Hood Lemonade Jamika's Vendetta (16 page)

Jamika’s heart dropped. She thought that Mark was a private investigator. What was he doing delivering a pizza that she never ordered? Why had he blinked his eye? Why was he leaving? Jamika’s questions were simultaneously answered when Mark quickly turned and brandished two .45 guns. He held one in each hand.

He held one pointing toward Tray and the other toward Daddy Dee. Mark paced himself and started to speak slowly. “I need you both, to get the fuck out of here! You go first,” he said, pointing to Tray. “Walk over slowly and stand by the door. One funny move and I will shoot you.” Tray rose with his hands in plain view and started slowly toward the door. The moment Mark turned his head to assure Tray was doing as he was told, Daddy Dee pulled out his own gun. He pointed it directly at Jamika.

“Nigga, drop it, or I’ll blow a hole so big in this bitch, her insides will decorate these walls.”

Mark tried to think quickly, but all of his sense of logic seemed to elude him. One thing he knew for sure was that he could not fire both guns at once from different angles. He was in fact, a good marksman. Yet, hitting both men, the way they were positioned was virtually impossible. He could not risk the unknown outcome.

He slowly bent to lay the guns on the floor. Jamika surveyed the scene. Things did not look good for her and Mark. She wished Mark knew that Tray was unarmed and as scared as she was. “Step back to the wall!” Daddy Dee was ordering Mark, with the gun still aimed at Jamika. “Tray, get those guns off the floor.”

“Man, look, Dee. I’m not with all this crazy shit. This has gone too far, man. You asked me to set you up with this girl, man, that’s all. This is not me at all. I do not kill, and I do not fuck with guns,” Tray said, pleading for understanding.

“Tray, will you just pick up the damned guns. This will be all over within less than five minutes. I got all your money in the car. I figured you might bitch up on me if I needed you. That is why, I brought along a half million dollars for you, dawg. Just do this for me, get those guns off the floor.”

Tray looked from Daddy Dee to Jamika, then at Mark. He wanted no part in a murder, especially the murder of Jamika. She was such a sweet, talented girl. She was headed places. He thought of how he had betrayed her and set her up to be murdered. What had he been thinking? He and Jamika had bonded. They’d confided in one another. He looked at her again. In his mind’s eye, he saw the little five-year-old Jamika that he used to play with and protect. He could do a lot with a half million dollars though. But, what if he was caught?

Daddy Dee, Jamika and Mark all looked at Tray. He was staring at Jamika as if he was in some type of trance. He wasn’t moving. He hadn’t even blinked his eyes. “Tray!” Daddy Dee screamed at him. Tray blinked rapidly and turned his head to look at Daddy Dee. “Man, would you please get those guns off the floor?” Daddy Dee was calmly asking.

Tray turned quickly, pushed through the door and ran off. The patter of his quick steps could be heard on the pavement until they faded away. Daddy Dee realized he would have to do this on his own. He walked over to the door quickly to close it, aiming the gun from Mark to Jamika. Mark saw that he might have a chance with the two guns still on the floor in front of him. There wasn’t any way that Daddy Dee could pick up both of those guns and still keep a steady aim on both of them. Mark knew that he was much too quick to allow that to happen.

Daddy Dee knew that Mark was a huge threat to him. He had to get those guns out of his reach. He felt that Jamika could be handled with his eyes closed. He decided to aim the gun directly at Mark, as he knelt to retrieve the two .45 guns from the floor.

Mark immediately recognized the strategy that Daddy Dee had chosen, and prepared physically and mentally. He knew that failing would mean his and Jamika’s deaths. Daddy Dee picked up the first gun, with his gun still aimed at Mark. He kicked the remaining gun across the room, opposite where Jamika and Mark were standing.

Mark knew it was now or never. Mark hurdled forward with all of his weight toward Daddy Dee. He heard the loud explosion of the gun as it was fired. He did not feel anything and figured he must not have been hit. He had knocked Daddy Dee to the floor; they fought fiercely.

Jamika looked on terrified. She had just seen Mark get shot. Yet, he was fighting as if he hadn’t felt it. The blood had begun to soak through the blue pants of the Pizza Hut uniform. Jamika noticed that Mark must have finally realized that he’d been shot, because he wasn’t contending with Daddy Dee anymore. Daddy Dee had started to get the best of him. Mark lie on the floor, gritting his teeth, holding his injured hip. Daddy Dee pointed the gun at Mark, cocked it, and pulled the trigger.

