15. Uri
Uri
“Get off me!” Corinthians yelled as she fought against two of Robert’s men. One of them grabbed her from behind, and the other tried to grab her legs, but she kicked him in the chest, making him fall back. “Get off me!”
“Calm down!” Robert yelled as he walked to the ring. “Pet! Calm down!”
“No!” She kept kicking, kept fighting. I pulled against the ropes holding me against the metal pole in the corner of the room. “Get off me!”
“Do you want me to punish you?” Robert got into the ring and walked towards her. Even though he was upset, I could see the smile tugging at his lips that he was trying to hold back. “Huh? Do you!”
“I hate you!” she yelled. “I hate you!”
Robert smacked her in the mouth so hard that her head jerked to the side, and blood started to pour from her mouth.
“You can hate me all you want, but you will not disrespect me!” he yelled as he grabbed her face.
Corinthians stared him in the eyes, not blinking.
“Ever since you came back from your grandparents, you’ve been feisty.
” He kissed her forehead. “That fire is what I need, but only when you are fighting. Not with me, not with my men.” Without warning, she spat in his face, making him let her face go and step back. “You little bitch!”
Robert wiped the spit from his face, then slapped her again, this time so hard I could see the red mark on her skin. Corinthians’ head dropped.
“What do you want me to do with her?” one of the security guards holding her asked.
“Leave her here,” Robert answered. The guard dropped her and tried to walk away, but Robert grabbed him by the back of his neck and forced him to the ground. “Are you crazy? Why the fuck would you handle my pet that way?”
“I did what you said,” the guard replied. “You said leave her here.”
“Leave her here does not mean drop her as if she is nothing,” Robert yelled at him.
“You set her down gently. She is delicate.” Robert stood and shook his head.
“I don’t know why I’m wasting my time.” He pulled his gun from the back of his pants and aimed it at the guard's head.
“Your careless ways just cost you your life.” He shot him, then turned to check on Corinthians.
“Sweet pet.” He grabbed her by the back of her head and lifted her face from the mat.
“You will eventually do what I want, but until then, you will suffer like the rest.”
“Robert!” Logan called out as he came into the room. “We got a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” Robert asked. When he let go of Corinthians' head, it hit the mat. He barely gave her a glance when he stepped over her.
“Angel’s fuckin’ parents,” Logan answered, shaking his head. “They came into the house in Turner Row. The one the boys were locked in.”
“How do you know?” Robert asked. He looked in my direction and lifted his brow. “Uri, did you see someone when you were there?”
“No.”
“He’s lying,” Logan accused me. I stared at him, daring him to prove something he had no witnesses to. “The local D-boy told me, the one that’s trying to up Emoro’s bitch ass.”
“Never take a lead from a weak nigga,” Robert chuckled. “If he ain’t taken over the direction of TR, then he ain’t running shit.”
“I don’t know, it’s something about this shit that feels right.”
“Call Angel and Ruben,” Robert said, then turned to look at me. “If you’re lying to me, Uri, I’m going to cut off two of my pet’s fingers and feed them to you.”
“They are already here,” Logan told him. He went to the door, said something to whoever was out there, and then came back to where he had originally been standing. A few minutes later, a nervous-looking Angel and Ruben came into the room.
“I can explain…” Ruben started to say, but Robert held up his hand. Ruben stopped talking and waited.
“Your parents were at the house in TR?” Robert asked Angel. She shook her head and Robert tsked. “Use your words, Angel. Were your parents at the house in Turner Row?”
“No!” she said. “If my parents had been there, they would’ve said something.”
“Are you sure?” Robert asked her. I could tell from the blank expression on his face that he was mad. Why he wasn’t showing it confused me. Robert never had a problem before showing his anger.
“Yes, neither of my parents has said anything about it, and they’ve been calling daily to check on the girls. If they were there, trust me, they would’ve said something.”
“When’s the next time you plan to see them?” Robert asked.
“This weekend, they will have the kids while we are at your party,” Ruben answered.
Robert stood there, quiet, then nodded. “Right, my party this weekend. We are celebrating the contracts on the other kids.” He clapped and laughed. “That will be the last time they see them. When exactly are they getting them?”
