t ever disrespect my sister like that!” B said as he let Chris go, pushing him with enough force that he stumbled and lost his footing.
I opened the door. “Okay, y’all. This is getting too out of hand.”
Soon as I said that, Chris jumped up and lunged for me, I jumped back. I didn’t expect him to try and put his hands on me; especially with everybody here. Shit, B had already put hands on him.
I looked in his face and something was off. “Nigga, are you high?” I asked because I knew that look all too well. Being on the block all day, you could tell when a person was high off something and Chris was definitely high out of his mind.
“Bitch, don’t ask me no questions. You got these niggas out here trying to play me and you asking questions,” he said as he spat at my feet.