Tracy fell asleep on the sofa in the family room waiting for Jeffrey to get home. When the telephone rang she assumed it was him calling, but to her surprise it was her sister Valerie. Tracy hadn’t seen Valerie since the wedding, but they had managed to talk every now and then. She could hear the distress in Valerie’s voice as she talked. “Tracy, I’m sorry to call this late, but I need your help.”
“That’s okay Val,” Tracy said as she sat up and looked at the clock. “What’s going on?”
“My daughter Kaylen just called. She is somewhere in Richmond with her cousin, Monique, Turk’s daughter. Kaylen is not street smart like Monique and she is afraid. Is there any way you could go to pick her up and I will come to your house to get her?” Valerie explained.
“Did she say where she was?” Tracy asked concerned.
“She said she was on Phaup Street in some projects across the street from a school. Do you know where that is?
“No, I haven’t heard of it, but I’m sure I can find it. Did Kaylen give you a phone number she was calling from?” Tracy asked as she put her shoes on.
“She called from her cell.” Valerie said then gave Tracy the cell phone number.
“Okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll find her and call you as soon as we are in the house.”
Tracy thought for a moment. JD would have a fit if she left the house and angrier if she went to the projects by herself. For an adventure like this Tracy would normally call Ashley, but she had the twins. Then there was Cynthia, but she was too close to giving birth and Roz was out of town with her husband. “Who could she call that would know the projects.” She picked up the telephone and called Brian.
Brian’s night with his new female friend was just getting started. They had just settled down on her sofa talking when the phone played the theme from Shaft. Brian knew that ring was from JD’s home number. The woman watched him intently to see if he was going to answer the call.
Brian grinned, “I know what you are thinking. I did not plan this.”
“Sure you didn’t,” she smiled as she sipped her wine. “It just happened to ring when we were about to talk. Something you have been avoiding since the day we met.”
The tune played again, “I have to take it,” Brian said then answered the call.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Brian hi, it’s Tracy.”
“Hey, Tracy what’s up,” Brian frowned. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed. Brian smiled and ignored the look.
“Brian I need your help. My sister’s daughter is somewhere in Richmond and I need to pick her up. Could you go with me?”
This was his last night off, before the plan was put into action and it didn’t help that this woman had placed her leg across his lap. “I’m a little busy right now Tracy” Brian said as he began to rub the exposed thigh. “Where exactly is she? Maybe I could call Ryan to pick her up.”
“She’s on Phaup Street. Do you know where that is?”
Brian paused. “What in the hell is she doing there?” He said with intense tone.
“I don’t know Brian, but I have to go get her. Her mother is worried. She said Kaylen was afraid. So could you tell me how to get there?”
“You can’t go there Tracy. Where’s JD?” Brian asked standing up.
“He’s in a meeting. Brian I have to go just tell me how to get there.”
“Tracy, you cannot go there by yourself,” Brian said almost yelling into the phone.
“Then that means Kaylen should not be there either. Now are you going to tell me how to get there or not? I’m going to get that child with or without you.”
“Where on Phaup Street is she, do you have an address?”
“No,” Tracy replied.
“So exactly what do you think you are going to do, knock on every door on Phaup Street until you find her?” Brian asked curtly.
“If I have to. You know what Brian forget it, I’ll find her myself.” Tracy said a little angry and hung up the telephone.
“Tracy, Tracy,” Brian called into the phone to no avail. “Shit!” he exclaimed.
When he turned, his friend was standing by the door with his suit jacket in her hand and a smile. Brian exhaled and walked towards her. “You have a reprieve Mr. Thompson, but this evening will be concluded on a later date.”
He kissed her goodnight. “I will make this up to you,” he promised then he left.
Brian called the house number back. No answer, he called Magna, who was covering the house. He advised her of the situation as she told him Tracy had just pulled off in JD’s BMW. His curse grew louder. Hanging up the telephone with her, he called Douglas. He knew the players in the area. “Doug, we have a situation on Phaup Street. Tracy is on her way over there looking for her niece. I need you to meet me over there.”
“Tracy?” Douglas asked. “Is she alone?”
