A Hustler's Promise: Some Promises Won't Be Broken

by Jackie Chanel

  “Hey.” Jaicyn walked over to her boyfriend.

  “What’s up?” Rayshawn grinned as Jaicyn slid her curves up against him. As fine as he thought Jaicyn was, he had no idea that she thought the same of him.

  Rayshawn was six feet and two hundred pounds of brown skinned muscle. His brown skin glistened like diamonds in the sun when he sweated. Jaicyn had overheard a girl say that she would like to ‘lick the sweat off his abs’.

  “Baby,” Jaicyn purred in Rayshawn’s ear. “Do you want to come over tonight?”

  Rayshawn put his arms around his girl and looked in her eyes. He knew what was on her mind. He had a lot to do that night but he wasn’t going to turn her down. A night with Jaicyn was just what he needed before he geared up for a trip to L.A with King, a trip that Jaicyn had no idea he was going on and wouldn’t be happy when she found out that she couldn’t go with them.

  “What about court? I thought we couldn’t be seen spending the night together?”

  Jaicyn shrugged. “The hearing is next month. If they haven’t brought your name up by now, I’m pretty sure that they aren’t worrying about it.”

  “Alright,” Rayshawn agreed. “What time do you think you’ll be home?”

  “I don’t know, probably about ten. I’ll call you,” Jaicyn replied.

  Jaicyn kissed Rayshawn once more before leaving. Rayshawn watched her hurry across the courtyard, looking more like a real estate agent in her blue pinstripe skirt and jacket than what she really was; a drug dealer.

  Even though he hadn’t wanted Jaicyn to work for him Rayshawn had to accept the fact that it was the best decision King had made. He admired and respected her ambition and her ability to take charge. He liked to see her in action, it was sexy. Most girls who were involved in the game were too boyish.

  Jaicyn represented a different kind of woman in the game. She dressed like a girl. She talked like a girl. Even stuck in a room full of guys all day, she managed to “keep it girly” as she claimed. Jaicyn thought she was the hottest chick in Washington Heights and carried herself accordingly. Being Rayshawn’s woman came certain expectations. Therefore, her hair, nails, clothes, and shoes were always up to par.

  A knock on the door interrupted Rayshawn’s thought. He turned away from the window before Jaicyn got in her black Mustang and sped down the street towards downtown.

  “Come in,” Rayshawn called.

  Little man poked his head in the doorway.

  “You ready? We have a half hour before the meeting and I need to run some money by my baby-mama’s.”

  “Yeah, let’s go,” Rayshawn said.

  Rayshawn and Little Man walked past Corey and Marcus playing football on the PlayStation.

  “Y’all hold it down,” Rayshawn ordered. “I’ll be back.”

  Rayshawn walked out of the apartment feeling that his little piece of King’s empire was in good hands and set off to meet up with the boss.

  Chapter 23

  Dressed in a subtle Yves Saint Laurent black dress, Jaicyn sat next to her lawyer and waited for court to start. Her leg bounced nervously under the table until Douglas threw a stern look in her direction.

  She wished Rayshawn was there with her. His presence would have helped calm her nerves. Rayshawn wished her good luck but there was no way she was getting him anywhere near any type of courtroom if it could be avoided.

  Douglas has advised that if the hearing went well, it could very well be their last one. Her sisters could possibly come home with her that day. As Jaicyn snuck a glance at Rickie and Bobbie seated with their child advocate, something tugged at her heartstrings.

  God, please let this end today.

  A year was long enough. On paper Jaicyn looked great. She’d passed her licensing exam legitimately because she couldn’t find anyone to take it for her. She was making more than enough money to provide for her sisters. Her references were outstanding and she had a comfortable apartment for them to live in.

  The only thing that could keep her from her sisters was her age. She couldn’t do anything about that. She was nineteen when she filed the petition to stop the adoption. Even though she was an adult, could someone so young really raise a seven and eight year old? Most girls her age wouldn’t be able to handle that type of responsibility but Jaicyn could. She’d been doing it all their lives.

