DEADLY DECISIONS III: The End (19 page)

“I just got him back, my Lord! Why did you allow this to happen again?” Sheila couldn’t help but cry.

Her son’s house had been destroyed, taped off as a crime scene, and he was nowhere to be found. She was thinking the worst and feared that her son’s body had been dumped and buried in a shallow grave. “Let me put my son away properly, dear Lord… please! Let me have that final closure,” Sheila begged, crying in her mother’s arms at Li’l Boo’s restaurant. Loyal customers and friends had been coming out for days to show a family that was so deeply-rooted in the city their love, concern, and support. The city was in distress and everything was about to come to an unexpected, nasty head.

The joy of hearing the news that his son would make a full recovery was short-lived when Cameron received a call from his cousin Deondra boasting about Keisha being murdered.

“Look like yo’ old ho’ KC finally got her slob wings, Scrap,” Deondra laughed. “Her and her baby daddy, Li’l Boo. Too bad for cuh, but better him than you. Them goons came for that ass, that shit all on the news,” Cameron recalled his cousin telling him days earlier.

The mixture of joy and pain made Cameron numb. He sat on his mother’s couch, holding his and Keisha’s son in his hands. Cameron kissed his son on the forehead and told him that his mother loved him. It hurt him that Keisha wouldn’t get a chance to watch him grow up and that Cameron Jr. would never get the chance to know his mother. Teresa walked into the living room with Tonya a few feet behind her carrying two sets of luggage. He had his big homeboy drive them to Las Vegas to get them out of the city for a while for their own safety.

Dressed in
spring at
tire, Teresa extended her hands for the baby. It was time for them to go. “I wish you would come with us, Cameron. There is just so much going on and I don’t want to risk you doing anything crazy or getting hurt.”

Cameron stood up and gently laid his son in his mother’s arms. “I’ll be out there in a couple of days, Mama. Take care of my son, alright?”

Tonya kissed her brother goodbye on the cheek. She knew he was already going through a lot and that the loss of Keisha had taken him over the top. It was affecting him more than he showed or admitted, and she just wanted him to be all right. “Love you, bro bro. Everything is gon’ be alright, and don’t worry about Tiger. We gon’ take good care of him.”

Cameron thanked his sister and then walked them out the door. His big homeboy was outside waiting to drive them to Las Vegas and he knew he would protect his family with his life. His mother was also packing protection in her purse and she wasn’t afraid to use it if she had to.

Cameron told his mother to call him when they arrived in Las Vegas as he helped her into the back seat of the minivan. Teresa told Cameron that she would call him as soon as they got there and then kissed him on the cheek and told him to be careful and to take care of himself befor
e they p
ulled out of the driveway. Cameron told her that he’d be fine.

The second the minivan turned off the street, Cameron began to put his plan in motion. He walked back inside his mother’s house to load his guns up as visions of Keisha plagued his mind. Having quickly become overwhelmed with emotions, Cameron punched hole after hole in the hallway walls. Tears poured from his eyes and the hole that opened up in his heart throbbed uncontrollably. Cameron was hurting. He wished he could have been there to protect Keisha. Soon he began to regret ever leaving her and marrying Monique. He couldn’t help but think the outcome would have been different for them both. Cameron sat on the edge of the bed and allowed his moment of grievance to be. He had held it in long enough. The opening and closing of the house door alerted Cameron. He snapped out of it and went for his pistol.

“Cameron!” Monique called out. “Are you here?” Her heels could be heard as she made her way down the hallway’s hardwood floor.

Fuck! What part of I’m done don’t she understand?
Cameron thought about hiding in the closet but he knew that would be the first place she’d look. Cameron wiped his eyes and told her he was in the bedroom.

Seconds later, Monique stood at the door dressed comfortably in a pair of jeans and a shirt, looking better than she had in days. The smile that she wore vanished the second she spotted the pain in Cameron’s face. “Are you alright?” Monique took a few steps toward Cameron, but stopped mid-step when he looked up at her like he didn’t want her anywhere near him. Monique hoped that with the recovery of their son and Keisha Cones permanently out of the picture, things would gradually go back to the way they used to be. Although her parents had
forbidden
her to see Cameron and threatened to take her out of their wills, Monique didn’t care. She wanted her marriage to work and her family back together again at all costs.

