“What’s going on, sis? Erica, what’s up, how y’all?” Kash placed the flowers on the counter along with other gifts people had brought when they visited.
“Hey, Charles, we good. What’s up with you?” NeNe asked as she got up to hug him. She was proud of Kash for holding everybody down straight out of jail. He was a true friend turned brother in her eyes.
“I’m just coolin’, had to come see my nephew and make sure he good. Do y’all need anything? Have y’all ate?” Kash asked concerned.
“No, we hungry, too,” Erica cut in. “You buying?”
“Whatever y’all need,” Kash quickly shot back. NeNe noticed for the first time a scar on Kash’s face.
“What happened?” she asked and pointed.
“Got stabbed twice there.”
“Oh my goodness, stop lying.” Nene reached to touch it. The scar was from his ear to his jaw. It didn’t look too bad, but it most definitely looked painful.
“No flexing, so what y’all tryna eat? And when is my lil’ nigga coming home?” Kash wanted to know.
“He got to wake up first, Kash,” Erica stated.
“Well get ‘em up.”
“I wish,” NeNe replied and touched Jr’s tiny hand. “The doctors said that he can awake at any moment, so that’s what we’re waiting on. Plus, once the wraps come off his face, the doctor said he should be coming back, said we also gotta do plastic surgery if his ear do not heal correctly,” NeNe told him.
“You found the doctors that can do the surgery?” Kash asked.
“Well a few have come down and left their cards. See, we may don’t need them, at least that’s what I hope.”
“Cool, give me the cards. Let me get some info on what’s going on.”
“For what, Kash? You must finna change your appearance,” Erica asked in a joking manner.
“Some like dat,” replied Kash, not paying attention to her jokes right now.
“Boy, hush, but where we going ‘cause I’m hungry?” Erica stood to her feet and her and Kash eyed one another. NeNe noticed and she would have loved to see them back together.
“Where y’all wanna eat? It’s up to y’all,” Kash said.
“Just bring me something back. I’m not going. I wanna be here when my baby open his eyes,” NeNe said.
“Oh, you going?” Kash turned to Erica. She reached down and grabbed her pocketbook. She looked at Kash with that what you think look. Then she led the way to the door and opened it.
“Boy, you better come on,” Erica said as Kash hugged NeNe once more. Then he followed her out the door. When the both of them left, NeNe found her seat and sat down. She grabbed the letter Gangsta had sent to her through his mother. NeNe had yet to open it because she wanted to read it alone, without any interruptions. She opened it with a fearful heart. Her hands began to sweat as her eyes embraced the first line.
Nya,
Beautiful woman you are, oh how happy I am to be a part of your life and that we share a son together. First, before anything, I hope that this letter embraces your hands blessed with a peaceful mindset and a day’s joy...
Nene, baby girl, I know life right now is extreme and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to hold on. But please do because behind every frown, there’s a smile. Our son will be okay, baby. God told me so. It’s what I asked for and God said he’ll give it. I love you, okay, baby girl? Always know that, alright? Nya, I want you to also know that I never meant for this to happen to us. It was never my intent to lead us down this road. And actually, I was walking the right path to get us where we needed to be.
I was doing what was right as a man and a husband, and especially a father. Baby, I don’t know why this nigga chose to fuck with me, but he did. And for that, I am sorry. All I want, Nya, is for our son and you to make it, and for you to be proud of me at being your child’s father because I am proud just at the thought of you being my son’s mother, my friend, and with hopes that one day you will become my wife and that we may have more kids.
Nene, I know you may try to figure out why I chose to turn myself in like I did and admit to all my wrongs. Well, to be totally honest with you, I made a deal with God to spare our son in exchange for my freedom and clean slate. I was tired of the many wrongs I’ve done, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I did not know what else to do, baby girl. I ran out of option’s and God was our only route, so please don’t hate me but respect and love my reason for being here on death row awaiting my fate.