“Yeah and she doesn’t exactly know where the girl is. All she gave me was the street.”
“Let me make some calls. I’ll meet you at the high school on Cool Lane.”
Brian called Tuck. This was once a part of Al’s turf. If they were in Fairfield Court Tuck would know who, when and where. Having Tuck in the area was guaranteed protection. In Fairfield Court, the players in that area did not give a damn who you represented; they would try to take your ass out. Brian shook his head. With everything that was about to go down, he did not need this tonight.
As Brian drove down Cool Lane, he saw Douglas parked in front of the school. He parked and got into Douglas’ Navigator. “Have you seen her?” he asked.
“Not yet. What is she driving?” Doug asked.
“JD’s BMW, probably for the navigational system. Let’s start at the curve then follow up.”
Douglas pulled off and made a u-turn then headed towards Phaup Street. As they came around the curve he spotted JD’s BMW parked in front of the elementary school. Tracy was standing on the outside of the car and a group of young guys were talking to her.
Brian got out of the Navigator with his weapon drawn and walked up the sidewalk. Douglas drove up the street and parked in front of Tracy, he got out of his vehicle with his weapon at his side. Tracy saw Douglas as he walked towards her. She smiled, relieved to see him. “You seem to show up in the nick of time,” she said looking in his direction. The guys standing around her turned in Douglas direction.
“Tracy, what’s up?” Douglas asked in the coldest voice while assessing the group of men surrounding her. He could tell from the bulge in the back of their shirts at least two of them had weapons. As he got closer he made sure they could see the weapon in his hand. One of the boys stepped towards him. “We’re handling some business here, you might want to turn around and go back to where you came from.” The group slowly surrounded Tracy.
“Wrong woman to be handling business with Youngblood. You might want to leave this business to us.” Doug said.
“What, damn us; I don’t see nobody but you,” the boy in the back yelled out.
Brian put his revolver next to the young boy’s head. “The us would be me,” Brian said coldly. He reached in and pulled Tracy from the circle and put her behind him. “Take it easy gentlemen; we just want the lady and a little info.” Douglas said.
“Yeah, well you have the lady we want the car,” the self appointed leader of the group said.
“Man you don’t want that car,” Brian laughed. “Believe me you don’t want that car or this woman or the fact that this incident took place to get back to the owner of that car.”
The young boy, who Douglas put at about nineteen, looked at him and asked, “What the hell y’all want around here?”
“We are looking for a young girl that came into town today. Any of you know anything about that?” Brian asked.
“Two young girls,” Tracy said as she stepped from behind Brian.
Brian never took his eyes off the boys, nor did he lower his weapon. He gently pushed Tracy back behind him with his free hand.
“What’s in it for us?” One boy asked as he lit a cigarette, unconcerned with the situation.
Another vehicle pulled up to the scene, which seemed to draw a lot of attention from others that were milling about on the street. It was a familiar vehicle to the neighborhood. No one seemed to be afraid, just in awe. Tuck stepped out of the vehicle and approached the group. When Brian recognized him, he lowered his weapon. Tuck did not say anything to the young boys, but they all seemed to know who he was. He walked over and stood next to Douglas.
“Did they give you what you need?” Tuck asked.
“Not yet,” Doug replied. “Youngblood wants to know what’s in it for them.”
Tuck smiled and walked over to the boys “Where’s Bear?”
“Over at T-Bo’s place,” the boy replied.
“Is Monique with him?”
“Was earlier, with another little honey from Norfolk,” another said.
Tuck walked over, pulled a wad of money out of his pocket, and gave half of it to the boy.
“Keep half of this for yourself and split the rest with your boys. I need you to keep an eye on the cars and the lady; understand,” Tuck said.
“You got it,” the boy said.
Tuck, Brian and Douglas talked for a moment away from Tracy. As they started across the street Tracy followed behind them. Brian turned and stopped her. “You’re not going in there, stay here”
“No, Brian I have to go in there to get Kaylen,” she said, then looked behind her, “You are not leaving me with them. Besides Kaylen doesn’t know you. She will not leave with you.”
“Alright, but stay behind me and don’t speak.”
