Chapter 18 #3
“That’s already done; what next?” Plain and simple. No delaying, no excuses. He was handling business, and Ellie’s mouth fell open in shock.
“What do you mean? You hired a lawyer for me?” she asked.
“Best divorce lawyer in the state,” he informed. “She’ll make sure you come out on top.”
“When did you have time to do that?” she asked, stunned.
“She received a 3 a.m. call this morning after you went to sleep,” Loyal revealed. He was just a man of means who made whatever moves he wanted to. He didn’t ask permission. He was dead set on having her, and she couldn’t belong to two men at once.
She was speechless.
“Now, what’s the next problem?” he repeated.
“The girls’ schools,” she stammered. “I…I can’t move them mid-year.”
“Sure, you can. Headmistress at one of the best K-12 private schools in Bloomfield Hills is awaiting your call after the holiday. Their spots are held, tuition paid. I didn’t know their information and all that, so you still got to register them, transfer records, and all that shit, but the spots are theirs if you want them.
Whatever judge decides your divorce agreement is going to put a joint custody plan in place anyway.
It’ll be easier if you’re in the same state.
Blame it on that; either way, it’s done. ”
“Loyal!” she protested. “You can’t make moves without consulting me.”
“We consulted. We decided. Ain’t no backtracking,” he said, already losing interest in the back and forth as he pulled out his cell phone.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Ellie admitted.
“And I’m certain,” Loyal said.
Ellie wanted to protest, but her phone rang, and Brooklyn’s picture illuminated her screen. She held up a finger. “You just wait because we’re not done discussing this.”
He chuckled as she moved out of his lap, but he had already moved on from the conversation.
“Man, check on them babies, and quit worrying about something that you ain’t changing,” Loyal stated. He was standing firm.
“Brook? Hey, baby, is everything-” Before she could even get her full sentence out, Brooklyn was screaming in panic.
“Ma! The police are here! They said we’re trespassing. They have us in the back of a police car!”
“Wait, what?” Ellie asked. “I’m on my way, baby. Is there an officer in the car with you?”
“No, they’re talking to some woman on the porch.
They didn’t tell me anything. They just stormed in with their guns pointed.
They were yelling, and Tess was crying, and the baby was screaming.
They put us in the car, and now they’re searching the house and talking to this white lady. She told them we refuse to leave.”
“I’m on my way,” Ellie shouted, anger boiling at the thought of her children having an interaction with the police. “Stay on this phone, Brooklyn, do not hang up!”
Loyal sat up. “What’s going on?”
“I need you to go to Shy’s. The police are there and have my daughters in the back of a police car,” Ellie informed.
“Have them in the back of a fucking car, for what? Are they in cuffs? Did somebody call the police on them?” He fired off questions and lowered the partition at the same time. “Yo, my man, I need you to go back to the address you picked her up from earlier this evening. And put some speed on it.”
“Baby, are you cuffed?” Ellie asked, putting Brooklyn on speakerphone.
“No, I’m holding the baby, but I’m scared, Ma,” Brooklyn said. “They said we aren’t supposed to be here.”
“I’m coming, baby. Your aunties are probably already on their way there. Just stay on the phone,” Ellie said. She opened her texts and went directly to the group chat.
Ellie
Shy, the police are at your house.
They have the kids. They’re saying they’re trespassing.
WTF?
How far are y’all from the house?
GET TO MY BABIES NOW!
I’M EN ROUTE!
The thirty minutes to Shy’s house were cut down to twenty, and when Ellie arrived, she and Loyal climbed out of the back of the car. She rushed over to the police car where her daughters were trapped in the backseat, and she pulled on the door, freeing them.
“Ma’am! Step away from the police cruiser!” an officer shouted. The officer made sure to put his hand on his holster, and Loyal’s rage clicked on without hesitation.
“Put your hand down, bitch-ass nigga,” Loyal barked. “Fuck you gon’ do? Shoot a mother for checking on her kids? Fuck is wrong with you? You acting like them, and your skin darker than ours!
Ellie didn’t have to say another word. Loyal took over the situation.
The officer lowered his hand off his weapon. “We’re just responding to a complaint, man. We’re just trying to clear the confusion and do our jobs.”
“They’re kids, man. Should have never put them babies in the backseat of that car, anyway,” Loyal demanded.
