RECKLESS — Bad Boy Criminal Romance (21 page)

I looked at him and he didn’t look too bad.  “Are you doing better?”

“Maybe a little,” he said offhandedly.  “Not really.”

G.C. and DeAnthony soon arrived, both eager for business.

“There’s no way I can do this,” Terrell announced to us all.

“You look like you’re almost better,” G.C. said.  “I bet you can do it.”

“I have no energy.  I feel like shit.  I can hardly move.  And even if I dragged myself out of here, the last thing I need is to start fucking vomiting in the middle of a job.  Especially this one.  If I could do it, I would.  But I can’t.”

Silence enveloped the room. 

Finally G.C. spoke up, exasperated.  “So this is it?  We’re passing up on ten million dollars?”

Terrell shrugged dismissively.  “Do whatever you want.  I’m just saying I’m out.”

G.C. glanced over to DeAnthony.  “You still in?”

“Should we do this without Terrell?” DeAnthony grimaced, pained at the thought.

“I want him there, but he said he can’t,” G.C. replied.  “You and me have been doing all the scouting anyway.  We’re the ones who already know the layout of this place.  We don’t need anyone else.”

“This whole situation being what it is, I’m thinking the more manpower on our side, the better,” DeAnthony said.

“Do you still want me?” I asked.

“Yeah,” DeAnthony said.

“Fuck that,” G.C. countered.  “No offense, but he’s been tagging along long enough.”

              “Come on, man,” DeAnthony said.  “We could use the extra person.”

“For what?” G.C. asked.  “We bust in, I crack the safe, and we stuff the money into bags.  We don’t need help.  I’ll take my five million and you take yours.”

“Shouldn’t we give them a cut of it anyway?”  DeAnthony suggested.  “Especially Terrell.”

“You do whatever you want with your share,” G.C. said.  “After this, I’m officially retired and gone from this city.”

DeAnthony offered no rebuttal.

“C’mon, let’s go get ready,” G.C. said as he walked out of the room.  “Terrell’s sick and probably wants his rest anyway.”

DeAnthony hesitated and looked at Terrell.  “You cool with this?”

“Do what you want to do,” Terrell said.

DeAnthony patted me on the shoulder and mumbled, “Sorry, man.”

“Call me tonight when it’s over,” Terrell told DeAnthony who followed after G.C. 

After DeAnthony left, Terrell looked more ill than when I arrived.

I was profoundly disappointed, having missed a possible opportunity to become a millionaire while still in high school.  But I also felt relieved.  Without Terrell’s guidance, I really didn’t want to try anything too dangerous.  I told him I’d go home since he was still sick, but he asked me to stay longer.

Terrell wanted to talk, lonely from being alone in bed for two days.  In an introspective mood, he spoke about his mother who he last saw when he was six years old.  He told me stories about his grandparents who adopted him.  His grandmother spoiled him and he bonded with his late grandfather over sports.  He mentioned meeting DeAnthony in fifth grade and becoming best friends.

Later in the evening, I went out for food.  Terrell said he wanted to try to eat something.  I drove to a local establishment called Don Don’s and picked up hot wings for myself and chicken tenders for Terrell.  Back in his room, he nibbled on a tender and sipped a glass of water.  I ate my wings and drank a beer from the kitchen.  We watched a movie on his big-screen TV.

By the film’s end, I had finished all my food and so had Terrell.  I looked at his empty Styrofoam box which had contained the tenders.  “You’re not really sick, are you?” I asked.

“I’m feeling a little bit better.  I was throwing up and didn’t eat a thing the past couple days.  I guess I just got my appetite back.”

“You didn’t want to do this job.”

“I told you from the beginning I didn’t want to do it.  What does that have to do with me being sick?”

“Your grandmother said you’d act sick as a kid to get out of school.”

“So you think I was never sick?  I was lying?”

