“I know where I know you from,” he said, snapping his fingers.
“Oh, yeah?” she said, genuinely interested this time. “Where?”
“You’re the chick I jacked this Lexus from.”
Before Liana had a chance to get scared, the brother punched her in the face. She stumbled back, and the brother cold-cocked her two more times, as she fell to the ground.
Liana felt her car keys and jewelry wretched from her. The sound of her Lexus peeling off reminded her of what was happening. Her legs felt like Silly Putty when she tried to stand. She fell and blacked out.
“Oh shit!” one of the scramblers on the block yelled. “Shorty got her ass whupped.” The other dudes started laughing. Taz passed the blunt to his man and looked to see what the commotion was all about. He instantly recognized Liana laid out on the curb.
He ran across the street, fumbling with his cell phone. “Yo, Liana… Yo Liana” he kept screaming repeatedly as he hit the speed dial on his phone. “Yo. Wayne…”
Wayne pulled up to the scene a few minutes after the ambulance and police. He frantically looked through the sea of faces that gathered around, but didn’t see Taz among them. He tried to rush to Liana, but a police officer held him back.
“I know her,” Wayne pleaded with the officer who prevented him from going any farther.
“Let the paramedics do their job.”
“Is she going to be all right?” Wayne asked, trying to inch closer for a better look. He shoved the officer and ran to her. A lump started forming in his throat when he saw Liana’s bloodied face. “Oh, God,” he managed to whisper before two cops yanked him away.
CHAPTER 5
Liana woke up in the hospital. Nana and Wayne were sound asleep in chairs next to the hospital bed. Liana looked down at the hospital gown she had on and started to panic.
“Nana?”
Her grandmother perked up at the hoarse sound of Liana’s voice. She jumped out of her chair, awaking Wayne in the process, and squeezed her granddaughter’s hand. “You had us scared half to death, baby.”
Liana looked at Wayne and knew him well enough to know his eyes weren’t swollen from a lack of sleep.
“Hey you,” Wayne said with a smile.
“Hey,” Liana responded weakly. Her face felt tender as she tried opening her mouth a little wider. “Ow, ow, ow.”
“Easy, baby,” Nana said. “You need to relax. Do you remember anything?”
“A black motherfucker knocked me on my ass last night and stole my car.”
Nana and Wayne looked at each other.
“What?” Liana asked, getting scared all over again. Oh God, please don’t let them tell me no crazy shit like the motherfucker raped me.
“He did steal your car, but it wasn’t last night,” Wayne said. “It was two nights ago.”
“What?” Liana tried to process what Wayne just said. “What’s today?”
“It’s Sunday,” Nana whispered.
“You mean to tell me I was unconscious for a whole day and a half?”
They didn’t answer.
Liana closed and opened her eyes, as if she was dreaming. “I can’t believe I’ve been in the hospital for two days.”
“Don’t worry, hon,” Nana said. “Now that you’re up, you’ll be coming home real soon.”
“You were here the whole time?” Liana asked Wayne.
“No, not really.”
“You’s a lie,” Nana said. “This boy’s been here since Friday night. He didn’t leave that seat, but to use the bathroom, and he didn’t eat anything, talking ‘bout he’ll eat when you wake up.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Liana said, smiling faintly.
“Damn, Nana, why you give me up like that?” Wayne said embarrassed.
“Oh, hush up.”
A few minutes later, two detectives walked into the room and took a statement from Liana of what she remembered of the incident. They showed her a mug shot of Taz and asked her if she recognized him. When she asked why, they said when they arrived on the scene, he took off like a runway jet. Liana, Nana, and Wayne couldn’t help but laugh. The two detectives looked at them like they had lost their minds.
“Jamal’s paranoid like you wouldn’t believe,” Liana told the two detectives. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he talked himself into believing that you would’ve arrested him for doing this to me if he would’ve hung around.”
“He’s the one who called me,” Wayne said, cutting in. “And then I hung up with him and called the police.”
