Page 45 of Stand on That

“Vani,” I could hear the stress in his tone, so I simply held my hands up in surrender.

“What are you going to do?”

The look that he gave me caused a chill to creep down my spine. I already knew what he was going to do to the person that took his drugs if he found out who it was. That was one thing I knew about Darius, but I didn’t want him to do it. I didn’t ask any questions about the night I drove his car to the club. If anything happened to Darius, I would go right back to that dark place I was in while I was in prison, and it wouldn’t be good. I only got through that by the grace of God.

I walked over and stood directly in front of him. “Darius, I know you’re angry. I would be too. And I don’t have anywhere near $100,000, but you can have everything I have in my bank account. Everything I’ve been stacking. Take it and do what you can with it, but please just don’t do anything you might not be able to come back from.” There was pleading in my tone, and I was sure in my gaze as well.

“Man,” Darius shook his head. “I’m not taking your money.”

“Why?” I drew back. “What rule is there that says you only have to give and can never receive. Before I went to prison you always made sure I was good. When I came home from prison you made sure I was overly straight. I can even sell one of my Chanel bags. That’ll be at least $10,000 right there. I can always get another bag.”

Darius frowned as if what I was saying was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. With another slight shake of his head, he looked off to the side. I was sure his pride didn’t want to allow him to take my money. But I was a prime example of how one dumb decision could change everything.

“Darius, please just be careful. I know you’re not going to let what he or them did slide, and I get it. But we lost three years due to my dumb ass actions. I’m not trying to lose you. You have a daughter to remain free and alive for. You’re already a father, and now you want to be a husband. You gotta start moving like it. Okay?”

“I hear you bae.” Darius placed a quick peck on my lips before we headed back inside.

I knew he heard me. But I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to talk Darius out of doing anything he really wanted to do.

I sat across from Mya staring a hole into her. Tears streamed down her face, and she resembled my aunt that suffered from Parkinson’s disease. She was trembling so badly that her head was moving from side to side making it look like she was saying no. The tears and nervousness weren’t coming from the supposed trauma she endured from being tied up and robbed. The bitch knew she was caught because I wasn’t buying her story, but I would entertain her for a few minutes. The longer I stared at her, the harder she cried. While I sat there trying to figure out what the fuck she had to cry about. If it really was a random home invasion, she could just explain that. I wasn’t sure who had gotten in her ear and convinced her that crossing me was a good idea, but I was willing to bet she was surely regretting that shit now.

“Tell me again what happened,” I stated calmly. Almost like a bitch ass police officer playing the good guy role right before walking the suspect into a trap.

Mya ran two knuckles underneath her eyes simultaneously wiping tears away. She cleared her throat and sniffed while her orbs darted nervously around the room. Bitch couldn’t even look me in the face. “I was in here around eight pm watching television, and I heard a loud noise. It sounded like something huge had rammed into the back of my house. I jumped up off the couch, then I heard it again. I was running into my bedroom to hide when they got the back door open and ran inside. They found me hiding in the shower, tied me up, and searched the house.”

I simply stared. Glared at her for so long fresh tears spilled over her eyelids. “And the niggas not only went up in the attic, but they found a box located behind the Christmas tree decorations and decided that box had something in it they wanted. They moved the Christmas ornaments, stockings, all that good stuff, and found my shit. Just like that? Those were some thorough ass thieves boy.”

“I-I don’t know how they knew it was here. I promise. I didn’t even know where you kept the stuff.”

“But you knew it was in the attic. Because every time I come to this muhfucka, I go in the attic.”

“Darius, I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I don’t know how or why they chose to go in the attic. I was thinking that maybe someone was watching you come and go.”

I flicked the tip of my nose never taking my eyes off her face. “I’m not a very patient person. Never have been. I’m going to give you sixty seconds to tell me who has my shit, Mya. You might be a lil’ green, but you aren’t dumb. Don’t insult my intelligence and keep lying to me because that’s going to piss me off. My girl has a conscience and shit, and she doesn’t want me to kill you, but I never gave a fuck about watching a person take their last breath.”

My words sent her ass into hysterics. “Darius, please, don’t kill me. Please, I’m pregnant.”

“Ohhhhhhhh,” it came to me faster than a bolt of lightening striking. “You tried to put your baby daddy on with my shit. Got damn, Mya. I thought you were smarter than that.”

The way her eyes almost jumped out of their sockets let me know that I had hit the nail on the head. She really crossed me for a man that she probably hadn’t known anywhere near as long as me. I couldn’t even lie. That one stung a little bit. I didn’t trust many, and people were damn sure showing me why trusting anyone was stupid.

“It wasn’t him,” she shook her head frantically. “I promise you it wasn’t him.” Her wide eyes made her appear crazed. I frowned with disgust as snot pooled out of her nose.

I whipped my gun from the small of my back, and Mya stared sobbing. “Please don’t do this, Darius. Please.”

“You got some nerve sitting there begging when I can’t even get the truth out of you, bitch. You think that shit falls out the sky? You think the coke gods be blessing a nigga? I spent my money on that shit, and you’re sitting here playing in my fucking face!” I hated raising my voice. Mya was bringing out a side of me that I didn’t like.

“He wanted to know why I always had money. I kind of tried to play it off but the fact that I pay all my bills and I’m still able to save, travel, and buy nice things, he said he knew I wasn’t doing all of that as a flight attendant. I really wasn’t going to tell him anything about the drugs, but when I found out I was pregnant, we talked about moving in together. He would have found out they were here eventually. When I told him what was in the attic, there was no talking him out of going up there and getting it.”

I gave a slight nod. “See, now was that so hard? All I wanted was for you to tell me the truth.”

Mya was so stunned, she stopped trembling. She didn’t know how to take the calmness in my tone and the gentleness that I spoke to her with. She didn’t know if she should trust it. So, she wasn’t all the way dumb.

“Where this nigga live at?”

“Darius, no. I can’t tell you where he lives, but I’ll give you the money back. I swear to God. How much was the stuff worth?”

“More than what you have,” the malice in my tone was thick enough to slice with a knife. Mya didn’t know how hard it was for me to remain even halfway cool. “I may have asked it like a question, so I can’t blame you for feeling like you have a choice, but you don’t. If you want to die for that nigga then do that. If you would rather die and take your kid with you then sit there and don’t give up the man that robbed me, that’s your business.” Picking the gun up off my lap, I cocked it back, and Mya screamed. A frown turned my lips downward.