The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil (39 page)

Okay, she had my attention. “Get out of here. That’s too much.”

“Well, Cash thought they might wanna put some rims on their new cars.” She laughed, but when she noticed that I didn’t join her, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain later,” I whispered. Then, to everyone else, I announced that they could take their seats.

I moved among the crowd, directing our friends, conversing and laughing, my eyes on Adam the whole time. It had been minutes now, and he was still in that corner—doing whatever he was doing.

Who could he be talking to? Certainly not anyone from work. Adam wouldn’t stand for work interfering with his daughters’ day. It wasn’t a friend—everyone we knew was here.

It had to be Shay-Shaunté!

This wasn’t going to happen. Not today.

Pressing my way through our friends, I kept my smile, although my heart was pushing through my chest. When I was just steps away, Adam felt me—he looked up and shoved his phone into his jacket.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, while trying to keep a smile.

“Nothing. Is everything going okay?”

I ignored his question. “Who were you talking to?”

He shook his head. “I have to make a quick run.”

No!

He said, “I have to take care of something. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Before he could move away, I grabbed his arm. “Adam, please don’t do this. It’s the girls’ birthday.”

“I’ll be right back, Evia.”

“Please.” I wondered if he knew that tears were burning behind my eyes. “Not in front of our friends.”

He looked at me, his expression sorrowful, but determined. “Get everyone settled,” he directed. “I’ll be back before they start serving.”

He rushed away from me, toward the back door. Without a glance back, he was gone. I stood for a moment, watching, wondering what was happening.

I was losing my husband and there was nothing I could do.

“Mom?”

The voice was quiet, tentative, and I had to stick my broken heart back into my chest before I faced Alana. The smile that I wanted her to see was on my face, even though I knew for sure she wouldn’t feel it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with tears in her voice.

“Nothing, sweetheart,” I said, finding my happy tone.

“Why did Dad leave us?”

I didn’t know the strength I had, because it took amazing power to hold back my sobs.

She had no idea what she was saying. She had no idea that in days or months, she might be asking me that same question again.

“Mom?” Alana called me again.

I said to Alana, “Your dad will be right back. He had to go … he forgot something special.” Then I added, “For you and Alexa.”

“Okay.” I could tell that she wasn’t sure if she should believe me. But when I said, “Go back in there. You’re the birthday girl,” she did as she was told.

But I didn’t follow her. At least a minute had passed since Adam had left, but I was hoping that somehow I would be able to find him. Not that I had a real plan—I was just going to get in my car and drive … maybe catch him at a light, or in traffic.

I pushed the door open … stepped outside … and froze.

He hadn’t even gone to meet her somewhere else. Right in front of me, in the parking lot where our children were celebrating their special birthday, the man I’d loved all my life was holding another woman.

Shay-Shaunté.

“Adam!” Through my scream, I released all the hate I had for her, all the grief I felt for my marriage.

Adam backed away as I bolted down the steps, my stilettos not stopping me. I tore past the cars to where the two were standing.

“Evia, wait,” Adam said, grabbing me by my waist. “Wait.”

“What are you doing here?” I screamed at Shay-Shaunté. Then, in the same breath, I asked him, “How could you do this?”

“I didn’t do anything. I haven’t done anything.”

“You call being out here with her nothing?” I cried.

“I was trying to stop her from coming inside. I told her not to come here,” Adam spoke quickly.

“You’ve been seeing her!”

“No! Never! She texted me out of the blue today. Told me she was coming here with cars for the girls.”

I paused, noticing for the first time where we were standing—between two Range Rovers, the stickers still on the windows.

My eyes moved between the cars and Shay-Shaunté. She stood in the center, just a few feet from us, her arms folded, her hair flowing, her perfection so apparent, even beneath the ankle-length red belted coat she wore. She smirked, posed, as if she was ready for her close-up.

I had her close-up for her, all right.

But Adam held me so tight that I couldn’t move. Not that he had to hold me anymore. Because if he had let me go, I was just going to sit down on the ground in defeat and die.

“I just saw you,” I whimpered to Adam. “Hugging her, holding her. You were probably kissing her.”