With that said, they showed Liana mug shots of suspects. None of them was the motherfucker she wanted to beat the black off.
The next day, after some tests, and Nana raising hell, the doctors allowed Liana to leave. They rode home in Wayne’s Range. When he parked in front of Nana’s, he got out and walked Liana into the house and up to her room.
He pulled back the blanket on her bed. “C’mon, you remember what the doctor said.”
“I laid up in that hospital for two days; that’s more than enough rest.”
“Don’t make me body slam you into this bed. Let’s go.” Wayne pointed at the bed.
Liana pouted as she reluctantly kicked off her shoes. “If you don’t mind, I’m not getting into bed fully dressed.” There was an awkward moment of silence between them.
“Well,” Wayne said, fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket. “I have to go, anyway. Besides, I know you have to handle your hygiene. You haven’t brushed your teeth or washed up in two days.”
“Get out!” Liana said, cracking a smile.
“I’ll be by to check on you tomorrow.”
She nodded as he walked out of her room and closed the door behind himself.
***
Wayne took out his cell phone and dialed Taz’s number faster than speed dial. “Where you at?”
“Where I’m always at.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” On his way to Second Avenue, all Wayne could think about was the pain he was going to inflict on the grimy motherfucker that put his hands on Liana.
Taz had called him Saturday night with the carjacker’s name and history. He was a kid out of Schenectady named Boon; and from what Taz dug up about him, Boon jacked cars just to go back around the way and style for the chicken heads and wannabee gangsters.
Wayne turned off Second Avenue and onto Grandview Terrace. He spotted Taz sitting on a girl’s stoop getting his hair braided. The girl was on the last cornrow. Wayne shut off the truck and leaned his head back on the headrest. It was the first peaceful moment he had since he pulled up to the carjacking scene Friday night. It was in that moment, that doubt of what he was about to do filled his mind. The butterflies in his stomach were in a fluttering frenzy. What the fuck am I doing? Riding to Schenectady with Taz to talk to this dude is a big mistake. Riding with Taz to talk to anyone is a big mistake. I should go by myself. It shouldn’t be hard to find a black, crispy motherfucker named Boon.
Wayne opened his eyes when Taz tugged opened the door and jumped in.
“What up? What up? What up?” Taz said, as he slapped Wayne five. He was hyped, and was trying to transfer some of his energy to Wayne. Taz pulled his doo rag out of his back pocket, and was tying it on his head when Wayne saw the butt of a gun peeking from under Taz’s shirt.
“Fuck is wrong with you?” Wayne snatched the nine out of Taz’s waistband. “We’re just going to go get the truck and the jewels. He knows we’re coming, right?”
“Yeah, my people called him and put him on point. Motherfucker was copping a plea talking ‘bout if he would’ve known Liana was family, he wouldn’t have touched her. He wants to give the ride and jewels back to show he didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“So how come he just didn’t come by and drop the stuff off with you and bounce? Why we got to ride all the way to Schenectady?”
“You know how that is. He’s shook. He knows he violated, so he’s not going show his black ass around here for a minu
te.”
Wayne opened the glove compartment and tossed the gun in it. “With no gun, you won’t act a fool.”
“Nah, fuck that. We’re going to Hamilton Hill, yo. I’m going strapped or I’m not going at all.”
Wayne unlocked the doors. “Then get the fuck out.”
“What?”
“I said get the fuck out. This ain’t Boys In The Hood. I’m not with that street war bullshit. The kid doesn’t want any problems. He’s trying to right a wrong. So, I don’t need you and your itchy trigger finger turning his block into a shooting gallery.”
“All right, all right,” Taz said, shaking his head. “You know I’m not letting you go by yourself, but I’m telling you right now. If we get there and we come to find out that it’s a set up, and we get our asses whipped, I’m going to say I told you so.”
***
Wayne turned onto Craig Street and cruised down the block. Taz spotted Boon sitting on the stoop of a burgundy and white house talking to a group of girls.
