Chapter 31 Darius
Darius
Slamming the front door open, I stumble into the living room finding Clare lounging on the couch like a queen bee. The sight of her has me needing to lash out.
Grabbing onto her t-shirt, I yank her up, her toes barely brushing against the dirty carpet.
“Let me down,” she shrieks.
Tariq barrels in from the kitchen and Jermaine appears from where I don’t know and blocks him off.
“You dirty fucking whore,” I sneer.
She scratches at my hands, but I jolt her back harshly and her arms fall to her sides like a ragdoll.
“Get off me!”
“Every breath you take is one you don’t deserve.”
“Has something happened?” Tariq asks, the fear I’ll hurt his girl growing stronger by the second.
“Apart from Amelia is still stuck in county?”
Isn’t that enough to still be pissed?
“Let her go, man,” Tariq pleads.
“I’m just reminding her where her place is. How easy it would be to squeeze the life out of her.”
Shoving her back, she falls on the couch and when her ass touches the cushion, she bounds up and rushes over to Tariq. He holds her protectively and I narrow my eyes.
Though her punishment hasn’t been dealt with yet, he knows it’s coming and there’s nothing he can do about it.
“Keep her out of my sight,” I say as I head into the kitchen.
I can’t stand to be in her presence without needing to silence her once and for all.
I grab a beer from the fridge and throw it back till the bottle is empty. I snatch another and fall into a chair out back.
Amelia was broken today. It’s no surprise someone like her in a place like that, but I could see in her eyes that it was being away from Elsa that scares her the most.
It doesn’t matter that Amelia’s father will get her out of this mess, Clare should never have put her in it and for that reason alone, she’ll pay the ultimate price.
Any other rat would’ve paid it by now but considering Clare’s father is a judge, I have to deal with her carefully.
“I take it you saw Amelia today?” Jermaine asks pulling out a chair opposite me.
“Yes,” I hiss. “She’s not coping, not at all.”
“It’s no surprise, she’s yet again, a lost lamb.”
“She’s barely holding on, Jer, and there is literally nothing I can do. Even if I made that fucking whore drop her statement, the city’s got a hardon that ain’t softening. They’re going to use her for the city’s cause, I just know it.”
Clenching my fists, I’m losing my shit and it’s like nothing I’ve felt before.
“You don’t know that, Darius. Her daddy’s got serious clout in this city. It’s gotta count for a lot more than if it were one of us.”
One of us.
Amelia would have been one of us if I had just manned up and claimed her like I should have done. As my girl, and the mother of my kid, she would’ve been with me and I would have been able to make sure she didn’t take any late night drives to pick up a junkie.
Collecting Elsa-Marie from my mom, I drive over to see Mr. Haynes. He scoops Elsa from me the moment she’s out of her car seat and is intent of having cuddles before he turns to hand her over to Catherine.
“Have you heard anything?” I ask as soon as she leaves the kitchen.
“I’ve had my lawyers fast track the trial. It’s in two weeks.”
So fast? I tell myself it’s a good thing, that she won’t be stuck in the system for months on end.
“I thought you rich types had sway in this city? Isn’t there anything you can do to get her out today?”
“I’ve tried, believe me I have, but with the city-wide crack down, they’re not budging and the more I try the more they’re digging their heels in.”
Shit. Running my hand over my head, my hair is beginning to grow out and I tug at the ends.
“What are we going to do?”
“There’s nothing we can do but wait, I’m afraid. I’ve instructed my legal team to use any means necessary. Clare’s sticking to her bullshit story, but all we have to do is cause enough doubt.” He pauses and clears his throat. “The prosecution is going to use her…”
He can barely meet my eye, but I see the words that are lodged in his throat.
“What is it?” I pry from him.
“Since my money isn’t helping a damn, and my daughter is innocent, what if Clare were to go on vacation?”
For a moment I’m stunned into silence, not able to form a clear thought, let alone speak a sentence. But I shake it off and ask, “Are you asking me what I think you are?”
His eyes hardens and his stare never wavers. “You’re not the only father who would do anything for his daughter.”
I understand what he’s asking, and I nod.
After dropping Elsa off with my mom, I drive around the city, needing the time and silence to think. I end up back outside Tariq’s house, but I can’t face going inside. I call Jermaine and he picks up on the second ring. Never keeping me waiting long.
“What’s up?”
“I’m outside, come out.”
He appears in the doorway within seconds and jogs down the porch steps and down the front path.
I light a smoke, regretting that I still haven’t kicked the habit yet.
“You staying out here cause if you go in there,” he says, sticking his thumb over his shoulder, “you’ll fucking ram her head through the wall?”
Snorting, I picture the image, and it fills me with fucking ecstasy.
“I just got back from seeing Amelia’s father, her trial is in two weeks. He asked if I could make it so Clare disappeared on vacation.”
A wicked smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth, and I know exactly where his head has gone.
“I’m pretty sure he was asking about an actual vacation, not the permanent kind.”
His smirk slips and in turn, making me laugh.
“She will permanently disappear soon enough, but for now, we keep her out of her father’s reach and where no one will think to look for her. Two days before the trial, you’ll drive her down to the middle of nowhere with Tariq. And not return till you get the nod from me.”
“Done.”
“Make up some shit that you’re doing a run to check out other gangs or something. Once the court date has passed, we’ll deal with her.”
“We’ll have to tread carefully, she’s not another gangbanger who won’t be missed. Her absence will be investigated.”
“Then we best cover our tracks. Start with her not being seen out front of the house, make sure her phone goes missing, no calls or texts to pinpoint her here.”
“Done.”
He lights a cigarette, and I dash the butt out of the window.
“I know you’ve had a lot of shit on your mind lately, so I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground, and you know what I’ve been hearing?”
Jerking my chin, I wait for him to continue. “Not a lot.”
When the streets are quiet, it’s never a good thing.
“The Six-Nighters?”
“Not a lot of movement, no attacks.”
“2-Guns?”
“The same.”
“Have our boys keep their eyes open. I’ll see what I can find out.”
I drive down the street and let myself into the house. Grandma’s smile grows as she gives me the once over. She nods to the crib by her side, and I cross the room and look down at Elsa sleeping peacefully.
“Her dreams are sweet,” Grandma whispers and I smile.
“She dreams of her mama,” I say, stroking her chubby little cheek.
Closing my eyes, I do something I haven’t done since I was a young boy. I pray.
For my daughter and for her mom. I vow to go straight if Amelia comes home. I’ll make shit right with her, I’ll beg and plead for her to be with me and spend every single day for the rest of our lives making it up to her… just so long as she comes home.