“I know you care, Autumn,” Jaicyn said. “But can we agree to never talk about her again? She’s in the past and I don’t want to focus on that.”
“Sure. I won’t bring her up again.”
The girls were quiet. A few times, Jaicyn caught Autumn staring at Dayshawn and smiled.
“Can I just tell you, again, how much I love this house,” Autumn sighed. “I can’t believe you and Rayshawn managed to do all this without every going to college.”
“I have smart people around me,” Jaicyn answered humbly. “I figured if Jay-Z can make millions and not set foot on a college campus, so can I. He started out hustling, just like me.”
Autumn laughed. “I should have known! Do you remember when you wanted to marry him?”
Of course Jaicyn remembered! He was her dream before Rayshawn came into the picture.
“I can’t believe you brought that up.”
“But then Rayshawn gave you that cheap pawn shop ring and you dropped poor old Jay-Z,” Autumn said.
“Hey,” Jaicyn protested, “that ring was special. I still have that ring! Besides, Jay-Z has Beyonce. He don’t want me.”
The two girls laughed. Jaicyn looked around at the party guests and noticed that someone was missing.
“I wonder where King is. He told the twins that he was coming.”
Autumn shrugged her shoulders. “Sandy probably made his ass stay home. I bet my man wouldn’t be leaving me in Washington Heights with two kids while he goes to Atlanta to party.”
“Well, you better leave that little tidbit on Post-Its and stick them all over your house if you and twin number two get married cause we both know that Dayshawn is not going to pass up a good party!”
“I know, right! So,” Autumn said, getting serious, “what’s the word on the investigation? Are y’all going to be okay?”
Jaicyn stopped smiling. For the last few months she’d been on edge, wondering the same thing.
“We haven’t heard anything,” Jaicyn answered. “Dayshawn says that he hasn’t heard anything new either.”
Autumn sensed that she’d hit a sore spot and hadn’t meant to. She just worried about her friends. At the end of the day, no matter how involved Jaicyn was in her boutique, she was still the very much involved girlfriend of a drug dealer. Whatever happened to Rayshawn probably would happen to her. Autumn couldn’t imagine Jaicyn spending the rest of her life in prison. What would happen to Rickie and Bobbie?
“Come on,” Autumn said to lighten the mood, “let’s get in the pool. I didn’t buy this swimsuit just to look pretty.”
Jaicyn smiled and welcomed the distraction. However, the conversation with Autumn reminded her that she needed to have a separate conversation with her lawyers and fiancé soon. Until then, she was going to enjoy the party going on in her backyard.
Chapter 11
Rayshawn heard his cell phone vibrating on the beside table and quickly grabbed it before it woke up Jaicyn who was sleeping beside him. She had a little too much to drink at the party and after a quickie with her man, had passed out on their bed.
Rayshawn was glad that Jaicyn hadn’t demanded too much of his attention. He had a lot of things on his mind and Jaicyn had a way making him talk about stuff that he didn’t really want to talk about. She wasn’t going to like any of the news that he had to give her. How was he supposed to tell her that at any moment, their world was going to be turned upside down?
Rayshawn looked at the caller ID on his phone and hit the talk button. Xavier Rogers was just the call that he’d been waiting all day for.
“Hold on,” Rayshawn said into the phone. He got out of the bed and walked quietly to the patio door. Stepping out on the balcony, he saw his brother and Autumn spending some alone time in the pool. It was three in the morning but who was he to judge? Instead, Rayshawn sat on the lounge chair in the shadows so that Dayshawn wouldn’t look up and see him.
“What’s up X? Rayshawn said into his phone.
Xavier Rogers Jr. was the oldest son of Detroit’s most notorious drug kingpin. Rayshawn had met him during one of his and King’s many trips to Detroit to link up with the senior Xavier. Xavier reminded Rayshawn of his brother, studious and not interested in the business of selling drugs. Like Dayshawn, he had other plans for his life. He wanted to work for the FBI and two years ago he finally got the chance. Now he was a part of the task force put together to bring down Cesar Valdez and the drug cartel he’d been supplying.
