He looked Renee in the eyes, his heart beating a mile a minute, and said, “I started working for her.”
Chapter 23
Ever since Dane had brought it to Julian’s attention that Renee could possibly die if they didn’t kill Page, Julian had been in a bad mood. He didn’t think he could take away the only family Renee had left, but he knew for a fact that he couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her. However, after seeing what he’d just seen, he temporarily forgot about it all and allowed happiness to wash over him.
Julian stepped out of the shower and threw on a white button-down shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and white uptowns. He flashed his award-winning smile and his fresh haircut, which was only a couple of days old, all the way to his car. He looked at all his cars parked in his building’s garage. His smile grew, and he nodded his head, thinking, Yeah, I’ll go with the Jag.
Julian got into his Jaguar and jumped when he looked up and saw Dane in the passenger’s seat, reading Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. She knew that she’d startled him, but she didn’t take her eyes off the book. Just as Julian suspected, there sat Metro in the backseat, with his head back, eyes closed, and hands folded on his lap. Immediately, Julian started to look around his car.
How did they get in? Everything looks intact. Julian shook his head and pushed the question to the back of his mind.
“Judging by the smile you had on your face while you were approaching the car, I assume you saw the news.” Dane’s eyes were still glued to the pages of the book.
Julian smiled again. If he kept this up, his face may permanently be stuck like that. “Sure did. You do some good work. They have no idea who’s behind the murder, and magically, the prison’s video footage of that night disappeared.”
“It pays to have lowlifes in high places. The wardens and everyone on that prison’s payroll are dirty as shit. Not to mention I’ve done business with more than half of them.” Dane laughed.
“What about the prisoners?” Julian asked.
“The prison’s top dog is a loyal client of mine and is serving life. He put the word out for everyone to turn a blind eye.”
Julian’s smile grew.
“You should have seen it. Once I infected him with the poison and mentioned how you took joy in putting this hit out on him, his eyes got big. They got even bigger once I said Renee’s name.”
* * *
Curtis sat in his cell, with only minutes left to live. His body was paralyzed from the eyes down. Dane lay next to him.
“Normally, I just watch my victims die, right down to their last breath, without speaking a word. But you, you, my dear, are a very, very special case. I was called on by some close friends of mine to take care of you.”
Curtis looked at Dane. His eyes were pleading with her to save him. He felt his body quickly shutting down, organ by organ, with every second that passed.
“You remember my friends Renee and Julian?” Dane said.
Curtis eyes widened, and Dane smiled.
“See, I told you, you’d remember them. Well, anyway, back to what I was saying, because I’m sure by what you’re feeling, you know you don’t have long. This visit is courtesy of Julian and Renee. They couldn’t wait for us to meet, and I’m sure once they get wind of your death, it’ll just make their day.”
Dane was now antagonizing Curtis, rubbing his death in his face. She might as well have put her hands on both sides of her head and said, “Na-na-na-na-na-na.” And it didn’t escape Dane that the sound of Renee’s name for a second time had almost made Curtis’s eyes pop out of their sockets.
“Oh, I see. Since Renee disappeared without a trace, you thought no one knew her whereabouts or if she was alive. She’s alive, all right. Better yet, she’s right in Manhattan,” Dane told him.
Tears dropped from Curtis’s eyes and hit the prison floor. All these years he had wondered where Renee was. Now that he had finally got the answer he’d longed for, he was on his deathbed, unable to move or speak.
“I hope you have sunscreen, because it’s hot where you’re going.”
As soon as that comment left her mouth, Curtis closed his eyes and died.
* * *
Julian smiled. He was pleased with Dane’s account of how she’d murdered Curtis. It only made his day better.
“Since y’all broke into my car, I assume you’re heading to Renee’s too?” Julian asked.
“You damn right,” Metro said out of nowhere. He surprised Julian. For a second, he had forgotten the other man was there. “I ain’t spend weeks in a shitty-ass prison not to see her reaction.”
