Chapter Twenty
Mr. Brooks
It didn’t matter what time it was. I’d thought long and hard about what my next move would be. Herb had me shook. He said the Feds were more than likely watching the dealership, the check-cashing spot, my house, and the restaurant. I kept looking in my rearview to see if anyone was tailing me. I didn’t feel comfortable going anywhere, at least not now.
I drove to see if anyone was watching the loft. I hoped since my name wasn’t on the lease, they didn’t know to surveil it.
I pulled up to the empty parking lot and shined my headlights around the perimeter. It looked deserted. I didn’t see anything unusual. The cops must’ve not known about the loft. I parked in a dark corner of the lot, then opened the glove compartment, removed a pistol, and put it in the inside pocket of my sports coat.
Silently, I approached the front door of the loft and heard talking on the other side. It was Melody and Sonya. My heart sped up. I rushed through the door. “You get it?” I blurted out.
Melody was standing at the kitchen counter. “Yeah, we got it.”
“Where is it?”
She nodded toward the bed.
I rushed to the duffel bags and spread them open. Greedily, I reached in to feel the bills between my fingers. My smile was uncontrollable.
“Where’s Briscoe?” I asked.
Sonya walked in from the balcony. “Briscoe didn’t make it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, everything didn’t go as planned, and Briscoe didn’t make it.”
“Goddamn. What did you do?”
“Whatever we needed to get out of there alive and with the loot.”
My jaws tightened. I rolled my head in a circle to loosen my tense neck muscles and sighed.
“One less witness,” I said.
As long as they had my money, I was content.
“Do you realized how many husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, and friends ain’t going home tonight because of what we did?” Melody said.
“Melody, please, just shut the fuck up with all that complaining. I mean, shit. Mr. Brooks ain’t did nothing but make us up our game, and here you acting straight ungrateful. Look at all this money. We just got paid.”
Melody stood to her feet. “You know what? You two can have all this bullshit. I don’t want no part of this blood money. Shit done went too far.”
I addressed Melody. “It may have been too far, but there’s no turning back the hands of time. If there were, I might have done things differently in my youth. But I didn’t.”
“Well, I’m still young. And the way you and Sonya wanna live ain’t for me. I’m not gonna live my life foul anymore, for no amount of money. If we don’t end up getting knocked for all the shit we’ve done, I’m turning over a new leaf.” Melody marched past us. She’d made it a few feet when I pulled the trigger. No words of anguish managed to come out of her mouth. She slumped to the floor, and a small stream of blood leaked from her head. The bullet had found its mark in the rear of Melody’s skull, most certainly shattering the bone.
“What in the fuck! Oh, hell naw. Why did you do that—why?” Sonya grew hysterical.
“Sonya, calm down. I didn’t have any choice.” I calmly put my gun away.
She sobbed over Melody’s lifeless body. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“You were just standing hear listening to what she was saying like I was,” I replied. “She was going to the police. She was going to tell on us both.”
Wiping her eyes, Sonya looked her mentor in his face. “You really think so?”
“Of course, I do. Be smart, goddaughter. You could read between the lines. Besides, she was not cut like you and me. We are born hustlers. She was holding you back from being great. Now, it’s unfortunate that she had to go, but it was you and me. . . or her. I chose us.”
“I guess she was bugging out. She has been tripping for days.”
Just as I thought, Sonya bit into my poison apple of deception. “Look, I’ve been thinking about this, and now is as good a time as ever. I want you to pack up all of your stuff and stay with my family and me. I mean, you’re a part of it now, right?”
Sonya’s face lit up. “Wow, do you mean it?”
“Of course, I do. So, I tell you what. I have to run out to my car to grab something. You gather up all the money and jewelry and put it all back into the duffle bags. Then pack your stuff up so we can both go home. I’ll have some of my people come and make sure Melody gets a proper burial. No expenses spared.”
“Home,” Sonya smiled.
“Yeah, home, so hurry up, and I’ll be right back.”