Defect

by Danielle James

“Please call me when you want me to come get him. I don’t care if it’s even for an hour, Vince. Don’t get so frustrated that you take it out on him when you can call me. I’ll get him no matter what time it is.” Even though I saw nothing but evil in his eyes and felt nothing but blackness wafting off him, he looked like he’d give it some thought. I knew his main issue was having Malachi around.

  “Leave your boyfriend at home.”

  “Wherever Solana goes, I go,” Ezra barked.

  “We’ll compromise. Ezra, you can sit in the car if I have to go get Malachi. Okay?” I looked at Vince and he curled his top lip then nodded curtly before walking off, dragging Malachi behind him. Every time I heard him sniffle, I felt like shit.

  “I gotta get the fuck out of here,” I said, heading to the car. “Did you finally get your mother to leave?”

  “Yeah. I told her I’d visit her after I got off work.” I raised an eyebrow and looked at him for further explanation. “You know I’m not going over there. I only said that to get her to leave once I saw Vince walking toward you.” Hearing Vince’s name made fresh images of Malachi being snatched away from me flood my brain. Tears pricked my eyes before they fell down my face.

  “I hated letting him go,” I sniffled, looking down at my hands. I ran my fingers lightly over the red string and it made me feel a little better.

  “Me too. That shit tore me up inside, I can’t even lie. He called me a superhero and I couldn’t even save him from his fucking father. Solo, we have to get custody of him. He cannot live with Vince anymore. All I’m going to think about is if he’s eaten or not or if he’s scared because his dad is on a rampage.” Ezra sat in the parking lot for a minute to gather his thoughts and I fully understood. There had been times when I left Malachi and sat in my car and cried for twenty minutes before I could pull off.

  “I know you have a class to teach in an hour but can I take you somewhere real quick? I need to see that smile to take my mind off this fucked up situation.” Ezra looked to me for an answer and I nodded emphatically. I needed the same thing. I couldn’t help crying every time I replayed Malachi begging to stay with Ezra and me. I put on Drake’s newest CD and tried to stop thinking about it while Ezra drove me somewhere.

  When we pulled into the parking lot of a tattoo shop I sat up a little straighter and took the seatbelt off. “A tattoo shop?” I quizzed.

  “Yeah. My treat. Come on.” We walked into the empty shop and the woman behind the counter was eager to help Ezra right away.

  “Hi, welcome to Whiskey Skulls Tattoo Shop. What are you looking for today?” She batted her lashes at him and he smiled politely.

  “I want to get a tattoo for my girl,” he tossed his arm around my shoulders and the woman’s smile slipped a little.

  “Oh…sure, okay. What can I do for you? We’re not busy at all so take your time looking through what we have on the walls.”

  “Nah, I want something personal. Can you put a red string around her ring finger?” He held up my left hand and pointed to the string that was still firmly tied around my finger.

  “Aww, that’s so cute. Okay, we can do that in no time. Have a seat and I’ll get the forms.”

  “Is that cool with you, Solo?” He asked me.

  “Of course it’s cool with me.” I smiled and rubbed the back of my finger. “It’ll look really cute peeking up from under my ring.”

  “To remind you that I’ve always wanted you. Even before we had a wedding date or a one-year anniversary. I wanted you. Even before Malachi has siblings…I wanted you.” He rubbed my stomach and kissed my neck, making me tingle from my scalp to the soles of my feet. I wanted him too. I wanted him more than he knew. I wanted him no matter what anyone else would say about us.

  I filled out the forms for the tattoo and sat in the chair while the tattooist cleaned my skin. I heard the familiar buzz of the tattoo gun and got a rush of adrenaline. It was just as exciting as getting engaged. I didn’t need all the fanfare. I only needed Ezra and his sincere commitment.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was the proud owner of a red string tattoo on my ring finger. Forever a reminder that Ezra was mine and I was his. I didn’t expect for Ezra to get a matching red string tattoo on his fourth finger as well. When he sat down after I was done, my eyes widened in shock but a smile burned the corners of my lips.

