Married to a Balla (17 page)

Mercedes took a deep breath and pressed the number one button. Her son, Joey immediately started asking questions as soon as the call was connected.

“Ma, why haven’t you gotten us out yet?”

“Your lawyer is working on lowering your bail son. It’s too high right now, and I don’t have enough to get both of you out.”

“How long is it gonna take?”

“I’m trying as hard as I can Joey. How is your brother holding up?”

“Not too good. I can hold my own in here, but you know he’s not built like that. How did Kareem get out? Didn’t we have the same charge?”

“Yes, but you all have a probation violation charge, too.”

“Can’t Justice help you with our bail?” he drilled.

“I don’t know. I’ll see…just hold tight.”

After talking for a few more minutes, the operator interrupted their conversation. “You have one minute left on this call.”

“Ma, please. You gotta hurry up and get us outta here.” The hard sounding Joey had turned into a frail little boy.

Suddenly, a tear rolled down Mercedes’ face. She loved her sons more than anything.

“I will Joey. I prom…”

The call was disconnected.

Mercedes hung up the phone and dropped her head on the desk. It seemed as if her head had only been down a second when Stephanie, one of the women at the shelter barged in her office.

“Mercedes we’re out of sanitary napkins,” she blurted out.

Mercedes stared angrily at the petite woman. “First of all, you must’ve lost your mind by barging into my office. Secondly, I know you’re not worrying me about some fucking Kotex. I got bigger problems right now.”

Even though Mercedes was the only staff member with keys to the supply cabinet that contained personal hygiene products and all the basic toiletries, she could care less when the women needed anything half the time. With her mind constantly consumed about Justice most days, her response was always the same, “I’ll get that shit in a minute.”

“Listen, you’re gonna have to wait Stephanie, I’m busy,” Mercedes snapped.

“But you’re not doing shit. Besides, I can’t wait. I need them really bad, my flow is heavy,” Stephanie continued.

“Does it look like I give a fuck right now? You better stuff some tissue in your panties until I finish what I’m doing. Don’t ever walk in my damn office without knocking. I’m not on your time!”

Stephanie looked at Mercedes and shook her head. “You’re a real bitch Mercedes, especially when Justice isn’t around. I can’t wait to tell him how you’ve been treating all the women around here.”

“Get the fuck out my office!” Mercedes yelled. She grabbed a pen off her desk and threw it as Stephanie turned around and slammed the door. “I’ma make sure she’s the next bitch to leave here.”

Infuriated once again that Justice wasn’t around to deal with the nagging women, Mercedes decided to sneak into his office and go though Skye’s file. Willing to bet her entire paycheck that he was over Skye’s house, Mercedes needed the file to locate her new address. The state required that the shelter keep up with all occupants for the first two years, so finding out where Skye laid her head at night was the easy part. Locating the key to the file cabinet where Justice kept all the information locked up was another issue. She had access to his office, but all occupant folders were off limits.

Heading down the hall, Mercedes constantly looked around to make sure no one was watching as she made her way to his office. When the coast was clear she unlocked the door and slipped inside.

Not wasting any time, Mercedes quickly used the rubber band that was around her wrist to place her hair in a ponytail then opened every drawer inside Justice’s desk. Seeing Justice open the cabinet numerous times, she knew what the small key looked like, but couldn’t find it. Looking under his rolodex, his dice paperweight and even inside his candy dish, Mercedes was about to give up when suddenly it hit her.

Every time Justice was about to go to the cabinet, she would always hear the CD drive on his computer pop open. Not thinking anything of it until now, Mercedes wiggled the mouse to his computer to activate the power. Knowing Justice always kept this computer in sleep mode, Mercedes quickly hit the button to eject the CD drive, then smiled once she saw the small, gold key tapped inside.

“Bingo,” she said with a conniving smile.

After retrieving the key, Mercedes walked over to the cabinet and opened it with ease before quickly thumbing through the folders. Once she landed on the one that said,
Janelle Coleman
, her smile became even wider.

