Lies You Tell (DE)

27.

Joseph rubbed Graces head as she slept, curled up next to him. He watched the clock anxiously counting down the minutes until he had to leave. He didn't want to leave though, because there was a possibility he might not come back home to the woman he loves but he has no choice.

They'd had a long weekend in Puerto Rico, drinking and going hard with little to no sleep. It was the best birthday Joseph ever had and he was thankful for Grace beyond measures for showing him a love so pure. They'd gotten back that morning and she'd been asleep all day, drained from their trip.

Grace began to stir under him as she felt him sliding out of the bed. She cracked her eyes open looking at him.

" Where are you going?" She asked groggily.

" I told you it's my homie birthday earlier, imma just slide on him real quick. I'll be back," He lied.

" Okay," Grace mumbled laying her head back down.

His room was dark and the only source of light was coming from the tv. The volume was turned down low, loud enough to hear but not loud enough to disturb her slumber. Joseph pushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her.

" I love you, you know that?" He asked.

She nodded sleepily without opening her eyes. Her lips were in a pout, slightly parted.

" Tell me you love me,"

" Babeeee," Grace whined.

" Tell me," He said again.

" I love you," She mumbled burring her face in the covers.

Joseph held onto the straps of his bullet proof vest as him, Dre, Tre, and Ziggy sat in the back of their van. The only thing on Joseph's mind was making it back home safe to Grace. He couldn't imagine how she'd react if he didn't. Joseph wasn't nervous, he'd done worse before, but now he had someone waiting on him. He had to come back home, it wasn't an option and he'd kill anyone that tried to stop him.

Joseph checked his gun as the van came to a stop. They'd had surveillance on the Rossi supply building for a week and had curated a plan based off of it.

" Let's make this quick, in and out. If you got to use yo pipe, use it. If you freeze, imma kill you myself," Joseph said blatantly, staring at Tre and Ziggy.

" There should be two people in there on watch," He continued. " Dre and I will tie them up, y'all grab the supply and we go. Try not to make too much noise. We are on their territory and we will be out numbered if they call for backup,"

Joseph pulled his mask down over his face and pulled his gun out, sliding the van door open and hopping out. Dre picked the lock to a side door, carefully pushing it open. The two men on watch sat at a table playing cards and smoking cigarettes.

Joseph walked in quietly with Dre behind him. One of the men caught a glimpse of Joseph from the corner of his eye and before he could react Joseph raised his gun.

" Hands!" Joseph said, pointing his gun.

They both dropped their cards holding their hands up. Dre and Joseph quickly went to work zip tying the men to their chairs.

" Where the keys at?" Dre asked looking around pointing his gun at one of their heads.

Tre and Ziggy ran in behind them rummaging through the warehouse.

" We don't know what you talking about," They said, flinching.

Dre took his gun smacking the guy across his face. His tooth popped out rolling across the table, landing on a card. The man groaned in pain as blood began to drip out of his mouth.

" I'm not gone ask again, where that shit at," Dre demanded, shoving the gun into his head again.

" We got it!" Ziggy said as him and Tre began stuffing their bags with the stolen kilos.

" Luca! Luca!" The man began to yell loudly alerting someone.

Dre shot him in the head making him instantly fall to the ground head first making a thud.

Suddenly, someone came out of an adjacent room and began firing a machine gun. Dre and Joseph took cover.

" When I shoot, run," Joseph said.

Joseph took a deep breath, getting up and shooting as he ran back towards the door hitting the gun man. They all hopped in the van, slamming the door closed as it made a screeching sound pulling off.

" Damn," Ziggy said, looking at the blood on his hand as he collapsed onto Joseph getting blood all over him.

Joseph pushed him onto the floor of the van checking him for gunshot wounds. An armor piercing bullet went right through his vest hitting him near where his appendix should be.

" Aye go to the hospital!" Dre yelled at the driver.

" Zig open yo eyes nigga! You gone be straight, look at me," Joseph said smacking him across the face trying to keep his attention on him. " You gone be straight that ain't shit," Joseph repeated yanking his vest off.

" This shit hurt," Ziggy croaked scrunching his face in pain.

The van came to a screeching halt almost throwing everyone around in the back. They quickly opened the door and pushed Ziggy out in front of the emergency room pulling back off.

" Fuck!" Joseph yelled throwing the vest.

Joseph wanted out from this life so bad but no matter how hard he tried he got sucked right back in. It was like it was inevitable. He was tired of living this life.

Sneaking back into his condo, Grace was still asleep. He quickly went into the bathroom to change. Joseph looked in the mirror at himself, blood all over his black sweater.

Grace perked up hearing the water run in the bathroom.

" Babe?" Grace called.

She found it strange that he'd closed the bathroom door, something he never did. He could be taking a shit and he'd still keep it open, he didn't care. She waited for him to respond but he didnt.

" Babe," Grace said again getting out of the bed.

Joseph could hear movement from outside of the bathroom, panicking he quickly undressed and tossed his clothes into the shower, pulling the curtain.

" What are you doing?" Grace asked as she opened the door, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the bathroom.

" I'm brushing my teeth," Joseph said nonchalantly, grabbing his tooth brush.

Grace stared at him. He was in his briefs only with toothpaste in his hand.

" I wasn't trying to wake you," He lied.

" What time is it?" Grace asked scratching her head.

" One baby,"

She nodded still half asleep. " Can we cuddle?"

" Yea bae," Joseph chuckled. " Let me brush my teeth, I'm coming,"

Grace nodded going back to bed. He exhaled letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding in, looking back in the mirror seeing a smudge of blood on his right cheek that wasn't visible to her from where she was standing. Cleaning his face, he brushed his teeth and got back in bed. Grace instantly cuddled up to him.

He wrapped his arms around her staring at the ceiling in the dark.

" I love you," She said softly.

" I love you too,"