When she was placed on her feet, she saw it was Kevin. He held her tightly by the wrists as he stopped a cop who had made his way over to the conflict, more than likely to arrest Karen for assault. However, because the officer knew Kevin was an Assistant District Attorney he agreed to let him handle the scene. Kevin asked him not to call in the report but to get paramedics on the scene that would be discreet.
He inspected Karen and saw nothing but reddened knuckles. He could not believe the violence these educated women of God were capable of. Yes, they always had a good reason but for goodness sake, violence was never the answer.
He still had to clear up whatever was going on with Frankie, which he was not sure of because as soon as he got to the scene he saw Karen attacking Frankie’s ex-wife. He knew he had to clear it all up and legally as not to jeopardize his
career. It was not lost upon him if he didn’t get Frankie, and especially Karen, out of this unscathed he would have to answer to Paige. Dealing with an upset Paige was not on his agenda tonight. He calmed Karen down and helped her back into Frankie’s truck. Kevin ordered her to stay put until he could bring closure to this mess.
***
Camille and Paige were reading Nikki a bedtime story. It was a classic by Paul Galdone, The Little Red Hen. Camille decided to pack up Nikki and return home after Paige called with the events that had taken place with the Joneses. She didn’t think Karen and Frankie would be picking her up after the
altercation. Benjamin had gone to the apartment complex as back up support in case Kevin or Frankie needed him.
Nikki who was oblivious to the chaos around her and was in heaven as her Tee-Tee and Aunt Paige took turns being the animals saying, “Not I said the cat, not I said the dog.” When the Hen would say she would do it herself, Nikki always chimed in with “And That’s Just What she did.”
Camille beamed with pride. Nikki was such a smart and beautiful little girl. She didn’t think she could love her more, even if she were her own. In addition, The Little Red Hen had been her favorite story too when she was a little girl and her Grammy would read it to her every night.
Very much like Nikki was doing now, Camille always chimed in at the, “That’s just what she did” part of the story. To her and Nikki alike, that was the highlight of the book. The little hen was independent and that is what Camille desired for all women and men. Everyone should be equipped with the knowledge and tools to provide for themselves if circumstance forced them to. If people knew, they would find Camille’s secret hard to believe, but The Little Red Hen is why in In-Transit Systems had such a generous tuition plan. She wanted every employee to have the education needed to thrive in life. Hopefully, I.T.S. would be around for years to come.
By the time the hen and her chicks were enjoying their cake, Nikki was fast asleep in the bedroom that Camille decorated for her. Camille returned the book to the princess castle bookcase and kissed her niece on the forehead. She dimmed the
lights with the remote control, and closed the door after Paige gave Nikki a kiss on the forehead too. The two ladies headed to Camille’s kitchen for some hot green
tea and to discuss the night’s episode regarding Karen.
Camille sipped her hot tea as she listened in amazement to the details Paige was giving regarding Karen.
“It just doesn’t make sense to me why Shayla would call Frankie before the police. If I’m here alone and it sounds like somebody is breaking in, I’m dialing 9-
1-1, headed out the back door and calling Ben on my way to him.” Camille rolled her eyes toward heaven. “Lord what has my sister gotten into?” Camille grimaced at her reference to Karen as her sister and quickly pulled her teacup to her lips to cover her awkwardness. She didn’t mean to let the word sister slip, but the longer she knew the more she could feel their blood ties. But Paige did not know they were sisters so she needed to be more careful with her word choices. However, Paige was none the wiser; she had moved her attention to her tea, after swallowing a huge gulp she looked at her teacup as if the secrets of life were written in it.
“Mille, what’d you put in this tea? It is so good.”
“Instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners, I added a tablespoon of honey.” “That’s right I’ve got to start doing that, less calories.” Paige took another
gulp and remembered the topic of their conversation.
“Back to Karen, she has gotten herself into a fatal attraction love triangle. Somebody is going to get hurt. I don’t believe for one hot minute her apartment was broken into. Shayla needs her butt kicked.”
“Paige, we can’t revert to violence; besides why would the cops be there if
there was no break-in?”
“I don’t know, something in my gut says there is more to this. I guess we’ll have to wait and see when they return, but again something doesn’t feel right. It’s taking too long for Kevin to call me.”
“You are right; it doesn’t feel right. I hope nothing foul is going on.”
“Shayla, better hope nothing foul is going on. I’m trying to stay on this straight and narrow walk and let the spirit lead and guide me. But that Shayla is trouble, and some people and their actions just beg for you to put a foot up their rear end.” Paige said, with conviction.
Camille could feel her sincerity and the love Paige held for Karen. However, she could not let that statement of retaliation go unaddressed. She took a deep breath and put on a serious tone with Paige.
“I know you love Karen, and you are protective of everyone you care about. But I care about you, your spiritual journey, and your relationship with Kevin. You are one-hundred percent accurate; people will push us until they hit our hot button. We all have one, but that is when we have to take several deep breaths…pray…chat…burn some incense, call up those prayer warriors, before we go to the place of taking vengeance and violence into our own hands. Our battles are the Lord’s and he alone can fight and win them.” Camille looked at Paige and was grateful to see her nodding in agreement.
