“Montez, I can’t come up with that kind of money by myself.” Janiyah tried not to let the fear be revealed in her voice.
“Oh, you can come up with most of it, I’m sure.” Montez smirked. “When my boy did his body snatching this morning, he found two thousand in the safe, and he relieved you of that gun you thought you still had at the head of your bed.”
Janiyah cursed herself. The gun was the first thing she was going to reach for when she got home. Without it, she no longer felt safe.
“But some of the money I’d have to have him sign off on before it’s withdrawn from the account,” Janiyah told him.
“I’ll let Gun go for two hours next Friday so y’all can go to the bank or whatever, so make your arrangements wisely beforehand. Whatever the two of you don’t come up with, I’ll have to sell you to the highest bidder in Venezuela to get that dough after I kill your husband.”
Janiyah felt her soul jolt. She knew this man was serious. They said that before Satan got thrown out of Heaven, he was the most beautiful creature on earth. Montez had to be his earthly representative while Satan reigned in hell.
Now that she’d said his name, she remembered Gun telling her about him. Gun and Montez had partnered up on a deal. Something went wrong with the shipment, and the deal fell through. Montez had been rivals with Gun ever since. Montez was adamant that Gun was to blame for what had happened, and he refused to let it go. He was sneaky and ruthless, and Janiyah knew that Montez had the police force in his back pocket. Montez’s mom was a sheriff for the county, and his father was a councilman. That was how Montez got away with all his crimes throughout the years.
Without warning, Montez grabbed Janiyah’s neck and started giving it the same treatment he’d given her wrists earlier. “You’d like to have my money by six p.m. next Friday. Come to this same room with my cash, and I’ll grant you his freedom and the negatives to the lovemaking session you and your husband had.”
Montez let Janiyah’s neck go, and Janiyah massaged it. “It was you,” she strained to reply.
“My father owned the building your photo shoot took place in,” Montez explained. “That’s what brought Gun back on my radar. My father uses the building for many purposes and has always had security cameras placed in all of the rooms and outside the property. I saw the pictures you took, and then I saw the two of you in the dressing room. Watching the two of you did someth—”
“You’re very nasty.” Janiyah cut him off.
A smile appeared on Montez’s face. “You’re the adventurous type yourself.” Montez complimented Janiyah. “I can’t wait to see you again. Maybe I’ll let you feel it next time, and we can make our own video.”
Janiyah quickly got up and made her exit out of the hotel room. She wasn’t going to let Montez feel anything if she could help it. She wondered where Montez was hiding Gun, and if he was okay. Janiyah wished she could talk to him so that she’d know for herself that he was safe. But Janiyah knew that Gun had to at least be alive if Montez was allowing her to get the funds together.
At least she hoped he was.
Chapter Twenty
It was two hours before school would start, and two days since she’d seen Montez. Janiyah had already told Principal Kenyatta that Gun had a family emergency and would not be in that morning. While it wasn’t completely a lie, Janiyah hated the thought that she deceived the man just the same.
How was she going to get seventy-five thousand dollars all by herself? That was the question she had pondered over the last two days. There was sixteen thousand dollars in a joint savings account that she and Gun had established before she went to jail. Both of them contributed to the account equally. They had just discussed using the money from the account to the pay the arrears on the child support payments to Tanisha. That would leave them with seven thousand to start with when she was released.
Unknown to Gun and most people, Janiyah had her own money market account with about five thousand in it. That was where she put away a portion of her modeling money. She seldom touched the account, as she and Gun had learned to live well within their means. One of the perks of being a model was the ability to keep many of the clothes she modeled in, which was good for church because she didn’t have too many pieces she couldn’t wear there. Gun had suits from his past life, but Gun was the perfect size to get some of the new pieces that were left as samples from photo shoots.
