'Til Death (17 page)

Culprit

              It was about an hour drive. Instead of driving my car, we rode in Lo's Jag. When we finally made it, valet took the car and Lo and I walked inside the event holding hands. Lo was drop dead gorgeous, and I was having a hard time fighting off an erection. She led me to the table where we would be dining and I couldn't but notice the few shocked expressions I saw around the room. I already knew that things were going to start popping off in a minute, but all I really wanted to do was keep Lorean to myself and admire her. I felt uncomfortable being in a room full of professionals, and here I was a fucking criminal. I was positive they couldn't help but wonder how Lo even knew me. We settled into the event, took our seats and began to eat our food. I knew Lo could sense I was nervous next her. She would touch me, grab my hand or rub my leg every now and again while having a conversation with somebody else at the table. I was not interested in joining in, so I pretended that what was on my plate was more interesting than whatever the conversation was about. When we finished, well when Lo was finished, she was ready to make her way around the room and network. Unfortunately she wanted me to accompany her. I walked with her, and stood beside her while she had brief conversations with people. Everything was going fine until a strange white woman started paying too much attention to me and decided to pull me into the conversation.

              "Lorean, introduce us to your handsome date," the woman said.

              "Of course. Clarence, this is Martha and her husband Fredrick, and their eldest son Richard," Lo said, looking up at me.
Now I'm Clarence
, I thought to myself.

              I extended my hand to her. "Hello, nice to meet you," I acknowledged. As I talked, the lady, Martha, was staring at me like I was the finest diamond in the room. I also caught her glancing down at my dick a couple of times.

              "Yes. Fredrick here happens to be one of my favorite judges, and his son is a rising star at a law firm," Lo said to me.
So,
I thought to myself.

              "Wow, that's amazing sir." I said.

              "Oh please, call me Fred. What do you do for a living? I noticed that watch. It's spectacular."

              "Oh me, I don't do much. I'm just your neighborhood criminal," I said, taking a sip of my drink. I felt Lo grow stiff on my arm while everybody else laughed.

              "Oh, we’re all criminals in this room," Martha said.

              "Clarence is so funny. He’s actually looking at real estate to start his own restaurant."

              "Marvelous," Martha said.

              "Yes it is. I used to lay down bricks. I think I came a long way."

              "Really? You were an architect?" Richard asked me.

              "Not those kind of bricks, Richard." Once again they laughed at me, and Lo looked like she wanted to kill me. The Lo I knew wasn't so taut around me, but she was a whole other person at this event.

              "Lorean?" I looked to the voice and my blood began to boil. "Kevin. Hello."

              "Culprit?!" Kevin stated shocked.

              "Officer Smith," I said. Officer Smith looked back and forth between Lo and me, his look lingering on her longer.

              "Excuse me," I said. I walked away and went to the bar. Officer Smith had had it out for Ciara, Boan, and me since we started making big money. He tried to get shit on us, but could never find anything, and the shit he did find never stuck. His actions tarnished his image at the police force, and made him look stupid and obsessed, so he hated us with a passion. Officer Smith walked up to the bar and stood next to me.

              "Culprit, I didn't know you knew Lo."

I didn't say anything. Only people close to Lorean called her Lo.

              Smith continued. "Lorean and I dated for a while. She brought me here to one of these events before. I actually proposed to her. So sad that she is rolling in trash now."

              "Watch it, narc," I said to him.

              "Please, Culprit. Stop pretending to be something you're not. Just because you’re dressed up doesn't mean you made it. You're still nothing in my eyes. You're just trash in a really nice Glad-bag right now."

              "If you don't get the hell away from me . . ."

              "Admit it, Culprit. You know Lo deserves better, but she is so enticing, isn't she? The way she moans your name, or scratches your back, even how she bites your shoulder to keep from yelling out. I know, trust me. And how she tastes . . . " I grabbed Officer Smith by his collar and slammed him against the bar.

              "Like I said, trash,” he spat, when he realized that everybody was looking at us. “You can't even conduct yourself without getting violent. You're worthless, Culprit, just like your damn parents," Officer Smith said. I let him go and walked out. I gave the valet the ticket and waited for him to get the car. Lo came out of the building.

              "What the hell was that? Do you have any idea how embarrassed I am right now?" Lo said between clenched teeth.

              "Not now, Lo."

              "I'll find a way home."

              "How?
Kevin
is going to take you?" I couldn't even stand the thought of it.

              "Is that what this is about?"

              "Lorean, get in the fucking car!" I yelled at her. My temper was getting the best of me. Lo didn't say anything and got in the car. We drove in silence. What Officer Smith said was fucking with my head big time. Lo was staring out the window, not saying anything.

              "You never told me you used to fuck with him. That nigga been wanting my head, Boan's and Ciara's, on a platter for the longest, Lo." I tried to explain to her why I didn't like her ex, but I don’tt think she cared.

              "I didn't know you needed a rap sheet of the men I used to fuck."

I stopped the car and pulled over. I got out and took off my tux jacket and shirt. I pulled my beater out of my pants and got in the car. I turned towards her and saw her shoulders moving slightly and she tried to wipe her face without me noticing. She was crying.