  “What? I’m yours too…remember?” He winked at me and my heart soared.

  I could never forget in a million years that he belonged to me.

  …

  EZRA

  Little by little, Sun Goddess started coming back together. Honestly, it was turning out to be even better than it was before. The bay window got fixed and Solana picked out a new design to go on the glass. It was transparent enough to let the sun through but it was private enough so that nobody from the street could look in. I knew that decision was made so I could fuck her in the warmth of the sun without anyone seeing.

  I wasn’t mad at it.

  The same day it got installed, we tested its privacy and I made love to her against the window while people walked by. It lived up to the hype because nobody noticed.

  We both busted our asses to get the studio back up and running for classes. It took weeks between her teaching classes at the college, me filling orders for my teas on Etsy, her meeting with the lawyer for Malachi’s custody case, and everything in between but it started to shape up and in another couple of weeks, it would be ready. Solana had already started taking private clients in-studio again.

  I’d made enough money in a few weeks off my gourmet tea blends so that I could get my own car. It was used and it had some issues but it got me where I needed to go and I paid for it in cash. It saved me from having to fold myself into Solo’s yellow tin can.

  The Sunflower Tea Company was actually taking off and I wasn’t even shocked. Every day Solana spoke positivity over me before we stepped out of the door and I saged her from the tip of her head to her toes. I knew her mind was going crazy with the back and forth between her and Vince.

  Some days, he would let her have Malachi and then he’d snatch him back. It wasn’t enough time for us to help him gain weight though. It pissed me off in ways I can’t explain. There were no words.

  Even though the lawyer Solo worked with had a case a mile long that he guaranteed her would get her custody of Malachi, we still had to wait weeks for the hearing. Sometimes, I needed several meditation sessions before I was okay with handing Malachi over to his father. The more time I spent with that little boy, the more I loved him. The more I wanted to be the superhero he saw when he looked at me.

  Sitting in Sun Goddess with Solana, watching her pour over the dozens of new clients rolling in, I knew she needed something to take her mind off everything. I also knew she wasn’t really concentrating on those clients. She was thinking about Malachi.

  I made a mug of her namesake tea and took it to her at the front desk. “You wanna talk about it?” I asked her quietly. She rubbed my hand and sighed softly.

  “I have a bad feeling, Ezra.”

  “About what?” I asked, lowering my brows on my forehead. I knew to listen when Solana had any type of feeling but a bad one made red flags shoot up in my head. She opened her mouth to answer me but there was a knock on the front door of the studio and for once it wasn’t my damn mother.

  It was Detective Barnes.

  Solana and I exchanged nervous glances and I went to open the door. “May I help you?” I asked.

  “I’m looking for Miss Solana Monroe. The owner of this establishment?”

  “Right here.” She hopped up and jogged over to the front door with a cheery smile even though seconds earlier she was telling me she had a bad feeling.

  “Miss Monroe, I need to speak with you about your open vandalism case.”

  “Oh, right. Come on in. Have a seat.” She gestured to the main yoga area. There were no mats laid out yet because she wasn’t set up for classes.

  “On the floor?” The detecti
ve chuckled. “Okay.” He sat down awkwardly on the floor and it reminded me of how stiff I was when Solo first started working with me. I still wasn’t as flexible as her but I could easily sit in the lotus position and bend my body in ways I would have never been able to do without her help.

  It also helped that we’d been having wild sex ever since we got that metal bed frame. She had me trying all kinds of positions every night. I pulled my mind away from her chocolate body and followed her over to the main yoga area to sit down.

  “After the back and forth investigation, we’ve figured out who’s responsible for the vandalism. I wanted to personally tell you that they’ve been arrested and will be charged with a felony since your property is in the historic district of Radcliff. The vandalism of your studio is considered defacement of historical property. After reviewing your insurance claims, we’ve found that the damage is well over the four-hundred dollar limit.” He wasn’t lying about that shit. Solana had spent thousands fixing the studio up.

