by D. Camille
“I learned that there were many places far worse than this city and that at least here I’d had unconditional love and support.”
Benjamin placed a hand on her back and Mac glanced over at Brandon.
“It took years to get myself together and by that time, my parents said it was too late. Tauri had settled into her life with them and they wouldn’t let me turn her world upside down and I agreed. I’d done enough to hurt them.”
Victoria looked at Benjamin. “I still can’t believe you wanted me here knowing this.”
“The woman I know is not that girl. She doesn’t run from her problems,” he said quietly. “I watched you in that village giving medical care to the women and children and I saw you stand up to the people who tried to stop you. I didn’t know that girl who ran away, but the woman I know is stronger than she ever imagined.”
“I hope so…” Victoria whispered. “I’m going to need it.”
“So Dr. Patterson, where did you end up going to school?” Brandon asked.
Victoria turned her gaze on him. “When I left Detroit, I stopped in Ohio for a while. I didn’t want to go too far in case I changed my mind. I worked for years and took classes until I met a professor who was transferring to Paris. She knew my dream had always been to leave the States and offered me the opportunity to travel with her. I was accepted into the Université Pierre et Marie Curie.” She spoke the name in perfect French.
“As a part of the requirements that paid for my school, I had to spend time volunteering in areas that lacked adequate medical care.” She turned to Benjamin. “Which is how I met your father.”
“I thought about my family all the time. The only thing that got me through was knowing that Tauri was in the best possible care. My parents would never allow anything to happen to her, they’d protect her like they’d protected me.”
“I just hoped that she wouldn’t turn out like I did,” she finished quietly.
Benjamin took her hand. “Tauri is an amazing young woman. She’s smart, strong and one hell of a lawyer. Rion is a lucky man to have her.”
“He’s known all over the world. When I saw that she married Orion Shaw, I was in shock,” Victoria admitted. “How did the two of them meet?”
“Rion came home to Detroit and had a case through our office. Tauri was the lead and the rest was history,” Brandon explained. “He was looking for his goddess and Tauri was it.”
“His goddess?” Victoria asked.
Mac smiled. “You’ll understand when you meet them.”
Benjamin stood to his feet. “I need to check on dinner.” Looking at Mac, he said, “Do you mind giving me a hand Chief Green?”
Mac looked surprised then said quickly, “Of course.”
She glanced at Brandon as she got to her feet and he watched in suspicion as Mac followed his father out of the room.
He turned back to Victoria and put a patented smile on his face. “Clearly my father wants us to talk, so my question, Dr. Patterson, is why are you here?”
******
In the kitchen, Mac looked at the Judge. “So did you want me out of the room?
Benjamin took her hand. “I wanted both of us out of the room. My son needs to quell his doubts.”
“He does have those,” Mac admitted.
“I know. I want him to get his questions out now and to hear the answers from Victoria.”
Mac nodded. “I understand.”
Benjamin turned to the oven, where a casserole was cooking. “May I ask you something Judge?”
He turned back to her. “Of course. What is it?”
Leaning against the counter, she stared at him. “Why didn’t you try to put Brandon and Tauri together?”
“I mean they’re in the same line of work and you speak very highly of her,” Mac pointed out.
Benjamin smiled. “First of all, I’ve always known who had my son’s heart and I was ecstatic that it was you.” He took Mac’s hand again. “Secondly, I knew one day the boy would wake up and see you as more than a friend.”
“And lastly, I’d hoped that one day Tauri would become my step-daughter, not my daughter-in-law.”
Mac smiled. “That would’ve been kind of strange for them to then become siblings.”
“You, my dear have given my son the life back that he lost when his mother died. I see a different man now, and I’m so thankful to you.” He squeezed her hand which held the large diamond on her finger.
“Ohh, Judge Williams…I’m so touched.” Mac said emotionally. “I love Brandon so much.”
“I know you do and I knew you were strong enough to bring him out of that self-imposed exile.”
Mac looked at the Judge. “Do you think he’ll come around with Victoria?”
Benjamin turned back to the stove. “They’ll be fine.”
******
Victoria Patterson took a deep breath. Benjamin had told her that his son had questions and he wanted Brandon to hear the answers from her to form his own conclusions.
“I’m back to be with the man that I fell in love with and to try to make amends with the family I left behind.”
“Do you have an agenda?” he asked in his prosecutor’s tone.
Victoria shook her head. “No, Brandon I don’t. It’s taken me a long time to get the courage to come back here to stay.”
“I was here when Tauri was pregnant and visited my parents. I promised them then that I didn’t want any problems and I meant it.”
Brandon looked at the woman who Tauri resembled so much. “Tauri and Rion are my very close friends and I’ll do anything to protect them.”
“I understand and I assure you that I’m not here to hurt them,” Victoria promised. “Or your father.”
“Benjamin is a wonderful man. He’s been so good to me and I can’t believe that he still wants me. I wouldn’t come here to destroy his world.”
Brandon looked up when Mac and Benjamin returned, then watched as she took her seat. Benjamin looked at Victoria in question and she smiled at him.