The gun did not go off. Jamika realized that the gun must be jammed. Daddy Dee fiddled with it, trying to get it to fire. Jamika ran to the abandoned .45 across the room and picked it up. She knew absolutely nothing about guns, but she had to do something to try to save herself and Mark.

Daddy Dee saw her run and turned to look at her. Jamika brought the gun up, out and toward him. She held it with both hands, and stood with her legs shoulder-length apart for balance. Daddy Dee started to laugh. “Meek, you ain’t going to hurt a fly, now put that down.” Jamika didn’t say a word. She concentrated, and manually got the gun ready to be fired. Daddy Dee ran toward her and she fired.

The bullet grazed his shoulder. He dropped his own gun, and looked at her in disbelief. Jamika’s hands were sweating and shaking. They seemed all cramped up. The gun rattled loudly in her trembling hands as she struggled to hold onto it. She felt overheated and afraid. She quickly glanced over at Mark, who lay in a puddle of blood and was shivering violently. She figured he must be losing too much blood, and would die there if he wasn’t helped soon.

She concentrated and tried to hold her hands steady. Mark was willing to give his life for her. He must really love her. She couldn’t let him die there. She looked back at Daddy Dee. A smile crossed his lips. His eyes looked deranged. The look brought her back to Zahrice and the way he’d shot her and killed Quinton. She braced herself and shot the gun again.

She completely missed him this time. Daddy Dee’s laughter became louder. It sounded far away and haunted to Jamika. Jamika no longer felt afraid, she wanted to kill him. She remembered the vow to herself of no more tears. She would not give up. She started to walk toward him. She knew that at close range, she could not miss. His laugh halted, and his eyes became wide as the hot metal was pressed against his temple. Jamika cocked the gun.

The door flew open and in stepped Agent Conner; about ten U.S. marshals followed. “Put down the gun!” yelled one of the marshals.

“Now!” ordered another.

Jamika was tired of giving up and letting go. She had to kill him. She heard Agent Conner’s voice speaking to her. “Mika, come on now. It’s all over, baby girl. We got him.” Agent Conner realized that Jamika was about to pull the trigger and stepped in closer to her, “Mika, it’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore. If you shoot him, it’s all over for you as well. We’ll have to send you back to prison. All the hard work you put in would be for nothing. Your whole life is over if you pull that trigger.”

Jamika abandoned her no more tears mantra as her grip grew tighter. The tears filled her eyes quickly, blurring her vision. She wanted to kill him so badly, but did not want to return to prison, so she handed the gun over to Agent Conner. She stepped back to allow the marshals to take Daddy Dee into custody. A marshal was attending to Mark, who had lost a large amount of blood, and was going in and out of consciousness.

Police sirens and ambulances could be heard approaching. Jamika took a deep breath as the reality of it all began to sink in. The sting was over. They had gotten Daddy Dee.

Chapter Twenty

Two years had gone by since the big scene in Jamika’s apartment. Seven women, including Jamika, had been brought in to testify against Daddy Dee, birth name Dennis Walker. He was also being charged with attempted murder on Mark Rosier. After the high profile trial, Daddy Dee had been sentenced to spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

Tray had been found murdered in his car a week after Daddy Dee’s arrest. There were no suspects in that case.

Jamika had gotten to keep the apartment used during the sting for one year; she was granted clemency and paid ten thousand dollars as agreed upon. When Juicy’s album came out, Jamika became known very quickly. She sang on three of the twelve tracks on the new album, and was on two of the videos with Juicy. At the same time, she was testifying on national television against Daddy Dee. People were being very empathetic for her and found her very likable.

By the time Jamika’s album came out, people were buying them like hotcakes. Jamika had succeeded in her lifelong dream of being a singer and becoming a star. Her album had gone gold, and her song was now holding the number three spot on the Billboard charts. She’d already completed four videos to accompany her own album.

She’d befriended some of the most popular R&B and hip-hop celebrities. She, Juicy, and Agent Conner had become the best of friends. Agent Conner had resigned from the Bureau to be Jamika’s manager indefinitely.

