Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
Grand.
I was exhausted but too fucking angry to sleep. Not to mention my body ached from sitting on the small metal bench for the past twelve hours. No matter how many times I replayed what happened at my apartment in my head, the one detail I couldn’t let go of was how a split second decision was costing me yet again.
The potential to miss time with my son and lose the second woman I gave my heart to washed over me thick and heavy.
“Sinclair.” I lifted my head and made eye contact with the officer that called my name. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Don’t know, don’t care. I was told to come get you,” he muttered robotically and glared until I was on my feet and moving toward him. As soon as I stepped out of the cell, he pointed down the hall.
“This way, let’s go.”
He didn’t bother cuffing me which meant I wasn’t going far. I followed him until we reached the end of the hall, bent the corner, and stopped outside of an interrogation room where he opened the door and motioned for me to go inside. This shit didn’t make sense. The only place I should have been going at this point was before the judge to discuss bail which I wouldn’t be granted.
The only thing I could think of was Aleah’s father was here to make sure bail didn’t happen. If that were the case, I damn sure wasn’t leaving because there was no way in hell I could think logically when it came to him.
“Who’s inside?”
“Don’t know and don’t care. Inside, now,” he grunted, widening his stance and dropping his chin.
I decided it was best not to push my luck so I entered the room and frowned at the guy sitting on the corner of the table with a file in his hand. His gaze swept over me but his expression didn’t give away much.
“Grand Sinclair.” He lifted from the table, rounded the side, pulled out a chair, and settled into it. “Can’t say I’m glad to see you again. Especially not here.”
“And who are you?”
“You don’t remember?” I scanned his face and shook my head.
“Sit, let’s talk.”
“Tell me who the fuck you are first.”
He smirked and tossed the file on the table. “Not much has changed I see.”
I stared at him for a minute longer and it clicked. Colton Ryan . “You prosecuted my case.”
“Yes.”
I glanced around the room as if it would somehow clue me in to what he was doing here.
“What do you want?”
“Sit down, Sinclair.”
Reluctantly, I crossed the room, dragged the chair opposite him from under the table, and sat.
He lifted his hand and tapped the folder. “That’s your file.”
I didn’t bother looking down or speaking. Just wanted to see what the hell he wanted.
“I was reviewing my bail docket for today and imagine my surprise when one of the cases had a name I recognized. I remembered your case. I remembered you .”
“And?”
“What happened between you and Alec Johnson?”
His arm rested on the table and he drummed his fingers, slowly tapping the surface.
“Shouldn’t that be in the file?”
“Yes, and it is, but I want to hear your side of things.”
“Why does it matter?”
He leaned forward, looking me directly in my eyes. “Do you want to have your parole revoked? If that happens, you go back to prison.”
“No.”
“Then I suggest you answer the question. What happened?”
“He showed up at my apartment yesterday morning with two uniforms and a guy who claimed to be a parole officer. Not the one I was assigned to though. The guy said he was there for a curfew check, then demanded to come inside. He said he had reason to believe I had drugs in my apartment, which was bullshit. They tossed my place, Alec showed up, said some slick shit about my son who was asleep in my bedroom, and I snapped.”
“You assaulted him.” The words were delivered as a statement and not a question.
I stared at him but didn’t respond. He exhaled a sigh, leaned back in the chair, and raked a hand down his face before his fingers were drumming the same rhythm on the table again. “I fought for you, Sinclair. You shouldn’t have gone to prison.”
I snorted at the thought. “No, I shouldn’t have, but someone who wanted me there fought harder to make sure it happened.”
He nodded. “Do you want your life back?”
“I’m never going to get my life back as long as he feels like I’m the reason his daughter died.”
“The question is do you want it, not if you believe it’s possible.”
“Then yes.”
“I wanted to help you back then. Did everything in my power to do so, but like you said, someone fought harder and had more pull. That’s no longer the case. I can make this go away but that depends on how committed you are to walking away from things.”
Walking away from things?
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’m not putting my career on the line if you don’t value your freedom.”
