Bury Me a G 3 Page 4

  Kantrell M. Combs was gunned down gangland style just a few blocks from the Ritz hotel. A witness reported to have seen two masked men hop out of a red pick-up truck and open fire on Kantrell’s vehicle with automatic weapons. Kantrell was then pulled out of the car and shot multiple times in the chest. We were told that one of the masked men took something from out of the vehicle before hopping into the pick-up truck and leaving the scene...

  The Asian reporter went on to disclose more information, but by then Chevy had already zoned out. She’d become incoherent to everything around her. Her eyes were stretched wide open and her jaw went slack, mouth ajar. She was taken off guard by the revelation. It was hard to believe that her best friend had been murdered in cold blood. With how it was done she couldn’t help but think that she’d gotten mixed up with some shit Tiaz had going on. Far as she knew, Kantrell wasn’t involved in the streets like that, but then again she’d put her fucking around with her man past her, too. And look what happened.

  Trifling ass bitch, serves her ass right, fuck her, Chevy’s forehead arched and her nose wrinkled. She found herself getting all hot just thinking about how her ex and her right-hand had played her. Those two deserve one another, good riddance. She shook her head and took a sip of coffee.

  “Mrs. Reed.” A voice came from her left and her head snapped in its direction. She saw one of the doctors that had rushed Faison into surgery on the gurney. She sat her cup of coffee down, rising to her feet prepared for the worse, but expecting the best. After swallowing hard and blinking, she stared dead into his eyes awaiting the news he’d soon deliver. From the bewildered expression on his face she expected the worse and was about to break.

  “Oh, God, no!” She shook her head and brought her hands to her face, eyes welling with tears.

  “Relax, relax, Mrs. Reed.” The doctor held up a hand to calm her. “He’s all right, okay? He pulled through.”

  “Thank you, Jesus!” She looked up at the ceiling with her hands interlocked with each other. Tears broke free down her cheeks and she sniffled, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

  “He’s talking with some detectives now. They’ve been in there for a minute.” He glanced at his watch. “They should be done. You wanna come back there with me to come see him?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He waved her on and she followed him. They trekked down the hallway, with her head on a swivel. Her eyes glanced inside of each and every door that they passed. She found sickly people, some of them alone, some of them attended by family. When she looked ahead, she saw two detectives in cheap suits emerge from a room that she assumed belonged to Faison. They looked to be perturbed. More than likely pissed off that they couldn’t get a word out of her man. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that they came through to question him. The police were always called to ask questions once someone was shot and came to the hospital. They would even dust the wounded person’s hand for gunpowder residue which was why she was glad that she’d scrubbed his hands clean before shooting him down to the emergency ward.

  The detectives talked amongst themselves as they walked passed Chevy and the doctor. Once the MD reached the room the detectives left from, he turned to her and threw his hand toward it.

  “Go ahead, he’s waiting for you.”

  “Thanks, Doctor...” She searched him for a name badge.

  “McCoy. And you’re welcome.” He flashed a smile before going on about his business, whistling and nodding at an oncoming nurse. He whipped around as they crossed paths and raised his eyebrows when he saw her bodacious ass.

  Chevy entered the darkened room that Faison occupied. She found him lying in bed looking weak and exhausted with a breathing canal in his nose. Once he felt her presence he turned his head toward her and mustered up a decent smile so she’d know that he was happy to see her. She rushed to his side and pulled up a chair, sitting down.

  “How do you feel, sweetie?”

  “Hmmph.” He smiled halfheartedly. “Besides being hit by that MAC truck earlier, I’m great.”

  She smiled. “I tried to call your parents to come up here, but no one answered.”

  When she brought this up, he closed his eyes. He opened them and they were glassy and outlined in tears, dying to be unleashed. Licking his dry lips, he snorted and cleared his throat.

  “They’re all dead.” His voice cracked with deep emotional turmoil and suffering.

