"What the hell is wrong with you, boy?" Mike shouted, not content with no response.
Setting her glass of dark wine down on Mike's desk, Patricia raised a calming hand at her husband and said, "Now, now Mike, you don't know what that woman put into our son's head."
"She did not put anything in my head, mom," Zack said hotly, his body burning with inner rage. "It was all my doing."
His father paused in his pacing and turned a disbelieving scowl on his son. "All your doing? How is that even possible? And even if it were true, you know I'm the mayor of this God damn city, but yet you go cause a shit storm of a scandal for me by sticking your teenage dick in your math teacher?" His father pounded his fist upon his desk. "For god's sake Zachery, the elections will be held in a few months!"
Of course his dad would only be concerned with his own skin in this matter. His political career meant everything to him...maybe even more than his own son.
Ignoring the powerful urge to rush his father and pound his face, Zack pleaded, "You have to help her, dad."
His mouth dropping wide open with shock, Mike yelled, "Help her? Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell would I do anything to help an adulterous, black bitch that seduced my son? Not to mention, I have very little power over what happens with the woman."
"I am not kidding you, dad," Zack said firmly, ignoring his father's ignorant insults on Keisha's character. At this rate, he would wind up on top of his dad, pummeling the mayor's head into a bloody pulp. Then there would be new headlines all over the city. "I demand that you use whatever power at your command to help her get out of this mess that I've caused."
Doing a dismissive hand chop through the air, Mike snapped irritably, "Forget the bitch Zack. She's toast!"
"But—" Zack began to protest.
His father began talking over him like Zack was not even there. "The police will be calling you into questioning shortly. You are going to tell them that the woman manipulated and seduced you...whether it's true or not."
Zack furiously shook his head, the anger inside threatening to overwhelm him. "No Dad, I'm not doing anything like that. Keisha did absolutely nothing wrong. She does not deserve this."
Picking up her glass of wine and taking a small sip, Patricia said softly, "Zack, be reasonable. Your father cannot help this woman. And besides what you say, she is at total fault in this matter. She was the adult and you were the minor." She made a sour face as if the wine she had tasted had gone bad. "She deserves everything she gets for seducing my son in such a way."
Slamming his fists against the sides of his chair with anger, Zack snapped, "God damn it, mom! Stop saying that shit! She did not fucking seduce me!"
Patricia's mouth dropped open wide and her eyes blazed with fury. "Zachery Palmer!"
"Watch how you talk to your mother, boy," Mike roared, leaning across his desk to glare directly into Zack's face.
Mike did not know how close he came to having his front row teeth removed.
"Nice job, mom," Zack said next, not caring if his father came at him, "on letting that fucking bitch Mandy in on my birthday. I mean what were you thinking? She ruined a woman's life all because I did not want to be with her."
"Mandy had every right to do what she did," Patricia hissed, gesturing wildly with the hand that was holding her wine glass, sloshing expensive wine down on the carpeted floor. "I don't know what your problem is, Zack," his mother said with a confused shake of her head. "Mandy is young and pretty...someone that is appropriate for you to be with...not some older...nig...black woman."
"Your mother is right, Zack," Mike said. "Listen to her. Why you would choose to do something like this is beyond me."
Zack stood up abruptly, knocking his chair to the floor, his body trembling with anger. "Both of you can shut the fuck up right now!"
With a roar of rage, Mike rushed around his desk and jumped in Zack's face, his hand raised as if it to backhand him.
"Do it, dad," Zack urged between clenched teeth. "Do it, dad, I fucking dare you. I want you to hit me so fucking bad so that when I pummel your fucking face in, I can say it was in self-defense."
Patricia gasped with shock at her son's violent threat to his father. "Zachery!"
Meanwhile, Mike stood there with his fist poised inches from Zack's face, his body shaking with fury.
Do it, Zack thought. Do it so I can beat the living shit out of you. You won't have to worry about running for any race again.
In the background, Patricia pleaded, "Don't do it Mike. Don't let him goad you into striking him."
Perhaps because of Patricia's warning, or perhaps because he sensed his much younger, and much stronger son meant what he said about beating his ass, Mike backed down, walking behind his desk and taking a seat at his chair, placing his head in his hands as if he had a terrible headache.
Feeling satisfaction that his father had been scared enough to back down from him, Zack threatened, "If you don't help Keisha, I'll tell the press about all the illegal transactions and shady business dealings you had to raise funds to win your precious election."
His father's head snapped out of his hands and his eyes fixed on Zack like a hawk. "What would you know about what I have done?"
"Everything," Zack replied. "I know about the drug money, the bribes to pay people off and the illegal slandering of your peers. If you don't do this, dad, I promise you, it will be the end of your career." Looking directly into his father's eyes so he could drive the message home, he growled, "Political suicide."
Rising from his seat, his face red with fury, Mike shouted, "You God damn waste of sperm! How fucking dare you threaten me in my own house!"
Zack smiled.
Nearby, Patricia was aghast. "Zack you would not dare do something like that! You would ruin our entire family!"
Just try me mom.
