CHAPTER SIXTEEN
FLY
All night Fly tossed and turned in her sleep thinking about what Jamaica had shared with her. The news bothered her so much that when she finally woke up at 8:00 a.m., her stomach was in knots. When she couldn’t get back to sleep, she decided to grab her gun and catch the bus over to her mother’s house.
Upon her entrance, the place was dark and silent. The only evidence that someone was home was the sound of the television coming from the living room. She peeked inside and saw Jackie asleep on the couch. Fly closed the front door and walked across the hall and into her mother’s bedroom. Ray was asleep on the chair in the corner with two beer bottles resting at his feet.
She closed her eyes and pulled the pistol from the pocket of Syn’s hoodie she borrowed. She aimed the gun squarely at Ray’s dome and prayed hard about pulling the trigger. The only thing stopping her was Braxton. She knew if she went to prison he wouldn’t have anybody.
* * *
“Hope!” When she entered the kitchen, Jackie was startled to see her daughter sitting on the laminate countertop. “You scared me, girl.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Momma?”
“Tell you what?” Jackie walked over to the coffeepot and started it up. “Where is Braxton? It’s about time for you to bring him home.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he was making my brother do that nasty shit?” Fly used the back of her hands to wipe the tears from her eyes. She’d been crying in the dark while she contemplated what to do.
Jackie tried to play it off. “You know how children and their imaginations get.”
“Bitch!” Fly hopped down from the counter. “He is your son!” Within an instant, she pulled her gun out and pressed it up against her mother’s head.
“Oh my God!” she screamed. “What are you doing?”
“You love this nigga that much?” Fly hit her mother with the handle.
“Hope, stop it!” Jackie wanted to catch the blood dripping down her forehead, but she was too afraid to make a move. She’d never seen this look in her baby girl’s eyes before, and it petrified her.
“What the fuck is going on in here?” Ray barged into the kitchen with the Louisville Slugger bat he kept near the front door.
“You fucking disgust me!” Fly turned the gun on Ray. “Of all the muthafuckas in the world why did you fuck with my baby brother?” She sniffed. “It’s plenty of men out here willing to give you what you want. Why are you fucking with children?” With each word, she walked closer.
“What I do is none of your gotdamn business!” Ray bucked.
“Anything that involves Braxton is my gotdamn business.” Fly forced the tip of the gun into Ray’s mouth. “I should kill your black ass right now.”
“Please, Hope, cut this mess out,” Jackie begged. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
“At least I’ll be doing something instead of sitting back and letting this sick bastard hurt somebody else.” Fly cocked the pistol just as her phone started ringing. She tried to ignore it, but the caller started calling back to back. “Hello?” she asked, still holding the gun between Ray’s fat lips.
“Fly, the police just picked up Syn.” Jamaica had been lying across the couch reading a novel called The Real Hoodwives of Detroit while simultaneously watching television when the story came on.
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s cool. There was a standoff in front of the Coney Island on Six Mile for a few minutes, but he gave in. They got him in the back of a police car now.” Jamaica gave the play-by-play so good Fly didn’t miss a beat. “This is going to be a big deal when it goes to trial. You better make sure you secure that lawyer ASAP!”
“I’m headed there now.”
After placing the phone back into her pocket, Fly uncocked the pistol. “Look, I don’t care what the fuck y’all got going on around here. Leave my brother alone, and we won’t have any problems. I’m going to get some paperwork for you to sign, Mom. You’re going to sign your rights over and give me full custody. Don’t try to fight or play with me on it or, I swear to God, you’re going to regret it.”
With a quick glance at both Ray and her mother, Fly backed into the living room with the gun still pointed. “He’s dead to y’all and y’all are dead to him!” With that final warning, she left just as quietly as she’d come. Deep down she was mad at herself for letting Ray off so easy but, in her heart of hearts, she knew she’d figure out a way to make sure he got what was coming to him.
As soon as she stepped outside, a car zoomed down the street then slammed on the brakes. After a second passed, the car reversed toward Fly. “What’s up, Fly?” Eric called from the driver side window.
“What up, doe Chicago?” Fly wasn’t in the mood to converse, but she didn’t want to be rude.
“Where are you headed this early?”
“I’m headed to the bus stop. What about you?”
“I was headed to grab something to eat. Do you need a lift?”
She shook her head. “I’m headed out of the way, but thanks anyway.”
“Hop in. I ain’t got nothing but time.”
Fly leaned into the window. “I need to go out to Ten Mile and Evergreen, though.”
“Don’t trip. I’ll take you.” He hit the lock on the door and Fly got in.
“Thanks for the ride. I have gas money.” She began reaching into her pocket.
“Nah, your money is no good here; but can I ask a question?”
“What?” She looked at him with a raised brow.
“What you got the heat for?” He pointed to the exposed handle in the pocket of her jacket.
She shrugged. “It ain’t nothing to concern yourself with.”
“I mean, if we got beef just let a nigga know.” Eric raised the bottom of his shirt. Although he was only trying to show her that he was packing too, he wound up exposing a tattoo that read LOYALTY with a question mark. Beneath the ink was a mess of scars. For some reason, Fly was instantly drawn to them.
