Page 22 of Saved By A Small Town Country Boy

Khalif

A week later

“ A nd you’re sure that he’s in there?” I questioned Creed as we sat in my truck, eyeing the motel room from across the parking lot.

“Yeah. They say he hasn’t left since he came in last night.”

“A’ight.” That’s all I needed to hear for me to get out the truck. Grabbing my gun, I tucked it in my waistline and opened the door. Creed got out right behind me.

We crossed the parking lot to the motel room. Covering the peephole with my hand, I knocked on the door. Creed stood to the right of me out of view of the window. If he was to peek out, he wouldn’t be able to see anything.

After a few moments of knocking on the door and not getting an answer, I lifted my foot and kicked it.

Boom!

The first kick just shifted the door. Lifting my foot, I kicked the mufucka again, and that time, it flew in.

Boom!

Lying in the bed was some naked ass female. She was out of her mind ’cause she hadn’t even bothered to move after the door flew in.

The bathroom door was closed. Removing his gun from his waistline, Creed rushed over to it and kicked it in. All we saw was Jake’s ass stuck in the window. I gripped him by his dangling legs and snatched his ass right back through.

“Exactly where the fuck did you think you were going?” I asked him as I tossed his ass to the floor. Creed leaned out the window as I turned my attention back to Jake.

“He threw the bag outside. I’m finna go get it.”

“You almost got away. Kinda quick on ya feet.” Lifting mine, I kicked Jake dead in the face. Saliva and blood sprayed from his mouth. “But not quick enough. You thought you was gon’ steal from me and get away with it?”

Creed came back into the room with the duffel and tossed it against the queen-sized bed opposite the one where the woman lay. Even after everything that was going on ’round her, she had yet to get up from the bed. The hoe was so stuck, it was crazy. Ain’t no telling how much he done gave her ass.

Creed unzipped it and took a peek inside. “Some of it is missing, but most of it is there.”

“Now, what should I do with a thief like you?” Jake scooted backward across the floor as if that was gon’ save him. He stole from me, and I had to handle him accordingly or else everyone else was gon’ think they could do shit and get away with it.

“Please,” Jake begged, even though he knew that pleading was being left on deaf ears. Creed zipped the bag back up and removed it from the bed. He took it outside and placed it into the truck.

“Let’s go,” I told him and snatched him up from the floor by the shirt. I shoved him out the door toward Creed. He opened the back passenger door on my truck and pushed him toward it.

“Get the fuck in,” Creed told him. I rounded the truck to the driver’s side and climbed inside.

Jake and Creed got into the back seat. Creed trained his gun on Jake so he wouldn’t try anything stupid.

He knew that he was moments away from meeting his maker, so there was nothing that he wouldn’t try to save himself.

“What you got Khali for her birthday?” Creed questioned me as I pulled out of the parking space and turned onto the road.

“She’s been asking for a puppy, so I got her one. I also got her a few other things too. Clothes, toys… the normal.” Khali already had everything her lil heart could want.

“Shit, I couldn’t think of what to get her lil ass. I just grabbed her a card and put some money in it.”

“Shopping for her lil ass ain’t easy.”

I turned onto the dirt road and drove a few more miles before stopping in the middle of nowhere. It may have been nowhere for others, but it’s where I had my bodies buried—figuratively and physically. Jumping down out the truck, I rounded it to the back and grabbed the shovel from back there.

Being from the country helped with finding places to do illegal activities.

I knew the ins and outs—every place that people didn’t go to often.

For years, I’ve been dropping bodies in this area and didn’t have to worry ’bout ’em coming back to haunt me.

The spot was a few miles away from my home.

Somewhere that I knew I didn’t have to worry ’bout Khali stumbling upon.

Creed opened the door and pushed Jake straight onto the ground. “Getcha sorry ass up,” I told him. He glared up at me and pulled himself up. “Walk,” I instructed him. We walked for a good ten minutes before I said, “Stop.”

He turned and faced me and replied, “Gone and do it.”

“I am soon as you dig this fucking hole. Get to digging.” I shoved the shovel in his direction, but he didn’t take it. “You think I’m playing with yo’ ass?” A nigga was pressed for time and didn’t have all day to be playing ’round with him.

“I’m not digging my own fucking grave. You might as well gon’ kill me now.” He folded his arms over his chest, trying to stand firm on what he said. Creed pressed the barrel of his gun against his temple.

“Dig that fucking hole, fuck nigga. If you don’t, shit gon’ be far worse than you think.”

Jake snatched the shovel away from me and started on that hole. “Make sure that shit six feet,” I told him.

This nigga took so fucking long to dig that hole. I thought I was gon’ have to get down there and help him out.

Jake climbed out of the hole and tossed the shovel at my feet.

My hand lifted, and I pointed the gun at the center of his forehead.

Before I could pull the trigger, my phone rang.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled it out and saw that it was Dallas calling.

Swiping the screen, I placed the phone to my ear and said, “Yeah?”

“Where are you? You were supposed to been back here hours ago.” Removing the phone from my ear, I looked at the time. It’s going on three. Luckily for me, I’m not too far from the house.

“Taking out the trash.”

“Did you remember to get her cake?”

“Yeah. I got it.”

“Hurry up. Don’t take too much longer. Everyone has started to arrive.”

“I’m on the way,” I told her and slipped the phone from my ear. Pressing the red button, I placed it back into my pocket and pulled the trigger.

Jake’s body dropped to the ground. I was expecting his ass to fall into his grave. Lifting my foot, I kicked his ass over into it, and Creed filled the hole.

