by Mary Abshire
Terri’s concern seemed genuine. The lesbian had been nice to Emily. She liked to talk a lot, which Emily didn’t mind since it helped her stay awake.
“Thanks, but I’m fine,” Emily said.
“We’re not going anywhere, so if you want to talk…”
Emily crossed her ankles. “What happened to your Hispanic friend who was here earlier?”
“She wasn’t my friend. She came in looking for a fight and for some reason decided to talk my ear off telling me about her problems. She said she had a warrant out for her arrest in another county. I bet they found out and transferred her.”
“How long had she been in here?” Emily asked.
“She arrived shortly after me. I got here before midnight.”
Someone in the station had to be checking prints since they’d moved the Hispanic woman. If they’d found her within five to six hours of her arrest, then they should’ve found Emily’s data before noon. The information supported her belief Troy had removed her prints from the system since no one had come for her.
Emily yawned and tried to cover it. The day had been long and stressful. Now that her anxiety had lessened, lethargy consumed her.
“If you need to sleep for a bit, I’ll watch over you,” Terri said.
Emily met her gaze. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“You seem like a very … self-assured type of woman. I like that about you.”
“Damn, I thought it was my hair.”
She chuckled. “That too. And I liked the way you knocked out that annoying bitch earlier. That was a quick move. Where did you learn to do that?”
“I took a lot of different self-defense classes since I was a kid.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? That’s awesome. I bet you can kick some serious ass.”
“I’m not afraid to fight. A good friend helped teach me,” Emily said.
“Guy or girl?”
“Guy. I grew up with him.”
“Do you love him?”
“As a brother, yeah. He’s more than a brother, though. He’s the best friend a person could have.”
Terri’s brows rose. “And he’s a man?”
Emily grinned. “He’s not like most men. He’s damn smart and he has no fear. Give him respect and he’ll treat you in kind. Fuck with him and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
As far back as she could remember Troy had been an outgoing, intimidating individual. She’d always treated him as a brother and friend. When no one had wanted to sit next to him or play with him in kindergarten, she had. When kids had made fun of him in elementary school for getting straight As and taking on additional work, she’d praised him and encouraged him to do more. He’d never seemed to mind what others thought of him, but he’d cared about how others perceived her. He’d comforted and helped her countless times over the years. His strength gave her strength. They were a good team. Emily didn’t care what he looked like on the outside because inside he had a heart of solid gold. She trusted him unconditionally and always would. She owed him a lot, especially for clearing her fingerprints from the system.
“Is he getting you out of here?” Terri asked.
“No, he doesn’t live in New York.”
“Damn. I was hoping I could meet him.”
Emily hadn’t seen Troy in almost two weeks. She’d spoken with him several times, but she still missed visiting with him. She’d have to call him after her release from jail.
Another yawn escaped Emily. Her eyes burned slightly. She’d fight sleep as long as she could, but at some point she’d have to rest for a bit.
“Thanks for talking to me, Terri.”
“We can take turns resting if you want. I’ll watch over you if you watch over me.”
“You can count on me,” Emily said.
“You rest first.”
“Okay, but if you start to feel like you’re dozing off, wake me.”
“You got it.”
Emily leaned her head and body toward Terri. She closed her eyes and listened to the whispers of the others in the cell. In little time, her thoughts and worries disappeared.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Andrew stood near the exit for newly arrived passengers at the JFK airport. He had his hands buried in his front jean pockets. Long black sleeves covered his arms. He’d almost worn a white shirt thinking maybe the color would save him from Troy inflicting damage that would result in bloodstains. But then he realized nothing would stop Troy from doing anything except maybe Emily.
Men, women, and children strode from the exit. Andrew had yet to see Troy. The hour was approaching six. Anxiety kept him rocking on his feet and moving around as he waited for the man who wanted to beat the shit out of him. As strange as it seemed, Andrew didn’t fear Troy’s wrath. Whatever pain the man had in store for him, Andrew would take it. He couldn’t fault Troy for caring so much about Emily. He would do the same if he were in Troy’s shoes.
