Rayshawn laughed. Only Jaicyn would complain about driving a used car. She’d gotten spoiled. The knock the FEDS gave her back into reality was good for her.
“You know why you’re doing this,” Rayshawn insisted.
“I know,” Jaicyn heaved a deep sigh.
She could have bought a brand new house and more cars the same day hers was taken but their lawyers warned her not to. They had to pretend like they didn’t have any money, except what she made from Caliente. Living on a budget again was hard after not worrying abut money for ten years. She had to readjust and she was not happy about it.
“My lawyers are coming up later,” Rayshawn told her. “They set my trial date.”
Jaicyn’s eyes widened. Thank God! “When?”
“Next month. On the twentieth.”
“Good.”
“When I beat this shit, I should be home by Thanksgiving,” Rayshawn said confidently.
Jaicyn nodded. She wouldn’t get her hopes up. The lawyers told her not to. No one knew how long the trial would last. Plus a not guilty verdict on all charges was unlikely. As much as she hated to hear them talk about the possibility of Rayshawn not getting out, Jaicyn had finally started to come to terms with the reality of the situation. Rayshawn might be gone for a few years.
“What’s wrong?” Rayshawn asked. He didn’t understand the sullen look on Jaicyn’s face.
“Nothing,” Jaicyn mumbled. She had no intention of getting Rayshawn upset. She may have spoken freely if the situation was different but Jaicyn only had thirty minutes to spend with the man she loved and he didn’t need to be burdened with her emotional baggage. She was sure that he had enough of his own.
“So, what’s Dayshawn saying? Are they prepared to start trial so soon?” Jaicyn asked quietly, desperately trying to change the subject because she didn’t want her man to know how she was really feeling.
Rayshawn frowned. Behind the make-up Jaicyn had expertly applied, Rayshawn knew that she was scared. Her hazel eyes didn’t sparkle anymore. But what could he do? What Jaicyn was feeling was reality. Seeing him behind the glass made her realize what life would be like without him.
“Rayshawn,” Jaicyn snapped, “answer me.”
Rayshawn snapped back to attention after letting his mind wander. “What?”
“What is Dayshawn saying about his law firm?” Jaicyn repeated. “Are they going to be ready for trial?”
“We don’t talk about that kind of stuff when I see him,” Rayshawn answered. “He’s not involved with my case.”
“He’s not involved in your case? Why the hell not?”
“Because,” Rayshawn uttered. “He’s never been caught up in this shit before and I don’t want him starting now.”
Jaicyn couldn’t believe what he was saying. Dayshawn was lucky enough to get hired at the same law firm where she and Rayshawn retained the best lawyers in Atlanta. It made sense for him to be involved, especially now. His brother needed him more than ever. How could he just stay on the sidelines and watch them lock his brother up for the rest of his life.
Jaicyn wanted an explanation but Rayshawn wouldn’t give her one. Dayshawn wasn’t happy with his decision either. They both had to get over it.
“But Rayshawn,” Jaicyn started to protest but Rayshawn stopped her.
“There’s nothing to talk about. His first real case is not going to be mine! He’s not going to ruin his career before it even gets started.”
“That’s stupid,” Jaicyn fought to get the last word in. “He’s your brother! He should be helping you.”
“I’m paying enough people to help me,” Rayshawn growled. “So don’t even worry about that. Why don’t you and the girls go visit your father or your grandmother? Try to relax or something. I need you on your game, baby.”
“I am on my game,” Jaicyn argued. “Ask Raul and Cortez how much on my game I am. Nothing’s fucking changed.”
Rayshawn bristled at the mention of the Valdez brothers. Jaicyn knew better to speak their names into a jail phone.
“What the fuck, Jay-Jay? What are you trying to do?”
“Sorry,” Jaicyn said after she realized her mistake.
“You can’t be making those stupid mistakes. I’m trying to get out this motherfucker, not get caught up in some more shit. You’re slippin’.”
Jaicyn’s expression hardened. She was slippin’. She was so tired of having to take care of everything herself! But she had to. She had to keep them afloat while Rayshawn was locked down.
