~TWENTY-SEVEN~
Jade invited her parents over for dinner. With al that’s been going on she hadn’t had a chance to real y spend time with them. It was a little pass 6pm when she put Jania down for a nap. She pul ed a bag of chicken breast out the freezer and stuck it in the microwave. She set it on defrost; she put some rice on, and cut up some broccoli sprouts. She was enjoying her alone time being that she real y hadn’t had any since Jania had been born. She made herself a cocktail and relaxed on the sofa. Let’s see what’s going on in the world she said to herself while turning on the news. Jade damn near choked on her drink when she saw Mona’s face on the 65 inch plasma.
“The body of Mona Smith was found in an abandon building on 120th St. in the Roseland neighborhood. She had apparently been shot in the head and was pronounced dead on the scene. There’s yet to be a motive and there are no suspects in custody. Reporting live from the Roseland neighborhood I’m Connie Bennett back to you in the studio,” the woman reported. Jade jumped from the couch and dialed Jay.
“Hey baby, what’s up?”
“Jay get your ass home now, we need to talk!”
“I’m kind of in the middle of a meeting, can this wait?”
“No, it can’t get home now!” she yel ed.
“Okay, baby, I’l let Xavier finish up here,” he said. “I’l be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Hurry up!” She said before hanging up.
Jade was furious. She paced back and forth until she heard Jay’s Benz pul ing into the driveway.
She snatched open the door. “Get in here now!” she said through gritted teeth.
“What‘s going on baby?” he asked grabbing a bottle water out the fridge.
“You didn’t have to kil her Jay,” Jade said in a whisper.
“Kil who, what are you talking about?”
“Mona, it’s al over the news.”
“Mona, I didn’t kil her!” He said looking her in the face.
“She was left with you, Xavier and Smoke. The next thing you know her face is on the news.
“What they say happened to her?”
“That she was shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene.”
“Where?”
“On 120th Street in Roseland,” she said with tears in her eyes. She couldn’t stand the girl, but she didn’t want her dead. She real y didn’t want her soon to be husband to go down for her murder either.
“I don’t know what went on, but I do know I didn’t kil her,” he said walking over to the plasma and turning up the volume to hear the replay of the report.
Jay stood and listened to the newscaster report Mona’s death. He cal ed up Xavier and told him to come by the house when he left the office. Jade cal ed and cancel ed with her parents. She then cal ed Déjà.
“Hel o!” Déjà answered in a sleepy tone.
“Hey girl, are you sleeping?” Jade asked her best friend.
“Girl yeah, I been up since five this morning. I had to meet with a client at seven and I just got home an hour ago,” she said pul ing the comforter over her face, “But what’s up?”
“I take it you haven’t seen the news?”
“No, I haven’t even turned on the television today, why?”
“I don’t want to discuss it over the phone, so turn the news on then cal me back when you see somebody familiar.”
“Okay,” she said hanging up and turning to the news channel.
Jade was stil watching to see when they were going to show it again. That’s the one thing she loved about this channel. They rebroadcast every thirty minutes. Her phone started ringing after they broadcasted Mona’s murder again.
“Hel ,” answered Jade.
“What the fuck?” Déjà yel ed into the phone.
“That’s the same thing I said when I saw it.”
“Did they…?” she asked but real y not wanting to know.
“Jay said no, he said he put her out his club and that was the last time he seen her.”
“I’m on my way over there!” Déjà said, getting out of bed stil in shock.
“Xavier is too, so I guess we can get to the bottom of this when you both are here.”
“You damn right, see you in a little bit.”
“Alright girl.”
Xavier arrived at Jay’s around 9:30, “Man do you know how this shit look, dawg?” Xavier said after seeing the news himself.
“Yeah, I do. We were the last ones to see her alive and we did ruff her up a little, but we didn’t kil her,” said Jay. “We have cameras to show that she walked out the back door.”
“Who would have kil ed her?” Xavier asked Jay.
“What kind of people was she dealing with?”
“That girl messed with al kinds of dude’s. From dope dealers to pimps so ain’t no tel ing who else she done pissed off other than me.”
“I know we didn’t kil her, so I’m not worried about it.”
“That bitch had somebody to run up my crib, so it ain’t no tel ing who else door she had busted down,” He said pouring him a drink. “Maybe they weren’t as forgiving as we were.”