“Okay,” Tracy obeyed.
Douglas went around the back as Tuck and Brian approached the front door. Tuck knocked. “Who is it?” a man’s voice came through.
“Tuck.”
You could hear moving going on inside the house. Tuck shook his head. “Youngbloods, they will never learn.”
When the door opened, Brian kicked it wide. Tuck, Brian and Tracy entered and closed the door behind them. Douglas was walking through the back part of the house with a guy and girl who’d attempted to go out the back door. They made the three guys in the house get on their knees with their hands behind their head. Brian held his weapon on the three. One young girl sitting on the couch appeared to be terrified.
“Kaylen?” Tracy asked.
“Yes,” she meekly replied.
“Come with me, baby,” Tracy said. The girl looked at Tracy and hesitated. “I’m your Aunt Tracy. Your mother asked me to come get you. It’s okay, come with me.”
Kaylen walked over to Tracy and hugged her. “Thank you for coming.”
“You called her?” The other girl yelled out. “You stupid little bitch, you know her husband is five o.” She made a sucking sound with her teeth and rolled her eyes.
Tuck walked over to Monique “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Bear?”
Monique put her hands on her hips and replied, “You ain’t my daddy. You don’t tell me what to do.”
Tuck nodded his head. “You’re right. But I tell Bear what to do. Now, I got to take him out.” Tuck motioned to Douglas. He pointed to the one caught running out the back and Tuck acknowledged he’d selected the right one. Douglas took the boy who was now pleading with Tuck into another room.
“Uncle Tuck, that’s not fair. I love Bear,” she began to cry and tried to follow the men into the other room.
Tuck grabbed her by her braids and held her back. “He’ll be glad to know you loved him to death.”
“Don’t do it Uncle Tuck, don’t do it. I promise to stay away, I promise.”
A few seconds later a gunshot rung out. Tracy and Kaylen both screamed. Monique called out, “Bear!”
Douglas came back into the room with the boy unharmed.
“See how easy that could be,” Tuck said to Monique. “I’m not your daddy and I don’t give a shit about your feelings. If you don’t stay away from him I will take his ass out.”
Monique looked at Tuck with tears running down her face. “Okay, Uncle Tuck,” she cried.
“Now go with your Aunt Tracy and don’t you cause her any trouble, you understand,” he looked at the little girl. Tuck had lied, he loved that little girl as if she were his own. But he would never let her know, he wanted Monique to be afraid of him. It was the only way he could keep her in line. If anything happened to her, Turk would not forgive him.
“Wait,” Tuck said, “Are you carrying?” he asked.
“No!” Monique replied with a little too much defiance.
“Empty your bag,” Tuck said.
“I said I ain’t got nothing,” Monique insisted with a lot of attitude.
“And I said empty your bag,” Tuck replied without raising his voice.
Monique emptied her bag on the table. A bag of marijuana, papers, and condoms appeared.
Tuck looked at her and then Bear. He picked up the bag of marijuana and handed the condoms back to her. “Now you can go.”
Tracy was too stunned to move. Kaylen was holding on to her waist so tight she couldn’t move.
“Take them to the car Tracy,” Brian said. When Tracy didn’t move, he turned to her. “Now Tracy, take them to the car now.”
Tracy looked up at Brian with pure shock in her eyes. She grabbed the two girls and went out the door.
Tucker stopped her on the porch with pride showing brightly in his eyes. “I’ve known you since you were a little girl. It’s nice to see you face to face.”
For whatever reason, Tracy did not fear the man standing before her. She instantly knew he would never do anything to harm her. “Thank you for helping the children.”
“It’s been my honor.” Tucker watched as they got into the car and pulled off.