  Judge Berkley entered the courtroom and glanced at the two opposing lawyers. She wanted this case to be over as much as Jaicyn. If it wasn’t for the bickering between the lawyers, she would have rendered her decision months ago.

  “Let’s get started,” she sighed. “I understand we have a few more people to give testimony today, is that right, Mr. Krantz?”

  Douglas stood up. “Yes, your honor. Just a couple. I’d like to start with Juanita Castillo.”

  Jaicyn smiled at her grandmother as she walked to the witness box. Juanita smiled and wiggled her fingers at Rickie and Bobbie before she sat down.

  “Mrs. Castillo, please inform the court how you’re related to the petitioner,” Douglas instructed Juanita.

  Juanita explained to everyone in the courtroom that she was Jason’s mother and Jaicyn’s only grandmother.

  “Mrs. Castillo, why are you here today?”

  “My granddaughter asked me to come and tell you people that she should have custody of her sisters,” Juanita said.

  Douglas smiled. “And Mrs. Castillo, are you here just because Miss Jones asked you to come or do you feel that she should have custody of her sisters?”

  “I’m here because I love all three of these girls. I believe that it is best for them to be together.”

  “Mrs. Castillo,” Douglas asked, “you allowed Jaicyn to live with you after Job Corps. Did you notice anything different about her when she came home?”

  Juanita smiled and laughed. “Most definitely. Jaicyn was a different person when she came back. She was calmer, smarter, and more responsible. She even had a job.”

  Jaicyn felt good hearing her grandmother talk about how proud she was of her granddaughter. When Juanita started talking about how she helped Jaicyn with her sisters when Angelina was strung out, Jaicyn almost started to tear up. She hadn’t thought about her mother in a long time.

  The Blairs’ attorney irritated the entire courtroom when he began questioning Juanita. He spoke very slowly and loudly, like she couldn’t understand English. He even angered the judge when he asked if two little black girls would be comfortable around Jaicyn’s family since they were all Puerto Rican and Rickie and Bobbie weren’t.

  “Rickie and Bobbie have been around me all of their lives,” Juanita argued angrily. “Obviously you haven’t spent much time with the girls because if you had, you’d know that they speak Spanish just as well as I speak English. They are very comfortable around me and Jaicyn’s father.”

  Even Judge Berkley smiled when Bobbie looked up from her PSP and said ‘Si.’

  Jason took the stand after his mother and handled himself very well. He admitted that Jaicyn was taking on a huge responsibility but she and her sisters shared an unbreakable bond and deserved to be together. He explained to the judge that he and Juanita would be in the girls’ lives as much as they could.

  After Jason was finished speaking Judge Berkley cleared the courtroom for thirty minutes while she talked with the social worker and child advocate with DFACS.

  Jaicyn spent each minute fretting and kept asking her father what she could do if she didn’t get custody of her sisters. Just when Jason was getting fed up with his daughter the bailiff called everyone back into the courtroom.

  The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Everyone stood when Judge Berkley returned to the bench.

  “This has been a very interesting case,” she acknowledged. “The job of this court is to look after the best interest of the two girls involved. Rickie and Bobbie Jones have been through a tremendous amount of trauma. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to both of them and also their teachers and counselors
. I’ve even reviewed their school records prior to them going to foster care. Rickie and Bobbie have been and still are wonderful little girls. That had to come from somewhere. Since they’ve only been in foster care for three years, it’s the opinion of the court that, despite her young age, the love and care that Rickie and Bobbie needed came from their big sister.”

  “I’ve given careful consideration of everything that has been presented in this court and I have reached my decision. I herby grant full legal and physical custody of the minor children, Rickie Jones and Bobbie Jones to their sister, Miss Jaicyn Jones. This matter is closed.”

  Jaicyn’s breath caught in her throat and tears stung her eyes.

  “Did I really win?” she whispered to Douglas. “Are they really coming home with me?”

  “Yes, young lady. You won.”

  The entire situation seemed like a dream. Even when Rickie and Bobbie ran over to her and wrapped their arms around her waist, Jaicyn still couldn’t believe that she’d won. The case had cost her thousands of dollars and hours of her time. It was worth it. Her sisters were back in her care.

