She went up the stairs, brushing by Skeet as he entered.
“What’s wrong with y’all? Frozen in time or somethin’?” Skeet retook his seat in the barber’s chair. “Damn, Smoke, why you let her jack your hair up like that?”
Richard and Trae stood in the center of the room staring each other down. Trae sucked air through his teeth. “So what you gonna do?”
“Are these your businesses?” Richard demanded. Unfortunately, when they acquired new clients, conducting a background check was not standard operating procedure. Not that a check would help. Illegal money and true owners of businesses were easier to hide than most realized.
“Hot damn!” Skeet interrupted. “Smoke figured out we’re his new investors. Show time!” He tapped on the arm of the barber’s chair. “Move out of the line of fire, Ebony.” He held his hand out to her.
She waited on Richard. He nodded to indicate he wanted to handle this. She stood beside Skeet.
Richard eyeballed Trae, from his freshly braided hair, to his designer sweats; from his stockinged feet to his green eyes. “I won’t allow you to corrupt my business, Trae. I’ll drop your accounts.”
“Humph. Won’t your bosses have something to say about your turning away big money from a poor neighborhood?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “If you’re gonna bluff, come with somethin’ bigger. I believe you’d call this checkmate.”
“I’d quit first. Keep your drug money.” He stalked over to the barber’s chair. “Do you mind?” he asked Skeet.
“Hell naw! Your head is jacked up.” He moved to the couch.
Richard caressed Ebony’s face. She looked so defeated, hurt. He loved her kind heart, but the same heart blinded her to one truth: not everyone can be saved. “Try not to worry, my little angel.”
He kissed her lightly, then put on his poker face. “I’m disappointed, Trae. Because you chose your
profession
over Ebony, you actually thought I would. I know what’s important.” He patted her hand. His father had chosen business over family. Richard had no intention of making the same mistake. “I’ll start my own firm.” When he chose Ebony, he knew it was an all or nothing deal.
After a long, awkward pause, Skeet clapped. “Bravo, Smoke. You passed.”
“Passed what?”
Trae crossed the room toward Richard. “Those accounts are completely legit. I wanted to see if you’d choose Ebony, the money or your career.” He shook his head. “I thought you’d take the money or cut and run.” He held his hand out. “You’re in.”
Richard hesitated before shaking hands. “No more games, Trae. Ebony and Crystal are my life now.”
“No more games,” Trae answered a tad bit too quickly for Richard’s liking. “Give the man a beer, Skeet. He’s earned it. I’ll spread the word about your firm. Legit channels, of course. You need to support Ebony in style.”
“There’s no need. I’ll manage.” He sensed that Trae was still playing games, but chose to drop the matter until he could get Trae alone.
Skeet handed Richard a bottle of beer. “Listen, Smoke. When you’re in, you’re in. We take care of our own. Your bringing the firm into the hood is a great idea. Use the connections you have.”
Richard looked over his shoulder at Ebony.
“No offense, Trae, but I think he should go through Dan to build his network. He’s been totally legit for years.”
Trae sucked his teeth. “Fine. Go through Dan.”
“Truce,” Richard said, making a mental note to keep an eye out for more of Trae’s games.
“I still don’t like you with Ebony, but you’re what she wants. I made my choice and have to live with it. Don’t cross Ebony, and we’ll be cool.”
Skeet spent the rest of the afternoon entertaining everyone with wild stories.
“You playing ball with us, Smoke?” Skeet asked. “Can you dispel the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
“White men can’t jump,” Trae chimed in.
Richard laughed. “Got jokes, huh? Talk all the trash you want. When we’re out on the court, this white boy’s gonna show you how it’s done.” This would give him a chance to be alone with Skeet and Trae to discuss them taking their business elsewhere without Ebony trying to ride in and save the day.
* * *
Trae passed the ball across the court. Richard caught the ball, balanced his footing, lined up his elbow and eye with the basket and shot from the top of the key. Skeet leaped into the air, caught the ball and slam-dunked it.
