A/N: This is the end! Look at me. Wrapping up two stories within a week. I'm getting good. Lol. I just turned 16 last week so maybe this is where I get this new found writing energy. Well here we go. It's been real and fun. Now I'm moving on to bigger things. Thanks to all my reviewers. Kudos to all of you. Lauren out.
Nia woke up and looked around. She assumed that she was in a hospital because of blinding white walls. She turned her head slightly to see Jimmy asleep in one of the chairs next to her. She smiled before whispering his name.
He looked up at her. "Hey baby."
"How long have I been here?"
"About a day or so."
"What did the doctor say?"
Jimmy looked away from her, not having the heart to tell her the truth. That was all Nia needed to see. "Let me guess, I'll never walk again?"
"Sorry baby. The doctor thinks that whatever Verone poured on your heels after he cut them up seriously ruined all chances."
Nia turned away from him and started to cry. Jimmy walked around the bed to kneel in front of her. He kissed her and put his arms around her, wishing that he could take all the hurt away.
A hour later, Nia asked the rest of the crew to come in the room. She had to tell them of Verone's demands. "He wants a plane back to Argentina free of police. No police at all. He wants the money that Customs took from him all of it. He made me memorize a number 505-253-6100"
Tej looked at Brian and said, "Bri, call Bilkins. This shit ends today."
Brian nodded before leaving to go outside to call Bilkins. He picked up on the first ring. "O'Connor?"
"Bilkins, it ends today. He wants a plane back to Argentina along with his money. He ain't going to back to Argentina. He's going six feet under."
"Fine O'Connor. I don't know nothing about the six feet under thing though."
"Deal. Meet me at Tarpon Point in a hour." He closed the phone before Bilkins could reply.
Verone was sitting in his office when his cell phone rang. "Who the hell is this?"
"Verone, be at Tarpon Point in one hour. You bring the girl, we bring the money. We'll escort you to the airport from there no cops. Unharmed and alive. If she's hurt, we'll start burning money. No guns, only 2 bodyguards. If shots fly, then the plane leaves without you. Got it? And if you haven't figured it out yet, this is O'Conor."
"I see one cop, the girl is dead."
"There will be no cops so we don't even have to worry about that."
"Fine." He closed the phone and said, "José get the bitch and let's go. We gotta get to Tarpon Point."
Tay was asleep in the room when she was yanked out of the bed. She watched as Veronoe walked towards her. The guards held her up while Verone back handed her, punched her in the gut a few times and pushed her on the ground. He kicked her twice for good measure. He put a cigar in his mouth before heading towards the door. "Knock her out." Those were the last words Tay heard before darkness surrounded her.
Brian told Bilkins to wait out of sight with his team. A few minutes a black Mercedes ML 320 pulled up. Verone got out the back while his bodyguards got out the front.
Brian grabbed one black bag while the rest of the crew got the rest of them. "We'll toss you the first three bags then you give us Tay. You'll get the rest along with an escort back to Argentina free of police."
"Toss me my bags."
"Where is Tay," Rome asked.
"Toss me my bags and I'll toss you your bitch."
"You call her a bitch one mo' time and these bags in my fucking hands gon' go up in flames. Try me," Rome said.
Verone smirked before snapping his fingers. One of his bodyguards opened the trunk and pulled her out.
"You broke the rules, Verone," Brian said.
"She's not dead, just unconscious. If you burn even one dollar of my money, I'll carve her heart out with a machete. Now, where's my money?"
Brian motioned for Rome, Jimmy, and Mike to toss out a bag each. Verone signaled for one of his bodyguards to bring Tay to them. Mike went forward and grabbed her. The tossed the rest of the bags to him. "Verone get in your car and let's go."
When all of them were in Tej's black Suburban, Tej said, "Brah, I know we ain't taking them to the airport."
Brian smiled at him before saying, "Naw cuz. Those dumb fucks didn't check the bags. There's fake money in there. Remember when I told you not to open it. Me and Romey Rome put C4 triggers on every bag. They open it, they're dead."
Tej smiled before knocking fists with Brian. "So what do I do?"
"Take back streets to the airport. Drive ahead of them at a good distance. Knowing Verone, he'll be sure to check the money on the ride there." Tej put the key in the ignition and took off.
Tej drove as fast as he could without seeming suspicious. The driver had a hard time keeping up with them. They were about 5 minutes away from the airport when there was a loud explosion from behind them. All of them shouted in triumph before heading to the hospital. Verone finally got what he deserved.
