Forever a Hustler's Wife (3 page)

“I know.” Yarni knew that Des would run rather than sit in jail again for a crime he didn’t commit. And as a result they would lose their dream house.

“You sure you gon’ be able to handle that?”

“Boo, I don’t give a fuck about a gotdamn house. We’ll just get another one. You know I’m fine as long as we’re together. It’s just when we’re not together; that’s when I lose it.”

“I’m just saying, we worked hard getting that house built and decorated, and I know how much you love it.”

“Fuck that house,” Yarni said with sincerity. “It’s just a house. Like I said, it can be replaced.” She touched his cheek and trailed her fingers down his chin, drawing his face close to her, “But you, my darling…you can’t.”

He nodded and smiled inside. He knew that if anything was stable in his life, it was Yarni.

“Besides,” Yarni continued, “if I had to sell ten houses and the clothes on my back, then guess what? I wouldn’t leave you in here.”

“That’s why you’re my wife,” Des said, planting a kiss on Yarni’s lips.

“So we’re not going to burn this out,” Yarni explained to Des about the visit. “You know I had to finagle my way in here.”

“You still want me to call you at eight o’clock?”

“Damn, ol’ boy told you already, huh?”

“Which reminds me: What I tell you about bringing stray dogs home?” Des joked.

“You know I’m always trying to fix a wounded puppy.”

“I know, and you gon’ do it, too. I got confidence.”

“Thanks, baby.”

“Oh, and he didn’t do that shit. His man did it.”

“Huh?” Yarni asked, slightly puzzled.

“Your client. He didn’t do what they’re accusing him of. His man did it.”

“For real?” Yarni said, staring at him.

“Jailhouse gossip. He was with the people that did it, but he was passed out drunk in the car. He had nothing to do with it.”

“Good looking out.” She stood up and gave Des a hug and a quick, juicy kiss. “The paperwork should be done in twenty-four hours, and I’ll be back here to pick you up.”

“Make sure you bring Desi when you come.”

“I will.” Yarni smiled as she left Des to go watch the clock and await making his phone call.

Yarni pulled into her long winding driveway at 7:30
P.M.
She didn’t go by Des’s mother’s house to pick up Desi because she didn’t want to take a chance on being late and missing Des’s eight o’clock call. After parking her platinum Bentley coupe in the driveway beside Des’s money-green Bentley coupe, she walked into the lavish home she shared with Des and their daughter. Yarni couldn’t help but take a moment to admire the columns, the archways, the beautiful decor, and the furniture, knowing that it might all be pulled from under her feet. The more she roamed from room to room, the more the possibility of the loss of her house bothered her. If it came down to doing more time or running, she knew what choice Des would make.

For all the time she had lived in this house, she had taken so much for granted, never really stopping to look at the beautiful original paintings she had purchased from a downtown gallery. Now, with the chance that she might lose it all, she noticed everything—even the smoke gray tissue-box holder that was in the half bath. When Yarni reached Desi’s room, she fell to the floor and began to sob, but as soon as the loud chimes on the huge grandfather clock struck eight, the pity party was over. The phone rang, and she wiped her tears and answered, knowing who awaited her on the other end.

CHAPTER 2

Three Weeks Earlier…

“R
elax, baby, I’m here,” Des said as he caressed Yarni’s hand and watched while the doctor lifted the tiny blood-covered baby from his wife’s womb. The next thing he heard were cries, first Yarni’s and then the baby’s.

“It’s a girl,” the doctor informed everyone in the room.

Des smiled. He was amazed as the new life appeared right in front of his eyes. He had taken a life before, and even spared a few, but to take part in creating life was something that affected him deeply.

“Do you want to cut the cord?” the doctor asked Des.

Without saying a word, Des released Yarni’s hand and took a few steps toward the doctor. He took the scissors from the doctor’s hand and proceeded to separate his daughter from her mother. He was speechless.

Des followed the nurse and watched like a hawk as she took the baby over to a small table to clean her up and wrap her in a blanket. She looked at Des and extended the baby to him. “Would you like to hold your baby girl, Daddy?” the nurse said, smiling.

Des held out his arms, and the nurse placed the baby into them; he cradled her close to his heart, gazing at her in awe.

“Well, we know she’s got some good lungs.” Des laughed as the tiny creature began wailing, with not a tear seeping from her eyes. Des looked at his daughter and put his finger in her mouth, and she began to suck on it like it was a pacifier. For the first few minutes of her life, he held her, kissing and hugging her.

Yarni lay there smiling, watching her baby girl connect with her father. It was the greatest moment in her life. A tear ran down her cheek. She could tell that Des wanted to cry, too. When he looked over at her, he swallowed the lump in his throat, and she could see the wonder in his eyes.

