“Look, babe. There’s a lot we have to talk about when I get home, but listen, love. In here, at all times, you call me Donavan and not Wiz. You got that?” Wiz said. As he was talking, he choked. It was hard for him talk because his mouth was dry.
“Shhh, babe. You need to get some rest. It’s okay, babe. I love you no matter what,” Kendra informed him.
Wiz tried smiling. Kendra’s words had eased his heart. He wanted to tell Kendra the truth, but he figured it would have been best to just wait it out until the time was right.
The nurse returned to the room and said, “Ms. LaSalle, Mr. Davis’ condition is stabilizing. He was shot in the chest, and, by the grace of God, he made it. He’s a survivor. We’ll be moving him from ICU and putting him into his own room first thing tomorrow morning. Does your fiancé have any insurance?”
“I’m sorry. We don’t have any at this time, but, whatever the cost, I’ll make sure to pay every penny of it,” Kendra said, smiling.
“You know the life of a drug dealer doesn’t last long. An honest living will make his life a lot easier.”
She’d seen young men like Donovan more times than she cared to count. It really saddened her to see her people go down like that. She thought she could help, but it only made matters worse.
“What the fuck, lady? You don’t know me or my fiancé. Who the hell are you to sit here and try to judge our life? You need to get your facts right before you start talking about things you don’t know nothing about,” Kendra yelled.
She was so loud that a doctor came in the room and said, “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to ask you guys to please leave the room. You can come back tomorrow.”
“C’mon, Ken. Let’s just leave before the LAPD come up in here. I’ll bring you back here tomorrow,” Nia said, grabbing her sister’s hand and escorting her out the hospital. Nia knew her sister all too well. It was taking everything in Kendra not to whoop on the nurse’s ass.
Chapter 16
After a few more days in the hospital, Wiz was finally released, and Kendra was right there, waiting for him. The doctors said it was a miracle that he had survived because the bullet didn’t do much damage. His arm had to stay in a cast from the shoulder down.
As they left the hospital, Kendra spotted Trent’s mother in a room. She saw that she was crying. She whispered to Wiz to give her a few moments, so she could check on a friend. She went to the room and lightly tapped on the door before entering.
“Mrs. Moore, is everything okay? Is Treniyah alright?” Kendra asked.
Concern showed on her face. Although she and Trent were no longer an item, she still cared deeply about the family.
“We’re still looking for Treniyah. She has called once, but she hasn’t called back or come home.”
Mrs. Moore sniffled, trying to compose herself. She wiped away her tears and cleared her throat before speaking. She pointed at the bed and said, “That’s Nicole, lying in the bed. She was beaten really badly. Her mother called and asked if I could stop by. The doctors said she was three months pregnant. The baby didn’t make it. Her condition so far is not good.”
Tears formed in Kendra’s eyes as she remembered that, not long ago, she had threatened Nicole’s life. Deep down inside, she knew she would have never carried out the threat. She had just wanted to scare her bit.
“I’m so sorry. I pray she will be alright. I’ll call you to check up on everything.” Kendra hugged Mrs. Moore once more.
“Wait, Kendra. Before you go… Nicole’s mother did say that Trent was the father. I’m not sure what to believe, but is that the reason you broke up with him?”
Kendra turned to look at Trent’s mother with a nice smile on her face. “That’s one of the reasons,” Kendra said. Then, she waved bye and walked away.
“Babe, who was that? Is everything alright?” Wiz asked when he saw Kendra wiping her eyes. He grabbed her and draped his free arm around Kendra’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, babe. That was my ex’s mother.”
Wiz’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as he played the role of a concerned fiancé.
“I can’t believe that girl was nearly beaten to death and lost her baby,” Wiz said after Kendra told him the story.
As they drove home in silence, Kendra said a small prayer for Nicole. A lot had happened, and she wasn’t sure if she could keep herself together.
“Are you hungry?” Wiz asked.
“I sure could go for an Original Tommy’s Burger or a Tam’s burger,” Kendra said, licking her lips like she was already tasting a chili cheese burger. Her mouth was watering. Tommy’s was known to put chilli and cheese on everything, free of charge.
