“Yes, Einstein. Let’s take this to your office. Parker and I need to have a discussion that’s long overdue,” YaYa said.
“You want to do this now?” Parker asked.
“You damned right,” YaYa answered as she stormed over to the elevator. They all piled inside, and Einstein stood between the women as it carried them to the top floor.
“I will give the two of you a moment to sort some things out. Please keep in mind that this is a place of business,” he said.
“We’re grown, civilized women, Eintein,” YaYa snapped. “Whatever your preconceived notions are of the way black women behave may be, you should erase them. As much as my husband pays you, you should know better than to assume otherwise.”
YaYa was out for blood. Even the lawyer wasn’t exempt from feeling the brunt of her attitude.
“Of course not. I meant no disrespect. Take your time.” Einstein closed the door, and YaYa immediately set her sights on Parker.
“I have to warn you. I’m feeling like slapping a bitch right now,” YaYa said. There was no humor in her tone. “I’m going to ask you about Indie’s arrest, and if you try to get cute with me one time I’m gone fuck you up.”
“Based on this fit you’re throwing, I take it you didn’t know that Indie was at my house,” Parker replied.
There was a fire burning inside of YaYa. She shouldn’t have to converse with another woman to gain insight on a situation regarding her man. This was so disrespectful, and everything in YaYa wanted to snatch Parker out of her pretty little pumps.
The last thing YaYa needed was to regress to her old ways, but her disdain for Parker was immeasurable and the sly smirk on Parker’s face was begging for a reaction.
“He didn’t want you to find out like this,” Parker said. “We’re going to give our family a real shot. Our son needs him, and I miss him. We have history. He was going to tell you. We were actually having a conversation about how to tell you when the feds came bursting in.” Parker lied so easily that it felt like the truth. She didn’t care that she was ripping YaYa to pieces on the inside. If this is what she had to do to push YaYa out of Indie’s life, she would. Parker would take Indie any way she could get him, even through deceit.
YaYa smirked. “It doesn’t matter how many times you lure Indie to your house using your son as an excuse. He will always leave to come home to me. There isn’t a bitch in the world that can love that man the way I do. You’re out of your league.”
“Am I?” Parker asked.
Einstein knocked on the door and peered inside.
“Are we all set in here?” he asked.
Parker walked directly up to YaYa and whispered, “If Indie’s yours, then why was he with me and our son last night, all night? The feds didn’t break it up until after we slept together. He showed up after King was asleep. He isn’t there for our son alone. He always gets a piece of mama too.”
God, I swear I tried, YaYa thought as she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and as Parker started out of the room, YaYa grabbed her hair, then snatched her backward with so much force that Parker hit the floor.
Einstein rushed to Parker’s aid, but before he could reach her, YaYa spoke. “She’s a bitch, she belongs on all fours. Leave her there.”
“I want her arrested for assault!” Parker shouted.
“Both of you just settle down,” Einstein insisted. “This isn’t helping! Ms. Banks, please just sit here and wait for me. My assistant will get you anything you need. Mrs. Perkins, come to my office.”
YaYa followed Einstein out, feeling two inches taller from laying hands on Parker. She hadn’t gotten all of her frustration out, but she had gotten her point across well enough. There was an ass whipping waiting for Parker every time she laid eyes on her.
Einstein offered YaYa a seat, but she declined. “I’ll stand. I won’t be here long.”
“Indie is being charged with federal fraud charges,” Einstein revealed. “His bail hearing is tomorrow afternoon, and bail will need to be posted. This poses a problem since his assets are frozen. Any money that you produce on his behalf must come from income that is taxable.”
“I don’t understand. How did this happen?” YaYa asked.
“The members of Vartex’s board are hanging him out to dry, but there is also the issue of some purchase orders Indie signed off on. Drugs were being sold to shell companies under his watch. It looks bad, but I’m going to try and refute the evidence,” Einstein said.