“Well, you do sometimes, don’t you?  Like with gambling?  You told me you don’t count cards.  But there’s no way you could be that lucky by chance.”  I looked at him.

He stared back at me.

“I don’t know.”  I shrugged.  “I guess I’m just being stupid.”

He nodded and neither of us said anything else about it.

Midnight passed and Terrell grew edgier, waiting for DeAnthony’s phone call.  We watched another couple movies.  At four o’clock in the morning, still with no call, I decided to go home.  “You think something went wrong?” I asked.

“Those motherfuckers probably pulled it off and have been out all night partying.  DeAnthony’s probably passed out drunk somewhere with five million bucks in his pocket.  And here our dumb asses are sitting around worrying.”

I smiled.  “Fuck it, right?”

“Exactly.”  He chuckled.  “Fuck both those rich motherfuckers.” 

We didn’t hear from G.C. or DeAnthony for the next week.  A couple kids found them in the suburb of Germantown.  They were in the woods off Callis Cutoff Road.  Their heads and limbs, severed from the trunks of their bodies, sat amongst the dirt and dried leaves.

Chapter Thirteen

Police contacted Terrell about DeAnthony’s murder.  They wanted to know if Terrell had talked to him beforehand.  What had DeAnthony planned to do that night?  Where did he plan to be?  What was his relationship with G.C.?  Were there any signs of trouble in DeAnthony’s life?

Terrell played dumb.  The risk of death was inherent in what we did.  So he stonewalled the police and had no plans of revenge.   All thefts ceased and Terrell dealt quietly with his best friend’s death.

He and I met a couple days before Christmas.  In a convenience store I bought a bottle of chocolate milk and he bought a cigar.  We sat on a bench beside a basketball court in a neighborhood park. 

“Are there any houses you got your eye on?” I asked.

“That’s over,” Terrell said.  “Most of the information we got came from G.C.  He knew where the nice houses were with the expensive shit in them.  He knew how to disarm the locks and the security alarms.  And DeAnthony turned the profit on the cars we stole.  Without them, we lack the know-how and the hookups to work efficiently and be profitable.”

              I sat disappointed, now without a source of income.

              Terrell chewed on his cigar.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I’d love to make some extra money if there was a way to do it.  But unless you can think of one, I just don’t see it.”

              Terrell still worked as a bouncer.  After five years at Platinum Pleasures strip club, the owner had noted Terrell’s intelligence and work ethic.  Consequently, Terrell was being trained for a promotion into a management position.  In the meantime, he continued to maintain order at the club.

              On Christmas Eve, Curtis Reznok and his entourage showed up.  He visited the club on a semi-regular basis.  Terrell had seen him many times before but they had never spoken.  Curtis had a personal friendship with the club owner.  Accordingly, one of Curtis’s street-level dealers was usually in or around the club bathrooms, selling.  Curtis also had a relationship with the strippers whom he gave high-dollar tips.  In the club they sat and talked with him.  At night’s end, one often went home with him. 

              After midnight, in the early hours of Christmas morning, Terrell ducked out the back of the club for some air.  Parked in the back lot was Curtis’s black limousine SUV amongst the other cars.

Shortly after Terrell stepped outside, the back door swung open and out came Curtis.  “I need to talk to you.  You got a minute?”

              Behind Curtis were six more men awaiting an answer.

              “Sure,” Terrell said.

              They all sat together in the limousine SUV.  Curtis wore a black V-neck under a suit coat.  On his wrist was a platinum Rolex.  “You were the best friend of a guy named DeAnthony, right?”

              Terrell nodded.

              “What’d you talk about the last time you heard from him?”

              “I don’t see how it’s your business.”

              Curtis stared at him.

              Terrell stared back.

              “Do you know who I am?”

“I’ve seen you here before.”

“What did DeAnthony know about me?  Or anyone around me for that matter?”

Terrell shrugged.  “Nothing I know of.”

“There was a guy with him when he died.  You know him?”

