Chapter 29 - Tyreek Jr
Sleep didn’t come easy for me. I rested my eyes for a few minutes to remind myself what rest felt like, but I was too wired to actually have any peace to sleep soundly.
I had to stay alert, moving from place to place in hopes of not getting caught.
I used to be the one people feared, the reason they looked over their shoulder.
In a matter of months, the tables had turned.
It’s now me that’s looking over my shoulder.
Lying in the bed of a seedy hotel, I was restless.
I couldn’t help but jump at the sounds of the wet tires against the busy street, the flickering of the motel vacancy sign, or every knock and laugh outside of my door that wasn’t for me.
Every second that went by, I wondered if it was my last as a free man—and even as a living man.
Sitting up, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, dropping my shoulders with a deep sigh.
I was so tired of running, but I couldn’t stop.
I had to see Blossom first. I’d tried my hardest to get her to listen to me, but she refused.
I knew she’d heard about the things the city and the police were saying I’d done.
I knew she was angry even before the new allegations, but I also knew she loved me.
She and I could fix what had happened between us. All she had to do was give me a chance.
“Fuck! I need a shower and food.” I groaned as I walked toward the other side of the room, rummaging through a small duffel bag of my things. “I’m out here living like a fuckin’ bum!”
Frowning, I peered around the room in disgust. It smelled of stale cigarettes and cheap liquor.
I couldn’t be too picky about my living situation because it was better than the alternative, which was jail.
I hadn’t been able to go home since killing Lisa, so I’d had to steal here and there to get by.
Showers didn’t happen often, and neither did eating.
Something had to give and quickly. I was losing weight, my mind, and the last bit of hope I had.
Padding over to the small bathroom, I ran the lukewarm water as I stared at my reflection.
My eyes were once bright, holding so much possibility of what my future was set to be.
Married to a politician’s daughter with a career that would have given me so much power and respect was once in the cards for me.
Now all I could do was pray to make it another twenty-four hours without being thrown in a cage or gunned down.
Knock. Knock.
“James…” I jumped as I spat out the remnants of toothpaste. “Open up, James. It’s me.”
Peering over my shoulder, I wiped my mouth, shutting off the water as I slowly made my way back across the room.
With each step I took, it felt as if my heart was going to jump from my chest. Placing my hand on the knob, I leaned forward, listening for any additional voices.
I peered through the peephole to see if anything was out of the ordinary.
Nothing.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly pulled the door open, peeking to ensure it was safe.
“Sara?” I whispered, not wanting to be overheard. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought you something.” She smiled softly, holding up a bag of food and a small clothing bag. “I called your phone, but you didn’t answer. I wanted to stop by and see you. Please, let me in.”
Sara and I had met at a gas station the day I left town.
I had just killed Sheena and shot up Karlie’s rehabilitation center, and I had to get out of dodge before the city of Milly Grove woke up.
I knew as soon as word got out, the McKnights were going to come at me full force.
Now, I was a wanted man, considered armed and dangerous.
If I’m caught by anyone, they’re going to kill me on sight.
I couldn’t let that happen before I saw Blossom and won her back.
“You can’t be here.” I pulled the door open wide enough to snatch her inside. “I appreciate you stopping by, but this isn’t safe.”
Sara was a green-ass white girl who didn’t have a clue.
She wasn’t from Milly Grove or the surrounding cities.
When I saw her that day at the store, I knew from the way she stared at me that she wanted me.
The way her eyes lingered on the crotch of my sweats was a dead giveaway.
She told me she had moved south to start a new life away from an abusive ex, and I told her I was a recovering addict who was in between jobs and had fallen on hard times.
Her sucking my dick has awarded me all the money she’s saved, as well as her buying me a burner phone and motel room in her name.
She had been popping up on me a few times since then, and I hated that shit.
“I appreciate you for stopping by, but you can’t do that.” I took one more look outside. It was almost daybreak, so things were pretty quiet right now. “I told you it isn’t safe.”
