“They just started shooting people?” her dad asked. “Were they after someone?”
“A lot of dealers hang out there. They must’ve been the targets.”
I felt Kendra’s eyes on me. She knew that I was one of those dealers. If she was going to tell her parents, that was up to her. Part of me wanted her to—that way they’d hate me as much as I hated myself right now.
“Was Diamond Tony there?” Kendra asked. Her eyes were red from crying. There was no blame in them, just grief.
I nodded. “He might’ve been the one they were after.”
Jessica’s dad was bewildered. “Who’s Diamond Tony?”
“Big drug dealer,” Kendra said.
“We never should’ve let her work there.” Jessica’s mom turned to her husband. “Did you know drug dealers went there?”
“Of course not. She said it was an upscale place.”
“It is a nice place, Mrs. Thomas,” I said, trying to reassure her. “I haven’t heard of any trouble there before.”
We sat in silence for a while. Every time the doors opened, we hoped someone would give us an update on Jessica. But no one came. The waiting room got so crowded with people waiting for news on the gunshot victims that I gave up my seat. I was sick of sitting still anyway.
I paced the hallways. At one point a doctor came out and spoke to a woman in a hijab. Her son, Kamal, was dead.
Minutes later, another doctor, another family. Pox was dead too.
Two executives dead. Several people wounded. Jessica fighting for her life.
And Diamond Tony had walked away.
A pair of cops showed up and started questioning anyone who was present at the shooting. Eventually they came to me. I spoke to them briefly in the hallway, out of earshot from Jessica’s family.
I didn’t know these cops, and they didn’t know me. To them, I was a bystander who’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time with his girlfriend. They didn’t know I had been Prescott’s CI, and I wasn’t going to tell them. Since I wasn’t a suspect, there was no point in complicating things. I told them that I lived in the area and that there seemed to be a turf war going on between rival gangs. No, I hadn’t gotten a good look at the shooters or their car. I wished I had.
They accepted my answers. There was no reason not to. It wasn’t like anyone here was going to tell them I was a dealer. And I’d put money on no one mentioning Diamond Tony or the Bloods. They all knew the code.
The cops moved on to question someone else, and I went back to Jessica’s family. We waited for at least another hour.
Finally, an update.
An Asian doctor in scrubs came through the doors and stood in the middle of the waiting area. “Jessica Thomas’s family?”
We stood up and rushed toward him.
“Your daughter made it through the initial surgery,” he told her parents. “We’ve managed to extract the bullet from her chest cavity. Because of the amount of blood loss, we’ve given her several transfusions. Right now we have her in an induced coma. It will give her body a chance to recover.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Kendra asked.
“Her condition is still critical. We’ll have a better idea in the next few days.”
JUSTICE
The following night Vinny found me in the waiting room.
“I hear she pulled through surgery.” He sat down beside me. “That’s good.”
I didn’t say anything.
“You been here this whole time?” he asked.
I nodded.
“I don’t want you to worry about your corners. They’re being looked after. Tony wanted me to check on you. Make sure you’re okay.”
“What do you think?”
Vinny didn’t try to answer that. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“There is. Tell Tony that bullet should’ve been his.”
I didn’t care about the consequences. What I said was true and Vinny knew it. That bullet was meant for Tony, but Jessica had taken the hit. For what?
“We lost two execs, you know. Kamal and Pox. Tony’s pretty broken up about it.”
“I’m sure he is.” With half of his executives gone, Tony would have to step up, at least until he could replace them. He couldn’t stay in the shadows the way he liked to.
Vinny went stone serious. “Tony wanted me to give you a message.”
“Oh yeah?” There was nothing Tony could say that I wanted to hear.
“The people who did this are gonna face justice. Diamond style.”
RECKONING
Two days ticked by. I prayed to God. I wasn’t sure if I believed, but Jessica did. So if there was a God, I bet he’d be there for her.
Jessica was in an induced coma so she wouldn’t fight the ventilator. Everything I heard the doctors and nurses say scared the hell out of me—they talked about blood loss and tissue damage, fractured ribs, a collapsed lung. But she was hanging on. She had to hang on.
Her family and I were in and out of the ICU day and night. Her parents requested that I be able to see her even though I wasn’t immediate family. I guess they thought Jessica would want me there.
At some point Tasha and Mom showed up. Mom said things like, “Don’t worry, honey, she’ll be okay,” and “She’s a strong girl, she’ll pull through.” Like my mom could know. Her words were the same as always: empty. As for Tasha, she didn’t make any false promises, she just said, “I’m here for you.” Yeah, right. It took balls for her to come here and offer me support. I didn’t need either of them, and I told them so.
Vinny left several messages on my voice mail. When I didn’t return his calls, he left another message saying they were replacing me until I was ready to come back.
Was I going back?
I had no idea. Part of me wanted to stay in the game. I wasn’t afraid for my life anymore. My life didn’t mean shit when Jessica was fighting for hers.
But Jessica had wanted me out of Tony’s business more than anything. And if this was my chance to get out without Diamond Tony being suspicious, maybe I should take it.
