Page 13 of Royce (Atkins Family Saga #1)

Seven

Royce

T he locks to my cell door immediately gained my attention.

I wasn’t doing shit but reading my Bible.

It was all I could do since I had so much time on my hands.

Heidi would’ve been proud of me if I told her what I did all day.

In stepped the white CO that walked me down to every court hearing I had.

I only assumed he was here to do the same.

Striker did his job, so I knew it was coming sooner than later.

“Atkins, you have an emergency hearing. However, your lawyer needs a brief word,” he stated walking in with cuffs.

I smirked as I closed my Bible and placed it next to me.

Standing, I stretched my wrists in his direction so he could close the metal restraints around them.

I was walked out passing by the many inmates that tended to stare anytime I did anything in this bitch.

The walk was long and quiet as usual. Getting to the other side was something I wouldn’t forget.

The room I was placed in was the same small one I’d met Yonnis in several times in the past three and a half months. I was used to the coldness this place brought as a whole. My time in this muthafucka had to come to an end today. All my eggs were in Yonnis’s basket, he’d better deliver.

He stepped inside moments later with a smile on his face. Just from how he entered, I knew it was gone be a good day. He took a seat across from me and got straight to the point.

“I got a call and apparently their witness is deceased. If that was what they were banking their case on, it’s trashed now. I’m asking the judge for a dismissal, and she’ll more than likely grant it,” he stated confidently.

“How you know?” I questioned.

“She been waiting to start trial like everybody else. Shit, you can tell how aggravated she was the last time with Reynolds. Just stay quiet like you been doing and let me handle you. You ready?”

“Always.”

His smile remained as he stood and left the room. If Yonnis said he could get me out, I believed him. He’d fought many cases for me and my family, not one was lost. He was paid to do a job, and he did it well. His bonus was gon’ look real good after this was over.

Ten minutes later, I was being escorted into the courtroom.

The prosecutor couldn’t keep his eyes off me.

I winked in his direction with a sly grin plastered across my face.

After today, the only thing they could say for sure was a nigga was untouchable.

If they wanted me in this muthafucka permanently, they should’ve done a better job at holding me.

I took my seat next to Yonnis and got comfortable.

I trusted him to do his thing a hunnid percent and make the DA look foolish in the process.

My same support system was front and center as they’d always been. I loved that they didn’t judge me or let anyone else for that matter. They would put their life on the line for me and I’d damn sure do the same in return.

Heidi spoke softly saying, “God got you baby boy.” She was gon’ support me whether I was right or wrong.

Even though I knocked Walt and his crew off with the quickness, which she more than likely knew, she still prayed and asked OG to have mercy on a nigga.

She was one of the realest ones on my team fa sho’.

The judge finally entered, and her entrance was announced by the bailiff as usual. We stood and took a seat once more once she was seated and ready to start.

“Counselor, it’s my understanding that you called for this emergency hearing. Can I ask why?” Her question and attention were directed to Yonnis.

“Your Honor, I called this emergency hearing because something serious just came to light. The prosecution’s key witness, yeah, the one their whole case is riding on, is no longer with us.

” Yonnis had they ass by the balls and was twisting the fuck out of them muthafuckas ‘cause they had a legal obligation to tell him about the death of Kenny.

“Is this correct, Mr. Reynolds?” she asked Reynolds bitch ass. A soft chuckle rumbled in my chest.

The prosecutor wore a look of defeat and all she did was ask a question.

“Yes, Your Honor, but let’s not forget there are still missing people who had close ties with Mr. Atkins.

Also, the witness gave a written statement detailing what he saw that night.

There’s plenty of proof to place him behind bars for good Your Honor. ”

“My client has a constitutional right to confront his accuser,” Yonnis voiced and at this point a nigga was tuned the hell in for real.

“That’s the Sixth Amendment. We can’t cross-examine a ghost, Your Honor.

And if the DA thinks they’re going to slide in some taped testimony or a sealed witness statement from the deceased, might I add, and call it evidence, I’m objecting hard.

That’s hearsay. That’s a straight-up violation of due process,” Yonnis argued.

This nigga got on my muthafuckin’ nerves sometimes, but I had to admit his ass was a beast at this shit.

