His head snapped up. Leek was so deep in thought and zoned out, he didn’t even hear the deputy’s keys.
“Zyro,” he exhaled. He stomped over to the bars fast, gripping them tightly. “Man, I ain’t do that shit. They got me on some robbery shit, but I was literally on my way to yo crib for the reunion. You know I been on the straight and narrow. This some fuck shit.”
“I believe you, Leek.”
“They got me in here with a bunch of clowns,” he scoffed, looking back over his shoulder. The COs want me to snap, Zyro. They want me to give ‘em a reason.”
I stepped closer, dropping my voice. “Don’t give these folks no damn reason. You know how they do in this town, Leek. You’ll be hanging by a tree ‘fore daylight. You gotta chill ‘til Monday. Conrad’s already movin’ on it, but you gotta keep your head straight ‘til then.”
“Fuuuck,” he angrily growled out, but there wasn’t shit else I could do.
Conrad stepped in and talked to Zyleek.
“I might need to bring my truck in to your shop next week,” Deputy Porter grunted out. “Shit been running bad, and I’ve already taken it to two other shops in town. They say yours is the best…”
“But your pride wouldn’t allow you to bring it my shit,” I snorted with a toss of my head back.
His beady eyes narrowed. “ How about I make sure your brother is good and you give me a discount…”
“The way he looks now, better be the way I pick him up Monday,” I warned, with a finger pointing directly in his face. “My nigga better not even have a scratch on him.”
Deputy Porter’s jaw clenched, and so did mine as I bit down on my back teeth. It wouldn’t do any good for me and Leek to be sitting here until Monday. Leek was angry, but I could tell he was scared to. They were setting him up.
The CO from up front came waddling his fat ass down the corridor, stopping in front of Deputy Porter and handing him papers. He looked over them and then extended the papers to Conrad, whose eyes quickly scanned them. He frowned.
“You have my client locked up because he fit the description of a Black man in the area. He supposedly robbed an elderly Caucasian couple, but there was no description of what clothes he was wearing. His build? His hair? Just… Just him being Black and in the area?” Conrad roared.
My nostrils flared as I attempted to contain my own anger. Because my brother had no scratches or bruises, I could tell he cooperated. He was probably talking shit, but he didn’t resist.
“Get the sheriff here,” Conrad continued to explode. “This is foolish! My client should not be behind bars because of a wild guess! Get Sheriff Grey here right now!”
The deputy’s eyes darted from Conrad to me, and I stood there chill, but burning on the inside.
He cleared his throat. “He was also found with weed in the car, so we have probable cause to hold him.”
I bit down on my back teeth. I always warned Leek about having weed on him while in a vehicle. Anything that could put him in jail while operating a vehicle shouldn’t be on him. Nigga never listened.
Leek smacked his lips. “A fuckin’ gram.”
Conrad turned to me, face tight. “If he didn’t have the drugs on him, I could have gotten Zyleek out tonight. He’s going to have to sit until Monday, Zyro.”
I nodded. “Aight, I appreciate you for gettin’ up out your sleep and comin’ down here, Conrad.”
“I’ll walk you fellas out,” the deputy stated.
“Fuck man!” Zyleek fussed.
“Stay calm, nigga. I’ll be here Monday,” I called to my brother. “Do not give these muhfuckas a reason.”
“I hear you,” Leek replied. “I love you, big bro.”
“I love you, too, Leek. I got you.” With that said, I trailed Conrad out of the jail.
“This is some bullshit, and if he didn’t have that fuckin’ charge, we could sue their ass,” Conrad fussed.
“It’s still racial profiling. They had no business stopping Leek. See what you can do, Conrad. I want this town to stop this shit, and if we have to hurt pockets, do it,” I argued, reaching my truck. “I’ll meet you here on Monday.”
Not waiting on a reply, I jumped into my truck and hauled ass away from the county jail. It was pushing three in the morning, and I needed some sleep. Instead of calling and waking our parents up with the shit Leek done got in, and cause Mama to have a breakdown, I decided not to tell her. I’ll hear from her tomorrow, because I was sure someone in this city would find out and call her.
