Twice the Lies (Once Upon a Liar Book 2)

by Elbie Dee

  Luckily, they did. I got a solid black one for five dollars and ninety-nine cents plus tax. After walking out of the gas station, I stopped in front of the entrance where the trash can was placed next to the door. I removed the plastic wrapper from around the tee and threw it away. I threw the shirt over my head as I made my way to where I parked at pump three.

  “Who the fuck is this?” I asked myself aloud. As soon as I got into the car, a phone number I didn’t recognize was blowing my shit up.

  “Hello? Bradson?” I heard a woman ask from the earpiece, after I hit the answer key to my phone.

  “Yes? Who’s this?” I placed the phone to my ear as I closed the car door.

  “It’s Dezire. Brilese doesn’t know your new number by heart yet so she called me,” she informed me.

  “Okay, so what’s going on?” I asked, with my heart skipping a beat. Brilese’s phone was off so she must have called Dezire from the police department’s phone.

  “Brilese is being charged with accessory,” Dezire said. It almost felt as if her words cut me with a knife, and my eyes instantly widened from the pain.

  “What? How? She wasn’t even there!” I screamed through the phone. There wasn’t a way in hell I could let shit go down like that.

  “Alynn stole Brilese’s gun. She must have broken in when you two were at the hotel,” she stated, before we disconnected our lines. Without hesitating, I started the ignition and fled from the parking lot.

  After ten minutes of driving from the gas station, I finally pulled up to the police department. I parked the Lexus on the side of the road, right in front of the entrance doors. Before getting out of the car, I pulled three quarters from the middle console. I closed the car door and pressed the lock button on the key fob before walking to the passenger’s side of the car. I rushed toward the doors to the station after inserting all three coins into the parking meter.

  “Can I help you, sir?” a female, Hispanic officer greeted me once I walked to the counter that was protected with bulletproof glass.

  “Yes. I’m trying to find out what’s going on with my fiancé,” I stated, with beads of sweat leaking from my eyebrows; nervousness was taking its toll on me.

  “And what’s the name?” she asked, before I gave her Brilese’s government information.

  She looked up the case and told me she would get the detective in charge to speak with me. I kept my place standing at the window and watched as she got up from her chair before disappearing into the back of the office. My right leg began to tap uncontrollably, as I tried to hold myself up by applying pressure against the counter with my palms. A whirlwind of emotions shot through my body as I impatiently waited for answers. I couldn’t decide whether to be pissed off or hurt for Brilese.

  Two minutes of waiting, the woman officer re-approached the desk and directed me to have a seat on one of the chairs. She told me the detective was a little busy and would be with me after approximately ten minutes. I bit my tongue and refrained from screaming throughout the station. I wanted to show my ass, but I needed to hold my composure in order to find out what the fuck was going on.

  “Mr. Jones,” a mid-aged, white man in a business suit approached the door beside the desk with a clipboard held underneath his right armpit.

  “Yes. That’s me,” I replied. I was up from my chair and met him at the door before I had a chance to get my words out.

  He directed me through the doors until he reached his arm out for me to lead the way into a small, empty room. Inside, there were two chairs and a table. I took a seat at one of the chairs as he sat at the other. He said since Brilese and I weren’t legally married, then there was a limitation of what he could discuss with me even with her approval.

  By the end of our conversation, the detective advised me to hire an attorney on Brilese’s behalf as soon as possible. Her first appearance was scheduled for the next day at two in the afternoon and she needed to reply to the judge with a decision. Without a way for me to contact Brilese, I wrote my number on a piece of paper and the detective agreed to get it to her. He was willing to favor due to the fact that he was on Brilese’s side in the case. It was an unfortunate event, and if Merrisah’s dies then both Alynn and Brilese face more serious consequences.

  Later that night, I laid with my eyes to the ceiling on a queen size mattress at the cheapest, and cleanest hotel I could find for the night. There wasn’t a way I could leave Charlotte and head back to Rock Hill. Merrisah was out of surgery, but still in critical condition and hadn’t woken from her coma yet. Brilese was being held in a jail cell for some shit her ex best friend did. Dezire had Brilese’s kids under control and Kaylen still had my two boys, so I had time to try and figure a few things out.

  After arriving at the hotel around three in the afternoon, I went straight for the phone book and began to contact lawyer’s around the city. Two hours of discussing the case with lawyer’s and I finally was answered with an agreement. Since the case was high in crime with a low chance of beating the state, most lawyer’s declined. I felt like God was on our side when Mr. Brown agreed to discuss further details in the morning with me.

  Ring! My phone started ringing and snapped me from my stare at eleven o’clock at night on the dot.

  “Hello?” I answered, after picking up the phone to the restricted number.

  “You have a collect call from someone at a correctional facility-,” the recording played in my ear. Before I heard her say her name, I knew it was Brilese and pressed the button to accept the call.

  “Brilese! Are you okay?” I asked. I knew it was a dumb thing to say but it’s the first thing that came to mind.

  “No, I’m not okay! Where are my babies?” she asked. She must have not discussed things with Dezire when she first called her.

