The Streets Bleed Murder Box Set

by Jerry Jackson

  Ebony. He saw Ebony walk past him. She didn’t look his way. She walked into another room. She was gone. Kash wanted to scream, but he couldn’t say any words. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t get up. He could only watch, look, and see.

  Sleep took over again. His eyes gave way and he was out.

  ***

  Ebony walked into the bathroom to get towels and rags to clean the blood drops in her kitchen from when those Mexicans first got to her house bringing Kash inside on a hospital bed, hooked to all types of machines, shot up. Ebony knew what was going on already because he was on worldwide news on CNN, wanted dead or alive, when they got there with Kash glued down to a hospital bed, she didn’t question them.

  “I have doctors that’s gone attend to him every day until he’s well. When he wakes, give him my best regards,” one Mexican told her. He spoke clear English to Ebony. None of her instincts kicked in. she forgot she was a homicide detective. All Ebony saw was that Kash was hurt and he was hurt bad.

  “Okay, and your name?” Ebony asked.

  “I’m Chavez ma’am.” And he was gone.

  Ebony she was glad the kids weren’t home this morning, glad they didn’t see their father so messed up.

  “What have you done, Charles?” she asked herself, walking back into the room with him. She did not know what to do, who to call. All she could do was stare at her kids’ father. Kash needed help. He needed help badly. But who could she call? What could she do to make things better for him? Should she call family? Should she call her own doctor? But didn’t Chavez say doctors would tend to him?

  Ebony constantly prayed that Kash made it out of this ordeal. He looked so bad, so many holes in his body. His entire body was smaller. If it wasn’t for the machine and him breathing hard, you would think he was dead.

  Ebony noticed a note pad on the nightstand inside her guest room, the place she told them to put Kash. She saw that it was a to-do list when it came to tending to his wounds. It was instructions on how to bathe and feed him. Ebony read two pages of instructions with two phone numbers at the bottom for doctors. When Kash finally did make it out, she promised not to let him go back into them streets, no matter what he said. She remembered the talk they had before he had left. She heard his words. She heard them loud and clear.

  He spoke his own situation into existence. Kash just needed to sit down. He needed to just chill, be a father to his kids, just let the streets go. But it seemed he just couldn’t. Ebony vowed to put a stop to him, no matter what it took because shit like this wasn’t called for.

  ***

  The next day, Veedo heard a knock at his door. He was tired, still asleep, and didn’t really wanna be bothered. With his eyes open, he just laid there looking at the ceiling. Then the knock came again. His clock read 7:35am. He wondered who it could be.

  Veedo threw the covers off of him and sat up in bed. the first thing he looked at was his phone, and saw that he had nine missed calls and a few text messages, all from Trish. The knocking at his front door continued, so Veedo stood to his feet, making his way to the living room. He snatched the door open with a man scowl on his face. Trish walked in, right past him, without speaking. And as always, she looked amazing. Veedo closed the front door behind her.

  “And hello to you, too,” he said, taking her jacket as Trish took a seat on the sofa.

  “You must haven’t received my calls,” was the only thing she said while looking at the screen of her phone.

  “You must haven’t got mines,” Veedo shot back, hanging her jacket up and then facing her.

  “I been out of town working. I couldn’t take no calls, but as soon as I got free, I blew your phone up.”

  “Been sleep, baby.” Veedo sat down next to her. “I’ll never not answer your call,” he stated.

  Trish she just looked straight ahead for a moment, in thought or something, and Veedo watched. He said nothing either because right now he didn’t know what to think, what to say. He knew what he wanted to say, but not how to say it. Should he expose her now orc wait? Should he put everything on the plate now or wait?

  “Damn. Why me?” was his thought. He was in love with a lie, and it did something to him as they both just sat there in silence, deep in their own worlds, not knowing how to open up the conversation. Veedo got up from the sofa. He walked into his room and came back out holding his phone.

