Page 15

T he walls of the interrogation room were a dull gray, and cold.

I was used to it but never from this side of it.

The only time I’d ever entered one of these rooms was because I was showing up on the behalf of a client.

It wasn’t a clock in sight or any windows.

It wasn’t meant to be comfortable. It was just four corners, one steel table bolted to the ground, and two chairs we didn’t ask to fucking sit in.

Me and O'Shynn were dressed in our trench coats fresh off a night where we were only supposed to be handling some quick business at the club and that landed us here. Go figure, we weren’t even supposed to be at the club at all tonight.

We were simply having a ladies’ night in the sanctuary of my home.

"You okay?" O'Shynn asked in a whispered tone as her eyes stayed steady on the double-sided mirror.

I nodded my head leaning back in my chair with my legs crossed gently resting my arms. "They think we’re the weak links."

She smirked. "They gon’ learn tonight.”

We’d been sitting for what felt like hours and I knew the routine.

They wanted us to sweat, but we didn’t plan on breaking and never have.

Finally, the door slowly creaked open, and two agents stepped in.

It was one black man with a shiny bald head that looked like he had an attitude problem, and a white woman with ugly energy written all over her face.

They dropped a thick ass folder on the table like we were supposed to be impressed. I just stared at it.

The bald one leaned forward. “You ladies know why you’re here?”

"No," I replied coolly. "But what I do know is you have about fifteen minutes to either charge me or get the fuck out of my face. This little game you’re playing won’t end how you think.”

The woman cut in this time. “There was a shooting a few nights ago outside of the club. Does a white Escalade ring a bell?”

I glanced at O'Shynn, who blinked slow, just like me. We were already on one accord with each other. I turned back to the woman sounding unbothered. “Ma’am, it’s Miami. A shooting in front of a club isn’t exactly a unicorn you know.”

Baldy flipped open the folder and started sliding his finger over black and white surveillance photos across the table.

They were from a traffic cam pointed toward the side of the club.

One showed a motorcycle, and another showed a muzzle of flashes.

There was another that looked like bullet holes in the Escalade, however, there was no face for the motorcycle, no license plate, and no proof.

I knew better, that hit had Dom’s name written all over it, but I would never tell.

O’Shynn folded her arms. “That supposed to scare us?”

“You own the property,” Baldy said looking between O’Shynn and I. Yes, O’Shynn owned the club and yes, our names were tied into it, but we hadn’t done anything. “You expect us to believe you didn’t know what happened outside? Especially when we know your ties?”

I leaned forward, locking eyes with him. “You ever hear of liability law? Because what you’re trying to do is paint suspicion without a canvas. You don’t have enough paint, sweetheart.”

The room fell silent, but I could feel the tension.

They were hoping for some kind of crack or emotions to flare.

Instead, I fixed my trench and yawned like I was tired.

They tried to separate us next. They took O’Shynn to another room and left me in mine with a new agent who had a clip-on tie and tried to act like he knew something that he didn’t.

He leaned back in his chair like he owned the tiny box of a room.

“I don’t think you fully understand how serious this is, Ms. Royal,” he said.

I smirked. “It’s Williams…. Carmen Williams.” I was being an asshole. Williams was the name I entered the U.S with but I was surely a Royal.

“Right… Williams,” he said, clearly annoyed that he didn’t get a rise out of me. “You’re affiliated with Dominic Royal, are you not?”

“I’m affiliated with success,” I shot back. “And business….legal business. Do you have a warrant to pull my affiliations out your ass?”

He leaned in this time. “We know who you are Carmen. You’re the gatekeeper. The one who ties it all together. You’re not only the attorney or the wife.”

“Sounds so poetic,” I replied in a dry sarcastic tone. “Are you a writer or something?”

“You have a smart mouth.”

I slightly tilt my head to the side. “And you have a case you can’t prove. Let’s cut the foreplay.” I hissed. After two more hours of going nowhere, I stood up and asked, “Are we under arrest?”

“No,” the woman finally admitted when she came back in right on time.

“Then this whole shit is illegal,” I said. “And you’re about to lose your damn pensions fucking around with me. I’ll sue this whole department into retirement.” I warned.

“You need a lawyer?” she asked, trying to flip the script.

I smiled. “I am the lawyer.”

Just then, the phone rang, and the male agent answered.

“Yes sir… yes, they’re both still here… understood.

” He hung up, with his jaws super tight and I knew it was ‘that’ call I’d been waiting on.

Next thing I know, he’s standing up opening the door.

