Heartbreak And Past Mistakes

by Chenell Parker

  “I really don’t know, but we should have some answers soon. My sources say that a warrant has been issued for his arrest and they’re going to all his last known addresses. I’m sure they’ll have him in custody before the day is out. I’m kind of happy that they haven’t released any info to the media yet. That way he won’t even know that they’re coming for him,” Mr. Malone replied.

  “Why would he want to hurt us though? I just don’t understand,” Jena said as tears fell from her eyes.

  “I’m so sorry Jena. This is all my fault. It was me that they were after,” Sabrina said as he pulled her friend into a hug.

  “But, you don’t know that Sabrina,” Lyric spoke up.

  “Yes, I do. You weren’t there to hear the threats that she issued earlier that morning. Jena heard everything. She saw us together and that’s probably why she targeted her too,” Sabrina replied.

  “Even still, she could clearly see that I was pregnant. Why would she do something like that?” Jena cried.

  “I don’t know Jena, but just know that I’m staying on top of everything. I’m gonna make sure that this son of a bitch never sees the light of day again,” Mr. Malone swore.

  “Is there anything else that we need to know?” Jena asked.

  “Not that I can think of. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on everything as soon as I know something,” Mr. Malone replied.

  “Thank you, Mr. Malone, for everything,” Jena said as she smiled weakly.

  “No thanks needed,” he replied.

  When he saw that she was about to get up, Mr. Malone stood up to assist her. He did the same for Sabrina since both women were still on crutches. Nothing like that had ever happened to any of his employees before and he was pissed to know that it happened at his firm. All kinds of crazy thoughts were running through his head but none of them made sense. He was well aware of the many enemies that the attorneys at his firm had made, but Jena and Sabrina were receptionists. Attacking them made no sense unless someone was trying to send a message.

  Once the two women were gone, Lyric stayed behind to talk to her boss alone. She didn’t know why he wanted her to be there, but she was happy to know what was going on.

  “What do you think about all this? Do you think Sabrina is right?” Lyric questioned.

  “In my professional opinion, I really don’t think so,” Mr. Malone replied honestly.

  “But, it sounds believable. The other woman was here that morning, they argued, and she threatened her,” Lyric pointed out.

  “People make idle threats all the time Lyric. The law doesn’t care about what sounds believable. They want concrete evidence and proof,” Mr. Malone replied.

  “Yeah, that’s true,” Lyric agreed.

  “It’ll all be made clear soon enough. Mr. Quinton Rogers is looking at some serious charges, especially since Jena’s baby died. He’ll probably be all too willing to talk in order to cut himself a deal. I tried looking his name up to see if he had any ties with any of the attorneys here, but I didn’t find anything. Like Jena and Sabrina, I just want to know why,” he said.

  “So do I. Hopefully, everything will be made clear soon. Maybe we should hire some extra security for outside the building, just to be on the safe side,” Lyric suggested.

  “That’s a great idea. Since you’re over that department, I’ll leave that up to you,” he replied.

  “That’s another thing that we have to discuss. You know I’ll be out on maternity leave soon. I plan to work up until the day I give birth though,” Lyric said.

  “Don’t even remind me. How long before the little fellow gets here?” Mr. Malone asked while referring to her son.

  “Six more weeks and I can’t wait. It feels like I’ve been pregnant forever,” Lyric sighed.

  “Do you need anything else for him?” he asked.

  “Not at all. He has more than enough to last for a while,” Lyric answered.

  “My wife and daughter can’t pass up the baby aisle without grabbing something,” he laughed.

  “I already know. Most of his clothes came from the two of them,” Lyric replied.

  “I’ll try to be more hands on while you’re out but maybe we can get Nova to help too. If she’s willing, I’ll be more than happy to compensate her,” Mr. Malone said.

  “I’m sure she won’t mind. I’ll get with her and let her know what needs to be done. I’ll probably be able to do a few things from home after a week or so,” Lyric noted.

