Right then and there I wanted to die. Larry had found me out and now he was trying to use his newfound discovery against me.
“So, like I said, I need more money.”
I opened my mouth, planning to tell him no again, but the phone rang.
“Answer it,” he said, and his tone was cold.
“It’ll just go to voice mail.”
“I said answer,” he demanded, now standing up.
I obeyed him and went to the kitchen. Before I picked up the phone, he was already standing next to me.
I closed my eyes when I saw that it was Curtis.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey, what’s goin’ on?”
“Not much. How are you?”
“Just got back from my speaking event and I’m exhausted. I had a full day and I can’t wait to get home on Monday.”
“I can’t wait for you to get here either,” I said, not caring at all about the fling he was having because the matter at hand with Larry was dominating my priorities.
“Where’re Matthew and Marissa?”
“Remember I told you I was taking them to my parents.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot. Maybe I’ll give them a call over there.”
“I think my parents were taking them to a movie, so you might have to talk to them tomorrow,” I said, and Larry kissed me on the side of my neck in multiple spots. I wanted him to stop but he wouldn’t.
“Sounds good,” Curtis said. “I’ll just wait until then. So what else did you do today?”
“Not much, but I’m planning to go to church in the morning.”
“Reverend Tolson is out of town, isn’t he?”
“Yes, so one of the associate ministers will be preaching,” I said, cringing because Larry was now caressing both my breasts. I jerked away from him and he smiled slyly.
“Well, I hate to run, but I’m about to crash so I won’t be so tired for the service I’m speaking at in the morning.”
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll speak to you tomorrow sometime.”
“I’ll call you in the afternoon, and hey?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too.”
I hung up wondering how Curtis could live with himself. I wondered how he could call and tell me that he loved me, knowing that someone else was there with him.
“Wasn’t that sweet? The two of you professing your love for one another.”
“Larry, why are you doing this?”
“Because, I told you, I need more money.”
“And I told you, I don’t have it.”
“Let me see your purse.”
“No,” I said, leaving him standing where he was.
But he grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
“Look. Enough is enough. Either you give me the money or you give me something else I want. But regardless, I’m not leaving here empty-handed.”
“I don’t have anything else.”
“Of course you do,” he said, rubbing his hand between my legs. “You’ve got plenty.”
“Larry, stop it!” I said, shoving him away. “I’m a married woman and you’re supposed to be Curtis’s play brother.”
“What does being married have to do with anything?”
“A lot.”
“Money or sex,” he said, ignoring me. “Take your choice.”
“All I have is maybe three hundred dollars,” I finally admitted.
“Then give me that. And I’ll take those earrings you have on, too.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“As a heart attack.”
I paused but decided I wasn’t removing my diamond studs.
“I would take that ridiculously huge ring on your finger but Curtis would probably try to kill me over something like that.”
Hmmph. Here he was worried about what Curtis might do to him, but what he didn’t know was that I would fight him to the death for my wedding ring. Curtis had gotten it for me right after he’d received his second book deal, and I wasn’t planning to part with any one of these four carats.
“Larry, please go.”
“I want those earrings and I want them now.”
“I’m not giving you anything,” I said matter-of-factly. “And if you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.”
“No, I don’t think you will,” he boasted, and flicked open a deadly-looking knife.
“Oh my God,” I said.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he instructed, and I did what he told me.
When we arrived, I opened my jewelry box and he took out a string of cultured pearls, a sapphire ring, and a diamond tennis bracelet.
“Where’s Curtis’s stash?”
“Larry, please don’t do this,” I pleaded, but he slid over to Curtis’s side of the dresser and went through each drawer.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
“That’s Curtis’s favorite cross. He never takes it off, but he was in such a hurry he must have left it.”
“Really? Well, it’s mine now.”
“Okay, Larry, I’ll get you more money. I’ll get you whatever you want, but please don’t take that cross.”
“Why not? Because maybe if I wear this, I’ll get the Holy Ghost just like Curtis,” he laughed.
I was horrified because if Larry took that cross, there would be no way for me to explain its whereabouts. Not to mention the reason it was so special to Curtis was because it had belonged to his favorite elder board member and he’d given it to Curtis just before he’d taken his last breath and right after Curtis had prayed for him.
Larry placed the cross in one of his pockets, seized another couple of minor pieces, and then looked at me.
“I think that should do it. For now, anyway.”
“Then will you please leave?”
“I’m going. And maybe next time you’ll be more careful with who you try to use. Acting like you wanted to help me when all along you were only trying to pay Curtis back for whatever he’s done to you. Although I’ll bet you won’t tell him about tonight, now will you?”
I went down the stairway silently and opened the front door.
