Playing With Fire: Loyalty Demolished

by Charlee Renea

  Two police cars chased Chris and the helicopter stayed on him. He turned down an alley but couldn’t lose the police. Another police vehicle was waiting for him at the end of the block. Two police officers got out the car and pointed their guns at the now-unmoving vehicle. Chris couldn’t get out of the situation. He placed the car in park.

  “Get out and put your hands up!” the police demanded.

  He lit one of his Newport. He hadn’t thought the outcome would be like this. His gun rested on his leg as he thought about how he should go out. He thought about his daughter and how he’d cheated on Pebbles with Ashley. ‘Do I deserve to live?’ ran through his mind. All his life, he’d lived dirty and now everything was catching up with him. He took one more puff and exited out the car with a Newport dangling from his mouth. He kept his hands up and the police rushed over to put him in handcuffs.

  Bella was arrested and placed in a squad car. Nikki came out, asking Jacob and his guard if they were okay. “Thank you so much!” she told Jacob.

  . . . 17

  She wasn’t surprised to see her sitting at the interrogation table. She’d known eventually they would meet again, hopefully, on a more mature level. She couldn’t understand how a beautiful woman like her could let a man have so much control over her. She deserved better, so why settle? She hoped her plea bargain would get her what she wanted.

  “So, we meet again! How are you?” Pebbles asked Bella.

  Bella wasn’t up for the small talk. She knew exactly who Pebbles was and was curious as to why she was there. To her knowledge, she was a drug cop.

  “I’m great. How about you? I see you enjoy following me around!”

  “Don’t flatter yourself! Strictly business, that’s all.”

  “On a robbery case? Don’t play with me! I’m far from stupid.”

  “If you say so, but, if you were, you wouldn’t be here right now! Now, if you had just played along when you were in prison and had taken the whole deal, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  “I got you as much information as possible; it was your job to do the rest!”

  ~ ~

  Bella in prison . . .

  Pebbles leaned down on the table to talk with Bella so she could hear her clearly, hoping she’d have a change of heart.

  “Bella, he doesn’t care about you! Why do you keep taking up for him?” Pebbles asked, confused. “If he did, he would have paid your lawyer fees so your lawyer could handle your case. Can’t you see what he’s doing?”

  Bella looked straight ahead to avoid eye contact. After not getting a response, she threw her hands up, feeling defenseless. There wasn’t any getting through to her. She was too stuck on the thought of believing he loved her.

  When Bella had finally talked with her lawyer a few days prior, he broke everything down about what was going on with her case, and had her thinking more clearly.

  “My lawyer did confirm he wasn’t paying.”

  Pebbles stopped in her tracks to listen.

  “I’m not sure what he’s doing, so maybe he doesn’t have the money to pay.”

  “Oh, really? So where does he exactly work to even pay your fee? If you come clean, I promise, you will walk! Everything we discuss will be sealed. Don’t allow this man to take control over your life. He’s out living the life with someone else, spending money on her that’s supposed to help you while you’re locked away.”

  “I can’t trust your word, I’ve been backstabbed so much. That’s why I’m in this situation, but, if you show me you’re truly working for me and get me out, I’ll help you. This will be my third appeal and I want it to go through! Afterwards, I’ll let you know anything you need.”

  After Pebbles got Bella’s third appeal to go through, Bella kept up with her promise and told her he bought from a dope boy in Omaha, Nebraska. Bella knew the dope was strong there and she wanted to take attention away from her father and Papa. She wasn’t sure if Ray had a connect there, she just needed something to tell Pebbles so she could get her freedom, considering Ray wasn’t helping like he’d made it seem.

  ~ ~

  Back to the present, Bella’s information hadn’t helped because Pebbles still didn’t have any concrete evidence he was trafficking. He had never done any drug business in front of her, but she wasn’t stupid! If Bella continued to play stupid, she would take her down!

  “That information you gave me wasn't enough! I have no solid evidence he’s selling! Now, if you want to walk freely from this robbery, please stop helping Ray. If you give me concrete evidence, you will walk free from the robbery. I know you don’t want to waste any more time behind bars.”

  Bella didn’t want to waste any more time, but what solid evidence did she have to give that wouldn’t link up with her father and Papa? None! She’d be setting up the whole team and she wasn’t trying to go that route. She was too loyal to her family.

  . . . 18

  Across the hallway . . .

  Shaking his head in disbelief, he wondered how he could have gotten caught up. He’d thought he was the smartest, but she’d outsmarted him this time. ‘Damn!’

  She walked around him sitting at the interrogation table. She was ready for her friend’s sake to put him in prison for all the messed-up things he’d done in the past.

  “So, they have you doing their dirty work?” Chris asked.

  He lit his Newport as Nikki clicked her black heels on the tile floor. He knew from the jump she’d been suspicious because she wasn’t the disloyal type to turn on a friend. She and Pebbles had been friends going on a decade, and they had a close bond . . . until Nikki came at him talking about they’d fallen out over a man.

