“What did you do?” Miles screamed again and continued shaking Lakeda.
“Stop it, Miles. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Rain yelled.
“Stay out of this, Rain! This has nothing to do with you!” Miles yelled at his sister.
“Tell me what you did!” Miles yelled at Lakeda.
Rain took a step toward Miles like she wanted to try and separate them, but I stopped her. “Leave him alone.”
Rain looked down at my hand on her arm and snatched it back. “You did this, didn’t you? What did you tell him?”
“The truth.”
“What truth?”
“Miles was having an affair was Zakiya Phillips.”
“The chick that got killed at your spot?”
“Miles thinks Lakeda sent those men to kill her.” Rain looked at me like she didn’t or couldn’t believe what I was telling her. And then she looked at her brother; saw the fury in his eyes. “He was in love with her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miles,” Lakeda insisted.
“Don’t lie to me!”
“Stop it, Miles, you’re hurting me.”
“Then tell me what you did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About Zakiya.”
“What about her?” Lakeda asked. She looked confused by his question. Like she really didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You knew about her. You were the only one who knew about us and you had her killed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t have that bitch killed. I didn’t even know she was dead.”
“Don’t lie to me Lakeda! It was you! After you heard me say that I loved her, you got somebody to kill her.”
“Damn, Miles, you told her that shit?” Rain said, but I’m sure Miles didn’t hear her.
By that time a small crowd had joined us to watch the show. There’s nothing more entertaining than black folks fightin’ in public.
“Let me go, Miles,” Lakeda said and suddenly found the strength to break away from Miles. Probably that line about loving another woman gave her strength. “I didn’t have her killed. I wish I did and I’m glad that bitch is dead, but I didn’t get anybody to kill her.”
“You knew I was going to meet her that day. You knew where I was meeting her!” Miles grabbed her again and Lakeda struggled to get free.
“Let me go!”
“Tell me what you did!” Miles yelled and slapped the shit outta her. I grabbed Miles and held him before he could slap her again. Rain rushed to Lakeda’s side and held her. Miles began to cry to again. “Just tell me what you did.”
“Okay, people. Show’s over,” I said and walked Miles away from the crowd. Rain followed with Lakeda. Once we were far enough from the slowly dispersing crowd I stopped, but I kept my hands on Miles just in case he decided to go at her again.
“Where did you go after you left that night?” I asked Lakeda.
“All right.” Lakeda pushed Rain off her. “All right.” Lakeda was breathing hard and took a second to compose herself. “I drove around for awhile and then went back to the club looking for her. I was gonna make her leave you alone.”