It had been two weeks since Verone mysteriously died in a car explosion accident. The Federal Arson Team was still puzzled as to what happened. One week since Tay had been released and three days since Nia was released. Everybody was getting better. Nia would never be able to walk again but a proposal from Jimmy took care of all her sadness. Mike and Tay sat down and had a long long conversation with Tej and they were good now. The only one still hurting was Tej and Suki.
Suki still hadn't awaken from her coma, and as the days flew by, it didn't look like she was ever going to. Tej hadn't been to the races in weeks. Tay and Mike had taken over for Tay. They were good at it. Tay was able to squeeze more money out of Orange Julius and punk wannabe's than Tej ever could. Tej barely left Suki's side.
The storm outside raged on for the entire day. Tej hated storms. They were depressing, and bad things always happened during storms. He looked over at Suki and sighed. Jimmy and Mike had their girls back and were happy. Tej wanted his back. He wanted to be happy again.
He couldn't take just sitting there listening to the sound of Suki's heart monitor. He cut on the radio that Nia brought.
All I hear is raindrops
Falling on the rooftops
Ooh baby tell me why you'd have to go
Cuz this pain I feel
It won't go away
And today
I'm officially missing you
As the song played, Tej realized how important Suki was to him. They had known each other forever. They grew up together. She had been his partner forever. They always rolled together, now he wasn't sure if he ever would again.
I thought that from this heartache
I could escape
But I fronted long enough to know
There ain't no way
And today
I'm officially missing you
Nobody knew how close to the edge Tej was. When he first found out, he was angry. He wanted to go on a rampage and hurt everything in sight. When he got in his truck, he thought about leaving it all behind. Going away and not coming back. But Mike told him something that made him forget that idea. No matter where he went, that pain still would be there.
Ooh can't nobody do it like you
Said every little thing you do
Hey baby said stays on my mind
And I'm (And I'm) I'm officially
He remembered everything they did together. Nobody could treat him, like Suki did. She made him think he was the best and nobody else could put it down like him. Her back rubs, damn her back rubs, they worked out every knot and kink in his body. God, how he missed the fell of her arms on his body and his on hers. To him, that was the best feeling in the world.
All I do is lay around
Two years full of tears
From looking at your face on the wall
Just a week ago you were my baby
Now I don't even know you at all
I don't know you at all
Well I wish that you could call me right now
So that I could get through to you somehow
But I guess it's safe to say baby
Safe to say that I'm officially missing you
Tej had been trying everything he could to get Suki to wake up. He didn't know what else to do. He was getting hopeless now. The longer she stayed in this coma, the more parts of himself he felt floating away. HE would give anything if he could just get through to her. He needed for her to come back, for him.
Well I thought I could just get over you baby
But I see it's something I just can't do
From the way you would hold me
To the sweet things you told me
I just can't find a way
To let go of you
Tej cut the radio off. He couldn't listen to Tamia personify his life through her song. "Suks, how long we known each other? All our lives. You been my girl from the beginning, you just never knew it. We all miss ya girl. Would you believe me if I said that OJ actually came to see you? He said he missed arguing with you. It ain't gon be the same without you. I know you ain't gon leave me here. Suks, how many girls have I had in my lifetime? Too many to count. How many have I actually cared about? A few. How many have I loved? One. One. I never realized what I had until it was gone. Suki you gotta wake up. Cuz I love ya. I really do love ya."
Tej felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulder. All those words had been burning a whole in his chest for a long time, but now…he just felt better.
2 Months Later
Tej arrived at the garage a hour before the races. After showering and getting dressed, he went downstairs to get something to eat.
"Wassup brah?" Tej nearly jumped out of his skin when his sister came up behind him.
"I know we done had our differences but damn, you wanna give me a heart attack or something?"
Tay laughed before kissing her brother on the cheek and sitting on the stool across from him.
"Tay, do you mind putting your hand down. The bling on yo wedding ring is blinding me."
"Whatever punk. You going to the races tonight?"
"I don't know about that."
"Come on Tej. This is the longest amount of time that you have gone without partyin."
"I know. But I feel…"
"Suki would want you to go out and have fun. Come on."
"Ok."
"Come on. Change clothes you look like a bum."
Tej looked at Mike as he counted the money in his hands. He smiled when Mike counted a few bills off and said, "Mama always said respect yo elders so…," he pushed some money in his hand.
"See that shit. That's what I'm talkin bout." His cell phone rang before he could say anything else. "Cheyah."
"Is this Tej Parker?"
"Yeah this is Saint Matthews Hospital. Your girlfriend has woken up."
FIN
"Officially Missing You" is courtesy of Tamia. I don't own it and no infringement implied.