Crystal and Ebony jumped up from the sidelines cheering. “We won. We won!” They high fived each other, singing, “We bad. We know it.” Crystal ran onto the court and jumped into Trae’s arms.
“See why I don’t bring them? They’re too emotional.”
Feigning indignation, Ebony huffed, “Come on, Crystal. I know when I’m not wanted.” She kissed Richard on the cheek, then took Crystal to the opposite side of the gym to play hopscotch.
Trae nodded at their three-on-three opponents. “Good game.”
“Good game, homes.” Jose motioned toward Richard. “How long you been with Trae, Smoke?”
The men sat along the wall of the gymnasium, drinking bottles of water. Trae had arranged to rent the gymnasium every Saturday afternoon for his private games. Ebony didn’t usually attend the games, but insisted on going this time. Richard was sure to watch over him.
Richard was surprised when three Puerto Ricans joined the game. “I don’t go that way,” Richard joked. “Ebony’s my girl.”
Skeet laughed. “Damn, Jose, I didn’t know you were sweet.”
One of the lookouts ran into the gym and pulled Trae to the side. Richard watched Trae pace, obviously agitated by what the man said.
“Smoke,” Trae called.
“Yeah.” He ran over.
“Take the girls to your place for a while. I’ll contact you later. Ebony, Crystal, grab your things. You’ve got to go.”
“What’s going on?” Richard asked.
“The cops are about three minutes away. You need to leave.”
“Okay, I’m out.” In his head, Richard knew what Trae was, but now it was finally registering what Trae
was.
This was not a game, or make-believe. He looked at the Puerto Rican males. They were most likely drug associates. Fear, anxiety and anger rushed through Richard. How could he have allowed himself to be caught in the company of men like these? He had to get his girls away from this lifestyle.
“Smoke.” Trae paused. “I don’t want this life for Ebony and Crystal. I’m stepping to the side to give them a chance. I can’t step out. You understand what I’m saying?”
“I do,” he answered, but was not entirely convinced.
Trae walked toward Skeet, still speaking to Richard. “Get them out of here, Smoke. You only have two minutes left.”
Ebony’s silence worried Richard. She had remained quiet the entire drive to his home, staring out the window, seemingly on the verge of tears.
He unlocked his condo door. “Why don’t you take your rope and jump in the dining room, Crystal?”
Crystal tore off her coat. “I actually get to jump
in
the house?”
“Until we get downstairs neighbors, yes.”
She flashed a broad, happy smile. “I love your place.” She took off her boots and ran, sliding to the center of the dining room with her rope.
He hung their coats in the closet. “We need to talk.” The arrival of their first argument traveled with dread. Why she chose to live in Trae’s shadow instead of moving to a suitable environment to raise Crystal confused and angered him. It was as if she wanted out of the drug life on one hand, but still wanted to hold on as a security blanket on the other.
She nodded, then headed for the bedroom. He followed, wondering why she tried to save everyone except herself. She purposely surrounded herself with people in need. Things had changed for her, whether she knew it or not. Now she had someone to watch out for her best interests.
He searched his mind for reasons. She had the kindest heart he had ever known. There was no way she would
choose
to raise her child in a drug-infested environment. She was too close to the situation to see that she had alternatives. That had to be it. He loved her, and planned on showing her she had choices.
Ebony slumped on the chaise lounge. Richard sat on the edge of the bed, reached forward and took her hand into his. “I can’t stand by and watch you die.”
Her head tilted to the side.
“When you heard Trae had funneled money into my business, I saw the light in your eyes dim.” She stiffened. “When we had to leave the gym abruptly…” his throat tightened and voice trailed off. “I love you too much to watch you sacrifice yourself.”
“I’m not sacrificing myself, I’m helping my family,” she said softly.
“By carrying their burdens, their guilt, forgiving sins? By running around passing out rehab pamphlets, gloves, sandwiches?”
