The Family Business 4

by Carl Weber

  Curtis didn’t confirm or deny that Kenny had gotten his grandmother on his side. Neither one of my boys liked talking about her very much for some reason.

  “Give him a break, Dad,” he said. “If not for him, then for me. I need him. I can’t do this without Kenny.”

  “Okay, son. I’ll do it for you.” I patted his shoulder from the seat behind him. “But your brother needs to remember I’m still his damn daddy.”

  Curtis didn’t respond, and we sat in silence until the front door opened five minutes later and Kenny came out of the building. The problem was, he was alone.

  “Damn, that was fast,” Curtis said when Kenny got in the car.

  “Where the hell is he?” I asked.

  “He’s already been released. Somebody posted his bond about an hour before I got there.” Kenny shrugged nonchalantly.

  “What the fuck you mean? His people called us bitching and moaning they ain’t got no money!” I yelled.

  “Don’t ask me. The lady said he was released about five, ten minutes ago. He might have walked right past us,” Kenny said, still sounding unconcerned. I don’t know what was making me angrier: the fact that my best dealer was now in the wind or the fact that my son was acting like he really didn’t give a damn.

  “Wait. Ain’t that him right there?” Curtis said. “Coming down the steps.”

  “Where?” I turned my attention back to the courthouse, squinting as I tried to find him.

  “Yeah, that’s him.” Kenny pointed, and I followed his finger until I spotted Julio, an up-and-coming Dominican drug broker who’d been working for me. He had somehow been pinched in a raid at a strip club he owned and landed his ass in jail.

  We’d been introduced to Julio by Joey the Wop down in Jersey. The only reason I agreed to spring his ass was that he’d distributed almost twenty kilos in a less than a weeks’ time and had proven himself somewhat beneficial to my plan to put LC out of business. I was hoping to use me bailing him out as an example of why people should use my services over LC’s.

  “He’s walking with that guy in the suit,” Kenny said.

  “He must have gotten a bail bondsman, ’cause his people swore they didn’t have enough money to get him out,” I added.

  “Wait. I think I know that man from somewhere.” Kenny sat up in his seat. “Curt, isn’t that Harris?”

  “Damn, I ain’t seen him since the wedding, but that is Harris,” Curtis said. “I’d recognize that corny-ass dude anywhere.”

  “Who the hell is Harris?” I asked.

  “He’s London’s husband,” Kenny answered.

  “What the fuck is London’s husband doing with Julio?”

  “Well, he is a lawyer. Actually, he’s the family lawyer. He handles everything. Mom even uses him,” Kenny said. “He’s probably the one who bailed him out.”

  “Come on.” I hopped out of the car.

  “What are you doing?” I heard Kenny yell from the car.

  I stuck my head back through the open door. “Do you know what kind of hostage that guy will make? We might be able to end this whole thing with one phone call.”

  Kenny and Curtis looked at each other then nodded at the same time, reaching for the car doors.

  “We are just snatching him. We’re not going to kill him,” Kenny stated emphatically.

  Ignoring him, I called out, “Julio!”

  “Oh, shit. Uh, hey, Larry,” Julio said as we approached the two men at the bottom of the courthouse steps. “I was, uh, getting ready to call you. I just got my phone back when they let me out.”

  “Don’t worry about all that. I’m just happy you’re among the free.” I stared at Harris, who looked nervous. I could see that he recognized exactly who I was. I reached inside my suit jacket, making sure they could see I was pointing a gun at them through the material.

  “Uh, hey, what’s this all about?” Harris asked.

  “You know exactly what this is about, Harris.”

  At the mention of his name, he looked like he was about to shit himself.

  “Yes, Counselor, I know who you are, and I know who the fuck you work for. And it ain’t Julio.”

  Harris’s eyes widened. He glanced over at Kenny, who now stood on the opposite side of him with his hands in his hoodie’s pockets as well.

