Still thicker than water (32 page)

“
Okay?” she responded, defensive, as Chauncey sucked his teeth dismissively. Their daughter was in critical condition, and here these mothafuckas wanted to come with this bullshit.

“
Okay?” The woman spoke sarcastically. “Okay…so you left your daughter alone. Okay, so you’re one year old daughter ingested hazardous materials. Okay, yeah. That’s okay.”

Sasha flinched, ready to knock this lady’s teeth in, but Chauncey gripped her by the hips.

“
I didn’t leave my daughter
alone
. Are you crazy, lady? I would never do that! I left her with a babysitter. I left her with my husband’s cousin.”

At that time Mike had made his way back from the vending machine and stood on the other side of Sasha.

“
What’s going on?” He asked, but no one answered.

“
Where is she, anyway?” Chauncey asked, wondering where this little bitch of a babysitter was.

“
She
is nowhere to be found, if there is a
she
at all. When the police arrived, there was no one in the home and it appeared there hadn’t been in a while.”

What?
Sasha thought not believing that Amanda had left her baby. Sasha was also sickened by this woman’s condescending tone and she rolled her neck and squinted her eyes.

“
And how did the police get called? If there was no one home, how did anyone know to call the police?” Sasha asked as if saying ‘duh’.

“
I don’t have time for this. My baby is fighting for her life, and you want to come over here with this bullshit!”

“
Yo lady, I think you need to go ‘head with all this. It’s not the time.” Chauncey waved his hand at her.

“
And you are… the husband? Was it your cousin who was the alleged babysitter?”

“
Alleged?” Sasha shot angrily, as Chauncey chuckled at the woman’s ignorance.

“
Nah, I’m the father.”

“
I’m the husband,” Mike added.

“
Nigga, is that your signature line for the night? We know you the mothafuckin’ husband!” Chauncey barked, getting angry and walking up on Mike, who stood with his shoulders squared ready to fight.

Sasha jumped in between them.

“
Chauncey! Stop it!”

The woman scribbled in her pad.

“
So let me get this straight? Your daughter is only one year old, yet you are married… to someone who is not the father?”

This time Sasha was the one ready to fight.

“
Fuck you, lady!”

“
Okay, lets all calm down,” the receptionist intervened, placing her hand on Sasha’s chest.

Mike took a deep breath after scowling at Chauncey, and then he turned to the woman.

“
Miss, Sasha’s daughter will actually be two in March, not that it means anything…and my cousin, Amanda Bernstein, was the babysitter. She’s a student at Georgia Tech, you can look it up.”

The woman nodded.

“
And do you have any idea why she wasn’t present when police arrived on the premises?”

Mike shook his head as Sasha stood with her arms folded. Chauncey turned his back, not giving this woman any more of his time.

“
I…I don’t know why she wasn’t there. But I hope that she is okay.”

Sasha hadn’t even considered that maybe something had happened to Amanda, she was just so upset with her for not being around.

The woman looked at the group and then nodded again.

“
One more question…do you always leave chemicals accessible to your daughter?”

“
My house is baby-proofed, lady. All of my cabinets have safety locks,” Sasha sassed.

“
Really?” The woman asked challenging.

“
Really.”

“
Well, the police found a half bottle of pine cleaner on the kitchen floor…but I guess that’s a safe place for it, huh?”

The woman could tell by the pain and shame in Sasha’s face that she had touched a nerve. Mike shut his eyes, remembering them rushing out of the house and Sasha sat down slowly in one of the chairs, as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

“
I…I made a mistake,” she whimpered.

Chauncey didn’t know the full story but he knew that he didn’t like seeing Sasha so upset, especially with what was already weighing on her brain. He knew Sasha was a damn good mother, so all of this extra stuff was irrelevant.

“
Okay, I think that’s a wrap,” Chauncey instructed, guiding the woman with his hand on her back.

“
Please don’t touch me,” she warned.

“
Well, then get the fuck outta here,” he ordered.

She took one final look at them and made her way towards the doors.

“
You’ll be hearing from me soon,” she threatened over her shoulder and Sasha closed her eyes.

Please wake me up…somebody wake me up.

Chapter 19 - Strength

The all black, tinted out Yukon truck pulled up to the back of the Wingate Hotel, with the back passenger door only feet from the fire exit and employees only entrance. This was the same Yukon that had greeted Tatum and Ree at the steps of their jet, as if they were President Obama and First Lady Michelle.

A middle aged white man, dressed in a blue suit and red tie, stood at the door, holding it slightly ajar with a welcoming smile.

“
Good evening sir, welcome to the Wingate by Wyndham of Georgia,” he greeted in good spirits, as Ree stepped out and escorted Tatum inside of the small entrance.

“
Good evening,” was Ree’s casual response as he took the plastic keys from the manager.

“
Good evening ma'am,” he addressed Tatum. Tatum smiled through her thoughts of baby Aubrey and Sasha.

“
Good evening.”

As the man directed them to a back stairwell, he spoke quickly.

“
Hopefully sir I have accommodated you to your liking in the short notice that I was given. Please feel free to let me know of anything, and I mean anything, you may need during your stay here.”

Ree nodded and Tatum followed them up the narrow staircase that she was sure was not the one for general access.

