BWWM: BEFORE I WAKE: A Bad Boy Billionaire Book Collection (African American Interracial Series) (353 page)

Suddenly his hand caught her throat and jolted her gaze back to him. I saw red as I lunged for him, chewing up the ground quickly as I reached for his sweatshirt and ripped him away from her. I had told him that I’d kill him if I ever saw him again. I swear today would be the day.

Pushing Jasmine back, I jumped on him and slammed my fist into his nose until I saw the first gush. Heat roared through me. Blood was spewed all over and I think a few chips of his teeth flew out with it.

I could hear Jasmine screaming, telling me to stop. I heard Julius strong voice then, yelling at me that he called the cops, I needed to get off of him.

I wailed on him harder, my body shaking with rage as I let it all out on Bree’s ex. He clawed at my shoulder and tried to buckle me off him but I knew I had him by 20 pounds. I hit him three or four more times before I heard the sirens through my haze. I still had ahold of the front of his bloody shirt and I hauled his ass up off the ground and backed him into the sheet metal face first. He spit blood against the wall and turned towards Jasmine.

              “Happy now you fucking stupid bitch?! I told you he would lose his shit! It’s all your fucking fault!” I pushed his face into the metal wall and he groaned. My knuckles were bloodied but it was worth it.

              “What the fuck are you talking about Rocco?” I yelled, tightening my grip on his wrist that I had looped behind him. Jasmine was hysterical. Julius pulled her back by the elbows as the police cars flew into the lot.

              “Ask the black bitch.”

I roared and slammed my fist into the sheet metal inches away from his nose. That shut him up until the police got to us and then he started yelling dramatically about me jumping him and beating him.

              “He’s lying!” Jasmine said, finally able to speak. “He was waiting for me at my car! He had his hands on my throat when Cain came out. He was threatening me.”

              Julius hadn’t been there when it started, but he looked at the cop and said, “It’s true, I saw the whole thing.”

              “They’re fucking lying!” Rocco said, his blood spattered face contorting with rage. The cop rolled his eyes and pushed him into his car as he cuffed his hands behind his back.

              “Right Rocco, you poor, innocent thing,” the cop said.

              “You know him?” I asked.

              “This asshole? Oh yah,” the cop said with a disgusted snort. “Rocco is becoming a regular at the station.” He handed slid out a card and handed it to me.

“I’ll need you to come by the station and give a full report later.” He looked at Jasmine. “You too, Miss.”

We both nodded and watched as Rocco was taken away in the back of the car. He glared at Jasmine the whole time. I hated that motherfucker, but there was something up between him and Jasmine that she wasn’t telling me.

              “What’s going on, Jasmine? What was that about?” She started shaking again and hid her face in her brother’s shirt, sobbing once more. I felt sick seeing her that way. I put my hand on her back.

“It’s okay baby, we’ll talk about it later. Let me take you home.”

              “Are you sure?” Julius asked me. “I can take her.”

              “I’m sure.” He nodded.

“It’s going to be okay baby, come here.” She turned and buried her face in my chest and I held her. Julius patted her back one last time and before he went back inside.

              “Call if you need me.”

              I nodded and so did Jas, leaving a streak against my t-shirt. When he was gone I said, “Give me your keys baby. We’ll leave the bike here.”

She handed me her car keys and I drove us to my apartment because it was closer. She was still shaking when we got there and I sat her down at the dining room table. I remembered the can of tea on my counter and thought that might be a good way to soothe her.

Once I had the water brewing I went back over and knelt down next to her. “Baby, I know you’re upset…but before I talk to the cops, I need to know what Rocco was doing there. What did he want from you?”

She immediately lost it again. She started sobbing uncontrollably as she choked on her word.

              “He wants money. I don’t have any more money! I gave it all to Bree to give him…” My world tilted.

              “What did you say?” I saw her face change the instant she knew she’d said too much.

              “I… Oh God...I’m sorry Cain. I’m sorry! I was just trying to protect you…all of us. He’s a killer…” Her eyes were filled with a dark pain.

              “What?” I felt the rage surge through me. “He’s...
a
kille
r
? Jasmine…” I tried to control my breathing but I could already feel my pulse spiking. “Do you know something about...what happened to her?”