  He’d played along, knowing it wasn’t like Nikki to fight over a man. Still, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt and started talking to her anyway. He’d thought after giving her the lead by saying Ashley had committed arson, she would back off him and take her shine from that case, but he saw she was trying be greedy with the spotlight! ‘Selfish bitch!’

  He was confident he could talk his way out of the robbery because he’d never mentioned it to Nikki. He could say it was all Bella’s idea. She was an ex-convict who couldn’t get a legal job so getting money any kind of way was detrimental for her.

  “Been my case from the jump. I don’t do dirty work! We left that up to you!”

  Chris took a pull on his cigarette. He needed to calm his nerves. He was hungry for his high.

  “But why? We could still make this work. You got the credit on Ashley. Favor for favor. If I go away, you gon be missing out on this good wood.”

  Nikki started laughing. His sex definitely didn’t have her hooked, plus she had a man of her own who was ten times better at everything, and more importantly, he wasn’t on drugs.

  “Just like she said, you are dumb! The tables are finally turned on you, beating you at your own game, and you can’t take the heat. Maybe if you hadn’t filled your nose up so much, you could have thought straight!”

  “Very funny, but I had nothing to do with the robbery! That was all Bella’s idea. In fact, she asked me for the inside scoop on it and if I wanted to be part of the team. I thought this could be a good opportunity for your case, but you want to take a nigga down, too. Sad.”

  Nikki knew Chris was lying. He really thought she was stupid.

  “Oh, really? Whether it’s true or not, you’re going down! You’re always supposedly looking out for someone’s career; except the one who’s had your back through thick and thin, you dropped her and couldn’t care less where she ended up! Now that’s sad!”

  “Oh, so everything is making sense now! You’re taking up for Pebbles. I should have known!”

  “That was a dirty move you pulled on her.”

  “She wasn’t with the program! She knew what she was doing!”

  “She knew exactly what she was doing! Her fucking job! Arresting everyone who was responsible for trafficking drugs. Not just Ashley! Ray, too!”

  Durin
g the time Bella’s case was reopened, Pebbles and Chris had been partners. They were lovers also and had been dating for a while. Chris had become very arrogant after moving up in position by taking Bella down and thinking Ashley wanted him. He was a sucka for high-yellow women, and he’d fallen right into Ashley’s trap, causing him to betray the woman who’d had his back from the start—Pebbles.

  They were engaged and in the process of trying to start a family. After meeting Ashley, he’d started disrespecting Pebbles by staying out all hours of the night and talking to Ashley on the phone in front of her face. Pebbles loved him and thought it was a phase, but she wasn’t fooled when she’d found out there was a possibility he might have fathered her child. It had hurt her deeply because she’d just had a miscarriage caused from being under stress from work, but mostly him. Chris showed no signs of care or concern. He was too selfish and only worried about himself.

  Their problems escalated even more when he and Pebbles became work partners. Chris felt okay partnering up with her because he thought he could control her and she would do everything his way. He was wrong! She wanted to take Ray down, too, but that wasn’t Chris’ plan, so he’d let her go as his partner. He told her boss she hadn’t been doing her job correctly and needed more training.

  Now Chris sat with a dumbfounded look on his face, thinking that all the disloyalty he’d dished out was coming back on him. He never thought the tables would turn and he’d be labeled as the criminal. He’d fucked over a good woman for a whore who didn’t even want him to begin with. He placed his head on the table, not wanting to talk anymore. What more could he say? He was going to prison. He just hoped he didn’t get convicted for being responsible for burning down Ashley’s shop. At this moment, he didn’t know what Nikki and Pebbles had up their sleeves. ‘Fucking bitches! How could I have let them outsmart me?’ He was the one who was supposed to be on top, but the higher you are, the harder you fall!

  “What’s wrong? You don’t have anything to say?” Nikki asked.

  She knew she had him and he’d crumbled like a cookie just like she’d expected. The ones who try to play the tough role and believed nothing could happen to them got proven wrong every time. She felt bad he’d let his higher position take control and now everyone in the department was laughing at him. He wasn’t highly favored to begin with, considering he was an African American male, so he’d had to work twice as hard to reach his level.

  He lifted his head up from his hands. “I have nothing else to say and would like a lawyer present.”

  Nikki ended the interrogation. She had all she needed to have him arrested. Her job was done and her friend Pebbles would be happy to know he was going down.

  . . . 19

  Nikki walked into the last interrogation room to get Jacob’s statement. He’d been there all evening and was starting to grow impatient. He had his head laying on the table when she walked in. She rubbed his back and he sat up.

  “Hey; are you doing okay?” she asked.

  “Just about to doze off. Is everything settled?” He leaned back in the seat.

  “We’re getting there. Just need your statement then you’re free to leave.”

  Nikki placed the tape recorder on the table and pressed play. She was drained; she had been waiting for this day for a long time. She stated her information and gave him the signal to start talking.