  “Latrisha, do you trust me?” Veedo asked, and she instantly looked up at him strangely. She was stuck for words. She never remembered telling him her real name. He thought that her name was Trish.

  She finally spoke. “Yes, I guess. Why do you ask?” she answered nervously.

  “Cause I wanna know.”

  “Well do you trust me?” she quickly shot back.

  “Kinda sorta, I’m not gone lie.” When he said what he said, her facial expression changed up. She wasn’t expecting to hear that from him.

  “Oh,” she said, nodding her head up and down.

  “I’m just saying, I have good reasons behind that,” Veedo added.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah. Where do you work Latrisha Williams?” Veedo asked. He sat down beside her again, but she got up this time, got up shocked.

  “I told you that already…”

  “You do not work for no law firm, shawty. You work for the government. You lied off top.” Veedo also stood up he reached in his pocket and pulled out a photo of her and all her info on it. He gave it to her.

  “You lied too.” Trish read the paper. “And the only reason I never told you was because I wanted to see how serious we were,” she said, balling the paper up.

  “Don’t make no sense.”

  “But you lied about being a fucking drug dealer. Plus, you recording us and shit.” Trish pointed to the eye in the corner of the living room. Veedo turned and looked at it.

  “I only did that when I found out you was the FBI. What the fuck you expect me to do? I had to have my own back just in case this here was a set up?”

  “A set up?” Trish was mad. “Boy, you the one who stopped me the day we met.”

  “So what’s up? You tryna put me in jail or what? Am I under investigation?” Veedo he wanted to know.

  “Putting you in jail is the last thing on my mind,” Trish lied, it was the first thing.

  “I’m in love with you, Trish, but I’m in love with a lie,” Veedo admitted.

  “Same fits, you lied and tricked me too, Veedo.”

  “So do you love me?” he asked.

  “I do,” she replied.

  “So what’s up? What are we gonna do?” he took a step closer.

  “Honestly, I don’t know because stuff don’t seem the same. So how many discs do you have of us? “

  “None, you erased the only one I had, I promise, but you gotta understand why I did this.”

  “That day you was at the warehouse, did you really get robbed?” Trish to a step back.

  Veedo paused to think carefully. Should he tell the truth?

  “Yeah, I really had got robbed that day,” he lied. At the end of the day, she was still the police, and police he didn’t trust at all. He wasn’t stupid at all.

  “I just…”

  “Look, listen, so my question to you is what are we gonna do now that everything is in the open?”

  “I don’t know, Veedo. I’m fairly confused,” she shot back.

  “You must be building a case on me?” he questioned.

  “I’m not, but your friends are in deep trouble. Your best bet is to leave them alone, Veedo.”

  “My friends?” he asked confused.

  “Yes, Charles McCants. I’m surprise you haven’t heard,” Trish said.

  “Charles McCants? How you know I know him? I never mentioned his name to you.”

  “I been watching you for some time now ‘cause I just couldn’t believe you wasn’t in the drug game. I mean, I’ve fallen in love with you as a man and I’m a federal agent so I had to watch you in hopes that all you have told
me ‘bout you was true.”

  “And it is,” Veedo said.

  “It’s not, Veedo. You’re in the game deep and that crushes me. But most of all, you recording us,” Trish was clearly hurt.

  “All sins are the same, Trish. You lied too. You played games too. But I’m serious when I say that I’m not selling drugs. Do I be around the niggas who do? Yes, ‘cause it’s all I know. It’s where I’m from, but not where I’m going. I wake up every day to try and figure an out a route, but it’s not easy as it seems. So don’t fault me for that. But in the end, I’ll be everything I told you I will be. I’m sorry that you feel like I’ve played you by the video, but over stand my position when I learned you was the feds.”

