20
Robin
The only reason I was back was because Trey had insisted that Deena needed to talk to me. It would have been better if she had just passed the information on to Trey, but he said she was adamant about talking to me herself.
As soon as I stepped into the visitor's room, she was already sitting on the other side of the glass with the phone in her hand. She gave me a smile that I tried to return, but it's hard when you're the last place you want to be. Besides, I still hated her ass.
“Thanks for coming,” she said the second I picked up the receiver. The bags under her eyes were heavy, and I could tell being locked up was starting to take its toll on her. Part of me wanted to say something to ease her mind, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew I was being stubborn, but as far as I was concerned, she deserved it for forcing her way back into my life.
“The only reason why I'm back here is because Trey told me you really needed to see me.”
The last two weeks had been amazing. Trey was such a good man. He taught me so much about relationships and trust, something I've always had a problem with. It seemed like every time I put my trust into someone, something always happened to fuck things up, but Trey taught me that being with someone meant learning to take risks. I don't know how I got so lucky. The only problem I seemed to be having was juggling my relationship with him and servicing the needs of my clients. Don't get me wrong, I was committed to our relationship, but at the same time I had to make my money. I was meeting my regulars at the hotel in the afternoon so I had plenty of time to pick Kyle up from day care.
“I wanted to thank you personally for hiring me the attorney. He's seems committed to helping me. That's more than I could say about that public defender.”
I let out a rude snort. The attorney wasn't all that great. He hadn't even been able to get reasonable bail. I didn't have one hundred thousand dollars, and even if I did, I doubt I would have put it up for her ass. Besides, Kyle was seriously growing on me and I wasn't in such a rush to get rid of that little rugrat as I had been in the beginning. I figured he was family, so the least I could do was share my crib with him until whatever was supposed to happen happened. Besides, if Deena was free she would be trying to get together and talk about the past. When it came to her trying to push her way back into my life, I preferred her ass behind bars.
“If that's all you needed, you could have sent that message with Trey.” I rose and got ready to leave when I heard her plea.
“Robin, please,” she pleaded. “Don't go. I really wanna chance to talk.”
I leaned back in the chair and rolled my eyes, making sure she knew she was wasting my time. “Go ahead.”
She wrung her hands and leaned across the table. “I want you to know I would never kill anyone. I swear to you.”
She was pleading with me. Tears were in her eyes and I felt something stir in my gut. The big sister I knew would never have hurt a fly, but that was a long long time ago, and people changed. “That's between you and God.”
“Trust me ... I've been down on my knees since I got in this place ... but I'm scared, Robbie. I really don't think anyone believes me.”
I glared through the glass, trying not to look at the fear in her eyes. For some crazy reason it was important for her to know that the only family she had in the world had her back. Well, that was too bad. She'd turned her back on me when I had needed her most.
“Why don't you start by telling me what really happened?”
She looked pleased that I hadn't flat-out rejected her, even though that was exactly what I wanted to do. Deena took a few moments to pull herself together, then took a deep breath and started stuttering nervously as she spoke. “For real, I don't know what happened.”
She was already starting off with a lie. “What do you mean you don't know?” I wasn't in the mood for games. If she was going to waste my time, then there was no reason for me to be sticking around.
“I'm serious! I don't know what happened. Mannie and I had beenâ”
“Mannie? Mannie who?” I hoped to hell it wasn't the Mannie I knew.
“Marvin Hollingsworth. Tall ... dark skin ... with an open-faced gold tooth on the right. Why? You know him?” she asked suspiciously. “He worked for this drug dealer they called Dollar.”
I tried to nod like it was no big deal, but my hands were shaking because I knew him all too well.
Fuck
. Dollar worked for Halo.
It's a small world after all
. All along we'd been running around in the same circle. “Uh-huh, I know who he is.”
“Well, he's the man they
think
I murdered.”
I vaguely remembered Honey mentioning Mannie getting smoked, but I tried to ignore anything that had to do with Halo and that life. What was even more fucked up was that Mercedes kicked it for years with Mannie's trifling ass.
“So what happened?” I asked, suddenly interested in hearing her story.
“Well, he had taken me to see that new movie with Zoe Saldana. We were walking across the parking lot when someone grabbed me from behind. There were three of them, and Mannie tried to fight them off but one of them stuck me in the arm with something sharp like a needle and everything went black. The next thing I remembered was waking up in bed with Mannie lying beside me covered in blood. Before I could figure out what happened, the police stormed inside my apartment and carted me off.”
I tried to make some sense of what she was saying. Had she been drugged?
“Why would someone try to kill Mannie?”
She hesitated, avoiding eye contact. “Mannie said this dude named Halo thought he was stealing from him.”
“Was he?” Shit, I didn't believe in beating around the bush.
She took a moment and shrugged, then looked up at me. “Yeah, he was skimming a little off the top, but Mannie didn't think anyone would notice.”
She obviously didn't know Halo like I did. “You ever meet Halo?”