“Dinner is almost ready,” Benjamin announced then turned to Brandon. “Did you get your answers?”
Brandon looked at his father. “Enough for now.”
Benjamin nodded. “Well let’s eat.”
******
Tremaine walked into the hospital followed by a police officer. His brother, Terrance was still hospitalized but recovering from his injuries which had been extensive. Passing another officer standing in the hall, he entered the room and walked over to the bed.
“Hey Bro,” Tremaine said looking down at his sibling. He could now see his face again after all of swelling and bruising had dissipated.
“Hey, what up doe?” Terrance answered.
“How are you feeling?”
Terrance laid back. “Bro, I thought I was dead man. That chick is raw, she really had them beat my ass and try to kill me.” He looked at Tremaine. “She said she was coming after you next.”
“The chief still has me in protective custody,” Tremaine explained. “I got the police with me all the time.”
Terrance looked at him. “You know it was the police that beat my ass?”
“They been arrested,”
“Don’t trust these dudes, man.” Terrance stressed. “You know she want us.”
Tremaine sighed. “Man, she on house arrest.”
“She coldblooded, I’m telling you. I don’t even think I’m going to make it to testify against her, for real.”
Tremaine frowned. “Don’t say that man. When you get out of here, we’re gonna do this testifying gig and then dip out of Detroit.”
“Where?” Terrance asked.
“The Negus are hooking us up.”
Terrance looked surprised. “For real?”
“Fa’sho, they told me. The lawyer dude came and talked to me, the one running for Mayor.” Tremaine told him. “He’s booed up with the chief.”
Terrance smiled. “Chief Green is bad though.”
Tremaine smiled too. “Yeah, she thick and fine.”
Both of them laughed as the hospital door opened suddenly. Jumping slightly, Tremaine turned toward the door then smiled.
“Hey, Lenny.”
They watched as Lenny met them at the bed. “What’s up y’all?” He looked at Tremaine. “Man, we ain’t seen you since the funeral.”
Tremaine nodded. “Yeah, I know. I been laying low.”
Lenny looked at the bed. “So what’s up with you? Getting better?”
Terrance looked at his cousin. “Yeah, I’m hanging…” He glanced at Tremaine then back at Lenny. “What you up to?”
“Since I got out of the hospital, I just been chilling. Still have to go to therapy and shit.”
“I’m still messed up about Auntie Beverly,” Tremaine told them.
Terrance shook his head. “Our family has been through a lot of shit.”
Lenny agreed. “I know, I was just coming to the party to get a plate and took a damn bullet.”
“I’m outta this game,” Terrance said adamantly. “I learned my lesson.”
“I told you not to get caught up in this shit in the first place,” Tremaine told him.
Terrance shrugged. “I had to do what I had to do.”
“So what y’all doing when you get out T?” Lenny asked Terrance.
“Don’t know.”
Terrance looked at his brother giving him a silent message.
Lenny nodded. “What about you Tremaine? What you got up?”
Tremaine shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Y’all still testifying against the Councilwoman?” Lenny asked.
“She’s the reason Auntie Beverly is gone,” Tremaine told him.
Lenny shrugged. “She didn’t kill her. Those two little bitches was the ones shooting at everybody. They the ones that need to go to jail and them crooked ass cops.”
“Are you testifying against the shooters?” Terrance asked.
“Hell yeah! They little asses going down.”
Tremaine stared at his cousin. “But you want the Councilwoman to walk?”
“She didn’t make nobody shoot at us,” Lenny told them. “Look, I’m your big cousin and I’m going to always look out for y’all.”
“Since your momma passed, haven’t I been around for y’all?” he asked.
They both nodded and Terrance asked, “What do you want us to do?”
“Well, this is how it needs to go down…”
******
Mac was enjoying her dinner with Brandon, his father and Victoria when her phone rang. Looking over at Brandon, she said, “I’m sorry,” before walking away from the table.
Brandon watched her go with concern on his face.
“She’s the chief,” his father commented.
He turned back to Benjamin. “I know.”
“Do you worry about her?” Victoria asked.
He nodded. “Of course, but she knows what she’s doing.”
Mac returned to the table a few minutes later and walked over to Brandon. He stood and looked down at her.
“I have to go. I have a situation that I need to handle.” She told him quietly.
Brandon nodded and she turned to the couple. “It was a pleasure to meet you Dr. Patterson and Judge Williams, thank you for dinner.”
“Be safe out there Chief Green,” Judge Williams told her.
“I always am.”
Quietly Brandon walked her to the door and outside. “Talk to me,” he told her.
“Something’s up with Tremaine.”
Brandon frowned. “Is he alright?”
“He may not be for long.” She reached her car and turned to him. Kissing him quickly, she opened the door. “I love you, I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.”
Brandon held the door until she was seated. “I love you too Mackenzie and I’ll be waiting.”
Mac smiled at him as he closed the door. Brandon stood and watched until her car disappeared then went back inside to the table.
“Are you okay?” Benjamin asked.
Brandon picked up his glass. “Like you said, she’s the chief and this just comes with the territory.”