Zack picked up the chair he had knocked over and then settled into it smugly, casting a wide grin his father's way because he knew it would piss him off. "You better pull whichever strings you can, and kiss whatever ass you have to kiss to make it happen...otherwise...channel nine news here I come." With a nod followed by a chilling smile, Zack added, "It's your call dad."
Chapter 27
The door to Keisha's holding cell banged open and several men with sour faces came in and began releasing Keisha from her handcuffs.
"What's going on?" Keisha asked.
But she received no response.
They drug her through several hallways until they came to the processing area. Lynn was waiting at a large desk with her arms crossed across her breasts, a scowl on her face, while a woman furiously scribbled on paperwork in the background.
As soon as she saw Keisha, she came rushing forward, looking like she wanted to shoot her. "I don't know who is pulling strings for you at the top," the woman hissed with fury, "but don't think this is over. You will be going your ass to jail when this is all said and done." And quieter, under her breath, she added, "You black bitch."
Then Keisha was being led away, outside the processing gate where Davonte waiting for her, a relieved expression on his face. They did not get to say anything to each other because they were next being led outside by security into a crowd of curious onlookers and a bunch of news reporter.
Keisha was not prepared for the hail of hate words that came her way as the security struggled to keep the mob of haters at bay.
A crazy-haired white woman tried to get in Keisha's face, yelling, "I hope that white dick was worth it, bitch!"
"Yeah, you mud shark whore! Hope it was worth going to jail over!" someone else yelled immediately after.
"Vile adulteress!" another yelled soon after that.
"Black, child molesting slut!" a woman screamed.
And this one really pissed her off. "Nigger bitch!"
The names and insults continued as she was pulled through the turbulent throng. But it did not end there.
Several reporters pressed against the security guards, asking inane qu
estions.
"Mrs. Johnson, is it true that you had an affair with your student, performing fellatio on him in front of your classroom?"
Keisha kept her mouth sealed shut, pushing away the anger that made her want to yell out and curse. The rumors and gossip about her would be all wrong, of course, and she should not waste her time by getting upset by it all.
"Mrs. Johnson," another reported yelled, trying to get a mic through one of the security guards. "Is it true you gave your student naked pictures in exchange for cash from the city's mayor?"
"Y'all get the fuck up out of our faces!" Davonte yelled suddenly, angered by all the questions and insults. He began pushing back at people who got in too close. "Racist motha fuckas!"
Keisha quickly pulled on his arm, warning him that he was on camera and everything he said or did would be scrutinized.
It was hell getting to their vehicle, but eventually they did and were helped inside by security. It still was hard to pull off with the mob surrounding the car, and Keisha knew Davonte came very close to running the angry vigilantes over.
Twenty-minutes later they were driving down the road in silence, darkness descending over their heads.
Surprisingly enough, it was Keisha who broke the silence.
Looking over at Davonte, who looked like he wanted to choke a bitch, she asked, "How did you know I would be set free?"
Davonte took a deep, steadying breath and replied, "That white boy called me and told me to come pick you up.”
How in the hell did Zack...
Then she remembered who Zack's father was.
Maybe Zack did not send those pictures out...
But Keisha could not think of any other way the police had gotten a hold of them.
Well, does it matter now? My black ass should have never sent them out in the first place.
"Where are my babies?" asked Keisha.
"At home with Maria," Davonte replied. With the way his jaw was looking, Keisha could tell he was burning up inside.
Yeah, at home resting comfortably on the couch after you just plowed through her with that black dick.
It took only a second for Davonte to prove her right.
"Is it true?" he asked quietly.
Though Keisha knew what he meant, she returned with, "Is what true?"
"You know damn well what I am talking about," Davonte growled. "To have to be called by up by my boys and be told about your face being shown all over the news was such a fucking insult to me, Keisha!"
Rage burned inside of Keisha's chest.
Like I give a fuck about your boys!
"Here I am, working my black ass off, busting my ass, while you out there screwing some wonder bread kid behind my back! Davonte glanced over, his face twisted with fury. "How the fuck dare—"
The impact of her fist against Davonte's eye felt quite good.
It was an act that almost cost them their lives, though, as Davonte swerved into the opposite lane with incoming traffic. It was only by the grace of God that he recovered at the last second and was able to pull them back on the correct side of the street.
"What the fuck, Keisha?" Davonte gasped incredulously, shocked at how close they had come to a horrible accident.
"Nigga please," Keisha snapped, grateful that they were still alive. She was sort of mad at herself. Her reckless move almost cost her children their parents. "Don't ever tell me about what I may or have may not done again. I know all about what you've been doing with Maria. So you can save all this self-righteous bullshit you spouting to make yourself feel better about it."
Davonte grew silent then, just like Keisha knew he would.
Just like I thought.
It looked like a circus event when they reached the Johnson residence. There were cars piled up and down the street, a throng of reporters and people from around the neighborhood in front of their home.
Holly stood outside on her lawn, talking to reporters while her children looked on in the background. But Keisha was not prepared for the sight of two familiar figures near her driveway, talking excitedly with reporters.