  She finally felt like she could breathe again.

  Chapter 24

  Jaicyn threw her shopping bags into the trunk of her Mustang angrily. She looked at her phone. Rayshawn was calling again.

  “Jay-Jay, aren’t you going to answer that?” Rickie questioned from the front seat.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jaicyn huffed. “And leave my radio alone.”

  “What’s wrong with you?” Bobbie asked from the backseat.

  “Nothing. Fasten your seatbelts.”

  Rickie and Bobbie had been living with Jaicyn for almost six months and everything had returned to the same routine Jaicyn had thought she missed. Her sisters weren’t the same girls she had left in Washington Heights. They were sassier and more spoiled than she remembered. Still, not having them was so much worse than putting up with their nosiness and backtalk. They were in school most of the day anyway.

  School would be out soon though. One of Jaicyn’s many predicaments was that she didn’t know what she could do with her sisters during the summer. Her work in the Park didn’t allow for her to be stuck in the house with them all day. They couldn’t stay at home by themselves. Jaicyn had her fill of DFCS and didn’t want them coming by her apartment again.

  Rayshawn wasn’t helping her come up with a plan. In fact he was just getting on Jaicyn’s nerves. His work habits were becoming a real problem in Jaicyn’s eyes. He was the other reason she was irritated as she sped towards the projects on a Saturday that she was supposed to be spending with Rickie and Bobbie. They were in the middle of shopping for summer clothes when Rayshawn called her and told her to come over to the Park.

  Her phone rang again. Rickie picked it up and handed it to her.

  “It’s Rayshawn.”

  Jaicyn snatched the phone. “I know.”

  “Where are you?” Rayshawn asked.

  “I’m on my way!” Jaicyn yelled into the phone. “You’re getting on my nerves with this hurry up and get here shit! You knew I had plans today. Why should I interrupt my day just because Sabrina didn’t show up for work? You’re going to stop calling me every time that bitch runs off with some chick!”

  Jaicyn ended the call before Rayshawn could yell at her again. Two years of working together hadn’t taught him a thing. She still hated when he tried to play the “boss” card. Jaicyn didn’t take orders well. She wasn’t that type of woman who bowed down to him or anyone else. She respected the fact that he ran the crew but he couldn’t boss her around. He must have forgotten that if it wasn’t for her careful assessment of the money situation, he wouldn’t be the top dog. Jaicyn had every intention of reminding him as she and the girls stomped across the courtyard.

  “Go find your friends,” Jaicyn ordered her sisters.

  She didn’t know if they understood what she and Rayshawn did for a living but she was sure that she didn’t want them to see it first hand. They were too young. Maybe when they were teenagers and could understand the game, she’d explain it to them.

  Jaicyn flung open the door to the “stash house”. Rayshawn and Little Man were sitting around the table bagging up vials of crack. Jaicyn stopped in her tracks.

  “What the fuck?” Jaicyn asked. “Since when do we get packages that aren’t street ready?”

  Rayshawn looked up from what he was doing. “This is what Slim dropped off and we need to get this shit out there immediately. Get to work.”

  Jaicyn looked at the table covered with glass vials and dope.

  “You must be nuts. I deal with cash, not dope. I’m not putting my hands on that shit.”

  “I’m losing money by the second so don’t start that shit, Jaicyn,” Rayshawn ordered. “If I can do it, then you can sit your ass down and vial up. Or you can stand over that hot ass stove and cook it. Pick one.”

  Jaicyn carefully weighed her options. He gave her two dumb ass options, but there was always a third choice. That was not doing it. Rayshawn must have read her mind because he looked at her and shook his head.

  “And you don’t have another choice. Sit or stand, it’s up to you. And since you’ve been walking around the mall all day, I bet you don’t want to be standing up by the stove,” Rayshawn said.

  Jaicyn flopped down in one of the plastic chairs and grabbed some baggies. The sooner they could get the dope bagged up the sooner she could leave.