  “What?” The creases of her forehead deepened. She leaned closer to him, still holding his hand. “Faison, who are you talking about? Who’s dead?”

  “My father...” His voice went hoarse as he went to talk. His lips trembled and his nose wrinkled.

  She’d never seen him this vulnerable before. Normally, he shied away from his feelings, but now he was putting them out there on display. She gathered he must have been hurting from the inside out for him to allow her to see him grieving like this, because he’d always been the one to bottle up his feelings. He kept to himself and dealt with things on his own accord. That’s just how he was, but at the moment his being sensitive was a contradiction.

  “Babe, tell me who else? Who else is dead?” She squeezed his hand tighter, and wiped away the tears that fell from her own eyes. His sadness, happiness, joy, pain, suffering, all of his was hers. They felt what happened to each another like twins. It had been like this since they’d been together. They had a connection. To them this was a sign that they were made for each other and were meant to be together. No one could tell them any different, but his infidelity brought her doubt into question.

  He swallowed the ball of hurt that had formed in his throat and sniffled real hard. He licked his lips before continuing, “My father, my mother...Uncle Bruce. Bird, Bone, all of ‘em. He killed them all.”

  “Who killed them all?” The creases deepened on her forehead.

  “Tiaz.”

  The revelation was like a punch to the kidney. It left her eyes bulged and her mouth open. She couldn’t believe what he’d just told her. More importantly, she couldn’t believe that she was surprised, especially with all of the shit he’d done recently. Chevy closed her eyes for a time and peeled them back open, shaking her head. Tears slid down her cheeks and she wiped them away with her fingers and thumb, sniffling.

  Faison went on to tell her about Tiaz’ botched attempt to have Ta’shauna murdered. And then how everybody from Don Juan, Smack, Majestic, TJ and himself were connected and decided to rid themselves of their nuisance. He told her everything along with the details. It was the hard truth. She could either take it or leave it. Nonetheless, she took it.

  “When? When did he murder your family?”

  As soon as he batted his eyes tears jetted from their corners and he sniffled. He went on to tell her what had happened.

  “I’d like to go, but only if your father can come along.” Gloria told her son. She wanted to go to Faison’s house, along with her daughter, to help her recover, but she wanted her husband right there beside her. Ms. Reed knew that her son despised his father and most likely wouldn’t let him inside of his crib, but she hoped that he would have compassion due to the circumstances. All she could do was hope that he would finally come to his senses and allow his father back inside of his home and his life.

  Faison shook his head. “Ma, that man didn’t want me in his house, so I for damn sure don’t want him in mine.”

  “Junior, you and your father need to put this senseless feud behind you and...” Gloria was cut short when a bullet flew through her temple, killing her instantly and splattering blood on Faison’s face. Automatic gunfire filled the air. Faison stood frozen stiff. The automatic gunfire sounded like someone punching the keys on the type writer with warp speed.

  Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat!

  He could still hear the cries of his family flooding his ears as they were torn apart by coal hot bullets passing in and out of them, rupturing vital arteries.

  Faison closed his eyes and envisioned himself righ
t there in the middle of that battlefield, looking all around him with his heart threatening to burst inside of his ribcage with all that he was experiencing.

  Everything seemed to move in slow motion that was surrounding him. He could see the blood, brain fragments and severed body parts going up into the air like caps at a graduation. He looked over his shoulder and saw a masked up Tiaz holding a Steyr Aug, firing away as if he were on the set of a war movie. The thug whipped the German machinegun around in Ta’shauna’s direction. Seeing his sister in direct danger lit a fire under Faison’s ass. The coke peddler had to get to his sibling before she was taken out of his life forever.

  He jetted after her running as fast as he could; silently praying he reached her before death could.

  “Shaunaaaaa!” he called out, running toward her.

  Just as Tiaz was squeezing the trigger, he was leaping into the air and tackling his sister’s wheelchair to the ground.

  Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat! Tat!

