Love Redeemed, Book 4 (41 page)

My flow
is interrupted by Thompson’s scoff.

“Is that what happened? It was more like a
move on or have your life ruined
type of thing,” he grates much to himself before speaking up and more clearly with an exasperated shaking of his head. “Listen, Rayna, what happened that day is water under the bridge. As you know I’ve moved on. I’m sure you haven’t had a problem doing the same.” He glances down at the rings on my left hand. His tone and body language reads impatient. He isn’t comfortable or happy to be in my company. I don’t know I feel about that.

“I just…I’ve always felt guilty for how things went down that day. You were just being a…guy…and I led you to believe that I was available when things hadn’t been settled between Azmir and me.” I pause to blow out a frustrated breath. “I-I’m sorry is all that I’ve been wanting to say and apparently I’ve
dragged my feet on it and you left the firm to put some room between you and the drama…”

“Let’s get one thing clear: I didn’t leave
Smith, Katz & Adams
. My abrupt departure was not voluntary. What is clear is you don’t have a fucking clue about what went down right in front of your eyes,” he speaks through gritted teeth. I can see anger, slowly stirring within his eyes. He throws John a cursory glance over my shoulder and then roughly brushes his head with his hands as he slightly turns. He’s wrestling with something, but he’s right I don’t understand what’s happened.

“Did they fire you because of
the fight?” I’m grasping at straws. “I mean…I was expecting you to press charges—
and I’m grateful you didn’t
—but I didn’t expect for you to drop us as a client, Thompson.”

“Oh, I wanted
to do more than press charges. I wanted to sue that fucker for what happened. His hands used to be registered for Christ’s sake!” I know he’s referring to Azmir’s days as an amateur boxer. That mention brings back images of Azmir executing measured jabs into Thompson’s face. I grimace at that. “But he had the footage that proves I hit him first—several times before he was ‘forced to defend himself,’” Thompson uses air quotations. “Oh, he was quick to throw that argument into the ring. And the more I think about, I believe that S.O.B. planned it that way. No matter how random and chaotic things got that afternoon, there’s something very strategic about Jacobs’ involvement in it all.”

Suddenly feeling eerie, I transfer the weight from one leg to the other while holding myself. He
’s speaking about my husband as if he’s some sinister mastermind.

Nope. Azmir will never approve of this, Rayna!

“He not only took my job, Rayna, that fucker took my life! I’ve been on leave from my own firm for months behind some
catch-a-tail
game that turned legal before I could recover from the bruises from that fight,” Thompson speaks so hard, his breathing gives out. The anger has surfaced and I don’t know how long it will be before it overflows. “And his arms…his people…his influence.” Thompson exhales hard again. “Being an attorney, I thought I’d fight back by looking into him, hoping to find something that would pump his breaks,” he snorts before looking directly into my eyes. “Jacobs is a
very
connected man. The things he’s been able to pull off. The way he’s been able to put my life on hold…put me in a tailspin.”

“Brian,” I
caution. He’s speaking words of my husband that has a semblance of Mafia in it.
My husband
. As if he’s at the helm of an organized family. Or is a Keyser Söze reincarnate. “You’ve demonstrated that there has been a bit of a war going on beneath my nose. And I see it’s caused you some trouble with your
Smith, Katz & Adams
account and possibly your firm—I can assure you I will be talking to him about that tonight. But, Thompson, Azmir isn’t some ruthless underworld leader. He’s an astute businessman, albeit one who allowed his personal life to take over his better judgment. I’m sure now with cooler heads prevailing, we can right some wrongs.”

Thompson squints
his eyes in incredulity. And I don’t know how long I can hold onto my cool veneer. I’m two minutes from cussing him out something proper.

“How much do you know about
…” He gives a cursory glance to reference my rings. “…the man that you’re most connected to in the biblical sense? I mean…” He inches closer. And in the rear of me I can hear John issuing clear and terse words of warning, to which Thompson completely ignores. “I can’t say too much because of the gag order, but you should consider the man you’ve taken on a life with. He has loads of dirty laundry in his warehouse of a closet.”

“That’s it,” John
yelps forcefully, but without alarming outside parties.

Thompson’s heedful glare stay
s on me as John shoves him back towards his waiting companion. A chill runs through me. One that I cannot identify. He’s spoken so hauntingly and I don’t understand the source of his audacity. How can he be so assured about someone who’s a virtual stranger to him?

I pay for my
Snickers
bar and we leave for the marina. I wanted my closure with Brian Thompson and I got it. It’s just that I don’t quite know what to make of it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Azmir

I just left a lucrative signing at the
Sunset Marquis
with Richard. Now, I’m headed into a much different meeting, one with law enforcement. I walk into a low-key bar that’s on a lower level from the outside, so when I enter, I skip down several steps. The place is half-full with patrons at the bar and those at tables. Televisions dispersed in the front area, near the bar plays various channels.

The bartender nod
s my welcome, to which I reciprocate. Towards the rear there’s more of a restaurant feel than the front. The place has dim lighting and I can smell the aged carpet beneath me. I presume the place has been in establishment for decades, and the stale aroma corroborates that theory. I’ve been here before, creeping with a local assembly woman with a propensity for fucking for donations to her cause, so the layout isn’t new to me.

The place is so sm
all, yet still I have to scan the room in search of my party. I see David, waving with sheer enthusiasm. I make my way to the back of the room where I see the men are finishing up on their meal.

“D, man!” David rises to draw me into a sincere embrace after giving me some dap. “I’m glad you could make it. I know how busy you get, bro.”

“Never too busy to break bread with my peeps,” I greet with genuineness in return before turning to David’s guest.

He also rises from his seat, eager to make my acquaintance. “Divine, a pleasure,” the older
man murmurs before we shake hands.