“I’m not here because I don’t value my freedom. I’m adhering to the bullshit terms of my parole. Anger management classes, staying clean, reporting to my PO, making sure I meet curfew, but none of that fucking matters. He won’t let this go. How am I supposed to defend myself against a man that has the ability to call in favors whenever he wants? He’s determined to disrupt my life.”
Ryan stared at me for a minute and nodded. “Can you give me your word that you will stay away from Johnson?”
I laughed sarcastically. “Stay away from him? I’m not the problem, he is.”
“I’ll take care of Johnson. You give me your word that if I make this go away, you will not end up here again. No matter what. That means no more using your hands to make money or solve problems.”
I scowled and he opened the file, removed a photo, and tossed it across the table. I lowered my eyes to the grainy image. Even though my heartbeat paused briefly, I kept my expression neutral. It was a picture of me the first night I fought at Matrix. The image wasn’t clear but it was surely visible enough to know it was me.
My first thought was Saniya but that left as soon as it came. There was no way she would have handed off photos of me. There was an article on Inside Track about the fights with the pictures she took that night. Not one was of me, but she had them. I never asked why she didn’t hand them over. I didn’t care as long as they weren’t out there but someone had this one.
“Am I supposed to know what this is?”
He laughed lightly. “After today, no, but please don’t think I’m stupid, Sinclair. When I decided to offer you an out, I made sure I had all the details. Apparently Johnson has been pushing to have your parole revoked for a few weeks now. When I searched your name, his complaints came up in the system with several claims about you violating the terms of your parole.”
Ryan pointed to the picture. “No more fighting. No more punching people when you're angry. You work, take care of your son, and figure out what your future looks like. This deal, if I offer it and if you accept, closes the door on your past. I need you to give your word that you can do that.”
“And what about him?”
“I’ll handle Johnson.”
“How?”
“Don’t worry about how, just know I’ll keep him contained. Do you want your life back or not?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, flipped through the folder again, and shuffled some papers. “You still work for Carson Construction?”
“Yeah.”
“Good, keep it that way. Continue paying your fees, and as soon as your balance is clear, I’ll terminate your parole.”
“Is there a timeframe on when I can pay the balance for you to end it?”
I had close to thirty grand saved. I was willing to hand that shit over to be done with all of this. Wouldn’t hesitate.
“No, you want to write a check today, you can. When they let me know your balance is zeroed out, I’ll terminate your parole without prejudice and you’re done. No more check-ins, no more curfew. You’re completely done.”
“What guarantees do I have that you’ll keep your word? You made me promises five years ago and you see how that worked out?”
“When I was assigned your case, I was ADA. As much as I believed in the ability to do what was fair and just, not everyone else carried the same sentiment. The previous District Attorney believed in collecting favors for his own personal agenda. I’m not sure what Johnson offered but it was enough for the DA to do what Johnson wanted. He went against my recommendation for sentencing and influenced the judge's decision. I can’t prove it. Won’t even try but I know it happened. You ended up with a five-year sentence. I have since been elected to the position of DA and although I can’t right all of his wrongs, I am doing the best I can to honor the position in the way it should be upheld. Some cases weigh heavy on you. Yours was one of those for me. I couldn’t help you then but I’m doing so now. City’s understaffed, PO officers are overworked. No one will question my decision to terminate your parole as long as all of your terms are satisfied. It happens all the time. As for what’s going on with Johnson, my office can decide what cases we choose to prosecute. His claims of assault will not be one of them.”
“My PO said my fees were high. Too high for my charges. Can you do anything about that?”
He flipped through the papers again, scanned one of them, and frowned at what he found.
“Fifty grand is a lot. I’m sure that was also influenced by Johnson. I’ll get it adjusted. You’ll still have to pay but it won’t be this much. Should not be more than fifteen thousand for court fees and monitoring services.”
“When I pay, I’m done?”
“Yes, you’re done, but please understand, this is your one get out of prison free card. If you end up here again, there won’t be anything I can do to help. And as for your girlfriend, she gets a free walk as well, but tell her to keep her hands to herself and to stay away from Johnson.”