A tall lady with short white hair and chocolate-colored skin walked behind two older men chatting. When the woman stepped around the guys, Andrew realized she was a he. Troy was wearing a wig. The locks were long in the front near his chin and grew shorter as they angled up toward the back of his head. With his high cheekbones, long lashes, and makeup, he looked very feminine. The African American man could’ve landed a role as model. He’d dressed in a long black skirt, high-heeled boots, and a white button-down blouse. The shoes placed him a few inches over Andrew. Troy pulled his carry-on luggage behind him. The minute he saw Andrew, he rolled his eyes.
Andrew smiled as Troy reached him. “Nice to see you too.”
“Get me the fuck out of here,” he mumbled as they walked toward the main exit.
“That good of a flight?”
Troy glared at him and Andrew snickered.
“I took the subway to get here. Emily parked the car in a secured garage,” Andrew said.
“Fuck. Well, I guess we’re taking a taxi.”
They reached a set of descending escalators. Andrew paused to let Troy go first. Troy stepped on without any hesitation. Andrew kept a one-step distance from him.
Troy twisted to face him. “Did you call her lawyer?”
“Yes. I have a meeting with him at ten on Monday.”
Troy turned around. He said nothing more the rest of the way down.
From the escalator, Andrew followed Troy out the glass doors and to one of the cabs parked near the curb. While Troy got in the back passenger side, Andrew strode around to the other side. Troy set his luggage on the floor between him and Andrew. The male driver with dark skin and hair turned to face them from behind a plastic wall above the front seats.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
Andrew looked at Troy. “Your place,” Troy said.
Andrew gave the driver the address to the apartment. After the driver entered the information into the GPS, the journey began. Troy sat quietly with his manicured hands in his lap. If Andrew hadn’t met Troy before, he would’ve thought Troy was a woman.
“I thought you had a place to stay,” Andrew said.
“I do, but we can talk at your place first.”
“Did you contact your lawyer friend?”
“Yes, I have a meeting with him tomorrow.” Troy kept his attention directed at the window on his side.
For the remainder of the drive Troy remained silent and poised as if he were a stealthy lioness. Andrew suspected he was up to no good. He hesitated to bring Troy into the apartment, but he was Emily’s dear friend. Andrew couldn’t say no to him.
The drive ended in front of the apartment building. While Troy left the vehicle with his luggage, Andrew reached into his pocket for money. He’d brought extra, suspecting Troy would force him to pay for everything. Andrew handed the driver cash from the small opening in the plastic wall.
“Keep the change,” Andrew told the driver before he exited the taxi.
“This is where she’s been staying?” Troy asked as Andrew met him on the sid
ewalk. He surveyed the neighborhood.
“Emily found it. The price was good and the room was clean and move-in ready.” Andrew opened the door for Troy. “We’re on the third floor.”
Troy entered the building and stopped at the staircase. He held his hand over his nose and mouth. “What the fuck is that stench?”
The strong smell of urine hovered. The odor had to be a permanent one since it had yet to disappear. “Homeless people come in here a lot.” He lifted Troy’s bag from the handle. “Come on.”
Andrew carried the luggage up the stairs. Troy held his long skirt up as he climbed the steps. His shoes clacked and echoed the entire way. Andrew had a quicker pace than Troy and reached the top of the staircase first. He proceeded down the hall to the studio. By the time he unlocked the door, Troy had caught up to him. He pushed the door open and gestured for Troy to enter first.
Troy strode into the apartment. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. After Andrew locked the door, he set Troy’s bag on the floor. He tossed the key into the blue chair.
“So this is how my girl lives?” Troy asked as he turned to face Andrew.
“It was Emily’s idea to get furniture we can take with us since we’ll be on the move.”
“What did you tell her lawyer?” Troy asked as he passed Andrew. He collected his bag and then carried it to the kitchen.