The Price
The cost of war can’t be measured
In dollars or in cents
Why do the good ones
Always have to pay the rent
For crimes they don’t commit
For things they haven’t done
When bullets start flying
There’s nowhere to run.
THE VISITOR
I woke up to find White Chris in the chair beside me, eating a bag of chips. I didn’t know what time of day it was.
“How did you . . . ?” I rubbed my eyes. I couldn’t remember if I’d called him or not.
“Tasha messaged me on Facebook. She told me what happened. Said you could use some support.”
That was Tasha—always sticking her nose in. But I had to admit, it was good to see White Chris. I should’ve contacted him myself.
“Thought you might be hungry.” He handed me a bag of chips and a bottle of Pepsi.
“Thanks.” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten anything. I shoved some chips into my mouth.
He looked at me with his good eye. “How is she?”
“There are all these complications. They want to keep her in a coma.” Even as I said it, it didn’t feel real.
“How are you holding up?”
“When I know she’s okay, I’ll be okay. That’s all.”
“Take care of yourself, Darren. The last thing she needs to wake up to is a smelly boyfriend.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I stink?”
“Let’s put it this way: Eau Sauvage doesn’t smell better on the third day. Now eat your chips. She wouldn’t want you getting scrawny, either.”
“You’re harsh.”
I finished the bag of chips, then washed them down with the Pepsi. We sat in silence for a while. With the food and drink in my system, my mind felt clearer. But it only made the guilt worse.
??
?I’m the reason she’s in there, Chris. Me. I shouldn’t have been standing with her outside the club. Not when there’s a turf war going on. It was stupid.”
“Jessica works at Chaos. She would’ve been there with or without you. Torturing yourself won’t help her.”
“I can’t help her. That’s the problem.”
“Actually, you can. She’s going to pull through this part. And when she wakes up, she’s going to need you. Remember when I was laid up with a smashed eye, and instead of playing violins, you were bitching at me to finish the songs we were working on?”
A reluctant smile pulled at my mouth. “What was I supposed to do? You were using the eye thing as an excuse not to write.”
“I was so jacked on pain meds, none of my lyrics made sense. But you made me keep at it anyway.”
“Damn right. Remember when your aunt told you that girls loved eye patches because it reminded them of Johnny Depp?”
White Chris chuckled. “You said that was the biggest pile of bullshit you ever heard. And that my only prayer of getting a girl was becoming a rich music producer.”
“It’s still true.”
“Point is, you helped me out.” He paused, shaking his head. “And I had no clue you were plotting revenge against Jongo the whole time.”
“It had to be done.”
White Chris glanced at me warily, as if he was wondering if I had another scheme up my sleeve. “It’s over, right? This whole thing?”
That was one question I couldn’t answer.
IN
More days passed. I didn’t know how many. And then I got a text from Vinny that I couldn’t ignore.
DT wants 2 C U. 24 Wind Terrace.
It was decision time.
I knew I had to move quickly or Diamond Tony would be gone when I got there. He never stayed long in meeting locations.
Within half an hour, I showed up at the address on the northeast side. I’d been here before. It was the boarded-up town house with the cushy living room where I thought I’d be murdered but instead was promoted to lieutenant. I went up the steps and was met by the Cuz.
“Don’t take it personal, but we gotta pat you down,” Tyrell said.
“We do it to everybody these days,” Remy added. “Tony’s orders.”
I spread my arms and legs for the pat down.
Then I stepped inside. I walked down the dingy hall into the living room. Tony and Vinny were waiting.
“Darren, my man.” Tony came up to me, grabbing my hand and giving me a back pound. “How’s Jessica?”
The sound of her name on his lips made me sick. I wanted to kill him right then and there. “Alive.”
“Good. Vinny gave me your message.”
I didn’t give a fuck if I’d pissed him off. I’d meant every word. That bullet should’ve hit him instead of Jessica.
“You were right,” Tony said evenly. “That bullet was meant for me. And your girl took it. I respect your sacrifice.”
I stared at him blankly. He made it sound like Jessica took the bullet to save his life. He was totally deluded.
“I know this has been a hard time for you, Darren. Has been for all of us. You heard about Kamal and Pox.”
“Yeah.”
“In times like these, we have to stick together. You feel me?”
Now would be the time to tell him I was done. I wanted out. But before I could say anything, he spoke again. “I’ve lost good soldiers, Darren. But I have a business to run. I need to promote two lieutenants to executive positions. Ray-go has agreed to step up. And both he and Vinny recommended you.”
It took a second for his words to register.
I wasn’t sure what to say. I needed to think, but I couldn’t think with Tony watching me.
“I know you’re wondering why I haven’t dealt with the Bloods who did this yet. I promise you, I will. Our revenge will be brutal and complete. It will be a Blood bath.” He smiled.
My gut twisted.
“I need a decision from you, Darren. Being an executive is a privilege. Vinny can tell you all about it. But you’ve got to devote yourself to it. I need to know you’ll be on your game even though your girl’s in the hospital.”