Excited by this point, Mercedes read through Justice’s notes during their sessions, then finally made her way to the section that stated…current location.

“I know exactly where this is,” she said, writing down the address.

When she finished, Mercedes placed the file back in the same location then proceeded to close the door, However, when she spotted Stephanie’s folder, Mercedes decided to get her ass back for being such a pain. She knew Stephanie was a former drug addict, who allowed her boyfriend to abuse her along with her four kids. She also knew that Stephanie was trying to get her kids back from several foster homes. Although Stephanie was now sober and clean, Mercedes wrote some false shit about her being caught using drugs at the shelter in the back of her records, so the state could see it whenever they reviewed her file. Justice did such a half-ass job when the women were released sometimes, he probably wouldn’t notice the false information.

“That should teach your ass not to call me a bitch,” Mercedes said as she put the file back and closed the cabinet door.

After placing the key back, Mercedes made sure everything was in order before leaving Justice’s office. She then went to the supply cabinet in the hallway, and unlocked it, before pulling out a box of sanitary napkins. When she passed Stephanie’s room, Mercedes threw the box at her.

“There you go bloody Mary, “she said laughing out loud.

“You need help,” Stephanie responded.

Like a woman on a mission, Mercedes went back to her office, grabbed her purse and keys, then headed to her car. Her man was more than likely over another woman’s house, and he needed to know that was totally unacceptable.

*****

While driving, Mercedes wondered why all the relationships in her life never worked out. It was a known fact that she’d given each man her all, but after they got what they wanted from her, they always left. However, this time she wasn’t letting it go down like that. Deep down in her heart, Mercedes knew she and Justice were meant to be.

If that bitch, Janelle, thinks
she’s gonna set up house with my man like they’re one big happy family, she better think again. His place is with me and my boys, that’s his fucking family,
she thought.

Several minutes later, Mercedes pulled into Skye’s neighborhood. When she did a thorough scan of the parking lot, it didn’t take long for her to locate Justice’s car. She was furious.

Banging the steering wheel, she yelled, “That bitch!”

After parking her car a few rows from his, Mercedes quickly jumped out. Ducking down, she ran over to Justice’s car and pulled out a spare key that she’d made a long time ago without him knowing. After getting inside, she looked around and saw a sweatshirt in the back seat. Picking it up, she put it up to her nose and inhaled.

“I love the way my man smells,” she said smiling. She laid back in the seat and rubbed the leather. “I’m going to look good driving this shit to pick up my boys.”

Looking around the car, Mercedes instantly sat up when she noticed a silver hoop earring on the floor of the passenger’s side. She was furious all over again.

“I can’t believe he had that bitch is this car!”

Reaching in her jacket pocket, Mercedes pulled out her phone and called Justice’s number with her long nails within seconds.

“Hello,” he said.

The minute she heard his voice, she started screaming. “Justice something bad has happened. There’s been a fire at the shelter!”

“Oh my God, are you serious? Did anybody get hurt? Where are you?” Justice frantically asked.

“Everybody is fine. I’m here at the shelter with the fire chief. Almost everything was destroyed. You need to get over here right away! It’s bad…it’s really bad.” Mercedes had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

“Stay right there, I’m on my way!” Justice yelled before hanging up.

With a wicked grin on her face, Mercedes quickly took off her long sleeved t-shirt and bra then jumped in the back seat and bent down on the floor. She watched as Justice ran out of Skye’s apartment and toward the car. Because his windows were tinted, he had no way of knowing she was inside.

When he jumped in the car and put the key in the ignition, Mercedes popped her head up scaring Justice half to death.

“Hey daddy, I’ve missed you!”

Justice was shocked and furious at the same time. “How the hell did you get in my damn car?”

She smiled and daggled the spare key in his face. “This is how.”

Justice tried to snatch the key, but Mercedes pulled her hand back and laughed.

“Why the hell are you playing these silly little games and what are you doing here? Where the hell are your clothes?” he questioned.