“Things ain’t looking too good, brother,” Xavier solemnly informed his friend. “I tried everything to take the focus off you but they ain’t havin’ it.”
Rayshawn was expecting the news. In fact, he thought that when Xavier finally called him he’d be saying that the Feds were about to bust through his door. Blaque had called him earlier that morning to let him know that the Washington Heights police and the DEA had raided two of King’s territories and arrested Sonny and K-ci. Rayshawn’s instincts told him that he was next.
“So what’re my options because I know they got me in their sights?” Rayshawn asked.
“You’re right,” Xavier answered. He didn’t want to see his friend go down. He was law enforcement but he still wanted to help Rayshawn and Jaicyn.
“This is the deal,” Xavier started to explain. “You have twenty-four hours to turn yourself in.”
“Or what?” Rayshawn wanted to know.
“Or they come and get you,” Xavier answered gravely. “And if you’re not there, they are going to arrest anyone there.”
Anyone meant Jaicyn. Rayshawn didn’t even need clarification on that one.
On his side of the phone, Rayshawn groaned. He wasn’t a punk. He lived by a code and that was ‘never confess’ and ‘never give yourself up. If they want you let them come get you.
“But look,” Xavier said, “you know I got your back. I can lose my job or go to jail for this, but I took care of things for you. You know, talked to some people, got rid of some evidence. They really don’t have anything that your lawyers can’t beat. They are hoping that once you get in the box and they start threatening your family, you’ll start to talk.”
Rayshawn snickered. That would never happen. He wasn’t a snitch. Plus he knew that Xavier would come through for him. He might have been a cop but he was from the streets. He’d look out for his own people before anything else.
“Look, tell your people that I’ll turn myself in as long as they leave Jaicyn alone. They start fuckin’ with her and they’ll never find us.”
Xavier knew that Rayshawn would set his own terms when it came down to it. He also knew that Rayshawn would sacrifice his own life and freedom for his fiancée. Maybe the FBI didn’t realize it but everyone who really knew Rayshawn and Jaicyn knew it. Rayshawn was a rock and he’d never turn on King or Cesar.
Because the FEDS had made a horrible assumption about Rayshawn, an assumption that Xavier had perpetuated. Xavier knew that Rayshawn would come out okay. He’d have to do some jail time when he didn’t give up the information that the agents were expecting him to, but that was a given.
“I’ll tell them I’ll bring you in,” Xavier suggested. “What you gon do about Jaicyn?”
Rayshawn looked into the bedroom where Jaicyn was still sleeping. The moonlight cast a soft light into the bedroom, just enough so that he could see his woman. Rayshawn felt a slight a pull at his heart, knowing that once again they’d be separated for an unspecified amount of time.
“Jaicyn will be alright. She’s a soldier.”
“Yeah,” Xavier had to agree. “She’ll hold you down for sure.”
Rayshawn nodded. After making a promise to call him the next day, Rayshawn hung up the phone and stared over the balcony. He was tempted to holler down to the pool and tell his brother to come in the house but he chose not to. He was already about to ruin Jaicyn’s night. He could at least wait until his brother got some before ruining his day too. He slid open the patio door and slipped back into the bed next to Jaic
yn.
“Who was on the phone?” Jaicyn asked as soon as Rayshawn sat on the bed.
“What?”
Jaicyn sat up on the bed and switched on the light.
“Who was on the phone,” she repeated. “What was so important that you had to go outside and talk to them at three in the morning?”
“Xavier,” Rayshawn answered.
Jaicyn rolled her eyes. “I don’t know any damn Xavier.”
“Yes you do,” Rayshawn replied. “Xavier from Detroit.”
“Are you talking about the cop?”
Rayshawn nodded. Jaicyn looked into his eyes and knew something was wrong.
“What did he want?” she asked slowly, even though she knew. She just had to hear it for herself.
