Adored by a Brooklyn Drug Lord 3 Page 6

  He shrugged. “Interesting, ‘cause I been hitting the block pretty hard. Nobody’s seen you for a few days.”

  “The work I do doesn’t have me on the block,” I replied, the comment giving the foursome pause. “Nothing personal, I just don’t have to explain my moves to none of you.”

  “But you do have to explain them to my father.” LaKeith dropped his cards onto the table. His eyes locked with mine, and I could see something accusatory in them. “I’ve been real patient with you because you kept your word and handled them Mexican motherfuckers. It’s been two days you’ve slept out, forcing my sister to take care of a child she didn’t make on her own. She didn’t grow up with a deadbeat father, and my nephew deserves the same courtesy.”

  Three pairs of eyes rested on me. My own brother sat through LaKeith’s diatribe without flinching. Every day since I found out he was Legacy’s father, I cursed myself for teaming up with him all those years ago. I gave up everything—Kelsey, my home, and my freedom—so he would have somewhere to rest his head after Urban chased him out of town. For him to turn around and set me up was the ultimate betrayal. I was working on something for him, but for right now I would have to play the role of apologetic baby father.

  “You’re right. Regardless of what I have going on in my personal life, I need to be a better father. Is Drea here?”

  LaKeith nodded his head toward the hall. “Nah, she took the baby to the park down the block.”

  “Bet,” I said, turning on my heel and heading back to the door. “LaKeith?”

  “What?”

  I glanced at him over my shoulder. “How about you work on being a good uncle, and have this place clean and quiet by the time I come back with your nephew?”

  “Whatever,” was his reply. He motioned to the clutter on the table. “Yo, clean this shit up so we can dip.”

  The music had lowered significantly as I stepped onto the elevator. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Kelsey. I connected the call, smiling as I listened to her background. She was at home with Neo Soul playing in the background, which meant that she was either cooking or cleaning.

  “Quill,” she sang in that sweet voice of hers. “Are you stopping by for dinner tonight? I’m making your favorite: lasagna.”

  I patted my stomach, cringing at the thought of another meal. “Damn, beautiful, that sounds delicious but I won’t be able to make it tonight. I need to look out for little man; niggas are tryna turn my place into a trap house. Smoking weed, drinking, shit that’ll have my white ass neighbors ready to throw us out.” Kelsey made all the disapproving grunts any supportive girlfriend would. “I’ll make it up to you this weekend. How about I cook?”

  “You? Cook for me? Quill, I’m not sure if I can spare one of my nine lives to eat another one of your friend bologna and cheese sandwiches.”

  “Bruh, I had no idea that was lard. You gotta forgive me for that at some point in time,” I replied, thinking of the last time I tried to cook for a romantic picnic I took Kelsey on when we were younger. “But my potato salad was on point.”

  “After I picked out all the eggshells, yes, you had something with that.”

  “Strop tryna play me,” I joked with her as I entered the park, scanning it for any sign of Drea.

  The park was on the crowded side today. Kids from both the elementary and middle school had gotten out fifteen minutes ago, and instead of walking straight home, they used the park to prolong their trip. I cut through the throngs of kids with ease, keeping an eye out for the $5,000 Bugaboo stroller Drea begged me for. Squinting, I spotted the brown monogrammed material in the distance.

  “How did your lunch with my father go?”

  “For lunch with you father, it went better than expected. I think he and I are finally on the same wavelength. At least we will be until—” My footing faltered, slowing and changing gears to lead me under the cover of a tree. “Kelsey, baby, I need to give you a call back.”

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice frantic.

  I watched as Drea chilled on a park bench, bouncing Legacy on her lap as an afterthought while the conversation she was engrossed in took precedence. There was no fear in her eyes as she spoke with the sharply dressed black man; if anything, they looked familiar with one another. Whenever she spoke he listened, his eyes dancing between her lips and eyes. Drea was one to revel in all male attention, but with him she had no interest. Whatever she was saying had to be of the utmost importance. For a second I tried to tell myself that maybe she found a new nigga to fuck around with, but then he shifted, giving me the perfect view of his badge.

