Just like the first time they ever spoke, the conversation was good, and this time he was able to find out more about her. While they were cooking the meal, Gangsta found out she only had one year of college left and was twenty-three
The two of them shared a lot in common. They liked most of the same music and movies and almost the same types of food. Gangsta shared with her about his brother’s death, growing up on Bankhead, and how he met Dank and Kash in Rydc. He informed her about his three-year bid in Alto and how he really never had room for a relationship. He told her how he’d never been in love and how he couldn’t even distinguish the signs.
“You’ll just feel it,” NeNe said while lying back on the sofa wrapped in his arms.
“Feel what? I mean, I feel shit now,”
“It’s when someone is always on your mind. You’re always happy to see them and happy to hear their voice. Your heart seems as if it skips a beat when the two of you embrace. It’s a lot more, but those are some of the signs.”
“That’s how I feel right now. So, what does that mean?” Gangsta replied.
“Boy, hush wit’ da games,” NeNe laughed.
“I’m being honest, though.” Gangsta looked at his watch and it read 1:08 a.m.
They had been talking for over two hours.
“You got game, huh?”
She sat up, turned and looked at him, and then she got up. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
“You leaving?”
“Yeah, it’s getting late.”
“And—”
“And I do not want to be driving in the streets all night.” She found her flip-flops, slid her feet into them, and grabbed her phone.
“Then don’t. Just leave after we cook breakfast in the morning.”
Gangsta stood up this time. He removed the phone from her hand, pushed her shoulder to make her sit down, and then pulled her flip-flops off.
“Boy…”
“Boy, what?”
“You moving a lil’ too fast, ain’t cha?”
“Nah, da speed’s just right.”
He sat down beside her.
“Well, I’m not that easy. Sorry, but I gotta—”
“Like I said, we’ll cook breakfast in the morning. I just wanna hold you and tell you a bedtime story. I don’t expect you to be that easy,” Gangsta replied.
***
NeNe
She felt his arms wrapped around her waist, and it didn’t feel right to her. She was not used to this type of feeling. She was accustomed to having her own space, though at the same time it felt great to be held by a man. His body pressing to her body was warm, and feeling his semi-erect penis up against her backside had her wet from thoughts of them making love.
It had been three long years since a man had been inside of her, and just thoughts of it scared her. She knew it would hurt, and she knew she would be lost. Plus, she did not want to seem as if she was a freak or just so easy to get in bed. She turned inside his arms so they would be face-to-face in the darkness. She wanted to lean over to kiss his lips, but decided against it. She was confused and frozen. She was frozen until sleep found her once again.
***
Gangsta
He felt NeNe turn inside his arms. Gangsta thought he saw NeNe looking at him, but wasn’t sure because it was too dark. He knew her beautiful face was inches away from his own because he could feel her breathing.
Her cold feet rested on his ankle, and her thighs were sandwiched between his thighs. He pulled her closer to where he felt their noses touch. They touched in a soft manner that made Gangsta humbly kiss her lips as his heart rate sped up from being nervous.
He waited a second and kissed her again. Just as he was about to kiss her once more, she surprised him with the return gesture and kissed him back. They kissed each other as their bodies moved closer than just friends. He could feel the heat between her thighs and his hardness he could no longer hide. Gangsta pulled her close while running his hand down her back. He gripped a handful of her soft booty and broke away from their kiss. He proceeded to suck on her neck.
Gangsta sucked NeNe’s neck lightly. He then went lower to her shoulders, and then to her breast, where he pulled her bra down to free her nice-sized titties. He began to suck one of her hardened nipples.
“Umm, uhh, stop,” she moaned and pulled away.
Without a fight, Gangsta came back face-to-face with her and kissed her again.
“Damn, yo’ lips soft,” Gangsta told her.
“Yours, too,” she replied. “Now, go to sleep.”
Gangsta wanted to protest, but did not want to seem pressed, even though he was horny beyond words. He liked the girl more than he wanted the sex.
He knew waiting would be worthwhile, so he kissed her again and said, “Good morning and good night.”
Then he pulled her close so the two of them could rest once again.
“Gangsta,” NeNe said as she shook him until his eyes opened. “Gangsta.”
“Yeah,” he said into the pillow. He had fallen asleep again.
For some strange reason he was more tired than ever.
“Your phone,” she told him.
Without even looking, he reached for his phone.
“Yeah,” he grumbled as he answered it.
“Baby, the police wants to talk to you,” his mother told him.
He rose up fast and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. The tone of his mother’s voice made him extremely nervous.
“Where they at, Ma?”
“One is right here, so hold on.”
“Ma,” he yelled into the phone as he tried to stop her so he could question her on what the police wanted.
She moved too quickly, and seconds later a male voice came through the phone.
“Gary?” the male voice asked to make sure he had the right person.
Gangsta motioned for NeNe to get dressed. He saw the clock read 5:40 a.m.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
He did not want to speak, but he did because his mom put him on the spot. Gangsta wondered why she chose to do that.
“This is Detective Brooks. I need to see you. Is it possible we meet?”