The twelve thousand in cash was what she had access to at the moment. The rest was where it got tricky. A few years prior, Gun had purchased Janiyah and himself matching 2010 Honda Accords. His was an electric blue color, and hers was off-white. Both cars together could easily net them twenty-five thousand dollars, but the chances of finding a buyer for even one of the cars by Friday would be difficult at best. She probably would get less than half of that if they went to a car dealership that would give them cash for their cars. And Janiyah would need Gun to take out a loan on either car, since both cars were registered to them jointly.
Then there was their modular home and the land it sat on. Gun had initially had the house designed and built for one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, a year before he got the cars. The acre of land the house now sat on was bought for about thirty thousand dollars near Candler, which was a few miles from town. Gun had intended to farm vegetables and fruits, and he and Janiyah had talked about opening their own fresh market stand, but neither one of them had gotten around to getting seeds for their ill-fated garden. They did keep it mowed regularly and discussed where they were going to plant their garden. Also, there was talk of building a playground for Nia and the children they wanted to have together.
Their original plans had obviously all been put on hold when Janiyah was sent to prison. Since she’d gotten out, they hadn’t had a chance to set any of them back in motion yet. The good thing was that Gun had paid off the house and the land when he retired from the drug game. The problem was that it would be practically impossible to find someone that would be able to buy the house and land in cash, and especially on such short notice. She was even willing to take half of what they had paid to get her husband back, but again, finding a buyer would be nothing short of a miracle. Also, the home and land were considered by many to be one fixture. They had been approached by a few banks to sell the property to them, but Gun had always refused. Selling the house would mean they’d have to start all over, and Gun didn’t want the extravagance or the upkeep that could come with building a new house. Also, most of his neighbors owned mobile homes, so not having a modular home could possibly put him in conflict with those whom they were on speaking terms with. Janiyah considered going to the bank and asking if their offer to purchase was still available, but even if they said yes, the bank would probably take months to process all of the paperwork.
Janiyah exhaled deeply and tried to push her immediate troubles to the side. She walked to the closet and pulled out a navy blue blazer and matching skirt. She found a nice button-up, a dark blue ruffle tie, and complimentary heels that would go with the ensemble.
Janiyah walked to the bathroom and turned on the water for a shower. She disrobed, grabbed a wash cloth and a bath towel, and placed them on the counter. Janiyah found her hair bonnet on the back of the bathroom door and put it on to protect the relaxer she still had in place.
Once she stepped in the shower, she opened the canister that had some homemade lavender and vanilla body scrub she’d made. As the fragrance hit her nose, she felt herself calming and her mind being put at ease. The worry spirit was defeated and kept at bay—at least for a little while.
Chapter Twenty-one
“Your photo shoot was beautiful.” Montez applauded as he followed Janiyah to a conference room in the church. The fact that he knew she had a photo shoot disturbed Janiyah.
Janiyah’s heart skipped a beat. The Omaria Hampton Collection had called her at the spur of the moment to have her model some evening wear for an upcoming event. The pictures would be used for exclusive flyer
s and promotional materials they were making.
She turned around to face him. She could tell that his Giorgio Armani suit was custom fit to his frame. With his purple Burberry tie, VVS diamond cuff links, and Audemars Piguet watch, Janiyah was convinced that Montez had a direct connection to Beyoncé.
At first she wasn’t convinced that meeting Montez in the church was a good idea, but Montez had her screwed. She either met with him in private and took the risk of him trying to rape her again, or she met him in a place where other people were around. Having them around made her feel a little safer, but then she took the risk of someone eavesdropping and gossiping about her even more. She chose the lesser of the two evils.
“Come in.” Janiyah stepped aside and allowed Montez to enter the room first.
“Thank you for welcoming me.” Montez was sarcastic as he plopped himself in the soft red leather chair that faced her. He comfortably lifted his right leg and crossed it over his left.
“This building isn’t mine, and I have no choice but to welcome you.” Janiyah took a deep breath to stop herself from saying more and making him angry enough to attack.