Julian and Dane laughed. And then the three of them made their way to Renee’s.
Chapter 24
The next morning in Brooklyn . . .
Page didn’t notice her legs give out as she dropped to her knees. She didn’t notice the waterfall of tears cascading down her gorgeous face, and she didn’t even hear the blood-chilling scream her mother let out or see Sheila collapse and Lincoln catch her seconds before she hit the floor. She noticed nothing except the news reporter on the television, who was delivering breaking news.
“Fifty-five-year-old Curtis Bookend, an inmate in an upstate New York prison, was found dead in his cell by a guard hours ago. The apparent cause is poisoning. Police do not have any leads at the moment, but they are questioning the prison guards and inmates as we speak.”
Page repeated what the reporter had said over and over again in her head.
After laying Sheila down on a couch, Lincoln focused his attention on the television. The dark-skinned reporter with long black locks was now summarizing the criminal charges that had landed Curtis behind bars. She told the public how Curtis’s stepdaughter had spoken out about being molested by him and had chronicled the physical abuse she’d endured. Hearing the reporter give a rundown of Curtis’s charges made Lincoln flash back to his conversation with Julian at the diner. He understood why Renee had disappeared. She had no one, and she was probably trying to run away from the pain and into the arms of happiness.
He shook his head and looked at Page, who was now situated in front of the television, on her knees, giving the screen her undivided attention. He then looked at Sheila, lying on the couch, crying her heart out while screaming, “Why! Why!” The scene disgusted Lincoln. These two women were crying their hearts out over a man who had raped their family member, yet they hadn’t uttered a word of concern over Renee being missing and never heard from again. All he had heard pertaining to Renee was Page’s desire to find her and kill her, because of the jealousy she possessed. Sheila had never, not once, even spoken about Renee to him. It was as if she didn’t exist.
These women were nothing but vultures, and looking at Sheila, Lincoln had no idea what he had seen in her. Granted she was a good lay, but sex was no match for coldheartedness. Lincoln had to get away. These women were bad news, and he wanted no part of it.
Finally, Page sat back on her behind, but she didn’t take her eyes off the television, which was now showing pictures of Curtis. Once his face appeared on the screen, Sheila cried louder and harder. Page was in shock. Curtis was gone; her love was gone; her dream was gone. As she looked at nothing but prison pictures plastered across the TV screen, Page had the scary realization that life for her was now over.
They didn’t even call us. Those motherfuckers didn’t even have the decency to contact his family before making it public, she thought.
Page was frozen. She couldn’t and didn’t want to move. All she wanted was for Channel 11 to scroll the words April Fools! across the TV screen. When her eyes darted over to the calendar and she saw that it read July, her heart broke all over again. She struggled to breathe. She couldn’t believe her father was gone. Countless tears dropped, making a small puddle at her feet.
It was Renee’s fault. None of this would have come to be if she’d kept her mouth shut or, better yet, if she’d never been born, Page thought. She took someone who belonged to me, threw
him in prison, and ultimately ended his life. It wasn’t enough to have him. She had to take him away from me, literally.
Page willed away the tears that threatened to fall.
No more planning, she thought. No more waiting. She’s dead. End of story.
Chapter 25
Over in the Village, Club Midnight was in overdrive. Liquor was flowing, music was blasting, and the people on the dance floor were moving so fast while battling each other, they were sweating bullets. The women were half naked, hoping to snag a baller, and the men were on the sidelines, admiring the women like fine pieces of art, trying to decide who they were going to kick it to.
The club was crowded and hot. Overwhelmed by the number of people, Lincoln decided to step out into the parking lot and get some air. The night air slapped him in the face and gave him a boost of energy. Sheila was taking a lot out of Lincoln. She had noticed him pulling away and wasn’t having it. If she couldn’t have Curtis, she would settle for Lincoln, and she wouldn’t let go until she was ready.