  Faison jerked violently, feeling the bullet penetrate his leg again and his eyelids snapped open. There was a horrified look in his eyes and a light film of sweat on his forehead. Chevy was wincing, he looked to his hand and saw that he was squeezing her hand to the point where it had began turning red.

  “Haa! Haa! Haa! Haa!” Faison breathed hard, looking all about, trying to get a grip on things. He was terrified, after reliving that episode in his life all over again. He wished he could shake the memories loose from his mental, but knew that more than likely the traumatic experience would be forever harbored inside of his mind, whether he liked it or not. He’d have to live with it like someone with herpes would have to live with that sexually transmitted disease.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, baby.” He apologized, sympathetically.

  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “I couldn’t come to you how I was all vulnerable and shit. I didn’t want chu to see me like that, baby.” He gave her the uncut truth, his emotions getting the best of him, but his fighting kept them back. “I just knew that if I saw you like that then I would break down. I was going to tell you, but once I got my head right and I could stand tall, you feel what I’m saying?”

  “Baby, you never had to do that with me.” She tried to convince him. “I’m your woman. If there’s anyone you can show your all to, it’s me. You should feel the most comfortable with me. I’m your soul mate.” She took his hand into hers and pressed it to her chest, kissing it tenderly on the knuckles. “You are me and I am you. When you laugh, scream, cry, experience moments of joy. Those are my moments, as well.”

  “You’re my rib, my queen.” He looked into her eyes lovingly, watching the smile etch across her lips as she closed her eyes, rubbing his palm against her cheek, purring like a kitten. “I don’t know how I could have ever, ever hurt chu, Chevy. A woman like you only comes along once every lifetime and I let you slip right through my fingers.”

  “I haven’t slipped through your fingers just yet.” She said after taking his hand down and looking into his eyes.

  Faison’s forehead crinkled and he said, “You mean?”

  “When all of this is over, I wanna start from scratch, but I swear on the graves of my parents, Faison, if you fuck up this time this next bullet is going right between your eyes.” She spoke with dead ass seriousness. He believed her, too. She didn’t hesitate to blast on him when she caught him with that last bitch. So, he didn’t put it past her, shooting to kill him if he was to fuck around on her again.

  “Alright, but this time we will do it all over again.” He told her, stroking her hand with his thumb. “The courting, the getting to know you. We’ll play it like two people meeting for the first time and work our way up to this forever ship. You know, you wearing my ring.”

  “Okay.” She grinned and nodded.

  “Good, gimme some lip.” She leaned forward and kissed him affectionately on his lips. Afterwards she kissed him on the forehead and caressed his forehead with her thumb, staring into his eyes as if he was her everything.

  Suddenly, her face morphed taking on an expression like she was thinking about something. “What’s the matter?”

  “Umm, where’s Te’Qui?” She looked down at him.

  “Where is he?” Lines ran across his forehead, he angled his head. “Didn’t you come get him from my house earlier tonight?”

  “What?” Her face contorted. “No, he was supposed to be with you.”

  “Then who?” His eyes shot to their corners as he thought to himself.

  “What did he say before he left?”

  “He said that you came to pick him up while I was on the phone. I dapped him up, told ‘em I loved ‘em and he left, that’s it.”

  “Oh my God, Faison!” She shot to her feet. “How could you let ‘em just walk away like that?” She paced the floor, running her fingers through her long blonde hair, looking like she was worried to death, which she was. This was the second time her son had escaped from her. And she didn’t have the slightest inkling of an idea where he was.

  “I didn’t just let ‘em fucking walk away, I was under the impression that he went with you.” He frowned, raising his voice a couple of octaves. The sudden stress caused his heart monitor to beep aloud, drawing both of their attention. Their heads shot to the monitor and the green line was going wild.

  Chevy put her hands together and pressed them to her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was silent for a time before dropping her hands to her sides, rejuvenated.

  “Okay.” She blinked and exhaled. “Alright, you just relax. I’m gonna hit these streets and go looking for our son.”

