Love In the Red Zone (Connecticut Kings Book 1)

by Love Belvin

  I snorted helplessly.

  “I’m fine. Really.” I assured. “I know how to protect myself.” I didn’t sound all that convincing to anyone while scowling at the giant.

  “A’ight, y’all,” Jason switched gears in the car. “Good luck with the ride, Jade.” He pulled off leaving us alone.

  “Can we please go get something to eat now?” Kyree whined. “I’m hungry, Mommy!”

  “My treat, lil’ man,” the giant smoothly answered for me, making his way to his pickup.

  ~Three

  “It’s a brick building on the right side.”

  “Okay. Got you. I think I know the one.”

  “So, you’ll have it there by seven in the morning, right?”

  “TB, man!” Jeff laughed. “I’m gonna have it there by midnight. My towing guy is leaving Englewood now. It’s been a busy night. I’m short staffed, too.” I nodded with the phone to my ear. My eyes traveled across the table to Kyree’s mom at the same time hers were checking for me. “But you gotta tell her that she’ll probably only have enough juice to get it to her repairs guy. This car is about to croak without replacing the transmission.”

  “Yeah, I told her,” I explained while studying the color of her eyes on the low. They were radiant…some shade of gold mixed with cinnamon. Her top lip pouted in a way that made her look as though she was blowing kisses when she was simply pensive. “Just give her enough juice so she can make it there.”

  “A’ight. I got you, man.”

  “How much I owe you?” I tried to lower my voice senselessly seeing she was right across from me with her arms underneath the table and just a mug of coffee sitting in front of her.

  “Oh, not much. Maybe just a bill for the travel and half for the tow.” Jeff sighed, probably adding it up in his head. “No more than two. I’ll just bill you. Or you could come through and help me work on my ’87 Chevy and we can call it even.”

  I knew that was his way of asking to hang out. I wasn’t for much socializing anymore.

  “We’ll see. Either way, I got you.”

  “A’ight.”

  We ended the call and I glanced across to the table where she was waiting for an answer about her car.

  “How much?” she asked before I could even speak.

  “Not much at all. He’ll have it towed to your apartment tonight. I can drop you two off and your car should be there in a couple of hours.” I looked at Kyree. “You good, man? I see you handled that burger like a G.”

  He smiled, exposing his missing tooth. “Yeah.” Kyree laughed as he rubbed his tired eyes and leaned into his mother’s small frame, not too much taller than his own sitting down. “Where you going after you take us home, Coach?”

  “Coach?” his mom growled, her long wavy hair rippling as she yanked her neck to glare at him. “He takes you to this fancy restaurant—that probably doesn’t even sell burgers—for a cheeseburger and you can’t call him by his name?”

  She wants to know my name…

  I was able to easily discern from that move. She was also wondering why we were having a late night “quick bite” at DiFillippo’s in Hackensack, near Garden State Plaza Mall, which was close to thirty minutes from East Orange, where the team practiced. This was why I still struggled with this benevolence thing. The more I did, the more questions could be derived from my actions. She was now asking for my identity, which she deserved, but answering about the restaurant was a different matter. There was no way I was prepared to tell her I was part owner of it. She was smart enough to know we were five steps up from the dozen or so of mom-and-pop diners we passed to get here. They were more appropriate for the occasion than this. But here is where I was guaranteed privacy. I’d already risked enough by being out with this stranger in a heavily populated neck of the woods.

  “Yeah, I do!” Kyree shrilled. “It’s Coach TB!”

  “TB?” she cocked her head to the side, questioning him. Then she shared that amber hued scowl with me. I offered a closed mouth smile with a shrug. “Honey, what is a TB?” she asked him.

  Kyree yawned and went for his juice. His shrug followed after he took a sip. “I ‘on’t know…like Trent Bailey.” He smiled smartly at her.

  I almost choked on my damn spit. My kids on the team didn’t know my name. I made sure of it. The other coaches made sure of it. And here, this kid randomly shot a renowned name so casually, not knowing he was spot on. I didn’t have a response for that. I froze in my chair, unable to say shit.