“Where are your coats? The baby’s blanket? Your shoes?” Ellie asked, taking off her mother’s mink coat and handing it to Brooklyn. “Hold Christian to your chest. I’m gonna button you up. Keep him warm, Brook.”
Loyal removed his suit jacket and wrapped Tessa in it. She was crying, and he picked her up. “It’s okay, baby girl,” he whispered as she held on tightly to his neck. “OG, got you.”
Shy and Courtney pulled up to the home, and Courtney rushed over to check on the kids.
“They’re fine, girl,” Ellie said. “We just trying to figure out what’s going on.” Ellie turned to Shy.
“Officer, this is her house! Here’s the homeowner. I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding,” Ellie shouted.
“I’ve got it, Ellie. Let me go clear this up,” Shy said in a low tone as she eased by their group and walked up to the officer and the white woman giving the statement on the front porch.
Shy disappeared inside the house with the white woman and the supervising officer.
“I’ll be right back,” Loyal said, walking toward the officer.
“Yo, my man, let me holler at you for a second,” Loyal said. He rubbed Tessa’s back as he stepped out of earshot of Ellie and Courtney. “Fuck is going on here?” Loyal asked. “Be straight up because putting these kids out in the middle of the night in this weather ain’t making sense.”
“Look, man. We didn’t want to put them out, but the white lady insisted.
She showed us the title of the home. She says they’re trespassing and refusing to leave.
Apparently, it’s a property that she’s put up for sale.
No one is supposed to be living here. She got a water bill that was higher than it should be because it’s vacant and only open for showings.
When she came over here to check on it, she found it’s being lived in. ”
“Look, I need to get these kids and my lady in the car. Nobody’s running off. I’ma square everything, don’t matter how much it cost, but it’s freezing fucking cold out here. They ain’t even got on shoes,” Loyal stated.
The officer looked sympathetically at the group and said, “Women and kids in the car is fine.”
Loyal trudged back over to Ellie. “Get in the car. Everybody get in and get some heat,” he instructed.
“What’s happening? What did he say?” Ellie asked.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ma go inside and handle it. Just get warm,” he said. They all climbed inside the Maybach, and Ellie looked at Loyal curiously before she closed the door. His anger was apparent. His handsome facial features were set in a deadly grimace.
“Should I come?” she asked.
“No,” he answered. No elaborating, no nothing. He kissed her forehead. “Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll be right back,” he announced to the entire car.
“Girl, what the fuck?” Courtney said as they all watched Loyal head toward the house.
“Is OG going to be okay, Mommy?” Tessa asked.
“He’s going to be fine,” Ellie reassured. “He’s going to figure all this out.”
“OG?” Courtney questioned.
“That’s the name they came up with together,” Ellie smiled.
“Oh, girl!” Courtney smiled back, shaking her head, and raising her brows knowingly. “You’re in over your fucking head, cuz, chileeee. Well played, sir.”
Ellie blushed as she watched Loyal assert himself over the situation. “Yeah, I think I am.”
“I didn’t break in here. I’m renting this place from my realtor,” Shy argued.
She couldn’t believe this was happening.
She had always kept her image intact. She was the popular friend.
Shy was the one with influence and with money.
She was the one who wore designers the others couldn’t pronounce and who flew in private jets to exotic places.
She was living a lavish lifestyle. Shy posted everything and bragged endlessly, making all the bitches who talked about how raggedy her clothes were and how poor her family was as a child sick.
The only problem was her posts didn’t match her reality.
Her entire life was smoke and mirrors. She had been squatting in this place for two weeks, just to have somewhere to host Christmas.
She had the hook up with a realtor, who would let her use brand-new show homes to film content.
All she had to do was throw the realtor a few hundred dollars, and she’d let her keep the keys for 48 hours.
She had only needed this one for two weeks to make it through the holidays.
Only, this one wasn’t a new build. It was for sale, and the family who owned it was supposed to be in Switzerland for the holidays.
It had been a perfect plan. She Didn’t know how it had blown up in her face.
“This place isn’t for rent. That’s a lie. She’s trespassing, and I want her arrested!” The homeowner was vehement about pressing charges.
Loyal walked through the door, and Shy knew she really had to save face.