“Oh, and I’ll call you about the rest of my money on Monday,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.
I slammed the door and tried to imagine what Curtis would do if he ever found out about this. Learning that Larry had been over here was one thing, but discovering that he was now extorting cash and jewelry was something different.
Which meant I had to keep yet another secret from him.
Chapter 20
JANINE
As soon as I entered the house, I immediately removed my panty hose. Since her children were gone and Curtis was still on the road, Charlotte and I had driven to church together. Actually, I’d swung by to pick her up for service and then we’d gone to dinner right afterward.
For the first time in a long while, I was feeling pretty upbeat and we’d laughed and chatted for more than a couple of hours. We talked about everything but I still wondered why Charlotte had gotten this uneasy look on her face when I asked her about Larry. I’d wanted to know if she was planning to have him back over, and while she’d said no, she’d seemed sort of nervous. I wasn’t sure why, and since she’d changed the subject so quickly, I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask any more questions.
After slipping on something a lot more comfortable than the fitted suit I’d had on all day, I went to the kitchen to get a glass of Welch’s sparkling white grape juice and brought it back to my den. I turned on the television, but when I glanced toward the bottom of the entertainment center, I noticed a couple of my photo albums and reached over and pulled them out.
I opened the largest one and the first photo I saw was the one of my mother holding me in her arms. She must have been so happy then because she was smiling widely. I’d always cherished this shot because there were many days, even as a grown woman, that I wished I could turn back time. I wished I co
uld return to the days when life had been simple for me and I hadn’t had to concern myself with any problems. I knew, thanks to my father, that these days had not been the best for her, but as a baby, I’d been sitting on top of the world and hadn’t known one thing from another.
Next I flipped through a few more pages until I came across a picture of my sister and me when we were three and five respectively. Even then we were as thick as thieves and I missed her so much. I missed her terribly, and as of late I found myself thinking about her every waking moment. I knew it was because of what I was going through personally, but there were also times when I wished I hadn’t begged her to leave her boyfriend, because if I hadn’t, maybe she’d still be here.
I flipped through to the end of the book, reminiscing about my younger years, and thought about my father. I’d told him that I was going to come see him, and first thing tomorrow I was going to make my airline reservation for one week from now.
When I finished looking at the last photo album, I set it down and went to my bedroom to find something to wear to work tomorrow. I rummaged through one end of the closet to the other and finally settled on a navy blue pinstripe pantsuit that I wore way too much. It was definitely time for a new wardrobe, and now that Antonio was out of here, I was going to treat myself. I’d wanted to start yesterday and it was the reason I’d asked Charlotte about going shopping, but next week would be soon enough. My plan was to purchase at least five suits, a few separate dress pants and blouses, and it was time for a couple of pair of new boots. I also needed a new winter coat as well as a few cashmere sweaters. I didn’t like spending excessively on clothing, even less now that Antonio had maxed out one of my credit cards, but I was really feeling as though it was time I did something for me.
I pulled out a matching shirt and laid it, along with my suit, on the back of the chair. Then I turned on XM Radio’s smooth jazz channel and went into the bathroom to wash off my makeup. But as soon as I did the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“How are you?”
“Carl?”
“Yes, and I hope it’s okay that I’m calling.”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“Good, because I just wanted to make sure those locks I installed were working out for you.”
“They are,” I said, and then neither of us said anything.
“Okay, the truth is,” he finally said, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me sometime.”
“Maybe eventually, but I have to be honest with you. I just ended a terrible relationship and it’s not like I’m feeling all that great about men right now.”
“That’s understandable. I went through the same thing myself when Greta and I separated. I won’t bother you with the details now, but I will say that after a few months I finally realized that I couldn’t blame all women for Greta’s mistake.”
“This is true, but my breakup is still very new and it’s going to take me some time to sort things out.”
“Well, just think about it, and if you don’t mind, I’ll still give you a call every now and then.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good. Also, I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time and I apologize for not asking you that right when I first called.”
“No. I was pretty much just preparing for work tomorrow. Charlotte and I went to church and then to dinner and I just got home about an hour or so ago.”
“I need to get back to church myself.”
“It certainly won’t hurt.”
“You and Charlotte are pretty close, huh?”
“We are.”
“That’s great, because we all need friends when we’re going through trials. My brother was certainly there for me when I needed him, and it really made an amazing difference.”
“I know the feeling, because no matter what happens, I always know I can count on Charlotte.”
“Well, I’d better not keep you on the phone, but just think about what I said and I’ll be in touch.”
“I look forward to it, and you have a nice evening, Carl.”
“You, too, Janine.”