“That’s him pull over.” Taz reached for the door handle.
“Hold on,” Wayne said, as he checked out the area. “I’m going to park down the block, and we’ll walk back up.”
Wayne parked behind a Toyota. Without a word, they both got out and walked back toward the burgundy and white house.
“We’re here to pick up what we came for and bounce, that’s it, Taz,” Wayne said sternly.
“I know, you don’t have to keep telling me like I’m retarded or something.”
“Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
Boon instantly recognized Taz and stood up. “What up, fam?” he said, as he jumped off the stoop and came down to greet them.
Wayne’s facial expression turned sour. Boon was six-foot-two and thin as a street lamp. He imagined the wiry figure towering over Liana, beating her to a pulp before robbing her and taking off in her SUV.
“Yo, Taz, that’s my word. I didn’t know she was family. I would’ve never violated like that.”
“Putting your hands on any woman is a violation,” Wayne said through thin lips.
Boon looked at Wayne and could tell by the bulging vein throbbing on his forehead that he must have been the brother or boyfriend of the female he jacked. “No doubt, fam, you a hundred percent right.”
“Yo, fuck all this, where the shit at?” Taz asked becoming inpatient.
Boon dug into his pockets and pulled out the jewelry he’d taken off Liana. He put them in Taz’s hands who in turn handed them to Wayne.
“Where’s the truck?” Wayne asked, pocketing the jewelry.
“I dumped it in the wooded area by Rotterdam Square Mall,” Boon said nervously.
“What!” Wayne said so loud that Boon Jumped. “You beat a female unconscious, and steal her car just to dump it in the woods?”
Boon stared at him with the jackass look while Wayne stared him down with the killer ice grill.
“Let’s go,” Wayne said to Boon. “You’re going to show us exactly where you left it.”
“I ain’t going nowhere, fam. I told you where it is, so now you can—”
Taz was only five-foot-six, so instead of having to jump in the air to reach Boon’s chin with a jab, he put all of his power into the body blow he delivered to Boon’s solar plexus. Boon doubled over and tried backing up at the same time, but he tripped over his size thirteen feet and fell to the ground into the fetal position.
“You don’t tell us what you’re not going to do,” Taz shouted as he pulled out the thirty-two automatic from his jacket pocket.
Wayne saw his life flash before his eyes. Oh God, we’re going to jail.
“Chill, fam,” Boon said, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Get your punk ass up,” Taz said, kicking him.
Wayne high beamed Taz with the whites of his eyes.
Taz kept the gun on Boon as he cut his eyes at Wayne. “I told you I wasn’t coming without a burner.”
Wayne shook his head, realizing that the nine he pulled out of Taz’s waist was the decoy. Wayne headed back to the truck with Boon on his heels and with Taz keeping his gun pressed against Boon’s spine.
Boon pointed in the wooded area as they pulled up to the mall. “Right there.”
Wayne could see the silver color of Liana’s SUV. They got out and walked toward it. The closer they got, the angrier Wayne became. He could see dents alongside the driver’s door. “What happened to the driver’s side window?” he asked Boon.
“I locked myself out. I had to bust the window to get back in.”
Wayne looked inside the truck and understood why Boon didn’t want to accompany them. Papers that had been in the glove compartment were scattered all over the front floor of the vehicle, as well as in the back. Food wrappers, beer bottles, and cans of Red Bull were also scattered throughout the vehicle. Looking closer at the backseat, Wayne felt nauseated as he spotted pink stains on the upholstery. On the floor amidst the trash, he saw used condoms. He turned to Boon, who was smiling nervously.
“Where are the keys?” Wayne asked, trying not to lose his cool.
“I left them in there.”
Wayne looked inside one more time. “I don’t see them.”
Taz shoved Boon toward the truck. “Find them.”
Boon climbed inside and shifted through the wet garbage on the floor. Ten seconds into the search, he climbed out holding the keys.