It was well after one in the morning when Tracy arrived home. She called Valerie and allowed Kaylen to talk to her. Afterwards she convinced Val to let the girls stay overnight. They could pick them up in the morning. Tracy asked Monique if she wanted to call her mom and she said no. Tracy looked at the two girls. They were as different as night and day. Kaylen was a small girl with a shapely body, long brownish hair that was parted on the side and fell just below her shoulders and the prettiest light brown eyes you ever wanted to see. She had on a pair of hip hugging jeans and a white tee shirt that revealed her navel. She appeared to be the very image of a middle class neighborhood girl. Monique was street through and through, from the multicolor braids in her hair, to the fake nails with the fake diamond mounted on them. She was dressed in a jean skirt that barely covered her behind and a white tee shirt that had, “yes, I’m a bitch,” written across the front. Tracy looked at the shirt and began to laugh. Monique looked at her as if she was losing her mind. “What you find so funny?’ she asked with attitude.
“You,” Tracy replied. “You don’t have to advertise you’re a bitch, it shows. Come on let me show you where you are going to sleep. You can take a shower and I will find you something to sleep in.”
“Ain’t staying here.” Monique grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell phone.
Tracy shrugged her shoulders, “Your choice. Come on Kaylen.”
Before they reached the stairs, JD came in through the kitchen. He looked at Tracy then at the girls. Brian called and had filled him in on what went down. JD couldn’t believe Tracy would attempt to go anywhere alone after the incident earlier that week. But he would deal with that later. At the moment, he had to deal with Al’s daughter and the small portion of the conversation he’d over heard from the garage. “Hang up the phone,” he said to Monique.
She looked at him sideways, rolled her eyes, and said. “You don’t know me like that and you can’t tell me what to do.”
JD looked at Tracy, then at Kaylen then back to Monique. He walked over took the phone out of her hand. “Hi, I’m JD, that’s Uncle JD to you. You must be Monique. Now you know me.” He walked over to Tracy kissed her then said hello to Kaylen. “That was a smart thing you did tonight regardless of what your cousin might say to you.”
“Okay,” Kaylen replied with a smile.
Tracy took Kaylen upstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed. JD stayed downstairs with Monique. He had a long day. The office was hectic and up in arms concerning a weapon’s case that will have national if not international implications. There was the meeting with James Brooks and the staff concerning the potential political backlash of the case and then, of all things, a call from Brian indicating his wife was in the projects trying to save her nieces from what he wasn’t certain. But the niece standing in front of him, spitting daggers, was at the center of the mystery. Now, the outcome of the weapons case was in the hands of his staff and out of his control. But this situation was all his and he sure as hell was going to put out the fire standing before him.
JD took off his suit jacket and tie, and then unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt. He walked over to the microwave and pulled out the plate of food Tracy had prepared for him. He then went to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. He sat at the breakfast bar across from where Monique stood. He looked at her, “Would you like something to eat?”
“I don’t want anything from you. You the man who put my daddy in jail,” Monique snapped.
JD said grace and began to eat. “He broke the law, that’s what happens,” he said as if it was common sense. JD studied the girl who stood before him. She resembled Al in skin tone and temper only. He wondered if she was as intelligent. “You know if your dad was in this situation, he would take a step back, look at the entire picture, and then determine how he would best profit from it.”
“Don’t try to act like you know my daddy. You don’t know nothing about my daddy. You walking around like you the king of somebody’s world, you ain’t shit and neither is that bitch wife of yours,” Monique snapped with hands on hips.
JD looked up from his plate at Monique with an intensity that made the child quiver on the inside.
“There are three things I know at this moment. One is you will never refer to my wife as a bitch again; two you will not use that language in my house, and three if you ever raise your voice at me again I will whip your ass like I was your father and then tell your daddy I did it. Do we understand each other?” Monique did not say anything at first, but then JD raised his voice. “Do we understand each other?!”
Tracy walked into the room before Monique could answer. “Is everything alright in here?”
“Little girl, I am not in the habit of repeating myself, I’m waiting for an answer.” JD said.
“I understand,” Monique, answered with a lot less attitude, but still with a pinch of anger.
JD got up and moved his plate to the sink. “So, where are you going?” JD asked. Monique shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t understand that language. You want to try to answer the question with words.”
“I can call Bear,” Monique said with more attitude.
JD laughed, “Bear is not going to come within a hundred feet of you. Tuck made sure of that.”
Picking up the cell phone from the kitchen table where he’d placed it, he put it in front of her. “You are welcome to try. But if he doesn’t answer, you are welcome to stay here tonight. We’re going to bed.” He took Tracy’s hand and walked up the stairs.