              “Rocco. Cain, I...”

              She was literally sobbing and shaking, she could hardly breathe. I was too angry to care. I wanted to put my fist through the fucking wall. How could she?

“He said he would kill us…” she could only speak one word at a time as she sucked in a breath between each one. “All of us.”

              I backed away from her and stood at the counter with my fists balled up. I blinked hard, shaking my head in disbelief. “You need to tell me everything…right fucking now.”

              In between snorts and sobs she told me the story. My sister was running with Rocco and his crowd. They were drinking too much, gambling, getting into trouble on the streets. They owed someone thirty grand. Jasmine gave Bree ten the night she was killed. Rocco threatened Jasmine afterward so she never said a word.

When she finished she looked up at me with tears and snot and make-up running down her face,  still the most beautiful woman in the world. It didn’t matter though. She’d known who’d killed my little sister for a fuckin
g
yea
r
. She’d watched me go through hell…and she hadn’t said a word.

              “Why didn’t you trust me enough to tell me?” I asked her. I was on the thin edge of control. I’d never been so angry.

              “It wasn’t about trusting you, Cain. It was about protecting you.”

              “You don’t think I can protect myself?”

              “Not against a gun! Come on Cain! He threatened Julius too, and me. What was I supposed to do? I care about you and...”

              “You were supposed to trust me. I have the money. I can take care of my family…but you didn’t fucking trust me enough to give me the chance. Now my sister’s murderer has been out there free for a fucking year Jas!” I finally snap. “Get out.”

              “What? No Cain….”

              “Get out now, Jas. You have no idea what it is taking me to control myself right now. You don’t want to be here when I lose it. Get the fuck out.”

              “Cain…please…”

              I felt the strain of tears stinging my eyes. “You and my sister…the two women I loved most in the world…and neither of you trusted me enough to ask for my help. Jesus Christ! This is too much. It’s too much.  Get the fuck OUT!”

              I watched her go. She was still shaking and God help me but I almost pulled her back. But I clenched my jaw to stop myself. I felt betrayed. I felt enraged. I felt overwhelmed, and I felt like my sister had just died all over again. She closed the door behind her and I made it as far as my room before it all just fucking caved in on me. I was dizzy and I felt like I might pass out. I laid down on the bed and for the first time since Bree died, I cried for my sister until I finally passed out.

JASMINE

              Detective Murphy sat the coffee cup down in front of me. I wrapped my hands around it and brought it up to my nose. I didn’t want to drink it, just feel the steam of it against my face. My eyes were nearly swollen shut from crying. I’d lost Bree and now I’d lost Cain. I thought I was doing the right thing…but now I feel lost myself. I sat the cup down and began to answer Murphy’s questions. I’m sure I look like death warmed over, but I don’t care. I need to get through this.

“Do you know how long Rocco and Miss Connolly were seeing each other?”

“About six months.”

“Mr. Connolly told me she didn’t have a boyfriend when she died. Why is that?”

“She was lying to him. He hated Rocco and he didn’t want her around him. He knew he was bad news.”

“It seems like he was right.” I nodded. I felt so sick to my stomach. But, I needed to do this. It had been months in coming.

The detective’s eyes perused me.“Why didn’t you tell me all of this before, when we talked after Bree died?”

“Rocco threatened me. I was scared to death for my brother’s life and Cain’s and my own. If he would kill Bree so heartlessly, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill us all.”

“Did you see him after that, the night he threatened you?”

“No, not at all until today. He showed up telling me he needed money. I told him I’d given Bree my life savings to give him that night…”

“Is that why he got angry and put his hands on you?” He tilted his head.

“No…I told him I knew he took the money the night he killed her. When I said that, he snapped and grabbed me by the throat.”

“And that’s when Connolly jumped on him?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Was he fighting back, or did Connolly just keep hitting him?”

“Who are you trying to prosecute here?” I asked, getting angry suddenly. “Cain saved my life.”

“Don’t get upset. I know that. I’m just asking questions that his defense attorney is going to throw out there. I want to make sure that you and your brother both saw Rocco throwing punches once he was on the ground….”

