sell a damn thing, I’m being watched so closely. I had to take down all my seller’s accounts. Every one of them! Do you have any idea how much money I’m losing in sales every single day? I have no choice but to sit here and wait for this whole damn thing to blow over. If I moved any of the merchandise we’ve accumulated, I’d be taking a chance the police would notice. I have to rely on the kindness of others at the moment. So behave!”
Frederick looked at her disbelievingly. “I’m not staying here while he’s lying all up in your bed! Ain’t no man should be in your bed! You’re my mama! Mamas are only supposed to love their sons! They’re not supposed to be all in bed with other men!” Frederick shouted.
“The hell is going on in here?” the man asked, stomping out of the bedroom wearing only boxers, scratching his balls, with what little hair he had on his head sticking up comically. “You know what time it is?” he asked.
“Go back to bed, Harvey!” Mary ordered.
“Fuck this! I am not gonna sit here and watch this! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Frederick shouted and jumped to his feet.
“Frederick! Sit down baby, you have to understand there are times that call for the unexpected,” Mary said, walking out of the kitchen again and hurrying toward him.
“No! There ain’t no unexpected! You don’t love me! You never loved me! All you love is your flavor of the month! What about me?!” he yelled, before storming out of the door and slamming it so hard behind himself that he loosened the doorjamb.
Mary turned on Harvey. “Really? You couldn’t just stay in the bedroom so I could take care of my son? He’s hurting, you know? He needs his mama!” she shrieked.
Harvey looked at her, then shook his head. “Seems to me he needs a fucking shrink. You both do. I’m taking my shit and I’m out. Figure out how to pay your own damn bills,” he snapped. He went back to the bedroom and slammed the bedroom door.
“Harvey!” she screamed. “Harvey! Don’t walk away from me while we’re talking! We’re just talking, love! Why you have to go all hostile? I’m just worried about my baby,” she said, opening the door and rushing to the bed the whole while she was speaking. “I’ll make it up to you. You don’t really want to go, do you? Your wife thinks you’re out of town. Just stay here with me. You know nobody can do that thing you love like I can.”
~~~
Riley and Roman got home in the wee hours after midnight. Though Riley thought everyone was sleeping when he unlocked the door and let himself into the house, he was not at all surprised to find Lucas standing just on the other side of the door.
“Damn, Lucas! You could have just unlocked the door,” Riley said, keeping his voice hushed.
“What fun would that be? Besides, wanted you to see how alert I am, even when I’m sleeping!” Lucas replied.
Riley looked at him pointedly. “You weren’t sleeping,” he said.
Lucas shook his head. “Nope. Glad you’re back. Want me to hang around?”
“Naw, man. I’m home. You can head home if you want to,” Riley answered.
Lucas nodded. Then he looked at Roman. “Sorry your woman couldn’t come home yet.”
“Thanks,” Roman answered.
“Lazarus at home already?” Lucas asked, looking behind Riley and Roman standing in the doorway and realizing Lazarus was not behind them.
Riley shook his head. “He stayed to see what he could dig up.”
Lucas raised both eyebrows, surprised at the information.
“His choice. Couldn’t be talked out of it,” Riley said.
“He need any help?” Lucas asked.
“Naw, he’s got it covered. He’ll be okay. I trust him to know his limits,” Riley said.
“Hope so,” Lucas said, as he stepped back to give them room to enter the house fully.
“Where’s Darcie?” Roman asked, looking over at the sofa and realizing no one was sleeping there.
“Like she’d have to sleep on the sofa,” Lucas said.
“I just figured with knowing we were heading back, she’d be too excited to sleep and fall asleep there,” Roman said with a slight grin.
“You know her well!” Lucas answered. “And then Maia had me pick her up and put her in bed with Cristie.”
“Roman, why don’t you just sleep here instead of waking her up?” Riley asked. “You can sleep on the sofa.”
“I’m in the downstairs bedroom, and I’m headed home now. So, you can have that room,” Lucas said.
“Either