A scowl settled on my face. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“Saniya Montgomery. Johnson is claiming she assaulted him as well. I have the basics of what transpired yesterday morning but I’ll get to the bottom of things when I officially sit Johnson down. One of my officers is picking him up now. I will lay out his options. At the top of this list will be to stay away from you, which also extends to the people in your life. Your son, Ms. Montgomery, your mother, Talon Mitchell, and Walter Carson. Those names will be listed specifically but I will make it clear that he minds his business and moves on or I will be a thorn in his side.”
All of what he was saying blurred because my mind was stuck on Saniya assaulting Alec. After watching her hit another man at The Pit, I wasn’t surprised, but this further confirmed I needed this shit done and over with. There was no reason for her to be stuck in the middle of my bullshit and risking her own freedom.
“I appreciate that.”
“Good.” He stood, extended a hand. We sealed the deal with a handshake. “Let’s go.”
I followed him until we reached the front of the precinct just in time to witness Aleah’s father being escorted in by a uniformed officer. He was cuffed and looked like his head was about to explode but the devil himself appeared in his expression when his eyes landed on me and Ryan.
“You did this?” He sneered at Ryan.
“Yes, and I suggest you watch your tone. Pissing off a DA that doesn’t give a shit about your money or your ability to throw your weight around is incredibly stupid.”
“I’m not watching a gotdamn thing but I suggest you get these cuffs off me right now.”
“Sorry, can’t do that. You committed a crime and this is how we treat criminals.”
“I haven’t committed any crimes, and if he’s the reason you dragged me out of my house in handcuffs, then you won’t be DA much longer.”
“You bribed a state employee, called in favors to have two police officers perform an illegal search for a parolee, then provoked him into assaulting you.” Alec lifted his chin, turning his bruised jaw into view. It already looked pretty nasty and was going to get worse.
“I did nothing to provoke this. I’m pressing charges.”
Ryan smirked and moved closer to Alec. “And I have the right to decide whether my office will prosecute. We’re not.”
“You have to.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You’re free to go, Sinclair.”
“You can’t do this.”
“I just did. Mr. Sinclair served his time. You and I both know he was not responsible for what happened to your daughter. The situation was devastating and unfortunate. At the very least, I can commend Sinclair for honoring Aleah’s legacy while you, on the other hand, are not. If you think for one minute she would have condoned your behavior, then you’re as delusional now as you were back then. Grief is hard. I understand your loss but your behavior is not driven by grief and I’m sick of your shit. You broke the law. Please understand bribing and threatening state officials is a very serious crime. One I do not take lightly. I’m giving you one chance, and one chance only, to think about your actions. You either move on and let this young man live his life or I come at you with everything I have. And trust me, Mr. Johnson, I have a lot of time and endless resources. What’s it going to be?”
“You can’t do this…”
“I can. Now, if you would like to walk out of here without the promise of being criminally prosecuted, I suggest you heed my warning. Sinclair and his family are off limits. You will not harass him. You will not interfere with his life or I will be your worst nightmare. The choice is yours.”
Ryan waved to the officer escorting Alec. “Take him to the back and give him some time to consider his options before I sit down with him.”
“Wait, hold on.”
He jerked away from the officer but he grabbed his arm again and forcefully dragged him to the back.
“Regardless of his decision, I will make sure he can’t touch you. There will be a restraining order in place. If he refuses to let this go, I will pursue criminal charges against him. Good luck, Sinclair. If you keep your word, I’ll keep mine.”
I nodded. “Go see the clerk. They’ll get you taken care of. You good to get home?”
“Yeah, I have someone I can call.”
I looked around the precinct and prayed this would be my last time stepping foot in here. This was my second strike; I refused to face a third because there would be no walking out of here if I did.
“You believe him?” Tali asked, leaning back in the driver’s seat of his car and turned his head toward me.
“I won’t believe a damn thing until it’s all finalized and my name is no longer in their system.”
“So you’re gonna pay?”
“If he can get the fees down, yeah. I don’t want this shit hanging over my head.”
“I feel you.”
I glanced at Saniya’s car parked next to mine then stared at my door. “She good?”
Tali grinned. “Yeah man, she’s straight. Your girl was ready to start a war behind you. I fuck with that.”
I laughed lightly and lifted a hand to massage my chin. “I appreciate that she would but I hate putting her in the position to have to. I don’t want my life disrupting hers.”
