She covered her face and took some deep breaths before wiping her face hard and then smiling softly up at me. I gave her a smile back, and then let them niggas take me out of the house.
“Get him a shirt,” the detective ordered one of the officers.
Whoever was behind this shit would pay a steep ass price.
Chapter Ten: Draylah
The next day …
I’d called Avalon like Ricky had advised me to, and like him, she assured me everything would be fine. I knew Ricky didn’t put that gun there because he would never be so reckless as to stash it where it was found. I barely saw his guns, unless they were locked in his waist and he reached for something. But whoever did this, I hated them already, and I wanted to be riding right with my nigga when he got them back.
I slipped into a tube dress, and then put my feet into some Adidas slides since I didn’t feel like fumbling with some damn Vans. After braiding my hair into one long braid, I was ready to go see Avalon who was gonna introduce me to Ricky’s lawyer.
Before all of this even happened, Ricky told me where his safes were, containing extra money, which he told me was legit and just for emergencies. He had a savings account too, but that was more for business matters. So after getting some of that emergency money out to go deposit in my account to pay the lawyer, I was out the door.
Before going to see Avalon though, I needed to open my shop up because two of my girls who worked there had early appointments, and I had to let them, along with Kattlyn, inside. As soon as I opened, I turned on some soft jazz music like always, and then proceeded to give a look around to make sure everything was in place. As I made my way to the front, I saw Yavanna and Koya coming in, so I greeted them.
“You look so pretty, Draylah. I swear from the back I cannot tell you’re pregnant,” Koya laughed.
“Neither can these niggas, and they halfway don’t care when I turn around and show them either.”
“Probably because your stomach isn’t that big yet,” Yavanna smiled.
“Probably.” I forced a laughed as the girls headed to the back to put their things away. “You guys, I will be back in a couple of hours so—”
“Excuse me, is there a Draylah Omari here?” Some woman walked in. She was wearing a skirt suit, pumps, and had a roller set style in her hair. She was around my aunt’s age.
“Yes, can I help you?” She wasn’t in the demographic of my usual customers, but bad brows didn’t discriminate.
“Is this an okay place to talk?”
“Uh, sure, what’s up?” I frowned. I didn’t recognize her from anywhere, so I had absolutely no clue what this was about.
“I don’t mean to bother you, but right now, this is a last resort. My name is Antonia, and my daughter got into a car accident with her father, my husband. He unfortunately perished in the accident, but my baby lived.”
“Okay.” I chucked awkwardly because I didn’t understand where I fit into this.
“My baby needs a blood transfusion, and I was wondering if you’d be so kind as to donate to her. I know the deal was to never contact you, but I’m in dire need right now.” She began to sob.
“Whoa! What the hell are you talking about?” I was starting to believe this bitch was some nutcase. “I don’t know you or what the hell you’re talking about, but you need to leave.”
“Draylah, please. I’ve already tried with her biological father, and he wasn’t a match. So please, I can’t lose my Lily. She’s only six.”
When she said the name Lily, it was like a wrecking ball had hit me in the stomach. For a moment, I was silent, blinking repeatedly. Funny enough, I’d gotten a glimpse of my bracelets on my wrist with the name Lily on the inside.
Laughing, I replied, “Lily…? What is this, some joke, bitch?”
“Sweetheart, I know you’re in denial, but no one blames you or the fact that you didn’t feel adequate enough to raise her. But all I ask is that you do this one thing for her. I understand a part of the agreement was to keep away from you and her biological father, but like I said, this is important. I would be willing to pay you or Charlotte extra money, if that’s what it takes.”
“What agreement did you make?” I blinked back tears. “I don’t know … I don’t know about any agreement! I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about! Are you telling me that you have my baby? This whole time you’ve had my …” I began to hyperventilate.
“Relax, Draylah.”
“Don’t touch me!” I stepped back. “You … you need to leave or, or, or, … you need to give me Lily back …” I began to cry. “You have to give her back!”
“She is mine, Draylah. I paid your aunt good money for her!”
“Get out!” I hollered and pushed that bitch.
“Okay! Okay! But if you change your mind, this is my card.” She placed it down on my receptionist counter and left out.
I took the card and then quickly left my shop, ignoring the calls from Koya and Yavanna. Getting into my car, I dialed my aunt Charlie, who ironically didn’t answer the phone. Speeding out, I drove like a madman, itching to get to my aunt’s place so she could explain her fucking self.
CRASH!
Just as I went through the green light, another car banged into the side of me, and sent me spinning out into oncoming traffic …
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Janelle
As much money as my family had, we didn’t vacation often. Being the daughter of a, high-profile attorney meant that we maybe got one vacation a year and, even that was often shortened by whatever case my father was working on. So the thought of Luke dropping everything just to take me away to get my mind off my family problems was not only exciting to me, but it also made my love for him grow. Although he wasn’t an attorney or a professional by any standards, he was just as busy and I knew it had to be costing him to drop everything in order to leave with me. Still, he did it without complaints.