“Ah yeah, but when?” Gangsta asked while getting out of the bed.
“Now, if possible. Can you come down to the station?”
“Yup, give me 15 minutes. I’ll be there.”
“Okay, see you soon,” Detective Brooks said, and then they both hung up.
“Is everything okay?” NeNe asked nervously as she pulled up her pants.
She looked at Gangsta for a yes or no answer.
“Hell, naw. That was the cops.”
Gangsta picked his cell phone up and dialed Kash’s number. He picked up on the first ring.
“Yeah,” Kash said.
“Shawty, the police—”
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The loud banging on the door made Gangsta stop moving.
“This is the police! Open up the door,” Gangsta heard them yelling through the door loud and clear.
By the way Kash hung up the phone, he had to have heard them, too.
Thinking as fast as he could, Gangsta gave NeNe six grams of Kush to flush, and then he rushed to hide his .45 Ruger as the banging on the door continued.
“We know you’re inside,” he heard one of them say.
“What’s going on?” NeNe asked in a panic.
Gangsta shook his head and headed to the door. The banging grew louder and louder as he entered the living room. He had sweat on his palm as he reached for the doorknob.
“Chill da fuck out,” Gangsta yelled as he snatched the door open and was instantly pushed to the ground.
“Get down and don’t move! This is the APD!”
They cuffed him up quickly, and minutes later the detectives also had NeNe in cuffs, and then the officers started going through the condo. They found an empty safe, a .45 Ruger, and $800 in cash.
The police took Gangsta outside to a waiting s
quad car. Gangsta watched them release NeNe, which made him feel a little bit better. Gangsta had already gone through this before, so it was kid’s play to him.
When the police got him to the station, they left him in a cold room by himself. There was one table, three chairs, and a clock on the wall, which most likely held video recorders inside it. Gangsta sat calm and cool, because he already knew the game.
Two detectives walked into the room. Both were in their forties, and both took a seat across from him. They just stared at him, and he stared back until one of them spoke.
“Damn, Gary, you in deep shit,” one of them stated, and then introduced himself. “I’m Detective Paul, and this is Detective Gray.”
“What’s up with y’all got me up in here? I haven’t done shit,” Gangsta said.
“We got you on kidnapping, robbery, and murder, so you tell me.”
The other detective tossed a folder on the table and opened it. The first thing he saw was Danny’s face, and he wondered how this case came about.
“I can’t tell you shit, homes,” Gangsta said as he looked the detective right in his eyes.
“That’s not what, ahh,” the detective paused as he read from the paperwork, “Dank said.”
“Dank? I don’t know anybody named Dank.”
Gangsta’s heart dropped at the sound of his partna’s name, but he couldn’t show the detectives his sweat.
“We got his statement and your prints. Help yo’self out, son,” the other detective spoke. Dank had written the statement to lessen the prison time he knew he would receive.
“Man, either let me go or lock me up. I don’t know what the fuck y’all talkin’ ‘bout.”
“Fine, hang yourself. And by the way, we got the gun,” the first detective said and closed the folder.
Gangsta knew they didn’t have a murder weapon on him, so he decided not to say anything. The two detectives left him, and minutes later two police officers entered the room and charged him with two counts of murder, cuffed him, and took him to the county jail to be booked.
He couldn’t believe for one second that Dank rolled over to the cops. He knew it had to be true, because nobody but Kash, Dank, and him knew. When he arrived at Rice Street County Jail, he was booked and sent to 6 south 400. He was cellmates with a dude from the Bluff who also had a murder charge. The guy’s name was Tevine, a cool cat with a humble demeanor. After Gangsta got situated, he decided to step out to see if he knew anybody. Gangsta saw Steve Mack, an old school crackhead from Bankhead. He got word that Kash was also locked up on the north side, and Dank was in protective custody, which confirmed he was the rat that ate the cheese.
It took Gangsta three weeks to get a visit from Michael Swinn, one of the best lawyers money could buy. He was a young white dude who knew his stuff. He was friends with most of the district attorneys and ate dinner with most of the judges. Gangsta was glad he had a stash at his mom’s house. It was money to pay for the lawyer he knew he would need one day.
Gangsta was led to the booth where the white man was seated. He had on a nice three-piece suit, his long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he had glasses on his face.
“How are you feeling today, Mr. Jackson?” he asked Gangsta.
“Ready to get out.”
“And that’s the plan,” he stated as he looked over the paperwork. “From the looks of things, all the state has is one statement, which could convict you, but it won’t. I will not let that happen.” He paused for a moment as he continued to read. “Yes, they do have your prints from a safe, along with Danny’s prints, his wife’s prints, and a host of other prints. Anyway, what I will do is go for a bond tomorrow, and then after that a dismissal. The only problem is that Dank has told the detectives of other homicides.”
“So, this nigga is just snitching his ass off,” Gangsta said, starting to get heated.
“Very much so,” the lawyer replied.
“What about Charles?” Gangsta asked.
“They have him charged with Danny and Tonya’s murders, plus two other murders. A mother pointed him out in a line up,” Michael Swinn said, reading from the paperwork.