Early, the next morning JD was sitting in his office going over reports of everyone’s positions from the night before. Things seemed to be in place. He sat back and took a drink of his coffee just as he saw Monique tip toeing down the staircase. When she reached the kitchen, he stood in the doorway of his office, watched her put her shoes on, and pulled out her phone. While she was waiting for her call to be answered, she was looking around the house. JD watched as Monique wandered throughout the lower level of the house. She began telling the person on the telephone about the house and it’s furnishing. As Monique walked into the sunroom, she noticed the wedding picture on the stand. The picture was of JD, Tracy, Lena, Valerie, and Ben. As she looked at the picture JD could see the play of emotions going across Monique’s face. He wondered if the anger she was displaying towards him and Tracy had anything to do with the fact that her dad was not in that picture.
He walked into the kitchen and stood near the patio door. “Looking for anything in particular?” JD asked.
A startled Monique dropped the picture and the glass shattered. The action reminded JD of a day in his mother’s kitchen when Tracy dropped a glass and it shattered on the floor. Unlike Tracy who expressed remorse immediately, Monique stood there as if someone else had broken the glass.
“You want to clean that up” JD asked with a facial expression that let Monique know, it really wasn’t a question. It was more of an order.
“I ain’t got no broom or sh….. stuff” she said as she remembered JD’s words from last night.
“I don’t have,” JD said as he walked over to the closet near the garage door and pulled out the broom and a dust pan than gave them to Monique.
“What?” Monique replied with distain.
“It’s, I don’t have a broom, not, I ain’t got” JD said as he put his hands in his pockets waiting for her to begin cleaning the broken glass.
Tracy came downstairs with Kaylen in tow. “Valerie and Ben are on their way,” she said as she kissed her husband. When she saw the picture and broken glass on the floor she asked, “What happened?”
JD looked up at Tracy’s hurt face. It was the only picture she had of her and her family together and he knew what the picture meant to her. He picked up the broken frame with the picture in it.
“I’ll have it reframed Tracy,” JD said with a weak smile. “It will be like new.”
Tracy looked at Monique. She hesitated for a moment wondering if she wanted to reprimand the girl for breaking the picture. “Okay babe,” Tracy said to Jeffrey while still eyeing Monique.
Monique made a sucking sound with her teeth, “Where the trash at?” she asked as she rolled her eyes at Tracy.
JD opened one of the bottom cabinets and pulled the trash can out. Monique walked and emptied the broken glass into the bin. JD pushed the trash can back in and closed the cabinet door. He then opened the broom closet for Monique to replace the items. She walked over and threw the broom and dust pan into the closet, then began to walk away. JD grabbed the back of her blouse and pulled her back. “The dust pan goes on this hanger and the broom goes on that rack,” he said.
“I ain’t know,” Monique replied still with the attitude.
“I didn’t know” JD said as he closed the closet.
“I ain’t in English class. What, everything got to be said just right and everything got to go in place. Shit, I ain’t staying in this house,” Monique said as she grabbed her purse.
Kaylen looked from JD to Tracy. Who were both standing there trying to decide which one was going to speak. “Well, I like the house Nique; did you see the computer room upstairs?” Kaylen asked excited.
“Naw, I ain’t see no damn computer room,” Monique answered as if mocking the girl.
“I didn’t see,” JD said as if he was losing his patience.
Seeing a spark of interest from Monique when the computer was mentioned, “Why don’t you girls go check out the computer in the sunroom?” Tracy said, “The one upstairs is off limits.” Tracy then turned to Jeffrey, “I’ll start breakfast.”
“See Kaylen, rich people have sunrooms, poor people have back porches,” Monique said as she sashayed out of the room.
JD looked at Tracy, “I’ll help with breakfast.”
“You’re not going into the office?” Tracy asked a little surprised.
“And leave you here alone with gangster girl, I don’t think so.” There was no way he was going to tell her, their day was going to be altered.
Tracy laughed and looked over at the girls. “She is a little rough around the edges.”
“Not really.” JD said, “She’s lashing out at whoever let’s her get away with it. She needs her dad.”