“I was wondering if you were ready to make a partial payment today.” Montez reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small sales receipt book. “I also wanted to give you the receipt for the two thousand I collected the other day.”
“Okay, first of all . . .” Janiyah’s voice was firm, like she was getting ready to tell his high and mighty tail off. “I’m sure I can speak for my husband when I say we did not give you two thousand dollars. You stole it from us. Let’s make that perfectly clear.”
“But Mrs. Wade—” Montez started to interject, but Janiyah quickly cut him off.
“Second, I don’t have a payment to give to you today. I’m not about to give you the church’s tithes and offerings to satisfy any debt we may have. That money belongs to God,” Janiyah asserted. Just the thought of robbing anyone at the school or the students sent a shiver down her spine. Gun and Janiyah often donated twenty percent of their combined yearly salary back to the church to help fund its various ministries.
“I didn’t ask you for the church’s money.” Montez forcefully leaned himself up and got in Janiyah’s face. “I’m asking for my money that you and your husband owe me. Don’t tell me you can’t go to the bank and make a withdrawal.”
“Yeah, tomorrow when the bank opens, I will see what I need to do. But let me tell you something.” Janiyah walked around her desk and got in Montez’s face. “I am not now, nor have I ever been, anyone’s punk. And if you bogart your way into my house or my church ever again, I will have your ashes under your mother’s office with a note that says this is what happens to misfits who threaten me.”
Montez’s face got red. “And how long did you rehearse that in your mind before you spit that line to me?”
“I—” Janiyah was going to say something else smart and borderline unladylike when Mother Shirley walked into the room. Janiyah quickly formed her lips into a smile as she slowly backed away from Montez.
“Good afternoon, Sis—” Montez was interrupted by Mother Shirley reaching up and grabbing a piece of Montez’s ear. She twisted it and guided him out the door.
“Bye, young man,” Mother Shirley said. “Janiyah and I have business for the church to attend to.” Mother Shirley slammed the door behind him. Janiyah was shocked that the older lady had manhandled that brute. She made a note to herself to try that move next time.
“Mother Shirley.” Janiyah tried to save face and offer her the seat Montez had been sitting in.
Mother Shirley lifted her hand up. “I knew that boy was trouble when I saw him follow you into the office. Now, outside, I arranged for some non-uniformed policemen to kindly escort him away from the building so you can work.”
“You called the police?” Janiyah was shocked.
“Baby girl, have you forgotten about the life I’ve lived? Trust, he don’t want it with me.” Mother Shirley took a seat and put her purse on the desk. “Now tell me, sweetheart, what kind of trouble are you and Gun into with that man, and how much is it going to cost to get you out?”
Janiyah wanted to lie, but she couldn’t. Mother Shirley was a church mentor and prayer warrior, and she truly had the gift of discernment. She’d read Janiyah like she wrote the book. “Seventy-five thousand dollars. Allegedly, Gun owes him some money for some drugs he used to sell back in the day.”
Mother Shirley nodded her head. “That’s some bull; I can tell you that much.”
Janiyah was shocked. In the time she’d known Mother Shirley, she’d never known Mother Shirley to come close to cursing.
“Janiyah, let me let you in on some secrets. When you and Gun bring a baby into the world—and you will soon—you will develop what is known in the earthly realm as mother’s intuition. I have four sons—two of whom played professional football and two of whom work for the State Bureau. I also raised half of the men on the deacon board for the church, as well as Principal Kenyatta. When he told me the story you told him about why Gun wouldn’t be at service this morning, I knew something was wrong.”
“I didn’t lie to—” Janiyah started to defend herself.
“And I never said you did.” Mother Shirley cut her off. “You probably don’t know this, but I was with Gun or keeping tabs on him when he paid off several people he owed debts to when he quit the drug game. I explained to him that that was how I was able to walk away and never look back. If you wanna come out alive and not leave enemies behind, you got to suck it up and cut your losses. Gun did exactly what he was supposed to do and how he was supposed to do it. How else do you think the two of you got my blessings to be leaders in this church? I saw the action myself.