  “Who is Trent Bailey, Ky?” Then her neck jerked back again, this time with recognition. “Is that the guy your father told you about on the phone last time you two spoke?”

  Kyree nodded with a half committed smirk. The kid may not have known who I was, but the fact that he could accurately pull names from letters further impressed me. Kyree was smart.

  “I should make you do a report on him.” She smacked her lips, turning to me.

  “Ready?” I asked, not wanting to stretch the conversation.

  “Yeah,” she answered. “How much for the burger? Thirty dollars?” She scanned the digs of the restaurant from the corner of her eyes.

  I could smell her anxiety over the bill. I didn’t want her to freak out again. It took a minute to get her to even speak after we took off from the field.

  “No worries. I chose the restaurant. I got it.” But then my eyes went to her half empty mug. She only ordered coffee. This was her third cup. “You sure you don’t want food? We can order something to go.”

  Now that we knew who was paying, maybe she’d order something. I understood not having the bread to do what you wanted. Apparently, she was willing to shell out for her son. It was as though she chose for him to eat over herself. Something about that simple maternal act trumped my recent regret of helping out tonight.

  “No. I’m fine. I have a long night ahead after putting him down. I’ll need the caffeine.” She fingered through her long silky hair, amber eyes dancing all around while her nicely manicured chocolate covered finger nails crossed over each other over the table.

  “Cool.” I prepared to stand. “You good, Kyree?”

  “Yes!” his mom quickly answered for him. “Let’s go, Ky.”

  “Hang on.” I asked a passing waiter for his pen and a piece of paper. “Let me write down my number for you, seeing that it’s my man that has your car and you don’t know him.”

  As we waited, I could see there was something playing in the back of her mind. It could have been the car issue, or that she had her son out so late, or that they were with a stranger. I mean, she clearly had cash flow issues, something I could understand, but she was brooding.

  “You live by here, Coach?” Kyree asked.

  “Ky!” his mother chided.

  There was that beam in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a while. He was either focused on the field or brooding similar to what his mother had been doing since we arrived here. I could see where he snatched his mom’s features. Kyree was a handsome kid, well groomed. He was clearly smart and only acted out at the end of practice. That fact still bothered me. There was something up with that, but nothing that related to his mother. He had been affectionate with her all night, in spite of her heavy contemplative mood.

  “Yeah,” I answered while nodding my thanks to the waiter for bringing the writing materials. “My crib ain’t too far from here at all.” As I spoke, I scribbled my number.

  “Can we stop at your house on the way? Please!” he cried. “I wanna see where you live!”

  “Now, that’s enough, Kyree!” she hissed so hard, I straightened.

  At first she wouldn’t look at me, but when she did, I caught the message in her eyes to back off. She was a mother, and this was no more than her disciplining her child for his lack of etiquette, right? That’s what I chose to believe when I handed her my number. I mean… It’s not like I wanted to show them my crib anyway. She actually helped me dodge a bullet.

  “You need to get to bed, young’in.”
I pulled my hoodie over my head to start the walk into the main restaurant. I took him at the shoulder and guided him to the door. “It’s late and your moms had a long evening. Sounds like she’s got lots more to do before she can call it a night.”

  When I tossed a glance over my shoulder to be sure she was with us, I caught her staring at me from behind. She quickly and quietly gasped before cutting her eyes. There was something up with shortie, but my time playing good guy was coming to an end. She wasn’t beat for me looking out for her and her son, and I was growing tired my damn self.

  “There’s my room right there, Coach.” Kyree yawned in the back seat. After putting the pickup in park, I turned to find him rubbing his eyes as he pointed to a window on the third floor. We were parked across from their four story brick building in East Orange. “You wanna see it?”

  “KyKy!” his moms yelled again, only this time it was like a pleading whisper. She was tired.