  Julio looked back at me. “Larry, listen. I swear, I didn’t know he was com—”

  “Shut up, Julio. We’re all going for a little ride.” I gestured toward the car just as a black SUV screeched to a halt in front of us. Curtis put an end to the life of the man in the passenger’s seat before he could exit the vehicle. The driver must have decided that Harris wasn’t worth it, because he pulled off, letting the passenger’s body drop to the curb. Curtis’s gun was silenced, so she didn’t hear the shot, but when she saw the body, a woman nearby screamed and ran up the courthouse steps. Now we had to hurry up and get the hell out of there, but I wasn’t leaving without my hostage. I pulled out my gun and pointed it at Harris.

  “Larry, please don’t do this. I don’t know what’s going on with you and LC, but I don’t have anything to do with it,” he said.

  “Fuck you, nephew,” I growled. “You probably helped them do this to me.”

  “I didn’t. I swear. I wasn’t even married to London then.” As soon as he finished his sentence, Harris bolted across the street. He was ducking and dodging cars like he was in that old video game Frogger that the kids used to play back in the day.

  I lifted my gun to take his ass out, but Kenny shouted, “No, Dad! He’s got two kids. Let his ass go.”

  I reluctantly lowered my hand, but it didn’t matter, because within seconds, Harris had been struck by a truck and flew twenty feet in the air, landing on a parked car.

  “Ouch, that had to hurt,” I said, grimacing.

  “We’ve gotta get the hell outta here,” Curtis said. “Come on. Get in the car.”

  Curtis jumped behind the wheel of the car, where the engine was still running. I turned to get in and looked back. I had no idea where Julio had gone to, but Kenny was still standing there, staring at Harris’s limp body, lying on top of a car. I could hear sirens in the distance. As they came closer, Kenny still didn’t move. It was as if he were in a trance.

  “Kenny! Let’s go! He’s dead. Ain’t nothing we can do for him!” I yelled at him. Finally, he turned, and after taking one look back, he walked toward us, passing right by a group of cops running down the steps. Fortunately, everyone was so focused on the car accident that they didn’t even notice us. Kenny climbed in the car, and Curtis pulled off before his brother could even close his door.

  London

  56

  My father put his arm around me as we sat on the uncomfortable plastic sofa. The entire family, with the exception of Vegas, sat in the private family waiting room of the hospital. We’d been there ever since we got the call that Harris had been hit by a truck.

  Until we got that call, we were unsure about what was going on, but Daddy knew that Harris was in danger. His driver had called Daddy and told him about the shooting in front of the courthouse. My brothers would deal with him later, because there was no excuse for a bodyguard leaving the scene the way he had, but in the meantime, they were all scrambling to figure out what had happened to Harris and where he was. The driver had left too quickly to get a good description of the shooter, but it was a group of three men, one older, so there was a good chance it was Larry and his boys. Daddy sent another crew racing down there, but it was too late. By the time they got there, Harris was being loaded into the ambulance, and Larry was nowhere to be found.

  Harris was still in surgery, where he had been for the past three hours, and no one had come to update us on his condition.

  “Everything’s going to be okay, baby,” my father said.

  “I know, Daddy.” I inhaled deeply and stared at the neutral-colored carpet, wondering if all hospitals got their ugly décor from the same supplier. Although the initial shock of what had ha
ppened was wearing off, I still felt numb for some reason. My husband was fighting for his life, yet I wasn’t emotionally overwhelmed or falling apart like I’m sure most wives would be. I didn’t even feel the need to cry. I felt nothing.

  “This is fucking crazy,” Paris snapped. “Don’t you think we should be out there with Vegas, looking for Uncle Larry instead of sitting in here doing nothing?”

  My mother, who sat on the other side of my father, glared at her. “Paris, being here to support your sister while your brother-in-law is in surgery is far from nothing.”

