Chapter 9 #2
"Yeah, it is simple," I said, my voice steady and cold. "And you gonna make it that simple. You need to call the DA. Call the judge. Call whoever the fuck else you need to call. Right now. This is an emergency and I ain't waiting no more."
He didn't respond, just stared at me like he was trying to figure out my angle.
"My brother been sitting in that bitch fighting a murder charge with no body, no evidence, and most importantly, no witness," I continued. "That case ain’t ever been solid and everybody know it. That’s why muthafuckas keep pushing shit back and holding my brother on bullshit.”
I walked into his personal space and he had to step back against his desk. I could see him calculating, trying to figure out if I was bluffing about something. He was gone learn that a nigga like me never sold wolf tickets.
"I know there's no witness," I said, my voice dropping lower so only he could hear, "cause I put that bitch ass nigga in the dirt my damn self. I know he'll never be found. But they’ve been dragging this shit out hoping something comes up. Hoping somebody talks, or that a witness resurfaces. Hoping the case gets stronger knowing damn well it ain’t no muthafuckin case!”
Tyree's face went white.
"But see, now shit got sticky," I continued. "My brother ain't just sitting on bullshit charges no more. His trial getting pushed back. His safety in that jail is in danger. He damn near lost his life. That right there is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Prison negligence. Unsafe conditions for an inmate awaiting trial. Failure to protect. So to me, it looks as if my brother is intentionally being put in harms way with hopes he’ll get killed in that prison. On top of these muthafuckas not having a real case against him in the first damn place. Let’s be real, he’s a Carter and that’s the only reason this shit is happening to him.
You follow me? If he’s not out that bitch, I’m ready to push a ten million dollar lawsuit and bring all kind of unwanted attention.
Everybody involved skeletons are bound to come out!
And I know muthafuckas don’t want that kind of heat. ”
Tyree side eyed me, but nodded like he was starting to understand what I was really telling him to do.
"So here's how this gonna work," I said, stepping back and giving him some space but keeping my eyes on him.
"You got seventy-two hours to get my brother out. Seventy-two hours. You can use the lawsuit angle - the stabbing proves the prison can't keep him safe. You can argue the case is weak without that witness. You can file a motion for immediate bail review based on changed circumstances. You can do whatever you need to do legally to get him released pending trial or get that shit thrown away like it should be. But in seventy-two hours, my brother needs to be walking out of that facility or I’m gone turn everything upside down and I’m giving you my word. "
"Kaseem, I understand what you're asking but—" Tyree started.
"Nah," I cut him off. "I don’t need you to understand. Just do it."
He gave me a look. A nasty glare that said he didn't appreciate being talked to like this in his own house.
"At the end of the day, I'm a man," he said, his voice hard.
"And you gonna respect me as such, especially when you come up in my shit. I don't know how you young niggas are being raised, but before I was ever in a suit, I was on the same shit you on. I was in the streets doing what needed to be done. I was smart enough to walk away from that life and build something legitimate but don’t ever think that we ain’t cut from the same cloth or that you can put fear in me. "
I listened to him. Heard what he was saying. But I also didn’t give a fuck. I didn’t give a damn about back in the day. I’m here talking about To-fuckin-day! And today, he needed to start the process of getting my brother home.
"Save all that," I said. "All that respect shit is secondary right now. Be smart enough to know that seventy-two hours means exactly that. Not seventy-three. Not next week. Seventy-two hours or I'm coming for everything you value. And I ain't just talking about your professional life."
Tyree's jaw tightened.
"I know you got connects in that DA's office, I know you even golf with these hoe ass judges," I continued.
"I know you can make calls that move mountains.
And I need those connects. But what I need more is my brother home.
So whatever you gotta do - lawsuit, motion, bail review, talking to judges - you gonna make it happen in that timeframe. "
"I'll do what I can," Tyree said quietly.
I shook my head.
"Nah. Do better than that! You gonna do exactly what needs to be done."
He didn't say nothing else. Just looked at me with that mixture of respect and hate. He understood I wasn't asking. I was telling him. And he understood the cost of not listening.
“While you here making all these damn demands, can you at least get me a sit down with Tattiana? Regardless of what you may think of me, I never intended to hurt my baby girl, and I need to make this shit right before it’s too late.
” He pleaded. The look on his face said that he was sincere about wanting to make amends.
I knew that right now Tattiana wasn’t fuckin with this nigga.
“Handle this, and when she ready, I’ll set something up.
But listen… you don’t get to dictate how long it takes somebody you hurt to get over that hurt.
When you signed your daughter over to me, I became her protector.
