Time is Money (10 page)

Dana took a second to process what Ghost had just told her and immediately felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her.
“There is no way that Stone is a cop. He dresses like a street guy and cops don’t dress like that,”
Dana said to herself trying to convince herself. “Are you sure about this Ghost? Maybe you didn’t get a good look at the cop’s face in that dark sewer.”

Ghost gave Dana a sad look. “Dana it’s him,” he told her.

“So he knows who you are?”

“No, I saw his face. He didn’t see mines. I had on my mask,” Ghost signed loudly. “You didn’t tell him anything about what we do for a living, did you?”

“Never,” Dana answered quickly.

“You in love with this guy, but you don’t know what he does for a living?” Ghost asked.

Dana shook her head no. “I never asked.”

“Do you know his middle name? Do you know his favorite color? Do you know his favorite food? What’s his mother’s name?” Ghost asked. “How the fuck are you in love with somebody who you know nothing about?”

Dana just stood there with a stupid look on her face. She was more hurt than embarrassed. In her line of work, speaking to or being associated with the police was a no-no. She knew right then that she had to break things off with Stone immediately.

“That’s why I’m always so protective over you because I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Ghost said. “I know he’s probably a nice guy and all, but when he finds out what you do for a living what do you think he’s going to do? Marry you? No he’s going to put a bullet in your head or either put you in jail for the rest of your life!”

“I have to kill him,” Dana whispered as tears fell from her eyes.

Ghost quickly pulled Dana close and hugged her tightly. “You don’t have to kill him, but you do need to separate yourself from him. You can even use me as an excuse if you need to.”

For the next fifteen minutes Dana didn’t speak, all she could do was cry her eyes out. Her entire life had just been flipped upside down.

* * *

Stone stood enjoying his drink. He looked down at his watch and noticed that Dana had been gone for almost thirty minutes now. He was beginning to wonder if everything with her and her brother were all right. While Stone waited for Dana to return he made his way over to the couch, where Randy sat and helped himself to a seat next to him.

“Come take a walk with me,” Stone whispered leading Randy over to the kitchen area where they were alone. Once Stone was sure that the coast was clear, he reached up under Randy’s shirt and snatched his wire off.

“Hey man, what are you doing?” Randy asked.

“Is Dana a part of your bank robber crew?” Stone asked.

Randy chuckled. “Apart of it?” he echoed. “Your little girlfriend and her brother are the masterminds of this whole operation,” Randy said laughing. “Sleeping with the enemy, huh?”

“You better not had said shit to them about me!” Stone growled.

“They know nothing about you so relax,” Randy said confidently.

Immediately, Stone’s mind began to spin. There was no way his baby was a bank robber and murderer. Then he thought back on all the money that Dana had splurged since they met. He now knew where all the money came from. Just the thought of his girl being a part of something so negative made Stone sick to his stomach. He understood that some people weren’t as fortunate as others were, so they had to do what they had to do, but when you begin to murder another human for money, that’s where Stone had to draw the line. Stone had snatched Randy’s wire from his chest so the other officers wouldn’t find out about his involvement with a potential suspect. He had no clue who Dana really was, but something told him that he would soon find out. Stone turned his focus back on Randy. “You, Ghost, and Dana… Somebody is missing. Who’s the fourth member?”

Randy nodded straight ahead. “See the guy with the blue hat on?”

“Yeah I see him.”

“His name is Dougie and he’s the final piece to the puzzle,” Randy informed him.

Stone walked back over to the bar area and grabbed himself another drink. After all that he had discovered today, he had a lot to decide. In the back of his mind, he still couldn’t believe that Dana could be affiliated with and a part of something so deadly and ruthless. He finally understood what it meant to not judge a book by the cover. Ten minutes later, he spotted Dana making her way over in his direction. Her face no longer looked friendly, but aggravated and frustrated.

“Hey baby everything okay?” Stone asked.

“No everything is not alright. I got something I need to take care of.” She reached down in her purse, pulled out a hundred dollar bill, and handed it to Stone. “Catch a cab to your apartment and I’ll meet you there in a few hours.”

“Dana what’s going on?” Stone asked with his voice full of concern.

“I’ll explain everything tonight. Just please leave now,” Dana told him.

Stone looked at Dana, turned, and then made his exit. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he definitely planned on getting to the bottom of it.

Chapter 24

One Last Time

O
nce the party was over Ghost called an emergency meeting. His mind was all over the place now. Not only was he broke, but now his own sister was in love with the same detective that had tried to blow his head off. It just seemed like things were getting worse and worse. That’s why Ghost planned on robbing this last bank and getting as far away from this lifestyle as he possibly could.

“What’s this emergency meeting about?” Dougie was the first to speak. He didn’t know what was going on, but from the look on Ghost’s face, he could tell that whatever it was, it was serious.

“We’re going to hit one last bank,” Ghost announced. “And we’re going to hit this bank in the next forty-eight hours.

“Why so soon?” Randy asked nosily.

“Because I think the cops may be on to us, so I say let’s hit this last bank and strike while the iron is still hot.”

“Which bank we hitting?” Randy asked. Everything was beginning to work out in his favor and in forty-eight hours, he would be a free man again.

“That fancy ass new bank downtown,” Ghost replied. “I know we all have made a lot of money, so if anybody doesn’t want to go through with this say so now and trust me, I fully understand,” Ghost said letting his gaze land on Dana. “Everybody who’s in, raise your hand.”

Randy was the first to raise his hand followed by Dougie. All eyes in the room now focused on Dana. In Dana’s heart, something didn’t feel right about this job, but her brother needed her and there was no way she was going to let him down.

