by Tya Marie
No one moved. Koi nodded his head. “Bet.”
Remember those whack-a-mole games from the amusement park? You had to bop one on the head to score the point? Daddy had always been good at it, winning me teddy bears every time we went. I had no idea it was because he was good at in real life. One by one the remaining men rose up to shoot and were struck down by my father or Koi, who spun in a continuous circle, keeping their eyes out for even the most subtle of movements. The last one went out boldly, attempting to do a running drive-by, firing with heart rather than aim. He was taken out with a single shot to the head, reeling back like a zombie from those morbid video games. I laid there for another beat, refusing to move until Daddy came to help me up. Koi assisted Drea, who laid on her side crying silent tears.
“How did you find me?” I asked, pressing myself against my father as he escorted me from the pool hall.
Daddy shrugged out of his coat, wrapping it around my shoulders. “Drea told us where you were.”
“Did she also tell you she kidnapped me? I could’ve died—”
“She wasn’t left with much of a choice, Kelsey. Chastity received a call from her sister saying that someone held her at gunpoint and took Legacy. They wanted to make sure she would comply with kidnapping you.” He kissed my forehead. “We took so long getting here because we had to secure him before making any moves. He’s in the car with Trish.”
Drea bolted past us, running through the deserted parking lot to the car where Trish sat in the back seat with Legacy. She ripped the door open, picking Legacy up, rocking him as she cried.
“Mommy’s so sorry, baby. I promise those men will never hurt you again,” Drea said, kissing a fussy Legacy into submission. She turned to Daddy, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Daddy said. “Climb on in and we’ll drop you off home, sweetheart.”
Koi hugged me tight, kissing me on the forehead and promising to stop by the house later on. Daddy tugged me along to a car parked farther ahead, one of his security guards posted up, his eyes trained on the secluded pool hall. He whipped out a cell phone, made a call, and promised Daddy he would have this mess cleaned up before morning. I sunk into the passenger seat, closing my eyes as the cool AC blew on my face. Daddy whipped out of the parking lot, speeding down the street, muttering under his breath about visiting hours.
“Visiting hours? Where are we going?”
He smiled at me. “Quill’s awake. He’s been asking to see you.”
17
Quill
“Quill.” Kelsey entered my room with the same stride as a solider emerging from battle. Her face was scratched up, her clothes torn, her hair a fuzzy halo on her head. She took a seat on the chair beside me, her eyes roving over my appearance. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I reached out, wiping a tear from her cheek. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about. I’m the one that should be sorry.”
“Peace tried to kill you because of me.”
“Amos tried to kill you because of me.”
She held my hand. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” I squeezed her hand. “I should have told you about Briana. That was my fault.”
Kelsey’s expression went from happy to devastated. “That night I did something stupid, Quill. I—”
“Don’t need to know,” I finished, shaking my head within reason. “The only thing that matters to me is spending as much time as I can with you before they show up.”
“What? Before who shows up.”
I could hear their footsteps in the distance, the flapping of their windbreakers. Kelsey shook her head. “Quill, no.”
“Kelsey, I have to do it.”
“You don’t have to do a damn thing. I’m not letting them take you!” she screeched, reaching out with her leg and kicking the door shut. “Tell me everything, Quill. I can get you out of this. My mother will take on your case.”
I shook my head. “It’s too late. Adrian accepted their deal.”
“Noo…” she moaned, taking my face into her hands, shaking her head at the reality of the situation. “We just got back together. I can’t lose you like this. Tell me what to do, Quill.”
“Give me a kiss.”
Kelsey pressed her lips against mine as the door opened. FBI agents swarmed the room, guns drawn, ordering Kelsey to step away from me. She pecked me on the lips, sobbing as Urban escorted her from the room with haste. He didn’t want her to hear what the charges were, but the agent in charge spoke with bass in his voice.
“William Evans, you are under arrest for drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, money laundering…” The agent ran down a list of charges, speaking louder over Kelsey’s screaming. “And running the drug organization known as ‘The Trust.’ You have the right to remain silent…”
Hours ago, Bregman walked into the FBI headquarters with a dossier of information I gathered over the last two weeks, containing the information for money pickups, meets, drops, shipments, and all of my stash houses. As if that wasn’t proof enough, I provided bank accounts to several shell and off-shore companies with the help of Urban. Bregman called me with the news of Adrian’s release an hour ago. He cried into the phone, promising to behave himself, and that he would visit me every weekend. I wanted to tell him the truth—that he would never get to visit me if everything went according to plan—but I let him hold on to hope. In return, I asked him to make me a better promise, to take care of his sisters because Bull wouldn’t be around anymore. He didn’t ask why, but he knew we had become statistics: one Evans in jail and the other dead.
Two months later…
The courtroom was silent, every eye focused on the Honorable Judge Michael Warren. In front of him was a preliminary sentencing report detailing the long list of crimes I committed. Today was for show; my lawyer had already explained to me for the umpteenth time what pleading guilty meant. I would be serving life without the possibility of parole. From behind me I could hear sniffles. Closing my eyes, I willed myself not to turn around, because one look at my mother would break the wall I had spent the last eight weeks building. Every night I went to bed in my cell working to remember everyone without feeling the pain of knowing I would never see them again. My mother’s crying chipped away at that resolve.