Overwhelmed by frustration, a part of him wanted to bolt. But he couldn’t. Though they had only known each other a short time, his love for her was genuine, and he owed her the chance to explain herself. He also refused to be like his father. Phillip had stood by while his wife and daughters ostracized and made Richard feel less than worthy. In his book, Phillip was just as guilty of emotional abuse as the rest. No, he wouldn’t turn a blind eye while Ebony was taken advantage of. He ran his hands over his freshly cut hair. He couldn’t help her if he lost control. He took several deep breaths, releasing them slowly until he felt calm enough to continue.
“You can’t save someone who refuses to be saved.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I can’t ignore what’s happening on our streets. I can’t pretend that Trae isn’t causing misery. But it’s my fault. I can’t desert him.”
Confused, he asked, “Your fault?”
Tears streamed down her face. “He started selling drugs so we would have more money. I knew he was a card shark, but…” She wiped her face. “He wanted me to have everything. He didn’t think hustling at cards brought in enough. I didn’t find out about the drugs until Crystal came along.”
“You can’t blame yourself for his choices. You can’t keep punishing yourself for the bad decisions he’s still making. You can’t atone for his sins.”
“I keep telling myself the same thing, but my heart doesn’t listen.” She laughed nervously. “How can my heart hear over the noise of destruction in our streets?”
“Then you need to move your heart away from the noise,” he whispered. “You have to move out of the neighborhood.”
Thinking he was pushing too hard and she would quit listening, he quickly added, “I’m not saying to totally cut Trae and Skeet off from Crystal. She would be devastated, but you have to minimize exposure to that environment.” He thought about the way Crystal always ran around the house. “She can’t even go outside and play, Ebony.” Before he moved in with his grandfather, his mother used to make him stay in the house while the girls played under the shade of the trees. He felt trapped, and he lived in a mansion, not a small flat.
Childhood memories beat at his subconscious—fought for recognition. Stephanie never said it, but he always knew she was ashamed of him. It was as if she didn’t want people to know he existed. He stopped his train of thought. The past was the past and couldn’t hurt him. Ebony was the here and now, his love, his angel. He had to save her.
She remained silent.
“I’ll help you find a place.”
Sitting up, she asked, “And how do I pay for this place? Hit Trae up for some drug money, or maybe beg Dan for a handout. I’m not a charity case. I’m a full-time student. The grant money I have after I pay for tuition and books I give to Mom for rent. I earn about $200 a week braiding hair, Crystal’s tuition is $400 a month. With the rest I have to clothe, feed and pay for anything else that comes up.”
“I saw you accept money from Trae.”
“Yes I accepted Trae’s money,” she snapped. “How did you think Meechie would pay for rehab? Trae doesn’t offer medical benefits. I use Trae’s drug money to repair some of the damage he causes. I don’t want his dirty money or charity. Everything me and my child have,” she pointed a multi-ringed finger at herself, “I paid for with money I earned, or Mom or Dan gave as a gift.”
“You’re splitting hairs, Ebony.”
“And your point?”
“I know you’re using the money for a good cause. I truly admire what you’re trying to do, but you’re going about it the wrong way. By accepting tainted money, you become tainted.”
“What do the police do with drug money they seize? Why do they sell the property of drug dealers? What do they do with the money?”
He had no idea. “That’s totally different, Ebony. It’s their job.”
“Oh, so I shouldn’t help people because it isn’t my
job
?”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
“Using your philosophy, aren’t the police just as tainted? I know of at least a hundred grand of tainted money your company has accepted. How many other clients with tainted money do you have?” She folded her arms over her chest.
“We didn’t know.”
“And why is that?” she asked rhetorically, with an attitude-filled roll of the neck. “The drug money and property seized by officials is used for everything from beefing up their budget to community projects to lining pockets. I’m just cutting out the middle man and helping those who need help.”