“Our son gets released this afternoon. I figured we could pick him up together and spend the day together, just the three of us. We’ve been through a lot.” Monique offered a warm, hopeful smile.

The mention of his son gave Cameron a reason to smile. “Daddy’s little dude!” Cameron paused, smiling. “They’re the only people that make sense in my life.” He stood up. “I’ll take you to pick him up and then drive you back to your parents’ house. You and I are over, Nique -”

“But why, Cameron? I never fucked Li’l Boo or Dime, I swear on my son’s life. I swear to God, I didn’t!” Tears began to pour from her eyes. “We’re a family, Cameron. You can’t just give me away. I need you.”

Cameron frowned. “Quit lying on my son, Nique. Ain’t no other reason possible you ended up in that nigga Li’l Boo’s closet. A woman of mine should have never stepped foot in that bitch-ass nigga’s house, let alone even know where cuh lived at. And Dime?” Cameron smirked. “The proof is in the text. Y’all texting and keeping secrets that you muthafuckas don’t want me to know about, and then to top that off, y’all on fucking I love you terms and shit?”

Monique clung onto Cameron’s arm, desperate for him to believe her. “I know it looks bad, but it’s not true, Cameron. I would never lie on my son’s life. He means the world to me. Please just hear me out, Cameron -”

Cameron pushed her off him. “Get the fuck off of me, cuh.” He sent Monique crashing into the wall. She disgusted him and he now saw her as nothing more than a master manipulator. “Matter of fact, get out. I’ll meet you outside.” He walked her out of the room.

Monique sobbed uncontrollably. She couldn’t believe the man that once loved her so much could treat her so coldly, especially when everything she did was for them. Yes, she may have come on to Dime, but nothing happened between them. Dime wouldn’t let it happen. And Monique never touched nor fathomed the idea of sleeping with Li’l Boo.
Fuck it, let it go, move on!
Monique told herself.

When they got to the front door, Monique mentally convinced herself to let go of the hope and dream of being a family again and to once and for all accept it. She got a beautiful son out of the deal. Monique turned to Cameron. “It’s easy for you to give up on us because you never gave up on Keisha, Cameron. I was a fool to marry you knowing damn well you were still in love with her.” Monique paused. “But guess what? We both lose this time,
Scrap Loc,
because I made sure that if I had to walk away with a hole in my heart, you would too. If I can’t have you, neither can she. Keisha is gone forever!” she smirked. “You’ll never see, hear, or touch that bitch ever again!” Monique started off the porch.

Monique had been at the gas station when she overheard a young thug on his cell phone, whom she later learned was named Spitter, detailing how he wished Keisha would hurry up and be captured. She walked over and told him that Keisha was back in the city. The guy thanked her and told the caller on the phone that he’d call her back.

“I’m about to get rich, blood,” Spitter had said before making his next phone call.

Monique’s words rang through Cameron’s head. “
I made sure that if I had to walk away with a hole in my heart, you would too.”
He grabbed Monique by the shoulder and asked her what she had done.

Monique took a few steps back from Cameron before speaking. “I made sure the drug lord that was looking for Keisha knew that she was back in Compton!” Monique enjoyed the hurt and confusion that saturated Cameron’s being. She laughed wickedly. “I did it so that our marriage would have a shot at surviving and so that our kids would never be put in harm’s way again because of her. Unfortunately, I lost you, but they got her ass and she will never have you either.”

Cameron was distraught. “You dirty, slimy-ass bitch!” Cameron put his hand out in an attempt to choke the life out of Monique, but she leaped across the yard and sprinted to her car. Cameron was a few feet behind her. Monique climbed into her father’s truck and hurriedly put the key in the ignition. By then, Cameron was at the driver’s side window trying to pry the door open, demanding she get out of the truck. Frightened for her life, Monique yelled, shivering in her boots. She was so nervous that she couldn’t correctly turn the key in the ignition. Cameron
hit
the window until the glass shattered.

“Ahhh!” Monique yelled as Cameron put his hand through the window for her. He looked and acted like a monster.

“You responsible for my baby mama being killed, bitch? I got something for a ho like you!”

Monique focused on the key in the ignition. She quickly yet firmly turned it to the right, shifted the truck into drive, and then hauled ass down the street. In fear for her life, she never wanted to see Cameron ever again. “It’s okay though, it’s over, fuck him! I can do better than this!” she cried.