“And he was with her when they came for him? At her house? What time did they arrest him?” YaYa asked.
“He was processed at federal lockup at three forty-five A.M.”
Einstein had no idea that he was giving YaYa pieces to the puzzle of infidelity she was putting together in her head. She wasn’t asking for Indie’s well-being; it was to try to confirm or deny Parker’s accusations without asking him directly. Parker had planted a seed that YaYa would nurture into a full-blown crisis.
YaYa felt like she would throw up. Indie had been at Parker’s in the wee hours of the night, doing who knows what. She shook her head. She was disgraced, embarrassed, hurt beyond measure—what she had felt regularly since they had wed. “You let Indie know that as long as she’s around, I won’t be,” YaYa said calmly. She headed for the door and then paused for one more question. “They came to our home. The feds, that is. Should I be worried? Do I need a lawyer?”
“That’s unlikely. They came to execute a search warrant. They are looking for evidence to substantiate their charges. Indie has made sure to keep you out of this line of business. If they harass you, don’t hesitate to call me. You should be free to go home, however,” Einstein said.
YaYa walked out completely overwhelmed. She wasn’t destitute, but with the money from their safe lost and Indie’s accounts frozen she would be in a bind. Bailing him out wasn’t even a question. YaYa was emotionally spent. There were so many things she needed Indie to straighten out. She had questions, but answers were elusive. Even if she could ask him, she feared that dishonesty would be the language he spoke, and she wasn’t fluent in that. YaYa couldn’t comprehend how he could make promises to her face, only to break them behind her back. She raised her arm to hail a cab but a black truck with tinted windows pulled in front of her swiftly. She took a step back in alarm. The back window rolled down, revealing Zya. “Get in,” she said.
YaYa opened the door and slid into the back of the SUV.
“How is he?” Zya asked.
“I have no idea,” YaYa replied. “How did this happen? How did you let this happen?”
“How did you?” Zya asked back. “The only reason why those trucks weren’t protected is because Indie cut Ethic out. Ethic’s company was supposed to be the original distributor. Indie let personal matters get in the way of logic. This is the result. I need you to relay a message to Indie when you see him at his hearing. You tell him that I have his bond money covered, but his discretion is important. He and I have done good business with one another up until this point. How he handles this will shape the way we do business going forward.”
YaYa nodded and then reached for the door handle. She exited onto the busy city street, but Zya’s voice caused her to pause. “And YaYa?”
YaYa turned to face the SUV.
“This beef between Indie and Ethic is just beginning. Brace yourself,” Zya said. “The animosity you’ve caused between them won’t easily go away. Especially when they find out what I already know.”
“What do you mean? What do you know?” YaYa asked.
Zya rolled up the window, and the car began to drive away.
“Hey, what does that mean!” YaYa asked as she knocked on the window, but the driver picked up speed, leaving her standing there, clueless, in the middle of Manhattan.
* * *
“Are you okay, miss?” Einstein asked. Parker straightened her clothes as she cleared her throat while running her fingers through her messy hair. Embarrassment filled her.
“She acts like a wild animal. The bitch has no class,” Parker snapped. She exhaled deeply to settle her nerves. “Let’s just get this over with.” Parker crossed her legs and recalled the events of the night before. When she was done she asked, “How bad is this for him?”
“It’s not good, but we will fight it,” Einstein replied.
“If this ends badly, how much time will he get?”
“It carries a ten-year minimum,” Einstein answered.
Parker gasped. His words punched her in the gut. King would be a grown man by the time Indie emerged from prison. She couldn’t go ten years without him in her life, but she wasn’t a woman to take her son to prison to see his father. That was no image that any black boy should see. She didn’t want King to become immune to the idea of prison by frequenting one in his childhood. It wasn’t okay. This couldn’t be Indie’s fate.