“It’s beautiful here,” I said in awe as the small jet began to descend on an island that seemed nearly vacant outside of a few small houses and a large one that sat on top of a hill.
It was completely tranquil…so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, the overcrowded sidewalks, and the smoke and smog that littered the air. There was green vegetation everywhere, rainforests upon rainforests of trees, waterfalls, and wildlife. This was truly a paradise and the more I saw, the more I wondered if I’d ever want to go back home.
“You like it, huh?” Luke asked with a half-smile, almost as if he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d picked the right place for our impromptu vacation.
I took my time pulling my eyes away from the sight in front of me and then turned to look at him, confused about the fact that he genuinely seemed unsure about my response. Was he crazy? This was insane! What man, that you know, could just whisk you off in the middle of the day to some island that resembled something that only Beyoncé and Jay Z could afford? I half expected little Blue to be running around or splashing in the water. It completely took my breath away.
“I don’t just like it, I love it. It’s amazing…”
The jet headed towards the biggest home on the entire island. Actually, calling it a home didn’t do it justice. It was an estate! It was an all-white tropical style home with some obvious Spanish influences when it came to the structure. It couldn’t be sitting on anything less than ten acres which included a beautiful garden, an infinity pool, tennis court… it was laid. It was the type of home that I could only wish to be able to afford once I fully stepped into my role as an attorney. If I worked hard enough, I knew I co
uld get something just like it or better. Well… maybe not better but damn close!
“The president of the island must live there,” I told Luke, pointing at the house that was now officially my dream house. “Or a celebrity! You think Beyoncé is in there?! Oh my GOD, if she’s in there, I’m going to have a fit. Hand me my phone so I can take pictures and Google because I heard from the Beyhive that she was on some island vacay this week and if she’s in there, I’m ready to go to jail TODAY! I can’t believe—”
I wanted to say more, but then I noticed that the jet began to slow as it approached the massive white home, and all air stopped being produced in my lungs. I just knew I was about to faint. Looking over to Luke, I noted the sly smirk on his face and I was so overcome with joy that I almost hopped right into his lap. He knew how much I loved the queen! I was about to have a whole cow if he had really managed to fly me out to meet her.
“Calm down,” he said, laughing hard as he looked at the growing excitement on my face. “This spot belongs to a queen but it ain’t Queen Bey.”
Crinkling my brow, I turned back to look out the window, still excited but confused about who it was that he’d brought me to meet. Luke continued to watch me, chuckling a little, but I ignored him. He was getting a kick out of making me wait. Evil ass.
The jet landed on a pad out from the property and I wasted no time grabbing my purse and standing up to get off. Luke cut his eyes to me, still humored by my eagerness, and then grabbed my hand to help me off. Once we stepped off the jet, I took in a deep breath and realized for the first time how much I missed the fresh air. The weather was perfect; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and it was the perfect temperature outside: not too humid and a gentle breeze to give some reprieve from the hot sun. I didn’t know places like this existed.
“Mr. Murray, it’s nice to see you,” a man said from my side. I turned towards the voice and saw an older black man driving a golf cart towards us.
“It’s nice to see you too, Mr. Jerome. How’s your wife?”
The man smiled deeply, showing the love he felt for his wife all over his face, and then nodded his head.
“She’s better now. I thank you for the generous contribution you made to—”
“Don’t mention it,” Luke said, stopping him.
I gave him a curious glance, but he didn’t turn to meet my eyes. I was smart enough to put everything together without him giving me any confirmation. Luke and his brothers took plenty of things illegally, but it seemed like they always gave back to the ones who needed it. They took care of the people around them. Who could fault them for that?
In the passenger seat was a woman dressed in a nice black dress that was cut right above her knees. She stepped off once the cart stopped and held up a bucket that was on her lap containing water. She held it out to me, offering me one but I politely refused. I was ready to get to the house and see what was going on.
“Would you like one, Luke?” she asked, and the way she referred to him as ‘Luke’ rather than ‘Mr. Murray’, like everyone else I’d met recently, gave me pause. I cut my eyes at the woman and noted the interaction between her and Luke, paying special attention to the glimmer in her eyes when she looked at him.
“Naw, I’m good. Thanks, Yancy,” he replied back nonchalantly, but I continued to scrutinize the woman.
I wasn’t jealous but I also wasn’t dumb and she was cute. Yancy, as he referred to her, was about my height and had a thin build like me but… it just looked different on her. You know those thin chicks who still manage to look thick? That was Yancy. She had ass and breasts and, even though she didn’t have a whole lot of either, when you placed it next to her tiny waist, she looked like she was built like a video vixen. She was pretty in the face and I noticed that right off but, being that I wasn’t naturally jealous, it never occurred to me to think anything about it. But now, her almond-shaped eyes, beautiful brown skin and pouty lips had me second-guessing how close I wanted the Bernice Burgos lookalike to my man.