Tracy put some bacon on and biscuits in the oven, while Jeffrey cooked eggs and hash browns. Once breakfast was prepared, Tracy called the girls into the kitchen to eat. As the girls sat at the table, Monique frowned. “What’s this?” She asked.
“It’s called food,” JD replied.
Kaylen laughed. Monique gave her the look of death.
“You ain’t got no Fruity Pebbles or Coco Puffs?”
“Don’t have any,” JD said correcting the girl yet again.
“What, rich people like y’all can’t afford cereal,” Monique replied completely missing the correction.
“We do have cereal. But if you cannot ask for it correctly, you will not get any.” JD replied.
Monique rolled her eyes and then asked, “Do you have any cereal?”
“Yes, we do,” JD replied but did not say anything more.
Tracy motioned to get the cereal and JD stopped her with his hand.
Monique exhaled than asked. “May I have some cereal?” JD did not respond he continued to look at her. “Please,” Monique added.
“No, eat what’s in front of you or go hungry,” he then bowed his head to say grace.
Tracy bowed her head and tried to hold in the laugh at the look on Monique’s face, but it escaped. When JD finished grace he looked at Tracy and she could see the laughter in his eyes.
Brian walked in through the patio door. “Good morning, don’t we have a full house,” he said as he looked at the table of people.
“Hey B,” JD said.
“It’s Good Morning,” Monique corrected him.
Tracy smiled, “Good Morning Brian, would you like some breakfast.”
“Sure, seems like you are having an interesting morning.” Brian replied while detecting the mood in the room.
Tracy got up to fix Brian a plate when JD grabbed the plate in front of Monique and said, “Here you go Brian.” He took the plate then sat at the breakfast bar and began to eat.
Tracy looked at JD then Brian. “It has been a very interesting morning,” she said. Then she walked over to the cabinet pulled out a box of cereal, a bowl and a spoon and placed the items in front of Monique. She looked at Tracy with rolled eyes, then began to say something but looked at JD instead. “Do you have any milk?” She asked as her neck rolled from left to right.
JD looked at her, “Yes. In the refrigerator, help yourself.”
Monique looked around but all she saw were cabinets. “Where is the refrigerator?” she asked.
Brian looked at her for a moment then walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. “Here you go; mouth,” he smiled.
Monique looked at him as if throwing daggers. “How I’m supposed to know; it don’t look like no refrigerator.” She pulled the milk out and slouched back down into her seat at the table.
“Get anyone shot at in the last six hours,” Brian joked as he continued to eat.
“Ain’t you,” Monique started then stopped; rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t you have a home somewhere?”
JD smiled to himself.
“Don’t you?” Brian replied.
Monique made a sucking sound with her mouth and gave Brian the raised ‘sister girl’ hand.
Brian snapped his fingers, “Oh, no you didn’t,” he laughed.
“Yes she did,” Kaylen giggled.
JD could have sworn he saw a small sign of amusement come into Monique’s eyes. She wanted to laugh at Brian, but of course, she couldn’t; that would take away from her gangster image.
Brian ignored the look on Monique’s face and turned to Tracy. “How are the babies and where is Mrs. Gordon?”
Tracy was enjoying the feel of a full house. “JC is still asleep and I fed Jasmine before I came down. Mrs. Gordon is upstairs staying clear of the holy terror.” She looked over at Monique.
“You got a baby?” Monique asked.
Tracy looked at the child, “Two,” she smiled.
“You ain’t fat” Monique replied.
“Thank you,” Tracy smiled grateful for the sideways compliment.
“I know about JC, how old is Jasmine?” Kaylen asked with a little excitement.
“Eight weeks now.”
“You just had a baby? Shit, my girlfriend had her baby five months ago and she is still fat. That’s why I ain’t gonna ever get pregnant,” Monique exclaimed.
“I’m not going to,” JD said frustrated, then added, “Thank God.”
Brian laughed, “Do you go to school?”
“Yeah, I go to school and got good grades. I ain’t,” she stopped, “I’m not stupid,” she said.
JD smiled as he leaned across the breakfast bar, “What kind of grades do you get?” he asked.
