Page 65 of Widow Mayker

Her excitement eased the tightness in my chest. “Thank you. He’s not giving me a chance to take it back. I’m being sworn in tomorrow.”

“Ahh!” she shouted. “Let me go find an outfit to wear! Oh, my God! I should match whatever you wear. Wouldn’t that be so sweet?”

Grinning, I loved her reaction. “Yeah, baby. That would be nice.”

She squealed and offered me a myriad of options for the dress style she wanted to wear. We talked for a few more minutes, and she finally settled on the type of dress she would look for. After hanging up with her, I called my parents. Despite the mud my name was being dragged through, blessings still found me.

Jemell’s crime scene photos drew my attention. Picking up one of the photos, I observed the perfect hole in his head. The coroner confirmed the nightmare I was in. The kill shot was always spot on. Always a thirty-eight…

I prefer a thirty-eight.

Maja’s voice ran my blood cold. I never ignored a gut feeling, but this one was not only ludicrous, it lied to me. Placing the photo down, I shook my head.

“You trippin’, bruh,” I mumbled to myself. I needed something to eat, peace, and good rest. Then I would be able to think clearly.

MAJA

As Von slept, I stared at his face, memorizing everything about this man that captivated me. I was in love with him, deeply so. From the gray strands of hair mixed in with the thick strands of his jet-black hair that weaved together to form neat plaits, down to his size fourteen feet, everything about Von was fascinating.

And here I was about to step back into a world that threatened everything I had with him. No matter how much I cared for Von, I couldn’t fight the urge to shed blood.

Easing from the bed, I knew he wouldn’t budge. Dinner was served with an extra dose of love, and we’d made love shortly thereafter. He’d be sleeping long enough for me to slip in and out without the slightest inclination that I had even gone anywhere.

I dressed quickly, manipulated the alarm, and slipped out of Von’s house minutes later. The evening was still young for some, but after stalking Jemell’s moves, I knew he’d be on his way home by now.

A quick twenty-minute drive, and another five-minute walk put me on Jemell’s property. Underneath the cloak of darkness provided by the muggy, dense foggy night, I walked through Jemell’s backyard until I reached the patio door that I’d left unlocked the last time I came by here.

The problem with people like Jemell was that he was so confident that no one would ever get the drop on him. He was so arrogant in his way of moving that he rarely stopped to ensure that the “safe” life he built for himself hadn’t weakened. He was so confident that his homeboys had his back, that he never thought to have his own back.

Much like a spider crept into plain sight and terrified everything around it, I entered the darkened interior of Jemell’s house and stared blankly at his homeboy seated on the couch watching a replay of last season’s NBA championship game. He was the only one here tonight, keeping watch supposedly. Behind the couch, I sat and propped my arms over my knees to wait for my special guest to arrive. Like clockwork, the sound of the front door opened, and Jemell’s voice followed.

“Bruh, you worry for nothin’,” Jemell said. “Let me worry about Gunner’s bitch ass.”

“This shit ain’t a game, Melly. I can’t keep protectin’ you when you out here doing dumb shit.”

“That ho was talkin’ to twelve. I had to do what I had to do.”

“You shouldn’t be worried about twelve. Gunner didn’t have any evidence on you. You could’ve beat that shit, bruh.”

“And then what? Huh, Jerell? You so fuckin’ intelligent and think you know every fuckin’ thing goin’ on the streets, but you don’t. You left this life over a decade ago, and shit ain’t the same anymore. Niggas and bitches will rat for nothin’ now. Well, I’m not givin’ muhfuckas a chance to flip on me. Not a nigga or a bitch.”

“Yo, whatever, Melly. It’s gon’ come a time I can’t save you, nigga. You don’t think shit through, and you move too fuckin’ funny for me. I’m ya brother, and I do what I can to have yo’ back. But you makin’ that shit hard, mane.”

Jemell chuckled. “Sounds like you gettin’ soft in yo’ old age, Rell. I wouldn’t be surprised if you flipped on me next.”

Jemell must’ve hung up because there was no response from Jerell. From the sounds of it, he slapped hands with his homeboy as the two chuckled.

“I’ma go smoke for a minute,” his homeboy said.

“Bet,” Jemell replied. Seconds later, the front door opened and closed.

I waited a few seconds, then peered over the couch. I had a view of the front door and Jemell’s back. He stood in the middle of the living room, looking down at his phone. Standing, I moved from behind the couch, and I must’ve stood there for a full minute before Jemell turned around and noticed me. He jumped and stared at me.

“You scared me, beautiful,” he said. The salacious grin on his face prickled my skin. Realizing that he wanted to stall, I took a step towards him. He reached for his gun, which surprisingly he was quick with. Mine was already trained on him, though. His eyes raked over my black-clad body as he positioned his arms out to his sides, with his gun pointed towards the floor. He smirked.

“You the bitch that was at the burger joint. The fuck you doin’ in my shit, shawty?”

Smiling just a tad, I replied, “Hi. I’m May.”