21. Deuce
DEUCE
The day started like any other by the afternoon; the FBI was standing inside my trucking company turning my shit upside down.
I was in my office going over invoices when the front doors burst open.
Employees started looking around confused.
Then I saw Agent Brown and my mood instantly soured. “Here this nigga go.”
He walked through my building like he owned it.
Suit pressed and badge visible. That fake calm expression on his face that made me want to punch his ass.
Behind him were several agents moving through the office opening doors and questioning employees.
Requesting records and making a scene. Exactly what they wanted from me was embarrassment, pressure and fear.
I stood up slowly. “What seems to be the problem today?”
Brown smiled, I hated that smile. “We have a few questions.”
“You always got questions.”
He looked around. “Nice operation.”
“Thank you.” I smiled right back.
“If you’re done admiring my business, get the fuck out.”
A couple of agents looked up, Brown didn’t even blink.
“Mr. Carter, we’d like you to come downtown with us.”
I laughed to quit from spazzing the fuck out. These people had become a damn inconvenience.
“You got a warrant?” I asked.
“We’d like to ask questions.” Brown replied.
“So no.”
Brown’s jaw tightened. A small victory, but it was a victory. “Come on, Deuce.”
I grabbed my keys.
“Fine.”
Because sometimes saying no created more problems than saying yes and right now, I already had enough.
An hour later I sat across from Agent Brown in an interview room.
Gray walls, metal table and no windows. It was the type of room designed to make people uncomfortable.
Too bad for them because I grew up in Detroit and this wasn’t intimidating.
Brown slid a folder across the table. I never touched it.
“You wasting your time.”
“We’ll see.”
I leaned back.
“We done?”
“No.”
Of course not, the man loved hearing himself talk. For twenty minutes he asked the same bullshit about routes, drivers and who was on my payroll. The same questions they always asked. And they got the same answers I always gave, which was absolutely nothing.
Then he switched subjects. “Leave my daughter alone.”
I blinked once then smiled slowly. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
Oh, now we were getting somewhere. I leaned forward.
“You mean Kim?”
Brown’s expression hardened. I couldn’t help myself; I started grinning. Cause suddenly this wasn’t about trucking anymore, this was personal.
“That’s interesting.”
“What is?”
“The fact we’re talking about your daughter instead of my company.”
Brown folded his hands together.
“She’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with you.”
That wasn’t the case, Kim just texted me earlier and I ignored her ass like I been doing. To call his bluff I pulled out my phone and scrolled down till I got to Kim’s text messages and turned the screen around.
“Look at this shit does this look like a woman who doesn’t want anything to do with me?”
Brown looked down.
His face immediately changed. There were texts after texts with messages saying she missed and loved me.
I sat back. “Looks like she wants a whole lot to do with me.”
Brown looked pissed. “You’re married.”
“And?”
“You have a family.”
“And?”
His jaw clenched mine didn’t, because unlike him, I wasn’t emotionally invested in this conversation. Right then the door opened and my attorney walked in.
Perfect timing. Mark Ellis was expensive as hell but worth every dollar. The man lived to argue and today he looked excited. Which usually meant somebody else was about to have a bad day.
“Agent Brown.” Mark smiled. “What exactly are we doing here?”
Brown looked irritated, good that made two of us.
“Questioning without charges?” Mark sat down beside me. “Interesting.”
Brown didn’t respond. Mark opened his briefcase. “Either charge my client or stop harassing him.”
Nobody spoke and Mark continued. “My office has documented every unnecessary stop, search, and interview over the last several months.”
Brown rolled his eyes.
Mark kept going. “If this continues, we’ll be exploring every available legal option.”
Thirty minutes later I walked out of that building free. But something about the whole situation bothered me. Brown wasn’t bullshitting that much I knew. The problem was figuring out what the hell he actually had. An hour later I sat inside Mark’s office downtown.
The city stretched across the windows behind him while he flipped through paperwork. I waited impatiently. Finally, he sat the folder down.
“They have something.”
My jaw tightened. “What?”
“Not enough.”
That answer didn’t tell me shit. “Meaning?” I asked.
Mark adjusted his glasses. “Meaning they believe you’re involved in something.”
No shit. “But?”
“But they don’t have enough to prove it.”
I leaned back trying to stay calm.
“They’re just looking for some shit. What about the shipments they confiscated.” I said.
“Come to find out they gotta throw it out, they didn’t follow protocol.” He replied.
“And?”
“And eventually they gone build a case and stick it to your ass.” Mark looked directly at me. “If there is anything connecting you to anything illegal…”
I already hated where this was going.
“You need to fix it.”
We both understood what he was actually saying. Figure it out now before they do. By the time I left his office I was pissed. At Brown and Kim, especially Kim. None of this would’ve happened if she would’ve kept her mouth shut and stayed in her lane. I drove straight to her house.
When she opened the door, she smiled. Her smile disappeared the second she saw my face.
“Deuce…”
“The fuck is wrong with you?”
Tears filled her eyes.
“What happened?”
I stepped inside. “You tell me.”
She looked confused or pretended to. “My father…”
“I don’t give a fuck about you or your father. You telling him shit!”
My voice echoed through the house as Kim jumped. Good maybe she’d finally listen.
“You got these people all over my business.”
“I didn’t tell him anything.”
I grabbed her arm when she tried walking away. Not hard enough to injure her just enough to stop her.
“Stop lying.”
She yanked away.
Now she was crying.
“I love you.”
There it was the same damn speech every time.
“I love you; I want a family. I want us to be together, just me and you and our kids…”
I shook my head disgusted. “There is no us.”
That seemed to break something inside her because she just stared like she genuinely couldn’t believe I said it.
I pointed at her. “You wanted children, now you're getting children.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Twins.”
Kim froze completely.
“A boy and a girl.” I let her know.
For a second she looked happy then confused, then hurt.
“Why didn’t anybody tell me?”
“You really wanna know?”
She nodded.
“Because Shante don’t like you, she tolerates you.” I kept going. “That’s it.”
Kim wiped her face.
“She’s betraying her best friend by helping me.”
I stepped closer. “Do you understand that?”
More tears.
“She’s carrying those babies because you threatened me.”
Kim looked away.
“You’ll get the kids.” I shrugged. “When they’re born.” Then I pointed toward myself. “But me?” I shook my head. “Nah.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I don’t want you.”
The crying got worse, but I didn’t care.
“I love my wife; I’m in love with Alisha.” Every word felt good coming out. “I’m not losing her over you.”
Kim looked devastated.
“We were never gone be together.” I shook my head. “Cause I’m a married man.” The truth sounded ugly, but it was still the truth.
“And if Agent Brown don’t back the fuck off…” I stepped toward the door. “…everybody gone have problems.”
Kim covered her mouth with more tears, more crying and heartbreak. I walked out anyway. Because I was done with Kim and the drama, and the pressure. The only problem was the FBI wasn’t done with me.