She noticed the oversized black man who had driven the Yukon, was also following them up the steps, and was walking close behind her. He hadn’t spoken more than two words since they had gotten into the car. And those two words were a ‘what’s good’ directed to Ree. She wondered who he was.

When they reached their floor, and approached the first door in view, both the hotel manager and the big man went their separate ways and Tatum and Ree entered the room.

“
Who was that?” Tatum asked once they were inside. The room had a slight chill but did have a fireplace going, and she noticed a jacuzzi off to the side which had a bottle of Ace of Spades on ice. But she doubted it would be of use, being that this was not a pleasure trip. She could see however, that the manager had done his best to have the room to Ree’s standards.

“
You mean the big dude… that drove us here?” Ree finally responded.

“
Mmmhmm,” she nodded as he tossed his duffel bag onto the bed.

“
That’s my man, Crush. He’s a friend of mine that stays here in Atlanta.” Ree walked over to the opened wall-length curtains and closed them quickly with the remote. “I’ve known him for a very long time. And he will be accompanying you to the hospital.”

Tatum furrowed her eyebrows.

“
You’re not coming, too?”

He looked up at her and started to make his way over.

“
I wish I could sweetheart… but I don’t think that’s wise. I’ll be right here though. And trust me, Crush will look out for you.”

Tatum shook her head nonchalantly and waved her hand, feeling silly.

“
No…I’m not worried. And that was a dumb question anyway.”

He held her by the shoulders.

“
No question of yours is dumb, cut it out.”

He kissed her forehead.

“
Give Sasha and Aubrey… and Chauncey, my love. Call me as soon as you find out what’s going on, okay?”

There was a light tap on the door and Tatum nodded.

“
Okay,” she agreed.

Ree walked over to the door, his swagger more dominant in every step, and when he opened it, Tatum saw that it was the same big man.

“
Ready?” big man asked, in his deep husky voice.

Okay, three words
, Tatum thought as she made her way to the door, hospital bound.

“
Oh my god, I’m so happy you’re here,” Sasha confessed, holding Tatum tight in the middle of the lobby.

“
Are you crazy? This is my god baby we’re talking about…how is she?” Tatum asked, concerned and nervous.

Sasha sighed.

“
Well, she’s conscious. They’re still working on her, making sure her nervous system is okay. But the doctor says it’s looking good.”

Tatum exhaled in relief.

“
Oh thank god! Did your parents make it?”

“
We still can't get in touch with them,” Sasha revealed.

Tatum saw Mike seated at a small chair next to the water cooler and she waved at him with a friendly smile.

As he nodded and waved back, Tatum noticed Chauncey and E making their way down the hallway from outside. She walked over and met them halfway.

“
Hey E,” she greeted. “Come here, big bro,” she added, embracing Chauncey in a big hug. She hadn’t seen him in so long. “How you holding up?”

She could smell the smoke on him and could tell that he was probably out having a cigarette; she could imagine how shot his nerves were. Chauncey shrugged and ran his hand over his head.

“
Best I could I guess…that’s my baby girl in there, you know?”

Tatum nodded and half smiled in an attempt to comfort.

“
But she’s gonna be okay, Chaunc. I know she will.”

“
Yeah, I know…anyway, I hear you an island girl now. How’s that?”

Tatum smiled, seeing the multiple dimensions in Chauncey’s question.

“
It’s good. He sends his love,” she added. Just then Jayde made her way up to them and Tatum gave a generic smile. Ever since Sasha had told her about the whole queen pin, drug pusher scenario, Tatum didn’t know what to make of her.

“
Hey Tatum,” she greeted. “How are you?”

Jayde engulfed Tatum in a warm hug and Tatum could smell her prestigious perfume. She tried her hardest to maintain her same demeanor as the last time she’d seen her, pre-drug lord revelation.

“
I’m okay…under the circumstances.”

Jayde shook her head.

“
I know. I’d say it’s nice to see you, but that doesn’t even feel right.”

“
Yeah,” Tatum agreed, reflecting on what she had just said.

“
Are you alone?” Jayde asked, looking past Tatum and around the room.

Tatum squinted her eyes at Jayde.

“
I am. Well, me and…him,” Tatum informed her, pointing at Ree’s friend/driver/bodyguard who stood posted by the door.

Jayde looked over at Crush and pursed her lips.

“
Oh, I see,” she giggled.
This bitch really came up, personal escorts and all,
Jayde mused.
Lucky girl.

She took in Tatum fully. She could tell Ree had her living like a queen. Her wardrobe and maintenance seemed to be just as well kept as before, there was no drastic change there. But there was an aura of prestige and of stature that only a fellow boss bitch could recognize in another. Jayde had to give her the props; Tatum carried her new queen bee title well and effortlessly.

The doctor emerged from the double doors at the end of the hall, breaking up the small talk, and everyone approached him in anticipation.

‘
She’s gonna be okay,” he declared with a smile, and you could literally hear everyone’s sigh of relief. He continued.

“
We’re going to keep her for a few days for observation, but other than that, she will be good to go. She’s a trooper.”

Sasha clasped her hands together and thanked god and Chauncey smiled wide and wrapped his arms around her, causing Mike to frown lightly.