  “Wait, so you found who was responsible? It wasn’t whoever was on the security footage. I told you…” The detective cut Solana off and she folded her arms like an angry child.

  “We arrested Nicole Fredericks this evening at her job. The three men on tape took a lesser sentence for telling us who paid them off.” My ears burned at his words. I cleared my throat and leaned in a little.

  “Excuse me, detective did you say you arrested Nicole Fredericks?” I asked, dumfounded.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Short lady with brown skin and eyes like mine?” I gestured to my face and he examined my eyes.

  “Yeah. I guess she did look a little like you.” He shrugged with a nod.

  “And how much time is she looking at?” Solana asked, trying to hide her smile.

  “For a vandalism felony? She’s looking at a year in the state pen.”

  Was it wrong that I was happy to hear that news? I wouldn’t have to deal with her for an entire year and she’d have to actually face some fucking consequences for her actions. I was getting tired of blocking new numbers she found to call me from and ignoring her knocking on the door every night after work.

  “Thank you so much,” Solana grinned. “I really appreciate all your hard work.”

  “Not a problem, ma’am.” He smiled at her and wobbled back and forth on the floor for a minute before he stood up. Solana stood up without a single problem. The detective eyed her for a few lingering seconds and I opened the front door for him. I knew the effect she had on everyone but especially men.

  “Thanks, detective,” I said, gesturing to the door.

  “Right. You two have a good night. I’m glad to see you’re getting your yoga studio together again, Miss Monroe. Let me know if you need anything…I mean anything.” He nodded his head at her and she grinned. She dazzled every fucking body with her smile and bright energy. She didn’t even realize it.

  Once the detective was done gawking at how beautiful Solana was, he left and she jumped clean off the floor, into my arms. “Oh my god! Your mother is in jail!”

  “Yeah. I know,” I laughed. “Why do I want to celebrate?”

  “Because it’s a fucking celebratory moment.” She wrapped her legs around me and kissed my lips.

  “Shit, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more relieved. Let’s close up shop early and get some Hennessy.”

  “Hennessy?” She laughed. “Hennessy leads to pregnancy.”

  “Then let’s do it. I told you I want a little Solo.” I tickled her stomach while she was wrapped around me and she laughed so beautifully. It filled the air with stars.

  “Stop playing, Ezra. You know damn well we have to get custody of Malachi before we start having babies.”

  “I know.” I wrapped my arms around her and balanced her against the wall. “That’s coming soon. What did we say? Only positivity toward getting custody, right?”

  “Right.” She rubbed the tip of her nose against mine. I saw the moment that bad feeling she mentioned earlier hit her. Her eyebrows furled together and she hopped off me.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “My heart feels heavy even after hearing about your psychotic mother being locked up.”

  “Heavy how? Do we need to check on Malachi?”

  “Yeah, I think we do.” While she burned sage in the front of the studio, I took care of the back and made sure everything was locked up tight. We met up by the front desk and Solana started shutting the computer down. When the monitor went black, her phone lit up with a call. It was from Malachi’s secret phone.

  She answered without hesitation.

  “Malachi, are you okay?” The panic in her words made my chest twist. She hurried to put the phone on speaker because she knew I’d want to hear too. Malachi’s scared, wobbly voice came through the other end of the phone hesitantly.

  “Solo…help. Daddy beat me up real bad and it hurts and he left me alone.” I shut my eyes and pushed out a deep breath.

  “We’re on our way, Malachi. You stay right there, baby. Don’t move.” While she talked to him to figure out how bad things were, I started the car. Time was moving too slowly for me. My mind was bending and warping under the gravity of fury. How the hell could someone hit a kid? How could any father do that and then leave them alone? What if he died?

  I honked the horn for Solana and she rushed out, locking the door behind herself. She was still on the phone with Malachi when she got in the passenger side. “Can you breathe okay?” She asked him, fumbling around with her seatbelt.

