The cost of vengeance - [4]

“It’s been a minute.”

“Why?”

“You know I can’t stand that bitch. Shit, she’s the reason you’re in here.” Lakeda found out that Miles had been cheatin’ on her, and that’s why Jeff Ritchie arranged to have the woman killed.

“No she isn’t. I’m in here because I killed Jeff Ritchie for having Zakiya Phillips killed.” I looked at Miles and wondered if I should I tell him how it really went down. I guess he knew I had something to say. “What, Rain?”

“There’s something you need to know.”

“What’s that?”

“It wasn’t Jeff Ritchie.”

“What you talkin’ about, Rain?”

“I knew something wasn’t right about her story. Lakeda wouldn’t talk to Jeff Ritchie about you having an affair. Her and Jeff wasn’t cool like that. But she would talk to daddy.”

“What are you sayin’?”

“Lakeda went to see daddy that night after she’d caught you. You know as well as I do that Jeff Ritchie would never do anything like that. He wouldn’t send men to kill her; not unless daddy told him to.”

Miles dropped his head.

“I asked daddy about it that night at the hospital. He didn’t answer me then, but before he died, he told me that I was right, and to tell you that he was sorry.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wouldn’t change anything. Daddy was dead. You was in here. I just didn’t see the point in makin’ you relive all that and be mad at daddy,” I said and wished I had told him before now.

“You still could have told me, but I understand why you didn’t. But that don’t change what I’m talking about. You need to go and make sure the Lakeda and the kids are safe. You gotta do that for me, Rain. I know how you feel about Lakeda, but that is your niece and nephew, do it for them.”

“Okay, Miles, I got you,” I said. “I’ll be back to check on you in a couple of days. I got a lot going on right now. But I’ma take care of this for you.”

I left Rikers and went by the club to pick up another gun. When he left, Nick took mine. I really didn’t think that Jay Easy’s people would go after Lakeda and the kids, but I couldn’t afford to be wrong. Shit, I didn’t think they’d go after Miles over some shit I did, but they did.

I had a good idea who set that shit up. It had to be Jay Easy’s younger brother, Kevin. But what I didn’t understand was, why go after Miles? Why not bring that shit to me? I ain’t hard to find. Then I thought about that shit and smiled. I may not be hard to find, but the people I’m with carry a lot of weight. Last thing a mutha fucka wants do is run the risk of havin’ Mike Black’s whole crew gunnin’ for them. I had to laugh ’cause I knew that some of them would think me dyin’ was a good thing, and be glad that they didn’t have to do it. But Kevin wouldn’t know that, so goin’ after Miles probably seemed like a good move to Kevin. I would make sure that before he died he would regret that shit.

When I got to the club and went to my office, Rose was in there with Danielle doing paperwork. Rose had recently hired her to be the food and beverage manager. You ever meet somebody and you just don’t like them? That was Danielle. It was nothing she’d done or said to me, I just don’t like her. But Rose says that since Danielle started workin’ there that profits on food and liquor are up, so I guess I ain’t mad at her.

“Hey, Rain,” they both said.

“What’s up?” I said and went straight for the safe.

“Are you all right?” Rose asked.

“I’ll be all right. I just got something I need to handle,” I said and got two guns and some clips out of the safe. I closed the safe and started to leave. I stopped when I got to the door. “If Nick comes by here, you ain’t seen me.”

“I understand,” Rose said and Danielle smiled.

On my way to the car I wondered what that bitch was smilin’ about, and drove away thinkin’ that there was something about her that just ain’t right; I feel it. But I really didn’t have time to worry about that now.

On the way, I thought about what Jay Easy said to me before I shot him.

“Go ahead and do it. But even if you kill me the shit won’t stop. It will only get worse. You got more enemies than just me. Only one that can save you is me. Drop this nigga and make it all right, and we can get back to where we was,” Jay Easy pleaded with me for his life.

I looked at Jay Easy and shook my head. “You always was a stupid mutha fucka. I don’t want you. That nigga’s so far above your level that you couldn’t even understand it.” Then I laughed in his face. “That, and he’s fuckin’ the shit outta me.”

Jay Easy spit in my face. I picked up my gun and shot him in the face. Then I pulled the car over and pushed him out in the street, closed the door, and drove off.

You got more enemies than just me. Only one that can save you is me. At the time I thought he was just talkin’ until I found out that it was Blue who was robbin’ me. Now I wonder how long that enemy list was.

I got to Lakeda’s house and rang the bell. My nephew, Miles Jr., answered the door. “Aunt Rain,” he yelled and jumped in my arms like he always does. I kissed him on the cheek.

“How’s my little man doin’?”

“I’m fine. But I miss you,” Miles Jr. said and my heart melted.