  “She can leave if she wants. I’ll be fine. And she’s right. There’s no point in everyone sitting here.” I shrugged. If there was one thing my sister was good at, it was making a situation all about her and what she wanted to do. Her wanting to leave was actually a good thing. “There’s really no point. I can just call and update everyone if there’s any news.”

  “Great.” Paris stood up.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. No one is going anywhere.” My father gave her a disapproving look. Just as she was about to sit down, the door opened, and a doctor walked in.

  “Mrs. Grant,” he said, and I eased from under my father’s arm.

  Standing, I tried to read the doctor’s face for any signs that would indicate whether the news he was about to deliver was good or bad, but he was emotionless. “How is he?” I asked.

  The tension in the room grew as we all waited for his answer.

  “Well, it was touch and go in there for a while. Right now he’s stable, but not out of the woods yet. We were able to secure things, but his back has been broken in three places. There is a strong chance of paralysis, but we won’t know the severity until he regains consciousness,” he explained, again devoid of any human feelings. I guess doctors get so used to delivering shitty news that they have to be like robots.

  “And when will that be?” I asked.

  “I can’t really say. Of course, right now he’s intubated and sedated. We will probably keep him sedated for a while because we don’t want him to move until the swelling in his spine decreases. I don’t expect that will be for a few days.” He looked around the crowded room.

  “Doctor, you said there is a strong chance of paralysis. What did you mean by that?” My mother came and stood by my side.

  “Like I said, it’s too soon to say, but I will be honest. He most likely will have limited to no mobility in his legs.”

  “My God, are you saying that my son-in-law is going to be in a wheelchair?” my father asked.

  “I think it’s best that that’s what you all prepare for. He’s receiving the best care, and of course, when the time comes, we will set him up with physical therapy and any other type of support he may need. But right now, our main concern is his getting through the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” I nodded, not knowing what else to say. My mind felt empty.

  “One of the nurses will let you know when you can see him.” He shook my hand and gave me what he probably thought was a reassuring look.

  “Is there anything else that can be done right now?” Junior asked just as the doctor was about to walk out the door.

  “Besides pray, nothing,” he told us.

  I don’t know if anyone was actually praying, but after the doctor left, everyone was silent for a few minutes. Personally, I couldn’t even form a complete thought, so there was no way I could say a prayer. I just went back to staring at the ugly floor, wondering why I wasn’t crying. After a while, I convinced my family that it was time for them to leave.

  “Really, everyone, I appreciate your support, but you heard the doctor. There’s nothing we can do but wait right now. Y’all might as well go back to handling the rest of our issues. I promise I’ll let you know if anything changes,” I said.

  Everyone else left, and my parents stuck around a few more minutes before they would agree that it was okay for them to go too.

  “Oh, London, I’m so sorry, honey.” My mother hugged me tight against her body. “We’re going to get through this together as a family.”

  “I know, Momma.” I sighed.

  “Do you need me to bring you anything?” She dabbed at the tears in the corners of her eyes. It was strange to see that she seemed more upset about my husband’s prognosis than I was.

  “No, I’m fine.”

  My father said, “London, I don’t want to leave you here alone. Larry is out there . . .”

  “Daddy, Vegas and Junior have people all around this hospital. You’ve made sure of that. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

  “Well, I’m gonna send a couple more guys to wait up here with you, just in case.” He hugged me and walked out the door, leaving my mother and me alone.

  “You know whatever you need to make sure Harris is taken care of, we’ll get it. You’re not going to have to take care of him by yourself.”

  I shook my head. “Momma, I’m not taking care of Harris.”

  “I’m talking about when he comes home, London.” She smiled weakly.

  “So am I,” I told her.

  Her face was a mixture of shock and something close to disgust. I’m sure she would never dream of saying something like that about Daddy. But her marriage wasn’t like my marriage, that was for sure.

  “London, what do you mean? He’s you husband. Of course you’ll take care of him.” She reached out and touched my hair.

