jail. She knew he'd never been too smart. Yes, he'd been loyal. And yes, he had been a momma's boy. But with so much time hanging over his head, Chetti believed it was only a matter of time before he'd spill his guts to the Feds. She couldn't have that. She couldn't take that chance.
"Every bitch for herself," Chetti said just before throwing back what was left in her glass. "Every bitch for herself."
Turning to Mac, she said, "Set up a meeting with Brandon. He knew the mansion was going to get hit and didn't say a thing. I want to know his fucking reasons. If they're not good, I'm going to kill him where he stands."
"No problem," Mac said.
"Also, it's high time I pay Luke's little ghetto bed winch Nessa a visit. Since he wants to turn on the family, I want his bitch to see what pain feels like up close and personal. I want to cut that tramp's throat from ear to ear nice and slow."
“Got it, boss.”
“And find fuckin” Trinity and Cedrick!!!!!!!!” she blasted angrily. I want them brought to me,” she ordered as her veins nearly popped from her neck.
Turning to the window once again, she smirked. Folding her arms across her breasts with the faces of Brandon, Nessa, and her remaining three children branded on her brain, she said...
"The bitch is back."
* * *
When the door of the plush office lobby opened and Cedrick walked in, the secretary was at her desk talking on the phone. Once her eyes set on Cedrick, her bottom jaw dropped to the floor. Her face drained of color. Not a word fell from her mouth. At that moment, an attorney, Richard Falou, walked into the lobby also with his head down in paperwork. Finally, raising his eyes and seeing Cedrick, he froze and dropped his paperwork to the floor. Just like the secretary, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. He was absolutely speechless.
The secretary was the first to speak. "Mr. Bishop?" she asked as if scared he would answer her.
"Cedrick?" Richard asked.
"Yes," Cedrick answered.
"But," Richard said. "But." He was so in shock he couldn't speak another word.
"You're supposed to be dead," the secretary said.
"Been getting that a lot lately," Cedrick told her with a smile.
"Is it really you?" Richard asked. The expression on his face was still marred with shock and disbelief.
"Yes."
Realizing he wasn't staring at a ghost or a mirage, Richard crossed the lobby floor and hugged Cedrick. "Everyone thought you were dead."
"I know. That's just the way my mother wanted it."
"What do you mean?"
"I need to talk to you in your office. It's important."
"Obviously," Richard said. Then after telling his secretary to hold all his calls, he accompanied Cedrick back to his office and closed the door.
Richard's office sat on the tenth floor of the downtown Washington building. It's window held a beautiful view of the downtown skyline. Its furniture was expensive and imported from France. One of its walls held a stoic but intimidating life size painting of the law firm's founding father, Mr. Reginald Falou dressed in a suit and sitting in a chair with almost a cold stare. It was obvious he had been a man of no nonsense or fear.
"Have a seat," Richard told Cedrick.
Cedrick sat in a high-backed chair in front of Richard's desk.
Heading around the desk to his chair, which was also high-backed and leather, Richard took off his suit jacket to expose a crispy white button down and black suspenders. Hanging his jacket over the back of his chair and sitting down, he said, "It's still strange to wrap my mind around the fact you’re still alive. What's going on? Where have you been?"
"In a nutshell, my mother kidnapped me, faked my death and has been holding me hostage all this time while keeping me medicated."
"You can't be serious."
"Difficult to believe, I know, but it's definitely true."
"Why would she do something so horrible?"
"She wanted control of the family. And when she wants something, she's the type who