“Nique always gets straight A’s, but she don’t tell anybody,” Kaylen blurted out.
“Why you all up in my business,” Monique said to Kaylen.
“What’s wrong with A’s,” Tracy asked as she put her plate in the sink.
“Her gang members won’t like it if they knew she got straight A’s,” Kaylen said.
Monique got up in Kaylen’s face. “I done told you about gettin up in my business.”
“Hey, sit down,” JD shouted. Monique complied with a huff.
“What gang?” JD asked. Neither Kaylen nor Monique said anything. “What gang?” His voice raised to a point that not only startled the girls but Tracy as well.
“It ain’t no gang,” Monique replied.
JD stood there and looked at her sternly.
“It’s not a gang,” Monique corrected. “It’s just a group of friends I hang out with.”
“Yeah, but they steal stuff, and like to fight people,” Kaylen said a little angry.
“I should have let them whip your uppity ass,” Monique said.
Brian looked at JD, “Sounds like a gang to me.”
The door bell rang. “Thank you,” Tracy said looking up at the ceiling. When she opened the door, Valerie and her husband Ben walked through.
Tracy hugged Valerie and said hello to Ben. When they entered the kitchen, JD shook Ben’s hand and said hello to Valerie. Ben acknowledged Brian and went straight to Kaylen. He hugged his daughter and examined her to make sure everything was in place. “Are you okay, baby?” He asked.
“Yes Daddy,” Kaylen replied.
Ben looked at Monique, “You okay?” he asked with a no nonsense tone.
“Yes Uncle Ben.” Monique replied.
“Good,” Ben turned to Tracy. “You got a spare bedroom?” He asked as he pulled his belt off.
Tracy looked at Jeffrey with confusion in her eyes. JD looked at Ben, “Top of the steps to your right,” he replied and fixed another cup of coffee.
Tracy looked at Valerie, who turned to her husband, “Ben can’t this wait until we get home?”
“Hell no, it can’t. Let’s go Kaylen,” Ben said.
“But Daddy,” Kaylen cried.
“But Daddy my ass. I’m not going to say it again, let’s go.”
Kaylen obeyed her father and walked up the stairs. The room fell silent as Tracy looked from Valerie to Monique, then Jeffrey.
“You going to get it,” Brian laughed as he continued to drink his coffee.
Tracy looked at her husband. “Jeffrey, are you going to do something here?”
JD looked at Tracy, “No,” he replied.
“You’re going to let that man beat his child?” Tracy asked astonished.
“You damn right; and that one too” JD replied, pointing to Monique.
“He ain’t my daddy,” she said rolling her eyes. JD cleared his throat. “He’s not my daddy,” she corrected.
“He’s the closest you have to one,” Valerie said. “You have any more of that?” she asked JD referring to the coffee.
“Sure do,” JD replied as he pulled a cup from the cabinet and poured the coffee. “Cream and sugar?’ he asked.
“Yes, thank you,” Valerie replied as she placed her purse on the breakfast bar and took a seat.
Tracy jumped at the first sound of the belt. She looked at JD as if begging him to stop it.
Valerie saw JD’s face soften at the sight of Tracy grief stricken face. As much as she hated it, she knew Ben was right. It was rough raising kids these days. You have to let them know when they’ve crossed the line, Valerie thought to herself. She looked at Tracy “How’s the baby Tracy? You look great.”
Tracy hesitated for a moment, and then she heard the sound of the belt again. Nervously she took a seat at the table and replied, “Jasmine is fine.” She looked over at Monique with sad eyes.
Brian watched Tracy, “Don’t feel sorry for her. From what I witnessed last night, her ass whipping seems to be long overdue,” he said referring to Monique.
Valerie smirked, “Nique has experienced Ben’s raft before, and she knows what’s coming.”
“Where’s my momma?” Monique snapped.
“At home waiting for us to clean up your mess again,” Valerie snapped back.
Ben came down the steps, looked at Monique, “Let’s go,” he said.
“Ain’t going nowhere with you. I’m gonna call my momma if you hit me.” Monique yelled back.