Over the last few days Jaicyn had noticed that Rayshawn had been quieter and more withdrawn than ever. While she was worried about the federal investigation, she had to put on a happy face for her sisters. Rayshawn didn’t know how to do that. When Rayshawn told her that Xavier was the late night caller, Jaicyn’s stomach churned.
“What’s going on Rayshawn? What did he say?”
Rayshawn took a deep breath and put his arm around his fiancée.
“They’re making moves,” he said. “They raided 91 Street and Oakland Terrace last night and the reason why King didn’t come to the party is because he’s in Bermuda.”
“Then we’re getting the hell out of dodge too,” Jaicyn interrupted. “When are we leaving?”
“We’re not,” Rayshawn answered gravely. “Baby, we can’t leave now. It’s too late.”
Jaicyn found it hard to believe what Rayshawn was saying. It was never too late to leave. She got out of bed and ran over to the patio door. She looked around the lawn and didn’t see anything but shadows.
“I don’t see the police out there about to bust down our door. So if they’re not out there then it’s not too late.”
“Baby, it’s too late,” Rayshawn said again. “Did you hear what I said about Washington Heights?”
Jaicyn wasn’t dumb. She knew how to put two and two together. If Sonny and K-ci were locked up and King was on the run, then all eyes were on Rayshawn. How long had he’d known?
“Rayshawn, you have two seconds to tell me why we can’t get the hell out of here! We have enough money to go anywhere in this world that we want to go. Why should we stay here and wait for them to lock us up?” Jaicyn yelled.
“Because I’m not living my life on the run, that’s why. Whatever shit these dumb ass cops throw at me, I can beat,” Rayshawn explained with as much confidence as he could muster. But Jaicyn wasn’t buying his story. He was worried and so was she.
“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Jaicyn snarled at her man. “Yeah, we might be able to beat a drug charge but we don’t know if they have anything else, do we? That’s a totally different story. We should just go.”
Rayshawn knew that Jaicyn wasn’t worried about beating drug charges. She had the murders of Mario, Ramel, and his crew on her mind. But Rayshawn figured that Xavier would have told him if they had murder charges on him. Murder was more serious that drugs. Xavier was doing more than risking his career. Blaque and Slim knew that he was helping Rayshawn. Not telling Rayshawn that the FEDS had murder charges would have been risking his life.
Rayshawn looked at Jaicyn. She was about to cry. He knew that she’d be upset and he’d figured that she’d cry. He just hated doing that to her. It was inevitable though.
“Baby,” Rayshawn said and put his arm around Jaicyn. He pulled her close to him. “We’re going to be alright. They know nothing about that. We’re straight.”
“I just don’t understand,” Jaicyn cried with her head against Rayshawn’s chest. “We can leave here and not have to worry about this shit.”
Rayshawn didn’t have the right words to explain that he couldn’t leave the country because he’d never ask her to give up everything for him again. He wouldn’t allow her to give up her boutique and her friends. He didn’t want Rickie and Bobbie to have to live like fugitives. No, if leaving was an option then it would only be an option for him.
“Jay-Jay, I’m going to beat these charges, whatever they are. We know how tight our shit is. I’m not worried and if I’m not worried then you shouldn’t be either,” Rayshawn assured her.
“What am I supposed to do without you?” Jaicyn whined and hugged Rayshawn tightly.
“The same thing I did without you for two years, maintained.”
With her head on Rayshawn shoulders, Jaicyn fingered her engagement ring and toughened up.
“I can do that,” she said. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
Rayshawn shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe a few months, I don’t know. But I have twenty-four hours to turn myself in.
Rayshawn placed his hand under Jaicyn’s chin and raised her head so that she was looking directly into his eyes.
“I need you to be strong and believe that we’re going to get through this. I need you to be the rock that I know you are. You and I are too strong to be defeated, baby. We always have been and we always will be.”
“I know,” Jaicyn answered. All traces of her tears were gone. “I got you, Rayshawn.”
Rayshawn felt better hearing her say those words. He and Jaicyn had been through too much bad stuff in their short lives. Good things were just starting to happen. It wouldn’t be right for things to come to an end like this. Plus they’d always been more secretive, crafty, and careful than all of the other dealers they knew.