“You are right girl; I just hope everything is okay.” Paige gave Camille a mischievous look as a smirk appeared on her face.
“But incense, I won’t be burning.” They both laughed at that and sat in silence thinking about their friend and her potentially dangerous ordeal. When guilt overtook Camille, she could not remain silent.
“Paige, I can’t believe I just gave you that speech when I am lying by
omission, I am holding a secret that is not right.”
fine.”
“Secret, you no! What is it? You pregnant? Girl I can’t blame you Ben is so
“Paige, stop! I’m not pregnant. Ben and I haven’t made love and won’t be until our wedding night.”
“Then what secret, would have you looking like you committed murder?”
“Before my dad left the country, he told me Karen might be my sister. The story he told me concerning he and Cynthia Locke—I know she is my sister.”
Camille knew Paige would be shocked but the look on her face was indescribable, Paige was looking through her. She looked frozen in horror. The look was so unsettling; it caused Camille to spin around in her seat to see what caused Paige to become a statue. Nikki stood in the kitchen, holding a Shopkin toy in her hand. Camille almost melted into a puddle where she sat, when she saw her bright-eyed, bushy-tailed niece standing behind her. Did she hear?
“Tee-Tee, I am thirsty.”
“Uh...Uh…sure baby girl you want water, apple juice, or milk?” “Apple Juice.”
Paige who had now come back to life, stood up to get the apple juice box while trying to process that Camille and Karen could be sisters. When she returned to the table Nikki was in Camille’s lap, and she saw the resemblance. How had she missed it? That R.D. James was something else, but Paige would help Camille and Karen get through this, they were all family. As Nikki drank her juice, they sat in silence. Once she was done, Camille tucked her back into bed. Camille headed
back to the kitchen to sit and wait f
or news with Paige. As she walked in that direction, her front door opened and in walked Benjamin, Kevin, Frankie, and Karen.
As Kevin recounted the story, Paige sat in utter shock, especially at how Kevin had to pull Karen off Shayla. Inwardly, she was proud of her girl, but she wouldn’t voice it because she was on the path of peace and healing. However, she still felt like Shayla got what she deserved.
She agreed with what Camille stated earlier, ‘Vengeance is the Lord,’ but oh how sweet it is when the enemy is trampled over by your footsteps.
It was an enormous relief that no charges were being filed against Karen because Kevin had video evidence that she, Shayla the evil, had snuck into the reception room at the Gardens and destroyed Karen’s wedding cake.
Frankie had spoken to Kevin when he returned to work after his honeymoon about his concern over the cake incident and it not being a simple mishap. Kevin was sure Frankie brought it up at Karen’s insistence.
Nonetheless, Kevin opened a case regarding the incident, and now had the video and a confession from a waiter who Shayla paid two-hundred and fifty dollars to let her in the room. The waiter admitted that he knew it was wrong, but the lure of the cash, that would have taken him two weeks to earn at the Gardens, silenced his conscience. He was fired from the Gardens, and Paige wondered what his conscience was saying to him now.
Kevin said Shayla was screaming bloody murder and to arrest Karen, until
he silenced her with that evidence. Getting Frankie off was just as easy. Shayla, in all her planning, didn’t think Frankie would have the voice mails she left claiming someone was breaking in. Turns out Shayla could have been the one arrested but
Frankie and Karen just wanted the night to be over. They told the police officers they would come to the station if they decided to press charges. Paige knew without asking, there would be no charges filed.
After they finished discussing the night’s events, everyone said their goodbyes, and departed from Camille’s apartment. The ladies agreed to meet up the next day for lunch at Momma Gladys’ Restaurant.
Chapter 5
Misunderstood
Karen and Nikki were behind schedule and running late to meet Camille and Paige for lunch. Karen and Frankie had stayed up until the early morning hours talking about the state of their marriage, and Shayla’s interference in it. It had
been an emotional few hours and Karen’s spirit was drained. The thought of the conversation from last night in their bedroom caused her eyes to moisten with tears.
As soon as they tucked Nikki in and left the room, Frankie brought up the night’s events. Karen sighed inwardly because she wanted to forget the night had happened. She was dealing with so many different feelings, ranging from remorse and disappointment, to victory. However, it wasn’t lost on her that if it had not been for Frankie voicing his concern to Kevin about the wedding cake disaster, and the subsequent investigation, she would be downtown in lock-up. She deeply inhaled and braced herself for the ride this conversation would take them on. Hopefully, she thought, they would be on the same road when it was over.
“Babe I’m sorry about what happened tonight, I didn’t think Shayla would do something like that.” Karen, already losing her calm disposition, slammed the earrings she was taking off into her jewelry box. She turned to Frankie with a look of disgust.
Frankie was alarmed by the hateful look displayed on his beauty’s face, but the question that came out of her mouth made a tremor run down his body from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.