“Maybe we should call her mother,” Tracy said still a little shaken by the events taking place.
“We can call her afterwards.” Ben said to Tracy then turned back to Monique.
“I don’t have a problem whipping your ass down here in front of people; that’s your call. But your ass is going to get whipped this morning” Ben said without a bit of sympathy.
“Ben,” Tracy said sweetly.
“Tracy,” JD said sternly.
Monique looked at Tracy and for a moment, she thought Tracy might be her saving grace. “Aunt Tracy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause no trouble.”
Tracy looked at her brother’s child and was about to say something when Valerie stepped in.
“You know, Tracy might fall for that fake ass apology, but I don’t. That was my child you put in jeopardy last night. You are getting that ass whipping.”
Monique stood up so quick the chair fell behind her. “All y’all so call family can kiss my ass.” Ben grabbed Monique around the waist and carried her up the stairs kicking and howling “I’m gonna do more than kiss your ass,” they heard him say as he disappeared.
Less than an hour later Ben and Valerie departed with Kaylen and Monique in tow, JD turned to Tracy with anger in his eyes. Brian immediately excused himself from the room. “What possessed you to go to the projects at night?” JD angrily addressed Tracy. “At any point in time did it ever occur to you what could have happened to you?” Tracy shuddered at the intensity of JD’s voice. She attempted to respond but JD cut her off. “I don’t go into the projects without Brian or someone with me. What were you thinking or did you think?” His voice was amplified with anger as the events of the night before played in his mind. “Do you realize you could have been injured or killed?”
“I was trying to help my sister,” Tracy said in an attempt to defend her actions.
“Attempting to help her do what, collect your estate earlier than anticipated? Your family has managed to handle their business all this time without you being around, why do you feel they need you now,” he yelled. JD instantly regretted the words as soon as he realized they were spoken out loud. He knew Tracy was trying to reconnect with her family after being estranged for most of her adult life. And to be honest, he wanted that for her too, but not at the expense of jeopardizing her life.
“Jeffrey, Valerie called and asked me to help. I tried to call you, but you did not answer your phone. Then I called Brian. But I could not leave the child there alone. If anything had happened to her, I would not have been able to forgive myself.”
JD looked at the tears that were forming in his wife’s eyes. He hated the thought of him causing her any distress. He inhaled and tried to calm the fear that he had felt when he received the call from Brian. Closing the space between them, he pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. Tracy wrapped her arms around her husband who was very upset with her and cried. Truth be told the events had scared her. It brought back memories of the attack that had caused her to lose their first child. “Tracy,” he whispered into her ear, “I’m so sorry I yelled. All I could think about last night was what could have happened if Tucker had not shown up. I can’t fathom the idea of anything happening to you.” He cupped her face that was drenched in tears into his hands. As he stared at her, JD literally saw his life within her eyes. “You are my life Tracy, my wife, and the mother of my children. I don’t think rationally when it comes to you. I know you could not leave that child there. I would not have been able to do that either. But your first priority should be the welfare of our children. What you did last night put your life in jeopardy, please don’t do that again.”
Tracy kissed his lips “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t.” He stepped back from her. “You have the fundraising event today. Once you return home, you are not to leave this house without my approval. I don’t give a damn who needs help or what is happening. You do not leave this house.” He walked over to the stand, took his keys, and slammed the door behind him.
Magna and Ryan walked in the patio door, with a look of dread in their eyes. “We’ve been lectured and were given orders not to allow you out of our sight until further notice.” Magna stated.
“I was told to follow you into the ladies room if necessary to make sure you stay put.” Ryan said as she took a seat at the breakfast bar. “I can’t speak for Magna, but I plan on following my orders to a tee. I’ve screwed up enough.”
Tracy still stood in the middle of the floor stunned at Jeffrey’s’ demand. She looked at the two women that were there to protect her. “There is more to this than what happened last night. Has something happened with Jeffrey’s case?”
“We are not at liberty to say,” Magna replied.
Tracy exhaled, then walked out of the room.
“This is not going to be a happy place for a while,” Ryan stated, “I got the upstairs.”
“I’ll take the perimeter,” Magna replied and began securing the house.