Thin Ice 4 - Resurrections (2 page)

LaRon was furious she was trying to divorce him. He’d apologized to her for the affair, bought her jewelry, clothes, a new truck, yet she still wasn’t happy.

“
Tweety, dammit, you’re my heart, why you tryna leave me,” he yelled as Jaleesa kicked him hard to the stomach and he stumbled backward.

“
How the fuck you love me and you screwing other brauds,” she yelled jumping from the table and trying to leave again.

          “
Hell nah,” LaRon roared coming toward her again.

Jaleesa spun on him having gotten the gun from her purse. “Back up,” she yelled as he stopped momentarily stunned. “You are done hittin me today,” Jaleesa told him trying to back toward the door.

“
So you’re gonna shoot me now,” LaRon taunted, even angrier that she had the nerve to pull the weapon.

“
Deuce, just let me leave, shit,” she told him as he continued to slowly walk forward. “You’re gonna hafta use it, Tweety,” he told her never taking his eyes from her. “Deuce, stop, damn, just let me go home, we can talk later, tomorrow, okay,” she tried as the tears came blurring her vision.

“
Nah Tweety, I can’t do that baby,” he began softly, still walking up to her, close enough to almost touch the gun.

“
Deuce, just sign the papers, give me the divorce, we can be friends,” Jaleesa tried again as the first tear rolled down her cheek.

         
LaRon lunged and grabbed her arm twisting it hard as she dropped the gun. “You are mine and you’ll always be mine,” he told her knocking her to the floor and straddling her as he began choking her.

Jaleesa was clawing him, hitting him closed fist trying to get him off her.

“
Say you’re gonna stay, say it” LaRon screamed at her, loosening his grip for a millisecond in time. “Why the fuck you makin’ me hurt you like this,” he asked, slapping her now instead of choking her.

Jaleesa was wheezing trying to catch her breath. She tasted the blood from her lip and nose, her head spinning.

“
I want you and my kid’s home tonight,” LaRon told her, getting off her and turning his back to grab a kitchen towel.

Jaleesa dragged herself to a sitting position as her eyes fell on the gun under the table. Reaching she picked it up, still trembling uncontrollably as he walked back into the room.

“
Put that shit down,” LaRon told her tiredly, walking toward her once again.

Jaleesa stopped him on his third step, unloading two .10mm bullets into his chest. LaRon frowned quizzically, not believing she’d shot him.

“
Tweety, what, why,” he managed before falling to his knees.

Jaleesa scrambled backwards away from him as he reached out for her. She stopped only after her back hit the unyielding plaster wall. She saw his body shiver violently one last time and then he was still. Dropping the gun finally, Jaleesa began to sob uncontrollably.

*****

Jaron was loving life here in Atlanta, working for Top. He and Gabrielle were doing well and they’d moved into a nice new townhome about a month ago. She was in school and he made sure all the bills were taken care of, as well as anything she may have wanted or needed on a personal level. Things had been dark and dismal for him a few months back when Gabrielle went to close on their old house in the Bayou and disappeared. Jaron couldn’t describe the torment he endured wondering where she was and if she was all right. Top had immediately stepped up and helped him look for her, enlisting all the manpower at his disposal. Slowly they began to get small leads on her whereabouts when she called out of the blue, well after midnight one evening.
“Jaron,” Gabrielle was sobbing into the phone. “Baby where are you,” he’d immediately questioned. It took him almost 20 minutes to calm her and get something they could use to find her. He, Top, LaRon and Mook had jumped into the truck and hit the interstate making the five hour drive to Tennessee in three hours flat. They found her at the small truck stop she’d managed to find. “Baby, what happened,” Jaron questioned as they rode back and she clung to him. Gabrielle managed to tell them about the men kidnapping her and saying they were taking her home. She told them about the stopover in Tennessee for the next few days while they took care of business. She’d only heard bits and pieces of their conversation. “What were they talking about,” Jaron asked as Gabrielle tearfully told him she had no idea. She’d managed to get away when they let her use the bathroom as they hit the interstate headed for wherever they were taking her, and she saw the small window. She told them, she’d climbed out and ran into the darkness, praying she would end up someplace with a phone.