“Yeah, babe. I could go for some Tommy’s, too,” Wiz smiled.
When they arrived at the burger joint, Kendra went inside to order their food. Knowing that the line would be long, Wiz used the opportunity to make a call. Wiz checked in with his boy Drae. Drae had been Wiz’s right hand man since their sandbox days. Drae had been helping Wiz with his mission, but, so far, it had been impossible to catch that nigga Trent. It was Drae who had convinced Wiz to kidnap one of Trent’s family members. Drae had even suggested that he kidnap Kendra, but Wiz had other plans for her. He could still hear Drae’s voice as he replayed the conversation back like he was a tape recorder: “My nigga, the only way to get at that nigga Trent is to kidnap his bitch or mother or sister,” Drae had said with his adrenaline pumping. His index finger was itching. He was ready to body a few niggas. Drae was quick to rock a nigga to sleep by any means, so he stayed close to Wiz. Just like Wiz, Drae wanted to see Trent’s whole family six feet deep.
“Aye, my nig. Anything on that bum-ass nigga who shot ya?” Drae asked once he found out that Wiz was out of the hospital.
“My nigga, it’s no secret. I know who the nigga is that shot me. I looked cuz in the eyes.”
Before he got a chance to finish, Kendra opened the door to the car, so he was sure that she’d heard him on the phone.
“Who shot you?” she asked.
Kendra liked to play the dumb role, but being with Trent for six years had had its perks.
“Huh, baby?”
Kendra had caught him off guard.
“Say. I’mma call you back a little later, so I can talk to wifey,” Wiz told Drae.
“Alright, my nig. Handle that,” Drae said.
After he got off the phone, Wiz turned his attention to Kendra and said, “Babe, who shot me isn’t any of your concern. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is meeting me at the altar in Cancun.”
He tried using a slick approach, and, so far, it was working. Kendra smiled. Then, she said, “I just don’t want no secrets between us. So, are you gonna let the authorities know who shot ya?” She sang the words, trying to be slick and sarcastic at the same time.
“Oh, you think that shit funny, don’t you? Snitch leave her, ma,” Wiz laughed. He opened the bag, grabbed his burger out, and took a bite. Wiz continued to talk with a mouthful of food, “I go by the no snitch law. And where I’m from, snitches get a coffin made just for them. Fuck stitches.”
Kendra looked at Wiz while his seat was reclined. She rolled her eyes at his last statement. Her mind drifted back to Nicole. She said a small prayer for her and the child that she’d lost. She also said a prayer for Trent’s sister Treniyah. She prayed that God would return her safe and sound and untouched. What she did not know was that she was sitting right next to the devil who was the cause of Treniyah’s demise.
“Ken…Ken baby, did you hear what I just said?” Wiz said, breaking her out of her deep thoughts.
“Yeah, babe. I was just thanking God that you’re okay and coming home with me. Lord knows I hated sleeping in that big bed by myself,” Kendra smiled, revealing her pearly whites. She pulled into the gated apartment complex. After pulling into their parking unit, Kendra helped Wiz out the car.
“Thanks, babe, but I got it. I’m not crippled, boo. I don’t wanna be fully depend
ent on you,” he said. To prove his point, he tried carrying his bags with his injured arm, but the weight from his bag caused him a lot of pain. “Ah, shit!” he yelled out, dropping the bag down on the ground.
“So, you were saying?” Kendra laughed, picking the bag up off the ground.
Wiz was quiet. Kendra opened the door with the key that Wiz had had made for her. To his surprise, the way he’d left his home that day was how it had been kept. Nothing looked like it had been taken out of place or touched.
“Ken baby, the house is just the way we left it. Are you sure you slept here at all? I know women snoop,” Wiz teased, looking around the house.
“What do I need to be nosey for? I knew where my man was at every day. Besides, I slept on the couch every night, so why should I be snooping?” she asked.
Wiz smiled and kissed her on the forehead. Then, Kendra helped Wiz bathe. After his bath, she propped him on the bed, handed him the remote to the TV, and laid down beside him.