“You doing okay, Mommy?” he asked after the nurse had taken the baby from him. He kissed Yarni on the forehead and pushed her sweat-drenched hair out of her face. Yarni just nodded and smiled, still overcome with emotion. “I’ma go tell Gloria and them.” Des kissed Yarni on the forehead again and made a beeline for the door. Yarni knew that he just wanted to hurry up and get out of there before he broke down with emotion.

After telling Yarni’s mother, Gloria, that she was the grandma to a beautiful, healthy baby girl, Des decided to head outside for some fresh air while he waited for them to get Yarni into her room with the baby. As he walked through the hospital’s entry-way, he ran into Yarni’s sister, Bambi. There was a striking resemblance between the two sisters, except Bambi was dark chocolate to Yarni’s caramel complexion. The two sisters have different mothers so they hadn’t even known they were related until they were both grown, but now they were inseparable, as if they’d been together since the cradle.

“What’s up, Hollywood?” Des beamed, giving her a kiss on her cheek, almost knocking her big Chanel frames off her face. Bambi, as always, was looking stylish. She was sporting a trendy Mohawk with spiked curls, and a short jean skirt hugged her hips.

“Nothing, brother-in-law,” Bambi greeted. “I got here as soon as I heard that Yarni was in labor. Gloria just called me on my cell and told me that y’all had a girl.”

“Yep.” Des smiled proudly.

“I wanted to be here while she was delivering my little niece,” Bambi said, pouting.

“Well, you’re here now,” Des said in an attempt to make her feel better. “How was your flight?” he flipped the subject. “You came in from Paris, right?”

“Good, but it seemed like the damn pilot was taking his sweet time, and I swear to God my luggage was the last to be taken off the plane. I watched everybody else’s shit go round and round before mine dropped.”

He chuckled a bit. “Well, the party’s upstairs—sixth floor, room 633,” he said as he turned to walk outside.

“Who she look like?” Bambi stopped him in his tracks.

“Her daddy. Who the hell you think?”

“I know God ain’t curse that baby like that,” she joked, hitting him playfully on the shoulder before she made her way through the hospital.

Des went to his car to retrieve the very limited edition cigars he had gotten just for this occasion. When he got to the car, he dug under his seat and pulled out the machine-engraved platinum case that housed his cavern-blue, aged Zino Platinum Crown Series cigars. Before heading back into the hospital, he checked the messages on his cell phone. There was only one message he felt obligated to return: that of his dear friend and brother in the game, Rico.

Rico was like Des’s brother but from a different mother. They shared no blood, and Rico wasn’t even American, but he and Des loved and respected each other all the same. They had been down for each other for over a decade and a half and shared many secrets. Des had even done ten years for a crime that Rico’s nephew committed. In exchange for Des’s loyalty, Rico had taken care of a major problem for Des. They rolled for each other without question.

Des returned Rico’s call. He wanted to be the first to give Rico the good news.

After punching the correct speed-dial code, Des said, “Congratulations, my brother, you are the godfather of a beautiful baby girl.”

“Ahhh, congratulations to you, brother,” Rico said, his smile evident even through the phone line.

Des could sense by Rico’s voice that something wasn’t right. “So what’s really good? Everything cool?” Des probed.

“I’m not trying to stop your parade, but I’m in a bind—literally between a rock and a hard place.”

“Speak about it?” Des asked with concern.

“Two of my children just got exposed to some poisonous weeds while playing around the house. Now the weeds are getting to be a problem. I need someone to extract them.” Rico spoke in code.

“I got a little up-and-coming shawty that specializes in these types of problems. I can freelance him out to you,” Des offered.

“It’s super delicate. Besides, it’s not wise for a man in our position to let outsiders near his house. You never let outsiders work on your house, so why would you send an amateur to mine?”

Des phased out for a minute, trying to get his thoughts straight. He stood by the car with the door open, holding the phone with one hand and looking up at the blue sky. He took a deep breath. “A’ight, I’m going to need at least two, three weeks before I’ll be able to get it taken care of.”

“This weed is growing like a beanstalk,” Rico said seriously. “I’m afraid more of my family may get hurt. I need you now. I’ll pay you whatever you need to come out after hours and handle this for me. This is urgent.”

Des could hear the desperation in Rico’s voice. He also knew Yarni would have a fit if he left her and their newborn baby girl alone right now. For Christ’s sake, the baby wasn’t even two hours old yet. He took a deep breath. “I understand, big bro. I’ma take care of it for you, but understand that it’s out of love, not because of anything else, strictly out of love.”

“I’ll give you the details when I get there with my goddaughter’s arrival presents.”

“A’ight then, bro,” Des said before they ended the call.

Des sat down in the car with the door open and lit a cigar while he analyzed the situation. He knew he had to be his brother’s keeper as his brother had kept him for so many years. On the other side of the coin, what kind of father would he be to leave his newborn baby and wife to go and take care of business—someone else’s business at that? After deep contemplation and anguish he finally went back into the hospital to enjoy what little time he had to spend with his daughter.