“The government is interested in finding out how Indie secured a position on the board of Vartex. The FBI and DEA believe that Indie is connected to something bigger, an illegal organization. I either have to prove that he isn’t, or we give the government a name,” Einstein said. “Indie will also have to provide tax returns for the past five years showing that he was gainfully employed before Vartex; otherwise they may come for the house.”
“Does Indie know this?” Parker asked, hopeful.
“Indie wants to fight the case. He says there is no name to provide,” Einstein answered.
A nagging feeling filled Parker as she thought of the burner phone she had found in Indie’s pocket. Who is Z? she thought.
Parker stood. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll be in touch.”
Einstein looked at her in surprise. “I have all I need from you. I think it would be best if you kept some distance from Mrs. Perkins.”
“There isn’t anyone that will stop me from being here for that man,” Parker stated vehemently. “I don’t care if she is his wife. I have a right to be here too.” She stormed out of the office, determined to do everything in her power to help free Indie.
She opened the burner phone and went to the location settings. His meeting with Z is at midnight at the same place, she thought. What place?
Parker knew that if she could figure out where this meeting took place, she could possibly find the person who could set Indie free. Maybe I’m tripping. Maybe Z is some woman he’s messing with, and that’s why he communicates with her on a separate phone. Maybe I’m making all of this up in my head, Parker thought, but she knew that couldn’t be true. Indie wasn’t the type to string along different women for sport. The only reason Parker was even around was because of the history they shared. She knew that King gave her leverage and that Indie was too decent a man to cut her out of his life. She had taken advantage of that fact, hoping that one day he would come to his senses and come back to her. Even still, he resisted her, so she knew that there was no way some random woman had convinced him to step out on his precious YaYa. Indie had dealt with foreign drug connects ever since he was young and hustling in the streets. The foreign number only confirmed her suspicion further that this was who the text was from. All she had to do was prove them.
8
It was the morning of the hearing, and YaYa felt it in her soul that it was going to be a shitty day. Some days were just like that, and she knew before she ever stepped foot out of bed that the universe would not favor her today. She was sick to her stomach. There was uneasiness in her bones. Everything in her wanted to stay home. She was so livid with Indie about his late-night rendezvous with Parker that she wanted to give him her ass to kiss. Her feelings were devastated, but the part of her that felt responsible for him, the wifely part, would never allow her to miss this day. It was too important. YaYa showered, letting the water rinse over her body. Nothing could truly cleanse her of her demons, of her sins. She was getting all dressed up just to cover the dirtiness she felt on the inside. She was making chaos look like happiness, and as she slid into a black Alexander McQueen dress with matching heels, she knew this was a front. She was just trying to not to look like what she had been through. The last thing Indie needed to worry about was how she was holding up. He didn’t need to see the sadness in her eyes, so she covered it with makeup. YaYa could barely find her things among the mess the feds had left for her to clean up. They had swarmed through their house, leaving no drawer unturned. It didn’t even feel like home anymore.
YaYa hoped that Indie was coming home today, because if he wasn’t YaYa wasn’t sure how much longer she would feel comfortable in their house alone. It was like it had been invaded. She threw some clothes for herself and for Skylar into an overnight bag and then rushed out. I can always crash at the new building for a night or two, she thought.
When she arrived at the courthouse, she spotted Elaine, who waved her over.
“Good morning, Elaine,” YaYa said as she hugged her mother-in-law.
“We’ll see how good of a morning it is,” Elaine replied skeptically. “You look beautiful. He will be happy to see you.”
“I look better than I feel,” YaYa answered. “I’m literally sick over this. I didn’t eat because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. Is Skylar okay there with Bill?” YaYa asked. “She can be a handful.”
Elaine chuckled. “They will manage. Let’s head inside.”
