Memphis Streets 3: Revenge

Chapter 36- Brielle

1:30 A.M.

"Where in the hell is he?" The sun has long set and I'm completely going out of my mind. Dice should have called or rolled by here by now. During the slow torturous event called dinner tonight, my gaze kept drifting toward Reggie's car keys setting on the foyer's bombé with the urge to snatch them and make a run for it.

Hours later, I'm lying in bed, staring at the red, glowing numbers on the clock and thinking about those damn keys again. It's not like I don't have any experience of sneaking out of the house and stealing his car. The last time I did it, I fucked up his shit and got myself involved in a hospital shoot-out. I thought the blowback would land my ass back into foster care. It didn't—which is why my ass is weighing whether it's worth the risk to float out to Ruby Cove to find out what's up. All I want to know is whether my baby survived whatever the fuck went down last night.

The main hiccup in that plan is whether niggas over that way is gonna shoot first and ask questions later. With all that's gone down, I can't imagine that I would be welcome in the Cartel Lords' neck of the woods. What about Tracee and Reggie? How much more am I going to put them through before they finally give up? 2:00 A.M. Wide-eyed, I can't stop twitching beneath the sheets. Unless I pop another one of those pills, sleep is going to pass me by. Dice, where are you? I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath.

The image of Dice's bullet-riddled body flashes in my mind and fear puts my heart in a death grip and refuses to let go. I rake the sheets off of me and bolt out of bed. At the window, I stare up at the full moon.

"If Le'Shelle has harmed a strand on my man's head, I'll hunt her down and kill her with my bare hands." A tear trickles down my face. "I'll do it. I swear, I'll do it." My throat tightens to the point that I can't breathe.

I open the window for some fresh air and then catch sight of Dice's new muscular frame jogging across the front yard. I gasp as if a shot of adrenaline has been jabbed into my chest while more tears rush over my lashes. Like a black Spider-man, he climbs up the trellis and onto the roof. He grins up at me like a big, goofy kid and once he's in reach, I grab him by his black T-shirt and drag him into the house. He laughs as we tumble onto the floor. If I hadn't spent most of the day scared out of my mind I'd beat him senseless. As it is, I keep washing his face with tears and kisses.

"Oh, thank God you're all right." I kiss his eyes, his nose—his ears. I don't give a shit.

I'm just thankful to have him back in my arms again. "Damn, baby. I love how you welcome your man back." He relaxes in my arms and basks in the shower of my love.

Once the reality of him being safe sinks in, I punch him on the shoulder. "Oww," he whines, but flashes me with his beautiful dimples.

"What was that for?"

"Why didn't you call me?" I punch him again. "Do you know how worried I've been? I thought you were hurt or dead." I'm crying so hard that I can't see.

Dice's broad smile collapses into a genuine mask of concern. "Oh, baby. Don't cry. I don't like it when you cry." He pulls me into his arms before I can take another swing at his shoulder.

I melt against his chest and inhale his scent like a cokehead. "I love you so much. Don't you ever scare me like that again."

"I won't. I promise," he says, brushing kisses atop my head.

Did you do it? Is she dead? I don't know why I can't get the question from my head to my mouth all of a sudden, but I can't. Maybe there's a part of me that's ashamed of the hope blossoming in my heart. Once I hear the words will it change things? Will shame and regret haunt me for the rest of my life? After all, once upon a time, Le'Shelle was my protector. Then she became your worst nightmare. Dice tilts up my chin and stares into my eyes.