Page 24 of A Trial of the Heart

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Rashad:

“What’s it looking like?” I asked Barret, sitting across from him in his office.

I was going by Shiloh’s later, but I had to detour to Barret’s first. When Shiloh messaged earlier, I almost felt like she may have had a trick up her sleeve. The thought instantly left. She didn’t seem to move that way.

Barret exhaled deeply, leaning back in his chair before wiping his hands over his face. I knew he didn’t have good news.

“I don’t know how it was done, but these charges are looking real and hard to say otherwise. On one hand, there’s no evidence, but on the other, every charge you have seems like you’re guilty of.”

He was contradicting himself, and I wasn’t understanding. “Care to elaborate?”

“I can see on paper that you’ve paid your taxes, and any money you received wasn’t established under false pretenses, but it also seems like your establishments are cover ups for underground things. Whoever did this sure knows the law and how to make an innocent person appear guilty.”

“So, what now?”

Barret shrugged. “Best thing would be to take a plea with the DA’s office. You’d more than likely avoid jail time, have to do some crazy number of hours of community service, pay restitution, and…”

I already didn’t like what Barret was saying, but his off-putting expression put me on alert. “And what?”

He shook his head. “You’d lose most if not all of your businesses, and you’d for sure have to forfeit your rights at the youth center.”

“Hell no.” I spoke without hesitation.

I wasn’t guilty, and no matter what it showed on paper, I wouldn’t accept it no matter what was being offered. I loved everything that I did, but my youth center was pretty much my life, and there was no way I was giving up on my kids.

“I can’t do that shit… just not going to happen.”

“Kyan, if we take this to court, there is no guarantee that we’ll win.”

I chuckled. “I ain’t guilty, so I ain’t taking no plea and damn sure not at the expense that I may lose my center. Barret, you of all people know when it comes to that youth center, I’d give my last breath to make sure it stays standing.”

“You know I get shit done, bro, but as your lawyer with all the evidence in front of us, I don’t recommend you go up against the commonwealth attorneys.

Ms. Monroe might have a cute face, nice body, and a smile to drop you to your knees, but don’t get it confused.

She’s a hardcore lawyer that knows her shit. ”

I almost smiled at him talking about Shiloh. She was so euphoric and contagious without effort. Made sense on why I couldn’t let her go, even though it was evident she didn’t want more from me than what she’d already gotten.

“Yeah. Well, she can be all that. That just means you need to come harder than her because I ain’t taking no plea for some shit I know I didn’t do.”

Barret nodded. “You have any idea who would do this?”

“Nah, but I have my assumptions. Only thing I don’t know is if she’s that delusional to go this far.”

Barret sat up. “Who? That bat shit crazy girl?”

Barret and I went to school together, so he knew a lot about my life. Though Lauryn and I didn’t last long, she had met a few people in my family and some of my friends.

Chortling, I leaned back in the chair. “Yeah, her.”

“Man…” Barret shook his head. “It’s always the bitter ones man. You gotta be careful because these females out here just don’t be giving a damn.”

“Don’t I know it.” I exhaled. “I mean, shit, fingers can point her way, but Lauryn don’t have connections like that.”

As much as I wanted to say it was Lauryn, nothing besides her being crazy pointed her way.

“What’s her last name? I can make something happen and see what we come up with.

“Rodgers.” I spoke after trying to recall it.

“Bet. I’ma send this up to get her checked out and go from there.

“Alright.” I nodded. I was willing to do anything to have my name cleared and go back to my regular life.

“Hey, Ma.”

I leaned over, kissing my mother as she stood over the stove cooking.

My mother cooked seven days a week, three times a day, and it had been like that all my life.

Me, my brother, and my dad got breakfast before the day started, a hot lunch, and dinner was on the table by 5:00 p.m. every day.

She was the definition of a great wife. I remembered growing up and always saying I wanted to be the husband my mother had and wanted my wife to be just like my mother.

My parents met when they were in high school, and the rest of the story wrote itself, becoming a beautiful love story.

“Rashad, how are you, baby?” She barely stopped doing what she was doing.

“I’m good, Ma.”

I was a grown man, so even when things weren’t going the best in my life, I didn’t tell my mother. My pops might have gotten a glimpse here and there, but for the most part, I kept them both out of my personal life. I didn’t need them worrying about me.

