Page 22 of Dom 3
I killed the engine on the motorcycle and kicked the stand down and got off slow. My suit was torn down one sleeve, with blood on my cuff and along my jawline. I could feel the warmth of it every time I moved. The only thing still clean were my eyes, and they were colder than ice right now.
The Royals had locked the block down. Two of our trucks were angled to block both ends of the street, with their lightsflashing, and guns still out. Bodies lay scattered near the sidewalk, and some were ours, but most were theirs. Dique was standing near one of the cars with his shirt half untucked, still holding his Glock. Tone was checking a body while talking low into his mic of his earpiece. When Tone looked up and saw me walking down the street, his facial expression changed. He nodded one time with no words.
“Where he at?” Dique called out, brushing glass off his shoulder.
“Gone,” I said. “Ain’t comin’ back.”
Dique smirked a little, shook his head. “I told them not to play with the king. I tried to tell those fuckin’ Cubans they’d do better playin’ on their own turf but don’t come to Miami with that shit and now look.”
Tone laughed under his breath, but his eyes stayed scanning the rooftops. “We gotta move before the police flood this block,” he said. “They five minutes out now and this whole place gon’ light up once they pull up. Ramon’s body is secured and headed to the cemetery.”
“Handle it,” I said, still walking. “Get our people clear. Nobody talks to nobody. If the police, Feds, whoever ask questions, they don’t get no fuckin’ answers. This shit will be all over the news going down in history, but nobody talks.”
Tone nodded and started yelling out orders with a deep, sharp voice that cut through the chaos. They began loading up the wounded soldiers and dragging the ones who didn’t make it into the trucks. However, my focus was the church. The front doors were closed tight and guarded by two of our hittas. I pushed past them, hand still gripping my gun. The smell of lilies and candle wax filled the air but not enough to cover that strong gunpowder smell and smoke.
Carmen was near the altar with one hand rested on Miss Twyla’s back while O’Shynn tried to calm a few people downin the pews. A few churchgoers were still crying, clutching each other, with their eyes wide like they couldn’t believe what just happened. When Carmen looked up and saw me standing there, she froze, and I could tell it was about the blood.
I walked down the center aisle slow with my mind still in kill mode, but something in me eased when I saw her face. “You still alive, I’m satisfied now.” I said in a low tone.
She nodded and swallowed hard. “Yeah, we’re safe. You?”
“I’m straight.”
She stepped forward, close enough to touch me but she didn’t. “Is it over?” She raised a brow.
I nodded my head. “It’s over,” I simply replied. “For now.”
Her eyes softened for a second, then shifted to the blood on my cuff. “You’re bleeding.”
“I know but it’s not mine.” I assured her. She exhaled like she was relived. She looked like she wanted to hug me, but she knew the room wasn’t for that. It wasn’t the time.
Miss Twyla eyes were still swollen and wet. “That’s it, baby?” she quietly asked. “That man who did all this… he gone?”
I nodded. “Yes ma’am. Ain’t nobody gon’ ever hurt your son’s name again.”
She covered her mouth with her hand, with more tears filling her eyes, whispering something that sounded like a prayer. Carmen wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to sit down.
Tone stepped inside just then with his dark eyes scanning across the room. “We got the family trucks lined up,” he said. “We movin’ them to the safe lot till we can clean up here. Dique and the others runnin’ back streets to clear out.”
“Good,” I said.
The pastor stood near the pulpit, looking at me like he was still trying to figure out what kind of man walks into God’s house covered in another man’s blood. He didn’t say a word though.He just nodded his head a few times turned back to the altar, probably thanking God we were leaving.
I looked at Carmen again and she finally came to me, stopping close enough that I could smell her perfume. Her hand brushed across my chest. “Dom…you scared me.”
“You think I’m easy to take out?”
She pursed her lips together, almost smiling. “No. I think you don’t value your life enough sometimes.”
I leaned closer, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “That’s cause my life belongs to this. You knew that when you said yes to me wifey.”
Her eyes didn’t shy away. “Then I guess my life belongs to it too huh.” For a second, we just stared at each other like the whole world was quiet again and it was just us. However, we had to go.
Tone came back up beside me, breaking the moment. “We gotta roll, boss. City block is shut down. I’ll send a team to sweep the area after we move the family.”
I nodded. “Take them out the back. Carmen rides with Miss Twyla and I’ll meet up with you after.”
“Bet.” He replied.
