Ebony Angel Page 11

A chill went down her spine as everything fell into place. “Dan left the life. He can help you.”

  “That was years ago. Times have changed.”

  “Yes, they have. Death isn’t your only option.”

  His hands glided over his braids. “I’m into something—something big. I want to see it through. Once I do, the only out for me is death, jail or both. I’m not sure I can keep you safe.”

  Her eyes and nose stung. Her conflicting emotions for him battled. She reminded herself that everyone deserved to be saved. “Please don’t do it, Trae. Stop before you start.” She blinked away tears.

  “I can’t walk away. I’ve been dreaming and working toward this day for years, and soon…”

  “Soon what?”

  “I thought this victory would fulfill me, but I feel hollow.”

  “Why do it?”

  “Don’t get me wrong.” He leaned forward. “I want this, Ebony. I want it so bad I get hard thinking about it. But what comes next?”

  “I know you can’t tell me what you’re up to, but after this job, please leave the life. Start a new adventure, new challenges.”

  “If what I’m trying succeeds, they won’t let me walk away. At least not for a few years.” He grabbed Crystal’s suitcase. “That kid’s awfully quiet out there.”

  She allowed him to change the subject. Richard cooked to avoid talking. Trae became super dad. She had learned to give them both their space to think.

  * * *

  Richard leaned against Ebony’s front door. After tonight there would be no turning back, and he still hadn’t told his parents about her. They had never accepted him, and he wouldn’t give them the chance to reject Ebony.

  Admitting to himself that he still wanted his mother’s acceptance, he sighed. Nonno kept telling him to stop being stubborn and call his mother, but Richard couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was past tired of her treating him like a second-class citizen.

  The last time he spoke to Stephanie, they argued over his move to Chicago. She insisted he move to the New York office, where his father had more business connections.

  She would never approve of Ebony. He closed his eyes. Marrying Ebony meant losing his chance at winning his mother’s approval.

  Visions of Ebony chasing him and Crystal around the condo with a Super Soaker filled his mind. Ebony accepted and loved him as is. With her, he had already won. He turned toward the door.

  * * *

  Richard walked into the flat and greeted everyone.

  Crystal looked around Ebony. “Smoke!” She ran and jumped into his arms. “I’m going on a plane.”

  Trae took her from him. “Let the man take his coat off, then pounce on him.”

  Richard couldn’t tear his eyes away from Ebony. She hid her anxiety behind a plastic smile. “Whoa, a plane ride!” His attempt at cheerfulness failed miserably. He hung his coat, then set his loafers on the rack.

  Excited and oblivious to the somber moods in the room, Crystal nodded. “We’re flying to Florida to see…” She frowned. “Who are we seeing again?”

  “My mother.” Trae set her down.

  “Oh, yeah, that’s right. We’re gonna stay in a hotel with a pool.”

  Richard sat on the couch beside Ebony. Her usual fire had faded. “I love you,” he mouthed.

  Crystal looked from Richard to Trae to Ebony. “What’s wrong, Mama?”

  Ebony patted her hand. “I’m just a little tired. Oh, shoot. I forgot to pack your swimsuit.”

  “I’ll get it.” Crystal ran off.

  “Stop running in the house,” the three adults said in unison.

  Trae sorted through his briefcase. “I have something for you to sign before I leave.” He found the forms, then set them on the coffee table.

  To Richard’s annoyance, Ebony reached for the papers and pen without hesitation and signed. This type of behavior had to stop. “Can I see those?” Richard asked.

  “No,” Trae calmly replied.

  Ebony handed the papers over to Richard. Trae jumped forward, snatching the documents. “What are you doing?” Trae snapped.

  “I’m in no mood for this. Let Smoke see there’s nothing to be suspicious of.” She held her hand out.

  Richard watched her stare Trae down, and his heart filled with joy. Unlike his mother, Ebony would always be on his side.

  “We’ve been doing fine for years. Why all a sudden we need Smoke’s okay?”