  “It’s all good, man. Maybe another time.” I tried to save the moment. “You have my number if something goes wrong, but I don’t believe it will. I’ve known Jeff for a minute. If you don’t feel comfortable calling me, Jason knows him, too.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured, applying a polite smile, one I knew she wasn’t really feeling. “I appreciate all you did tonight. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pay you back soon.”

  “Don’t sweat it. It was nothing at all.” I saluted her, my back angled so I could see Kyree in the back. His face hardened while he stared at his building.

  She took a deep breath before opening the door to leave.

  “It’s Jade, right?”

  She turned to me while standing outside. “Huhn? Uh…yeah.” She rolled her eyes, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so stressed out and embarrassed by all of this. Yes. My name is Jade. As you can see, I’m Ky’s mom.”

  “A’ight. It’s gravy. Just don’t wanna be a total stranger. I hope everything works out.”

  “Thanks.” Her smile was more genuine this time. She pulled the seat back to let Kyree out. “Tell the coach thanks and goodnight, Ky.”

  Kyree pulled from the back seat with a pout. He leaned toward me. “Thanks, Coach,” he spoke with a cry creeping up his throat.

  “Why’re you crying, man?” I asked low enough to not alarm his waiting mother.

  “Because I don’t wanna go up there. It’s dark. I’m scared of the dark,” he whispered, hardly audible.

  “Aw, man,” I soothed with a low chuckle. I got it. Kyree was afraid of the dark. It was late and dark out. Plus, he may not have wanted to admit it, but he was tired. We were all out later than we anticipated. “You remind me of my lil’ cousin. He used to be scared of the dark, too. Shoot. I was probably scared, too. But when you get older, you’ll see it ain’t nothing to flinch over. You’ll actually like it on some days.” He was too young to appreciate that. “Get some sleep lil’ man. I’ll wait for your light to come on before I bounce, okay?”

  My phone chirped, stealing my attention away from him for a moment.

  StentRo: Game night. My crib on Sat

  “It ain’t gonna come on…” I hardly registered while reading the text.

  I turned back to Kyree. It tore at me to see him cry. It reminded me of his mood change at the end of practices lately. He went from chipper to sad in the span of thirty minutes.

  “It’s all good, man,” I pledged while rubbing the back of his head.

  Kyree climbed out of the pickup and Jade gave a final wave to which I saluted. Giving them a minute to get inside, I turned back to my phone. I ignored my friend’s text for the moment and shot a text to Jason.

  Me: Whats good with Kyrees mom?

  Waiting for the reply, I glanced up and saw the two had disappeared from the doorway, on their way upstairs.

  Jason: She good peoples. Why? You see that peach? Nice, right? Cherries too!

  My head jerked back and I scoffed. I mean… Her body was hard to miss. But her mood was so heavy, I couldn’t see past that.

  Me: Nah. She seemed real stressed tonite. She always like that? Wheres his dad?

  Maybe that was it. Maybe his father beat on her or something. But she never mentioned him for help with her car tonight.

  Jason: Nigga you lookin! Lmao

  I cocked my head to the side, wondering if he could be serious for two damn minutes.

  Jason: I’m fukin witchu. Father went to school with my cousin. A dope boy in brick city. He told her to come check me to put his seed on the team last year. He a cell boy now. Been down for a couple of years now.

  So, Kyree’s father is an incarcerated D-boy. That makes sense.

  Jade acted like she was carrying that lack of money weight on her own. But there was something more. Something was off. Worry danced in her eyes all night. I’m used to seeing women trip over themselves when with me, eyes lined with ill-motives and too much damn charm. She had been blinded to whatever it was females usually see in me, or it could have helped that she simply didn’t know who I was. But how? My story had been blasted all over the media for over a year. My arrest and trial had been played on every major and minor news station. She had to have heard of me, right?