  “They’re with Dezire,” I informed her. “Look, I’m meeting Mr. Brown in the morning to discuss your case. I’ll be at your first appearance. Try and call me before your hearing so I can let you know if the lawyer is assigned or not,” I hurried to try and get everything out once we both heard the thirty second point from the automated system.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  “I love you,” I said, before she hung her end of the line without saying it back to me.

  As I placed the phone back down on the nightstand beside the bed, my emotions began to release themselves from my body. For the first time in my twenty-nine years of living, I cried over a female. I felt all types of emotions from anger, to my own disappointment before but none so deep. With Brilese ignoring her love for me, I couldn’t help but drop my pride and let it all out… until I finally dozed off to sleep.

  Ring! I heard the ringtone on my phone blare, as I cracked my eyes open to the rays of sunlight beating through the blinds.

  “Fuck!” I yelled, once I noticed it was almost ten in the morning from the alarm clock that sat on the nightstand in front of me. I turned over on the bed to grab my phone from the nightstand behind me. I answered the phone once I realized the restricted number was probably Brilese.

  “Did you settle things with the lawyer yet?” she asked.

  “Not yet. I have to meet him in an hour,” I honestly replied since the meeting was scheduled for eleven o’clock.

  “Well, I’m not going to be able to call you again if you don’t put jail minutes on your phone,” she said.

  “I’ll try and make it before your scheduled first appearance. If not, I’ll be at court anyway and will speak on your behalf with a decision,” I informed her. It was the best I could do in such a short amount of time. Besides, I didn’t know if the judge would offer her a bond; if so, I’d pay it in a heartbeat.

  “And why should I trust you?” she said with an attitude. For someone who was generously trying to help her, you would think her choice of words would be different. Based on the chaos I’ve caused before, I’d be stupid to blame her for the way she felt.

  “Not right now, Brilese. I love you and I got you,” I stated wholeheartedly. She
hung the phone up without saying, I love you too… once more.

  3

  Alynn

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  “Hello! I need to make a phone call!” I screamed from inside of the cell I was thrown in the night prior.

  It was almost eleven o’clock in the morning and I was refused a chance to call someone. After stripping naked and transferring into my inmate clothing, the only interaction I had was when the bullshit tray of breakfast was slid through the metal flap on the door at six in the morning. The only thing I was made aware of was the first appearance I had scheduled at two.

  “What’s the problem?” a correctional officer finally approached my cell door.

  “I need to make a phone call!” I screamed, hoping the bitch would let me out to do so.

  “You’ll have to wait until Rec!” the big boned bitch screamed back before walking away from my cell door.

  “I’m pregnant! You can’t do this to me!” I screamed. I couldn’t tell if she heard me or not as I watched her disappear from my sight out of the small, rectangular window on the door. Either way, it didn’t make a difference and I still was treated coldly.

  What the fuck! I thought to myself as I took a seat back on the hard ass mat the jail gave me to sleep on.

  I couldn’t seem to gather why I was being detained in the first place. Yeah, I shot Merrisah… but there was no proof! She was shot with Brilese’s gun, and I was positive the act I gave would do some justice. I was being charged with attempted murder. With Merrisah having a pulse when the EMT’s loaded her on the back of the ambulance, there was no telling if she was going to pull through or not.

  I laid back on the mat and put my hands crisscrossed behind my head as I stared at the tall ceiling. A part of me hoped Merrisah wouldn’t make it so there was a little to none chance of her ratting me out. If she did make it, hopefully her memory would be shot, and the State wouldn’t have enough evidence to convict me. Before I met Brilese, I would have never engaged in as much courage to recite evil acts. My parents were Holy and raised me as such; I used to have a soft heart.

  “Inmate number 2-3-0-6-1-7!” I heard on the intercom in my cell right before I dozed off and listened as the door clicked.

  Jail was a new thing for me, so if I wouldn’t have noticed my door unlock then I would have looked past it. Quickly, I shot up from the mat and walked to the door that was beginning to slide open. I was met by a different C.O. than the one that had approached my door moments before. This time, it was a middle aged, fit Caucasian male who instructed me to turn around and place my hands behind my back for cuffing.

  I did just as I was told and was directed to a room which looked to be a visitors area. Once the correctional officer released my cuffs and the door closed behind me, I learned what it was about. I sat down on the only chair that was in the small, boxed room. Staring into the bullet proof glass, I watched as a young, caramel skinned woman with mid-length black hair approached the chair on the opposing side.

  “Alynn Russo?” she asked, after she took her attention away from the paperwork, she placed on the table to look up at me.

  “Yes,” I replied in acceptance.

  “My name is Alainah Beaks and I am a nurse assigned to ask questions about your current known health conditions,” she introduced herself. I sighed as I thought it could have been a court appointed lawyer or some shit and could get me out of this hole.

  During my meet with Ms. Beaks, I informed her that I was three months pregnant. She asked further questions ranging from diseases to heart conditions, which none of those applied. When she got to the subject of my mental health stability, I felt it was only right to inform her on my newest obsession with Brilese. I confessed that I may have a disorder and needed further testing to confirm.