              "Look at me, Lo." She turned and faced me.

              "This is me. I'm Culprit. I'm an ex-drug-lord who killed people. I'm not Clarence, as you told your colleagues. I can't change that."

              "I deserve better," Lo said.

              I felt my heart breaking in my chest. "Same thing Kevin said," I said.

              "He always knew me best," Lo said, while turning back to the window. I sped down 75 to take her home and to get my car. We finally got to her condo and she jumped out of the car. I got out and followed her. She tried to slam the door on me, but I stopped her.

              "Get the hell out of my house!" Lo screamed at me.

              "Can we just talk?"

              "You just embarrassed me in front of everybody I work with."

              "You made me feel like you were ashamed of me," I said.

              "Maybe Kevin was right then. I do deserve better. I'm a lawyer sleeping with a criminal. How do you think that makes me look?"

              "I don't give a fuck about that cop," I said.

              "Just get out, out of my house and life." Lo pointed towards the door.

I nodded my head and left. I got into my Corvette and sped off, burning rubber on the pavement. Nothing hurt more than being rejected by the person you wanted to spend your life with. I stopped at a gas station to fill up my tank. I got out and went into the store. I saw a truck pull up. I left the building and started to pump my gas. I heard the truck’s door open and close.

POW

              The first gunshot hit me in my back; I fell over and tried to run. The second one hit me in my leg. I fell to my knee, and the third one hit me in my side. I fell on my back. The shooter walked up to me. The fourth one hit me in my stomach; the fifth one hit my chest. My shooter removed his mask. It was Tez.

              "I told you not to fuck with me." He raised his gun, and I stared down the barrel. I saw the lights of a car pulling up. Tez put his mask back on and ran back to his truck. My vision started to fade out, and my last thought was of Lorean. You live by the gun, you die by the gun.

Boan

              Avery and I had been at my crib for a minute. Heaven was in her room, decorating it with everything that I’d bought her, from clothes to electronics. Ciara wasn't answering my phone calls. It was going on two o'clock in the morning. Lo wasn't answering her phone either, and Culprit's went straight to voicemail. Avery sold me two new handguns. We were sipping on some beer, and talking about a building that he bought, when I heard the door alarm go off, and women’s voices. Tosh came into the kitchen first.

              "Hey, fellas," Tosh said.

              "What's up?" I said.

Avery gave her a head-nod.

              "Did Heaven go over Sheila's house?" Tosh asked.

              "Naw, my mom said something came up." I answered her.

Tosh looked at Avery, who was clearly ignoring her.

              "So Avery, where are you from?" Tosh asked.

              "New York." Avery answered her, barely looking at her.

              "What are you doing all the way out here?"

              "That's my business, Shorty," Avery said, still not looking at her.

              "Are you always this rude?" Tosh snapped back at him.

              "Only to females who I don't want to converse with." He finally looked up at her and they both gave each other a quick once over glance.

              "Where’s Ciara?" I asked Tosh before things could escalate.

              "She went to the bathroom." Tosh answered and I could hear the attitude in her voice then she walked out of the kitchen. It was clear that she was pissed off.

              "Damn, Av, was that necessary?" I said while laughing.

              "I mean, don't get me wrong. Shorty bad as fuck; but like I said, she not what I'm looking for."

              "You won't know that until you get to know her," I said. Ciara and Tosh came back into the kitchen.

              "Hey, Av," Ciara greeted him.

              "What's good, Ciara?" Avery greeted back smiling at her.

              "You got a better greeting then me," Tosh said. I looked at Ciara and noticed that her face was kind of swollen.

              "What the hell happened to your face?" I asked. Ciara and Tosh looked up. Before she replied, my phone started vibrating. I looked at the number, but I didn't recognize it.

              "Who is that, Sky?" Ciara asked.

              "Naw, I know her number," I said, while answering the phone.

              "Hello?"

              "Hello, may I speak to Barren Jones?" a woman asked.

              "Speaking," I instantly got nervous. Everybody got quiet around me.

              "Do you know a Clarence Andrew Jenkins Jr.?"

              "Depends." I told her, skeptical on who was on the other line.

              "Well, he has you down for the next of kin in his medical records." My heart started to beat fast in my chest.

              "Yea, I know him. That's my brother."

              "Well sir, I'm sorry to inform you that he has been shot and is being prepped for surgery at the moment."

              "What?" My heart fell to the pit of my stomach.

              "Do you have a pen and paper?"

              "Um, hold on." I put the phone down and start opening up the shit.

              "Boan, what are you looking for?" Ciara asked me.

              "Yo, give me and a pen and paper right now." I reached out my hand towards her.

              "For what?" Ciara was looking confused.

              "Just give me something to fucking write with and write on."

Tosh tossed me a pen and paper.

              "Hello, yea I'm back." She told me everything I needed to know. I hung up the phone and ran to the basement to grab the guns I had just put up. I made sure everything was loaded.

              "Boan, slow down. What is going on?" Ciara said while grabbing my face between her hands.

              "Culprit has been shot," I told her while staring into her eyes.