Deena shook her head. “Only in passing.”
“Well, let me tell you, he's bad news. Can't nothing get past that muthafucka. He knows what his soldiers are doing at all time.”
“How do you know so much?” she asked suspiciously.
I looked down at my freshly manicured fingernails so she couldn't see the truth. “Who doesn't know who he is? Let's just say he's not someone to mess with.” I was too ashamed to admit I had once been in love with that psycho. “I'm curious ... how in the world you got mixed up with someone like Mannie in the first place?” Not that I was one to talk.
“I met him at the mall. Can you believe that shit? The same place I met him was the last place I saw him alive. He was good to me ... and Kyle.” She was emotional again and I could tell she had really been feeling that dude. I don't know why. Don't get me wrong, Mannie was fine as hell with a Tootsie Roll complexion and light brown eyes, but he was no good just like all the rest of them. I loved me a thug with a bad-boy image, but all them dudes that ran with Halo treated their women like shit.
“I thought he was my ticket out of Virginia. He'd been talking about moving down to Miami, since the real estate was cheap, and buying something close to the ocean. We were all set to leave in two weeks.”
“Did he tell anyone he was leaving?”
She frowned. “No, we didn't tell anyone. We were planning to sneak out while no one was watching. He said Dollar would never let him outta the game even if he asked.”
She was right. Loyalty was one thing Halo insisted on. If he suspected disloyalty, he would have you killed. Everyone was scared of him and had every reason to be.
“What's your lawyer saying?”
Deena shook her head. “He's trying to do everything he can, but he says things aren't looking too good for me. If they had taken a blood and alcohol sample after I was arrested, then maybe I could prove I had been drugged. What's worse is that there was gunpowder residue on my hands and my fingerprints are all over the gun. But I swear I didn't kill him. Someone is trying to set me up.”
I had a feeling everything had been staged. And for the first time, I actually felt sorry for my sister.
We talked a few more minutes before the guard signaled our visit was over. I rose from the chair. “I'll see you around.”
“Wait!” she screamed and I brought the receiver back to my ear. “You believe me, don't you?”
I hesitated before I finally nodded and said, “Yes, Dee-Dee, I believe you.”
Smiling, she was clearly pleased by my answer. “Thank you, Robbie. That means so much to me.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and I won't lie, they were burning the corners of my eyes as well; but there was no way I was going to allow her to see me cry, so I pushed them back and walked away.
21
Monica
Liese barely had the paper bracelet around her arm before she jetted off behind her sister. “Slow down before you fall!” I called as they hurried over to a small merry-go-round. While I watched them play, I thought, those were
my
darlings. I would be damned if I let my ex and that skinny-ass bitch take them away from me.
I took a seat at a table close enough to keep an eye on them. They each had a cup filled with tokens, so it would be a while before they were ready to leave, which was fine with me. I reached inside my purse for my anatomy book and got to reading, but made sure I looked up every few seconds to see if the girls were still in my view.
“Deja, is that you?”
My head snapped up in a start. If someone was calling me by my stage name, then that meant they knew I danced at Scandalous. I looked at the woman standing in front of me and felt a wave of relief when I noticed it was Treasure. “Hey,” I replied, then looked around to see if anyone had heard her. The last thing I wanted was to put my business in the streets.
Treasure looked fabulous as ever and had me reaching up to comb my fingers through my spikes. She was wearing a pair of low-rise jeans that hugged her small hips and a tight blue shirt that cinched her tiny waist and big-ass breasts. Her long golden hair perfectly framed her face. She was the total package.
“What are you doing here?” I said as my eyes traveled down to the adorable little boy holding her hand. I would have never imagined her as a mother.
“Thought I'd bring my nephew out so he could burn off some energy,” she said while stuffing his pockets with tokens. “Okay ... go ahead ... and stay where I can see you.” Grinning, he nodded and dashed off to join the rest of the kids who were near the front stage, dancing with Chuck E. Cheese.
“That boy is a handful!” Treasure groaned as she flopped down on the bench across from me.
“Tell me about it. I have two.” I pointed to Liese and Arissa, who were holding hands and dancing around with all the others.
Treasure glanced down at her phone, then over at my book. “What are you reading?”
I looked up to see if she was curious or just being nosy. I wasn't quite sure which one it was. “I'm in school, studying to be a nurse.”
Her eyes lit up and she appeared to be truly impressed. “That's whassup. I've been thinking about going back to school someday but I'm not sure what I wanna be when I grow up.” She giggled like a schoolgirl and I joined in with her. “You working tonight?” she asked.
I nodded. “Mmm-hmm, I'll be there.”
Treasure leaned back on the bench and I caught her studying me. “I'm curious ... as smart as you are ... what made you decide to strip?”
I dropped my head and blushed. “What kind of question is that?”
She shrugged. “I'm just curious. You just don't seem like the type.”
I thought about it for a hot second. “Is there really a type?”
