The Versace League (14 page)

             
Aasir would be lying and saying that he was out looking for Ashley, ignoring Yamin’s text messages and phone calls-and come to find out he was really laid up screwing Patrice. He’d let Aasir know that Katrina was on her way to him with info on Patrice, and she’d e*nded up dead before she’d made it. All the cards were folding in Aasir’s hand. He was guilty, all the evidence was pointing to him, and it killed Yamin to think that he would have to bury another one of his youngn’s.

             
“Aye, Ya, we going in with you bruh. I ain’t liking none of this shit you’ve been telling me,” Emmanuel said as he turned off the car. His cousin Manny nodded his head in agreement. They too were in shock that Aasir had done Cortez like this and had his own niece kidnapped. Neither of them wanted to believe it but they’d seen time and time again how a nigga would turn on his mama for a bitch, so although this situation was different, it was all the same. Niggas lost all loyalty when it came down to some pussy that they’d deemed good.

             
Yamin stepped out of the car and walked up to where Patrice’s condo was located. He used his left hand to tap on the door when he noticed that it was cracked open. He nodded for Manny and Emmanuel to step up being that he couldn’t easily pull his piece with an injured hand.

             
The two cousins walked in with their pistols raised to eye level. They each went separate ways searching the house while Yamin trailed slowly behind. Something was odd to him as he eyed the place wondering just what it was. He stepped into the living room and noted that something was missing, but he couldn’t quite figure out what. When he’d grabbed that shot glass from the table nights ago, the room seemed different than it was today.

             
“Hey yo’ Ya!” Manny called out.

             
Yamin walked away and followed the echo of Manny’s voice to the back of the condo where Patrice’s bedroom was located. He stepped inside and his insides grew as cold as ice. She was gone.

             
“Emmanuel, get everybody from the League together. We need to meet up tonight,” Yamin ordered. He stepped out of the bedroom, his steps quick and wide. He needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. It seemed that he kept making mistake after mistake after mistake.

             
Why didn’t I just shoot him and that bitch when I was here the other night?
Yamin scolded himself. If only he handled the two of them when he came here, Katrina would have been alive.
Katrina.
He thought. He’d hurt her deeply and he regretted that he didn’t have a chance to properly apologize to her before she’d died. He really cared about her when they were messing around, but she just wasn’t the woman for him.

When she told him that she was pregnant, he was so happy. She’d sent him a picture of her smiling and holding a positive pregnancy test in the air. Even though she wasn’t who he saw himself spending his life with, he was gonna do right by her and his child. He was gonna ask her to marry him and they would be a family and raise their child together. His father didn’t raise him to be anything, but a man. His intentions were headed in the right direction, until Katrina confirmed how far along she was.

             
It was then that he knew that the child couldn’t have been his. He was certain because she would have gotten pregnant during the time he was out of town doing one of the riskiest jobs he’d ever done since being a part of The Versace League. It was a time that he would never forget. He and Katrina weren’t exclusive so she could see and sleep with whomever she wanted, he just didn’t appreciate her trying to pin another man’s baby on him. That was when he’d turned cold and cut her off. The same night he’d found out she was pregnant was the same night he’d run into Jessica and her timing hadn’t been more than perfect.

             
I bet you wanna turn up, turn up, turn up. I bet you niggas wanna turn up, turn up, turn up, I bet these bitches wanna….
Yamin reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He raised a brow when he saw his brother’s name on the screen and quickly answered the phone.

             
“Yea, I see you running with that bitch! It’s cool cause I’m about to get everybody on that-“

             
“Ya! Ya…” Aasir cried through the phone. “…oh my God, Ya! You gotta come and help me bruh. I don’t know what to do.”

             
Yamin could hear the pain in his brother’s voice and although he had been out to get him, he couldn’t help that he was slightly worried. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to blink away the mixed emotions that had suddenly gripped him. All of this was just tearing him apart.

             
“Ya are you there? Please bruh. I need your help. I found Ashley….”

***

“Right here! Right here!” Yamin yelled. He opened his car door and jumped out before Emmanuel could even bring the car to a stop. They were outside of an abandoned building in South Dallas that was close to an unused set of train tracks. It was close to where they had grown up.

             
Yamin spotted his brother’s car sitting nearby and took off running toward the building, running inside before Emmanuel and Manny could catch up to him. He knew that there was a possibility that he was running into a trap and that his brother and Patrice were most likely waiting to ambush him, but he didn’t care.

             
“Aasir!” Yamin called out. “Aasir!”

             
“Aye, hold up! Boss man! Let us check this shit out first! Come on now!” Emmanuel gritted with frustration. He checked the first area that was the closest to him and immediately he brought his gun down. He shook his head and turned around to stop Yamin from entering by placing his hands against Yamin’s chest. “Wait, Ya. I really don’t even think you should put yourself through this. It’s not even-“

             
Yamin pushed Emmanuel out of the way and quickly entered where Aasir and Ashley was located. Aasir was standing over Ashley and she was lying face down in filth. Not even a little part of her body moved to signify that there was any life left in her. She was there, finally, but she was dead. He’d just seen her looking so pretty coloring in a book with pretty barrettes laced in her head and now she was-she was dead. How was he gonna tell Donica about this? What was he supposed to say?

             
“What the fuck, Aasir? What the fuck made you do this shit? What the fuck?” Yamin yelled. He was so broken that he could barely form his sentences in a way that made sense to him.

