Knowing exactly what my man liked when we were intimate, I got vocal and we talked each other through our first releases. Like he said he would, Shane made love to me all over our room and even in the pool. If this was what our future looked like, I had no regrets accepting his proposal. Shane Scott was the only man who could make me surrender. He’d never asked for permission when he pursued me. He knew what he wanted and showed me daily he was choosing me. The way he came to my rescue and reassured me took emotional intelligence and maturity. He’d never have to worry about me doing anything but loving him back.
CHAPTER 19
Shane
For the first time in a long time, I was nervous. My emotions were on a rollercoaster and I wasn’t sure how I’d handle things if the outcome didn’t work in my favor. Today, my dad was finally having his first meeting with the new lawyer and he’d asked me to be there. It felt like we’d been waiting on this day forever, but it’d only been a few months. Now that the holidays were over, life went back to normal. My work schedule was all over the place with artists coming in and out of town.
“You okay, bae? You’ve been mean mugging since you woke up,” Celeste stated, interrupting my thoughts.
“I’m good. Just a lot on my mind right now. I can’t help but hope everything goes well, but I don’t wanna get my hopes up. Having my dad home is something I long for. He’s not perfect, but he’s a real man. He deserves to be home. I’d feel better about the situation if he truly did the crime. He’s only spoken to the lawyer a few times before today, so I really don’t have a read on what type of person she is. It is what it is though,” I expressed as I ran a hand down my face.
My heart had been torn when the judge gave my dad sixty years in prison. My mother and I hadn’t been at peace since. Apart of us was missing and it changed the course of our lives. I would do my best to walk into this meeting with little to no expectations. I was trying to get my emotions in check, but this meeting could bring me to my knees if there was nothing the lawyer could do. I wasn’t joking when I told Celeste my mother would move to Pleasant Springs if my dad never got out. Over the years, my mother held on to faith that he’d one day be a free man again. If nothing could be done, deep down I felt like my dad would truly try to cut ties with my mother so she could be free.
“I’m praying everything works out, baby. I wanna give you more than that, but I’ll wait until you tell me how it goes. I love you.”
“I love you more. You goin’ into work today?”
“I’ll stop by to check on Erick, but I’ll be spending the day with my mom and Jade. They wanna go to a new restaurant downtown.”
“You think your mom is well enough to be doin’ all that movin’ around?” I questioned in a serious tone.
When we returned from our trip, Cora had taken a turn for the worst. So much that we had to rush her to the hospital on Christmas Eve. The brief conversation Cora and I had when we first met played through my mind while we waited in the emergency room. I was happy she’d pulled through, but afraid she’d soon stop fighting. Looking into her eyes long enough, I saw she was truly tired. Celeste had been on high alert since that happened. Last night was the first time she’d left home to spend the night at my place.
Normally when Celeste slept over, she woke up several times throughout the night to check on Cora, but last night had been different. She’d slept all night and only woke up when she felt me getting out of bed. This time it was me tossing and turning all night. I was happy Celeste had finally allowed her body to rest.
“She was the one who suggested we go. She said she needed to get out of the house and get fresh air. If things aren’t going well, I’ll get her back home,” Celeste responded.
After promising I’d check in with her after meeting the lawyer, I took a few pulls from my blunt and headed out. When I pulled into the parking lot of the prison, I found a spot and said a silent prayer before going through security. When I was escorted to the room, my father was already sitting at the table.
“What’s up, son? Thank you for being here today. Hopefully this won’t take long,” he said as I sat across from him.
“I wouldn’t miss this shit for anything, Pops. The only thing I’m worried about is hearing good news. Hopefully she found something to help the case,” I admitted.
“Me too, son.”
He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but the sound of the door opening pulled our attention.
“Good morning, gentlemen. I’m Elaina Marshalls, Mr. Scott’s new attorney,” she stated as she strutted over to us.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Shane, Robert’s son.”
“Good to meet you and it’s nice to see you, Robert. Giovanni has told me a lot about you.”
“Hopefully all good things,” he countered.
“Absolutely. Now, I don’t mean to cut straight to the chase, but what I have to say will interest you both.”
Simultaneously, my dad and I looked at one another. I had no idea what I expected her to say, but the words she spoke next weren’t it.
“From the moment I opened your file, I knew something wasn’t right. Firstly, the officer who arrested you is being investigated for body cam footage the lieutenant is not happy with. Since all of that is going on, I did some digging and found pictures I want to show you.”
Elaina slid the envelope across the table to my dad. When he looked through the photos, his facial expression changed slightly. I was moments from asking him what the pictures showed, but he beat me to the punch by laying the images on the table. I couldn’t believe someone had captured photos of my uncle Dennis meeting with the officer on several occasions. The picture I was stuck on was the one with not only my uncle and the cop, but my dad’s old lawyer.
“I don’t mean to state the obvious, Mr. Scott, but you were set up from the start. Aside from the pictures, there were so many details that should’ve been investigated by the last attorney. Hell, the officer who arrested you didn’t even follow the proper protocol when he took you in. I’m not sure how they pulled this off, but they made you take the fall and made sure there was no way you’d find out. Until now their plan had been airtight. I won’t lie, the biggest thing working in our favor is Officer Johnson being under investigation. With that, I’m confident in saying you’ll be a free man in the near future.”
“Seriously? You think this can get me home? Elaina, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve missed sixteen years with my family. Please don’t give me false hope right now,” my dad said sternly.
“I’ve been doing my job for many years, Mr. Scott. I don’t get paid to sell hopes and dreams. Give me time to talk to the people I need to speak to and we’ll have you out of here.”