  “Smoke and I are one now. Hand him the stupid papers so he can see what a waste of time it is.” She flashed a listless smile at Richard, then left the room to help Crystal find her swimsuit.

  Worried about the cause of her depression, Richard watched her leave. This episode had cinched it. No way could he introduce her to the drama of his family. She had enough to deal with already. After they were married and settled in, they would both be better prepared to deal with his mother.

  “I don’t appreciate this crap. I would never hurt Ebony. This is legit.” Trae tossed the papers on the table. “Go ahead. Take ten years to read every word. Hell, get a lawyer to look at them.”

  As Richard considered if winning this battle would contribute to his losing the war, his eyes traveled from Trae to the papers and back to Trae. “I don’t need to see them.” Ebony was an expert on which battles to fight where Trae was concerned. He decided to follow her example for now.

  “That’s more like it. For a second there I thought you didn’t trust me.” Trae picked up the papers and stacked them neatly on the table. “I’m trusting you with my girls. We have to trust each other.”

  Trae’s tone sounded cryptic, but Richard didn’t have the energy to figure out what he had in his bag of tricks. All he wanted was to know what upset Ebony. “You have a point.”

  “I found out that Crystal’s school offers three different scholarships.” He turned the pages so Richard could see the school’s emblem. “They don’t tell black folks shit. Ebony’s been paying out the yang when Crystal should be going for free.”

  The more he listened, the angrier he became at Trae for ignoring Ebony’s obvious anguish. “You know, I don’t give a damn about those papers. In case you haven’t noticed, something’s wrong with Ebony.”

  “You need to keep Jessica out of your business. We came to an understanding.” He leafed through the papers. “She’s not to say my name again, and I won’t kill her unhappy ass. That heifer came down on Ebony today.”

  Richard cursed under his breath. Jessica had grilled him earlier, but Ebony usually ignored her comments. There was more to the story. He understood why Jessica thought he worked for Trae. From her point of view, that was the only answer that made sense.

  “You better neutralize her,” Trae recommended.

  Richard watched him closely. He seemed uncharacteristically nervous.

  Trae glanced toward Ebony’s room and leaned forward whispering, “I’ve been thinking and,” he trailed off and leaned back on the recliner. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Jessica doesn’t have this much of an effect on Ebony.”

  “I want for you to adopt Crystal.”

  “What?” Richard gasped as he jumped up.

  “Sit down and be quiet,” Trae snapped under his breath. “We don’t have time for you to start trippin’.”

  Richard sat, resting his elbows on his knees. “None of this makes sense.”

  “It’s as clear as a bell, Smoke. My mom was a whore and my father a hype. Ebony’s right. How long before Crystal realizes what I actually am? Who I actually am? How long before one of my rivals takes after her? I want her to have a father she can be proud of, not some drug dealer. I want her safe.”

  “Quit. I’ll help you.”

  Trae smiled. “You sound like Ebony. I need you to do this. I’m counting on you to give Ebony and Crystal the life they deserve.”

  Richard acknowledged the pleading in Trae’s voice. “I love them. You know I’ll adopt Crystal, but I won’t lie. You’re her father
. She’ll just have two that love her.” He held his hand out to shake to an end to Trae’s games.

  Trae shook his hand. “We cool.”

  Ebony returned with Crystal in tow. “Did you two settle your little dispute?”

  Trae stood. “What dispute?” He didn’t wait for anyone to comment. “Did you pack a light jacket? It’s in the seventies down there.”

  “Everything’s ready.” Ebony hugged him. “Have a safe and fun trip.” She bent, kissing and hugging Crystal. “I’m expecting a daily call from you.”

  “Okay, Mama.” Crystal hugged Richard. “I’ll call you, too.” She left hand-in-hand with Trae after Ebony finished signing the papers.

  Ebony leaned on the windowsill, watching Trae and Crystal on the street below. “Trae’s in trouble,” she whispered. “I’m scared for him.”