Being from the hood didn’t do shit but make this nigga more aware of how to turn tables on niggas.

Detective Troy’s janky ass sat in the back corner watching everything unfold.

His presence didn’t go unnoticed, either. He would be seeing me soon as well.

“Mr. Reynolds, what other evidence do you have supporting this case?” the judge asked.

“Well, Your Honor, we still have missing men out there. I was hoping to get more time to try and locate those men as well as any other witnesses that are too afraid to speak out,” he replied.

“Your Honor, for all we know, those men are on a guy’s trip sipping tequila on somebody’s beach. It’s not my client’s duty to worry about grown associates. And I used the word associates loosely,” Yonnis chimed.

“Associates? Isn’t workers a more appropriate word?” Reynolds inquired with a raised brow.

“Objection. Your Honor, we are not on trial here. My client has spent three months behind bars based on the things the prosecution has said. My client has been unable to see after his many businesses, family, and other things of importance. His time, mine, and yours, has been consumed by waiting for this eyewitness. Now we learn that same witness was not only found in a drug infested neighborhood but overdosed off those drugs. That witness could’ve been coerced for all we know. ” Yonnis was on a muthafuckin’ roll!

“Your Honor, this is—" The judge cut Reynolds bitch ass off in mid-sentence.

“Mr. Reynolds, I asked a question. What other evidence do you have to support this case?” She disregarded everything that was said and repeated her first question to the prosecutor.

“Missing people and a tape… Your Honor,” was all Reynolds could respond with.

“Your Honor, we are requesting a dismissal of this case. The state has no weapon, no witness, and no bodies of these missing people they speak of,” Yonnis commented. This was the moment I been waiting on.

The judge sat there looking between my table, the DA’s, and the file she had in front of her.

I wasn’t trying to show any excitement just yet.

However, you could see the difference in the way she looked at us compared to how she looked at Reynolds.

She wasn’t feeling shit that nigga had going on. He wasted her time, and she knew it.

“Mr. Atkins, this court acknowledges that you’ve spent the last three months behind bars awaiting a trial that should’ve never advanced this far.

I offer the court’s apology for the time wasted.

With that said, in the interest of justice, all charges against you are hereby dismissed with prejudice.

You are free to go.” The gavel hit the block, and just like that, a nigga was out this bitch.

The courtroom erupted with praise from my side as Troy and Reynolds shared a look of failure.

Yonnis said wait this shit out and at first, I refused but hey, she saw the prejudice shit them fuck boys be on and it worked in my favor.

I hope they knew to count they muthafuckin’ days though.

I was fa sho’ coming for them and wasn’t gon’ stop until they were eight feet under.

I did three months to satisfy they appetite for me.

That shit wasn’t sliding in no shape or form.

Turning around, my mother was the first one to wrap her arms around me. I knew she was relieved to finally have me back. She only had one child to care for. Couldn’t nobody fill that void but me.

“Thank you, Jesus,” was on a loop as she rocked me back and forth.

“I’m sorry I put you through this but if you want me home for real, you got to let go, Ma, so I can head back and get processed out.”

“I’m just happy she released you that’s all,” she added.

“That makes two of us.” Finally, I was freed from her embrace and able to breathe.

“Go ‘head, son. We’ll meet you at the house. Striker, you bringing him to the house or Heidi?” my father inquired.

“You know I ain’t leaving my dawg. We’ll be there in a few hours. Cook something up, Ma. You know he need that ASAP,” Striker joked.

“You don’t have to tell me. Bring him straight home, Emanuel.” She called him by his government which meant she wasn’t fuckin’ around with his ass.

“Yes ma’am,” he said smiling.

I shook my head and watched my folk file out the courtroom. Yonnis stood back and allowed me to have that moment with them. He showed nothing but respect to my family even though he was damn near part of it. Once it was just me, him, and Striker, he said his peace.

“This ain’t over just yet, Royce. Them niggas gon’ be watching yo’ every move now.

Find you a woman and settle the fuck down.

You ain’t got long. Let them niggas live in frustration for a while.

You don’t need no heat coming your way. The judge gon’ feel like a fool and you don’t want that,” he advised.