  “No,” I said as I stood there, watching Drea converse with the FBI agent. “If anything, shit just got worse for me.”

  5

  Briana

  Flowers. There were flowers everywhere. Wildflowers, lilies, sunflowers, tulips, and roses. Dozens of red roses filled my hospital suite, creating a sweet aroma that mixed with the rest of the flowers. Teddy bears lined the table on the far end of my hospital suite, ranging from tiny to enormous. To be honest, I didn’t expect to wake up, and if I did, certainly not in a hospital room bursting with love. Beside me sat Morris, contorted in an uncomfortable position, his hand holding mine as he slept. He was the last person I spoke to, and I was sure that because of him I received medical attention. Not wanting to wake him, I used my other hand to press the button for assistance. My finger had barely let go of the button when a nurse appeared.

  “Miss Mackenzie,” she said in a gentle voice. “You’re awake. I’ll page the doctor so he can give you an update on your condition. Don’t try to talk; your throat is still healing. I’ll get you a pen and pad so you can communicate.”

  The nurse’s soothing voice woke Morris, who had to blink and rub his eyes several times before accepting that I was awake. I rolled my eyes at the dramatics, but on the inside they made my heart do double-dutch. The last time I woke up from a crisis I was taken to jail for a crime I didn’t commit. Eric leaving me at the lowest point of my life made me think I wasn’t worth sticking around for, and on some level, I had believed it so much that seeing Morris here beside me and a room full of flowers felt like an outer body experience. It was the first question I asked when the nurse returned with a notepad.

  “Are these flowers for you?” Morris read the question aloud with a smile. “Your family has been here every day, right by your side bringing you all of these flowers, Bri. Over the last couple days you’ve received more from strangers who heard your story on the news, so many we had started donating them around the hospital to other people who don’t receive many visitors.”

  I placed a hand on my chest, grateful to literally receive my flowers while I was still here. Morris gave my hand another squeeze, kissing our intertwined fingers, warming me all over. This was how a man was supposed to love on his woman. I wrote down Kelsey’s name, underlining it several times. The last time I saw my cousin she was being dragged out of the apartment by masked gunmen. For Morris to be sitting here comfortable holding my hand, either she was still missing or in recovery herself.

  “Kelsey has been by to see you as well, talking to you and doing your hair. She and I had a talk where we both acknowledged our roles in the demise of our relationship. Neither one of us was in it for the right reasons, and we were able to move past it for you.” Morris laughed. “You can let out that breath you were holding in.”

  The machine to the right of me went off, my heartbeat spiking and returning to its regular resting point as I did just that. I placed a question mark next to Kelsey’s name, asking what happened to her after she was dragged from the apartment. The story Morris told me was the mix of a Lifetime movie and future Tyler Perry film. He was finishing up when my attending doctor entered, flanked by two nurses who wore bright smiles. Listening to the breakdown of my condition, I realized I could easily fit into the plot. According to the doctor, I was a living miracle. Due to the distance and trajectory of the bullet, it missed the important structu
res of my neck, steering clear of any vital arteries, and made a clean exit. Thanks to Morris, police and EMT’s were already enroute, minutes out, when I was hit. They stabilized me and I was rushed to the hospital, where I was operated on all night.

  You saved my life, I wrote on the pad.

  “I wish I could’ve been here to make sure it didn’t happen. Which is why I want to ask you something…” I blinked in response for him to continue. “I was thinking…why don’t you come back to DC with me? I’ll be done with law school next year. We can move back here, get a place together, while I’m studying the bar I can work as a legal aide to get my foot in the door at one of the larger—”

  As Morris gave me a rundown of his well thought out plan, I kept writing the same word over and over, each one larger than the last. He looked down at the “Yes’s” scribbled on the paper and let out a triumphant bark of laughter. His lips pressed into my forehead, the tender kiss making me tear up. So this is what love was. Morris was slow to sit, his eyes never leaving mine as he sat back in his chair. A black shadow appeared at the door, giving me a start. Jamel stood there, clutching a teddy bear in one hand, balloons in the other. Cradled in his arms was a vase of roses, shaking as he trembled. I waved at him, the small interaction enough to send him over the edge.