I love you, Nya. I respect you fully and I look up to you for being a strong woman walking this even stronger life. Trust God that Jr will soon open his eyes and smile again. I have both y’all names on my visiting list so I’ll see y’all sooner than we both expect. Kash got anything you’ll ever need so when that time comes, just ask. Kiss my son for me and send me some pictures and you. Be safe, okay, baby girl?
Always,
Gary
Nene didn’t even realize that tears were rolling down her face until she was finished with the letter. Her heart was heavy. She was wishing that all of this was a dream and that she’d wake up in Gangsta’s arms next to their son. Reality told her that it wasn’t a dream, that what was playing before her eyes was real life.
She put the letter in her bag and got up. She walked over to Jr’s bed. For a brief moment, all she did was look as tears fell rapidly down her face. She bent down and kissed his wrapped face. “That’s from your father.” as soon as she came up, she noticed Jr’s arm move. Nene was stuck at the moment, not knowing what was going on. She started to reach out to touch him again, but this time Jr’s legs started to kick out. His hands moved. His head moved side to side. He started moaning.
Nene jumped back then yelled, “Help. Help. Doctors.” Nene quickly ran out of the room as the machine started making all types of noises. Nene saw nurses and doctors running in her direction. They told her to go stand in the waiting room and closed her outside of the room. Nene wanted to faint. She wanted to put up a fight and stay in the room to see what was going on with her son. But she decided to let God handle it because he was the reason behind it all anyways.
***
“What’s going on?” Veedo asked his worker as they both were walking into the trap spot.
“Two lil’ blood niggas pulled a stunt last night and robbed June for a half of kilo coming into the spot. They took thirty grand, too,” the worker said.
“Whea June at now?” Veedo asked.
“Home, I guess,” the worker stated.
“Who is these two lil’ niggas? Do you got a read on them? Where they hang at?” Veedo didn’t like what he was hearing. He saw two niggas in the kitchen sacking up dope. Veedo took a seat at the table and pulled his phone out.
“Ah, they from Etheridge, Lil’ Quin and Blade lil’ bad ass wanna be thug,” the worker said, shaking his head side to side.
“And they bloods?” Veedo asked, his mind formulating a plan already to straighten the situation before word got to Kash, It was one thing Veedo nor Kash allowed and that was taking out of their mouths. It was no pussy in their crew and any nigga should know that they don’t play those types of games. It was a new boss in town. This wasn’t a New York crew, it was niggas born and raised in Atlanta, GA who was eating off this plate, niggas who weren’t snitching or bitching, just a group of hungry hood niggas chasing a bankroll.
“Yup, they big homie name is Block. I’d holla at him first if I was you ‘cause bloods run the apartments,” the worker let him know.
“Block?” Veedo asked.
“Yup, that’s him.”
Veedo sent a sweet text message to the beautiful girl he had just met, then got up and put the phone away. He walked over to the counter where the leftover dope was being sacked up. He only saw a few ounces and nothing else.
“Come here,” Veedo walked away and back into the living room. “Where is Fred?”
Fred was the accountant of the house. He kept all paperwork straight and had inventory on all
drugs pushed in and out of the trap spot.
“He upstairs sleep, last I checked,” the worker replied.
“Okay, go get ‘em.”
The worker quickly disappeared upstairs and was gone a moment. When he returned, he had Fred behind him. Fred was an older cat that lived off loyalty. He was a big dude with grey side burns and green eyes. He was a guy Veedo had known all his life and since knowing Fred, he’d never heard bad things about him at all. All business was A1 when it came down to it.
“What’s going on, V?” Fred rubbed cold out of his eyes as he joined Veedo at the sofa.
“Have any of the money been picked up?”
“Yeah, Poonie picked up last night but I got a sixty upstairs. you need it?” Fred asked.
“Nawl, Poonie can get it. I’m just trying to figure out what’s what around here, that’s all. So where was you when June got robbed?” Veedo wanted to know.
“Inside. Hell, I ain’t hear or see shit. All I know is June came in saying he was jacked in the yard by two teenagers,” Fred replied with a look Veedo couldn’t read. But he did notice when Fred looked at the worker, he kind of rolled his eyes his way.