  Richard embraced her from behind. “We have to help him.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him. “I love you.” She turned in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

  Every time he heard her heartfelt proclamation, he felt he could conquer the world. “I love you, too.” He gently drew his hand along her spine.

  “I figured something out today, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

  “You’re not alone. You can lean on me,” he said as she relaxed against his body.

  “Trae accepting you didn’t make sense. I kept making excuses, but now I know the truth.”

  Richard continually probed his mind for answers about Trae accepting him and found none. Trae was so inconsistent: at times he acted jealous, other times he encouraged their relationship, yet at other times he tried to sabotage them.

  Ebony’s soft voice continued, “Trae is standing on a train track refusing to move out of the way. Instead, he’s making sure someone he approves of is left behind to take care of us.” She stepped away.

  Richard pulled her back into his arms. She wasn’t alone. This was their fight. “I know you’re worried about him. I’m worried also, but he knows the game. He’ll land on his feet,” he said with conviction he didn’t feel.

  “He’s into something.” She looked around the living room as if searching for the right words. “Something big, something that will get him killed if he succeeds.”

  “What?” From his investigation, he knew something was up, but they would never give enough information. All he knew was it had something to do with St. Louis.

  “This is total speculation, but I think he’s about to cut the middle men out of the distribution network. He’s been too friendly with other gangs and dealers lately, and traveling all over the place.”

  “They’ll kill him,” he said aloud, to himself.

  “He’s been priming Skeet to take over the business and you to take over watching me. He’s even about to make amends with his parents.”

  And asking me to adopt Crystal. He didn’t know what to think. “I’ll talk to him. It can’t be too late.”

  “This great guy once told me something like—you can’t save someone who refuses to be saved.”

  Feeling powerless, he held her tightly. “I’m sorry, Ebony. I don’t know what to do.” He had grown to care about Trae and Skeet. Now he fully appreciated the dilemma that was her life—their life.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Eight-year-old Richard stood at the top of the stairwell with his hands over his ears. His older sisters circled him, taunting, “Guess which one does not belong here. Guess which one is not the same.”

  He had almost made the great escape, but his wicked sisters knew a shortcut to the stairs. He slammed his eyes shut. “I can’t hear you. I can’t see you. La la la la la!”

  Each sister took one of his arms and forced his hands from his ears. Screaming stopped, he struggled to free himself.

  “Mommy said to stop calling you lost boy,” thirteen-year-old Bianca spewed. “Now we need a new pet name for our little nig—” He yanked out of Bianca’s hold.

  Eleven-year-old Gail could barely contain him. He was already taller than she was.

  Bianca put her hands on her narrow hips and glared down at him. “Why don’t you run away? Let him go, Gail. We would hate him to think we actually want him to stay.” Gail released him.

  Bianca fluffed her long, brunette hair. “Speaking to Richard is a waste of breath. Why don’t you go ahead and leave?”

  “I will leave!” Richard shouted.

  “Well, don’t let me keep you.” She shoved him with all her might. He lost his balance. She grabbed for him, but it was too late. Instead of falling down the steps, he fell over the banister, crashing face first onto the marble-topped Victorian console table below, then falling to the floor.

  His sisters ran down the stairs. “Help! Help!” They rolled his lifeless body over, exposing a face covered with blood.

  “Oh, my God,” Bianca cried. “I killed him. I didn’t mean to.”

  Sudden pounding at Ebony’s bedroom door roused her and Richard.

  “Skeet!” Marissa yelled. “Get out of my house makin’ all that damn noise!” The banging stopped.

  “I’m comin’ in,” Skeet announced. The door hinges creaked and the smells of fresh coffee filled the room as he entered.

  Ebony flopped over and covered her head with a pillow. “Make the bad man go away,” she moaned.

  Glad to be wakened from his dream, Richard glanced at the clock. “What’s wrong with you? It’s seven in the morning. Have you lost your mind?” Wearing only briefs, he covered himself with the comforter as he sat up against the headboard.

