Page 29 of Come Ride With Me
“Got him on burglary. We managed to lift some prints from the door to the shop and there was a chain cutter in the parking lot that had a perfect set of prints.”
Because it wasn’t new to be in the police station asking about Henley, Nash was only half listening to Ferris. He was, instead, paying much more attention to the guys in suits that had now also turned their attention to him.
“Who are they?” Nash asked nodding in the direction of the men.
There was no need for Ferris to even turn around and look at who Nash was referring to. “That’s the other thing and it’s actually going to make posting Henley’s bail a little more difficult this time around.”
“What?” Nash asked. “They’re here for Henley?”
Ferris nodded. “They’re Feds, Nash. Seems they’ve been watching Henley for months now as a part of some big drug sting that spans from Prince George’s County to Atlantic City and New York. They got the entire dealership burglary on their surveillance tapes.”
“Wait a minute,” Nash said, hearing exactly what Ferris was saying for the first time. “Are you telling me that Henley’s responsible for stealing the bikes from Bellamy Motors?”
In a somber gesture filled with the pity that only pissed Nash off further, Ferris shrugged. “They’re taking custody of him as soon as the sheriff finishes going over all the paperwork.”
Nash was gritting his teeth so hard at this point he thought he might end up with jaw damage. He was so fuckin’ pissed with his brother, pissed and just a little bit afraid of what might actually be coming down the line for Henley.
“Where is he?” he managed to ask.
“Back there in the cell.”
Nash had already begun walking back in that direction when he heard Ferris saying something about other visitors, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t care what else was being said, he had some words for his brother. Moments later Nash came to a quick stop as he realized maybe he should’ve listened more closely to Ferris. Now, nobody was speaking as he stood only a few feet away from Mica.
“Well, now that we’re all here,” Henley said his hands gripping the bars, his smiling face pressed between them. “We can take care of the formalities and then head over to Lola’s for a late lunch. I’m starving.”
“You’re an asshole,” Nash stated. “How could you do it, Hen? How could you steal from the one person that not only cared enough to give me a shot, but bailed your sorry ass out a time or two over the years?”
Henley shrugged. “I had mad respect for old Bell and was sorry to see him go, but heisgone Nash. And like I said, Earl’s planning to sell that place. I owed money to some really ignorant guys upstate, I had to get it quick or they were gonna kill my ass. What other choice did I have?” Henley asked in a whisper shout. Even though it didn’t really matter now. The police didn’t need a confession from him, not when they had it all on tape.
“You could’ve chosen to do the right thing! For once in your life, Henley, you could have done what a normal citizen would do. Get a damn job, be happy with what you have and live your life! Nobody owes you any more than that.”
“Bullshit! Why should I be stuck working some minimum wage job just because I don’t have some fuckin’ diploma or a college degree? Do you know how many applications I’ve filled out and how many interviews I went on just to have nobody return my calls. The only thing they thought I could do was flip burgers at the McDonald’s at the travel stop. I’m better than that Nash and you know it!” Henley shouted.
“How many times did I tell you to go back and get your GED? There were free classes at the community center every summer. Bell said he’d give you a shot in the shop if you did that, but you never did,” Nash said.
“I’m not a grease monkey like you, bowing and dancing to the almighty Bell’s every word.” Henley scowled. “I got higher goals than that. And you should’ve had them too. You got all those hot ass designs that could be making you some real money, but you stayed in that shop working like Bell’s and then Earl’s slave, while both of them got rich. Where’s the logic in that big brother?”
Nash nodded his head and for the first time in the years since their parents’ death, he realized something Bell had tried to tell him. Henley had long ago made up his mind that a life of crime was the best life for him. Nothing Nash did or said over the years had worked to convince his brother otherwise.
“I’m proud of the work I do now, Henley. Can you say the same? Are you really proud of stealing and selling drugs to people, catering to an addiction that will eventually kill them? Is that the legacy you want to leave on this world?”
Henley was shaking his head. “You know they ain’t never gonna let a Black man get ahead in this world. All we can do is take what we want, cause they ain’t givin’ us a damn thing.”
“No, Henley, nobody is going togiveyou anything. They shouldn’t. But you can damn sure earn what you want out of life. I know because I was blessed enough to have somebody give me a chance. I’ve earned everything I have.”
“Yeah, well, do you have my bail money? I’m ready to get the hell out of here,” was his sour retort. The smile that was usually on Henley’s face had changed to a twisted grimace that only reminded Nash of how angry his brother really was and had been for far too long.
“No. I didn’t go get any stash money you had. You should probably save that for the lawyer you’re going to need because I’m not helping you out this time, man. I’m done calling lawyers and making sure you show up for court dates. Even if Bell is dead, you stole from his daughter and you’ve embarrassed me for the last time.”
Nash turned to leave hearing his brother calling his name and a few other names that weren’t on Nash’s birth certificate. But he didn’t give a damn. He was hurt and pissed off and all he could think about was returning to his safe place and plopping down in his favorite recliner once more.
“Nash!”
He stopped the moment he heard her call his name. He’d stalked through the police station, past thoseMen In Blacklooking Feds and pushed the glass door open so hard it was a good thing it was on automatic soft close hinges. A truck whizzed by and a horn blared somewhere in the distance, just as he turned around to face her.
She looked so fuckin’ pretty standing there in black pants that fit her perfectly and knee-high camel colored suede boots that matched the leather jacket she wore. Her hair was loose and framed her face in soft waves, her eyes bright and inquisitive as always. And fuck, she smelled great. He’d tried to ignore the fact that he’d immediately picked up her scent when he saw her in the station, but as the wind was blowing around them, there was no mistaking it now.
“I didn’t think you were part of this,” she said when he’d been too dumbstruck by being this close to her again to speak.