“Yeah, actually there is. Most of the girls are from broken homes ... with no education ... been pimped out ... even abused.”
I quickly shook my head. The last thing I wanted was for her to put me in that category. “No no no, it's nothing like that. I've got two mouths to feed, so I'm willing to do whatever it takes to support my family until I graduate and can provide a better life.”
“I've got mad respect for ya,” Treasure said with a grin. “It takes a lot of guts to do what we do.”
Since she was all up in my business, I figured it was a good time to get in hers. “What about you? What's your story? I mean ... why do you do it?”
“Shit, I don't know how to do nothing else. After my parents were killed in a car accident, I spent several years in foster care. The day I turned seventeen, I hit the streets, got emancipated from the system, and never looked back. It's a way to survive and I've learned how to make it work for me.”
I have to admit she was raw, but I liked that about her. “What about your sister?”
Treasure gave a rude snort then leaned back on the bench. “My sister's in jail. I got her son because I didn't want him in the system.”
“What?”
She looked uncomfortable, like she had said more than she wished she had. “Girl ... I'm not even gonna go there, but let's just say ... it's a tripped-out situation.” On cue, her stomach growled. “Shit, I'm starving. I'm gonna get something to eat.” She slid off the bench and rose.
“Wait ... I'll go with you.”
By the time we got our food, Treasure and I were talking like longtime friends. It's crazy, because I would never have guessed I would have related to any of those women, but Treasure was as real as it got, and I appreciated that quality in her. She didn't talk much about her personal life, but I figured she was a private person and had every reason to be.
“The girls and I are going to see that new Pixar movie when we leave here, you wanna join us?”
“Hell yeah ... whatever it takes to wear his little ass out.”
We were eating hot wings and talking about the other girls at the club when I spotted Reyna coming our way. She looked adorable in blue jeans, a hot pink top, and matching pumps.
“Hey, girl ... sorry I'm late! It was packed at the shop. I couldn't even take a second to go pee.” I noticed her looking suspiciously out of the corner of her eyes at Treasure. “Don't I know you?”
“Reyna, this is ...” It was then that I realized I had forgotten Treasure's real name.
“Whassup ... I'm Robin.”
“We
work
together,” I offered, hoping I wouldn't have to come out and say it.
It took Reyna a few moments to understand what I was trying to communicate before her eyes got large. “Oh, yeah.
That's
where I saw you at.” She took a seat at the table but I could see her sizing Treasure up, taking in her hair and her clothes. Envy was so obvious. Women can be so petty at times.
“So what were y'all talking about?” Reyna acted like she had missed something.
Treasure shrugged and so did I. “We were just talking about the girls at the club.” I met her glance and we started laughing.
Reyna looked from me to her. “What am I missing?”
I gave her a dismissive wave. “Nothing you would understand. You'd have to be there to understand.”
Treasure wiped buffalo sauce from her mouth, then rose. “I'll be back. I'm gonna go check on Kyle.”
I nodded, then glanced over to the girls to make sure they were in sight. They were. As soon as Treasure was far enough away, Reyna kicked my feet under the table.
“Damn, what you kick me for?”
“What's going on? So now you're hanging out with strippers too.”
She can be such a bitch at times. “I'm not hanging. I was already here with the girls when she came in with her nephew. What's the big deal?”
“The big deal is you don't want anyone to catch you with that chick. Look at how she's dressed ... like she's a streetwalker or something. What the hell is up with that?”
“I don't see anything wrong with what she has on.”
“She looks like she's getting ready to work the pole in here. Look at the way she's walking. Every man up in here has his eyes on her ass.”
“And ... so what? You jealous?”
“I am chocolate super deluxe ... why the hell would I be jealous of that bitch?”
Whatever
. She was jealous. I could see it in her eyes. “Why she gotta be a bitch? Remember, it was
your
idea I work at Scandalous in the first place ... not mine.”
“Yeah, that was to pay your bills. I didn't say hang with the girls. Come on Monica. You've got a reputation. What would Anthony say if he found out?”
I looked at her and rolled my eyes for even mentioning that bastard name's after that stunt he and Rosa pulled. “Reyna, don't piss me off.”
She blew out a long breath and must have seen something in my eyes that said,
Don't even go there with me.
“Fine. Fine,” she hissed, then conveniently changed the subject. “You and the girls wanna come over my house and help me make ice cream?”
I glanced up and spotted Treasure returning to the table. Sure enough, some guy with a receding hairline was watching her ass and had almost run into the salad bar. “No, Treasure ... I mean Robin and I are gonna take the kids to the movies.”
“Are you for real?” Reyna looked like I had slapped her in the face. “I can see you're forgetting who your
real
friends are.” She rose. “I'm gonna go and talk to my goddaughters. I advise you to take a few moments and think about what it is you're doing.” With that she stormed away, swinging her wide ass, bumping into anyone who was in her way.
I'd dealt with insecurity, but Reyna's jealousy was definitely starting to get out of hand.