  “No Lyric. Enjoy your time off and spend time with your baby boy. We can handle everything until you get back,” Mr. Malone replied, right as his phone rang.

  “Okay, we’ll talk more about it later,” Lyric said as she stood to her feet.

  She walked out of the office right as Mr. Malone answered his call. Lyric stopped at Nova’s desk to tell her what they’d just discussed. Just like she assumed, Nova was on board, especially since extra income was involved. They were deep in conversation when Mr. Malone opened the door with a big smile on his face.

  “They got that bastard!” he exclaimed excitedly.

  “Who?” Lyric asked.

  “Quinton Rogers. He was just taken into custody,” he replied.

  “That was quick. What happens now?” Lyric questioned.

  “He’s going to be questioned and I want to be there. I’m about to make some calls to see how they can make it possible. As closely as we work with the DA, that shouldn’t be a problem though,” he replied.

  “I’m sure Jena and Sabrina will be happy to hear that,” Lyric said.

  “Not as happy as I am,” Mr. Malone said as he walked away while dialing a number on his cell phone.

  “What was that all about?” Nova asked.

  “They caught the asshole who hit Jena and Sabrina,” Lyric replied.

  “Really? I didn’t even know that they had any suspects. I guess it wasn’t the girl who Sabrina thought it was,” Nova said.

  “No, it’s a dude,” Lyric replied.

  “He can kiss his life and freedom goodbye. Hitting them was enough, but killing that innocent baby did it for me.” Nova frowned.

  “I agree. But, girl, let me get back to my office. We’ll get together soon and go over a few things,” Lyric said as she walked away to her office. She had a feeling that things around the firm were going to get interesting. If Tremaine’s ex had anything to do with it like Sabrina said, she was almost sure of it.

  Chapter 39

  “I know that nigga. We went to the same high school,” Bronx said when the mugshot of the man who hit Jena and Sabrina flashed across the tv screen. Three days had passed since the man had been arrested and that had been the talk on the news lately.

  “His stupid ass needs to rot under the jail cell for that,” Lyric fumed as she listened to the news broadcast.

  “That’s fucked up man. Nigga killed that girl baby like that. He used to come in Ace’s all the time,” Deuce noted.

  “Why don’t you ever go to your club?” Lyric asked.

  “I go there all the time. It’s just never open when I go,” he noted.

  “Why don’t you ever go in there when it’s open?” Lyric inquired.

  “I used to when my pops had it. That’s where I met Zina at. I was still heavy in the dope game back then though. My pops preferred me to hang in his club rather than in the streets,” Deuce replied.

  “I can’t believe how much you look like him,” Lyric said.

  Deuce had showed her their family photo album and he looked like a younger version of his father. They had the same complexion, smile, and everything else. His father was just as handsome as he was and she hoped those good genes were passed down to her son.

  “Yep, that was my twin,” Deuce replied.

  “What was his real name?” Lyric asked.

  “Bryan,” Deuce replied.

  “Why didn’t you want to name our son after him? Bryan is a nice name,” Lyric noted.

  “No baby, not for my first born. I need a namesa
ke. Maybe we can name our second son after him,” Deuce replied.

  “Boy bye. Baby number one ain’t even get here yet. But I’ve been thinking about something. You know what’s weird to me?” Lyric questioned.

  “What’s that?” Deuce countered.

  “You know so many people, but we never ran into anybody when we used to go places together. It’s like you’re always running into somebody that you know now but that never happened before,” Lyric said, speaking on something that had been on her mind for a while.

  “First off, nobody that I know will be caught dead at any of the places that you be dragging me to. Nigga ain’t into no poetry and all that gay ass music that you like. The niggas that I know be in the clubs and second lines and shit. And even if I would have seen somebody that I know, they wouldn’t have said shit. That’s not how we roll,” he laughed.

  “I don’t find nothing funny. That’s just sad.” Lyric frowned.

  “Don’t even start with that dumb shit Lyric. And stop trying to change the original subject. How come you never told a nigga that you can’t cook?” Bronx asked.