  “Bri,” he blubbered, dropping my gifts onto the overcrowded table. “I’m sorry for the way I left things between the two of us. I was on some sour nigga shit, thinking if you started fucking with your family again you wouldn’t have a need for me anymore. Had I not been in my fucking feelings, none of this would’ve ever happened.”

  I shook my head. You couldn’t have prevented this, I wrote.

  “If I wasn’t in the hospital niggas would’ve never tried to kill you in that elevator. You’d still be back in Mott Haven where you’re safe.”

  No, it was time for me to leave Mott Haven. Mel, this isn’t your fault, I scribbled, wiping away a tear. My best friend had grown so used to taking on my burdens that he couldn’t decipher between free will and fate. Jamel grabbed a chair from the corner, scooting it up the opposite side of my bed, taking my hand into his, bowing his head and praying over me. Morris and I shared a look. Jamel’s reaction to me moving to the other side of town was tumultuous; I feared he would stroke out if he knew I was leaving the state. As if he read my mind, Jamel sat up, resting his eyes on Morris, who remained quiet during the entire exchange.

  “Who’s this, Bri?” he asked.

  “Her man,” Morris replied without hesitation. “And you are?”

  Jamel got to nodding, absorbing the weight of Morris’s words. “You’re the one who made the call. I got nothing but love for you, my man. Thanks for looking out for my sis while I wasn’t able to.”

  I was floored by Jamel’s maturity. On the block he never liked men getting too close to me; he even dropped a few of his friends who came on to me. In the back of my mind I knew he had feelings for me, but with the recent events I guess he wanted to be in my life in whatever capacity he could. After internally deciding that Jamel wasn’t a threat, Morris excused himself to grab something to eat.

  “How did that happen?” Jamel asked as soon as Morris cleared the door. “To be honest, I’m happy you ain’t fucking with none of these hood niggas. They ain’t nothing but trouble, and back at Mott Haven they only wanted to be with you for clout. He’s a square, but I can see he has love for you.”

  When I get out of the hospital, I’m going to move to DC with him, I scribbled, watching as he read the news.

  Jamel scratched the back of his head. “What about your territory?” I pointed at him. “Bri, I only got into this game to make sure you was good. Without you there’s no purpose; I appreciate the offer but I don’t want it.”

  Please? For me.

  “I can do that. I can hold it down for you while you’re gone,” Jamel relented, flipping the page for me. “Don’t leave without saying goodbye, Bri. I love you.”

  I smiled at him. Love you too, brother, I wrote, drawing a happy face next to it so there would be no mistakes on my intent. Jamel hugged me tight, resting his chin on my shoulder as he took in my scent. We stayed like that for a few more minutes, separating at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Kelsey stood in the doorway, waving with her free hand as the other clutched a plant. Jamel was never fond of Kelsey—my bitter anecdotes made her come across as holier than thou—but he was kind enough to greet her with a head nod on his way out. She returned it with a curt one of her own.

  “I was just stopping by to bring a plant for your room. You know, to have some fresh air circulating,” she said, plopping down in Jamel’s vacant seat. Her eyes grew shiny with tears. “Bri, I am so sorry for what happened to you. Never once did I think that anyone would be able to breach my apartment that easily. I should’ve done more, hired more security—”

  I waved my hand for her to stop, writing on my pad, I know what it is, Kelsey. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to hurt you because of your father.

  Kelsey’s expression made my heart jump. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I kept my pen poised, waiting for her to let me in on what the situation was. My heart rate quickened as she rose to her feet, shuffling over to the door, closing and locking it with one fluid motion. When she returned her entire demeanor was different; her wellness check turned into a business meeting. I found the control panel to my bed, sitting myself up higher.