After he was done, we both went back to the truck.

He tossed the shovel onto the bed of the truck and climbed into the passenger seat.

I backed out the woods and headed for the house.

As I pulled into the driveway, I saw the kids running around the yard, and Pops had the meat going on the grill.

It may be close to fall, but he’d find any excuse to turn the grill on.

That’s one of his favorite pastimes. That man would go out there and grill while Ma cooked the sides.

Both of ’em together, they were unstoppable.

Dallas had me order a bounce house. I ain’t think the kids would even want to waste their time and get on that shit, but I ordered it anyway.

A few of ’em bounced on it while I unloaded the cake from the truck.

The others were too busy standing over there with Khali and Beauty.

I’m guessing she was letting ’em take turns with riding her.

I carried the cake over to the table where Dallas had decorated for Khali.

She’d gone all out with the cowgirl team for her.

Everything was dope. The colors were pink and cow print.

I wasn’t the best at planning shit like this, that’s why I allowed Dallas to do it and run wild with it.

I didn’t care how much it cost. She got everything she wanted, and I just handed her the cash.

“I thought you weren’t gon’ get here in time,” Dallas said as I set the cake on the table. I looked over and saw Creed handing Khali her birthday card.

“You know damn well that I was gon’ get here on time.” I’on give a damn if I had to bring Jake in my fucking truck and make him celebrate her birthday before I killed his ass. I was damn sure gon’ be here.

“You were cutting it a bit close,” she said and walked away from the table.

“Hey,” Maya said when she approached. “I’ve been looking for you all over the place.”

“For what?” Shoving my hands into my pockets, I turned my attention to Remedi’s truck as it pulled onto the grass down by the end of the driveway.

She and Reese got out with gift bags in their hands.

After Remedi and I shared that moment in the kitchen, I’ve been finding every reason to lie and say I was busy to keep from being ’round her.

Remedi looked nice in a beige two-piece pants set.

Her hair was in a curly bun with a bang.

“I just wanted to speak. That’s all,” Maya stated, bringing me back from my thoughts.

Remedi handed Khali her gifts and hugged her. She stood there, watching her as she peeked in the bag to see what it was. Our eyes briefly connected. “Who is that?” Maya questioned me. She must’ve seen me eyeing her.

“Why?”

“You’re being really mean right now. Is she your girlfriend or something? I haven’t seen her around before, and she’s quite friendly with Khali.”

“Not that it’s any of yo’ business, no.”

“It is my business. It became my business when we started sleeping together, or did you forget about that little detail?”

“Keyword in that is sleeping together.”

“Hey, Mr. Redwick,” Bobbi said when she and her parents approached. After I told her that she wasn’t welcome ’round here anymore, I ain’t think she’d show up to Khali’s birthday party. Maybe I should’ve been clearer. Since she was with her parents, I wasn’t gon’ say anything to her ’bout it.

“Hey, Bobbi.”

“It’s so unfortunate that Bobbi can’t work for you anymore, Khalif. I know she loves Khali to death.”

That’s an understatement.

“Yeah,” was all I offered as Remedi and Reese approached us. My heart skipped beats in my chest. Something that it hadn’t done since Simone. The connection was there. There’s no denying that. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve been trying to keep her at bay.

“Hey, Khalif,” Remedi spoke. Her eyes danced ’round to everyone else that was over here. I just wanted everyone to get the hell away from me.

“Sup.”

“The party looks nice. Y’all really did a good job,” Remedi said as she looked around.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name. I’m Maya Sinclair,” Maya said and extended her hand in her direction. She thought she was slick. She’s only tryna get Remedi’s name so she can dig into her shit. That’s what she did whenever she thought someone was a threat.

“Remedi.” She handed Maya her hand and shook it.

“You got a last name, Remedi?” Maya questioned her.

Taking Remedi by the hand, I led her away from the herd. If I didn’t, they were only gon’ continue to drill her to death.

“What was all that about?” she asked once we were far enough away.

“She’s nosey as hell and likes to be in people’s business. Particularly mine.”

“Please don’t tell me that y’all are sleeping together.”

“Were,” I replied, staring straight ahead.

“I didn’t take you as the type of guy that would be sleeping with a woman like her.”

“Why?”

“She looks strict. Like the type of woman who doesn’t listen.”

I chuckled. Maya had come to the party with her hair still slicked back in her bun.

She probably didn’t have enough time to comb her hair after changing out of her uniform.

I’m not sure why she broke her neck getting here in the first place.

It wasn’t like anyone here knew we were sleeping together outside of Dallas and Creed.

Maya was part of the program. I only dealt with her strictly to get intel.

If she found that out, she’d arrest me solely for playing with her emotions.

“I guess you can say that.”

“Well, I don’t play about me, so before we’re even able to do anything, you are going to have to go get tested.”

“I do that anyway. It’s something Simone got me to doing once we got together. Every three months, we went and got tested together, even though we weren’t cheating. We just liked to know our status.”

“Good. I can show you mine, and I want to see yours. Even though we agreed to just have fun, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Whipping my phone out, I pulled up my information and handed it to her.

Squeaky clean. I’ve been that way all my life.

Simone is the only person I’d ever went into raw.

Anyone after her, I made sure to strap up.

I didn’t want to catch shit, and I didn’t want to make a baby and leave it in a broken home.

“Great.” She handed me the phone back.

“Remedi, come look at this!” Khali yelled.

Remedi took one look at me and said, “Duty calls.”

“She got yo’ ass wrapped ’round her finger.”

A smile coursed her lips, and she shrugged.