Chapter 19
“Where you goin’?” I muttered, slidin’ my hands down her thighs.
“My legs…” she breathed, givin’ me that look.
I smirked and pulled her right back down on me, my hands movin’ over her legs slow, rubbin’ into them, and squeezin’ them, workin’ the soreness out myself.
“Stay right here,” I said low, draggin’ my hands back up her thighs while she let out a soft sound.
Before she could say anything else, I rolled us over and got on top of her, pressin’ her back into the bed while I kissed her again, slow this time, lettin’ my lips move over hers.
Then I finally pushed up off her and stood, glancin’ over at My’Love’s bassinet.
She was knocked out, laid on her stomach with her lil’ butt in the air. Her pacifier was still in her mouth, suckin’ on it like nothin’ in the world mattered.
That made me smile without even thinkin’ about it.
I walked over and rested my hand on her back, rubbin’ it gently.
“I’m comin’ to court with you today,” Toni said.
I turned fully, lookin’ at her, already knowin’ what I wanted to say, but she was already movin’ toward me.
Before I could get a word out, she took my hands and lifted them, pressin’ soft kisses to the back of both of ‘em, one after the other.
“I know you don’t want me there,” she said, lookin’ up at me. “But I’m done sittin’ on the side. I need to be there for you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want my daughter nowhere near that courtroom.”
“She won’t be,” she said quick, kissin’ my hands again. “She can stay with Sha’Nelle. I just need to be there with you.”
I looked at her and I saw it in her eyes. She wasn’t askin’. She was standin’ on it.
I let out a breath and looked away for a second, then back at her.
I still ain’t say yeah, but I ain’t say no either.
She leaned in and kissed me, then turned and started the shower.
We got in together, movin’ quick, washin’ up, brushin’ our teeth, and gettin’ ourselves together without all the extra talk.
By the time we stepped out, I grabbed My’Love from the bassinet while Toni handled her bottle.
She started fussin’ the second I laid her down to change her, but I leaned in and kissed her face, talkin’ to her low.
“Aye, mama… relax…”
I changed her, got her dressed, and kept kissin’ on her until she settled down some.
Then I picked her up and walked out with Toni right behind me.
When we got to Sha’Nelle’s door, Toni knocked and handed My’Love over once she opened it.
“Call me if you need me,” Toni said.
Sha’Nelle smiled, takin’ her. “I got her.”
Once she walked off, Toni turned back to me and stepped close.
“I love you,” she said. “And I’m here for you. I’m not missin’ another day of this. We in this together.”
I looked at her for a second, then reached for her and pulled her into me.
I ain’t want her there, but deep down…I knew I needed her.
While I was drivin’ to court, Toni sat in the passenger seat.
Her fingers stayed laced with mine, and every few minutes she lifted my hand just enough to press her lips to the back of it, like she was remindin’ me she was right here with me no matter what we was walkin’ into.
I kept my eyes on the road, but I felt every lil’ thing she did. I felt the way her thumb rubbed over my skin, the way her lips lingered when she kissed my hand, and the way her presence alone took a lil’ bit of that pressure off my chest that had been sittin’ heavy for days.
Ahead of us, one of my security cars stayed a few lengths in front, and I could see the other one in the rearview, ridin’ behind us the whole way.
I ain’t even feel like dealin’ with all that shit today, but with Toni bein’ with me and everything that already happened, I wasn’t takin’ no chances either.
I ain’t want her back in this courtroom shit.
I meant that when I said it months ago, and I still meant it now, but at the same time I couldn’t lie to myself and act like havin’ her here wasn’t gon’ make a difference, ’cause it did.
It made me calmer, made my head feel a lil’ clearer, and it kept me from driftin’ too far into the thoughts that had been eatin’ at me lately.
She lifted my hand again, bringin’ it toward her lips, but before she could kiss it, I tightened my grip just enough to stop her and pulled her hand toward me instead. I leaned over and pressed my lips to the back of her hand, holdin’ it there for a second before I looked back at the road.