  “You never asked. You were more into my ass than anything else,” she replied.

  “I still am but that’s not the point. You’re black and so is your mama and daddy. How the fuck can you not know how to cook grits?” he questioned as he frowned at the food that was on his still full plate.

  “That is a stereotype. All black people aren’t great cooks,” Lyric said.

  “You got that shit right,” Bronx replied as he frowned down at the plate.

  “What’s wrong with it?” she asked him.

  “It’s nasty as fuck. The grits are crunchy like potato chips. I don’t even think it’s cooked all the way. No wonder you didn’t want to eat none of it.”

  “Throw it away then. I don’t have time to cook anything else. I have to get ready for work,” Lyric said.

  “I don’t even want you to cook nothing else. Shit don’t make no sense,” he fussed.

  “I can cook nigga. I just can’t cook some of the hard stuff that you be asking for. I can cook any kind of chicken and I don’t need no rice cooker to cook my rice. I’m winning out here,” Lyric laughed.

  “Don’t even worry about it baby. I’ll pay my grandma to cook for us. I can’t have my son going through this,” Bronx said as he got up and threw his food away.

  “He might like the way his mama cook,” Lyric replied.

  “I doubt it. Besides, I don’t want him growing up thinking that this is acceptable. Can’t you take some classes or something?” he asked.

  “Forget you Bronx. You want a bitch to be superwoman,” Lyric argued.

  “Shit, I thought you were until I tasted your food. Go get dressed, so we can grab something to eat before I bring you to work,” he said while shaking his head.

  Lyric walked away laughing, but she couldn’t even dispute what he was saying. Most of the women in her family were great cooks but she wasn’t one of them. Nova’s parents ran a catering company and she sometimes helped them out. She was nice in the kitchen and so was Kierra. The most that Lyric ever did for her mother was cut up seasoning, so she didn’t know as much. She was spoiled and Melody cooked whatever she asked her to. Even if she had company, her mother prepared the food or she got it catered.

  After washing the early morning smell of sex from her body, Lyric got dressed for work and met Bronx in the living room. She would probably be a few minutes late for work but she didn’t care. She had been there way earlier than she was supposed to be lately and she was usually the only one in the office. Bronx wanted to stop for breakfast and she was starving.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as they got into the car.

  “It don’t matter to me. What do you feel like eating?” he asked her.

  “A lot of stuff,” Lyric replied.

  She was craving an omelet, waffles, and pancakes. She never ate all of it, but she was happy as long as got a little taste of each. Her food never went to waste because Bronx ate whatever she didn’t.

  “I got you,” he replied as he drove to wherever he was taking her.

  When they pulled up to The Trolley Stop Café on St. Charles, Lyric got excited. Not only did they sell everything she wanted, but their food was good too. She and Bronx sat down and ordered a few things from the menu. They talked and laughed over breakfast before leaving and heading to the law firm.

  “I’m so full. I wish I can go back home and get in my bed.” Lyric yawned.

  “Do it baby. Call your boss and tell him that you need the day off,” Bronx said as he reached over and rubbed her stomach. He loved to feel when his son kicked and he seemed to always do it when he touched her.

  “We’re right around the corner. Maybe I can run in there and see if he needs me,” Lyric replied as he nodded his head.

  When he pulled up to the building, he and Lyric looked on in shock. Just like it was once before, the parking lot was littered with police cars. Instead of the ambulance, the media trucks were there. That was nothing new to Lyric though. They often worked a lot of high profile cases that sometimes attracted media attention. A few people were standing out front and Mr. Malone was one of them.

  “The fuck kind of law firm is this? The police be here more than anything,” Bronx said as he parked his truck.

  “I wonder what’s going on now,” Lyric mumbled as they both got out of the car.

  Bronx grabbed her hand as they walked over to Mr. Malone. He was on the phone wrapping up a call when he turned and saw them.