“No,” he said softly in my ear. “I wasn’t. I was trying to get her away from me.”

“Oh, Adam,” Shay-Shaunté finally spoke. “Why don’t you tell her the truth? Let’s not hide it anymore. Let’s tell her what’s going on.”

“What are you talking about?” he growled.

Shay-Shaunté took a step closer. Looking down at me, she said, “Your husband loves me.”

I moaned.

“Don’t listen to her,” Adam said, now trying to pull me away. To her, he screamed, “You’re a liar!”

“Come on, Adam. Why are you denying it? Just tell her.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” Adam rumbled,
“and I have never laid my hands on a woman before, but I swear—”

“Please,” Shay-Shaunté waved her hand. “If I’m lying, then how did I know about the cars?”

I closed my eyes. She was right—the proof that she spoke the truth was right in front of me. Adam
had
been with her.

I pushed my elbows against Adam’s chest, forcing his arms to drop. And then, it was the wine—and the taxes, and the pregnancy, and the taunting—and the wine …

I went after Shay-Shaunté.

She screamed.

I screamed.

And then my daughters screamed, “Mom!”

I was from Barry Farm; I didn’t fight like a girl. My punches landed right where I wanted them—first an uppercut to her jaw, then a jab to her eye. But the thing was, Shay-Shaunté gave back as good as she received. I felt like I was fighting eight people with her punches landing on me from everywhere.

Adam grabbed her from behind and locked her in a choke hold. While he held her, I planned to take her down. But in one instant, she slipped from his arms, and in the next, Alexa was by my side.

“Mom,” she screamed as she started swinging. She grabbed Shay-Shaunté’s hair, yanking her head back.

“No! Alexa.” My focus turned to my daughter. I tried to pull her away, but we were in the middle of confusion.

So many people: Adam, Cash, Brooklyn, Tamica.

I could hear Ethan’s cries from far away.

But I couldn’t do anything for my son because I had to save my daughter.

I heard my mother’s shout. “Get off my daughter.”

Then Twin was there, and with a single punch, he took Shay-Shaunté out.

She hit the ground, and at the same moment two police cruisers sped into the lot, lights flashing, sirens blaring.

It was complete chaos as four officers ripped us apart, settling the brawl, questioning the guests, most of whom stood on the outskirts, shocked witnesses.

“I want to press charges,” Shay-Shaunté said as she rose from the ground as if she had not just been knocked down.

“Please,” Adam begged. “Don’t do this.”

She ignored him. “I want to press charges … against him and her.”

I was horrified—Shay-Shaunté had pointed to my brother … and my daughter.

“No,” I said, wrapping my arms around Alexa. “She didn’t do anything. It was me.”

“She attacked me!” Shay-Shaunté said. “Look at my face. She hit me and I didn’t do anything to her.”

“Why are you lying? I did that to you,” I admitted.

The officer asked Shay-Shaunté, “Do you want to file against them?”

“Yes! Definitely!” she huffed. “I will go down now and I want them arrested.”

“Mom!” Alexa cried, with her arms wrapped around me.

“I’m sorry,” the officer said. “I’ve got to take her down to the station until we get this all cleared up.”

Shay-Shaunté straightened her coat and smirked at Alexa, “You’re going to jail, sweetheart.”

“Mommy!” my daughter wailed.

Cash and one of the officers held Adam back as he leapt toward Shay-Shaunté. But she showed no fear—all she did was laugh.

“Come on, young lady,” the officer said to Alexa.

“Mom!” she screamed.

“Please, please, can I go with her?” I cried.

“Me, too!” Alana begged as she grabbed my hand.

The officer nodded. “Both of you,” he said to me and Alana, “come on. It’s against policy, but you can ride with her in the back.”

I cried as we piled into the white and blue car. I cried as I watched our friends and family stand in the parking lot, shaking their heads in amazement, stunned at the pandemonium that had erupted. I cried as I held my daughters and tried to quiet their sobs.

In the other car, Twin was bound in handcuffs, and I was sure that with his record, he’d spend more than a few hours at the station.

My tears were still falling when Adam knocked on the glass and motioned for Alana to roll down the window.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Adam said with tears tracking down his face.

I nodded.

