Chapter 35
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
Two days later…
My stomach was in knots, and I felt like I had been trapped in the same nightmare for two days straight without a single break to breathe.
Kay’Lo had called me right after everything happened.
He told me he shot Echo’s people and he was about to head home, and I was pacin’ the damn bedroom prayin’ this shit wasn’t as bad as it sounded.
Then out of nowhere his whole tone changed and I heard sirens, shoutin’, and the sound of his phone hittin’ somethin’.
I ain’t know if he was gettin’ jumped by the cops, gettin’ gunned down, or if they was just arrestin’ him. I remember screamin’ his name and gettin’ nothin’ back but noise.
I ain’t even grab a bag. I ran straight to Pressure and Pluto’s ‘cause I knew I ain’t have it in me to call his parents and drag them into some shit.
Pressure would know what to do ‘cause he always knew what to do when everybody else fell apart. And even though he and Kay’Lo ain’t been cool since that fight over a month ago, I already knew he wasn’t about to let Kay’Lo sit in anybody’s jail and rot.
For the last forty-eight hours we had all been stuck in the same damn routine, which was Pressure pacin’ while talking to lawyers, and Pluto rubbin’ my back or handin’ me tissue even though I kept insistin’ I was fine.
Renza sat on the couch with both hands pressed together like he was prayin’ for Kay’Lo but ain’t wanna show it.
And I on the edge of the same couch cushion, refreshin’ my phone every ten minutes waitin’ to see if a bond popped up so we could go get my husband.
But nothing came. There was no bond or update.
I kept replayin’ everything in my head and it was makin’ me sick ‘cause this whole shit started from Kay’Lo stickin’ his dick in Echo.
I wanted to be mad at him so bad, and I wanted to scream about how all of this could have been avoided, but right now none of that shit mattered ‘cause Kay’Lo needed me.
Pressure had been on the phone with his lawyer nonstop, droppin’ whatever amount of money he needed to drop without even blinkin’.
He walked around the house with his phone pressed to his ear and his forehead wrinkled like he was tryna hold his own emotions together.
Every time he hung up he looked tired, but he kept goin’ ‘cause Kay’Lo was family and that was somethin’ he ain’t turn his back on, not even when they pissed each other off so bad they damn near killed each other.
We was all in the livin’ room tryna pretend like we was watchin’ TV even though nobody was lookin’ at it.
Pluto and Sha’Nelle sat beside me with their hands restin’ on each side of my shoulder.
Pressure was standin’ by the window, starin’ out like he expected jail officials to walk across the lawn and update him personally.
Then Pressure’s phone rang.
His whole body stiffened. He looked at the screen, sighed, and answered with a low, irritated “Yeah.”
The house went silent instantly. He rubbed his hand down his face while he listened, and the longer he stood there, the more tension filled the room. He finally said, “Hold on,” then looked toward us.
“Imma put it on speaker,” he said.
That alone made my chest tighten.
The lawyer’s voice filled the room. “Alright, so I spoke to the district attorney.”
Renza sucked his teeth. Pluto squeezed my hand. I felt my heartbeat thuddin’ in my ears.
The lawyer continued, soundin’ way too calm for the news he was about to drop. “They are charging Kay’Lo with double homicide. Both victims were declared dead at the scene.”
My whole world tilted. Pluto covered her mouth and Renza stood up so fast the table rocked. Pressure’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say nothin’ yet.
“There’s more,” the lawyer said. “The DA is already exploring the death penalty.”
My stomach fell out. My vision blurred. Pluto gasped loud enough for all of us. Renza started pacin’ like he was losin’ his mind. Pressure stepped back and braced his hands on the counter.
“What you mean explorin’ the death penalty?” Pressure asked, his voice tight. “They can’t make that kind of decision in two damn days. That don’t even fuckin’ make sense.”
“They can,” the lawyer replied, “and they are. But just because they want to push for it doesn’t mean they’ll get it. It depends on the case itself.”
Pressure shook his head. “Nah. Somethin’ ain’t addin’ up. This too damn fast and too extreme.”
There was a long pause, and we could tell the lawyer ain’t even wanna say what came next.
“The boys Kay’Lo shot were the sons of Minister of Justice Roderick Lennox. He is the attorney general of Trill-Land.”
It felt like the room flipped upside down. My ears rang and I couldn’t even blink.
Pluto whispered, “Oh my God…”
Renza stopped pacin’ and stared at the phone.
Pressure’s face went blank for a long moment before he muttered, “You gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me.”
The lawyer rushed on. “This is not a normal case. This is not something money alone is going to fix. Lennox is extremely powerful, and he’s already pushing for the highest sentence possible.
He wants this case to be an example, so I need you all to understand that this is not going to be quick or easy. This is going to be a fight.”
Pressure pressed his hand against the counter like he needed support to keep standin’. “A’ight. We’ll handle it. Call me when you get an update.”
He hung up the phone and the silence that hit was so heavy it felt physical. I looked at Sha’Nelle, Pressure, then Pluto, then Renza, and none of us knew what to say ‘cause the only words I heard was the ones that broke my heart clean in half.
Death penalty…
Death…
My husband…
I felt myself go numb. Everything around me dimmed like someone turned the world off. I wasn’t hearin’ shit. I wasn’t seein’ nothin’ right.
All I could think about was Kay’Lo in a jail cell, realizin’ he gon’ have to fight for his life. All I could see in my mind was a courtroom, a judge in a black robe, and a sentence that would take the life out of the only man who ever truly belonged to me.
I felt Pluto’s hand on my back, and Sha’Nelle’s hand on my shoulder, but it didn’t ground me. I heard Renza whisper somethin’, but it didn’t reach me. I felt Pressure watchin’ me, waitin’ for me to break or scream or fall apart.
But I couldn’t do shit right now…
I was frozen.
Somebody powerful enough to make the whole nation listen wanted my husband dead.
And the worst part was…
I didn’t know how to save him.