“Okay, cool, y’all niggas continue to hold the spot down. I’ll have a load pull up in a few hours and I’ma get the situation with June handled. Y’all just watch yo self. Things are about to change, anyways, for the safety of us all. I’ll let you know what’s what with that as soon as I hear anything official,” Veedo explained to his crew. He was disappointed with them because he knew it was some slick shit going on. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he wouldn’t stop until he did.
Forty-five minutes later, Veedo pulled up to June’s crib in Summer Hill. He watched niggas watch him as he parked the Benz. He jumped out and headed to the door. It was cracked when he walked up on the crowded porch with its old sofas, old chairs, and two floor model TVs.
Veedo pushed the door open a bit, careful not to rush into the house, but at the same time looking hard. He saw that the living room was empty. The house was quiet but reeked of a smell, a fishy sex smell that obviously started in the living room with clothes and shoes tossed everywhere. Veedo noticed two small bankrolls of cash, two ounces of cocaine, and a .45 on the coffee table. What mostly caught his attention was a book bag and a store sack of candy. He also saw a lil’ lip gloss and a bottle of lotion that smells good.
Veedo made his way toward the back to the bedrooms, slowly watching everything he saw until he made it to the threshold of a door and saw June with his pants dropped to his ankles and his shirt off, sweating like a slave at work in the sun. Veedo couldn’t see the girl because her head was down as she gripped the sheets.
“Say, June?” At the sound of his name, he almost jumped out of his skin. He quickly turned to see who had just walked into his house. June stopped and snatched his clothes up when he saw that it was his boss-man in his room. This movement gave Veedo a chance to see the girl who raised up embarrassed for being caught in the act.
“Wha-what’s going on, Veedo?” June said. He looked high. He looked nervous. Veedo, on the other hand, didn’t say anything to June. Instead, he stared at the girl. He saw that she was only a baby, a mere teenager, probably in the 10th grade. June had to be in his late thirties.
“Put yo clothes on, homie, we need to talk.” Veedo finally looked at June with pity in his eyes. He couldn’t believe the nerves of this nigga to be fuckin’ a little girl. She was too young for Veedo as it was, and June had him by at least ten years, so she was definitely off limits to June. June pulled his shirt on and followed Veedo into the living room.
“What’s good, family?” June asked, picking up a New Port and taking a seat on the sofa. He still had beads of sweat on his forehead.
“What happened last night?” Veedo asked.
“Man ion know how these two niggas got up on me so fast. All I know is as soon as I get out the car, they pop up out the blue skies, scaring the life out of me, no lie. I had just picked up a half and had the lil’ money for Poonie on me, just in case we get together in traffic. I let them niggas have it cause at the end of the day, I know both of these lil’ niggas and they families. I’m just glad them pussy niggas didn’t whack me,” June stressed.
“What’s up with you bustin’ a child, though? That lil’ girl in school, my Nigga. You know that’s some sucka shit,” Veedo changed the subject.
“She eighteen, bruh,” June quickly defended himself.
“Eighteen?” Veedo questioned. Then he said, “Get the fuck outta here.” He walked away back into the bedroom and locked the door because June was sure to follow. Inside the room, the little girl had gotten dressed. Prepared to leave, she held a fearful look.
“What’s your age and don’t lie,” Veedo nicely demanded, looking directly at the child who was scared out of her mind. He gave her that don’t fucking lie to me look.
“Sixteen. Can I please go now?” the girl asked.
Veedo walked to the door, unlocked it, and June walked in. “Yeah you can go,” he said and watched the girl pass June, who wanted to say something but didn’t. He just let the girl leave, feeling as stupid as he looked. June knew he had fucked up big time, fucked up for crossing that line with a kid, and even more fucked up that he left his gun on the coffee table because Veedo had pulled out a Gloc. He held it down by his leg and glared at June with hate in his eyes.
“Wh-what’s up Veedo?” June nervously asked, hoping that he didn’t get shot or, better yet, die.
“Ain’t shit up, nigga. Where is yo money stash at?” Veedo push the gun in June face.