  My gut told me not to rely on that theory. It was that look in her eyes. This girl didn’t give deceptive grins, try to push her son on me, push with him to come to my house, or get me to come upstairs. She hardly looked at me aside from that time we left the restaurant. Even then, if she recognized me, she would’ve given me some sign. Nah. Both Jade and Kyree were haunted. They had something shared. A ghost. She didn’t want face time with me. She wanted me to disappear just as they had in the dark of the night. Speaking of which—

  I leaned over into the passenger seat to peep their windows, particularly Kyree’s bedroom. I promised him I’d wait for the light to come on. It was still pitch black. It had been more than enough time for them to have made it to the third floor even if they walked up.

  My phone chirped again.

  Jason: Wait my dude! You in them drawers now? ‘Bout to be? Just finished? Damn! Tell me!

  I shook my head. J was being thirsty while I was down here like a peeping Tom waiting for lights to come on in the bedroom of a kid…that I didn’t even know!

  God, what am I doing here?

  I went to start the truck and gave in to my gut call to look up one last time before pulling off. I leaned over once again. And again saw no new windows light up. Did they really live here? Had to. It’s the address she gave me for Jeff to drop off her car. She needs her car.

  Then what was going on with their lights?

  “It ain’t gonna come on…”

  That’s what Kyree warned when I wasn’t paying attention! I shut the engine off and jumped out of the truck. Quickly, I calmed myself, not knowing exactly why I was alarmed. It was possibly because of the slight whisper he’d delivered that message with. I crossed the street and was relieved to find the building door unlocked. I jogged up the steps, three at a time. When I landed on the third floor, I tried to decided which way to turn based on where the room was located on the outside of the building. There were many options. The door on the far left had to be hers.

  I quieted the clacks of my boots when I neared the door. En route, I could hear the wails of a kid. I stopped and pushed my ear to the door.

  “I’m right here! Why are you crying?” A voice I recognized asked, vexed.

  The crying didn’t stop.

  “I’ll light another candle. Okay?” Jade asked.

  “Uh-kaaay!” Kyree blubbered.

  “Gosh, KyKy,” her voice broke. “It’s just a shower. We go through this every night.” Then there was no denying Jade was crying.

  She sounded wounded.

  I felt a rush of energy unfamiliar to me when I knocked on the door. They were hard and alarming blows, but with just my knuckles.

  “Shhhhhh!” she hushed him. “Who is it?” Even her voice, filled with grief was shock by the sound of the knock.

 
I licked my lips, face hard as I contemplated what to say. Then I thought to go with it. They were in trouble. Was someone in there bothering them? Were they hiding from someone? Me?

  “Coach TB,” I answered. There was no movement or response. “Jade, I heard you in there. I heard Kyree. I just wanna help, man.” I was careful of my tone.

  I waited and waited. My pulsed banged against the surface of my skin. I had no idea why I was so anxious. But I waited until I couldn’t anymore. The moment I raised my fist to knock again, the door opened. Jade’s golden eyes looked tan now, reddened from tears. Her chest heaved. I was able to look behind her to a shirtless Kyree, still wearing some of his football gear. His face was filled with tear tracks and snot from crying. It was pitch black from wall to wall. I understood right away the electricity was off. My eyes closed in realization.

  That’s why Kyree didn’t want to come home. It was why he tried to prolong the night. And it was why he’d act out after every practice. He wanted to delay his time in the dark. He was afraid and had every right to be as a kid his age.

  “Get your things,” I demanded over Jade’s head, speaking to them both. “You’re coming with me.” I glanced down, prepared for a rebuttal. But none came. What did come was another round of fresh tears.

  “Where are you taking us? I’m not taking my child to a shelter,” she made clear with closed eyes.

  This woman was broken. Far from the one I met a week ago on the field, Jade was lost and frightened. I wasn’t any more resolute than I seemed, but I knew she needed a break, even if only for one night. I had no idea what I was going to do with them. She didn’t have any money and I couldn’t put her up in a hotel for an undetermined amount of time. And I doubted if her lights would be back on the following day, so there was no hope there. If she had relatives, I was sure she would’ve turned to them before it got to this point.