Cameron had all his answers. His wife, the woman he once loved, tried to fuck his partner and was responsible for having the love of his life killed. At that moment, he didn’t care one way or another if Monique fucked Li’l Boo, but he resented and hated Li’l Boo with a passion - even in death.

Cameron climbed into his Chrysler to holler at his homegirl Tiffany. A friend of hers had a friend that had been sleeping with Carter and she was willing to exchange his address for ten thousand dollars cash. He had dogged her out and she wanted revenge on him. Cameron would give up his last dollar for that address.
I’ma get this nigga, Keisha, if it’s the last thing a nigga do. I promise you that, baby.

When Carter walked back into the room, Keisha immediately began to ask about Li’l Boo and asked if he could get her some cocaine. She wanted her heart and emotions to be numb for a while. She was tired of worrying, thinking, and aching inside.

Carter sat on the bed across from Keisha, looking her worried senseless about her baby father and begging for cocaine. “What happened to you?” Carter thought out loud.

Through gritted teeth, Keisha spat. “You, Carter! You are what happened to me, nigga,” Keisha spoke in a stern manner, locking eyes with Carter. “I called you and I left you a text message to give you yo’ money, but you didn’t get back at me to get yo’ shit!” Keisha yelled irately, and then she immediately toned back down. “You ignored me and have been succeeding in fucking my world up ever since.” She paused. “All this bloodshed because you couldn’t have me…over some pussy. What type of boss shit is that?”

Carter shook his head no. He couldn’t believe that Keisha was actually playing the innocent, victim role. “I never received a call or text from you about my money, Keisha… you know that?” Carter continued looking Keisha in the eyes. “So understand that this has never been about the money, old friend. I have plenty of it. This is about good business practice and principle. And good pussy, friend or not, Dollface, when it comes to business there is one rule that equally applies to everyone -”

Tre knocked on the door, interrupting Carter’s word flow, and then without further notice, he entered the room. Keisha didn’t remove her eyes from Carter, and breathing heavily, she continued to mean-mug him.

Tre told Carter that they had tracked his daughter down and told him that he sent a team out to get them. “Yo’ homeboys too, Keisha,” Tre directed his attention to Keisha. “Yo’ team is weak and them clowns gon’ die right beside you… gangsta bitch,” he laughed.

Carter stood, relieved. He patted Tre on the shoulder for a job well done.

Tre pulled his pistol out and aimed it at Keisha “You ready, bitch?”

“Go ahead, you one-eyed pussy!” Keisha shouted, looking at Tre through angry, slitted eyes.

Carter put his hands over Tre’s gun and looked at his friend. “Not until my daughter and aunt are brought back to safety, and not a second before.”

Tre lowered his gun. “I been waiting to kill you, bitch. Didn’t I tell you I was gon’ kill yo’ ass?” Tre looked from Keisha to Carter. “I don’t know why you didn’t just let me pop this ho when I wanted to, Carter. We could have avoided all of this.”

Carter walked Tre out of the room. “When the time comes, you’ll get what you’ve longed for, and the example on the streets will be set. Bitches can get it too.”

Keisha rammed her elbow into the wall. The pain caused her to scream dramatically. “Piru, I hope my niggas cut your daughter’s fucking head off and hand that bitch to you, Carter! Fuck yo’ life, nigga!”

“You gon’ let her get away with that?” Tre begged to take Keisha out when he saw Carter brush her words off.

But Carter wouldn’t permit it. Instead, Carter suggested that they have a shot of scotch and a cigar as an early celebration.

An hour later when Tre finally received a call from his hitman, his face lit up with joy. He turned to Carter before taking the call. “I’m about to get my lucky wish right now.” He took the call. However, the news Tre was told made their early celebration in vain. The location had been rigged with
dynamite, a
nd as a result, two of their guys had been killed. When Carter got wind of the news, it set him on fire. He was so infuriated that he sent the barstool he was sitting on flying out the window.

“You told me to relax and to let you take care of this, Tre. Why isn’t it taken care of? My daughter and aunt are in the hands of these Compton gangbangers!” Carter said in disbelief. “They’re fucking street punks,” Carter stressed.