“It won’t happen again,” she promised. “I got you, baby.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Rayshawn grinned slightly.
Jaicyn looked at her watch. Their thirty minutes were almost up and the phone would cut off in mid-sentence if she and Rayshawn didn’t say goodbye soon.
“Well,” Jaicyn said slowly, “I gotta go. Are you going to call me after you meet with your lawyers?”
“I’ll try but it depends on what’s going on here and how late it is. I might not be able to get a phone.”
“Alright,” Jaicyn said, crossing her fingers that he’d be able to get to a phone. She hated the days when he didn’t call and their thirty minute visits had to suffice.
“Jay-Jay,” Rayshawn said, noticing the disappointment in Jaicyn’s voice, “be strong. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They had an unspoken rule that they always ended their visit on their own, never waiting for some unseen guard with too much power to pull the plug on their conversation. Instead their visit ended about two minutes before it was supposed to when Rayshawn got up and walked to the door, waiting to be escorted back to his tier.
Jaicyn drove straight to Dayshawn’s office after leaving the jail. She wanted to talk to about him abandoning his brother. Even if Rayshawn didn’t want him to be directly involved, Dayshawn should have insisted on it. Rayshawn was sitting in jail, facing enough drug charges that could put him away for twenty years. None of this made any sense.
Jaicyn entered the law firm, bypassed the receptionist, and walked straight into Dayshawn’s small office on the third floor. He was on the phone and motioned for her to have a seat. Jaicyn closed the door and sat down in one of the two Herman Miller desk chairs.
Rayshawn’s lawyers were housed on the fifteenth floor where the senior partners’ suite of offices were. There were four offices up there, some of the most fantastic and beautifully designed offices Dayshawn had ever seen. Dayshawn had only been to the fifteenth floor one time, and that was for his final interview. He rarely seen the partners in the six months he’d been working there. All he knew that the four partners worked the toughest and notorious cases that the firm had. They had their own elevator to their suites and hardly anyone saw them. But an email from one of the four partners would throw floors one through fourteen into a frenzy.
Dayshawn, in his black suit, light purple shirt, and purple and silver tie, already looked the part of the senior partner that he wanted to be, at least in Jaicyn’s opinion. Now that his business card finally read Dayshawn Moore, Attorney at Law, women were lined up around the block to get a taste of the fine chocolate specimen who filled out a tailored suit better than Morris Chestnut.
Autumn better stop bullshittin’ and snatch this boy up, Jaicyn thought to herself.
“What’s up, Jaicyn?” Dayshawn asked after he hung up the phone.
“I just got back from visiting Rayshawn,” Jaicyn replied. “Did you know he goes to court next month?”
Dayshawn nodded. He’d gotten an email from the lead attorney on Rayshawn’s case, Michael Woodruff, earlier that morning.
“Why aren’t you on the team?” Jaicyn demanded to know.
“Can’t. Rayshawn doesn’t want me to,” Dayshawn explained quickly.
“That’s bullshit,” Jaicyn argued. “Why wouldn’t you work your brother’s case? Don’t give me that ‘he told me not to’ bullshit. This is one of those times when you can ignore what he says.”
“No, I can’t. Rayshawn is a paying client. The firm will do what he wants. He doesn’t even want me in the courtroom, but I’m not going to do that.”
“Rayshawn is on some bullshit,” Jaicyn replied. “We’re both going to be in the courtroom.”
“Have you talked to Sandy or King?” Dayshawn changed the subject.
Jaicyn shook her head.
“Me either.”
The coldness in Dayshawn’s voice caught Jaicyn’s attention. Of course he was pissed over that. They were family and the Carters had turned their backs on them. The last thing Jaicyn heard was that Sandy and the kids had joined King in Bermuda.
“I can’t believe he left my brother out there like that. He knew this shit was coming,” Dayshawn said angrily. “He knew and didn’t even warn us.”