“That’s fucked up, but I’m glad we didn’t let Smoke run up on her. That would have come back on us for real” said Xavier.
“Yeah man, but I used to tel her that the bul shit she was on would get a slug in her head.”
“What exactly was she doing?” Xavier asked
“Man I remember she set up this dope dealer that owned a car wash. She planted some shit in his spot because he wouldn’t fuck with her, and then cal ed the feds on him. He got hit with a nice bid, hold up come to think about it, word on the street is; he got out last week.”
“That’s some dirty shit. I wouldn’t be surprised if she and Latasha were cousins. That sound like something she would do.”
“Speaking of Latasha, what’s going on with Jeremiah?”
“Shit man, I have a lawyer looking into it, but it hurts that my son is being abused and there’s nothing I can do about it right away,” he said getting upset, “If I report her they’re going to put him in foster care and I don’t want him there.”
“That’s not true,” Jade said walking into the living room and taking a seat on the sofa, “If you report her they wil let a relative volunteer to take him until the case is done and I can’t see any of y’al family not wanting him.”
“I can do that?” Xavier asked getting some hope.
“Yep, Déjà know that, she’s a social worker,” Jade said surprised that she didn’t tel him.
“Yeah, I know she mentioned it, but we haven’t talked much since the incident with Jeremiah.” She doesn’t answer most of my cal s because she said she doesn’t want to be the cause of my son being abused. She said apparently her being with me is what’s causing this behavior from Latasha. I understand where she’s coming from, but I’m not going to lose her over this dumb shit.
“I’m trying not to catch a case, but she is pushing me close to the edge.” He said getting worked up.
“I haven’t spoken to her much lately either,” Jade said.
“She said she was on her way a while ago, let me try cal ing her.”
Jade dialed Déjà’s home phone first and got no answer, so she tried her cel .
“Who this?” an unfamiliar voice answered.
“Who is this?” Jade asked.
“Who you looking for?” she asked with a giggle.
Jade looked at the display screen to make sure she dialed the right number.
“I’m looking for Déjà, put her on the phone,” Said Jade after confirming it was indeed the right number.
“I’m sorry she can’t come to the phone at the moment,” The unfamiliar voice said in a sarcastic tone.
“I bet she wil stop messing with my man now,” the unfamiliar voice said before hanging up.
“JAY!” Jade yel ed while running in the living room.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jay asked running toward her.
“Déjà…!” Jade said crying hysterical y which caused Xavier to approach her.
“What about Déjà?” Jay asked trying to get her to calm down.
“I...cal ed…her…phone…and…and…some...girl…
answered...and….and…..said...that…I…bet…she…wil …
stop messing with her…man now,” she managed to get out.
“I don’t know where she is…but they have her phone.”
Xavier and Jay grabbed their pistols and jetted out the front door. Jade cal ed the girl, from next door that babysat for them every now and again. Then she cal ed her mom and explained to her what was going on and asked if she could come over to watch Jania.
“My mom wil be here in about twenty minutes, so here’s thirty dol ars,” she said to the teenage girl and handed her the money.”
“When she wake up she wil need to eat and a diaper change,” she said to the girl before jumping in the Range Rover and speeding al the way to Déjà’s apartment.
When Jade arrived on Déjà’s block she saw red and blue flashing lights flashing in the front of Déjà’s building.
When she approached the building she saw Jay and Xavier hopping in the Navigator and pul ing off. Jade tried entering the complex, but she wasn’t al owed in the building.
“Excuse me can you tel me what happened here?” Jade asked a female officer that was standing near the entrance.
“Al I can tel you is that a woman was badly beaten outside her apartment,” She said.
Jade was getting light headed, “What apartment?” Jade asked afraid of the answer.
“I believe it was Apartment 208,” The officer said before having to catch Jade. She had passed out. When she came to, there were three officers hovering over her.
The officers question her and she gave them Latasha’s name. The officers told her what hospital Déjà had been taken to.
Jade had cal ed Déjà’s Aunt Gail and told her what happened and the name of the hospital Déjà was at.
“I’l be there,” Gail said slamming the phone down.
Jade rushed into the emergency room. She approached the nurse at the reception desk, “My sister Déjà Morgan was brought here by paramedics,” Jade said hysterical.
The nurse looked over her clip board.
“Yes she is in the intensive care unit,” the nurse said.
“I have no details as of yet, but I wil go back there to see what I can find out for you.”
“Okay thanks,” Jade said, taking a seat.