  “Momma, this isn’t some Tyler Perry movie, and I’m not an angry black woman writing in a diary. You know what I’ve realized these past few weeks?” I didn’t wait for her to answer. “I’ve slowly become someone I don’t like, in order to please someone that I don’t like.”

  “You’re sounding crazy. You can’t just abandon him because times have gotten tough. You took a vow for better or for worse.” She stared at me like she didn’t know who I was.

  “I’m not abandoning him, Momma. He’s the father of my children. But I don’t have the energy or the desire to keep on pretending.” As the words came out of my mouth, I realized that I was finally saying what I’d wanted to say for years, and I decided to keep talking. “I’m tired of being the responsible wife and mother and safe member of the family that everyone expects to be reserved and make all the right decisions. Everyone acts like I’m supposed to be perfect, and God forbid I make a mistake; then I’m the worst person in the world. Paris can sleep with whomever, whenever, wherever, and have a baby by God knows who, and it’s no big deal. But I’ll never forget how you reacted when you found out I had an affair. I’m tired. So, yeah, Harris will have the best care in the world, Momma, but it won’t be from me.”

  “London, this is about you and Daryl isn’t—”

  Thank God, there was a knock on the door at that moment, so we didn’t have to get into that conversation.

  A nurse entered the room. “Mrs. Grant?”

  “Yes?”

  “You can come and see your husband now.”

  I followed her out into the hallway, leaving my mother standing alone in the waiting room.

  Sasha

  57

  It was after ten o’clock and way past visiting hours when I went back to the hospital. I was headed toward the entrance when I noticed a woman near the edge of the parking lot, smoking a cigarette. I paused for a second, then eased a little closer to get a good look, making sure she was who I thought she was.

  “London?”

  “Shit, Sasha! You scared me.” She jumped, tossing the lit butt out of her hand like a tween who had been caught by a parent.

  “My bad. Oh my God, you smoke?” I laughed.

  “Actually, I don’t. Not anymore. But I used to in college. I needed something to calm my nerves, so I bummed one from one of the security detail. I figured I’d give it a try,” she said with a sigh.

  “I feel you, but you probably need something a little stronger than tobacco. You shoulda asked Rio for some of that ganja he brought back from Jamaica. It’s been working won
ders for me the past few days.”

  “Rio brought weed back from Jamaica?” She shook her head. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “You know your brother.” I shrugged. “How’s Harris?”

  “Still asleep. No news.”

  “Damn. I can’t believe this,” I told her.

  “What’s going on, Sasha? I know you didn’t come all the way back over here to ask about Harris. You don’t even like him like that.” Her tone surprised me. She certainly didn’t sound like a concerned wife with a really sick husband.

  I looked up and saw her waiting for my answer. Our eyes met, and after a few seconds, I said, “I came back to talk to you.”

  We noticed the security guard watching us from the front of the hospital, and another one to the left side, in the parking lot where we were standing. I didn’t want to say what I had to say while anyone was in earshot.

  “Let’s go back to the waiting room,” she suggested.

  We entered the hospital and went back to the same waiting room that the family had been in earlier.

  “So, talk,” she said after she closed the door.

  While driving back to the hospital, I had played the conversation I wanted to have with London in my head. In my version, the conversation took place in the confines of the hospital, but finding her smoking in the parking lot had been surprising and almost distracted me. To get myself refocused, I reflected on everything that had taken place over the past few weeks and what I had endured over the past few days. Then, I looked at London and thought about Harris and why we were at the hospital. My thoughts became clear, and I was renewed with my intention.

  “London, Uncle LC and Vegas have everyone looking everywhere for his brother, but I think they’re going about it the wrong way. They’re looking for a needle in a haystack,” I told her.

  “So, what do you want them to do?” she asked.

  “It’s not about what they do anymore, London. That crazy motherfucker killed my mother. It’s about what I do at this point. I’m going to find him.” My voice was calm and even.