“I told him Emily got arrested and I had seen it. I told him she tried to give the money back.” Andrew strolled into the kitchen. “I think he wants to use me as a witness.”
Troy set his luggage flat on the counter and unzipped it. “What did the lawyer say?”
“He told me to have a cashier’s check for five hundred ready and to meet him at ten Monday. He thinks her arraignment hearing will be later that day.” Andrew stopped a few feet from him.
Troy twisted to face Andrew. He held up a small thin tube in his hands. It couldn’t have been more than two inches long and two centimeters wide. The tiny cylinder contained a cloudy fluid. “This is the poison. Do not, I repeat, do not touch it.” He tossed the tube to Andrew.
Andrew’s heart jumped as he hurried to catch the bottle. It hit his chest and he captured the tube before it fell to the floor. Poison in hand, Andrew raised his gaze to Troy.
“Good catch,” Troy said with a sly grin.
Irritation rose within Andrew as he glared at Troy. “If you want to get rid of me, just do it.”
One hand on his hip, Troy took one slow step after another toward Andrew. He stopped inches from him and stared straight into his eyes. “Don’t worry, if I want you dead, you would be dead.”
Andrew never flinched or looked away. Fear was not an emotion he felt toward the thin man dressed as a woman. The only thing Andrew had to lose in his new life was Emily. Death would send him back to heaven. At least he believed so.
“You don’t scare me,” Andrew said.
Troy lowered his arm and turned. He took a step away, but in a split second his fist came flying toward Andrew’s face. Unprepared, Andrew took the punch to his eye. The blow jarred his head to the side. Pain rocketed through his face. He tightened his hold on the bottle. Troy stepped back and waited for Andrew to respond.
“Come on, motherfucker,” Troy said.
“I’m not fighting you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re Emily’s friend. She’s loyal to you and you to her. She needs you.”
“You’re fucking right,” Troy said as he moved closer. He stopped in front of Andrew. “Don’t you ever think for a second I wouldn’t kill you to protect her. I don’t give a fuck who you say or think you are.”
“I get it,” Andrew said, staring into Troy’s dark and cold eyes.
“You’re lucky I don’t stick a fucking knife in you right now.”
“I deserve the hit. I probably deserve a lot more than that for getting her locked up. But I care about her just as much as you do.”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that.”
“Think what you want, but I do. I would do anything for her.”
Troy stepped back and crossed his arms. Eyes narrowed, he stared at Andrew with a slight tilt of his head. “If I gave you a million dollars to walk away from her, would you do it?”
“No.” The answer shot from Andrew without a second thought.
“Why? You don’t need her if you have money to get from place to place to destroy your … demons.”
“I don’t care about money.”
Troy dropped his hands to his sides. “I thought you cared about returning to your so-called heaven.”
“I do.”
“Then what’s stopping you from leaving if you have the money you need to help you find your demons?” Troy asked as he ambled in the room. “Are you in love with Emily?”
Andrew opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The question wasn’t an easy one to answer. He cared for Emily and wanted to make her happy. He enjoyed her company and everything about her. She made him feel more alive than he’d ever been and she had shown him the error of his ways. He longed to please her, to hold and kiss her. He wanted her, but not as another woman to add to his list. His feelings for her weren’t based on lust. She was it for him, everything he would ever need. He’d never felt such strong emotions for any woman, not in his first life or in heaven. Maybe he was in love.
“She’s special to me. I think you can understand that because she’s special to you too,” Andrew said.
Troy stopped. “If you love her, take the money and walk away. You’ll save her from any more trouble. And you know there will be more trouble.”
Andrew lowered his gaze as he leaned his back against the counter. He realized Troy had a valid reason for him to leave. Andrew’s tasks weren’t going to be easy. At any time she could get hurt or run into an issue with the police. But she’d known the risks and had accepted them. She was a strong-willed woman and he was her shield. He would protect her if she needed him.