  “I was just about to call you,” he said when he saw Lyric. He spoke and shook Bronx’s hand before turning his attention back to her. He looked stressed and Lyric wanted to know why.

  “What’s going on?” Lyric asked her boss.

  “Some shit that I’ll have to clear up sooner or later,” Mr. Malone replied while shaking his head.

  Before Lyric could ask him to elaborate, the camera men and reporters started running up to the front door of the building. When it opened, Lyric was surprised to see the police leading Spencer out with his hands cuffed behind him. Shocked was an understatement and she was more confused than ever. The reporters were asking him for a comment, but he remained tight lipped as he was put inside the patrol car.

  “What the hell is happening around here?” Lyric questioned in shock.

  “It was him. That stupid asshole was the one responsible for killing his own baby,” Mr. Malone fumed.

  “Oh, my God! Are you serious?” Lyric asked in shock.

  “Unfortunately, I am. Him and that girlfriend of his were behind the entire thing. They’ve already arrested her,” Mr. Malone noted.

  Lyric couldn’t even lie. She was shocked by what she was hearing. Sabrina’s story sounded so believable that Lyric thought it was true. There was no other logical explanation. She definitely didn’t suspect Spencer or his girlfriend. Being that Jena was pregnant, she didn’t even think that she was the target. Spencer had never been the violent type as far as she knew. He went to the extreme to make sure that Jena didn’t have his baby.

  “But, why Sabrina? I knew that Spencer wasn’t too happy about Jena being pregnant, but what did Sabrina have to do with it?” Lyric inquired.

  “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The lowlife who actually did it told it all. He even gave the detectives the burner phone he used to stay in contact with them. He messed up when he came here to do it though. He probably would have gotten away with it if he were anywhere else. I wasn’t leaving it alone,” Mr. Malone rambled.

  “So, Tremaine’s ex-girlfriend really was innocent,” Lyric pointed out.

  “I always knew that she was. She and Sabrina were only acting off emotions. The petty threats she made were only to piss Sabrina off. Her alibi was solid and she was confused as to what was going on herself. I’ve been around enough liars to know that she was telling the truth,” Mr. Malone stated.

  “Does Jena know? This is gonna brea
k her heart,” Lyric said sadly.

  “She does now. I had to call her as soon as I found out. I didn’t want her to see it on the news. She’s torn up and that’s to be expected. I can’t believe that Spencer ruined his life like this. A young black man with a promising future. According to the other man, it was his girlfriend who was the mastermind behind it all,” Mr. Malone noted.

  Lyric was at a loss for words. As hurt as she was when Spencer and Jena betrayed her, she couldn’t help but feel grateful now. She was depressed at the time and thought that God must have had it out for her. It never dawned on her that he was looking out for her the entire time.

  “That poor baby. As sad as it might sound, she’s better off without him as a father. Just imagine if she would have survived, only to be mistreated by him and his girlfriend later. I think that would have hurt worse,” Lyric pointed out.

  “Damn,” Bronx said, speaking for the first time since they got there. He really didn’t have any other words that could express how he actually felt. His son hadn’t even entered the world yet and he already loved him unconditionally. He had never even seen him yet and he already wanted to protect him. He loved Lyric for giving him such a special gift. He couldn’t imagine anything happening to his son or his son’s mother. To know that Spencer was the one who was behind it was just baffling to him. He understood that he didn’t want Jena, but that had nothing to do with his daughter.

  “Do you need me to do anything Mr. Malone? If not, I’m going back home. I was about to call and ask you but I’m happy that I came over here,” Lyric said.

  “I think I’m gonna let everybody go home for the day. I know these reporters will be lurking around here all day and it can be a bit overwhelming. This is a lot to take in,” Mr. Malone replied as one of the detectives walked over to him.

  “Do you have a minute Mr. Malone? He’s asking to speak with you before we take him down to the station,” the detective said, referring to Spencer.

  “Uh, yeah. I’ll be right there,” Mr. Malone said, wondering what Spencer could have possibly wanted with him.