The thought of Sheila stressed Lincoln out. In order to hold on to his sanity and avoid her craziness, which obviously ran in the family, he had limited the time he spent at her house and had not been visiting nearly as much as he used to. He planned to slowly get away from her. He was going to take Julian’s advice and leave her.
In the parking lot Lincoln kicked back the last of his Pinnacle and orange juice, then leaned against a white Mercury with tinted windows. He closed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy the fresh air and quiet. His moment of peace was interrupted when he heard someone stumbling out of the club. A redhead in a miniskirt and tank top struggled to keep her balance as she began wandering around the parking lot, in search of her car. When she finally caught her balance and stood up straight, she looked around the lot and saw her car parked next to the Mercury. Staggering, she made her way to her car and then fumbled in her purse for her keys.
Coming up empty, she slapped her forehead with her right hand and screamed out, “Damn it! Leana, you drove. Get your ass out here!”
Watching the drunken female, Lincoln shook his head.
“What are you shaking your head at?” she snapped.
“You.”
The redhead rolled her eyes. “Listen, I don’t give a damn what you think, because in a matter of hours, I am going to be ten thousand dollars richer.” She looked Lincoln up and down before continuing. “And by the looks of it, you could use it.” She laughed at her own joke while slapping her knees. “Yup. So be nice, and maybe I’ll give you a few dollars.” She proceeded to walk away, but Lincoln wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easy.
“Ten Gs? Is that what you charge for a blow job?”
The redhead stopped in her tracks, turned around, and rushed toward Lincoln, her high heels and drunkenness making her wobble.
“Fuck you! For your information, I know something worth millions. Something anyone would pay me that amount of money for!” she yelled.
Lincoln couldn’t get enough of this young woman’s meaningless ranting. Her face was now turning as red as her hair, and he was loving it. He continued to taunt her.
“Really? And what might that be?” With a smirk on his face, he straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest, ready to hear this important information.
“Not only do I know who Jordan is, but I know where she lives.”
Lincoln felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Did he hear what he thought he heard? Did he just hear this drunken fool say she knew who Jordan was and where she lived? Lincoln’s eyes darted to the club. He was now in great need of a drink. When he looked back at the female, he had a flash of the basement closet he’d hidden in at Sheila’s house.
That hair, that red hair, he thought. Lincoln stared at her for what seemed like eternity. She’s the one who told Page about Renee.
“It’s not nice to tell lies.” Lincoln’s eyes were cold.
“Who said I’m lying? I speak the truth. Jordan is a woman, and her behind is laid up in a penthouse over on Fifth Avenue. That information right there just earned me ten thousand dollars.”
“Who’d you tell? Who’s giving you the money?” Lincoln was still in shock. He couldn’t believe he was face-to-face with the person who had basically signed Renee’s death certificate. He wanted to make sure she was the culprit.
Tina looked at Lincoln with glossy eyes. She had run her mouth one time too many while in her drunken state, and she couldn’t stop. “Her sister. Jordan is really Renee. She’s been MIA, and by me telling her sister her whereabouts, I hit the jackpot.” Tina smiled a crooked smile.
“How did you find out?”
“Damn, you ask a lot of questions. My brother works for her. He goes by the tag name Waves. Why? You know him?”
Lincoln shook his head. “Nah, I don’t know him. But what’s your name?”
“Tina. Listen, I would love to talk more, but I have to be out.” Tina turned around and started to make her way back to the club.
Lincoln stood there and had the sensation of smoke coming out of his head. He couldn’t believe he had just spoken with the person who gave Page the ammo she needed to kill Renee. He watched her stumble into the club and nearly fall face-first on the threshold. He thought about dragging her back to the parking lot and taking her life. No one would know. The club was in full swing, and not a soul was in the lot. But the longer he mulled over the idea, the more he knew he couldn’t. Lincoln didn’t have it in him to take a life, but he did have it in him to tell a person who did.