  “Remember when my dad shot Koi? There was a meeting held and the family business was turned over to me. His associates didn’t like it—who would want to take orders from someone more than half their age—so they decided to eliminate me.” Kelsey ran a hand through her hair, placing it under her chin. “I should’ve been real with you up front, Bri. I just wasn’t ready to admit that I was…living a life I never planned for myself.”

  My pen remained stationary. I was at a loss for words. Ever since my father died, I had been working to create a legacy for him, grinding my ass off and it was handed to Kelsey. Once upon a time that would make me angry, livid, but I could see a change in her I didn’t want in myself. Her exterior was still young, but her eyes were cold, hard, as if she had lived many lives over such a short period of time.

  “Back at the apartment you went up for me, risked your life doing so, and although I came here just to drop off this plant, I’d like to talk business. I want you to take Malone’s chair. Obviously not right now,” she said, motioning to my condition. “Whenever you’re feeling up to it. You deserve that chair. You earned it.”

  This was everything I dreamed of: working in the family business. As I sat here, looking at my robust cousin with decaying eyes, I wasn’t sure if it was what I wanted anymore. Kelsey could see that I was having trouble coming up with the right answer. She placed a comforting hand over mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  “You don’t have to make that decision right now. Just know, whenever you’re ready, your seat is waiting for you,” she said, rubbing small circles into the top of my hand. “Do you like your suite? I told them to give you the biggest one in this bitch. There was a senator admitted for open heart surgery pissed that he got bumped by a black family.”

  I rolled my eyes, biting my lower lip to keep from laughing. Kelsey laughed for me, a large one from her gut. I jotted down for her to tell me what she’d been up to since I’d been knocked out, and she obliged me, surprising me with the news that Mal was now in rehab. She mentioned that Mal wanted her to get some help for her emotional traumas and in exchange he would do the same for his. The gesture was small to the standards of some, but Kelsey doing right by my baby brother banished whatever ill feelings I felt for her and my family in the past. If I had to go back in time with the knowledge of the current, I would take another bullet if it meant my brother being given a second chance at life. Little did I know, I would be receiving one as well.

  “Miss Mackenzie,” my attending said from the doorway, clutching his clipboard in his hand. “I was wo
ndering if we could have a word in private?”

  I pointed to Kelsey and gave him the thumbs up.

  Kelsey waved at him. “I’m her cousin. Bri’s cool with me staying.”

  “Alright,” he said, closing the door behind him. “Briana, I didn’t want to overwhelm you earlier as you had just woken up. However, I do have some news for you.”

  Kelsey placed a hand on her chest. “It’s not bad, is it?”

  “Of course not. In fact, it may or may not be what you need after surviving this entire ordeal.” His eyes flickered between the two of us, and rested on mine. “Briana, you’re pregnant.”

  A strange sound erupted from my throat. Kelsey’s hand clapped to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. She hugged me, cradling me in her arms as we had a silent celebration.

  “Everything is falling into place, Bri,” she whispered. “If there’s anyone in this world who deserves this, it’s you.”

  I remembered the day I found out I was pregnant with Ayanna. My mother was cooking, and screaming at Prince and Precious to set the table. Mal was nowhere to be found; we thought he was playing ball, but knowing what we know now that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I was sitting on the toilet starting at the dollar store pregnancy test. The pink line was bright, and I thought my entire life was over. Shonda was the first person I told. She cried, saying that she didn’t want me to end up like her—pregnant by a man that didn’t love her.

  “It’s all love while the baby is in there,” she said, placing a hand on my stomach. “Wait to see what that love becomes when the baby is here.”

  She was absolutely fucking right. I replayed those words my first night in jail. Eric moved on without me, starting a new family while I continued to mourn ours for years. Today was a new day, I had a new man, and when I told him the news he was happy. Confident that we would have an amazing life for our child. This was my fresh start and no one would ever be able to take this happiness away from me.