As the cruiser began to roll away, Adam yelled out, “I love you!”

My sobs deepened. “I love you more,” I quivered.

The car had edged away from him, but Adam jogged by the side, trying to keep up. “I love you best, Shine!” he yelled as the police cruiser sped up, leaving Adam, the party, and all of our guests behind.

Epilogue

T
HE
N
ATIONAL
W
EATHER
B
UREAU HAD PROJECTED
blizzard conditions with snow accumulation of up to fifteen inches for the Washington, D.C. metro area. At dusk, the streets were almost empty, as federal employees had been sent home to safety hours before.

The wind whipped across the nation’s capital as the temperature plummeted … and Shay-Shaunté headed west on Independence Avenue, the Capitol building in her rearview mirror.

As she rolled down the street, a police cruiser edged behind her with his lights flashing, and he turned on his siren. She slowed, and the officer pulled up next to her.

“Ma’am,” he said, sounding panicked, as he jumped from his car. “Do you need help?”

Shay-Shaunté peered at him over the top of her sunglasses. “No, I’m fine.”

“But the top to your car.” The policeman paused and gazed at her devil-red Jaguar convertible. “It’s down.”

Shay-Shaunté turned her head from one side to the other, taking in the snowflakes that fell around her. She twisted in her seat to get a better look at the officer. “Is there a law against that?”

The officer paused, stumped. “No, not really. I mean, it’s freezing and you’re gonna be cold—”

“Officer, do I look cold to you?”

Through the snowfall that was thickening, he peered at the woman, movie-star beautiful, her head wrapped with a lightweight red scarf and her eyes framed with red-rimmed sunglasses.

He frowned for a moment, wondering what else was wrong with this sight—and then he got it. Why wasn’t there any snow on her scarf, on her coat, on the seats?

She must have one hellava heating system in that car.

Aloud, he said, “Well, if you’re sure you’re all right.”

“I am.” She curled her fingers in a wave and sped off.

It all felt marvelous to her. The snow was no bother—every flake melted before it got within inches of her skin.

She waited until she was out of the jurisdiction of the district and on the road before she hit her Bluetooth. Using voice dialing, she called out the name, then waited for the phone to connect.

“Shay-Shaunté, how are you, my dear!”

“What’s up, Uncle Michael?”

“It’s all wonderful here!” His voice boomed through the car, ricocheted off the interior and when his echo hit the concrete of the road, it became thunder. “So, what have you been up to, my darling?”

“Nothing much. I’ve just been going to and fro, walking back and forth.”

“Ah, I remember those days,” he said. “So where are you now?”

“Actually, I just left Washington, D.C.,” she said, her eyes on the sign that welcomed her into West Virginia.

Shay-Shaunté’s uncle laughed. “Oh, lots to see and do there. With all of those politicians, I’m sure your work was easy.”

“Actually, I wasn’t assigned to anyone in government. This was a young couple—Adam and Evia.”

“Ahhhh,” he moaned with pleasure.

Shay-Shaunté smiled, knowing that she’d taken him back down memory lane.

He said, “There was this time … and this garden called Eden … and this man and woman … did I ever tell you what I did to them?”

Shay-Shaunté laughed. “You’ve told me many times, Uncle Michael.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry if I keep repeating myself. I love to reminisce about the good ole days.”

“I know.”

“So, tell me about your time in D.C.”

“Like I said, I was assigned to a young couple, who said over and over that they loved … you know, Him. They went to church, tithed, did all of that stuff that all of those people do, but the thing was, they never really loved Him. Money was always their greater love.”

“Isn’t that always the case?”

“Uh-huh. Uncle Michael, it was so easy,” she said as she gazed at the sign that brought her into Kentucky. “All I had to do was apply a little pressure and they snapped. I didn’t even have to resort to the things that money couldn’t buy.” She shook her head. “I didn’t have to make anyone sick, I didn’t make anyone die, there was no major catastrophe in their life. I just took away a little money and they lost a lot of faith.”

“That means all your goals were accomplished?”

“Well, I think so,” she said as she glanced at the sign welcoming
her to Missouri. “I’m still a bit new at this, but I completed the trio as you call it.”