When I hesitated, he went on. “If you become an executive, you can be a part of the retaliation against the Bloods.”
My mind spun. If I turned down the position, I’d be giving up my best chance to put him away. I’d be giving up my chance to avenge Jessica, Prescott, and everyone else Tony had hurt or killed.
It was now or never.
A smile came to my lips. “I’m in.”
DREAMLAND
I stood next to Jessica’s bed, holding her hand. She’d always been beautiful when she slept, and she still was, even hooked up to those machines. Her face looked peaceful, but I knew that inside her, it was a different story. She was fighting to come back, I could feel it.
I tried to think of something to say. “You should see Kiki these days. He’s all about his keyboard. He knows which buttons to press for which beats. He tries to do some beat boxing, but he just ends up spitting everywhere. It’s so cute. I’ve got a video on my phone. I’ll show you when you wake up.”
Her lips twitched, unless I was imagining it. She always reacted when I mentioned Kiki. Part of me wished I could bring him in here, to see if she’d react to his voice. But Kiki wasn’t allowed in the ICU, and it was probably best. He’d get upset if he saw her this way. And I wouldn’t want Jessica to hear him cry.
Tears burned my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Jessica. Sorry I got you involved in all this. I’m gonna make things right. No matter what, I’ll make things right.”
I squeezed her hand. I couldn’t be sure, but she might have squeezed mine back.
THE NEW GENERATION
To the new execs!” Vinny lifted his champagne flute.
Ray-go and I clinked glasses with the others. We’d been executives for all of two days, and the party had never stopped. These guys played hard. I wasn’t sure if they worked hard too.
I sipped my champagne. It was the expensive stuff, but I could hardly tell. Vinny was bragging about how he got with three girls in one night, and everybody was loving the story. Even the girl sitting on his lap seemed to enjoy it. Maybe she’d been one of them.
We were at the Rockefeller, an upscale lounge downtown. The doormen had ushered us in like celebrities.
“Congrats, Darren,” said the girl to my right. She was just like all the others who hung around Tony and the execs—sexy and eager as hell to be someone’s girl. Judging by the way Ray-go and I had been pawed over the past couple of days, we were fresh meat.
“How does it feel being big-time?” she asked, batting her fake eyelashes.
“Good.” I took a sip of champagne.
She didn’t recognize me, but I recognized her. Tamara Knox had been a senior when I was a freshman. I bet every guy in the school had fantasized about her. She reminded me of Nicki Minaj with her pink wig, big bootie, and annoying voice.
“Let’s dance,” Tamara said, taking my hand and massaging her thumb in my palm.
Why not? My face hurt from smiling at their stupid stories. I needed a break.
I could hear the other girls snickering as Tamara led me away. The dance floor was packed with couples juggling drinks and dancing sexy. Tamara’s arms snaked around my neck. “I didn’t tell you my name, did I? I’m Jayda.”
I knew she wasn’t, but I didn’t care. She could be whoever she wanted.
“You move nice,” she said.
Actually, I was hardly moving at all. “You too.”
She flattened her body against mine and grinned like a cat. “This is nothing. You should see what else I can do.”
I felt a shot of anger. She must’ve known my girl was lying in a hospital bed. But she saw this as her chance to get with one of the new execs.
Vinny came onto the floor with two girls. They seemed happy to sandwich him between them. He nudged me with his
elbow and shouted over the music, “Don’t get better than this!”
But it did get worse. How long did Vinny think he could stay on top?
Speaking of on top, Tamara—Jayda—was all over me. It was time to cut her loose. I told her I had to go to the bathroom and I’d meet her back at the table. When I returned, I sat by Ray-go instead. She looked mad enough to spit.
I poured myself another drink, just for something to do, and said to Ray-go, “I thought being a lieutenant was it. But being an exec, man, this is ridiculous.”
“I know. It’s like every door is open. Nothing’s off-limits. This is how it should be.”
I studied him. “You always knew you’d get here one day, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but not this soon. You?”
“No way. I got lucky.”
“Some things are meant to be. And if we play our cards right, we’re here to stay.” He took a sip of champagne. “Don’t forget, the kingpin’s going to pass on his crown one day. And you and me, we’re the new generation.”
EXECUTIVE DECISION
It was my first executive meeting.
Mom would be proud.
We sat around a polished table in a swanky crib—whose crib, I didn’t know. The room was long and rectangular with dark hardwood floors and real artwork on the walls. It felt like a cross between an upscale boardroom and a classy dining room. We drank whiskey as we waited for Diamond Tony to start the meeting.
I’d learned more in my first few days as an executive than in months of street dealing. Tony’s executives were no different than the executives of a Fortune 500 company. We were the leaders of the organization, the advisers to the CEO. All the dirty jobs went to the underlings. The closest an executive ever got to the street was when he took his turn running the stash house. Otherwise, it was white collar all the way.
So far, my main job was to drop off cash at businesses that laundered money for Tony. Vinny came with me. We stopped by a beauty shop, a pawnshop, a deli, a bakery, and Chaos—no surprise there.