“I’m in,” Dana said finally raising her hand.

Chapter 25

Making a Choice

S
tone sat in his apartment sipping on a glass of vodka, staring at the wall. He couldn’t believe that the love of his life was a bank robber and murderer. His Dana wasn’t who he thought she was. After the party, Randy informed Stone and his team about the when’s and where’s of the next bank job. Dana and her crew were now sitting ducks just waiting to be arrested and put in jail for the rest of their lives. Stone’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft knock at the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” the voice on the other side of the door called out.

Stone opened the door and stepped to the side as he watched Dana enter his apartment with a sad look on her face. “You okay?”

“I could really use a drink baby,” Dana said sadly.

“I got you baby,” Stone said as he walked over to the kitchen and fixed Dana a drink. When he returned carrying the drink, he stopped mid-stride when he saw Dana standing with a gun pointed at his head. “So this is what it’s come down to?”

“How long have you known about me?” Dana asked.

“I have known about your crew for weeks. I didn’t find out about your involvement until tonight at the party,” Stone told her. “Why Dana? Why?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a cop from the beginning?”

“The same reason you didn’t tell me you robbed banks for a living,” Stone countered. “Listen to me Dana and I’m only going to tell you this because I love you. Leave town tonight and never come back. It’s not too late for you to get away.”

“You being a cop ruined our whole relationship,” Dana said as tears ran down her eyes. “Why couldn’t you just work at
Burger King
or something?”

“Your boy Randy is an informant,” Stone came straight out and said it. He knew he shouldn’t have told Dana this, but he loved her and he was trying to do everything in his power to persuade her not to rob that bank in a few days. “We know all about the bank robbery going down in a few days and we know everything that we need to know about all four of you,” he said. “Please Dana, don’t go through with this. Leave town and never come back.” Stone inched his way towards her.

“Don’t come any closer!” Dana shouted with the gun aimed at Stone’s head. Stone ignored her threat and kept coming forward until he was close enough the grab the gun. Stone slowly grabbed the gun and gently removed it from Dana’s hand.

“It’s going to be okay,” Stone said, pulling Dana in close and hugging her tight as she cried her eyes out. He understood her tough situation. Before Stone had decided to serve and protect, he had briefly been active in the streets, so he knew all about the struggle and being a product of one’s environment. However, in order for one’s actions to change, they had to change the way they thought first. Stone kissed Dana on the lips gently as he tossed her gun down on the couch and began to remove her pants. Stone laid Dana down on the coffee table, spread her legs apart, and began to slowly lick her pussy. Stone kissed, licked, and sucked on Dana’s pussy as if it was the last time he would ever see her again. He sucked on her pussy as if he had just been released from prison after doing ten years, sucked on her pussy as if his life depended on it, sucked on her pussy as if he never wanted the moment to end. Dana’s explosive orgasm took over her body as her legs began to tremble and lock around Stone’s neck.

Stone then quickly turned Dana over on her stomach and entered her tight walls from behind. He started out with slow deep strokes, but when he got warmed up, Stone turned into an animal. He firmly gripped Dana’s hips and tried to pulverize her insides. He watched as Dana’s ass bounced and jiggled with each stroke he delivered until he couldn’t take it any longer and exploded inside of Dana filling her with his fluids.

For the next thirty minutes, the two just laid there in silent listening to each other breathe.

“So I guess this is it, huh?” Dana said finally breaking the silence.

“It doesn’t have to be baby,” Stone said. “You can leave town now and we can keep in touch and you can enjoy your life and enjoy your money and I can even come and visit you once a month.”

“What about my brother?” Dana asked. “He really needs the money,” she said as tears began to fall from her eyes again.

“Money is not more important than one’s freedom.”

Dana got up and got dressed. “I have to do what I have to do and I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Fuck Ghost! You don’t owe him shit!” Stone yelled. “He’s going to get you killed Dana! Can’t you see that?”

“Then so be it,” Dana said as she grabbed her gun from off the couch and stuck it back in her purse. “Do yourself a favor and take a day off when we take this bank down because I won’t hesitate to take you out,” she warned.

“It’s like that?” Stone asked with a hurt look on his face.

“This is the only way it can be baby.” Dana leaned in and kissed Stone on the lips. “Take the day off, please! My team will shoot first and ask questions never! Please just take the day off, please!”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that,” Stone replied.

Dana looked him dead in the eyes. “I love you Stone,” she said and then turned and made her exit.

“I love you too,” Stone whispered as he watched Dana’s
Benz
pull off. He hoped and prayed that in a couple of days, she changed her mind about taking down the bank with Ghost and her crew. Stone walked back over towards the couch and noticed a manila envelope sticking out of the cushion. “What the fuck?” he said to himself as he picked up the envelope and peeked inside at its contents. Inside he found $150,000 along with a letter. He quickly unfolded the letter and began to read it.

Dear Stone,

If you are reading this letter then that must mean that you know whom I really am now. lol Sorry for not being honest with you from the jump, but I really liked you and didn’t want to scare you off. The funny thing is that when I met you, I told myself that I was out of the bank robbery business and was going to give this law abiding citizen thing a shot. lol Well I guess that wasn’t what God had in his plans for me. This letter is to let you know that I love you more than anything in this whole world and if I disappointed you in anyway, I’m sorry. I enclosed $150k with this letter, because I want you to start living a little more and enjoy your life and you never know, maybe our paths may cross again in the future.

Your girl Dana.

I love you no matter what!

When Stone finished reading the letter, he felt immediately sorry for Dana. Her loyalty to her brother was going to get her killed. “I love you too baby,” he whispered.