“Mr. Bregman, the crimes committed by your client are atrocities,” Judge Warren said over his glasses. “Usually the individuals brought into my courtroom have similar backgrounds: an upbringing in poverty, little to no education, but most importantly, no future. Mr. Evans, you had a promising career as a basketball player, whether it was in the league or not, and you threw it away for a life of crime. At twenty-two years old you sit before me with a list of charges a foot long, all of which you committed with no remorse, and for that, I will not have any remorse with my sentencing.
“Under Section III of 21 U.S.C § 812, I sentence the defendant to life in prison…”
A collective gasp filled the courtroom as the judge read out charge after charge, each one bearing a life sentence to run consecutively. I heard Eric shout, “This is some bullshit, man!” My little sisters were crying behind me, Adrian soothing them with a, “I know, I know.” The judge banged his gavel, demanding order in the courtroom as he continued reading off the charges. I kept my ears peeled for her voice, praying she was here. I heard nothing. When the judge was finished reading off my consecutive life sentences, I saw the court officers coming toward me. This was my last chance to see my family.
“Quill, we love you,” everyone shouted in varying degrees of hurt.
I hadn’t spoken in so long it hurt to speak. “I love y’all too,” I said as the officers dragged me away.
“You know I’mma take care of them, right?” Eric said, to which I nodded. “Stay strong, fam. This ain’t nothing but some light work. We’ll appeal; you’re coming home, Quill.”
I searched the courtroom with urgency; the door leading to the holding cells gr
owing closer. Out the corner of my eye I spotted her. She was standing by the door, tears streaming down her face. With trembling lips she mouthed, “I love you.”
“I’ll always love you,” I mouthed back.
Kelsey broke down, disappearing through the courtroom doors. I exhaled, releasing the pain in my chest at the thought of not seeing her one last time. A smile crept up my face, and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from cheesing. The court officer cut his eyes at me, his lip curling in distaste.
“Crazy motherfucker,” he said under his breath.
He said it like it was an affliction, something I should be ashamed of. Yes, I was crazy. I loved with no inhibitions, put my heart and life on the line for those that I loved, and in return had a lifetime of memories to occupy me on those particularly lonely nights. Those memories carried me to my cell in solitary confinement. I laid on my bunk, staring at the ceiling, thinking of my last conversation I had with Urban. He came to visit me last night. We sat across from one another, unsure of how to proceed.
“You know it’s going to hurt, right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Not as much as it’ll hurt them.”
“We can squash this, get you a trial, new lawyers. It isn’t too late to fix this, Quill.” I didn’t budge. He nodded his head in understanding. “Adrian’s deal will fall through, won’t it?”
“Yeah.”
Urban rose from the bench, stoic as he reiterated my plans to me. “Your wish is my command.”
The metal slot from my door opened, interrupting my thoughts. A tray of food was pushed through, waiting for me to accept. I picked up the tray, carrying it back to my bunk, my heart hammering against my chest. This was it. Tonight’s dinner was a ham sandwich. I pulled the bread off the sandwich, revealing a syringe filled with a clear liquid. A strip of rubber was balled up under the lunchmeat. With a covert look at the door, I worked steadily, tying the rubber around my arm. My vein poked out. I shot up a quick prayer to God as the heart-stopping drug shot through my veins. The effect was quick, starting as soon as I pulled the needle from my arm. The silence I was plagued with was drowned out by the sound of my heart beating in my ears. My heart contracted, the pain bringing me to my knees. I let out a strangled gasp as the contractions grew stronger. It was over. I pictured Kelsey’s smile, the feeling of her curls between my fingers, the smell of her shea butter soft skin. In my mind I was back at our hideaway, lying in bed on a sleepy Saturday morning, listening to our hearts beat in sync until mine stopped, freezing me eternally in one of the best days of my life.
Epilogue
One year later…
Drea
I bounced Legacy on my hip, tapping his pacifier in his mouth to keep him from crying. At the age of one, he would never understand the significance of the man whose grave we were visiting, but regardless, I brought him here to pay his respects because without the sacrifices that Quill made, we wouldn’t be here today. Tears, hot and thick, slid down my cheeks. Back when Bull and I were together, he spoke of his plan to kill Quill in such a casual manner it never fazed me. It wasn’t until I got the phone call from Kelsey that I broke down, sobbing over the loss of one of the best to ever do it. Justice comforted me the best he could, reminding me to keep it together for Legacy. My son got me through the next month. A year later, through birthdays, holidays, and deathdays, he was still my rock.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here today,” Kelsey said, placing the bouquet of roses in her hand on the ground in front of Quill’s headstone. She turned away, fanning at her eyes. “I thought I was going to be good coming here alone, but no, it’s still hard.”
“He died the day before your birthday,” I said, shaking my head at the irony of the situation.
Kelsey nodded. “Yeah. I thought my father was going to pull some strings, maybe buy the judge, or someone to get him off. It took so much strength to walk into that courtroom, and by the time I got the courage, the judge was reading off the sentences. He took it so well.”