  “Where are Rickie and Bobbie?” Rayshawn asked after about thirty minutes.

  “On the playground with their friends,” Jaicyn answered. “Why do you think I keep looking out the window? I’m not checking on my car.”

  Little Man snickered but Rayshawn threw Jaicyn a look that should have shut her up but it didn’t. She kept right on mumbling something about ‘this not being her job’ and ‘having other shit to do’. Rayshawn tried to ignore her but he was getting sick of her mouth. The ringing of his cell phone kept him from pulling Jaicyn into the back room and cussing her out.

  “Who’s this? Rayshawn answered his phone.

  “It’s me,” King said. “I need you and Little Man to come by the lot now.”

  “We’re on the way,” Rayshawn said and ended the call. He grinned, knowing that Jaicyn would be pissed when she found out that she had to finish up all by herself.

  Payback was a motherfucker!

  “Where are you going?” Jaicyn demanded to know.

  “We are going to see King. You stay here and finish this.”

  Jaicyn looked around. It was going to take at least another three or four hours to finish cutting the dope and bagging it up. She wasn’t about to spend the rest of her day stuck inside the stash house.

  “You’re trippin’. I’m not doing this by myself.”

  “Yes, you are,” Rayshawn insisted. “I give the orders around here. You do what I say do.”

  Jaicyn opened her mouth to protest but Rayshawn stopped her.

  “Don’t say shit else. Just do what I say. I’ll see you later.”

  Little Man finished stuffing the bag he was working on and stood up. Both guys picked up their guns from off the table and stuck them in their waistbands, under their white tees.

  “You know where the piece is, right?” Little Man asked.

  Jaicyn was so furious that all she could do was nod her head and glare at Rayshawn. Her evil stare wasn’t working. He was tired of Jaicyn’s defiant attitude. He ran the crew and she worked for him, not with him. When Jaicyn got that clear, things would be smooth sailing again.

  “You should be fine,” Rayshawn said. “I’ll send Corey or Marcus over just in case. If Sabrina shows up, tell her she needs to get with me before she lays one finger on my shit.”

  Rayshawn walked out of the apartment with Little Man behind. No sooner than Jaicyn had slammed and locked the door, she heard it unlock and Rayshawn poked his head in.

  “What?” Jaicyn s
aid, not looking up from the brick she was cutting with a razor.

  “I’m going to take the girls with me,” Rayshawn informed her. “We’ll see you at the house.”

  Jaicyn fought the urge to say something rude to her boyfriend. Instead she ignored him. He wasn’t bothered. Jaicyn needed to be brought down a few levels. He closed the door and locked it again.

  It was starting to get warm so Rayshawn had taken his Lexus out of storage. With a new paint job, new rims, and a new stereo system, the Lexus looked like a brand new car. Rayshawn always left his car parked on the street under the watchful eyes of his corner crews instead of in the parking lot where Jaicyn trusted her Mustang. No one would have messed with Rayshawn’s car anyway. The repercussions of damaging the Lexus would be detrimental. The corner boys didn’t mind dishing out ass whoopings if someone even got too close to the car.

  Rayshawn walked to his car after calling for Rickie and Bobbie to come with him. They raced to his car and hopped in the drop top without opening the doors like their sister.

  “Where we goin’?” Rickie asked even though it really didn’t matter. Any trip with Rayshawn was usually ended with a trip to Toys R Us.

  “We’re going to see King then we’ll see,” Rayshawn answered.

  Rickie and Bobbie smiled at each other. They had tried to get Jaicyn to buy them a new PlayStation game while they were at the mall but she was only interested in buying new summer clothes. Now that they were with Rayshawn, they’d get at least one new game before the night was over.

  Sandy was standing in the car lot when Rayshawn parked his car. She was looking at cars with a salesman.

  “Hey girls,” Sandy greeted Rickie and Bobbie. “What are y’all doing here?”

  “We’re hanging with Rayshawn,” Bobbie explained.

  “Can you keep an eye on them for a minute,” Rayshawn asked. “I have a meeting with King.”

  “Sure, they can help me pick out a new car. Come on little ladies.”