  “Alright.” He nodded and licked his lips, gathering his wits. “It’s getting late, so be careful.”

  “I will.” She leaned down and kissed him sweetly on the lips and forehead. “I love you.” She pulled away, but he held fast to her hand, looking her into her eyes, like he used to. Back when he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world and he was thanking God he’d blessed him with her.

  “I love you, too.” They both smiled, before she broke their embrace and went off to find their boy. Once Chevy left, Faison picked up the hospital telephone.

  ***

  “Shit!” He hustled down the steps and kneeled down to Ta’shauna, hoping he hadn’t killed her. He turned her body over and she was wearing a solemn expression. He peeled her eyelid open and took a peek, before holding a hand below her nostrils. He felt a touch of air, but to be sure he pressed his ear to her chest and listened closely. Pulling his head up from her body, a look of relief captured his face and his shoulders slumped. Thank God she isn’t dead! He scooped her up into his arms and carried her up the staircase, her arms and legs dangling about. He stared down at her face and couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. It made him wonder what she could have done to make a nigga put one in her head like they did. She had to be one wretched ass bitch for a cat to want to do her like that. That shit was cold-blooded. It was a mafia style execution hit. Luckily for her, it was botched.

  He carried Ta’shauna into Faison’s study, where he laid her down on the couch. Afterwards, he soaked a towel in hot water and wrung it out. Taking his time, he patted her forehead gently, admiring her beauty as she slept. Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered open like the wings of a butterfly. Recalling the situation that she was in, her eyes bulged and her mouth stretched open.

  “Aaaahhhh!” she screamed, veins etching up her neck and intensity measured on her face. Sensing him in front of her, she leaped from the couch throwing them hands on that ass. He backed up bobbing, weaving and blocking her fists with his arms.

  “Ooof!” He doubled over once he was kneed in the balls. Bwap! She slugged him across the jaw and dropped him. His head rose from off the floor, he wore a dazed and confused expression. Hearing her bare feet smacking down on the carpet as she ran toward him, he shook off the birds circling his head. He held his holster to his side with one hand and yanked
his gun loose with the other. The man clutched his weapon with both hands and pointed it up at Ta’shauna, hearing the metal click in his hand froze her in her tracks. She gasped.

  “Stop it! Stop it, right there or so help me, I’ll shoot you!” He swore, eyebrows lowered, hoping he didn’t have to make good on his threat. Seeing her chest rise and fall rapidly and her lifting her hands in the air, he went on to talk. “Now, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I’m not here to hurt you.”

  “Then who are you? Tell me who the fuck you are!”

  “I’m Herby Hendrix, P.I. and bodyguard.” He took one hand from the gun he had on her and went to reach inside of his suit, but stopped himself short. “Shit, I forgot you can’t see.”

  “Who let chu in?” Her brows furrowed.

  “Your brother, Faison, gave me the key. He didn’t tell you that I was coming by?” He frowned. “I was hired to protect you from this Tiaz character.”

  “Bullshit!” she shouted. “You think I’m stupid? If that’s the case then why didn’t you announce yourself when you came in or respond when I called you Tiaz?”

  “You’re blind. I didn’t wanna start speaking and startle you. I was afraid that it would lead to a situation just like this one here.” He explained. “And I didn’t know that you called me Tiaz. You didn’t hear me when I said what? The way you were carrying on and reacting I couldn’t get a word in edge wise.”

  “My nigga, you gon’ have to make me a believer of this bogus ass story.”

  “Alright, I’ll call him right now.” He pulled out his cellular and it rung. His eyes darted to the screen. “Humph, well, speak of the devil. This is him right here.” He pressed answer and brought the device to his ear. “Hey, how’s it going? I got your sister here. She’d like to talk with ya. Okay. Here you go.” He passed her the cell.

  ”Hello, Faison? Oh, thank God, it’s you.” She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed with relief. “Yes, I thought this man you sent here was trying to trick me.”