“I love you,” I said low, not even thinkin’ twice about it.
She smiled, that soft smile she gets when she feel me for real, and she squeezed my hand. “I love you too.”
She leaned her head back against the seat, watchin’ me for a second before she spoke again. “Sex was real good this mornin’. I mean we always have some good ass sex, but it was real good this mornin’. My damn goodness!”
That made me smirk, my grip tightenin’ on her hand while I kept my eyes on the road.
“Hell yeah it was,” I muttered, bringin’ her hand up and pressin’ a kiss to the back of it. “You was ridin’ me crazy… shakin’ all over my damn dick, cryin’ on me… I damn near ain’t make it out that bed.”
She smiled to herself, her fingers curlin’ into mine a lil’ tighter. “That’s how you feel?” she asked, her voice soft but she was feelin’ it.
I glanced over at her for a second, lettin’ my eyes run over her before I looked back at the road.
“Hell yeah, baby. And that shit different now too,” I added low. “Ever since you had my baby… that pussy feel deeper… wetter… grown as hell.”
She let out a light breath, shiftin’ in her seat, her thighs pressin’ together. “That’s how you see me?” she asked, and you could hear it in her voice that she was in her feelins.
“Yes, baby,” I said, bringin’ her hand back up and kissin’ it again. “I love the way your body filled out after you had my baby. That ass look too good on you. Why you think I be puttin’ my dick in you every night now?”
She smiled, real soft this time, and leaned her body more toward me, still holdin’ my hand. “I love the way you talk to me,” she murmured.
“That’s ’cause I’m talkin’ to my wife. I ain’t got no reason to hold back with you.”
The rest of the drive went quiet. By the time we pulled up to the courthouse, the energy changed real quick.
The car in front of us slowed first, and the one behind eased up too, both of ‘em fallin’ into place before I even cut the engine.
By the time we stepped out the car, my security was already movin’. Doors opened, eyes scanned the area, and they fell in around us without sayin’ much, guidin’ us toward the entrance while keepin’ everything tight.
It was way more security than usual at the courthouse, and that shit was expected after what happened to my pops. There was cops everywhere, posted up on corners, standin’ by the doors, and watchin’ every person that came in like they was waitin’ for somethin’ else to go down.
I parked the whip and sat for a second, then looked over at Toni. “Stay close to me,” I told her.
“I am,” she replied, already reachin’ for my hand again.
We made our way toward the entrance, goin’ through the security process like everybody else. They checked everything, had people walkin’ through metal detectors, bags gettin’ searched, and eyes on us the whole time.
I ain’t react to none of it. I just kept movin’.
Eventually, I spotted my mama and pops already there.
My pops was still in the wheelchair, and even though I was glad he was here, that shit still hit me every time I saw him like that. He looked strong, but I knew he wasn’t fully back yet, and I hated that he even had to go through this shit in the first place.
My moms stood beside him with one hand on the back of the chair, lookin’ just as put together as always, but I knew her too well to not see what was underneath that.
I walked over and nodded at them. “Y’all good?”
“We’re good,” my pops said, his voice still solid even with everything he had been through. “Are you good, son?”
“I’m straight,” I replied.
Before I could say anything else, Toni stepped up beside me, her hand slidin’ outta mine as she leaned in and hugged my mama first, holdin’ her tight for a second before pullin’ back and givin’ her that soft smile she always had for her.
Then, she bent down a lil’ and wrapped her arms around my pops bein’ real careful and mindful of him, but still holdin’ him close.
“I’m glad you here,” she said to him low.
“I wouldn’t miss this,” he told her, and I could hear it in his voice that he meant that.
She smiled at him, and my mama rested her hand on Toni’s arm for a second, squeezin’ it gentle, and that whole moment sat different with me.
There was a time my father ain’t even want Toni around like that. He wasn’t sure about her, and now I’m standin’ here watchin’ my wife hug him, talk to him, and stand beside him.
