Falling for a Hustler: A Benton Harbor Love Story by Jerniqua K. Read Free Book Online Page B

climbed out of my car and strutted in the brand new Jimmy Choos Brick had just gotten me. Walking into the store, I waved at Debbie, the older lady that ran the store. I walked straight to the office and closed and locked the door behind me. I quickly went to the file cabinet behind his desk and removed the secret panel on the top. A key pad greeted me, and I punched in the code I had seen Brick put in whenever he thought I wasn’t looking.
    My mouth watered at the sight of so much money. Greedily, I grabbed everything but six packages of Grade A “gas.” I didn’t know much about the streets, but I knew that alone would get him a nice amount of time. I knew that what I was doing to this man was wrong, but I wouldn’t allow myself to feel anything about it. I needed my son back.
    After putting everything from the safe into my oversized purse, I walked out of the office and waved at Debbie once again before leaving the store. I threw the bag into the trunk, hopped in, and went to the home me and Brick shared. He wasn’t there when I arrived, and I was grateful for it.
    I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and called the Sheriff’s department like Bird had instructed me to. In return, they gave me the number to Tybarius Smith, the Prosecutor that was handling the case. We set up a meeting, and thirty minutes later I was in his office. I told him what I knew, and he assured me he knew just what to do.
    A part of me felt bad acting like I knew nothing, or trying to comfort Brick as the days got closer to his court date, but the other part felt good knowing that I was a step closer to getting my son back and having my family.
    The day had finally arrived for him to go to court, and he was a nervous wreck.
    “Baby calm down,” I said to him as I pulled his hair into a bun. He had just gotten back from his barber, and was looking good as hell.
    “I’m trying to, Journ. This nigga Rich saying he can get me off, but I just feel like something may go wrong.”
    “You’ll be fine.” I kissed his forehead and rubbed his shoulders. “I made breakfast. You need to eat before we head out.” I left the room, and he followed behind me.
    After breakfast, we both got dressed and drove silently to the courthouse. When we made it inside, he kissed my cheek and approached his lawyer. I found it cute how he always made sure that I was good before he went about his business. Bird never did shit like that.
    Just looking at his face when he found out about his store being raided made me want to cry. I had just destroyed this man’s life, and he didn’t even deserve it. He was nothing but good to me, but I was damaged goods. Everything I touched turned into shit. Nothing good could come from being with me, and Brick was proof of that. When he turned to look at me, I gave him the most disgusted face I could muster up. Though I wanted him to think it, I wasn’t mad at him at all. I was actually disgusted at myself for causing so much turmoil in such a great man’s life. All he wanted was to be loved and have a family. Sadly, he had fallen for the wrong girl.
    I looked at my watch and noted that it was 10 a.m. Bird would be pulling up soon. I walked out the courtroom, willing myself not to look back. As soon as my heel hit the last step, Bird’s Jag was stopping in front of me. He hit the locks, and I slid in. As he drove off, I looked him over. His chocolate skin had a slight glow to it, and his hair was freshly cut. A new pair of earrings graced his ears, and a Cartier hung loosely around his wrist. He was simply dressed in a red Polo, camo shorts, and red and black Griffeys. Why did he have to be so fucking sexy? I was just mad that he had gotten me involved in this shit, and now I wanted nothing more than to straddle his ass and fuck him into oblivion. I found it funny how the mind could say one thing, but the flesh would say another.
    “We did it, ma. One hundred and fifty fuckin thousand dollars!” he said, smiling extra