“That’s the game,” Jaicyn shrugged. “It happens all the time. I don’t know why you and your brother thought King was any different. I told you that he was going to do this, but no one ever fuckin’ listens to me. But we’re smarter than King,” she continued. “At least, I am. We’re going to be alright.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.” Jaicyn’s words were a hundred times more confident than she looked. Dayshawn wondered what she was thinking but from the look on her face, she wasn’t about to tell him.
“You should take me to lunch,” he suggested instead.
“No can do, papi. I have to get to the shop and make some money since it’s my only source of income,” she laughed. “But stop by later. I’m making fajitas.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
When Jaicyn left the law office she felt a little better. Dayshawn hadn’t really turned his back on his brother like the crew back home had done. She was pissed that she couldn’t depend on any of them for anything, not even a little support. They’d made millions together and now they were acting like complete strangers.
Jaicyn respected King’s position in Washington Heights. He was the boss. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Unlike Rayshawn, she didn’t have a special bond with him. He was her employer. When the shit hit the fan, she knew that they’d have to fend for themselves. Drugs were a dirty game. And King had never played fair. To him, his people, Rayshawn included, were just casualties of war.
King had pulled a disappearing act. He thought he was safe in Bermuda with his wife and kids. Jaicyn figured that King was counting on Rayshawn to keep his mouth shut, which he would. Rayshawn would do some years and King would continue to make money. But Jaicyn had a different plan.
Her man wasn’t going to stay locked up for the rest of his life like K-ci and Sonny. He wasn’t going on the run like King. She had access to their money and was willing to put all of it to good use if necessary. She’d already talked to the only man who was powerful enough to help her. If it started to look like Rayshawn was going to lose his case, Jaicyn was willing to pay off the judge, prosecutor or jurors to make sure Rayshawn didn’t spend his life behind bars. Her plan B was risky but if all else failed, Cesar was waiting on her call.
Chapter 13
Jaicyn walked into the federal courthouse wearing a brand new Chanel pantsuit and her sunglasses. Dayshawn walked beside her. Today was the last day of Rayshawn’s ten day trial. He was taking the stand today.
Rayshawn sat next to his attorneys looking every bit as calm as some waiting on the bus, although he was tired of it all. He got angrier each day that the prosecutor tried to present her weak ass case. With barely any evidence and no legit witnesses, Michael Woodruff had basically torn their case to shreds.
Rayshawn winked at his fiancée as he walked to the witness box. He glared at the prosecutor before he sat down. He hated that bitch. He wanted nothing more than to slap the shit out of her when she told the jury about the day his father shot his mom and how that incident had led to Rayshawn’s supposed life of crime.
“Rayshawn,” Michael said from his place behind the defense table. “Have you ever sold drugs?”
“Yes,” Rayshawn admitted. “I did when I was a teenager.”
“When did you stop?”
“Right after I moved to Atlanta with my fiancée.”
“Are you currently associated with any known drug dealers?”
Rayshawn snickered. “Yeah. All of my friends back home.”
“And who would that be?”
Rayshawn began making up nicknames. “Quan, T-dogg, Lil Jo. But I don’t get home much.”
“Do you know Andre Carter or Cesar Valdez?”
Rayshawn shook his head. “Never met them,” he lied easily.
“Ladies and gentleman,” Woodruff said to the jury. “My client is a good kid that made a mistake when he was a kid. All the prosecution has proven is that he lived in a city supposedly run by a drug kingpin and that he sold drugs in that city for a few years. Rayshawn just admitted that. I have no further questions.”
The female prosecutor marched over to the witness stand and stood directly in front of Rayshawn.
“Mr. Moore, the FBI seized two forty thousand dollar cars, a house in your name valued at over four hundred thousand dollars, and almost seven hundred thousand dollars in assets in your name. How does a twenty-five year old afford such luxuries with no verifiable income?”
“My fiancée and I have three successful businesses and like I said, I sold dope for five years. I was smart with my money.”
“You expect this jury to believe that?”
“Why not? Look at that Facebook guy. He’s a billionaire and he’s my age. It’s possible to be young with money, if you’re smart.”