When Rayshawn hooked up with Xavier in a grocery store parking lot the next day he wasn’t scared or nervous. He just wanted to get it over with. The summer was just starting and he had more important things to tend to. Plus he couldn’t leave Jaicyn alone to plan their wedding for too long.
Chapter 12
Jaicyn sat in the cold waiting room of the Dekalb County Jail looking around at all of the visitors waiting to have a brief thirty minute visit with their husbands, fathers, sons, and boyfriends. She hated coming to the jail. Seeing all of the crying babies, lonely wives, pissed off girlfriends, and heartbroken mothers was depressing. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Jaicyn dreaded getting dressed in plain jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers and making the drive down Memorial Drive to the jail. She did it because Rayshawn needed her to. Three times a week for the last five months Jaicyn visited her fiancé in jail.
Rayshawn was doing okay. Jaicyn was the one struggling to hold herself together. She was unprepared, mentally, to deal with her man being locked up for any length of time. It was her own fault. She knew that jail was always a possibility but she’d gotten comfortable. The longing to live a normal life had made her forget how she actually made her money.
Now, here they were; she on the outside preparing for Rayshawn’s trial while he sat behind bars. Nothing in the last few months had gone the way Jaicyn expected it to; the smooth way Rayshawn had promised. No one in Washington Heights, not even Blaque or Sandy would return her calls. Her man was facing serious charges including drug trafficking and money laundering. The FEDS had seized their house and their cars. They even froze the money in their bank account. Still, the only people who talked to her were Dayshawn and Autumn.
Even when the judge denied Rayshawn’s bail, no one answered the phone. Jaicyn was more irritated than hurt. Rayshawn would be hurt if he found out. She wouldn’t let him. He needed to focus on the twenty years he was facing, not what was going on in Washington Heights.
Jaicyn was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost missed the stony faced clerk call her name. Like an old pro, Jaicyn walked through the door and took the elevator up to the fourth floor visitation room. She took a seat behind the glass partition and waited for Rayshawn to enter on the other side. Only one other person was inside the room with Jaicyn, a sad Hispanic woman Jaicyn had seen before. The older woman was just as diligent in visiting her eighteen year old son as Jaicyn was in visiting Rayshawn. Sometimes Jaicyn would give the lad
y a ride home so she wouldn’t have to take the bus after a visit with her son.
In his orange jumpsuit, Rayshawn still looked quite handsome. He still had that confidant swagger Jaicyn adored. Jaicyn waited until he sat down behind the glass before picking up the phone.
“Hey baby,” she greeted him. “What’s up?”
Rayshawn smiled back. “What’s up?”
Jail, especially county jail, was tolerable as long as he minded his own business. His reputation on the streets had followed him to jail. He was Dekalb County Jail’s resident celebrity of sorts. Most of the guys on the tier were locked up for drugs and guns. Any drug dealer in Atlanta that was making good money by selling the ‘good shit’ was probably getting dope from Rayshawn in one way or another so no one bothered him.
Rayshawn had gotten used to the routine of jail, but he missed his fiancé and his brother in a major way. Even though they both visited regularly, Rayshawn needed to be free to take care of them.
“How you doing?” Rayshawn asked.
“I’m okay,” was Jaicyn’s answer.
“And the girls?”
“They’re fine. They don’t like the apartment,” Jaicyn added. “But they still haven’t released our house or cars.”
“Baby, we’re probably never going to get that shit back,” Rayshawn replied angrily. “It’s gone.”
Jaicyn stared through the Plexiglas at the dingy wall behind Rayshawn. She didn’t want to believe that he was right. Her house, her dream house, couldn’t just be snatched away from her.
“Jay-Jay,” Rayshawn said into the phone, “you’re not holding it together.”
“I’m trying,” she snapped. “But you’re in here and I’m out there in a tiny ass apartment, driving a fucking Honda Civic, a used Honda Civic!” she hissed. “You’re in here and I’m out there pretending that I can’t live better than that. This is fucking bullshit!”
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