Raegan couldn’t even lift her head to plead for her life. She was out of it and knew that if she didn’t get help soon she would die anyway. He had beaten her just that badly and a part of her was praying for it all to end.
Reason clicked off his safety. He no longer needed her and it was time for him to snuff her lights out.
“God, please protect my child,” Raegan whispered, fully prepared to meet her Maker. There wasn’t a reason for her to hope until ...
“FBI! Put the weapon down now!”
After running from the very same organization, it was ironic that they were the ones to save her life.
“Mr. Grimes! Lower your weapon!” Starzycki said as he cut through the agents and made his way to the front of the armed crowd. “We will shoot you! Last warning. Lower your weapon!”
Reason thought about dying like a real nigga. Movie scenes where gangsters went out in hails of glory flashed through his mind, but at the end of the day Reason had never been a thoroughbred. He didn’t have the balls to hold court in the street. He was just trying to live grand. His greed had placed him in the wrong place at the wrong time, putting himself in a compromising position to be caught with enough bricks to build his own jail. On top of that Raegan lay at his feet broken and bloodied. Today was definitely not his lucky day. He tossed his weapon to the side while shaking his head in disgrace as he went to his knees. “Fuck,” Reason mumbled as he agents swarmed on him like bees to honey, quickly cuffing him and reciting his rights as they escorted him to the car.
Starzycki went to Raegan’s side and didn’t realize that she was another suspect in the bank robberies until he looked down and saw her face. She was busted up like he had never seen before but he had been investigating perpetrators long enough to ID her with his eyes closed. He shook his head, fearing that she may die before he ever got a chance to question her. “Get her a bus,” he mumbled. “Put an officer on her door. I want to be the first one to question her.”
Faugner Scott walked into his old firm, briefcase in hand, as the associates who remembered him welcomed him warmly. After learning of the details surrounding Gucci’s arrest he realized that she had never given up Chanel or Raegan. In her official statement to the police she had claimed that Reese “Reason” Grimes, recruited three girls who were unacquainted, and blackmailed them into robbing the banks. She said that he threatened their families and even kidnapped one of their children in order to keep them in compliance. She then gave up the location of Reason’s stash house giving her room for negotiating a deal with the DA. Both Gucci and Raegan were in federal custody, but because Chanel’s identity was never discovered she was in the clear. Faugner had to admit that he was surprised at the loyalty between the three girls. He had been in the profession long enough to know that snitching was all too common, but these ladies had held each other down in the most dismal of circumstances. He walked up to his old office and smiled as he greeted Rose, the woman who used to be his assistant.
“Well I can’t say that I was expecting to see you, Mr. Scott, but it sure did make my day!” she exclaimed, recognizing him instantly.
“It’s been a long time, Rose. How are you?” he asked as he gave her a hug.
“I’m great,” she responded.
“And Dawson and the boys?” he asked.
“They are all doing very well ... thank you for asking. If you’re Mr. Nolen’s ten o’clock, he is ready for you,” she said as she opened the door and motioned for him to walk past.
Faugner walked inside and was greeted by his protégé, Brelin Nolen. He was the youngest partner at the firm and owned a majority stake in it thanks to Faugner. When Faugner had left town he left everything at the firm in Brelin’s hands and as he looked around he felt confident that he had made the correct choice.
“Faugner, it’s good to see you, my man,” Brelin greeted with a smile. He gave him a firm shake and then removed his Prada suit jacket and hung it on the back of his chair before he sat down behind his large executive desk.
“Good to see you too, son; looks like things are running smoothly here,” Faugner said.
“Definitely, definitely. I reviewed the information you sent me on the two women involved in the bank robberies. I take it you have a personal interest in this?” he asked.
“Let’s just say I need you to do all that you can to help them, Brelin. It’s imperative that they come out of this unscathed. Now Gucci Stewart gave quite the convincing story to the federal bureau. They’re buying it hard because the fish that she gave up is a much bigger catch then three women bank robbers. He has a rap sheet a mile long and was on the DEA radar anyway. This thing can play out nicely for these ladies if we steer it in the right direction. Sunny Raegan was picked up ...”
The name immediately caught Brelin’s attention. He had been thinking of her since she stuck him up and stole his car, leaving him with a higher insurance premium. “Sunny Raegan?”
“You know her?” Faugner asked.
“No, not really ... no,” he concluded, knowing that it would be a conflict of interest to take on the case if he answered otherwise. “Does Ms. Raegan know the story that Gucci is telling the Feds?” he asked. “It’s important that they are saying the same thing. One little inconsistency and it’s a wrap.”
“No, not yet. Raegan is unconscious at Washington Medical Center. Reese Grimes beat her almost to death. She was taken into custody when they captured Grimes at the location where he kept his drugs,” Faugner informed. “I need you to take this on for me.”
“I’m already on it. This case will be my top priority,” Brelin assured as he stood to his feet and quickly put on his jacket. “I don’t mean to run, but I need to get down to both the jail and the hospital to make sure the Feds know that I’m the representing both girls.”
“Thank you,” Faugner said, confident that Chanel’s friends were in good hands. “And when you meet with these ladies be sure to inform them that Chanel sent you.”