Wayne grabbed the keys and nodded at Taz.
“We straight, right?” Boon asked Wayne in a trembling voice.
Wayne answered him with two straight punches to the face. Taz’s mouth dropped open as he watched Wayne jumped on Boon’s chest and beat him silly. Taz got scared when Boon stopped moving and Wayne kept punching his face into the dirt. Taz grabbed Wayne from behind and screamed when Wayne flipped him over.
“Chill, yo!” Taz yelled, covering his face.
Wayne blinked hard as if he just snapped out of a trance. He got up and walked toward Liana’s truck. He jumped in and brushed the trash off the driver’s seat before climbing in. “Get off the ground and follow me home,” he said to Taz.
Taz dusted himself off and kicked the side of the SUV. “That’s hood nigga! Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about! I knew you had it in you!”
Wayne pulled off without a word. Taz jumped into Wayne’s truck and followed him back to Albany. Wayne parked in front of Nana’s. Taz pulled up right behind him.
Wayne got out of Liana’s truck and jumped into his to drive Taz back to Second Ave. “Thanks for the help.”
Taz hopped out on Second Ave. “You don’t have to thank me. You know how we do.”
“Nah, Taz, really. I couldn’t have gotten Liana’s truck and jewelry back without your help.”
“C’mon, bro. You don’t have to thank me, but if you really want to show your appreciation, you can put me on your car insurance and we can call it even and—”
Wayne pulled off. He smiled when his cell phone started ringing. “What do you want?”
“That’s how you treat your boy?”
“Talk to you tomorrow, Taz.”
“Aye, yo, you know once Liana sees her ride outside, and you give her her jewels back, she’s going to give you some pussy, right? Not only did I help you get her shit back, but I also helped you get some pussy. And what do I get?”
“Later, Taz.”
“Yo, Wayne, that’s messed up how you just—”
CLICK!
CHAPTER 6
Wayne pulled up to Nana’s and dialed Liana’s cell. Liana was lying in bed; listening to the CD Ron had sent her. It was a compilation of all her favorite songs. She answered her phone without bothering to look at the caller ID. “Hello.”
“It’s me.”
Liana slowly sat up. “Where are you?”
“Meet me on the porch.”
She grabbed her robe and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror before heading down stairs. She looked like shit, but said fuck
it. It was only Wayne.
When she opened the front door, she gasped. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you got it back.”
“That’s not all I got back.” Wayne pulled her jewelry out of his pocket and handed it over to her one by one. When he got to the engagement ring, he studied it real hard before handing it to her.
“How did you… how were you able to get everything back?”
Wayne shrugged. “I know a guy who knows a guy.”
“Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t worry about it. I called Cee at the garage. He’s coming by tomorrow morning to pick up your ride. He’s got to bang out a couple dents and replace the driver’s side window and really clean it out.”
“I don’t have that kind of money,” Liana said, calculating what a job like that would cost.
“I said don’t worry about it. I’m taking care of it.”
Liana stared at him for a moment.
“You know you freak me out when you do that.”
“Do what?” Liana asked innocently.
“Stare at me without saying anything.”
The only noises they heard for the next five seconds were rustling leaves, the soft whine of the night breeze, and Wayne’s growling stomach.
“Come in, so I can fix you something to eat,” Liana finally said.
“Nah,” Wayne stretched. “I’m going to head home and call it a night.”
“It won’t take but five minutes for me to warm up something. It’s the least I can do.”
“I am kind of hungry.” Wayne rubbed his stomach. He walked past her through the dining room and into the kitchen where he sat and watched her pull leftovers out of the refrigerator.
Liana didn’t have on any makeup, her hair was uncombed, and her face had traces of black and blue marks from the assault. Nevertheless, in spite of her hideous appearance, Wayne couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Wayne!”
He jumped.
“I said what do you want to drink?”
He blinked away his erotic thoughts. “It doesn’t matter, whatever you got is fine.”
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