He took a sip and sat back, knowing that he would be counting the minutes until he heard from her and could breathe again…
Chapter 23
Attorney Hamilton arrived at Patrice’s home with good news. She ushered him quickly inside and they sat in her living room.
“Well?” Patrice asked impatiently.
He smiled. “I got a call this morning from the Head Prosecutor. He wants me to bring you into his office.”
Patrice’s eyes lit up. “He wants to offer a plea bargain,” she said smugly. “I told you he didn’t have anything.”
“Well, he lost two key witnesses so he has no choice,” the attorney corrected.
She laughed. “Wave a few dollars in black people’s faces and they’ll turn on their momma or in this case, their cousins.”
Attorney Hamilton shook his head. “It was like taking candy from dumb ass babies.”
“Good job. I knew you had it in you.” Patrice told him. “I’m not paying you all this money for nothing.”
“I should ask for more. I could get disbarred for stuff like this.”
Patrice rolled her eyes. “Stop whining. You want to play with the big girls, this is the price you’ve got to pay.”
“Can you get ready? We have to be there in an hour.” He told her pointedly.
Patrice got to her feet with a smile. “I think I’ll wear green to match Brandon’s eyes.”
“Don’t be antagonistic Patrice. Just let the man do his job,” the attorney warned.
She huffed. “He swore he’d never offer a deal, now he’s crawling on his knees and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”
Patrice walked out of the room and the attorney shook his head. This woman was something else and he couldn’t wait to be done with her. He’d put a lot on the line tracking down the man who’d been also injured in the park shooting and convincing him to get his cousins to skip town.
Terrance had checked himself out of the hospital a few days ago and both he and Tremaine had dodged police custody and disappeared. Yesterday, the local newspaper ran a front page article, written by Cynthia Walters, about the two cousins; asking for any information on their whereabouts to assist the police in locating them.
With those two out of the picture and no one else willing to testify, the Head Prosecutor had no choice but to offer some type of deal. He hoped that Patrice would be gracious and work with both Prosecutor Patterson-Shaw and Williams, but knowing her…she wouldn’t. She’d do everything possible to rub it in their faces.
Patrice had clearly won this round, but he wondered if the battle would be over. Head Prosecutor Williams was not the type of man who liked to lose and he’d certainly count this as a loss. What would be his next course of action?
When Patrice returned, she sported a clingy green dress with sexy high heels underneath the tether on her leg. The smile on her face was wicked as she grabbed her bag. “This thing really messes up my ensemble, but he’ll get the picture.”
She walked to the door and Attorney Hamilton followed slowly. He hoped they would get this over quickly and without any unnecessary drama.
******
Brandon sat behind his desk and stared across at Tauri. They were waiting for Patrice and her attorney to arrive.
“Are you ready to do this?” he asked.
Tauri’s light brown eyes narrowed. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Brandon shook his head. “I can’t believe this.”
She agreed. “We’ll have the tether removed when she gets here.”
“I’ve arranged for that,” Brandon confirmed.
Tauri now shook her own head. “I’m so glad you’re marrying Mac. Your taste in women hasn’t exactly been the best.”
Brandon frowned at her. “Thank you.”
She shrugged. “I’m just s
aying, Lisa and now Patrice. Are there any more of them running around the city?”
“My taste in women has nothing to do with this,” Brandon argued.
“You would need to prove that case.”
Brandon sat up. “Let’s just stay on task. Even though I’m not paying you, I’m still in charge of this department,” he pointed out.
Tauri sighed. “I’m sorry Brandon, that was out of line. You know that I respect you as the Head Prosecutor more than anyone.” She looked away.
“Are you worried about meeting your mother tonight?” he asked.
Her eyes met his. “I don’t know what to think about that situation,” she confessed. “I don’t even know who she is.”
“I’ve met her Tauri, and all I can say is that she looks just like you and Granny Patterson. She appears to be remorseful regarding her choices in the past and she’s adamant that she’s not here to cause problems.”
“I’m just on edge today and I’ve been driving Orion crazy as well,” she explained.
“He’s your husband, you’re supposed to drive him crazy.” Brandon told her. “In fact, I’m looking forward to Mackenzie doing the same.”
Brandon’s phone buzzed alerting them that Patrice had arrived. He stood and fixed his tie before looking over at Tauri.
“Showtime…” he told her.
Standing as well and smoothing down the blazer to her pantsuit, Tauri nodded then Brandon went to open the door.
Patrice entered the room with a smile and sashayed over to one of the empty seats. Everyone followed occupying chairs while Brandon sat behind his desk.
He looked over Patrice in her green dress and mockery in her eyes then moved to her attorney who looked both guilty and nervous.
“Let me begin by thanking you for coming in to the office,” Brandon said slowly.
Patrice smiled. “I was waiting for your call.”
Brandon lifted a brow over serious green eyes. “Really, I didn’t even know that I was going to be making that call.”
“I know you thought that, but I told you.” She gloated.
Tauri and the attorney watched the conversation silently.
“Yes, you were confident,” Brandon agreed.
Patrice sat back. “With confidence you have won before you have started.”
Brandon nodded. “Marcus Garvey.”