“They had me backed in a corner, cuz. I wasn’t ever gon’ give them shit. I even let them hear you say you was legit.”
I slammed my fist on the table, causing him to jump. My fist should have been in his mouth, but there was a time and place for everything.
“Cut the bullshit, Darius! You used my name to broker those deals. You laundered cash through the casino ledgers and tried to pin your whole operation on me to save your own ass.”
“Who told you some shit like that? Was it that bitch Jameela? You know that bitch is a cop, right? You can’t trust her.”
“She didn’t have to tell me shit. It was your own sloppiness that gave you away. Vargas heard some chatter from the people you thought you had in your pocket and came to me personally. I promised that if I was coming back in the game, he would be the first to know. Your people told him everything, how you were forging my name on contracts and even how you planned to hand my baby over as a bargaining chip to get me to do business with them when your lies started to catch up with you. I didn’t even know how much of a hand you played in this until I started pulling back the layers. Once I found out I was being investigated, I invited the Feds in to comb through my books. They found the discrepancies in our signatures on their own. I didn’t have to clear my name. They did it for me.”
“So, you turned me in?”
“Bitch, I should put a bullet in your head. The only reason I haven’t is because they’re on your ass. I’m sure somebody is watching your every move.”
“Nick, the Feds were closing in. I figured if I switched the focus, they wouldn’t come up with shit and back off.”
“By switching that shit to me?”
“I was trying to protect us. Al-‘a’ila fawq kull shay’, Nick. You know it’s family over everything. Ed-daayra ma’foola li-sabab.”
“Al-‘a’ila fawq kull shay’. You saying family over everything when you had my fucking daughter kidnapped. Fuck family and fuck you!”
“Nick, come on, cuz. You know you can fix all this shit with a couple of phone calls. Don’t leave me out here like this.”
His voice faded as the doors of the elevator closed. Just because I let him breathe for another night didn’t mean he got to live happily ever after. If I couldn’t have a happily ever after, they wouldn’t exist for anyone.I just didn’t know if I was ready to accept that fate.
Thirteen days blurred into a haze of lawyers, paperwork, and endless phone calls. We severed ties with Darius just a couple of days before the Feds swooped in and picked him up. My conversation with Uncle D was brief. He sounded like he knew the day would come.
The headlines were splattered with his name and his undercover involvement with the Blacks and how he had Lieutenant Tremaine Hale, of all people, in his pocket. Apparently, ever since the big bust that got the lieutenant his promotion, he had been protecting Darius and heading him off when there was danger.
When is Miss Jameela coming, Daddy?
My baby’s voice echoed in my head as I made the inevitable drive. There was only so long that I could keep myself away. Amira missed Jameela and Bella just as much as I did.
It felt symbolic that the rain was back. It pattered against the roof of my truck in steady beat as I parked my truck and hopped out. It was two in the morning, but since Amira wasn’t home, I was even more restless.
I knocked on the door and stood back, letting the rain fall on me as I waited for her. When the door cracked open, it felt like my energy immediately reset.
“Nicholas?” she questioned in a weary voice as if I might not be real. There was something unrecognizable in her eyes. Pain? Hope? I hoped for the latter as I took a step to close the emptiness between us.
“I didn’t know what to think.”
“I should have told you. I didn’t know how or what to do. I just figured I could protect you. You have to understand that, Nicholas. I would never hurt you. I would never hurt Amira like that.”
“I know, habibti. I had to step back so I could figure everything out.”
“I resigned.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Jameela. You being a cop wasn’t the issue. I would never want to stop you from doing what you love. Betraying me was the issue.”
“I know.” She lowered her eyes before looking back up at me. “I saw Darius in the news.”
“I had the proof before I even came to the house. Every forged signature, every transfer, every text where he bragged about ‘handling’ me. Let them handle that. I’ve been cleared.”
“I’m so sorry, Nicholas.”
“Me too, Jameela. I want you to come home. Amira misses you. I’m going crazy without you. I don’t think I’ve slept in weeks.”
“You still want me there?”