“After Mercy’s game,” Ruben answered. “We are going to the game as a family, and they will take the kids with them, and we will come to the party.”
“Okay,” Robert nodded. “I will see you then.” He gave them a pointed look, dismissing them by saying nothing. Ruben and Angel quickly left, leaving Logan standing near the ring.
“You believe them?” Logan asked.
“No, I think their parents are up to something,” Robert answered.
“They’ve wanted too much time with my pet as of late.
” He turned around, went to Corinthians, and flipped her over.
There was a bottle of water in the corner of the ring.
Robert went to get it and brought it back to where Corinthians was.
He poured it on her, making her jump up.
“What do your grandparents know?” Instead of answering him, she rolled over to her side and tried to get up.
Robert grabbed her hair and pulled her from the ground.
Making her feet dangle in the air. “Answer my question, Pet! What did you tell your grandparents?”
“Everything,” she answered.
“You’re lying!” He yelled and then threw her to the ground.
“I told you what would happen if you talked, right?” he got down to her eye level.
“Enjoy this weekend with your grandparents because it’ll be the last time you see them before they're in a casket.” Corinthian's eyes grew wide with surprise, then Robert stood.
He, without warning, kicked her in the face so hard that she was knocked unconscious and fell back.
“You’re going to kill the grandparents?” Logan asked with a laugh.
“No,” Robert answered, shaking his head. “I’m going to get Ruben and Angel to sign over custody of my pet to me, then kill them.”
***
I needed to tell her about her parents and what Robert had planned. I heard him talking to Logan; he had a full plan on what he was going to do. He was going to kill her parents, take her, and lock her in the basement.
My bedroom door opened, and I slowly lowered my hand to watch as my mama walked into the room. She’d been locked in her room with Robert for the last three days. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she was walking with a limp.
“Uri, we are having company soon,” she said, watching me. I often wondered how she ended up with Robert. What bad luck did she have to be stuck with him, have his kids, and live in this house?
“Who?” No one ever came over. Robert said he didn’t like people in his space. I think it was really because he never knew the type of torture he was going to inflict on any of us, so it was easier never to have anyone come over.
“Your Uncle Bradon called and said he was on the way,” she answered. There was a small spark of happiness in her eyes when she mentioned Bradon that I’d never seen before. “He called about twenty minutes ago and told your father.”
“Why?” I slowly asked.
She looked over her shoulder towards the hallway before turning back to me. “I don’t know, but he has no choice. You need to get up, get dressed, and be downstairs quickly.”
I got up, not needing to continue our conversation.
Mama left just as quietly as she’d come.
She closed the door behind her, and I went to my closet to get a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and shoes.
After a quick shower, I was dressed and walking down the steps just as Uncle Bradon and Breighton were walking into the house.
“What’s good, nephew?” Uncle Bradon greeted me. He pulled me into a hug, and I hugged him back. Being hugged by someone was always foreign to me because I was used to being held down. I didn’t associate hugs with something good but having Uncle Bradon hug me felt good. “How are you feeling?”
“He’s fine,” Robert said, coming into the living room. He barely glanced at Mama before snapping his fingers twice. “Go on and get the food ready while I talk to my brother.”
Mama quickly left the room. Uncle Bradon watched her go before turning back to us. He shook his head, then pointed in the direction of Robert’s office.
“Business, then food,” Uncle Bradon told Robert, and then headed towards the office. Robert followed behind Uncle Bradon and Breighton, and I was behind him. When we got into the office, Uncle Bradon sat behind Robert’s desk. “Have a seat.”
“Geeh, thanks,” Robert chuckled as he sat down in the chair in front of his desk. “Nothing like being invited into my own office.”
“I could snatch this shit away,” Uncle Bradon replied. “With the snap of my finger, all this would be mine.” He sat forward, resting his arms on the desk and glaring at Robert. “I looked at the expenses, and we got a big ass fucking problem.”
“I can explain-“
“Ain’t shit to explain, Robert!” Uncle Bradon yelled and slammed his hand on the desk. “You are bleeding this office dry. What the fuck are you doing?”
“I had a few mishaps,” Robert tried to explain. “I made a few bad investments, and the trials didn’t produce like I expected them to. I have a plan.”