I ain’t say nothin’, but I felt that shit.
My lawyers showed up not long after that, and we all started movin’ toward the courtroom together.
Right before we went in, Toni grabbed my hand again and pulled me toward her. She wrapped her arms around me tight, pressin’ herself into me like she needed me to feel her for real.
“Everything gon’ work out,” she said low.
I held her back for a second, then she leaned up and kissed me before she pulled back and looked me in my eyes.
I nodded once. Then we walked in.
The courtroom felt the same as it always did, but different at the same time. We had been doin’ this for months, sittin’ through testimonies, listenin’ to people talk about my life like it was just another case, and watchin’ everything get picked apart piece by piece.
Before I took my seat, Toni caught my hand for a second and squeezed it tight, and I looked at her, noddin’ once before I turned and sat down at the defense table beside my lawyers.
After a while, the prosecution started with their questions, callin’ witnesses, goin’ over what happened at my shop, and bringin’ up the same shit they had been talkin’ about for weeks now. They kept it simple, askin’ about what was seen, what was found, and what people claimed happened that day.
Eventually, they called Marcus Hale ol’ bitch ass.
I sat up straighter the second he walked up there. I already knew what time it was with him, and just seein’ his face had that heat buildin’ in my chest all over again.
He got sworn in and took his seat, lookin’ calm like he wasn’t sittin’ on some dirty shit.
The prosecutor started askin’ him questions about the crime scene at my shop, and he answered like everything was normal.
He talked about the shell casings, the blood, the damage, and how everything looked when he got there. He spoke like he was just doin’ his job, like he ain’t make no choices that could affect my life.
My lawyer stepped in after that, and I knew what was comin’.
He leaned forward slightly. “Was there any other footage from the scene that hasn’t been presented to this court?”
Hale ain’t hesitate.
“No,” he said, just like that.
That shit hit me hard, ’cause I knew he was lyin’ like a muthafucka. I knew it for a fact, and I had to sit here and listen to it, not able to do shit about it.
I kept my face straight, but inside, my shit was boilin’.
I wanted to get up, walk straight over there, snatch that nigga off that stand and beat his ass in front of everybody in this bitch, but I ain’t move.
Renza and Kelli told me to chill, and I trusted them, so I held it in, even though every part of me was tellin’ me to crash out.
The rest of the questionin’ went on, but I ain’t hear half of it. My focus stayed locked on this nigga, watchin’ the way he carried himself, the way he spoke, and the way he lied like it was nothin’.
Eventually, court wrapped for the day, and everybody started movin’ out. Toni grabbed my hand again, holdin’ it tight, and I knew she felt that tension on me.
We walked out together with my family, headin’ toward the elevators, and that’s when I saw this fuck nigga again.
Hale was walkin’ past us, holdin’ a stack of papers and some files, movin’ like he ain’t have a care in the world.
My blood started heatin’ up all over again. I slowed down just a lil’, my eyes locked on him. Toni’s grip tightened on my hand like she already knew what I was thinkin’.
Then, outta nowhere, Kelli stepped in.
He bumped right into Hale, just enough to make everything in his hands drop to the floor.
“Damn, my fault,” Kelli said calm, already bendin’ down to help him pick everything up.
I watched the whole thing close.
Kelli moved smooth, pickin’ shit up and handin’ it back like it was an accident.
Hale muttered somethin’ under his breath, irritated, but he ain’t think nothin’ of it.
Kelli patted him on the back once. “You good,” he said, then stood up and walked off like nothin’ happened.
He passed right by me without even lookin’ at me, and I ain’t say shit. I just watched him go, and I already knew…
That nigga just did somethin’…
I ain’t know exactly what yet, but I knew Kelli, and I knew he ain’t move like that without a reason.
I let out a slow breath and looked back at Hale for a second before I turned away.
Whatever Kelli just did…
That shit was about to change everything.
And I needed to stay calm long enough to see it play out.