Another reason I was willing to empty my bank account if it meant I could walk away from all this. Raiden deserved better. Saniya did also. There was no reason for them to be affected by my bad decisions.
“Regardless, Saniya’s a good look. She held Raidy down. Didn’t fucking blink or hesitate to step up. She even shut me down when I tried to step in. I know it’s not how you expected things to play out and it’s fucked up that Aleah’s not here. It was supposed to be the two of you and I know you’ll never be the same after losing her but this is good for you. She’s good for you. I hope you see that.”
“I do.”
No matter how I’d gotten here, how hard it was or how hard it would be, I wanted this with Saniya. If she still wanted to be in this with me, I was going to do everything in my power to accept what my life looked like without Aleah and give Saniya the happiness she deserved. I would always love Aleah. Never in my fucking life would I forget how she owned my heart and made my life better but I couldn’t change the past. I would honor her by making sure our son was loved in a way that she would want. That more than anything meant being here for him. Dumb shit like yesterday couldn’t happen again.
“I’m going to head out. We’ll talk after you come up for air.” I wanted to slap the goofy ass grin off his face, because more than anything, all I wanted was to be up under Saniya. Drowning in every inch of her.
“I appreciate you always being here. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me shit, Grand. Family stands for family. You’ve stepped up for me more times than I can count, but regardless, we’re not keeping score.”
I extended a closed fist. He met it with his before I was out the car and on my way to the door.
I knocked and came face to face with Saniya. She had a phone to her ear which she dropped. Luckily I was quick enough to catch it seconds before she threw herself at me and I had to catch her . This woman hugged me so tightly I struggled to keep us both upright when she climbed up my body and locked her legs around my waist but I didn’t fucking care. Her actions were a reflection of my feelings.
I was home.
“You’re here,” she mumbled against my neck and I walked us through the door, kicking it closed with my foot because she still hadn’t let me go.
“Yeah.”
“How?”
“Long story.” She lifted her head and tried to kiss me but I pulled back. When she frowned, I explained.
“It’s been a long night. Let me get cleaned up before we get to that.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead and gently lowered her to the floor, holding up her phone, which she hadn’t given a second thought to.
“Shit, that’s your mom. I called to check on Raiden…” She adjusted her clothes. “You should talk to her.”
“You checked on my son?”
“Yes, and I hope that’s okay. Tali gave me her number and…”
I leaned in and pressed another kiss to her forehead. I wanted to kiss her properly but I damn sure didn’t want to put my mouth on her until I got myself cleaned up. “Saniya, chill. I appreciate that you care enough to do so. Give me a minute.”
She smiled softly and nodded. I lifted the phone and sure enough my mother was on the line. While Saniya headed to the sofa, I headed to my room and leaned against the dresser once inside. “Hey Ma…”
“You’re home.”
“Yeah, I’m home.”
“You’re okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s straight but it’s a long story. Can I come see you tomorrow?”
“Yes baby, but are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, Ma. I’m good. It’s different this time. You don’t have to worry.”
I hated making that promise without knowing for sure but I was trusting that things would work out. I had to believe they would.
“You can’t expect me not to worry, Grand.”
“I know, but this one time I’m asking you to trust me. Can you do that?”
She exhaled a sigh. “Yes, I can trust you. Come see us tomorrow.”
“I will. Is he okay?”
“He’s okay. He got upset and thought you weren’t coming back. I assured him that you were. Don’t make a liar out of me, Grand,” she fussed.
“I won’t. Tell him I’ll see him tomorrow.”
“I’ll tell him, and baby, she’s a good one. Don’t mess this up.”
I smiled at the warning in her tone. “I’ll do my best.”
Everyone important in my life fucked with Saniya heavy, further confirming that I was making the right decision by choosing her.
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I ended the call, tossed Saniya’s phone on the bed, and headed back to the living room to let her know I needed a minute to wash this shit off me then we could talk. Stepping through that door to find her waiting added to my need for things with us to be more than temporary. I liked the idea of coming home to her and my son. What I liked even more was the three of us existing without the threat of bullshit disrupting our happiness. If I had to hand over every penny I owned to ensure that was the case, I was damn sure going to do it.