He looked around the hospital sitting area at all the people who filled the room waiting their turn to go in to welcome his daughter into the world. Bambi came over and stood beside him.

“I swear it’s too many gotdamn people up in here,” Bambi said with a sigh.

“I know,” he said slowly.

“But you know like I know it’s better to let all these motherfuckers come here; that way they don’t have any reason to come to your house being nosy,” Bambi informed her brother-in-law. He looked at her as she stealthily pulled out her cell phone and began to send a text message to someone.

“You know you ain’t supposed to use that in the hospital,” Des warned her.

“I know.” Bambi continued to pound her thumb on the keypad, typing out her message.

“You betta put that shit away with my daughter at this hospital.” Des watched until Bambi did just as he said, but not before she made sure her text had gone through. “Besides, I need a favor from you.”

She placed the phone in her Gucci bag and looked up at Des. “Anything for you, brother-in-law.”

“I’ma have to go out of town. I don’t want to alarm the family, but I’ma need you to hold down the fort for me for about a week.”

“I’m not even gon’ ask no questions,” Bambi said as she put her hands up. “I’ma just hold you down. But I don’t know how you plan to run that past my sister. You know she ain’t gon’ be feelin’ that at all.”

“I know,” Des said, wishing there was another way.

Just then Yarni’s mother walked over to Des.

“Des, baby, Yarni was just asking about you,” Gloria said, placing her hand on his shoulder and rubbing his back. “Go on and see your wife and baby while I hold all of these folks at bay.”

Des looked over at Bambi, who gave him a “nigga, you on your own” look. He then headed to Yarni’s room.

“Hey, beautiful,” Des said as he walked into the hospital room to find Yarni sitting up with her hair slicked back in a ponytail and her lips lined in dark plum and filled in with a clear lip gloss. She hadn’t wasted any time at all getting back to looking at least halfway decent. She knew she must have looked a sight the last time Des saw her, so she wanted to be somewhat presentable when he returned. She was glad she’d made sure that her lip gloss was packed in her overnight bag.

“Hey, handsome,” Yarni said, extending her arms for Des to hug her. “I wish I wasn’t laid up in this hospital bed,” she whispered in his ear. “I’d rather be alone with you working on our second bundle of joy.”

“One thing at a time, beautiful,” Des said, smiling. “You keep it interesting.” He pulled away and looked into her eyes before kissing her on the cheek.

“I have to,” she said, returning a smile.

“You heard what the doctor said: No sex for six weeks. And by all means we’re listening to the doctor.”

“I know, baby. I was just playing anyway. My whole body is aching. Where are the damn painkillers?” She tried to slide in a joke.

“You want me to get the nurse?” Des hated seeing his wife in pain. It took everything he had to sit through the birth.

“I already told them.”

“Where’s Baby Girl?” he asked.

“At the nursery. They should be bringing her in soon.”

“Baby, did I tell you how much I love you? Thank you for giving me such a beautiful baby girl.”

“Oooh, you’re welcome.”

Des took a deep breath and then sat down in the chair next to Yarni’s bed. “Look, baby, I need to talk to you.”

“Okay,” Yarni said, shifting her booty from side to side, trying to get in a comfortable position without hurting herself. The last thing she wanted to do was bust one of those stitches the doctor had sewn on the bikini-line cut he made, when he did her cesarean section. “About what?” She looked up at him, knowing by his tone that something heavy was on his mind.

“When I was holding the baby this morning, I looked down at her, and she literally changed my life. Having held our child makes me want to make sure that she has all the things that we didn’t have.”

“I feel the same way, too,” Yarni shared, touched by Des’s sincerity.

“Then, you’ll understand that I have to leave to go handle some business.”

“When?”

He paused for a minute before he answered. “In a few hours.”

Yarni started. “What do you mean ‘in a few hours’?” She squinted her eyes from the pain she felt after her sudden movement.

“It’s something that has to be handled right away.”

“So you’re leaving me by myself with our baby? I don’t know how to take care of a baby,” Yarni said, raising her voice in fear.

“Bambi, your mom, and my mom are here to help you out.”

“Your momma? You promised you’d never leave me.”

“I’m leaving only for a few days; and between my mom, your mom, and Bambi, you’re going to be okay.”

“What if you don’t come back? How am I going to explain this to our daughter? How? Tell me how!” she shrieked, trying her best to lift herself off the bed. The pain was too much to bear, and she finally collapsed back on the mattress in exhaustion and frustration.

“I’m coming back,” he said as he looked into her eyes to try to reassure her.

“But what if something happens to you?” she asked with a tinge of fear in her voice.

Des felt his heart unraveling. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Yarni any more pain, especially on what was the happiest day of their life.

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” He took a deep breath before leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. “I promise.”

“You never know.” She looked away and started to cry. “You just never know.”

He hugged her and wiped her tears before forcing her to look into his eyes. “Everything is going to be okay,” he said firmly, holding her gently by the shoulders.