“You have a plan?” he mocked Robert. “A fuckin’ plan, Robert? You are damn near a million dollars in the hole. What kind of plan do you have to get that money back?”
“An insurance policy,” Robert answered. “I have one in the works right now. The money will be in the accounts plus interest.”
“That’s not how shit works,” Uncle Bradon said, shaking his head. “This is a fucking PR problem we are about to have. I have been on calls nonstop trying to handle this. I have to take Breighton to her mama and get on a fucking plane to go home to try and fix this.”
“I still don’t like that, Daddy,” Breighton said, shaking her head. “I want to go with you or stay here!” She looked around the room. “I can stay with Uncle Robert and play with Uri and Kenbral.”
“No Breighton-“
“Yeah, let her stay,” Robert quickly said, nodding. “You don’t want her around her mama's people, and I have the space. She can stay here.”
“Robert-“
“I will make sure she is fully taken care of. No questions asked, no complaints.”
I watched Uncle Bradon as he thought over Robert’s offer. I wanted to tell him no, that Breighton wouldn’t be safe here. That living here was torture, and she would be broken by the time he came back.
“It will make Sharon happy. She always says she wishes we had a daughter. This will be her chance to live out a dream.” Robert smiled, and I knew he was lying.
Mama didn’t even want to be our parent, so I knew she didn’t want a daughter.
Why would she? We were living a living nightmare.
“You said that you wanted her to get to know her cousins. This could be a way.”
“No,” Uncle Bradon said, shaking his head. “Her mama may be dumb, but she isn’t stupid. She knows I will kill her and everyone associated with her if something happens to Breighton.” He narrowed his eyes at Robert. “You are dumb enough to try me just to see if you can get away with it.”
Robert laughed but didn’t deny anything that was said.
Instead, he sat back in his seat and shook his head.
“I would never do anything to your child that I wouldn’t do to mine,” he replied.
He looked over at her and smiled. “She’s as safe as they are.
” Robert's eyes showed how interested he was in having Breighton stay with us.
He looked at her like Jonathan looked at Psalms.
“I’m standing on what I said,” Uncle Bradon replied.
“But Daddy,” Breighton whined. “I want to spend time with Uri and Kenbral like I do Mecca, Mahogany, and Larry.”
Uncle Bradon turned to Breighton and shook his head. “We will figure something out. When I get back, I will come and get them and let them stay at our house for a few weeks.”
“You promise?” she asked, and Uncle Bradon nodded. “Okay.” Breighton ran around the desk, hugged him, then kissed him on the cheek before coming back to stand next to me.
“Now back to you and this fucking money issue,” Uncle Bradon said, turning back to Robert. “I am going to fix this, but it will be the last time. After I get back, I’ll be taking over the office.”
“I have a plan!”
“I don’t give a fuck about your plan!” Uncle Bradon yelled. “I give a fuck about this company, about what it will be when it’s time for us to step down and hand it over to our kids. Fucking around with you and Logan, it won't be shit but a shell of a possibility.”
“My insurance check will be cashed in soon,” Robert said, shaking his head. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve done it before.”
Uncle Bradon’s face twisted in confusion. “When?”
“Twelve years ago,” he answered with a chuckle. “I cashed in on an insurance plan, and you never knew. Which means I know what I’m doing and everything will be covered. Just watch.”
“I’m not watching shit,” Uncle Bradon said as he stood. “I’m having all the finance reports pulled.”
“For what exactly?”
“To see what your dumb ass has been doing since I was stupid enough to think you had some sense and could successfully run a business,” Uncle Bradon told him.
“Now let’s go eat; your wife has been standing in the hallway for the last few minutes waiting for us.
” He rounded the desk, put his hand out for Breighton to take, then walked out of the office.
Robert got up but didn’t leave his office. Instead, he went around the desk, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.
“Logan, we have a problem,” he said, watching me.
“No, Bradon is pulling the finance reports.” He paused and nodded.
“He doesn’t know the full extent of everything, but he will soon.
I need to cash in on that plan sooner rather than later.
Call Jonathan and let him know we are moving forward with getting the girls. We don’t have time to waste.”