“What up with your stomach?” she asked after he’d caught her staring. “Why the question mark?”
“On my eighteenth birthday, I was shot nine times and left for dead by someone I would’ve once died for.” Eric dropped his shirt. “The funny thing is we got our loyalty tattoos together. Our motto back then was L.O.E. It stood for Loyalty Over Everything.” He looked at Fly then back at the road.
“Damn, I’m sorry that happened to you. I guess it’s a thin line between loyalty and hate.”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Eric nodded. “Me and him used to hit licks back in the day. One night we hit this house that was supposed to be loaded, but all we found was five hundred dollars in a sock drawer. We laughed about that shit and said, ‘Fuck it.’ At least we would smoke good for the next few days. Well, on our way out the door the nigga turns and fires nine shots my way. Of course, I’m stunned, but still trying my best to beg him not to leave me there. He reached down and took the money from my pocket, then left me dying in the hallway. When I woke up, I was in the hospital, handcuffed to the bed.”
“Damn.” Fly shook her head.
“The shit is deep, right?” Eric peered out the window. “I spent six months in the hospital, and then I went to the county jail for two months. When I was released, the first thing I did was go back to the tattoo shop and have the question mark added to my tattoo.”
“I wonder what ended up happening to your boy. You know they say karma is a bitch.”
“I sent that nigga on a permanent vacation.” Eric usually didn’t open up to people that easily but, for some reason, he felt comfortable talking to Fly.
The remainder of the ride went just as smoothly as the beginning. Eric and Fly spent most of the drive comparing Detroit to Chicago and arguing about which city was better.
“This ain’t over.” Fly grabbed her purse. “Thanks for bringing me and being willing to wait for me, too. Hopefully, I won’t be long.” On the way ov
er to the office, Eric had offered to wait for her while she went in to speak with the lawyer, on the condition that they grab something to eat afterward.
“Take as much time as you need.” Eric cut the engine.
Before exiting the car, Fly put her gun in the glove box then checked the mirror to make sure she was on point. Eric wanted to tell her she looked flawless but he grabbed his cell phone instead. Being fresh out of prison, he didn’t want to come off like he was just trying to get at her. Besides, he was best buds with her brother, and he wanted to get Q’s approval before trying to make any moves on her.
With confidence, Fly walked into the small, single-dwelling law office. The place was bare, except for a receptionist desk and two chairs in the lobby.
“Hey, sweetie, can I help you?” Taylor looked up from her magazine.
“I have an appointment with Mr. Lorton.”
“You’re Ms. McDonald, right?” Taylor stood from her desk. Fly was surprised to see the lady dressed in a pair of spandex yoga pants and flip-flops.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“Follow me.” Taylor knocked on the door behind her desk then led Fly inside. “Your morning appointment is here, Ken.”
“Fly, nice to finally meet you.” Kenneth Lorton stood from his chair, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. “Syn has told me so much about you.” Kenneth gestured for her to take a seat.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about you.” Fly sat down in the worn faux-leather chair that had seen better days. She glanced around the room at the sports posters taped on the walls and felt more uneasy by the second. “Excuse me, Mr. Lorton, but before we start, I have two questions for you.”
“Go ahead, shoot.” Ken smiled.
“Where did you meet Syn, and are you really a lawyer?” Fly found it hard to believe this clown had any type of law degree.
“Of course I’m a lawyer.” Kenneth looked offended. “Just because I don’t wear a suit and tie or work out of a fancy office, you don’t think I’m legit?” He laughed. “Oddly enough, it’s for those same reasons that people like your boyfriend can even afford my services!” Kenneth learned a long time ago that most inner-city street thugs had caviar dreams on a tuna-fish budget.
“I can respect that.” Fly nodded. “Now, back to my first question. How did you meet him?” She wanted to know every aspect of what she was dealing with.
“The only thing I’m allowed to say is that he handled some things for me.” Kenneth leaned back in his seat.
“Speaking of which, he told me that you owed him one.” Fly didn’t mince words. “I’m sure you saw the trouble he got into all over the news. He needs representation.”
“Lucky for him my roster is open, but I need twenty-five hundred dollars to get started.”
“What part of ‘owe him one’ did you miss?”
“Doing someone a favor and doing something for free are two different things in my book,” Kenneth scoffed. “None of the shit he gave me is worth free representation, trust me.”
“So he was your dealer?” Fly frowned.
“What? No!” Ken tried to clean up the mess he’d made. “Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He sighed. “Syn is my man, so I will cut you a deal.”
“What are we talking?” Fly was ready for some bargaining and negotiating.
“I’ll take two thousand to get started.”
“Fifteen hundred and we’re in business,” Fly countered.
“Deal, but tell no one of the discount I am giving you.”
“Sounds good.” With a smile, Fly stood from the seat.
“I’ll start the process, but I will need half by the weekend.”