“Gun paid Montez fifty-five thousand. Fifty for the bad deal that went down for the Mollies in the Carolinas, the Virginias, and Kentucky, and he added ten percent interest. The truth is, Montez owes Gun twenty thousand dollars because Montez shorted him. Gun let the debt go because he was leaving the game for good, and he wanted a clean slate with everyone.”
Janiyah was shocked that Mother Shirley not only knew Montez’s name, but also knew so many details about Gun’s affairs. She didn’t even know as much as Mother Shirley. But she was relieved that Mother Shirley had so much knowledge and experience. She also appreciated that Mother Shirley seemed completely unfazed by what was going on and wasn’t passing any judgment. The truth was Mother Shirley had nothing but love for them.
“Why does Montez need another seventy-five thousand, and why us?” Janiyah let a tear fall from her face. Her head hurt, and the last thing she wanted to do was pay money they didn’t owe to anyone.
“Because Montez knew that Gun wasn’t going to take it to the streets. But Montez doesn’t know how I get down. He must not have been told about Big Shirley, otherwise he wouldn’t be messing with my babies. Now, you and Gun are two of my children, and despite my age, I always take care of my own.” Mother Shirley’s revelation was making sense. Montez had pegged Gun as weak, and he thought that he’d be able to extort the money from them. “But don’t you worry about the money. I will take care of it.”
Janiyah stood up, and Mother Shirley rose with a quickness. “Mother Shirley, I can’t let you do that. I have some of the money.”
“And I have all of the money.” Mother Shirley was firm.
Janiyah bowed her head. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Now, this is what we are going to do. When are you supposed to have the money to him by?” Mother Shirley asked as she reached up and wiped a tear from Janiyah’s face.
“Friday at six p. m. I’m supposed to meet him at a room at the Comfort Inn that he rented out in Burlington.”
“Tell him you’ll have the money on Tuesday at one p.m. He can pick it up at the church.”
Janiyah didn’t have an answer for that. She wanted to ask Mother Shirley how she came up with seventy-five thousand dollars, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Janiyah prayed th
at Mother Shirley wasn’t cashing out her retirement accounts, but she knew that whatever Mother Shirley had planned, she was going to follow through with it.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” Janiyah conceded.
“Good girl,” Mother Shirley said as she opened the door. “Now, you go home and get you some rest. Don’t think about Montez, and trust and believe that Gun is going to be okay. You are going to have to be ready to do war with Montez in a few days, and I need to make sure you’re prepared.”
“Mother Shirley?” Janiyah asked as she was headed out the door. “What makes you say Gun and I will bring a baby into the world soon?”
“Because your pregnant, darling,” Mother Shirley replied matter-of-factly.
“How are you certain that I’m pregnant? I haven’t missed my period yet, and I have no symptoms.”
“Let’s just say I know you as well as I know my children.” Mother Shirley smiled. “I can’t wait to watch you and Gun be the model parents I know the two of you can be. Now, you just get some rest, and I’ll stop by and check on you tomorrow.”
Janiyah and Mother Shirley walked out of the office. Some plainclothes police officers were standing a few feet away, and a few other men from the force were standing at strategic spots down the hallway and at the doors leading to the sanctuary. Janiyah was impressed because she hadn’t given a sign that she was in danger, but knowing they were ready brought her peace.
Without words, Janiyah reached into her pocketbook and took out the keys to her Honda and handed them to one of the officers. He led the way as he escorted them to their cars. The police officer took Mother Shirley to her car first, and another police officer got in the backseat of the car. Mother Shirley drove slowly, but eventually, she was out of the parking lot.
“I don’t know where Gun is,” the officer offered as he walked her to her car. “But I trust and believe he will come home soon.”
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