“She said she sent other stuff.”
“Well, I’m not feelin’ like waitin’ while that shit processes it’s way to someone who’s gonna pull their thumb outta their ass and turn the wheels of justice so my name is cleared. I’m a priority to me. She sent that shit in the mail, who knows what the f**k’s gonna happen to it but whoever reads it isn’t gonna know who the f**k I am and since they don’t know, they aren’t gonna care as much as me.”
I grinned into the phone and muttered, “I see your point.” I listened to his soft laughter then asked, “Do you think this will do it?”
“Don’t know.”
“I think we should send a copy to Angel,” I suggested.
“Definitely one of the plays we need to make. But I wanna talk to Tate and I want him to have a look at it. Sit tight, mama, I’ll call you.”
“I was going to go to the grocery store and, um… other stuff.” I didn’t elaborate because I was thinking Ty was not in the mood for a paint chip and new curtain discussion. “Do you need me to stay at home or close to town, just in case?”
“Close to town but you don’t gotta stay home. Do what you gotta do in town. The other stuff can hold. Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t say anything and he also didn’t disconnect.
So I sat on my ass in the closet and asked quietly, “You okay?”
“This could be it.”
“Yeah, baby, this could be it,” I whispered.
“Toxic pu**y knew her number was up, spurred her finally to do right. Took that to finally make that bitch do right. Still, she did right. So I guess I can lose that sour taste in my mouth every time I remember I slid my c**k inside her.”
“Another bonus,” I muttered and heard him chuckle.
“And she’s dead and I’m alive and breathin’ and able to slide my c**k inside you.”
That got a couple of tingles but I ignored them and on another mutter said, “A bigger bonus.”
“Got that right, mama.”
I smiled at the phone.
Then I ordered, “Go, call Tate, let’s get the wheels of justice turning to clear my man’s name.”
“Right. Later, babe.”
“Later, honey.”
I heard him disconnect and I stared at the safe.
Then I got off my ass and hustled out of the closet, the bedroom and the house. I had groceries to buy, dessert to procure and then I had to get home so I could be available to get the wheels of justice turning to clear my man’s name.
* * * * *
The Charger growled through the development and I was riding high on a day that included the delivery of kickass Team Walker tees, a letter from beyond the grave from bitch-face Misty that exonerated my husband, the discovery and purchase of two bottles of not-cheap champagne I found at the liquor store and the fact that Shambles had an entire lemon poppy seed cake with drizzle icing and a thick layer of lemon cream frosting in the middle that I could buy to end the f**king fantastic celebration dinner I had planned.
So I did, I bought the whole cake.
But as I neared our house, I saw a beat up, rusted, old model SUV in our drive and leaning against the side sucking on a cigarette was a petite, older, white woman with shoulder-length hair that had a lot of frizz. At the end of the SUV and out in the street, for some reason staring up the hill into the wood, his back to me, was a very large, very tall black man.
Hearing my approach, he turned to face the Charger and I noticed he was older too though he only had a hint of white in his hair to indicate this and didn’t look near as old as the woman.
He also looked a lot like Ty.