             
“I didn’t do this shit! You gotta believe me bruh!” Aasir pleaded with Yamin to hear him out. “I didn’t do this!”

             
“Don’t fuckin’ lie! You’ve been busted! Grimy muthafucka! Yo’ shoot this nigga right now Emmanuel!” Yamin ordered and he could hear Emmanuel’s pistol cock from behind him.

             
“Aye, you sure about this Ya?” Manny asked.

             
“I said fuckin’ shoot him!” Yamin spat.

             
“Wait a minute! Wait!” Aasir held his hands up. “Look, I know I fucked up-“

             
             
“What the fuck you waiting for Emmanuel?” Yamin took his left hand and pulled out his nine that was tucked deep into his waist.

             
“Bruh, bruh, bruh! Just hear me out! You gotta hear me out man. It was just sex between Patrice and me. I swear to God, it’s the truth! When I got your message about Katrina finding out about who Patrice really was, I confronted her about it. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on myself. We got into a fight, she called the police and had me put out! That’s my word man-check with Jamison man. Call Jamison man and he’ll tell you that the police was called out there the same night you left me that message.

             
I ended up leaving my phone in that bitch house and she kept telling the police that I was lying and that I only wanted to get back in the house. They made me leave and told me I couldn’t come back over there, so I left. I went back a couple of hours ago and the bitch wouldn’t open up the door so I popped the lock and went in. All her shit was gone and she left my phone and a note on the bed saying that she was sorry and this address.

             
I came straight here, saw Ashley, and called you. I swear to God bruh, I didn’t have nothing to do with this. I didn’t know anything about Patrice being phony, or none of that shit. I don’t know nothing about any of that and I damn sure didn’t know she had anything to do with this. I would’ve killed that bitch myself had I known and you know that!” Aasir explained his side of the story.

             
“I don’t know shit!” Yamin retorted. He pointed the gun towards Aasir, but he couldn’t pull the trigger. What if Aasir was telling the truth and he killed the only brother he’d had left? He would never forgive himself for making that kind of mistake. It was too risky to chance either way.

             
“I’m telling you bruh, you know me. My only fuck up was sleeping with Cort’s girl, but man-damn! I loved Cort and I loved my niece-this shit is not me! You know me!”

             
Yamin honestly didn’t know what to believe. He wouldn’t put one hundred percent into anything just yet. For now Aasir was safe because he wanted to be sure about his next move. The only thing that he was sure about at that moment was that he didn’t want Ashley lying in that filth for one minute longer. He walked over to her lifeless body and kneeled down next to where she was.

He tucked the pistol back in his waistband; he rolled her onto her back, and then did his best to pick her up with his broken hand. Once she was secure in his arms, he placed a kiss on her forehead, and silently begged for her forgiveness. She didn’t deserve this. She was an innocent little girl and she was supposed to be returned to her mama, yet she would be joining her father.

             
Yamin closed his eyes and allowed the last of his tears he had left slide down his face and onto his precious niece. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

PURELY INNOCENT

One week later…..

“Almighty and merciful Father, who dost grant to children an abundant entrance into thy kingdom; Grant us grace so to conform our lives to their innocence and perfect faith, that at length, united with them, we may stand in thy presence in fullness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen,” the pastor said with his head bowed.

             
“Amen!” Everyone agreed.

The rumbling from the sky caused most of the crowd to scatter to their cars. The home-going service for Ashley was just as beautiful as her father’s had been. This by far had been one of the hardest things Donica had to do, but she handled it as best she could. She didn’t know where her life would go after this. Everything she had was six feet under and now she was empty. The feeling of loneliness had become a regular occurrence for her and she didn’t know if she could ever feel whole again.

             
Donica waited until Ashley’s casket was fully lowered into the ground before she walked away. Standing directly behind her was Jessica and Yamin. Donica looked at Yamin and flashed the best smile she could muster up and then wrapped her hands around him, hugging him tightly. He reciprocated and lowered his head to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. He felt so bad for her and wished that the story had more of a happier ending.

             
“I’ll always take care of you, you know that right?” Yamin whispered in her ear. It was what Cortez would have wanted, no matter how much money he may have left for her, or no matter if they no longer shared a child together. Donica was family, always was, and always will be.

             
“I know Ya. Thank you so much for everything. Without you and Jessica I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it through this. I appreciate you two for everything,” Donica replied.

             
“No problem. You call me anytime, you understand me? Anytime. And me and Jessica both will be by periodically to check on you,” Yamin said as he grabbed Jessica’s hand and Jessica agreed with a nod. She couldn’t imagine losing a child and had been praying to God every day since Yamin told her the news of Ashley’s death. Her unborn hadn’t even made it to the world and already she was worried and scared.

             
“Thank you so much Ya. I really mean it,” Donica nodded once more before giving Jessica a hug and walking back to the waiting limo.

             
“Oh my God, I just don’t see how she does it,” Jessica commented as she squeezed Yamin’s hand.

             
“Yea, she a strong woman. Man,” Yamin exhaled. He and Jessica turned to leave when a light drizzle began to fall from the dark sky.

             
“Roscoe,” Jessica said. Her brow wrinkled in confusion as she stopped in front of a man that she knew.

             
“Jessica, interesting to see you here. I didn’t even notice you. You’ve lost weight. How do you do?” Roscoe asked as he reached out to hug Jessica. She hesitantly gave him a quick hug and stepped back next to Yamin.