“A little.”

“What was their relationship?”

“Friends.”

“Were they in business together?”

“Not that I know of.”

“You don’t seem to know much.”  Curtis smiled.  “Tell me something you do know.”

“About what?”

“About anything.”

Terrell thought a moment before glancing at Curtis’s wrist.  “You have a nice watch.”

“You like this?”  Curtis took the watch off.  “I bought it a while back.  It’s pretty, but it keeps shitty time.”  He held it in his hand.  “Reminds me of some of the girls who work here.  Beautiful on the outside but not very functional.”  Curtis looked at the Rolex.  “You know what?  I don’t even like this watch.  I’m going to find the most fucked up girl working here tonight and give it to her.”

Terrell chuckled.

Curtis smiled, then asked, “What did you say to the police when they talked to you?”

“Same as I did to you,” Terrell said.  “Really, I don’t know what happened to DeAnthony and I don’t want to know.  I’d rather just remember him as my friend, the kid I grew up with.  If DeAnthony made some type of mistake at the end of his life, knowing about it won’t help me bring him back.”

Curtis listened carefully, assessing Terrell’s demeanor.  “I spoke to your boss.  He said you’ve worked here a long time.  How come you’ve never talked to me?”

Terrell shrugged.  “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“He said he’s training you to be the part-time manager.  You going to treat me and my friends well when we come here?”

“Of course.”

Curtis nodded.  “Your friend DeAnthony was involved with some friends of mine.  I won’t go into it, but I needed to see if you knew anything to ensure my safety and theirs.  Doesn’t seem like you have anything for me though, huh?”

“Sorry.”

“I won’t take up any more of your time then.”  Curtis extended his hand.  “If you happen to remember something, come tell me.” 

Terrell shook his hand as he moved toward the door.

“And don’t be shy.”  Curtis grasped his hand firmly.  “Say ‘hi’ next time you see me.”

After sleeping the night at Britney’s apartment, not having sex, I stare at the ceiling waiting for her to wake.  She kisses my cheek and asks, “How long have you been up?”

“Just a minute or so,” I say.  “I’ve been thinking about something.  I think I might want to get involved in the church somehow.”

“Really?”  She sits up with a big smile.  “In what way?”

“I don’t know.  I think I might want to volunteer to do something though.  Maybe you could show me the different programs you have?”

“Definitely.  Monday night would be a good time to check it out.”

“That’s good for me.  Let’s do it.” 

“This is so great.”  She hugs me and pecks me on the lips.  “I knew if I brought you to church you’d be inspired to let God into your life.”

I shrug.  “Church was fine, but you inspired me more than anything.” 

She smiles.

“There’s something else I’ve been thinking too.”

“What?”

“Just an idea.  Be honest if you think it’s dumb.”

“What is it?”

“I met your brother and he seemed like a good guy.  And you said he was single.  My sister is single too.  Do you think it’d be crazy to set them up?”

“Oh my God, we could double date.  That could be a great idea.”

“Yeah, she’s a beautiful girl.  And seeing how well we’ve connected I thought it might be worth a shot.”

“That’s perfect.  Talk to your sister and let’s set it up.”

Back at my mother’s home, Angela greets me with a sly smile and says, “So you finally slept with her?  It took you long enough.”

“Actually I didn’t,” I admit.

“You’re kidding me.  I hate to use the word ‘pathetic’ but—”

“Take it easy.  I’m making more progress than you know.  You have a date later this week.”

“With who?”

“Britney’s brother.”  I pour myself a glass of ice water.  “She’s all excited at the idea of doubling.”

“I bet you I can sleep with him before you sleep with her,” Angela boasts.

I sip my water, take an ice cube into my mouth and tongue it.  “Well, I think you have the advantage in trying to seduce a religious, yet probably desperately horny young guy.  Versus me going after the female equivalent.  But fuck it, you’re on.”