“Have you gone to college? Do you have a degree in business or finance that the court doesn’t know about,” she persisted.
“Don’t need one,” Rayshawn answered. “I didn’t have to go to college to learn about the stock market. They write books about it. Anyone with a little common sense can hire a broker.”
As she continued her line of questioning, the prosecutor was getting frustrated. She knew that Rayshawn was lying through his teeth. After seeing the tapes of his police interviews, she hadn’t even wanted to bring such a weak case to trial. He was smart. He was charming, and he could lie his butt off.
But the federal government didn’t like being outsmarted by a thug from the streets. They wanted to force him to give up his connection. When he didn’t budge, they trumped up the charges to scare him into talking. It hadn’t worked.
On paper the boy was clean as a whistle. His lawyers, the most expensive firm in Atlanta, had even convinced the judge and jury that they were taking his case pro bono. Her only hope was his girlfriend, but her argument was lost on her bosses. There were direct orders coming down from somewhere that Jaicyn Jones was not to be touched. Without going after Jaicyn, there was no way she could win.
“I have nothing else for the defendant,” she finally told the judge after listening to Rayshawn answer five more questions with lies she couldn’t prove.
She eyed Rayshawn as he strolled over to the defense table She shook her head slowly. How did two kids from the streets manage to do what he and his girlfriend had just done? Their money was hidden, his fake source of income appeared legit, and he paid taxes. The prosecutor was sure that he was being advised by Cesar Valdez, a hunch she couldn’t prove either.
When Michael and the other attorneys finished their closing arguments, Rayshawn knew that the half million dollars that he paid Woodruff and Associates was well spent. When the judge handed the case over to the jury, Rayshawn looked at his fiancée and brother and smiled. It would be over soon. There was no way he could lose.
While the jury deliberated, Michael Woodruff and Paul Collins, the best defense lawyers in Atlanta, treated Jaicyn and Dayshawn to lunch at Benihanna’s. Benihana’s was still Jaicyn and Rayshawn’s favorite restaurant and Jaicyn regaled the group with stories of her and Rayshawn’s first trip to the infamous restaurant when they first started dating in Washington Heights.
“So, wha
t do you think is going to happen when we go back in there?” Jaicyn asked, turning serious.
Paul wiped his mouth with the white cloth napkin and took a sip of his martini. Paul was the youngest partner at the firm. He was also one of the most convincing people Jaicyn had ever met. He was the one who convinced Michael to bring on Rayshawn’s brother as an intern and then as a junior associate. He was closest, as close as a lawyer could be, to Rayshawn and Jaicyn.
“I think that the jury will deliberate for a little longer so they can have a free lunch courtesy of the state of Georgia. Then they’re going to come back with a not guilty verdict. They have nothing to go on and did you see that jury? Eight blacks, two white women, and two Hispanics. They are not going to convict, you can be sure of that.”
Jaicyn was glad that Paul was so sure. Michael looked confident too. Only Jaicyn was unsure. She wasn’t a lawyer. She thought the prosecutor presented a good case. Thank goodness they never mentioned any of the murders or shootings that Rayshawn had been involved in. Xavier made sure that the information stayed buried in the streets of Washington Heights.
The foursome finished lunch around two o’clock. The law firm was right around the corner so the three lawyers went back to work while waiting for the call that the jury had come in. Jaicyn didn’t have anything to do so she caught the MARTA train to Centennial Park and walked around, reflecting on everything that had happened in her life since she hooked up with Rayshawn.
They’d done a lot of shit and it was finally catching up with them. They were a part of the biggest drug operation in the Midwest. They’d come so close to losing everything, including Rayshawn’s freedom. If Rayshawn got off, they had to get out. She didn’t care about the money. Money wasn’t important anymore. It was time to walk away.
An hour later, Dayshawn called to let her know the jury was back and the lawyers were heading to the courthouse. Jaicyn grabbed a cab back to the courthouse because she didn’t want to risk taking the train and missing the verdict. Stepping into the courthouse, Jaicyn took Dayshawn’s hand and squeezed it tightly as they walked into the courtroom.
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