“I can’t,” Andrew said. “Could you leave her if you were in my position?”
“Could I? Yes.”
Andrew found his answer odd, but then he realized the man had zero compassion. Andrew had also phrased his question incorrectly.
“Would you leave her?” Andrew asked.
Troy’s lips curled. “No.”
The answer matched what Andrew had suspected. Troy cared and loved Emily, but not the same way Andrew did.
Troy zipped up his bag and then lowered it to the floor. “You have your poison and I have business to take care of. I suggest you work on a plan to kill the lawyer.”
“That’s it?” Andrew asked as Troy headed for the door, pulling his luggage behind him.
“For now. I’ll call you later.”
Troy casually walked out as if nothing had happened between them. Andrew had a feeling if Troy had stabbed him, Troy would’ve walked out the same way. He had a cold heart, but a piece of it had been saved for Emily.
Andrew’s eye throbbed from the blow he’d taken. His head ached too. Considering Troy had only punched him once, Andrew was in good shape. He had little doubt Troy would kill him if he ever hurt Emily or did something to bring her harm. The fact didn’t frighten him. It made Andrew more protective of her.
He opened his hand and looked at the poison. The fluid could possibly fill a tablespoon yet it could kill within minutes. Now that scared him. He set the tube on the counter. Somehow he had to put it in the demon’s drink. The task seemed easy, yet he knew getting the job done wouldn’t be that simple.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The clanking of metal woke Emily from her sleep. She lifted her head and opened her eyes. The bright lights blinded her. She blinked several times as her vision adjusted.
“We have company,” Terri whispered near her ear.
Other ladies sitting on the benches straightened. Four new additions strode into the cell. A woman with blonde corn rolls on her head and tattoos on her arms led the way. She wore a t
ank top and baggy jeans that hung below her hips. One pull on her pants and they’d come down. Two black ladies dressed in child-sized clothes followed. One wore shorts and the other had on skintight red pants. At the end of the line a short woman with long, dark stringy hair shuffled her feet over the floor as she entered into the cell. They stood in the center of the small room and looked around while the guards secured the locks. After the cops left, most of the women turned their gazes away from the newbies.
Corn roll woman came to stand in front of Emily and looked at Terri. “What are you bitches lookin’ at?” corn roll asked.
“White trash ugliness,” Terri said.
The larger of the two black women walked around corn roll-head. She sat in the corner on Emily’s left. Her friend who wore the shorts came to stand on Emily’s side. She kicked Emily’s leg. “Get out of the fucking way.”
The newbies seemed to think they could walk in and take over. They didn’t know Emily very well.
“Find another spot,” Emily said. “And she’s with me.” She moved her hand on top of Terri’s and patted it.
“Well ain’t that fuckin’ sweet,” corn roll said. “I don’t give a shit.”
The black woman in shorts kicked Emily’s leg harder. “Get the fuck up.”
Anger rushed through her like fire flowing on a line of gas. “Stay here,” she told Terri before she rose to her feet.
“She’s a fucking stick. I can break the bitch,” the gal in shorts said.
Corn roll began popping her knuckles. Did she really think that would scare Emily? Corn roll needed a new technique. Her old school cartilage crunching moves made her want to laugh.
“You know, that will lead to serious arthritis problems when you’re older,” Emily told corn roll.
The woman in shorts pushed Emily’s shoulders hard enough that Emily hit the wall. “Move on, stick, before I break you.”
“Touch me again and you’ll regret it,” Emily said, glaring at the black woman.
All the women in the cell shifted their attention and silenced their voices.
Corn roll laughed and brought a hand up to her mouth. The move was a distraction. In a flash, she threw a punch at Emily with her other hand. Emily saw it coming and blocked the blow with her arm. She bent her knee and heard her gown rip in the back somewhere. Ignoring it, she kicked corn roll’s stomach. The gal went stumbling back. Someone from the bench on the left cheered.