*****
Trent wondered if Nicole had made it or not, or if the shots were lethal enough to put Wiz out of his misery. His mind wandered from Nicole to Wiz. Trent wanted to go see Nicole, but his better judgment said it was best to stay clear of the hospital.
“Hey, Mom,” Trent said, kissing his mother on the cheek and helping her out of her coat. Trent was a thug in the streets, but he knew how to separate the two when dealing with his parents.
“I went to see Nicole in the hospital. She’s showing some progress. Anyone that would beat on a poor, defenseless woman like that doesn’t deserve a second chance in this world. By the way, they weren’t able to save the baby,” Mrs. Moore said, looking to see her son’s reaction.
“Mom, why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
“Boy, you know damn well that girl had some strong feelings for you. I don’t need to confirm with you if the baby was yours or not, but what I do know is how you keep hurting the women who love you. I’m glad Kendra’s moved on. I know like hell, if it was me, I probably would’ve killed your dumb ass by now.”
Trent was stunned that his mom was speaking to him in that way. He could never pull the wool over her eyes. She continued lecturing him, saying, “I swear you weren’t cut from the same cloth as your dad. He wasn’t all about that player mentality. He had a girlfriend when we met, but he said things were rocky, so I told him, before he could pursue anything with me, he had to handle his business at home first. I never had to worry about your dad cheating or creeping.” Just then, the door bell rang. When Trent answered the door, he was greeted by the Los Angeles Detectives and a UPS delivery guy. Trent decided to deal with the delivery guy first.
“Yeah. Delivery for Trenton Moore,” the UPS guy stated. Trent took the package and signed off on the clipboard. “Thank you.”
“Now, gentleman, I’m guessing you’re here with some kind of news about my sister, or, at least, I hope you are,” Trent said as he invited the detectives into the house. They took off their hats and greeted Mrs. Moore. She offered them a seat.
“And to what do we owe this visit?” she asked, smiling at the detectives.
Trent took a seat adjacent to his mother and placed the package on the ground beside his feet.
She asked, “What’s that you have, son?”
Trent shrugged his shoulders. He looked at the box. It had his name and his parents’ address on the box but no return address. The package was extra big and kind of heavy. Everyone turned their head to Trent as he grabbed a box cutter off the table.
What was in the box was never be to be expected. After he saw what was inside, Trent yelled out, “Nah! Not my sister!”
The contents of the box confirmed that his sister was dead. Tears poured from Trent’s eyes. Mrs. Moore tried to grab the box, but the detectives intervened, stopping her from viewing the contents. She fought them and desperately grabbed at the box. The box flipped on its side and out rolled a female head wrapped in plastic.
Mrs. Moore vomited all over the place and screamed, “Oh, God! No! Not my baby!”
The detectives called the station and changed the Treniyah Moore abduction case to a homicide investigation. They also put a track on all UPS trucks that had made deliveries within the hour.
Within minutes of the detectives calling the station, all kinds of news people from Channel 11 to Channel 13 were camped out on the Moore’s front yard. Channel 34 KMEX, the Latino Channel, had even claimed a space outside, but the detectives tried to shun them away.
Trent’s father had seen the news from his job and rushed home to be by his family’s side. The streets were blocked off within a four block radius. No one could enter or leave. The officers stopped Mr. Moore’s car when he tried to turn down his street.
“I’m sorry, sir, but no one’s allowed to enter this street.”
Mr. Moore got out his car as if to challenge the officer.
“That’s my fucking family down there. I have to be by my family’s side,” Mr. Moore demanded.
The officer radioed a detective. They spoke briefly and then, he lifted up the yellow tape. “I’m sorry, Mr. Moore. Have a good one.”
Mr. Moore sucked his teeth at the officer and made his way to his house. All the news reporters turned in his direction, hoping he would give a statement.
One reporter yelled out, “Is it true that your daughter was a prostitute?”
Aggravated, Mr. Moore yelled at the reporters, “Go to hell!”