~TWENTY-EIGHT~
Words couldn’t explain how Xavier was feeling at the time. Jay pul ed up in front of Latasha’s building. Xavier saw someone looking out the window but he didn’t care who or how many were inside. He was prepared for anything. As they drew closer to her apartment they noticed that the front door was ajar. Xavier went in first with his pistol drawn. The apartment was lit up with candles. Jay tried turning on the lights, but they didn’t work.
“What is this bitch in here doing voodoo or some shit,” Jay joked. “Knowing her trifling ass she probably didn’t pay her light bil ,” Xavier said. They went from room to room but there was no sign of her or Jeremiah. They heard the sound of moaning coming from Latasha’s room.
Xavier pushed the door open slowly and walked in.
“Man straight up this bitch is crazy,” Jay said when he saw Latasha on the bed butt naked. Her legs were spread wide as she fingered herself.
“Where is my son, you sick bitch?” Xavier said putting his pistol to her head.
“If you shoot me you wil never find him!” she said with a smirk on her face.
“What you mean, find him?” he said ready to pul the trigger.
“You better not have laid a finger on him.”
“Whatever, you ain’t going to do shit but come get some of this good ass pussy,” she said massaging her breast.
“Dawg, shoot this bitch,” Jay said getting irritated.
Just as Xavier was about to pul the trigger Latasha’s phone rang. The answering machine picked up.
Latasha heard her mother’s voice and tried to run into the living room to turn it off but was knocked backwards by Xavier’s fist. “Watch this bitch I’m going to check something.”
Xavier said exiting the bedroom and walking into the living room. He pressed play on the answering machine.
“Latasha you need to get over here and get your damn son!” Lynn yel ed.
“Your ass been gone for days, he keep crying for his father and if I had his number I would cal him myself. If you don’t come get him tonight I cal ing DCFS on your ass,” she said before slamming down the phone.
When Xavier walked back in the room Jay had her mouth covered with duct tape so she couldn’t scream while Xavier was getting the info he needed.
“Wel what do you know, that was your mother and apparently Jeremiah is at her house. He has been there for the past few days. So now I have no reason to let your dumb ass continue breathing,” He said taking the tape from over her mouth.
“You’re going to kil the mother of your child?” She said getting serious now that her plan had crumbled. Xavier laughed, “You real y think I give a fuck about you?” he screamed in her face.
“You and your dusty ass girls jumped on my girl, so fuck you! She’s his new mommy,” he said knowing that would piss her off.
“That bitch better not come anywhere near my son or next time I’l kil her,” she said lashing out at Xavier but was knocked back by his fist once again. Xavier punched her over and over again until her body became motionless.
“Let’s go get your boy, fuck this bitch!”
“Nah man, this bitch going to pay for al the bul shit she pul ed,” he said taping her mouth, hands, and legs.
“She thought that shit was funny wait, til I get done with her.”
They covered her naked body with a blanket and carried her out the back of the building. They put her in the back of the Navigator. They drove her to the hood where al the crack heads and drunks hung out. They untied her as she begged them not to leave her out there especial y butt naked. They made her get out the truck. She tried to grab the blanket but Jay snatched it away.
They pul ed off leaving her out there for the crack heads to take advantage of. Xavier picked his son up from Latasha’s mother’s house then went straight to the hospital.
Déjà had suffered a fractured rib cage, a broken arm and bruises over her face and body. Xavier was extremely remorseful when he saw her lying so helpless in that hospital bed. She had been jumped by Latasha and two of her cousins. She was struck with a two by four which is what broke her arm. After the police caught up with Latasha she had been screaming rape, but they didn’t believe her. She was locked up and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. She had a mile long rap sheet that included grand theft auto, drugs, and boosting. Her bond was set at $100,000. Xavier was the only person that had that kind of money, but he sure as hel wasn’t going to use it on her.
A month later, Xavier was awarded ful custody of Jeremiah. He sold his home and bought a new home that Déjà had chosen. He didn’t al ow anyone other than Jay and Jade and their parents over to their home because he didn’t want to put Déjà and Jeremiah through anymore bul shit. Jeremiah was happy with his new life.
Déjà was unpacking the kitchen glasses when the phone rang.
“Hel o,” Déjà answered.
“Is this Déjà?” said the male voice.
“Yes it is. Who’s cal ing?”
“This is Money, your grandfather.”
END
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