I hung up and wondered if he could be trusted. I wondered if he was truly the decent man he was portraying himself to be or if he was an impostor like Antonio. There was no way to know for sure, but at least he owned his own business and I’d never heard anything except positive remarks about him from other church members. Still, I needed to know what happened between him and his wife. Not that it was any of my business, but if I was going to consider having dinner with him, I would have to learn a bit more about his past. I’d wanted to ask Charlotte this afternoon what she knew about him, but I’d decided against it because I didn’t want her thinking I was trying to rush into another relationship with someone I didn’t know much about. I hadn’t even told her he was the person I’d called to change my locks, and wasn’t planning to, at least not yet, anyway.
I finished removing my eye makeup, foundation, and pressed powder and then I dried my face with a large towel. But the loud knock on the front door alarmed me. It wasn’t a normal knock, and all I could pray was that Antonio hadn’t sent over one of his goons to terrorize me. I wanted to see who it was but I didn’t think it was safe to leave my bedroom.
Still, the person banged on the door like he was crazy and I went into the living room.
I tiptoed closer to the door, and while I wasn’t planning to say anything, my heart dropped when I heard Antonio’s voice.
“Janine, I know you’re in there, so open up the door.”
I still didn’t move or say anything.
“I’m asking you nicely. Open up the door so I can talk to you.”
Again, I stood there, now not able to move, and it was at least sixty seconds before Antonio yelled louder than before.
“Open up this damn door, Janine!”
I stood in place and prayed that he would leave.
“If you think getting your locks changed is enough to save you, baby, you are sadly mistaken.”
I winced because now I knew he’d already tried his key and was outraged that it hadn’t worked. I was thankful that I’d taken care of this the same night he was arrested.
I jumped when I heard the next thud and it sounded like he’d kicked the door with his foot.
“You raggedy bitch. Those people downtown are talking about giving me ten years and I’m not going out like that.”
Oh God, please, please make him leave.
And after another five minutes or so of ranting, he finally did. I peeped through the window and saw him skid off in some car I’d never seen before and I felt relieved. That is, until my phone rang again. I was hoping it was Charlotte, but it wasn’t. It was a number I didn’t recognize, and I decided that if it was Antonio, it might be better to answer so he could end this rampage he was on.
“Hello?”
“Why didn’t you open the door like I asked you?”
“Because you and I are through with each other, and if you don’t stop bothering me, I’m going to call the police.”
“I don’t care who you call. But I’m telling you this. You’d better find some way to help get me out of this mess.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
“When you get on the stand to testify at the trial, you can tell them that Killer, Nate, and Chad forced me to deal drugs with them and that the only reason you told the police I was involved was so the three of them wouldn’t realize that you and I planned this whole bust from the beginning.”
If I hadn’t been on the phone listening to Antonio personally, I would have sworn I was dreaming. Because I just didn’t want to accept this lie he had concocted and how he thought I was going to perjure myself in court.
“But that’s not true,” I said.
“So what? And it’s not like you really have a choice. Either you get me off or you suffer the consequences. As a matter of fact, I want you to go tell one of t
hose detectives your side of the story tomorrow because that way they’ll just drop the charges and I won’t even have to be tried.”
“I’m hanging up now. And I’m asking you to please not call or come by here again, because this is not my fault or my problem.”
“It is your fault because you had no business snitching to those narcs. You should have kept your mouth shut, but since you didn’t, you’re going to fix this.”
“Good-bye, Antonio.”
“Janine, I’m warning you. I’m not going to prison because of you. And since I had to have one of my girls and a couple of my boys bail me out, you owe them every dime of that money.”
I hung up before he could say another word, but my phone rang on and off for the next hour until the police arrived, filled out a report, and told me that it was time I filed for an order of protection. The sad part, though, was that one of the officers made it clear that some men had no regard for court orders and that I should do whatever I had to to protect myself. I hadn’t liked the sound of what he was saying, but I knew he was telling the truth. I knew that if Antonio wanted to do harm to me, the law wouldn’t be able to stop him. I knew dodging and hiding from him wouldn’t work. I knew my greatest fear had been confirmed.
That there wasn’t a single human being on this earth that could protect me.
Chapter 21
JANINE
I wasn’t sure if it had been the right thing for me to do or not, but at this point I couldn’t see where I had anything to lose. I didn’t know much about Carl Wilson, at least not enough to invite him into my home the way I was doing now, but the bottom line was that I was afraid to spend the rest of the evening alone. I was afraid that Antonio would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and sadly enough, Carl was the only man I could think to call. There was Thomas, at the university, but the last thing I wanted was for any of my colleagues to know about the predicament I’d gotten myself into. I’d also thought about calling Charlotte and then going over to spend the night with her and the children, but I feared that Antonio might follow me. I couldn’t take a chance on him trying to hurt them, too.
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