  Jacob explained everything, not leaving out any details. He started back to when he’d first met Bella at the bank, how she’d grabbed his attention, them going to Vegas, and him giving her inside information about his job as he’d been instructed to do. Then he explained in detail the day of the robbery and how Bella had jumped out the truck to help Chris.

  ‘If only she had stayed in the truck!’ If she had, only Chris would be facing criminal charges. He’d wanted badly to warn her to change her mind and just let Chris go through with the robbery. She could have gotten paid in the end and been free. He knew about her background and how she’d just been recently released from prison. He hated to see women do stupid things to risk their freedom and that was why he didn’t date women of that caliber. Now she was about to leave her child again and faced more prison time. This time he wondered how she was going to get out so quickly.

  Due to his job, he had been working with the Feds a long time. People believed they could actually rob a Brinks truck and get away with it. He was specially-trained for his job and was on two different payrolls. When this job was approaching, Nikki had introduce him to the players.

  ~ ~

  Jacob sat at the meeting table in the Los Angeles Police Department. Nikki offered him coffee; he declined and wanted a Pepsi instead. She got him what he wanted to make him feel comfortable during the meeting. She pressed play on the tape recorder and stated her name and badge number.

  “Hello. How are you today?” she asked him.

  He sat in the chair calmly with confidence. “Doing great and you?’

  “I couldn’t be better. Now the reason for bringing you in today is to discuss a big job that’s approaching a month from now. A private business wants their billion dollars transported. Detective Chris Williams out of the Kansas City Police Department knows about it and is plotting to interfere. At the moment, we don’t know who else may be plotting as well. I’m asking you to be very careful of your surroundings and any new company you might attract. You know how we do!”

  They had been placed in this situation many times before and had been lucky enough to get out safely.

  “Yes, I’ll be very aware!”

  “Now, if Chris goes through with his plan, this will be a big break in my career, and I’m ready!” She was ready to move up to be a lead detective.

  “I’m ready to help make that happen for you. We’re on the same page.”

  ~ ~

  Nikki was smiling hard when she left the room with Jacob. She knew her homegirl would be pleased about Chris and Bella. Nikki wasn’t really tripping on Bella and would possibly pull some strings to get her off the hook. She’d gotten her who she wanted—Chris and more. She started thinking about her family and how she was missing them. Her other siblings stayed in different cities and her mother stayed in Kansas City. After she sealed the deal with this job, she planned to take some vacation time to spend time with her friend. She didn’t have any children or a husband, just a close friend she worked with. Working long hours often left her lonely.

  She met Pebbles in another room and nobody else was around. She was ready to deliver her some good news and also see what she had to say about Bella.

  “Wassup, girl?” she said, walking into the room.

  “I saw him breaking down,” Pebbles said.

  “Girl! Then he said, since he got me Ashley’s case, I should do him a favor! Nigga must be out of his mind!”

  They both started laughing.

  “Nigga’s crazy!”

  “What’s up with Bella?”

  “She isn’t saying much, still taking up for Ray. I thought she’d be smarter than that!”

  They watched as the police officers had Chris in handcuffs walking him down the hall. It was sad to see a man doing stupid stuff, risking his job.

  He couldn’t even look Pebbles’ way when they walked him into the hallway. He was too ashamed and felt bad about how he’d treated her. If he hadn’t let his dick overpower his mind, he wouldn’t be in the situation he was in. Pebbles had been hard on him for a good reason—to keep this from happening, him being the laugh of the town and his workplace. He didn’t want to listen and thought he knew it all.

  He looked at Nikki in hopes she’d fall for the sadness in his eyes he displayed so she could possibly work her magic. She rolled her eyes, not feeling bad for him. He was a grown man who hadn’t played the game right. It wasn’t her problem or her concern.

  ~ ~

  Chris was being charged with first-degree robbery because he’d been in the meeting about the company who wanted their money transferred a month prior
to the robbery. He was awaiting trial and presumed innocent until proven guilty.

  Bella was arrested and charged with second-degree robbery. Nikki was able to get her charge reduced down to second degree because she made it seem like Chris had pressured her into robbing the truck. She was awaiting trial and presumed innocent until proven guilty.

  ~ ~

  After a long day, Nikki headed to her hotel room. She took her heels off and crashed on the bed when she got in. She was happy to finally be on vacation and spend some time with him. Her phone started ringing and she grabbed it out of her purse.

  “I’m downstairs,” his sexy, deep voice said.

  She’d waited all day to hear those words. She told him what room she was in and he told her he’d be right up. She hurriedly stripped out of her clothes, went through her bag looking for her silk robe, and put it on along with her pumps. It had been a while since they’d had some personal time together, and her body was overdue for his loving. She picked up her clothes off the floor and threw them in the closet.

  His signature knock sounded at the door. She looked through the peephole and he stood on the other side of the door looking handsome. She opened it, pulled him in by the collar of his uniform shirt, and shut the door behind him.