I won’t let you or no other muthafucka hurt her.
” he nodded but the look in his face showed that he was upset with my response.
“Listen Kaseem. If you know what happened to Zaire and if it was connected to anything you may have going on out in the streets, please be smart. Don’t make any moves that can blow up.
As hard as this may sound, you need to sit still for a while.
We don’t want to do anything that can hinder Zaire release, or bring heat to your family right now.
In the public eye, while I’m fighting for him to be released, you need to look like the perfect family who’s son and brother has been wrongfully accused of a crime, and now you want him home.
” Tyree said, and I knew exactly what he meant.
I wanted niggas and they mommas dead for the stunt they pulled, but this old ass nigga was right.
I turned and walked out of his office, back through the house, past his wife who was pretending not to have heard anything, and back to my truck.
Seventy-two hours. That's all I was giving him.
And if my brother wasn't walking free by then, Tyree Taylor was about to learn what it meant to have made an enemy out of me.
Just as I got back into my car, I got a private call. I thought to ignore it, but something told me to answer it. I started my car and answered the phone on my car system.
“Yeah?”
“Aye Brudda. One of the guards Tyree is cool with, he’s letting me use his phone for a couple of minutes. I just wanna let you know that the day after tomorrow they’ll be sending me back to the prison. I’ll be here another day.”
“Damn Zaire. I was just talking about yo ass. You gone live a long time. Listen brudda. I’m out here working hard as hell to get you home sooner than that if I can have it my way. If not, it won’t be longer than a few days. How you feel?”
“Sore than a bitch. Other than that, I’m good. You know me, can’t shit hold me down. I just still can’t believe that them fuck niggas tried me like that. Shit, tried us like that. I’m just counting down my days. But fuck all that. Today yo big day, huh?”
“Hell yeah. But I was really thinking I may as well wait for you to get home. I don’t wanna do shit without you by my side. I know I said today, but since I woke up all I could think about was getting you home.”
“Mannn chill out. Before all this shit went down, you asked this damn girl to marry you for real. After she agreed yo ass was happier than a muthafucka with yo mind set on saying them vows today. Stand on that. If you gave yo girl your word, don’t go back on it.
Hell if you and her make it, you can renew them muthafuckas in a year or two and by then, we’ll be past all this bullshit and we can celebrate for real.
Kaseem handle yo business like a man today.
Say fuck me, I’m not important today.” Zaire spoke and I felt how real he was about it.
“It’ll never be fuck you, and you know that. I’m out here working and I promise I’m not fucking off while you laid up in that bitch. I’ve done shit that you don’t even know bro. I promise you are on yo way out.”
“I already know. I ain’t ever worried when you say you got me. I love you my nigga and congratulations in advance. I gotta go, but handle your business and tell my sis I can’t wait to meet her. Make sure she know I ain’t no damn monster either.”
“She know that. I love you too my nigga. I’ll see you in a bit.”
I ended the call and my chest was tight as hell.
I needed my brother home. Too much time had passed and life was just moving like him being gone didn’t matter.
I had his blessing for tonight, and that was all I needed.
He was in good spirits despite all that was going on.
Zaire only knew a portion of what was happening out here.
I had always kept a lot of shit from him since he’d been gone.
I never wanted to burden him with shit that he couldn’t do anything about at the moment and have him even more stressed out behind them bars.
As I drove, I got a text from my mom telling me that her hairdresser told her she was doing Tatti’s hair in an hour.
My moms said that she was going to pop up at her appointment for some girl talk.
I called my moms and she forwarded my call twice.
Then I sent her a voice memo. This lady just wouldn’t stop with the bullshit.
I could only hope that she would chill today.
“Ma. You know I love you and that you’ll always be my first love.
As your oldest son, I’m asking you… nah, I’m begging you not to mess up this day for me.
Leave that girl alone man. You don’t know what people are dealing with in private, and sometimes all they need is one more bad day to send them over the edge.
Let today be her good day. If you mess this up after I begged you, I don’t know if we’ll speak again.
No time soon, anyway. You’ve already threatened the girl and I tried to leave it alone but I’m asking you to just be cool today. ”
I sent the message and drove straight to Namier. We had to get ready.
My moms was really killing me with this Tattiana shit.
I didn’t know if she was trying to make sure she could trust her, or if she was jealous of the damn girl.
All I knew was that today, she’d better act like she had some sense and leave Tattiana alone.
I couldn’t wait til Zaire got home. He was the only one who’d ever been able to get through to her.
Namier never took anything she did or said seriously, so I wasn’t even gonna bother trying to explain the shit to him.
All he would say is to ignore her like he does.