Randal Baker and Anthony Lilly were standing in the middle of her yard, acting for all the world as if they were world-renowned celebrities, smiling at all the flashing cameras.
It was hell getting into their driveway, because of the ornery crowd surrounding their vehicle, but once they got through, the mob backed off, knowing to follow the Johnson's on their property and threatening them would be trespassing and against the law.
And if I had a gun I'd shoot every last one of they nosy asses.
"Mrs. Johnson!"
Her name was called repeatedly as she jumped out of the car, quickly going towards the two boys.
"Y'all two come inside with us," Keisha ordered her two ex-students, shielding her eyes from all the flashes of light.
"Come on, Keisha," Davonte protested as the boys began to follow them to their door step, "Let these kids go home away from this crazy mess."
"Shut up, nigga!"
Randal chortled behind her. "Black on black violence alert!"
In the background, reporters and the people were shouting all sorts of inane questions that Keisha tuned out.
It took Davonte a second to get the door open with the key, and in that same time frame, Holly was rushing over, shouting Keisha's name.
"Keisha!"
Not today bitch.
When Davonte had the door open, Keisha quickly ushered them through, slamming the door in Holly's face just as she reached the door step. The woman began pounding on the door, yelling her name, but Keisha ignored her.
It was a relief to see her babies, sitting in the floor playing their game as usual. They had no idea what had happened with their mommy, but they sure were happy to see her. They came running up, hugging on to her tightly.
Maria was laying across the couch, but sat up quickly when she saw that Keisha had returned home. "Hi Mrs. Johnson," she greeted, shaking her head. "I heard about what happen. That is completely awful."
Keisha gave her look reserved for road kill, continuing to hug her children.
When she was done coddling her boys, Keisha turned to her former students, but before she could open her mouth, Anthony came out with, "Nice ass Mrs. Johnson!"
Randal slapped Anthony upside the head for his comment. "If you're wondering why we are here, it's because Zack sent us."
"Why?" asked Keisha.
"Zack does not want to get you into further trouble by being seen anywhere near you. Besides, his dad has forbidden him to have any contact with you." Randal went on to outline Zack's version of events, something about a jealous girlfriend stealing Zack's phone and sending out the pictures and going to the police with it.
When it was all over, Keisha stood there pondering the tale, wondering if it could all be true.
"I don't understand," Anthony said with a shake of his head, his arms crossed across his chest. "If you were going to get it on with a student, why couldn't you let me hit it Mrs. Johnson? I would have never allowed any pictures of you to be sent out like that."
Randal snorted. "Like she would want anything you got, pencil dick."
Nearby, Davonte glowered at the two boys, put off by their lewd banter. "These little wonder breads need to get the fuck out of my house."
But Keisha ignored her husband and Anthony's rudeness, her mind on all the problems going on in her life.
After a moment, she said, "Thank you two for sharing this information with me. You both may go when things die down outside. In the meantime, help yourselves to anything in my refrigerator."
Randal was immediately making his way to the kitchen, pausing once to say, "Thank you Mrs. Johnson. I don't care about what happened or what anyone out there says...you were the best math teacher we, or North High, has ever had. Black or white."
The compliment warmed her heart over.
Davonte was immediately complaining about having her ex-students in their house, telling her they needed t
o leave that instant, but when Keisha could take Davonte's complaining no longer, she stopped her husband with four words.
"I want a divorce."
****
It was several weeks later, on a cool weekend day. Keisha was lying in bed, feeling absolutely horrible about everything going on in her life. She had woken up that morning feeling sick from all the stress she had been put through.
She was certain that she now had several new grey hairs because of it.
Keisha had been run over the coals in the media non-stop since her release. People had said such awful and untrue things about her. She had received racist hate mail and a load of death threats immediately following the news of her release.
People were calling from all over the world, wanting to know her story. Surprisingly enough, she had some well-wishers who had donated her money, convinced that she had been wrongfully accused.
She'd even received letters from students from around the world, now all hopeful that they could get it on with a hot teacher. Before long, she had to pull her phone out of the wall because of its incessant ringing.
She had refused all attempts by the media to get her to do an interview in an exchange for a large sum of money, something her mother had objected vehemently against.
"Girl, you better do some of them damn interviews," Joy had scolded her one day when Keisha had called her mother crying her eyes out.
"But I can't momma," Keisha had sobbed. "It's just not worth it."
"Girl are you crazy?" Joy had half-yelled. "Not worth it? Your career is basically over after what happened, so you better get all the money you can get while you still can for you and your babies." She snorted. "Hell, you did the crime, you might as well get the dime."
But Keisha hadn't accepted the offers.
She was now unsure about her future. There was an investigation launched by Internal Affairs against law enforcement for her sudden release. No one had posted bail, yet Keisha had been let free by an order that no one seemed to be able to find.
Because of this, there was no word when Keisha would be taken back into custody or if there would even be a trial at all, though Keisha was sure there would be one eventually.
Scandal: Crossing Boundaries (Scandal Series #1 INTERRACIAL ROMANCE) Page 15