Free Forever a Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner

Yarni decided that she wouldn’t give Joyce a piece of her mind and kick her bossy butt out. Instead, Yarni did herself a favor. She left the house to get some fresh air, air that she didn’t have to share with her mother-in-law.

    Yarni headed to the office to pick up the résumés of attorneys who wanted to work with her pro bono on the Samuel Johnson case. Most people didn’t realize that if you committed a crime heinous enough, you could get a team of lawyers for free who just wanted the publicity. And Johnson’s was just the type of case the local attorneys salivated over. Their names would be in the paper for months. People thought O.J. had the dream team because he was so rich, but the dream team would have been there no matter what, dreaming of all the money they’d make on future clients—not to mention the book deals.
    While at the office, Yarni called Des. Johnson’s case wasn’t the only one on her mind.
    “Hey, baby,” Yarni said after he answered the phone. “I just got a message from Mark to remind you that we have to meet with him next week to discuss your case.”
    “Yeah, I know,” Des told Yarni. “He called me, too.” Des switched the subject. “So, you at the office, huh?”
    “Yes. Your mother ran me out the house.”
    “How?” Des inquired.
    “Because nothing I ever do is good enough. She’s riding me like a drunk behind the wheel of a car…all over the road.”
    Des laughed. He was happy that Yarni was able to make light of the situation, but he knew that it wasn’t easy. “Baby girl, she’s only trying to help.”
    “But baby, she’s so overbearing,” Yarni whined.
    “I know,” Des agreed. “If it makes you feel any better, she does me the same way with the baby, too.”
    “But you don’t get it as hard as I get it,” Yarni said, now sitting in her chair and flipping through the stack of résumés.
    Des could hear the uneasiness in his wife’s voice. “Look, since Mom Dukes wants to take care of the babysitting needs, how about we let her? Let’s do dinner, get a hotel room, and make love while Grandma is at home loving her grandbaby. You had your six-week checkup yesterday, right?”
    “Yeah. The doctor says everything looks good. An evening alone with you sounds like a plan to me,” Yarni said, sighing. “A night away from
YaYa
is just what I need.”
    “So, I’ll come by there in about thirty minutes to scoop you up?”
    “I’ll be waiting with bells and horns.”
    As soon as Yarni hung up the phone, it rang. She picked it up, thinking that it might be Des calling her back for something. “Law offices,” she said.
    “Yes, is Mrs. Taylor in, please?” the deep voice asked.
    “Who’s calling?”
    “Marvin Sledge, of Sledge and Associates.”
    Yarni recognized the name from the stack of messages on her desk. “This is Yarnise Taylor. How may I help you?” she said.
    “You’re a hard lady to catch up with,” the caller said.
    “Please forgive me, Mr. Sledge. I usually return all calls within twenty-four hours,” she said, rummaging through the résumés on her desk in an attempt to find his. “However, I just had a baby, and I’m technically still on maternity leave.”
    “Yes, I heard. What did you have?”
    “A little girl.”
    “Well then, congrats are in order.”
    “Thank you,” Yarni said as she placed her fingers on his résumé. It was the only one that had a photo accompanying it. Marvin Sledge was definitely easy on the specs.
    Switching the subject, Marvin continued, “I am interested in assisting you with the Samuel Johnson case. I heard you were looking for a second chair.”
    “That’s correct.”
    “I think that’s a great idea. And I feel I would make a great co-counsel.”
    “Oh, and why is that, Mr. Sledge?” Always up to see if a man could suck his own dick until he burst, Yarni leaned back to get comfortable, not knowing just how long he might be able to verbally gratify himself.
    “You’ve never heard how I