  “It hurts when I breathe. I have to breath soft.”

  Tears wet Solo’s deep brown face and she pressed her lips together to keep from sobbing. I knew that look. “Okay, breathe softly, baby. We’re coming.”

  “Hulk too?” He asked. My stomach lurched.

  “Yeah, man. I’m coming too, okay?” Solana’s fingers trembled as she put the address into my GPS. Every time I heard him talk about how badly he was hurting, I wanted to find Vince and kill him. The world would be better off anyway. He didn’t contribute to it.

  We arrived at Vince’s place in ten minutes but it seemed to take an eternity. Solana used a key to get in and took the steps two at a time to get to Malachi. I was right behind her. We found him curled up in the filthy bathtub, clutching his midsection. Blood leaked from a cut on the side of his head and he shook like a leaf in a storm.

  “Oh my god.” Solana dropped to her knees beside the tub. “I’m right here. We’re going to take you to the hospital, okay?”

  “I’m scared though. They’re going to hurt me more.”

  “No, they’re not. The doctors are going to help you, Malachi,” I said. “Can you stand up?” I gave him my hand and he grabbed on with a weak grip. I hated that I had to move him because I could see the pain on his face. I didn’t know if he had broken bones or what and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him more.

  He complained about his stomach hurting but he could barely stand without crying out in pain. I looked at Solana and said, “We’re going to have to call an ambulance. I don’t want to move him and hurt him even more.”

  “Okay. Call the ambulance and I’ll stay here with him.” So I maneuvered my way out of the small bathroom in his bedroom and called the ambulance.

  Thankfully, they arrived in minutes and were able to properly remove Malachi from the tub and put him on a stretcher. “Hulk, will you come with me?” He asked, looking up at me. I looked at Solo and she nodded.

  “I want to go to the house and get all the files. I know CPS will come to the hospital. I need to call the lawyer too. I want him out of this fucking house. I want an emergency hearing for custody. I’m not waiting three goddamn weeks.” Fire jumped to life in her eyes and I knew there was no fighting her on the issue.

  I rode with Malachi to the hospital and Solana went home to grab the files and call the lawyer.

  …

  SOLANA

  I broke the speed limit trying to get home.
>
  Time was ticking and I had to make sure all my ducks were in a row. I only had one shot to get an emergency hearing.

  My hands were slick with worry as I fumbled the keys trying to get them in the lock. They jingled and jangled and finally the right one slid in. I bumped the door open with my hips and stepped inside the dark foyer.

  “He called you didn’t he?” Vince’s voice sent ice water through my veins.

  Where the fuck did he come from?

  I scanned my mind trying to remember seeing any vehicles around but there weren’t any. I knew there weren’t. He must have been waiting nearby where I couldn’t see him. I felt around on the wall for the light switch but before I could flip it on, Vince’s fist came crashing down on my face.

  Blinding white-hot pain sliced through my cheek as I flew back against the wall. My head hit so hard that everything around me turned fuzzy.

  Another hit. That time to my stomach.

  “That little whiny brat called you didn’t he!” He growled like an animal before he hit me in the face again. “You want him so bad you can have him! I don’t give a fuck about him but you…” he grabbed my hair so hard I felt strands pop and come loose from my scalp. I howled in pain but Vince crushed my windpipe with his hand. “You were the only thing I ever cared about, Solana. You’re always going to be mine. Mine!” He shouted centimeters away from my face. I flinched and pain stormed through my middle.

  “I don’t give a fuck about your boyfriend,” he threw me to the floor and brought his foot down on my sides. Something inside of me snapped with a sickening pop.

  “Vince, please,” I begged. I wasn’t even sure if he could hear me because I couldn’t manage to speak above a whisper. It hurt too bad to draw in the necessary breath to speak louder.

  My spirit was in panic mode.

  My entire body throbbed with pain. Too much pain.

  Before I invited blackness to take me away, I cried out to the only other spirit who always heard me.

  I called for Ezra.

  …