“I should be asking you the same fucking thing! You should be at work, not over here with this bitch!”

“How did you find out where Janelle lived?” Justice asked. He suddenly remembered his files. “Did you go into my file cabinet, Mercedes?”

“Yes, I had to get her address so I could come over here and talk some sense into you.”

“Mercedes, you’ve gone too fucking far this time.”

At that point, she reached over the seat and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Justice, you don’t understand. I love you. Please don’t mess up what we have for her.” She then grabbed his hand and fondled her breast. “Don’t you miss this baby?”

Annoyed, Justice immediately pulled his hand back. “What
we
have? Mercedes I’m going to tell you this one last time. What we
did
was a mistake. We’ll never be together! Now leave me the fuck alone and get out my damn car!”

“No, I’m not getting out until we discuss working on our relationship,” Mercedes pouted.

Fed up, Justice got out the car, walked around to the back door and pulled her out.

Instead of trying to cover her bare chest, Mercedes started screaming making a huge scene as several onlookers stared in disbelief. Justice looked over in the direction of Skye’s apartment to make sure she hadn’t heard the commotion.

“I don’t believe this shit. You’re fucking crazy, don’t come back to work, you’re fired!” he yelled.

Getting up off the ground, Mercedes yelled back, “So, you’re gonna fire me after all we’ve been through?”

Justice reached in his car and grabbed her belongings then threw them at her. “Yes, I am.”

“You can’t do this!” Mercedes screamed.

Not wanting to entertain her antics any longer, Justice started walking back to Skye’s apartment.

“Justice…Justice…does Ms. Janelle know that you’re married?”

He immediately stopped walking and turned around. “No, and if she ever finds out, trust me…you’ll be sorry.

Chapter 19

Driving for six straight hours, Dre loved the way the new Chevrolet Camaro V8, 400 horsepower engine handled the road.

“Hopefully after this job I can get me one of these,” he said, rubbing the rental car’s steering wheel like a fine piece of china.

He wondered what was in store for him now that he was out of jail and no longer a drug dealer. He didn’t understand where his life went wrong. Despite having a good upbringing he always found himself in trouble.

“Maybe I’ll go legit and invest in some type of business, or get married and have a couple of kids,” Dre mumbled to himself.

Knowing he was two days behind schedule since Trina refused to rent the car at first, Dre stepped on the gas so he could get to Atlanta at a decent time. He turned up the radio when his favorite Maxwell song,
Lifetime
came on, and instantly sang along with the lyrics.

“
I was reborn when I was broken, I wouldn't believe, I wouldn't believe
.”

When he started thinking about his old girl, a burn of arousal ignited in his blood. As mean and evil as Dre could be at times, she was the only woman that he ever dated who could soften him up. He’d never let a woman get close to him, but somehow she’d managed to break through the huge tough barrier to his heart.

When they were dating, he liked the fact that she wasn’t a push over like the rest of the women in his past. She would go toe to toe with his ass and never backed down. That shit turned Dre on. He wanted to make her his wife and give her the world. So when he got an opportunity to go set up shop in Miami and make some real money, he left her and Atlanta behind. Unfortunately, she was still holding it against him. Getting locked up wasn’t in Dre’s plan, but sometimes it came with the territory.

As soon as thoughts about the good times they shared together entered his mind, Dre pulled out the cell phone that Sandino gave him and decided to give her a call. He hoped she hadn’t changed her phone number since his last attempt. He’d stopped trying to call a while back because she refused to answer or even come see him while he was locked up.

Anxious to hear her voice, he listened as the phone rang and surprisingly this time she answered.

“Hello,” she said in the sexy tone he remembered so well.

His face displayed a huge grin. “Oh, my goodness. What up, Baby Girl?”

His voice rippled with excitement, but there was dead silence on the line for about two seconds. She was surprised to hear from him.

“Don’t hey, baby girl me, Dre.” Her sexy tone now sounded bitter and angry.