My mother faced me, wiping her hands on the small hand towel that sat nearby.

“You sure?” She peered up at me. Her light brown eyes were full of concern. Everyone always said I was a complete replica of my mother in male form. The only thing I took from my father was his height. I was thankful for that since my mother had only reached five feet by a hair.

Based on her question alone, I knew she’d gotten a whiff of my case, and if I had any doubt, her expression confirmed she knew something.

“It’s not something you need to worry yourself about. I’ll be fine.” I wouldn’t continue saying everything was cool when it wasn’t, and she knew it wasn’t.

With a smile, she reached out and touched my arm, gripping it before stroking it in a comforting way.

“I know you don’t tell me things because you don’t want me to worry and because you’re a grown man, but son, no matter how old you get in age, you will always be my baby.”

At thirty-four, I did my own thing and took care of myself, but I did know if I ever needed either of my parents, they’d be there before I finished telling them why I needed them.

“Thanks Ma.” I leaned her way and embraced her.

“I love you, Rashad.” She pulled back slightly, peering up at me.

“I love you too, Ma.”

She was right. No matter how old I got, she’d forever see me as her little boy.

“Pops outside?” I asked after we released each other.

My mother had already turned back to the stove, using the wooden spoon to stir whatever she had created in the huge silver pot.

“You already know he’s out there on that deck messing with his collection.”

Ever since I could remember, my pops collected toy cars.

They weren’t just any regular plastic toy cars; they were the classic, old-fashioned ones that were worth a lot of money.

He had so many and cared for them like a newborn baby.

I remember one time when Kenneth and I were little, we got the ass whopping of a lifetime for playing with his stuff. We never touched them again.

“I’ma go holla at him,” I informed her, already heading to the back of the house. My mother didn’t acknowledge me.

“What’s up, old man?” I greeted my pops the moment I stepped out onto the screened-in deck.

My pops never stopped polishing off his 1963 antique car with the fiber cloth; that car happened to be his all-time favorite. “Can’t call it, young one.”

Stretching, I sat down on the wicker rocking chair across from my pops, a light breeze brushed across my face.

I could see why he enjoyed sitting out here.

The weather was mostly nice, and the scenery was calm and relaxing.

In my own world, lost in the greenery, I felt eyes on me, prompting me to look my pops way.

“What’s up?”

My pops hadn’t spoken a word, but I knew him well enough that he had a lot he wanted to say.

“I won’t ask you what’s going on in your life as I know you won’t tell me, but I do want to give you some advice. Is that okay?”

I smiled to myself, either my parents had been talking, or they both were just worried. It could have been both.

“Yeah, Pops.”

“You told me a while back that Lauryn could be behind the charges filed, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Play her game, son. See if she’s behind it, and if so, try to get that confession. That will clear you.”

The last thing I wanted to do was be around Lauryn, I didn’t need her thinking a meet up or communication was any more that it was. Once we broke up, I had no desire to speak to her again.

“Okay,” I agreed, because though I had written her off, if speaking to her would clear my name, I would have to go ahead and do it.

Just as I disconnected the call, I pulled up to Shiloh’s place. Shutting off the engine, I hopped out the car and walked casually to her door, ringing the doorbell once I reached it. I heard the lock being undone before the ring stopped. Shiloh had to have been anxiously awaiting my arrival.

“Hey.” Shiloh greeted me with a smile.

Damn. Shiloh stood before me in her see-through negligee that did little to hide what rested underneath. Before I could greet her, Shiloh pulled me inside, kissing me roughly.

“Damn, you like that?” I questioned when she paused only to close the door after us.

I knew Shiloh said she needed me, and I was positive it was for sex. I just wasn’t expecting it to be instantly. She was damn near on some trench coat, no clothes under it shit.

Stepping to me, Shiloh seductively bit her bottom lip as she gripped the hem of my shirt.

“I just need you right now. I give you permission to do whatever you want to do with me. Tonight, I am all yours. Make me feel good.” Her voice was low and sultry, and whatever alcohol she had consumed lingered on her breath.

Nodding in understanding, I hoisted her from her feet as I kissed her deeply. The space we were in was weird, but Shiloh needed me, so I had to give her what she desired.