Lincoln leaned against his car again, pulled out his cell, and once again dialed Julian.
Chapter 26
Janae sat in a bubble bath at the Hilton Hotel, sipping on bubbly. Things couldn’t get any better for her. Renee had fallen right into her lap, and it hadn’t even been a full two weeks since she’d left Jared’s place and the hunt had begun. She had thought the streets would talk, but their lips were sealed. People still had no information on Renee’s whereabouts. The chick had literally fallen off the face of the earth. That was until Janae had attended an old friend’s funeral. Janae poured herself another glass of champagne and thought back to when she had finally caught her prey, just hours prior.
Almost all of New York had come out for Slice’s fune-ral. Everyone in attendance was dressed in black, and they all had low faces and eyes concealed with shades. They were all there to pay respects, but whether it was intentional or not, they all talked about how Slice’s body had been discovered. Slice had been found sprawled out on the sidewalk of Jordan’s most profitable street. Most of Jordan’s crew had been hugging the block when Slice’s body was thrown from an unmarked midnight-black minivan that had come creeping down the street in broad daylight. His body was badly decomposed, his tongue had been cut out, and half of his head was gone. Everyone knew that Jordan was sending a message.
Word on the street was that Slice had crossed Jordan, and Jordan had got wind of his betrayal. After witnessing Slice’s body laid out on the concrete, everyone knew it was no coincidence that they had all received a text telling them all to meet on that very street at the exact time the van made its presence. Although no one knew the real reason why Slice was killed, Jordan had decided to make it known that anyone could get it. Before they even thought about pulling a fast one, they would be dealt with just like Slice.
No one had thought this would happen to Slice. Unbeknownst to Renee, many had heard that he was plotting against her, but honestly, they had thought he would get away with it. Slice had been what the crew called “an insider.” He had worked directly with Jordan and had known the operation inside and out. Many had thought he had the chance, the knowledge, the tools, and the trust to take what he wanted, but right along with Slice, they’d all been wrong.
In the church, the streets mourned the death of Slice. People described Slice as the realest dude they had ever known. Although he’d been hard to the core and his mouth had been disrespectful, many re
spected him. He had told it how it was and hadn’t apologized for who he was. He’d been comfortable with himself, and because of that, he’d drawn people to him. His was a closed casket; however, in their minds, the mourners saw Slice’s half-missing head and his wide-open mouth, which afforded a front-row seat to his missing tongue. His mouth had finally got him in trouble, and now that he’d been made an example of, he was pitied.
The church was packed. Slice’s father sat in the front pew, with his wife and children by his side. His color had faded, his face was sunken in, and his eyes were surrounded by dark circles. He was seconds away from resembling a zombie. He blamed himself for not having more control over Slice and for allowing him to go down this road. He was supposed to teach his son how to be a man, and he believed he had failed, and now his heart was broken.
In back of Slice’s father and his family, scattered among the churchgoers, were various women Slice had dealt with, including Janae. Every woman except for Janae was crying her eyes out while giving the others dirty looks. Out of respect, none of them acted out or tried to state their claim during the service, but the looks they gave each other said, “I’ll see you when I see you.”
Janae was decked out in an all-black, knee-length dress and black stilettos and had her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She wanted to cry but couldn’t. She had used all her tears on all the other funerals she’d been to in the past, funerals that had broken her down. She looked around and could point out every hustler, gold digger, stick-up kid, and law-abiding citizen in attendance. Although she still had a pinch of feelings left for Slice, she didn’t understand how everyone known to man could be so heartbroken over his death. The two of them had been together right before she met Jared, and he used to beat her each and every time he got the chance. If she looked at him wrong, she got slapped. If she wore tight pants, she got pushed down a flight of stairs. And if she stayed out too late without his knowledge, she got punched in the face. There was no chance of her having her own identity while she was in a relationship with Slice. He owned her.
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