“This is all my fault,” I broke down, placing my head on her shoulder. “I should’ve done better by him. Instead of letting my father use him I could’ve said something…”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Kelsey soothed, hugging me close, rubbing my back as Legacy squirmed between the two of us.
Legacy let out a grunt of indignation. “Stop it,” he said low the first time. In a louder voice he screamed, “Stop!”
Kelsey was the first to laugh, kissing Legacy against his will. She was his godmother, one of the few people I trusted with his life, and he was forever giving her attitude. He changed his tune when he spotted the lollipop she held in her hand. Like the moocher he was, Legacy leapt into her arms. We spent a few more minutes with Quill, reminiscing on how childish we were when we first met compared to now.
“How’s the business doing?” I asked on the walk to the parking lot. “I don’t keep up with what’s going on in the business, but I’ve been hearing good things. How were you able to find a connect? I’m sure Amos’ connect was hesitant to do business with you.”
“It’s going to sound strange, but Justice helped me,” I admitted, recalling the phone number Justice gave me the night before I returned to North Carolina to deliver the news of my father’s death to my mother. “He gave me a phone number to call, and I was set up with as much product as I needed. I wanted to ask, but my mother warned me not to, that if Justice wanted me to know he would’ve told me.”
Kelsey nodded. “She’s right. I learned real quick to only ask pertinent questions; the less you know the better.”
“I don’t know,” I said as we approached the parking lot. “I feel like there’s a large puzzle piece I’m missing. My man, who is responsible for upholding the law, should not know how to get me product. I still don’t even know how he found out I needed it…”
A black Mercedes Benz coupe pulled up beside my car. Justice hopped out, doing a light jog over to us. His steps faltered as he grew closer, his eyes trained on Kelsey, who had trouble containing her surprise. I had mentioned Justice on various occasions to Kelsey, and never once had she acted as if they were acquainted. And Justice didn’t even run in the same circles as the Mackenzie family.
“Justice, this is Quill’s girlfriend, Kelsey,” I said, my eyes flickering between the two of them. “Kelsey, this is my man Justice.”
They shook hands, sharing a brief exchange with their eyes. Justice scooped up Legacy, pecked me on the lips, and headed back to the car, bidding Kelsey farewell. Kelsey slapped her hand over her mouth, suppressing a grin as we started toward her car. I waited until we were at the car to press her.
“You are going to explain to me how the fuck you know my man,” I said, rolling my neck, ready for this explanation.
Kelsey cleared her throat. “I didn’t know his name was Justice. When we met we didn’t exchange names.”
“Eww,” I exclaimed, feeling my stomach turn. “Y’all had a one-night stand?”
“No, we had a business meeting.”
“You mean? Justice is—”
“No,” Kelsey cut over me, shaking her head. “He doesn’t work for my father; my father works for him. They’ve been associates for over two decades. You’re not dating just any drug dealer—you’re dating the connect.”
The revelation was enough to stun me. All my life I chased bags, ballers, and the opportunity to be on top, thinking it was the key to happiness. It was crazy how having a baby changed my entire perspective. I went from partying and doing heavy drugs to raising a beautiful son and amazing bonus daughter, taking them on trips around the world my own father never saw the importance of. We had the money a thousand times over, the respect of everyone in North Carolina, but Amos refused to give his children the world and sometimes, I think if he did, I wouldn’t be his only surviving child. The old Drea would’ve reveled in being the woman of the most powerful man on the continent. The new one shook her head in disbelief, hugging Kelsey and promising to do lunch this w
eekend.
Justice played it cool on the ride home, stealing furtive glances in my direction. It wasn’t until we arrived back at our TriBeCa apartment building did he speak up. Checking to make sure the kids were sleep, he said, “She told you?”
“Yeah…”
He killed the ignition, turning in his seat to face me. “How do you feel? I know you signed up to be with an AUSA…but this is another part of me I want to share with you.”
“As in being your…”
“Partner?” Justice reached over, intertwining my left hand with his right. “Drea, I want to share my entire life with you. You’re more than my fiancée; you’re my equal. We’re in this together. We get married in a small ceremony, and you take your rightful place by my side. How does that work for you?”
I wiped a stray tear, thinking of how besides the clothes and material stuff, all I wanted to be seen as was an equal. Smiling down at the union of our hands, I replied, “I like the sound of that.”
Briana
Soft music emanated from the Mackenzie residence. I could see Kelsey’s birthday party was in full swing. Shonda, Mal, Prince, and Precious came up from Maryland last night, staying with Granny and Albert. I was too scared to face my family without having Morris by my side; none of them held any animosity toward me, but I still was embarrassed over the events of my baby shower. Morris tugged me up the stairs, his pep talk intensifying as we climbed the steps.
“Bri,” he assured me, planting a reassuring kiss on my lips, “your family loves you. We all have parts of our past we regret. No one is judging you; especially Kelsey. It’s all love, baby.”
I stopped on the penultimate step. “Why was it so easy for you to forgive me? For your family to still be cool with me? What I did was terrible. None of you should like me.”