“You’re free to go.” He didn’t give any apology nor an explanation.

But I already knew… it had to be the Mayor’s call.

As I stepped out, O'Shynn reentered the hallway just as I was sliding my coat back on.

“You okay?” she asked.

“I stay good,” I replied. “They thought we were going to crack and start singling like birds; however, they can’t challenge a woman who’s in tune with the law.

We don’t crack… we are the fucking cement.

” As we walked past the agents on the way out, I whispered loud enough for them to hear, “Don’t make this mistake again.

You might not walk away with just your pride bruised next time… I’m still thinking about that lawsuit.”

Their faces said it all and had they not known my importance before, they knew it now, and most importantly, what I was capable of.

As the last door buzzed open and we were finally told we could leave, the station's fluorescent lights still flickered above our heads. O’Shynn adjusted her coat and ran her hand over her sleek bun to make sure that every hair was still in place.

I straightened my own trench, smoothed the wrinkles out of my skirt, and slipped my shades on.

The air in the hallway smelled like old coffee and a bunch of fucking egos.

I wasn’t even mad; I was just disgusted.

I prayed like hell I didn’t make the headlines tomorrow when word got out that they actually had the audacity to cuff me.

“You ready O’Shynn?” I asked. My eyes were disguised behind my shades.

O’Shynn nodded her head. “Hell yeah, I was born ready.”

As soon as the final set of double doors swung open and the sunlight hit our faces, that Miami heat met us with open arms nearly kicking our asses.

It was bright, bold, and unapologetic as hell about the disrespect.

Dom was standing directly in front of the station like something out of a cartel royalty, fine as well, and rough around the edges, but perfectly polished at the same time.

His all-black linen shirt was unbuttoned at the top, his Cuban links were hanging heavy around his neck, and that gaze in his eyes said it all.

He had one foot leaned against the matte black motorcycle next to him, and his gold-framed Cartier shades hid everything except his power.

On the right side of him, one of the most expensive criminal defense attorneys in all of Miami confidently stood in a navy-blue Italian imported suit.

He was one I respected and one of my mentors.

He was Cuban American, with a loud reputation, and even louder victories.

Beside him, theactual Mayor of Miami, stood with his arms crossed, and his face was tight.

He was clearly pulled into this situation with a simple call from Dom.

Hell, he was on payroll and Royal Enterprises gave back to community year around and he surely didn’t want to do anything to ruin that as well.

Behind them all was a line of blacked-out cartel trucks with shiny chrome, and bulletproof windows tinted to hell and back with the load engines still running.

To top that off it was two more motorcycles…

inked up and strapped too… right outside of the Federal building waiting for us and it wasn’t shit they could do about it.

Me and O’Shynn gave each other a look, then walked out together taking step for step, and shoulder to shoulder, as our boots clicked sharply on the concrete.

We made sure to keep our chins up and remained poised.

I could feel the agents inside watching from behind the glass, and I wanted them to see every second of this.

We weren’t victims and we weren’t afraid either.

We winked at each other… just two bad bitches in the midst of one cartel.

Dom pushed off the bike as we approached with that sly grin on his face that was barely visible.

“Y’all cool?” he asked, like nothing had happened, but I knew he was pissed.

“We’re always good,” I replied, cool as hell, even though on the inside I was running hot as well. Now wasn’t the time to be a clingy wife.

O’Shynn gave him a nod. “Thanks for pulling strings bro.”

He looked at the both of us and then directed his attention to the lawyer. “Aye make sure the city understands not to ever put my family through this type of disrespect again or embarrassment again.”

The lawyer nodded, already working on spinning the story before it hit the news cycle. The Mayor was quiet because he knew what this was as well as he knew ‘what’ it was knowing better than to speak on it.

Dom turned to me and removed a piece of hair that was becoming unruly from my face as he leaned in close enough for me to hear. “You held that shit down like I knew you would wifey. I love that for you.”

I slid my shades down just enough to meet his gaze. “What else you expect from a Royal?”

He simply kissed my forehead, then pulled my hand into his. “Let’s ride.”

And just like that, we were gone. The sounds of motorcycle engines rumbled low, and the trucks rolled out in formation behind us.

We were definitely loud as the loud sounds ripped through the Miami streets as the Royal Cartel reminded the whole city what real power looked like as well as what it could look like if you fucked with the wrong people.

I noticed how Dom was getting more comfortable with showing me public affection, but I wouldn’t dare speak on it because all it let me know was, I was slowly breaking the barriers of that heart of his.