“My who?” June balled up like a hoe nigga, eyes closed and hands up with his palms out like a bitch.
“Take me to yo stash, nigga, or get whacked. Fuck wrong wit y’all fuck niggas playing with a gangsta?” Veedo had become heated because niggas were taking his kindness for weakness.
June took him into another room where he had a stash of money. That’s when he saw the bail of weed with one of Lucky’s stamps on it. Veedo knew that Lucky was a New York nigga that flooded the streets with bullshit weed for stupid low prices. He figured June was trying to play both sides of the fence by getting work from both connects, but Veedo had another thing coming for his ass.
“Man, V, don’t take me out, my nigga. You know I’m the most loyal…”
“Nigga, shut the fuck up talking to me. So you getting work from Lucky and me, huh? You tryna be slick, my dude, huh? We don’t fuck with New York niggas. We rob and kill them niggas, you hear me?” Veedo aimed the gun at June’s face.
“No, no, no, my nigga…”
Boom. Boom. Two quick shots left June slumped and brain mattered spread all over the wall.
“Pussy nigga.” Veedo looked around. All of a sudden he was mad at himself for doing what he’d just done but at the same time, that was the game you played when in the streets. Veedo was just one of the types of guys that played by the rules, so if it caused for death, then death was what you’d get. Veedo made sure to wipe everything down he thought and knew he’d touched. He got the stash of money, leaving the bail of weed for the police findings. He quickly got up out of the house and jumped into his ride. Veedo saw the young lil’ girl standing at the bus stop down the street. He stopped, pulled up next to her, and rolled his window down.
“Get in. I’ll take you home,” he spoke. He noticed the girl was hesitant to move. Veedo looked to the road ahead, then back to her before saying, “I’m not gone hurt you, just come on ‘cause I’m holding up traffic. But I need to talk to you ‘bout something.” At that, the girl inched forward, but stopped again. Veedo leaned over the console and opened the door. “Come on. You straight.”
The girl heard a few horns blow. She saw a host of cars behind the Benz, waiting on her to decide. She finally climbed in and Veedo pulled off. Her book bag sat between her feet on the floor.
“Just take me to a train station,” the girl asked.
“OK do you know the nigga June you was fu
ckin’?” Veedo wanted to know what was on her mind.
“Yes, June used to stay by us last year.”
“You know how old he is?” Veedo questioned.
“Ah twenty something,” she answered.
“Wrong. He’s in his late thirties, and twenty something is far too old for you. You sixteen, baby, you not ready for a grown man, especially a street nigga, drug dealer. June don’t care two bits for you. He got kids yo age. He have no business with you. He is tripping. So what’s up with your parents?”
“They’re at work.”
“Well here.” he reached in his pocket and pulled out some money. “Forget you ever met me. This is a couple grand. You will not see June anymore, so don’t go to looking for him either. Go find a boyfriend yo age, alright?” Veedo handed over the money.
“Okay.”
“I’m serious. And if the police step to you, no matter what they say, you have not been over here and you have not seen him, got it?” Veedo asked for her understanding.
“Okay, I heard you loud and clear,” the young girl pushed the money into her book bag. Moments later, he dropped her off at the train station. Veedo’s mind was in limbo. He knew word would soon spread about what happened to June and that his name may surface. He had to figure out some kind of way to throw it off him if there was an issue.
Niggas doing something about the murders was the last thing he was worried about. It was police and police ass niggas that had him afraid. He knew that it was time to retire out of the game because his guilt trip was invading his thoughts and prison scared the life out of him.
Veedo pulled up to his baby’s mother’s nail shop, a spot he’d funded for her, just in case something happened to him and he couldn’t do for his kids. April didn’t do anybody’s nails. All she did was charge a percentage off each customer. Veedo parked and sat inside his Benz for a moment. He had to add some shit up right quick, figure his next move out, and question himself about rather he should tell Kash what went down and about the weed from Lucky. Veedo knew he would not hold that type of information from his partner, so he dialed Kash’s number.
The Streets Bleed Murder Box Set Page 42