“No problem.” Fly held out her hand, and Ken shook it. Although she didn’t know where the hell $1,500 was going to come from, she made the deal anyway.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
KALI
“Welcome to Criminal Justice 201.” The new, young, tattooed law professor with slicked-down hair stood in the lecture hall addressing the students in his first class at Wayne State University. “My name is Mr. Bridges, but you can call me Matt.”
With everything going on, Kali had almost forgotten about her classes starting this week. When her phone buzzed to remind her, she contemplated going to the registrar’s office and dropping her classes for this semester. If she took the semester off, she’d be able to put all her time and energy into what was going on with Bird’s case. The more she thought about it, though, the more she came to the conclusion that it made no sense for her to skip the semester. Aside from getting Bird a lawyer, there wasn’t much else she could do. She decided going to her classes would actually be a good distraction for her.
“I’d like to call you Zaddy!” a student named Theresa said with a laugh.
“Zaddy is fine too, but I don’t think my girlfriend would like that,” Matt replied, and the whole lecture hall erupted into laughter.
“In this class, you will learn about the art of an argument.” He wrote the word “argument” on the board then underlined it. “By learning the art of an argument, you will learn how to reason with purpose, present logical information, and elucidate your evidence in such a way that your opponent’s debate doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
As Matt spoke, Kali’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she struggled to keep them open.
“Here, take this.” Ahmad leaned over and nudged Kali.
Immediately her eyes popped open. “Huh?” She yawned.
“It’s Adderall. It’ll help you stay awake.” Ahmad Ali was known as the university’s pusher. With all the college students looking to stay awake for all-night cram sessions, begging to fall asleep because the dorms were always loud, or just trying to party, his business was booming. The Arab dealer sold everything you could think of.
“No, thanks. I’m good.” No matter how sleepy she was, she didn’t want to develop a bad habit of taking pills. Becoming an addict was never going to be an option.
“Suit yourself.” Ahmad shrugged. “But if you ever find yourself in a jam, hit me up. I deliver.” He proudly produced his card. Reluctantly, Kali took it and slipped it into her pocket.
Buzzzzz. Her phone vibrated in her purse. There was no number on the caller ID, so she ignored the call. Seconds later her phone began to vibrate again. Quickly, she grabbed her stuff and headed into the hallway.
“Hello.”
“You have a collect call from Bird. Press one to accept.”
“Baby, are you all right?” Kali asked after pressing one.
“I could be better, but I won’t complain. How are you holding up?” Bird was putting on his strongest voice, but deep down he was breaking.
“I’m okay.” Kali sighed.
“Were you able to secure a lawyer?”
“Not yet but, I promise on everything, you will have one shortly.” Kali had put out calls to two law offices and was waiting to hear back. Although she was discouraged, she remained hopeful that everything would pan out.
“I got some money stashed at the house. It ain’t much, but it should be enough for a retainer. I’ll work on getting the rest somehow. A few niggas owe me.”
“Baby, we can’t count on the money at the house. Whatever you had in there is gone.” Kali hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she wanted Bird to know exactly what was going on in his absence.
“What do you mean, gone?” he snapped. “I had over forty thousand dollars in that bitch!”
“The same day you turned yourself in, your mother and sister came in and started ransacking the place while I was gone. When I got home, Lisa had the rental manager evict me.”
“Are you sure?” Bird knew his mother and sister were capable of a lot of things, but being this underhanded was not one of them. They knew how much he needed his money, especially at a time like this.
“Would I lie about something so serious?” Kali smacked her lips, completely offended. “Anyway, I’ll probably have to take a loan from
somewhere, but I will figure this out.”
“Just sit tight for a day or two. I’ll see what’s up on my end and hit you back with the plan.” Bird sounded as if the weight of the world were resting on his shoulders.
“All right. I love you.” Kali closed her eyes.
“I love you too!”
“Ms. Franklin, right?” Matt stepped into the hallway just as the call ended. “I don’t usually come looking for students but, to my understanding, you’re one of the special ones, and I need to keep my eyes on you.” He made air quotes.
“Did my parents contact you?” Kali frowned. “If so, I’m not special, and I don’t need supervision.” Her parents had been known to contact her teachers since grade school and throw their status around so that she received special attention.
“Whoa!” Matt raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by that. I just reviewed the grades, and you’re one of the top students in my class this semester.” He laughed lightly. “I like to keep an eye on the special ones because I know you will make an awesome attorney one day.” He held a hand out and shook hers.
“I’m sorry; it’s just been one of those days. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.” Kali was embarrassed. “I have a lot going on that you wouldn’t understand.” She sighed.
“Try me.” Matt leaned up against the wall and peered at Kali intently. Part of his teaching style was to connect with his students on a personal level.
“Have you seen the story on the news about the shooting the other night?” Kali usually didn’t share her problems with strangers, but something about Matt felt comfortable.
“This is Detroit; you’ve got to be more specific.” He laughed.
“A criminal informant was murdered,” she spat.
“Oh, yeah, I caught that one.” He nodded. “Did you know the guy?”
“No, but I know the person being accused of the murder. He’s my boyfriend.”
“No shit!” With a smirk, Matt stood up straight and folded his arms. “That’s going to be a big trial. Does your boyfriend have representation?”
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