He was looking at me and nodding. I was going to say whatever I needed to make sure Cain didn’t get charged with anything. He’s not the bad guy here. Not even close.

“Yes, Rocco was kicking and twisting and throwing punches.”

“Did he try and pull out that knife the officers found on him.”

“Yes, I think I heard him say he was going to stab Cain.”

Murphy wrote that down. “Good, thank you. I’m going to head over to Rocco’s apartment and see what kind of evidence I can find there. If God is on my side today, I’ll find the gun that killed your friend.”

As I was leaving I turned back to him. “Detective, thank you for your help. I’m sorry…about not telling you the truth. I really thought I was doing the right thing.”

He nodded. “I believe that you did. You had gone through a trauma and you were frightened not only for your own life but two others. Rocco is a slime ball and he’d do anything for a buck. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. I just hope if anything like this ever happens again, you’ll trust the right people to handle it.”

I nodded again. Trust the right people. Cain is one of the right people and I do trust him…with my life. I’m just not sure he’ll ever give me the chance to prove that again.

***

I was in and out of the gym all week. When Cain was there, he wouldn’t even look at me. Julius said he was fighting like crap again, the way he had after Bree died. I was physically ill, thinking that he’d never want to have anything to do with me again…and that he was going to lose his fight, because of me.

When Rocco was finally charged with Bree’s murder I was ecstatic. It had taken way too long, but it was finally going to be over. Detective Murphy told me that they found a gun in his apartment and they matched it up with the one that killed her. I wondered if Cain knew but I couldn’t ask him, so I asked Murphy,

“Did you tell her, brother?”

“Yes, I let him know.”

“I bet he was happy.”

“With Connolly, it’s hard to tell,” Murphy said with a chuckle. “We’ll be in touch about the trial, okay?”

“Sure,” I said. I felt sick again at the thought of having to testify…but I would do it if I had to. I stayed away from the gym for a few days after that. I wanted to give Cain time to celebrate this victory on his own.

On the day I finally went back, I saw Smith and Danny and a few other fighters working out, but Cain wasn’t among them. I was instantly worried. He always worked out at the same time every day, even after Bree died. I went into the office and found Julius behind the desk, working on some kind of schedule.

“Hey, where’s Cain?” Julius always knew where he was; especially now leading up to his big fight. I guess it was good that Cain was at least still talking to him.

“He called a while ago. He’s not coming to workout today.”

“Why? Where is he? Is he okay?”

Julius smiled at me sadly. “He’s okay. Murphy called him and told him Rocco is taking a plea deal. Cain is at the courthouse. He wanted to be there when they sentenced him.”

“A plea deal? Does that mean he’ll get off easy?”

“No, just that he agreed to plead guilty if they took the death penalty off the table. Cain’s okay with that…as long as he stays behind bars for life. He wants a chance to talk at the hearing. He wants Bree’s voice to be heard he said.”

I was shaking again. I knew how hard that was going to be on him. “Should I go and be with him?”

Again, I got the sad look from my big brother. “Sit down Jas.” I sat and he looked at me with understanding.

“Cain is still hurting. He hurts because he thinks that if Bree would have come to him, she would still be alive…and he’s scared to death of losing you too.”

“What do you mean? He threw me out. He won’t talk to me. He doesn’t want me.” Even though I knew I deserved it, his rejection still stung me deeply in the place where my heart used to be.

Julius rolled his eyes sighed heavily leaning back in his chair . “Damn! Why am I the only one that can see how much that man loves you. He’s hurt and he’s angry and like I said…scared to death of losing you the way he lost Bree. He has to know that you trust him enough -  that if anything like this ever came up again, you’d turn to him instead of trying to handle it on your own.”

“I would!”

“I know. I think down deep he knows too. He knows that you thought you were doing the right thing, but you know better now…and he still loves you like crazy. He just needs some time, Jas. Give him some space. He especially needs it now. The next three weeks are going to be intense leading up to his fight.”

I nodded. “Okay, I’ll do my best not to bother him.” Julius stood up when I did and he hugged me.

“He loves you, Jas. Keep the faith.”

I smiled. It was something my father always said. Some woman was going to be so lucky to have my brother someday. He’s a good man.

“I’ll do my best,” I told him.