“This is my daughter Tiyancy,” Mr. Jerome offered, urging my attention towards him. It was then that I realized he must have seen me staring. “Friends and family call her Yancy. She and Luke have known each other since they were babies playing in the sandbox.” Mr. Jerome laughed and although I tried to give him and Yancy a genuine smile back, I could only manage a pressed grin. Luke squeezed my hand gently and I knew that he could read my discomfort in my face, which only made me feel even more awkward. Shit.
“Why don’t we get going?” Mr. Jerome urged, tilting his head to the back of the golf cart, and I nodded my head with my eyes cast down. I was eager to do anything to get everyone’s eyes off me.
Following Luke’s lead, I jumped into the backseat of the golf cart and looked out the side at the scenery as it took off. Luke squeezed my hand again, this time shaking it a little so that I would turn to him. As soon as my face turned to his, he caught me in a kiss that was so sweet and gentle, I forgot all about what had occurred a few minutes before. Cupping my face in his hand, he deepened the kiss, showing me that he wasn’t worried about who was around or who may have been watching. He was only worried about putting me at ease and he did just that. Once he released me, it seemed like it took forever for me to get my drunken eyelids to open. I was drunk on his love and every little bit I got of him only deepened my condition.
“Are you going to tell me who lives here?” I whispered in his ear as we neared the backside of the mansion, and he looked down at me, a question lingering behind his eyes.
“You don’t know yet?” he asked, and I frowned at him to which he smiled and shook his head. “What kind of lawyer you tryin’ to be… a prosecutor, right? The next time I’m about to get locked up for some shit, I’m going to personally ask for you to handle the case. I’ll get away every damn time.”
Before I could stop myself from pouting at the way he dissed the hell out of me and still managed to make it sound so good, the cart slowed to a stop.
“Welcome home, Mr. Murray!” Mr. Jerome said, holding his hands out. “Everything has been fully prepared as you requested it. If you need anything, you know you only need to call.”
“What?!” I shot out, much louder than I’d wanted to. “Th—this is your place?”
Tilting her head to the side, Yancy turned to look at me and giggled a little. Even her giggle sounded a little too sexy for my liking.
“Oh, you didn’t know? How cute!” she said, and I looked at her, ready to catch an attitude, but I stopped once I realized that she wasn’t being rude or trying to throw shade, she actually seemed about as excited to see the look on my face as Carmella would have been had she been here.
“No, I didn’t know… I mean, the thought occurred to me but I told myself that there was no way that—” I looked back up at the place and shook my head, not knowing what else to say.
Mr. Jerome and Yani went to grab our bags from a golf cart that I hadn’t noticed was trailing us, and Luke took the opportunity to scoop me up in his arms, kissing me once again.
“You said a queen lives here,” I reminded him and he nodded his head.
“One does. You… this is our spot now and you’re the queen of this castle.”
I wanted to cry. Like cry real tears. This type of thing didn’t happen to anyone and it definitely didn’t happen to me. I was Janelle, little ole smart ass Janelle. I wasn’t the beautiful sister, truthfully, I didn’t feel like I could hold a candle to any of my sisters. Carmella, Mixie, and Vonia were all drop dead gorgeous and, while I wasn’t ugly, I was always the one who was harped on for being smart and I always hid behind that… telling myself that it was okay that I wasn’t the first pick from the hottest guys when it came to the Pickney sisters because I was smart as hell and would be able to buy whatever I wanted one day to take the place of a man.
But Luke chose me and elevated me to a position that no one could take me down from. In his eyes, I was the most beautiful woman on Earth. He didn’t have to tell me
that, he made me feel it, and he let everyone around us know it.
“I have to do some stuff while I’m here. Go explore the house, get a massage, and then rest up. We’ll go to dinner tonight,” he told me, giving me another kiss as he prepared to walk away. “Have your list ready for me when I see you.”
The list!
As soon as I stepped foot on the island, I forgot all about the list he’d asked me to make. He wanted me to write down my dreams so that he could make them come true. I looked up at the house once more and took a deep breath. Just looking up at it told me that everything that I may have been thinking might have been a little too small. It was time to dream big.
***
“Bitch, I hate you!”
Pausing, I looked at the phone in my hand before pushing it back up to my ear.
“Um… damn, Carm, what’s that about?”
Vonia jumped in before Carmella could get a word out. “You know her ass is jealous. Shit, I am too! You just got done telling us about all this wonderful shit you doin’ and you ain’t even invite us out there with you!”
“Maybe that’s because she didn’t know she was going there, heffas!” Mixie jumped in, taking my side against my two crazy, jealous sisters.
“Exactly,” I agreed, joining into the conversation. “I didn’t know we were coming here. He had everything packed and ready for us to leave after we left the tattoo shop.”
“Bitch, you got a tattoo without tellin’ us, too?!” Carmella cut in, attitude still on one hundred.
“No! I got my bellybutton pierced. I was supposed to get one but punked out before I could. But anyways, I’m glad to see y’all are happy for me,” I added with my mouth poked out. Leave it to my sisters to make me feel like shit for not inviting them on my vacation instead of being happy for me. I wasn’t upset by it because I wasn’t really surprised. Carmella and TreVonia were born spoiled so it would have been a shock to get anything different from either of them.
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