  “I don’t know, Veedo. I just don’t, ‘cause you’re telling me one thing but you showing me something else. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a good man and I’m in love with who you can become too. I dislike who you are. You’re right, I am the federal government and I have been snooping, sting watching you, but it was only to see if I should open up to you or not. I’m not building a case against you. No, but I still needed to know,” replied Trish. She sounded hurt. She looked hurt. Veedo could almost read her honesty and it was something inside him that made him walk up closer. This time she didn’t step back. Veedo pulled her by the waist. She didn’t pull away.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I love you, too,” she replied.

  “So listen, can something good come out if this? I mean, I know shit rocky right now and your trust isn’t the greatest with me, but I’m being honest when I say I’m really trying to find another way in life. It’s like you are the kind of woman I need. And I know that I’m a good nigga, I just got these mishaps that I must workout. Let’s start over since we know what’s what.” Veedo felt her tense up at his words. She lightly removed herself from his embrace.

  Trish walked away saying, “I can’t see it working. I’m scared, first of all. Second, we live too different, no matter if we love each other or not,” Trish said with her back to him. Veedo walked up behind her. She tensed again, and then said, “I’m scared, Veedo. I can lose my job.”

  “Trish, I’m not in the game and the thing is if me and you continue to work, then it helps me stand clear of the streets. I’m just saying, I would adore the chance to keep what me and you got going.”

  “Where is the first disc, Veedo?” Trish turned in his arms and asked. Veedo looked directly into her eyes. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, he just looked, battling with his own thoughts. He let her go and then took her hand and pulled her into his bedroom. They walked inside and Veedo let her hand go. He walked to his bed and flipped the mattress. Then he flipped a thin mat also, revealing a safe molded into the box spring of the bed. Trish looked and was amazed that he had a safe made into his bed. Veedo punched in the codes and the safe cleared. He pulled it open and turned and looked at her.

  “Com’ere,” he said. Trish walked closer and saw loads of cash money, more money than he was supposed to have. Veedo reached under a few stacks of bills and retrieved the disc. Then he gave it to her.

  “Is this the only copy?” Trish looked at the disc and then up to his face.

  “I promise it is.” Once the words left his mouth, Trish broke the disc.

  “One day at a time, Veedo, is all I can say,” Trish said as Veedo kissed her lips. She quickly kissed him back and then walked away again because right now she was still confused, still heartbroken, and still distrustful to words he spoke. Veedo followed her into the living room. She went straight to her coat that was hanging up.

  “You leaving?”

  “Yes. I must go,” Trish said.

  “Will I hear from you again?” Veedo walked with her to the door. She opened it and then turned around to face him. Trish had so much hurt and confusion in her eyes as she looked at him solidly.

  “I’ll call you, Veedo,” and with that, she was gone out the door.

  He watched her go. Veedo knew that it was time to get right because now he was playing with fire. He couldn’t trust her right now. She couldn’t trust him. But things were out in the open and neither knew what to do from here. Veedo knew what he wanted but what he wanted wasn’t good for him, or was it? If he and Trish could figure out a route to this relationship, it could help him stay clear of the streets.

  Veedo was a street nigga, so being with a federal agent wasn’t a good look. What would his partners say once they found out Veedo was serious about her? If they found out he was in love with that woman, then what would happen? Was it possible for Veedo to live on both sides? Could he figure something out that would work for them all? Only time would tell the truth of this matter? He gave her the disc because he wanted her to trust him, but Veedo wasn’t stupid enough to give her every copy, just in case she wanted to try a stunt and build something against them.

  He had to play it safe. He had to be careful and stay one step ahead of the game. First things first, he was about to move his stash of money just in case she flipped.

  ***

  Nene was as nervous as she’d ever been. Her palms were sweating, her stomach in knots, and her body shook. It’d been so long since she’d last saw him, touched him, smelled him, kissed him. Today was like a dream come true, a dream she’d waited to be revealed, a dream she went to sleep every night chasing.

  He was the only man that gave her these feelings, gave her this glow, and made her heart pump. He had the only key to her heart, the only key she’d ever give away. If it wasn’t Gangsta, then no other man could move her like he could. Junior was standing between his grandmother’s legs while Keshana sat on Nene’s lap eating candy. Both of them were kid fresh from head to toe. Mrs. Jackson looked across to Nene and smiled. She saw that Nene was nervous.