They climbed the steps and went through the metal detectors before seeking out the courtroom where Indie’s hearing would take place. As soon as YaYa walked in, tears clouded her eyes. Sitting behind Indie was Parker and King. Indie was turned around smiling with them, and suddenly YaYa felt like she was the one that didn’t belong. They looked like a happy little family, and YaYa felt like the angry mistress coming to break them up. She didn’t understand how the tables had turned and YaYa had become the chick on the side. At least that’s what it felt like. She stopped walking midstep, causing Elaine to bump into her.
“YaYa, what’s…” Elaine stopped when her eyes landed on the same sight. “Oh YaYa.”
Indie looked up and his eyes met hers, and the smile faded from his face. Nervousness took over his features as if he had been caught red-handed.
“I’m sure she is just here to support him. He is King’s father,” Elaine said.
“I’m so tired of hearing that,” YaYa replied. “As a matter of fact, I’m tired of all of it.” She shook her head as she turned around and rushed out of the courtroom. YaYa ran to the nearest bathroom. She couldn’t hold her disgust any longer. She barely made it into the stall before throwing up. She snatched a paper towel from the dispenser and wet it. She cleaned herself up and then straightened her clothes before walking back into the courtroom. Indie’s neck was on a swivel as he searched for her, and when they finally locked gazes again he saw her grief. He wanted to explain himself, but under the circumstances all he could do was hope for the best.
YaYa sat in the back while Parker paraded King in the front, sitting in the place where YaYa should have been. There was no time to figure it out, however.
“All rise, the Honorable Kimberly Remick presiding!”
Everyone in attendance complied.
“Be seated,” the judge said.
“In the matter of Indie Perkins versus the State of New York, we have the issue of bail,” the judge said as she looked over at Indie.
“The people request a remand, Your Honor. Mr. Perkins is a drug dealer with means and the connections to flee prosecution,” the prosecutor stated.
“Your Honor, this simply is not true. Mr. Perkins is a target of racial discrimination in this case and—”
The judge interrupted Einstein before he could even get started. She held up her hand. “The defendant is remanded to Rikers Island Correctional Facility while pending trial,” she said. The words hit YaYa as the gavel simultaneously banged in the courtroom. Indie wasn’t coming home, at least not anytime soon. Her soul was crushed. Despite her anger toward him, she didn’t want this. Indie didn’t deserve to be locked away in a c
age like some animal. They were trying to railroad him, and a sinking feeling took over YaYa as she stood. She wanted to go to her man, to comfort him, but before she could, Parker and King were by his side. YaYa looked on like an outsider. She had been pushed out of her own family, and as she watched Indie hug his son and Parker place a hand of support on his shoulder, she died a little on the inside. Indie looked up, searching for her. Their eyes fell upon one another, and the hurt she felt, the betrayal, the contempt, all transferred to him. He felt it. He could see her every emotion as if she were a masterpiece of sadness hanging on a wall. Her pain was written all over her face. He took a step toward her but was stopped by the bailiff, who handcuffed him. YaYa rushed for the exit.
“YaYa!” His voice caused her to stop as she gripped the door. She turned back and looked at Elaine, at Parker, at King, all standing by her husband’s side. She felt useless, unneeded, and she questioned why she had come at all. YaYa shook her head and bolted out of the door completely distraught. Everything in her life was upside down. This was not supposed to be the natural order of things. It was all so much for one woman to handle. What would be her breaking point? When would enough be enough? Clearly there was some type of connection between Parker and Indie. She was too comfortable for YaYa’s liking. It had her questioning the very foundation on which her relationship was built. Shit was shaky, and YaYa didn’t want to be the woman holding down a man without getting the same in return. Riding for a man meant being his strength when he was weak, not allowing a man to deplete her own strength with his lies and infidelity. Their bond had never been typical, but thinking of him with Parker, running around telling lies, saying one thing yet doing another, it all seemed like regular nigga shit. Problem was, YaYa wasn’t interested in holding down a nigga, she wanted to uplift a king, one that was exclusively hers to love without worry. YaYa had believed she had found that in Indie. Guess I was wrong, she thought.
The Prada Plan 5 Page 10