         
The car horn behind him broke his thought as Jaron continued on to his destination. Now he didn’t let Gabrielle out of his sight without knowing exactly where she would be. He had a GPS on her phone so he could track her and he didn’t let her drive. He took her everywhere she needed to go. Gabrielle didn’t mind though. She told him it made her feel safe that he took such good care of her. Thinking about her brought a smile to his face as he turned into the school parking lot and saw her waiting outside talking to her friends from class. Gabrielle rose and came to the car as soon as he drove up, jumping inside, and giving Jaron a quick kiss.

“
Hey baby,” she greeted him as he smiled and returned the greeting.

“
How was class,” he asked as they left the school headed for dinner.

“
It was good, we actually got a chance to practice more today,” she told him as Jaron nodded his understanding. “I’m starved,” she added as he chuckled and told her okay. “I gotta stop at Mardi Gras for a minute, then we can go wherever you want,” Jaron told her as they got back onto the interstate.

Gabrielle replied that was fine as she opened her book and began to study. Jaron smiled again thankful he had her back and vowing never to let her go again.

2

Creeper was still thinking about the request Jalen made while he was in Philly almost two weeks ago.
Wonder what the hell he wants to know about Ice and Ryan for,
he brooded. Creeper was well aware of the man’s legend. Ian and his brother Ryan were no joke. Stories still circulated about how Ryan had Big Mike and his crew turned into hamburger meat, literally.
There’s more to this story than is being shared,
he concluded as his best friend walked into the small apartment where they counted money before sending it to be laundered.

“
Wassup man,” Pirate threw out.

Creeper greeted him, telling him to sit down he wanted to run something by him. Pirate grabbed a beer and began rolling a blunt as his friend talked. He lit it and inhaled deeply as Creeper finally finished his story.

“
So he just wants to know about them, because why,” Pirate asked, just as suspicious as Creeper.

“
That’s exactly my question,” Creeper threw back. “He says it’s just for his sanity’s sake, but I ain’t buyin’ that bullshit.”

Pirate immediately agreed.

“
OK, so if you find anything, call his bluff,” Pirate told him. “Make that ass come clean about what’s really up,” he added as Creeper readily agreed.

“
We need to make a trip to Louisiana,” Creeper told him.

Pirate gave him a questioning look. Creeper explained that’s where Ian had been killed so it was just a good a place to start as any.

“
Man, I heard Ice was no fuckin’ joke,” Pirate told him the admiration in his voice.

“
I met his brother once,” Creeper told him as Pirate nodded. “We were supposed to talk about doing business, but shit came up and next thing I know he was dead,” Creeper stated as Pirate again nodded his understanding. “I hadn’t ever met Ice and I didn’t know if Ryan had mentioned anything, so I didn’t even try that direction,” he added as Pirate chuckled and told him he understood.

“
So when are we leaving,” he asked his friend.

Creeper told him he would get Tamiya and the kids settled tomorrow and they would pull out around noon.

“
Cool, that will give me time to put it on Lila real good,” Pirate replied as they burst into laughter and continued their task for the evening, counting their money.

*****

         
Tariq smiled as he watched Kaitlyn play with the children at the shelter. She volunteered here three days a week and loved it. They wanted to have another child, but the doctors had asked them to wait until Kaitlyn finished her medication and they were sure she was stable. Thankfully they were only about a month away from their release date. Tariq couldn’t complain though. Their love life was still remarkable and they made love often, he just wanted to be able to give her the child they both so desperately desired. Kaitlyn looked up seeing her husband and waved. Tariq waved back as several other small hands began waving and smiling. All the kids knew him and loved it when he came to pick Kaitlyn up, knowing he brought treats. Tonight was no exception. Tariq stopped at Krispy Kreme and picked up ten dozen glazed doughnuts, enough for all the staff and patrons alike to enjoy.

