Roses {Finished}

Part 5

"Blue where did you find that?"
"It was on the front doorstep." she said admiring the flower.
Shit. I went over and took it from her. "Blue I don't want you playing with stuff and you don't know where it came from, okay?"
"Yes ma'am." she said looking down.
"You're not in trouble. I just want you to be safe." I said kissing her cheek.
She nodded and turned to leave.

I can't believe it. They found me. But how? And who the hell did they kill that I know? I literally changed my outer appearance and last name so nobody would find me. I have a small circle of close friends and they were all at church.
"You alright babe?" Jay asked
"Hmm... oh yeah I'm fine."
"Well come on, we gotta pick up T and head over to my mom's for dinner."
"Okay, I'm ready."
We pulled up outside of Terrence's apartment and Jay called him.
"Man he's not answering. He knows how my mom gets if we're late."
"Just go knock on the door."
"Alright I'll be back. Lock the doors."
"Mama I'm hungry."
"Your daddy has to go get your cousin T."
Jay came back to the car looking upset, without Terrence.
"He not coming?"
"He ain't even answer the door."
"I didn't see him in church either. Your mom is really gone be pissed."
"Well I can't be worried about that right now. Let's go."

We got to Mama Gloria's house and got out and Blue ran to the door.
"GG open up! It's me BlueBlue!" she yelled banging on the door.
"Blue calm down you had breakfast. You shouldn't be that hungry."
Annie, Jay's sister opened the door, with her sleeping son in her arms.
"Hey y'all come on in. Where's T?" she asked as we stepped in and a Blue ran towards the kitchen.
"I don't know, I called and even went by his house but he wasn't answering the door either." Jay said annoyed.
"Maybe he didn't want to be bothered." I shrugged.
"Well his ass could have answered the phone and told me that."
Annie smacked him upside his head, "Stop being hard on the boy. You know he's trying to do better."
"Then why did I have to give him money just the other night?" he said.
"Wait. You gave him money?" I asked. "Shawn I thought I told you I didn't want you doing that anymore!"
"Bey he seemed serious this time. He even considered my offer to come work at the club."
I rolled my eyes and took my nephew from Annie and went to sit in the living room. I can't believe he would just blatantly ignore what I say. I know that life all too well. You can only screw somebody over so many times before they get fed up. Then that's your ass.

Jay POV

"Shawn, when are you going to tell her?"
"You see how she just flipped? I'm not telling her."
"Bey is a smart woman. You don't think she'll find out that you had to bail him out twice and you've given him money to pay off people more times than that?" Annie whisper yelled.
"Who called me when he was locked up, huh?"
"I thought you would tell your wife."
"What Bey doesn't know won't hurt her."
"A woman knows when money is missing. Especially a business woman like Bey."
"Look, I'll tell her. Just not now."
"Mhmmm"
We walked into the kitchen and I greeted my mom then I went into the basement to watch the game with my nephews until dinner was ready.

"In Jesus name, amen." I said.
Everybody started passing dishes around and talking amongst each other.
"Shawn where's T?" mama asked.
"I don't know mama. He wasn't answering my calls or me knocking on his door."
She nodded her head. "Bey when can I expect another grandbaby from you?"
She glanced at me. "Well mama I'm not sure. Shawn and I are both very busy with our careers."
"Mama you've been asking that every since Blue turned two." I said.
"Well you don't want to have the kids too far apart where they won't have nothing in common."
"I-" The phone rang.
"Annie go answer that for me baby."
"Yes ma'am." she said getting up from the table.
"Now Shawn I want another grandchild from you two soon."
"I hear you ma."
"WHAT?! NO THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Annie screamed.
"What's going on in there?" mama asked.
"I'll go check on her." Bey said getting up from the table.

BEY POV

"Bey they killed him. Those people killed him." she cried.
"Who? Who killed who?" I asked panicking.
"T. They killed my cousin Bey." she cried on my shoulder.
"Come on," I said with tears swelling up in my eyes. "We have to let the family know."
"Ummm...." I said walking in as I was trying to console Annie, "T- Ter- Terrence was killed last night." I choked out.
"What?" mama asked in a quiet voice.
"Aye Rel y'all go down into the basement and take the kids with y'all." Jay said.
The kids got up and left the table without a word.
"Bey is T really gone?" mama asked with sadness in her voice.
I nodded my head with tears streaming down my face. Jay came over to console me.
"Annie what did they say?" I heard Jay ask.
Annie was crying in Mama Gloria's arms, "They said they found him in an alley early this morning. They said they won't tell me anything else over the phone." she sniffled.
"I- I- he didn't deserve this." I cried out.
"Shhh. Nobody ever deserves this." Jay said. "Mama?"
"Yes baby?"
"You alright? You need me to do anything?"
"Right now I need to comfort your sister. Then later we can discuss the funeral arrangements. Will y'all two go down and make sure that it's really him?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am. Come on Bey." he said rubbing my back.

Hospital

"Are you ready?" the medical examiner asked.
We both nodded. When she pulled the sheet back I broke down even further. It was definitely T.
"It's him." Jay huffed out.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"Yeah. Thanks."
"There's a detective waiting for you outside."
When we stepped outside we saw Morris standing there.
"Hey man. I'm sorry about your cousin." he said.
"What happened to him?" Jay asked.
"It looks like he was shot twice. In the back of the head and in his butt."
He sighed deeply.
"But the funny thing is, there was no gunpowder or bullets in him."
It all clicked now. The rose. Terrence was involved with them. My family. My brother more specifically. He's the only one who would do something like this. Solange wouldn't have given T more than one chance to pay a debt. My brother was ruthless, yes. But he liked playing games. When he gets bored or you say something he doesn't like, he pops you without a second thought. He always found it funny to shoot somebody in the ass too. And my family never leaves the bullets in the victims. When they clean up, they clean up.
"What you mean no bullets? How you know he was shot then?" Jay said confused.
"The injuries line up with gunshot wounds. Look we're going to do some more investigating then I'll let you know."
"Don't let my cousin's death become a cold case. I know how y'all cops like to do."
"I won't man. Y'all go home and be safe."

We kissed Blue goodnight and went back downstairs. Jay came in the living room with two glasses of wine.
"Bey you okay?" Jay asked as he sat next to me on the couch. "I know you weren't too fond of what T did."
"21? His life hadn't even started yet."
"Yeah. I kept telling him to get off the streets."
"Maybe if I would have let you help hi-"
"Stop. Babe we don't know what would have happened."
"Jay he was just so young. Nobody that young deserves for their life to be taken."
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it." he said.
"I just feel so bad." I began to cry again.
"Hey, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented it." he said trying to comfort me. "Whoever did this was foul and they'll get theirs when the police catch them."
"Yeah you're right."
Jay was partially right. T didn't deserve this. But my family has been doing this for years and has never been caught. Hell we've never even gotten a parking ticket. I know one thing though. I might not have been able to prevent T's death but I was for dam sure going to make sure nobody else died.

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