Page 60 of Cuffed By Your Love

She blinked. “W-What?”

Just then, the cavalry pulled up. The first unit to pull up was my bro Chambers. He hopped out of his cruiser laughing like this was a damn skit. “Yo, I knew this had E Dub’s energy all over it. I was down the block when dispatch said, ‘Fight at Little Legends.’ Said to myself, ‘My bro done finally crashed out over a woman worth protecting.’”

“Oh, shit,” he said, taking in Kam, who was laid out on the ground like a deflated blow-up doll. “E Dub, you got three modes: protect, provide, and throw hands like you back in the hood.”

He looked at Kam, who was still moaning. “Damn. What’d he do?”

Jonay looked at me. I looked at Chambers.

“Enough to make Jesus swing. Check the cameras,” I muttered.

Chambers nodded. “Cool. I’ll grab the daycare footage. This gon’ say ‘self-defense’ and ‘ass whupped with purpose.’ Internal Affairs ain’t touching it, but you know the drill. Gotta call it in, bro. You’ll be straight, though.”

I nodded, already knowing the drill.

Chambers pulled out his phone, already on the call with Internal Affairs. “Yeah, this is Detective Chambers, Badge #2757. I got visual confirmation, as well as a witness that the offender, Kameron Sweets, swung first. Detective Edmonds neutralized the threat, using proper protocol and minimum force. Excuse the language, but this offender is a fucking menace.”

Chambers turned to the arriving internal affairs unit and laid it out when they arrived on scene. “Elias was picking up his son. This man, who doesn’t have a restraining order yet, followed a detention deputy to a day care, made verbal threats, escalated, then initiated physical contact with the deputy and peace officer. Detective Edmonds responded with minimum force.”

Once the IA walked off, he turned toward me and winked at Jonay. “Textbook. Ya man is straight. No worries, sis. I see he still has that right hook from the block, huh?”

“That was my left I used then, but I always been ambidextrous when it came to beating somebody’s ass.”

Kam tried to explain, sputtering, blood spilling from his mouth.

Chambers raised a hand. “Shut yo’ dramatic-ass mouth. You entered a secured childcare facility without clearance, harassed a deputy, assaulted a peace officer, and got molly-whopped in the process. Sounds like a self-inflicted L to me, my guy.”

Our superior supervisor, Lieutenant Scott, pulled up afterward, and Chambers laid it out smoothly for her.

“Miss Rhonda, can you confirm the suspect escalated first?” Chambers asked.

“On God. He put hands on her and was screaming like a child. It’s all on this here camera,” she said and pointed to the live recording cameras in the facility.

Chambers nodded. “Good. My boy here acted in direct defense of a civilian and his child.”

IA and Lt. Scott turned to me.

“Elias, you got anything to add before we hold our formal hearing… It’s a formality,” she said for Jonay’s benefit as she glanced toward Jonay’s worried eyes.

I cracked my neck, nodding once. “Nah. I’ll let the evidence speak, LT. I appreciate you, ma’am.”

Kam was still holding his mouth, whimpering.

Jonay was shaking as she hugged EJ closely, but her eyes kept darting toward me. I knew that look: guilt. Shame and fear that her chaos would chase me away.

“Come here, baby,” I said lowly.

She stepped closer, still clutching EJ. I took him from her arms, kissed him on his head, and handed him to Ms. Rhonda before I pulled Jonay in close.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know he’d follow me here. I didn’t know he was capable of acting this crazy. I don’t know who he is anymore. I feel like all this drama gon’ scare you away…”

“First of all, you apologizing like you the problem. You ain’t bring no drama. He did. Ain’t nobody mad at you, Jonay. You hear me?”

“But—But what if?—”

“Nah. Don’t ‘what if’ me, baby. Look at me.”

She did, hesitant, broken, but holding it together the best she could.