“The pleasure is all mine, David,” I return.

“Dave, please,” he insists. “Join us,” the senior David gestures to the available seat.

This is only my second time seeing him face-to-face. The senior David has given his son several of his distinctive facial features. And I wonder with age, would he inherit his father’s pot belly and salt and pepper hair. It’s kind of odd to
experience his aura. As humble as he’s coming across, nothing can hide the authoritative air that he exudes. I’m not too fervent about this meeting, but he was insistent. 

I take a seat and ask, “How was the food?”

“Oh, delicious, man! Wanna order something? It’s all on me, D,” the younger David offers in earnest.

“Nah, man. I’ll just have a drink, if you don’t mind. The lady will kill me if I come home fed,” I say in jest, though it
’s partially true.

Rayna should be finishing up in dance class and we
’ve agreed to meet home for a late dinner.

The waiter appears and takes my order.

“Well, I appreciate you coming to meet my old man,” David glances over at the elder with gleam in his eyes. I know the look. After being in leadership for so long, I know when subordinates need and thrive off approval. David needs that and in my opinion is due it. “I gotta shift I gotta start in like thirty minutes, so I’m glad you stopped by, even for a few minutes.

“It’s no problem at all. If you’re free next Thursday night, the
Black Eyed Peas
are trying out a few cuts they’re working on at
Cobalt
. It’s a private party, but I’d like for you to stop by and meet my lady.”

David’s cup stops short of his mouth, midair. “Sure, man! That’ll be great, bro.” He c
an’t façade his excitement.

It
’s weird with him. I’ve never been in the practice of exposing Rayna to much of my world, particularly anything that relates to my dark world. However, David resembles a part of me that’s relative to Rayna. His turnaround from a formal morbid life into a promising horizon, encouraged my plan to give the drug grind up. If David could reform, so could I. Rayna may never know what significance David plays in my life, but I’d like to share his eager energy with her.

“You think I could bring Sabrina?” David ask
s, throwing me.

With narrow eyebrows, I ask, “Who’s Sabrina?”

David’s cheeks go from pale to pink in two seconds. “My girl, man,” he offers bashfully.

“Oh, shit. That’s what’s up, D,” I respond in earnest.
“This is news, man!”

Sheepishly, David smiles as he throws a cursory glance to his father.
Whoever the chick is, she got my dude blushing. But that’s David. Since his sobriety, everything is a new and unadulterated venture. You couldn’t be anything but happy for him. The waiter returns with my brandy.

“I know. I was just telling my old man and couldn’t wait for you to get here to tell you, too,”
Almost instantly, David’s crestfallen smile catches my attention. “Don’t worry. Dr. Halsom has agreed with certain “
provisions”,
” he uses air quotations. “Whatever the hell that means.”

I
’m sure it means that David shouldn’t, at this stage in his recovery, involve himself in a relationship that could distract him on his journey; something I agree with wholeheartedly. I won’t crush his spirit though. He’s had enough of that.

“You’ll do what’s right,” I nod.

His father reaches across the table to grip his shoulder. “I believe you’ll be just fine, David”. And here comes that look of ease in his eyes at his father’s approval.

“All right
.” David wipes his mouth and drops the napkin in his plate. “I have to jet.” We rise after him. I offer my hand and he says, “I’ll call you about next week. I’m sorry to drag you out here for just ten minutes, but you being my boss in all, I’m sure you understand.”

“Indeed
.”

“Call you tomorrow, Dad
.” He turns to shake the senior David’s hand before being pulled into a bear hug.

“You bet, buddy,” Dave replies before David drops a few bills on the table, feeling proud no doubt, and heads for the door.

I’m no emotional man, but between Rayna and David, these last few months have made me appreciate and feel things a G should never be so affected by. It’s all good. My eyes go to the senior David—or Dave, as he urged me to use earlier. He gestures his head toward my chair for me to sit, and I oblige.

“Thanks for agreeing to this,” his voice strains as he takes to his chair. I guess that’s what an expect
ing-sized belly will do to you. “When he asked if I minded if you showed so that I could meet you, I took it as the perfect time for us to catch up.”

I nod just before taking a nip at my drink. He takes a deep breath, drawing limited air into his long and narrow nostrils, making a whizzing sound from the inhale. With hesitation, he continues, “This is hard…extremely difficult.” I offer another sympathetic nod, presuming he’s referencing observing a son, fighting addiction. Again, I’m moved by David’s road to recovery. “Never did I think I
’d make an ambivalent call that I’m so sure of.” Dave’s eyes rise to mine and now I’m a little thrown. I can tell he senses it before he speaks again by the way his chin jerks in the air, mustering dignity.

“I’ve never respected a drug dealer, Divine,” Dave pauses tentatively.

I take the opportunity to correct him. “Azmir.” I nod again, not removing my gaze from him. I’m not sure where he’s going with this, but I do know that I will not tolerate insolence from
One-Time
, considering they are some of the most corrupt motherfuckers on the planet. I know this because I’ve employed dozens of them—legally and non-so. “And, Captain, contrary to what you might perceive, based upon our sole
and
purely legal and moral commerce, I am a businessman. One with varied resources.” I give him cutting eye action to be sure he understands that in spite of his law enforcement authority, my tail never folds between my fucking legs.

After a moment or two of him processing my verbal—and nonverbal—messa
ge, he continues, “When I called you last summer after learning that my only child was locked away in some drug house like a fucking meth slave…” Spit slings from his mouth as he speaks his memories of the David I found, strung out and hopeless. I can understand that was some shit that may still be difficult to swallow. “Well, we know what condition he was in.” Dave shakes his head, trying to free it of the despicable memories of that ordeal.