“Not a problem. After I get them off you owe me a drink. I take it the retainer will be wired first thing in the morning?” Brelin inquired.
“It’s already in the account,” Faugner confirmed. He walked out of the office and stepped into the back of the limousine. He was sure that Chanel would have many questions, but he had secured the best defense attorney in the tri-state area to help her friends of out of their predicament. His main concern was ensuring that Chanel’s name didn’t ever come across the desk of Agent Starzycki because once she was mentioned it would be much harder to keep her safe. So if Gucci and Raegan got off, then Chanel would be in the clear for good.
Chapter Thirty
Brelin couldn’t believe that he and Raegan had crossed paths in this manner. He knew that she was in trouble the night that he had met her, but he could never imagine the web that she had woven for herself. He was intrigued by Raegan and as he made his way to the hospital he was eager to see her again. He hadn’t prepared himself for what he saw when he walked through the door. Her eyes were swollen shut and her nose was covered in bandages. Her entire face was black and blue; there were bruises everywhere. Every part of Raegan looked as if it were injured.
“No one is allowed in here, sir,” the nurse said once she realized that he had entered the room.
“I’m her attorney,” he announced with authority. “Is she going to be okay?”
“The doctors think so. It’ll just take some time. She’s beat up real bad. Somebody really did a number on her,” the nurse replied.
“Will she wake up?” he asked.
“Yeah, she’ll come to. She’s up one minute and sleeping the next. She has been asleep for a while so she may wake up for you soon,” the nurse informed.
Brelin sat down in the chair across the room and watched Raegan sleep. He could not imagine what had brought her to this point. She did not look anything like the vivacious, challenging con artist he had met before. Her fragile state of being now evoked sympathy from him. It did not matter what she
had done. No woman deserved to be beaten so mercilessly. He used his time to inform the Feds that he was taking over Gucci and Raegan’s case, then he reviewed everything that he had on the two ladies. Neither had serious priors so he was sure that he could resolve this amicably. The girls might have to do short stints in prison, but compared to the life sentences that they could face without him, a year or two was nothing. Raegan began to moan in her sleep causing Brelin to put up his files and stand near her bedside. Her eyes opened slowly as she stared up at Brelin in confusion.
“Chanel sent me. I’m an attorney, Raegan. I’m going to get you out of this mess,” he said.
“I’m sorry about your car,” she said, barely audible. She immediately recognized him. A face that handsome was hard to erase from memory. The pain medication the doctors had coursing through her veins had her so high she barely felt like moving her lips to speak.
He chuckled. “We’ll talk about that after we beat this case. I’m not going to bother you much until you are out of the hospital, but I do need to fill you in on the story that your friend Gucci is telling so that you will give the same version when you give your statement to the detectives that will interview you.”
He filled her in on all the lies that Gucci told to cover their tracks. What he was doing was completely immoral, but it was all a part of the crooked system of the law. His only concern was his clients and he had no problem bending the rules. Raegan was grateful that Gucci didn’t pin everything on Nahvid. Reason was the perfect person to take the fall for their misdeeds. Karma was a bitch and she hoped that he received a thousand years for what he had done to her.
After she got her story together she looked at Brelin and said, “Please don’t let them take my life from me. I have a child to get back, too. I don’t want to spend the rest of my days in prison.”
“You won’t,” Brelin assured. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Nahvid received word of Reason’s arrest when it flashed across the evening news. The fact that he had been caught in his storage warehouse let Nahvid know that Reason was a snake. Rumors swirled through the hood of Reason turning state’s evidence, but Nahvid wasn’t worried. He had played the game by the rules and had moved smartly from day one. There was no way that Reason could give the Feds anything. In fact, all of Nahvid’s money was washed and cleaned. He was as legal as a Wall Street broker. The Feds’ investigation into his finances would dry up quickly. Nah wasn’t worried. He wanted to see Raegan, but she was in federal custody and no matter whose pockets he laced, they refused to let him see her. So he did the only thing he could do and decided to blow town for a while. He wanted to let things cool off before he returned to D.C. He had a quarter million on Reason’s head and knew that one of his prison goons would catch Reason slipping one day during rec time. Somebody would want to make that money. Every nigga locked up had family on the outside struggling to get by. As soon as Reason had a tag on his toe, Nahvid would pay up. Nahvid was going to make a good example out of his so-called right-hand man. One hand was supposed to wash the other, but Reason had forgotten that along the way and now Nahvid was about to show niggas how he got down. His best friend’s disloyalty wasn’t the only reason why Nahvid wanted him knocked off. Nahvid knew that any man facing fed time would fold under pressure. That’s why he never let Reason know too much. He was putting in the execution order because of the torture Reason had taken Raegan through. Finding out she was still alive had felt like the luckiest day of his life, but not being able to see her was agonizing. Hearing of how she had been injured made Nahvid’s heart bleed in strife. That was one woman he loved dearly. He had so many things to tell her. At this point he didn’t care about their past, he just wanted to fix the present and look forward to the future with her. Unfortunately for Nahvid, her future was so uncertain. Baby Micah was growing each and every day. Nahvid hated that she was missing so much of his life. Raegan didn’t deserve any of this. Life had beaten her up and a lot of poor choices had caused them to separate and go down different paths. Nahvid couldn’t help but to feel as if this was his fault. Raegan was his woman. He should have protected her better. He held himself accountable for the things she had endured, especially her encounters with Reason. Feeling the pressure from the streets, Nahvid didn’t like all of the attention. Even his connect was concerned about the situation. A drug dealer in the limelight was a drug dealer who wanted to get caught and Nahvid wanted neither. So he concluded that it was time to get out of town. He tried to contact Raegan’s attorney to send word to her through him, but he was unable to connect with D.C.’s most prestigious criminal defense lawyer. Even the check he had sent to cover Raegan’s legal fees was sent back to him. Nahvid felt hopeless as he packed up his life and planned his getaway. If he was in federal crosshairs, by the time they counterfeited a case on him, he would be in the wind. He put baby Micah in his car seat then drove to return him to his real father. He didn’t have the right to run away with Raegan’s son. He desperately wished that Micah was his own, maybe then his and Raegan’s love would have reached its full potential, but the reality was baby Micah wasn’t his blood. He knocked on Micah’s door and waited until Micah answered. Micah’s expression didn’t change when he saw his son in Nahvid’s arms.