“Did you ever think I would do something like that, Hmm? Black out and brutally beat Shayla to a pulp? Huh, Frankie? Did you think I was capable of something like that?” When Frankie’s answer was silence, she continued.
“Frankie, it’s clear to me that you don’t know what a woman scorned is capable of. But I, on the other hand do! I warned you before we went over there that something was up with Shayla. I told you it did not feel right. But because you couldn’t let your ‘girls’ mother’ be harmed we walked into a trap. Now I’m trying to rationalize why Shayla, in her demented mind and ways, is acting as if I broke up your marriage to her. I mean seriously you have been divorced for years and she is choosing to go all fatal attraction. I can’t figure it out, but let me enlighten you on Karen Locke-Jones.” She swallowed deeply and rubbed her throbbing hands together. The beating she had given Shayla had left them sore and aching. Tonight had been a reminder of her younger days, days Frankie didn’t have full disclosure on.
“Frankie I have a history with a gang in Little Rock, Arkansas. I was in it for years after I ran away from home. I broke a lot of laws, and quite a few bones of other people in the name of my street family. Tonight, I went back to a state of mind, I vowed never to visit again. I went to a place where I took justice into my own hands because someone was trying to hurt my family. When I saw Shayla looking victorious because her little set up appeared to be working, I
snapped!” Karen started to pace back and forth as she spoke to Frankie in a tone, he had never heard from her.
“Frankie! I can’t do this. I can’t be in a relationship that causes me to
revert back to those ways. Tonight I behaved in a way…that…that it seems all I’ve been learning in church meant nothing. It’s like my life of prayer didn’t exist and every scripture I knew fell by the wayside. I was back to being a gang banger trying to take out a street rival.” Karen paused then took a seat on the bed as her
legs were about to give out. She sat next to Frankie, who had just moments earlier, moved from their bedroom’s doorway and dropped to the bed to take in her revelations.
“Frankie, I want to love you. I want to be with you, but I can’t if Shayla is allowed to be a part of your life. She will continue to test us and I will hurt her or worse, hurt myself by trying to escape from anger and pain. I haven’t done drugs since I found out I was pregnant with Nikki, but right now a line of coke is screaming my name. I want to answer with a resounding yes and call my supplier. So, while I love you, being tested by the former Mrs. Jones is something I can’t have on repeat. I have a daughter—” Frankie halted Karen’s words as he grabbed her hands and pulled him to her.
“We have a daughter, Karen. We, not just you. We aren’t ending. You won’t have to deal with Shayla. I will handle it. Now that I have you and Nikki in my life—I would be nothing without you. We can go to meetings together, pray, get therapy…we will work on us. You won’t turn back to drugs or the streets. I will handle it, I promise sweetheart.” Frankie attempted to pull her entire body to his, but Karen broke away from him.
“What do you mean, you’ll handle it, did you handle tonight?” That stung
Frankie’s pride but he took it he would not lose her.
“Karen, I admit I was caught off guard, now that I know that Shayla is up to no good, I. Will. Handle. It.” Frankie stood up from the bed; he was not about to continue a conversation that had Karen leaving him in it. There would be no end to them. He went over to her closet and pulled out a chemise for her to sleep in. When he exited her closet he saw she had had moved from the bed to her vanity. He put the chemise next to her. She looked down at the top and then up at him, with a look that clearly asked, “What is this for?”
“I am going to run us some bath water so we can get into a calmer place, then we are going to rest. I don’t know what you were planning to say or do tonight but we are not separating or ending. I love you, we are family, and I will never put you in another position where you have to defend me or us.”
After he had the two-person Jacuzzi tub filled with warm water, and the Coconut Lime bath salts she purchased from Niquel’s Custom Sugar Scrub, he lifted her off the chair and carried her in his arms. He placed her in the tub and slid in behind her. He bathed her and himself. They relaxed and talked for hours. Karen opened up to him about her childhood, gang life, Mario, his death, and the loss of their baby. Frankie seemed to absorb it all and vowed his unwavering love and co
mmitment to their union. Karen decided, during those moments of peace in
the bath with Frankie, that this marriage was the right decision. They were family,
and she wouldn’t allow Shayla or anyone else to make her throw in the towel.
“Mommy did you hear me?” Karen was pulled from her reverie by Nikki’s
pleading voice.
“What did you say baby?”
“I said I’m happy Tee-Tee is my real Tee-Tee.”
“That’s nice, sweetheart. Come on let’s get your hair combed and we can meet her and Paige for lunch.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you tell me?” “Tell you what?”
“Uggh, Mommy, you not hearing me.” “Nikki, Mommy is sorry, tell me again.” “Tee-Tee was your sister.”
“Sweetie, you know mommy and Tee-Tee love each other like sisters, but we are friends. She is your godmother and that's why you call her Tee-Tee. Just like Aunt Paige is your second godmother.”
After Church: Walking Worthy....After the Benediction! (The Greatest Love Series Book 2) Page 9