“So, you gonna get me a bond tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow you’ll go to court, and do not talk to anybody of your case. Just let me handle everything.”
“Yeah, I am,” Gangsta replied.
The lawyer gave him all the hope he needed, though he still couldn’t believe Dank snitched on them. He had broken their childhood pact. He would die for that, because there was no crossing that line. Gangsta still wondered what made Dank break like glass. He had watched Dank kill people a number of times, and he had seen him stand firm under all types of pressure, so why fold now? He never saw this coming.
He called his mother just as soon as he made it back into the pod. She picked up and accepted his call.
“Hey, baby,” his mother said into the phone.
“What’s up, Ma? The lawyer came by today talking good.”
“Yeah, he said he would.”
“How much did you give him?” he asked.
“Twenty five thousand.” It was money from his stash.
“Ok, cool. I love you, Ma. You gonna be in court tomorrow?”
“You know I am.”
“Call Terry for me, Ma,” Gangsta said, and told his mother the number.
She dialed it and clicked over when Terry was on the line. Gangsta had to blow into the phone, because inmates weren’t allowed three-way calling, but niggas found a way around it. If they blew into the phone while the other person dialed a number on the other line, it would work.
“Hello,” Terry answered.
“What’s up, boo?”
“Gary, Gary, are you still in jail, and for murder?” she asked.
“Terry, don’t start going by everything you hear and just do as I ask you, okay?” Gangsta asked as he started to get heated, because he knew that’s exactly what she did the first time he got locked up.
“Okay, and I’m sorry. I’m just worried,” Terry replied.
“Don’t be. Everything is good. I love you, shawty.”
“I love you, too.”
Gangsta talked with her briefly, because inmates were only given fifteen minutes on the phone before it automatically hung up. He just encouraged her to stay down and not stress. She promised she would and told him, “Just pray, baby.”
“Alright, bye, girl. I’ma call you tomorrow,” Gangsta said, and then the phone hung up. “Ma, call another number.”
“Hell no, Gary. You need to worry about getting out. I am not about to run my phone bill up calling all over town for you. Anyway, I thought you and that girl were done,” his mother said.
“Nah, we good, and she pregnant, too, Ma.”
“Pregnant,” his mother yelled in shock.
For the next four minutes, Gangsta heard it all from his mother. She called him every name under the sun. He just stood there and listened to every last word spoken to him until the phone went dead, and he was glad that it did.
Chapter 8
NeNe
“Ms. Robertson,” Professor Victor Gresham called out to her as all the other students walked out of the classroom.
NeNe turned around at the door with her book pressed to her chest and her book bag tossed over her shoulder. She had to face the man who has helped her overcome several obstacles along the way concerning schoolwork during this final year. This was a class she needed to ace badly, and a class she was working hard to pass.
“Yes, sir,” she finally spoke.
“Today you weren’t with the class. You didn’t write a single note down. You did not have a single question, as you always do. Is everything okay?” her professor asked as he walked toward her with a fatherly look of concern on his face.
“Yes, sir, I’m ok. I’m just tired.”
“Well, you know finals are in three weeks,” He said as he stopped inches away from her.
He took her by the shoulders and forced
her to make eye contact.
“Yeah, I know,” NeNe replied.
She broke free from his hold and left the class. She walked down the hall at a fast pace, because she had to work today and refused to be late again.
Outside, NeNe unlocked her car door, got in, and cranked up her car. Her cell phone read that she had four missed calls. All the calls came from her sister. She pulled off into traffic.
The past three weeks had been a mess. Erica informed her that Gangsta and Kash both were charged with murder, and neither one of them had a bond as of yet. Erica also told her that Kash’s parents got him a good lawyer. She said that Dank snitched the guys out. NeNe couldn’t understand that because she thought the three of them were tight.
When she finally made it to her job’s parking lot, her phone started blowing up from her sister’s number. At first she wasn’t about to answer, but Erica would not stop calling.
“Hello,” she finally answered.
“I just left court, and they will not give Kash a bond. Those crackers got him charged with four murders and all types of other shit. He got twenty-three charges in all. Girl, you should’ve seen how he snapped.”
“Dang, girl, for real?” she asked, shocked.
“Yes,” Erica replied and began to explain in detail. “Girl, he got four murder charges, but on each one they give him two. That don’t make no fucking sense. He have all type of gun charges, and some kidnapping charges, armed robbery, aggravated assault, all kinds of shit, honey. My baby just snapped, girl.”
“So, what’s the next step?” NeNe asked while parking her car.
“More money,” Erica quickly stated.
“Damn.”
“Yeah, I know. Girl, I’m so pissed off,” Erica said.
“Well, I’m at work. I’ll call you when I get off,” NeNe stated, and they hung up the phone.
***
Gangsta
They had already called his name to pack up his things, and now he sat downstairs awaiting the bonding company to come get him. The judge gave him a bond in the amount of a hundred grand. With the help of his mother and aunt, he was able to post a property bond. The added condition of house arrest was the main reason he was able to get a bond.
The Streets Bleed Murder Box Set Page 7