  “You look like shit.” Skeet snarled. “I haven’t been to bed yet. Y’all got any new toothbrushes, Ebony?” He closed the door and watched himself in the full-length mirror. “Damn, I look good.”

  “I know you didn’t come here for fashion advice. If so, your jeans are too baggy and that Lakers’ throwback played out last year. Now go away.” He rubbed the side of his face.

  The fall had left Richard with a little nerve damage. Reconstructive surgery repaired his face, but left the crooked grin Ebony loved. Until she entered his life, he had hated it, and the memories it never allowed to fade.

  After he was released from the hospital, his parents had sent him away to a boarding school. At the time, he felt he was being punished when it was his sisters that should have been. He didn’t mind the separation from his parents and siblings, but he had missed Nonno terribly. Within months, Nonno’s health had improved enough for him to take Richard back in. He heard that Nonno had raised seven kinds of hell to regain custody of him.

  Skeet rounded the bed to shake Ebony.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Richard warned. “What do you want?”

  Skeet kicked at the bed. “You drain the fun out of every damn thing, Smoke. I knew you’d be up early to go ring shopping and didn’t want you paying retail.”

  Richard shot Skeet an I’m gonna kill you look.

  “Oops.” He laughed. “Let the cat out of the bag, huh.”

  Ebony threw her pillow at Skeet. “What is this crazy man talking about?”

  He tipped out of the room. “Call me when you’re ready—and congratulations.”

  Richard lay beside Ebony. “He’s a giant kid. I had this romantic evening planned, then…” His voice faded.

  She laid her head next to his on the pillow. “Then we ended up sleeping here, with you consoling me.”

  He caressed her face. “Every second I spend with you is precious. They’re my friends, too. I want them out of the life as much as you do.” He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. No matter how much he cared about them, at the end of the day, they were drug dealers. It terrified him to hear himself making excuses for them. He had to find something before he became tainted. “We can’t stop living our life, Ebony.”

  Hair all over the place, nightshirt rumpled, sleep in her eyes, dried tears on her face—she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, both inside and out. “Would you do me the honor of becom
ing my wife?”

  She didn’t move or make a sound. Self-doubt hung in the air. What if she believed Jessica…He stopped this train of thought. “You’re making me nervous. Say something.” He flashed an anxiety-ridden half-grin. “Will you marry me?”

  Her face lit up. “Yes, yes, yes,” she screeched, hugging him. “I couldn’t believe my ears.”

  He kissed her lightly. “You’ve just made me the happiest person in the world.” He cupped her into his body. He wanted to make love, but with Skeet in the house, he would have to wait. “I’m free on Monday. We can have a small wedding. Crystal can miss a few days of class.”

  “You are too silly.” She grinned. “I’m so happy. Wait until I tell Jessica. She’s gonna have a heart attack.”

  “Good.” He encircled her waist, gently grinding.

  She tapped his hand. “Don’t say that.”

  “She doesn’t like me, and the feeling is mutual.” He stroked her hair neatly behind her ear. “Do you think Skeet’s gone?” He nibbled on her earlobe, eliciting a moan. “I want to make love with my fiancée,” he whispered.

  “You are such a tease.” She turned in his arms. “I know you smell the bacon and eggs. Mom’s cooking, so Skeet is still here.”

  “He’s better than birth control.” They both laughed. “I’ll force myself to behave. Give me a date. When do you make me an honest man?”

  “I’m thinking after graduation. That gives us plenty of time to plan.”

  She filled the void in his life, making him whole. He had to protect her. “I want for you and Crystal to move in with me.” He covered her soft lips with his fingers before she could object. “I know how you feel about shacking up, but Trae is up to something. I don’t want you or Crystal caught in the crossfire.”

  “What can happen in a few months? He’s kept us safe this long.”

  “He asked me to adopt Crystal.”

  “What?!” She hopped out of bed.

  The rage in her voice stunned and hurt him. Trae giving up his rights to Crystal meant they were free to be a real family. “Don’t you want me to be Crystal’s father?”

  She looked at him as if he had lost his mind, and he knew he had misread her.