What's Done In the Dark(52)

She looked in my direction and relief filled her face when she spotted the boys.

“Oh, my goodness,” she said, hurrying over to us.

“Wow, you’re sure in the losing kids business,” I said. I was joking, but the look on her face told me that she didn’t find anything funny.

“I didn’t lose them. They ran off,” she snapped.

“That’s because we saw ‘Hiry,” Mason said as Tahiry set his twin down next to him.

“Well, don’t do that again, boys. You could’ve given your aunt Charlene a heart attack.” I tussled Mason’s curly hair.

Charlene grabbed their hands. “Come on, let’s get this ice cream.”

“How’s Paula?” I asked before she walked off. “She was asleep when I picked Tahiry up.”

Charlene stopped and glared at me. “She’s fine, no thanks to you.”

Her tone caught Tahiry and me by surprise.

“Tahiry, why don’t you watch your brothers while I talk to your aunt real quick,” I said, flashing a smile to let all of them know everything was fine.

Charlene didn’t let go of their hands.

“Just for a minute,” I said. I motioned for Charlene to step to the side, which she eventually did.

“Is everything okay with us?” I asked her. I was sure I knew the reason for her attitude—she was salty about me not being there for Paula like I should have been. But I needed Charlene on my side, not working against me.

She huffed. “Look, the boys just have my nerves frazzled. I don’t know what I was thinking, bringing them to the mall. I’m not cut out for this kid stuff.”

I gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re doing a fantastic job.”

“Yeah, losing kids,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“But we all would still be lost without you.” I took a deep breath. “I know I haven’t been there for your sister, but it’s just so hard.” I don’t know why I felt the need to justify my actions with Charlene. Maybe there was part of me that wanted her to make Paula understand my absence.

She actually seemed to relax. “I know. I’m sorry. I know this is hard on everyone.”

“I’m just trying to help Tahiry cope.”

“And I know Paula appreciates that.”

“So, we’re cool?”

She nodded and shrugged at the same time. “Yeah, we’re cool.”

It didn’t feel like we were cool, but I knew I needed her on my side now.

“Are we still gonna get ice cream?” Mason said once we walked back over to them.

“I shouldn’t get y’all’s little bad behinds anything, running off like that,” Charlene said and the twins immediately began whining. “Oh, chill out, I’m gonna get it.” She waved goodbye to us as they dragged her back over to the ice cream shop.

“Here,” Tahiry said, handing me my cell phone after they were gone. “Somebody named Sabrina called you.”

My heart dropped. “You answered my phone?”

“It was ringing,” she said, like it was no big deal. “I told her you were busy.”

“What did she say?”

“She said get unbusy and call her back. She was really rude. You need to teach your friends some manners.”

I managed a smile. “I need to teach little girls from answering my phone.”

“I was trying to help you out.”

I let the conversation drop but as soon as I dropped Tahiry off, I was going to call Sabrina, see what she wanted and do whatever I needed to do to shut this situation down.





36


Felise


I COULDN’T BELIEVE I WAS back here again. I was sitting in the back of the Four Seasons restaurant, praying that no one saw me. I think Sabrina liked torturing me by making me come here. Of course, she was late, which only gave me more time to ponder how in the world my life had come to this. I couldn’t believe that I was caught up in a blackmail scheme.

After I dropped Tahiry off yesterday, I’d called Sabrina. This time, she’d answered like she was irritated that I’d taken so long to get back with her. Then she’d told me to meet her here. Of course, my initial reaction was to tell her absolutely not. When I told her that grand was a one-time payment, I meant it. Then she’d responded by sending me more of the video and I knew I didn’t have a choice, so here I was.

Sabrina finally sashayed in like she wasn’t thirty minutes late, then eased in the chair across from me.

“What’s up, ol’ buddy?” she said.

I so did not have time to play games with her. “What do you want from me, Sabrina? You know I don’t have any money.”

“Mmmm, I beg to differ,” she said, removing her shades and setting them on the table. “You have a nice house, a nice job. Your hubby makes beaucoup money, and you’re a resourceful woman. Anything you don’t have, I know you can figure out how to get.”