         
Kaitlyn hugged him tightly after all the little people were done saying hello and hugging him.

“
Hey baby,” he greeted her, kissing her softly.

“
Hey,” Kaitlyn replied happily.

Tariq loved looking into her eyes and seeing the sparkle once more restored. Every time he thought of Carlo, or of Ice, he wanted to kill them all over again. Pushing the dark memories away, he returned his attention to his wife as they walked out of the building bidding everyone goodnight.

“
I have a doctors appointment tomorrow,” Kaitlyn told him as a point of conversation. Tariq asked what was wrong as she chuckled.

“
I have a check up, girl check up,” she iterated as he smiled and left the subject alone. “Next month cannot come soon enough,” Kaitlyn spoke again quietly.

Tariq wordlessly took her hand, kissing it lightly.

“
It’ll fly by, you’ll see,” he told her as Kaitlyn smiled and told him she believed him.

          “
Tweety’s arraignment is tomorrow,” Kaitlyn said carefully.

She knew Tariq was still raw about losing his friend and partner. They hadn’t really talked about it since the night of the shooting. Tariq sighed deeply and simply nodded. He still couldn’t bring himself to speak on the subject yet. While he understood what must have been going through her mind when she shot him, Tariq was angry as hell that Jaleesa had killed his friend. He didn’t know if he could go sit in a courtroom and listen to them talk defense strategies and such.
You’ve got to deal with this, she’s your wife’s best friend,
his mind told him as Kaitlyn left the subject alone and began talking about something else. She sensed he wasn’t ready and he appreciated the fact that she didn’t push.

Thinking about the arraignment, Tariq made a mental note to get with DeNoah. He’d returned to Atlanta almost three months ago, broken, and hunted. Tariq and LaRon had arranged a couple of high profile hits on the men looking for him, convincing them it was better to let it go. He would have DeNoah shadow Kaitlyn. He didn’t leave her without eyes these days, ever. Tariq still had the uneasy feeling that they weren’t out of the woods yet.
You killed that muthafucka, you saw him slide down that wall,
his mind tried yet again.

“
Baby, you missed the turn,” Kaitlyn spoke, breaking his thought.

Tariq apologized, making a quick u-turn and heading back to the Grill and the bison steak Kaitlyn said she wanted.

*****

         
Jalen was trying to watch the game and tune out his girl’s constant complaining. “Why can’t we go out, damn, you’re always broke,” Penny whined as Jalen rolled his eyes at her.

He’d been dating Penny Rhodes for almost a year. Jalen smiled thinking they should have named her dollar the way she was always asking for and spending money. Jalen couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t sexy or fine for that matter. The big, round, bubble butt had him mesmerized the day he met her. He would be the first to admit she wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but she was tolerable and the way she gave head definitely made her a keeper.

“
Baby, I’m trying to watch the game,” Jalen tried. “How about we go out after it goes off,” he added trying to sweeten the deal.

Penny came and stood directly in front of the TV, hands on her hips.

“
I want to go out now,” she told him as he sighed deeply once more.

“
After the game,” he told her, trying to keep his anger in check.

“
No! right now!” Penny yelled and Jalen snapped.

          “
Tell you what bitch,” he threw out before he could stop himself. “How about you take yourself out, right now,” he raged as Penny slapped him hard across the face. “Don’t you ever call me a bitch again,” she yelled back. “I don’t have to deal with your broke ass or your bad ass attitude,” she told him definitely.

“
Then fuck, don’t,” Jalen yelled, pushing her roughly from in front of the TV set.

“
Did you just push me,” Penny questioned picking up a vase and throwing it at him. Jalen ducked and the glass object shattered harmlessly against the wall.

“
See, that’s why I don’t fuck with your stupid ass,” he told her. “We’re done, shit, get out,” he yelled as Penny again put her hands on her hip and spoke, neck rolling as she did.