“Fuck do you want?” Micah asked.
Nahvid ignored Micah’s rudeness and stayed focused on what he had come there to do. “I know you know what’s going on with Raegan. I’m shaking town for a bit. I came to return your son to you. He doesn’t have his mother so he at least needs his father right now,” Nahvid said.
“I don’t want shit to do with that bitch or her bastard son. She’s probably been fucking around with you. The little nigga probably ain’t even my kid. You wanted to play daddy nigga, so keep on playing,” Micah spewed, full of hate and resentment. He was so stubborn that he no longer had an interest in his own child because he knew that he could never provide him with the things that Nahvid could. He was jealous and angry that Raegan had moved on. So he was snubbing their son, punishing him instead of taking accountability for the things he had done to end their relationship.
Nahvid just scoffed in complete disbelief, but he wasn’t going to ask again. He didn’t want Raegan’s son left with a fuck boy like Micah anyway.
“I guess it’s me and you, li’l homie,” he said as he put the baby and his belongings back in the car. “If you don’t have anyone else in the world you’ve got Nah.”
He headed toward the private airstrip that he had rented. An extreme emptiness filled him because he knew that he was leaving his soul mate behind, but it was something he had to do. If he got locked up too he would be no good to her. He had to let the dust settle and get his own life in order before he could be of any assistance to her. Two lovers in two different federal jails would be a tragedy. He had to stay free so that he could work on her freedom. He boarded the plane and settled in with baby Micah sleeping on his chest as they waited for the departure. He picked up his phone and dialed Raegan’s number, knowing that she couldn’t answer. Her voice mail picked up and he spoke, “Hey, beautiful. I’m sorry that you are going through all of this, ma. I wish that I could be there for you but every time I try to see you, I’m turned away. Look a lot of heat is coming down on me so I have to shake for a while. Your son is safe. He is with me and I will look after him as if he is my own. I love you, Raegan. I will always be fighting for you; until the day you’re free I’ma ride this out with you. Take care of yourself and stay hopeful. You’re the love of my life and I’ll get you out of there if it’s the last thing that I do on this earth.”
Chapter Thirty-two
When Raegan walked into the correctional facility she felt as if her entire world had been taken away. In an attempt to put up a hard front, her face was cold, but if you looked closely you could see the tears she was stifling as they accumulated in her eyes. She had been through so much. From the day her son was born her life had spiraled out of control. Baby Mi
cah was the only bright spot in her dim existence and she had managed to screw that up as well. It had taken her three months to recover from the trauma Reason had put on her. She still wasn’t at her full strength but the Feds were tired of waiting to prosecute her. They pulled her out of the hospital as soon as they possibly could. Brelin had been a blessing in disguise. He focused all of his attention on her, taking a personal interest in her situation. They spent almost ten hours a day together for her entire hospital stay, and their conversation was surrounded around so much more than just legal matters. He wanted to know everything. Where was her son? Where was her man? Why was he not by her side? What did she like? Dislike? He wanted to know her and the fact that she found herself curious about him surprised her. She did not think that she would ever find someone who piqued her interest like Nahvid, but Brelin Nolen did. After receiving Nahvid’s devastating phone call Raegan had fallen into a horrible depression. She was grateful that Nahvid had promised to look after her baby, but with both of them gone who was going to look after her? When Brelin stepped up to the plate, his sincere actions surprised her. His handsome, grown-man persona was like a magnet and he was able to make her smile. She loved how he nursed her back to health and stayed by her side. Client or not, he was putting in way too much overtime for a man who wasn’t interested. Although Brelin had assured her that he was working with the federal DA to reduce the charges, it felt as if she would be in jail forever. She had been questioned, processed, then transferred directly to the city jail. She corroborated Gucci’s story almost word for word so the Feds had to take it as truth. When they asked her about her son, she told them she had convinced Reason to spare her son and to take her life instead.
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