Everyone was appalled. Mr. Moore made his way inside the house to comfort his wife and son as the detectives asked Mrs. Moore and Trenton tons of questions: “Did Treniyah have a boyfriend? Did she use any type of drugs? Were there any problems at home?”
Mr. Moore looked at the crowd growing in front of his house. His eyes were bloodshot red as he whispered to one of the detectives, “Please. The family would just like to be left alone at this time. This is a private matter. Thank you.”
The detective complied. He tipped his hat and had everyone to exit the Moore’s house.
*****
Kendra watched the news with Wiz as the words BREAKING NEWS flashed across the screen. Wiz was talking, trying to divert Kendra’s attention away from the TV.
“Shhh, babe,” Kendra said, gesturing for Wiz to be quiet. She grabbed the remote to turn up the volume. Kendra covered her mouth when she heard the news anchor say, “A missing twenty-year-old woman has been confirmed dead in the city of Long Beach today when the UPS delivery truck came to the Moore home and delivered a package that contained the head of Treniyah Renée Moore.”
The news anchor continued with her report, saying that the streets had been blocked off and that it was going to be a long investigation to solve this crime. Kendra’s jaw dropped. She raced to her cell phone. Simultaneously, her phone rang.
“Ken, oh my gosh! Did you see what happened?” Nia cried which made Kendra cry, also. She collapsed on the floor and cried in the fetal position. All of this was too much for her.
“I have to get over there and talk to Trent. I have to be there for him,” she cried.
Wiz looked on in amazement. He wondered if the police had any leads.
Kendra ended the call with her sister. Next, she tried calling Trent to check up on him, to see if there was anything that she could do. Wiz, upset, lashed out and said, “I know you not calling that nigga in my house.”
Kendra froze momentarily. She was speechless. She couldn’t gather her thoughts. She just sat there with an empty expression on her face.
“You know what? I’m just going to ignore what you just said. Do you even have a heart?”
When he saw how upset she was, he tried a better approach.
“Babe, I have a heart. It’s just that I can’t imagine you being close to that nig…I mean with your ex again.”
Kendra saw where this was leading. To her, it was kind of cute that Wiz played the jealous role. Even though she was starting a new life with him, it was only right to pay her respects to the f
amily. It was the least she could do.
“Gabe, I need for to trust me with this. Please, baby.”
Wiz nodded his head in agreement. There was no need for him to get upset because Trent was treading on his last days.
“Okay. I trust you, mama. Just don’t forget daddy needs you, too,” he replied.
“Stop being a baby,” she giggled as she stepped out the bedroom so she could call Trent and be his comforter. To her dismay, Trent sent her call to voicemail. Sadness darkened her face. All she wanted to do was show support like he had done for her when her mother passed on. Kendra gave it another shot, but, again, she was sent to voicemail. She thought about leaving a message. Instead, she pressed the END button out of fear that she wouldn’t know what to say. Walking back into the master suite, Kendra laid back on the bed and found her spot right under Wiz where she fit perfectly. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly on her cheek. Kendra cried herself to sleep. Later that night, Kendra woke up, screaming from a bad dream. She grabbed her chest. Her heart was beating like someone was playing African drums inside of her. Kendra reached over, thinking she might have woken up Wiz, but his spot was empty. She called out for him, but she didn’t get an answer. Kendra got out of bed and searched for him in the house. Hmmm…that’s odd, Kendra thought. Her phone rang. She grabbed it, thinking it was Wiz.
“Babe, where are you?” Kendra asked, concerned.
The whimpering in the phone indicated that she wasn’t talking to Wiz. She removed the phone from her ear and saw Trent’s name displayed on the screen.
“Trent, I am so sorry for your loss. Words can’t express how deeply sorry I am,” Kendra whispered.
“Shawty, I need you. I need to talk, and, right now, you’re the only one that I can open up to about this shit.”
Trent pounded his chest with his fist as his sniffles grew louder. In the six years that she and Trent had been together, she had never witnessed him shed a single tear. She held her hand close to her heart and said, “Trent, I don’t know if it’s a good idea. It’s late. Can we meet up later?”
Dirtiest Revenge Page 18