  “Baby, you look like you ‘bout to fall out,” Mrs. Jackson spoke in a joking manner, which made Nene crack a smile.

  “I am,” she replied.

  This prison was different from the ones she used to visit him at. This prison seemed like death. The walls were cold, the floor was colder. Every officer walked around like a zombie. There were four officers escorting Gangsta into the room where his family waited. Nene saw him. He saw her. But then his eyes went to his kids, especially Junior, who had his neck turned. Gangsta just stood there. Keshana climbed down off Nene’s lap.

  “Daddiiiee.”

  For a moment, not knowing what to do or what to say, he just stared at Junior as Keshana rushed his legs. Gangsta picked his daughter up with a big hug and kiss. He kissed her a few good times and Keshana was loving it. Gangsta was amazed to see his son living.

  “There go your daddy,” Gangsta’s mom turned Jr around to face the man who helped make it possible for him to have the life he had. Junior looked up to Gangsta and took a few steps towards him to make sure it was his father. Nene and Mrs. Jackson also stood to their feet. Gangsta bent down and opened his arms, and Junior ran into them.

  On first contact, so much weight was lifted off his shoulder. Junior felt so good to him. This day was the day he’d prayed for. This day was the day he’d waited for day and night to see, and it was finally here. Gangsta kissed the side of his son’s face. God was good was all Gangsta thought. He scooped Junior up and then embraced his mom and Nene.

  “I love y’all,” he said.

  “We love you, son,” replied his mother. Gangsta kissed his son again and then looked at Nene.

  “Com’ere,” he said. Nene stepped closer. Gangsta kissed her lips one time, two times, and pulled away. “Thank you, Nya, thank you so much.”

  “For what, Gary?” she wanted to know because if anything she should be thanking him for being one of the greatest men she knew to walk the face of the earth.

  “For being as beautiful as ever, for raising my son, taking care of him, and for believing in me. Thank you for coming down here, for staying down through all I’ve put on your plate. You are amazing to me and not never will I hurt you nor my son anymore,” Gangsta s
poke the words from his heart.

  “No, thank you,” Nene replied back. Then they kissed deeply and hugged some more. She was happy, but most of all, he was amazingly happy with how life played out for him. Mrs. Jackson walked off to get him some food to eat, giving the both of them the chance to talk more. Junior was sitting across his lap as Gangsta sat across, looking at the woman he needed to marry. She was just right, perfect to him. She was the right one for him and she knew it.

  “So what’s up, baby? How he been doing?” Gangsta asked.

  “More worried ‘bout you than anything.”

  “I’m good. I’m holding my end down, you just continue to hold your end down as well for us.”

  “Poonie and Zay was killed last week. Have you heard?” Nene asked. The shocked look Gangsta gave her confirmed that he didn’t know.

  “Fuck no. What the hell happen?”

  “Poonie got into it with some dude about a girl and Zay got caught up in the crossfire. At first, everyone thought Kash had something to do with it, but Kash got shot as well, in Miami.”

  “Kash?” Gangsta looked dumbfounded now. “What?” he asked again, confused.

  “Nobody knows where he’s at. The Feds have a manhunt out for him and some Mexicans. Say he was in critical condition. He escaped from the hospital in Miami and killed some FBI agents.”

  Nene told him. Then she finished telling him about everything, including how Kash was doing Eric and Zay. Gangsta didn’t know what to say. All he did was hold his son in deep thought.

  “How did you get caught up, my G?” Gangsta asked silently because this wasn’t in the plan at all, not his partner getting shot down out of his king seat. Gangsta couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he listened to every word spoken from his baby’s mother’s mouth. Nene was looking amazing to him. She was still as beautiful as ever. His son had fallen asleep in his arms as Nene and his mother updated him about what was going on.