  I was concerned for myself, but I wasn’t stupid. To smooth things over without having a possible confession recorded, I told her I was surprised at the woman Brilese had become. I made a story about how Brilese used to be so sweet, but turned to rage once she found out about Bradson having a couple of kids with Merrisah behind her back.

  By the end of the conversation, I was sure she was convinced I had nothing to do with Merrisah’s case. As far as I made her aware, Brilese needed mental help and to get away from Bradson. I cried tears of disappointment, and informed Ms. Beaks that Brilese should have given in to my offer of being together. She wrote everything down and told me I would be examined after my first appearance since time was short before then.

  Along with everything else, I asked her if it was normal not to have gotten a chance to make a phone call since being detained. She admitted it was wrong and would make the head correctional officer aware of the situation. I felt at peace as the interview ended, and the previous C.O. directed me back to my cell.

  At one-thirty, I was re-approached with the correctional officer at the doors to my cell. This time, I knew it was to get ready for my first appearance. During the few hours after my meeting with Ms. Beaks, I got a chance to make a call. Unfortunately, my mother or my father wouldn’t answer. I knew they were both disappointed in me, but never would I have thought of them to completely abandon me. I guess they were closer to God than their own flesh and blood.

  I was directed down a few halls until I was led behind a few other inmates who were also awaiting a judgement. I was third in line and wasn’t in a rush to speak. As two o’clock approached, the first inmate walked into the room. She only came out a few minutes later with nothing but disappointment upon her face.

  Both women who led the way before me after the first one, came out with the same expression. As my turn approached, I felt nothing, but fear enter my body. For the first time in my life, I was in a real situation. I couldn’t run or hide. There wasn’t a way I could turn to another friend or a piece of dick for comfort. I was sailing my own ship, and I had to put my grown-up face on.

  “You guys are really making me go near this bitch?” I heard from behind me, right before I stepped my first foot into the hearing room.

  “What the fuck?” I turned my head back to confirm the voice I was hearing. Sure enough, it was Brilese. She was walking toward me to get in her place in line as a C.O. strode beside her.

  I was stuck as I watched her walk with an expression of anger on her face. I’ve seen her pissed off before, but the look she gave me was one straight out of Hell. Her brown hair was a mess with strands going haywire all over her head. Her lips were scrunched so much that they were barely visible anymore. Scrunching her eyebrows tightly together caused her eyes to become crossed at the top of her nose. The sight of seeing her, allowed me to learn that she was also charged.

  A tear formed in my right eye as I began to feel bad about setting her up. From the looks of it, there wasn’t a way she’d ever give me a chance… if there was one to begin with. At that moment I wished I would have taken different approaches. The decisions I made seemed to be at the start of taking a toll on me. Right before the cry released from my eye, a sign of hope approached my mind. If we were both sent to prison, then there could have been a chance. Desperate times call for desperate measures and eventually, she’d cave.

  “Let’s go!” the C.O. said as he bumped me once he realized I was stuck. I smirked and blew her a kiss before I walked into the room.

  “Did you see that bitch!” I heard her scream, before the correctional officer joined me in the room and closed the door behind him. I chuckled. Our life together was just getting started.

  After my first appearance, I was appointed a public defender by the judge. A hired attorney would have been better, but with my parents ignoring me there wasn’t a way I could afford one on my own. My next court date was set for a month away. I was informed that the public defender would make time to meet with me before then.

  Instead of going back to my cell directly afterwards, I was led to what they called a nurse’s office. Leave it up to me to say it was anything but that. The office they claimed to be for medical use turned out to
be a closet with a chair in it. The nurse didn’t even wear scrubs. She was dressed just as the correctional officers.

  It wasn’t your average doctor’s office, but I had no choice. First, my vitals were checked after answering a million and one questions. Then, I had to take a urine test which confirmed my pregnancy. After the test came back positive, I was instructed to lift my uniform shirt before Ms. Beaks came in and put a cold, gel substance on my abdomen.

  “You hear that?” she asked, after she moved the gel around my stomach with a handheld machine.

  “Yeah,” I confessed, but wore a confused expression on my face.

  “This is a heartbeat monitor, and that sound is your baby’s heartbeat,” she stated after she picked up on my body language.

  “My baby’s okay?” I asked, and a warm feeling aroused my heart.

  After Brilese beat my ass, I was for sure my baby was going to die inside of me. I drank at Merrisah’s because after the fight, I didn’t know if the baby was still alive or not so it didn’t matter. Regardless of Bradson being the father, I was happy about becoming a mother. Finally, I would have someone who wouldn’t turn on me. They’d be mine forever.

  I smiled the whole walk back to my cell. I dreamed about how I would be the best mother ever. Just me and my child in this world together. I envisioned our bedtime stories and hoped for the nights I’d get to be a hero due to nightmares. My party nights would be turned into pizza nights with forts set up in the living room. I was ready for coffee filled mornings and fixing breakfast for two. My baby wouldn’t need a father as long as they had me.