The music industry was hard work. The actual performing was only about thirty percent of the work. She spent most of her time writing, practicing, recording, and perfecting. She used hours on end of studio time. She spent a lot of time out promoting her album on television programs and interviews for magazines.

***

Jamika heard the melodious wedding song begin on the organ. The wedding party began to march into the aisle of the church in sets of two. Jamika could not believe that she was about to be married. The last two years had proved to be more prosperous than she ever imagined.

Jamika had returned from tour only four months earlier, and now she was being joined in holy matrimony. Life was good.

She walked out to begin her stroll down the aisle. She wore a Chenille wedding gown, embroidered in pearls and clear rhinestones. Her train was a full twelve feet long. Her headdress sat on her head around her beautiful up-do, with spiral curls. The veil added to the beauty of her silhouette, floating seemingly effortless toward her groom.

Her eyes became misty as she saw him patiently awaiting her. He looked handsome in his tuxedo. She saw him nervously shift from one foot to the other, as he offered her a genuine smile. He had always been handsome to her, even now with the limp he’d obtained from the bullet permanently lodged in his hip, near the bone.

She remembered staying in the hospital with him until he had recovered. She remembered how he’d confessed his undying love for her, when they’d gone on their first date together in years. He’d said, “Jamika, I know that I hurt you in the past. I was young, stupid, arrogant and unaware. Unaware of how real love feels. I knew in middle school that you were something special. In high school, you caused my heart to speed and my stomach to twirl. When I lost you, my world seemed incomplete. I came to realize that there isn’t a me without you. Now that I have found you again, I will never let you go.”

At that moment, she realized how it felt when you really knew in your heart that someone was sincere. It was an unquestionable reaction; a reaction she could no longer deny. After all, she had always loved him, too.

Mark supported her career, and took a vacation from his business to accompany her on her recent tour. Jamika knew without a question that this was her soul mate. She believed that if they hadn’t had the experiences they were forced to endure; their love could not have possibly been this real and strong for one another.

She continued walking down the aisle. She looked to her right to see Big Momma, Marjorie and Rasheeda, smiling at her with teary eyes. Monie, Shaquita and Nalisha were all in the wedding party and looked at Jamika adoringly. This is what she’d wanted, a small, intimate wedding surrounded by her and Mark’s closest family and friends. Juicy was the only famous person in attendance.

She reached Mark and stood opposite him, and the minister began. “We are gathered here today to unite this man and woman in holy matrimony.” As he continued, Jamika’s attention was solely on Mark. At that moment, nothing else seemed to exist. Never, in her wildest dreams could she have imagined she would be wed to Mark Rosier.

His eyes were fixed on her as well. He looked happy and content. “You look beautiful,” he mouthed to her. Jamika smiled, because she knew it was sincere. Somehow, she had become the most beautiful woman in his world.

“I understand that you have prepared your own vows,” the minister was saying. Jamika took Mark’s wedding band from the ring bearer’s pillow, and began to speak. “Mark, you mean much more to me than I can express in words. You are my man, my protector, my lover, and my very best friend. You are my soul mate. I promise to love you, honor you, trust you, and respect you. I am forever only yours. I take you as my husband, until the day that death does us part.” She slid the ring on his finger.

Mark held her gaze and it seemed as if their eyes were speaking more emotion than the beautiful vow Jamika just made to him. Mark reached over to the ring bearer’s pillow to retrieve the ring intended for Jamika. “Jamika, you are my sun, my moon, my earth, and my eternity. You are the light that brightens my darkest hours. I promise to love you, cherish you, trust you, and respect you. No other is before you; you are my world. I take you as my wife, until the day that death does us part.”

Then he slid the diamond wedding band, filled with baguettes on Jamika’s finger. It looked stunning against the three-carat marquis cut solitaire he’d purchased for her as an engagement ring. But, more beautiful than the look of it, was the feeling it gave Jamika. She was overflowing with joy, and fighting hard to suppress the happy tears that were rising in her throat.

They went into a long passionate kiss before the minister could say that it was time. The minister let out a chuckle and said, “Oh yes, you may kiss the bride.” As Jamika kissed her old friend and new husband, she briefly thought over the events of her young life. She thought about all the sour situations and circumstances life had dealt to her. She realized at that moment; that it truly didn’t matter what lemons life had thrown at her, she’d somehow transformed it into sweet lemonade.