“I think that’s so sweet how you worry about me, baby.” She gave me a toothy smile before placing the Waffle House bag on the shaky nightstand. “I’ve never had someone that cared for me the way you do.”
Giving her a tight-lipped smile, I grabbed the small bag of clothes she brought.
She believed me when I told her I didn’t want her popping up because the neighborhood I was in wasn’t the safest. I didn’t want her ass here in case she was followed, but if that was what she needed to hear to continue to come through for me, so be it.
Although it was nothing but plain tees, sweatpants, and boxer briefs, I was thankful for something new.
“I appreciate you doing this for me.” I gestured around the room as she peered at me from the bed.
She’d removed her Circle K shirt, and I knew what that meant.
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this girl today, but I would play nice for a little longer.
“When I get back on my feet, I got you.” Giving her a wink that caused her pale skin to turn pink, I clapped my hands together. “Let me go to the bathroom real quick.”
Grabbing the burner, I closed the door behind me, sighing heavily.
I needed to get out of this muthafucka to see my girl.
I had to ditch my Camaro because it was hot, and now I needed a ride.
My hope was that Sara would let me keep her car while she was at work.
If I could get my girl to listen to me, Sara would never hear from me again.
Dialing Blossom’s number, I tapped my finger against the counter, praying she would answer.
“Hello.” Her raspy voice came through the speaker, making my dick jump instantly. “Who is this?”
“Baby, please, listen!” I begged. “I need to see you—”
Click!
“Fuck!” I roared, throwing the phone. “I’m sick of this shit!”
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and tried to reel in my anger. I get it, she was pissed, but she needed to remember who the fuck I was to her. There was only one way to get her to talk to me, and that was happening today.
“Sara, I need a favor, baby.” I opened the door of the bathroom and headed back into the room. “I need to use your car, and—”
Jumping from the bed at the sound of my voice, she looked at me with wide, scared eyes.
With the room phone to her ear, she dragged them from me to the television.
My heart fell to my knees once I realized my face was plastered all over the morning news once again.
Lunging toward her, she let out a loud yelp as I snatched the phone from her and slammed it back on the receiver.
“You’re a murderer!” she screamed as she tried to run away from me. “I called the police! They’re on the way!”
“Goddamn you!” I bear-hugged her in my arms, wrestling with her to calm down from screaming. “Why couldn’t you have just minded your fuckin’ business!”
With her wrapped tightly in my arms, one hand over her mouth to muffle her screams and cries, I had no time to think about what I needed to do.
I couldn’t be here when the cops came, but I had no way of leaving.
Looking around the room frantically, my eyes landed back on the room phone.
Picking it up, I wrapped the cord around her neck, choking her as best as I could.
“All you had to do is come through when I needed you to.” I hissed, pulling at the cord tighter as she fought for air.
“You didn’t have to come here. You didn’t have to do anything but stay the fuck out of my way.
This is your doing, and not mine. Now you’re going to die because you couldn’t mind your business! ”
Turning blue in the face, her fight weakened as she began to lose consciousness.
I watched as her eyes rolled into the back of her head before her body went completely limp.
Cussing under my breath, I placed her on the bed before grabbing my burner and her car keys, dashing out the door.
Sirens could be heard in the distance, and I knew I needed to get the fuck out of dodge.
“Fuck! Fuck!” I whispered as I kept my head low and speed-walked across the lot to her beat-up Honda Civic. “I need to get back to the city.”
Milly Grove was hot right now and the last place I needed to be, but I was on a mission for one person.
With Rowan in the hospital, I had absolutely nowhere to go and no one to help me.
Shaking my head in despair, I turned the key in the ignition and took a deep breath.
There was only one thing I could do at this point.
I just prayed she listened to me, for her sake and mine.
I needed to go see Blossom.
Glaring through the windshield of Sara’s Honda, I shakily smoked my cigarette as I sat across the street from Blossom’s favorite salon.
For two weeks, I’d tried to get her to talk to me, to see me, but she had blown me off at every turn.
I thought maybe it was because of what had happened and the things I’d been accused of, but as I peered through the heavy rain as it fell, I knew I was wrong.