I could feel excitement flooding my being as the judge looked at me. “Miss Daniels, I admire your strength and your honesty. For that, if you can find evidence to prove what your attorney said happened, I will throw it out. Now for the second charge. Being that no weapons were recovered, I have to assume you did this with your hands. Am I correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor. And my foot.”
A slight smirk appeared on his lips. “I honestly don’t think you have anger issues. Like Mrs. Taylor said, finding all your personal belongings destroyed, simply because he’s upset about you leaving him, could set anyone off. I’m going to order community service for that. Forty hours should be sufficient. I’m sorry for all this, Miss Daniels, because I can assume that this has caused you to possibly lose your job.”
I lowered my head slightly, because I was sure of it too. Thankfully, though, I wouldn’t have to drop out of school and lose my scholarship for a misdemeanor charge. Had he charged me with the felony when I threw the vase, I would have lost all funding. If I wanted to continue the doctorate program, I would have had to pay out of pocket.
“Missus Taylor, have that evidence to me by next week. If there isn’t any evidence, I won’t have a choice but to charge her for the first charge as well, simply because she was honest and admitted her guilt. I would hate to put a felony charge on your record, Miss Daniels.”
I gave him a tight smile and nodded. “Yes, Your Honor. Thank you,” Mrs. Taylor said.
“Well, that’s all. We’re adjourned, and Miss Daniels, you’re free to go.”
Mrs. Taylor hugged me tightly. “Honesty will always be rewarded. Your blessings have to be on the way, baby.”
“I already have them,” I said while I stared at Kendrall heading our way.
Mrs. Taylor smiled as Kendrall lifted me from my feet. “Thank God, baby.”
“Yes, thank God.”
When he lowered me, Jacob was standing there with a slight smile. He leaned in and hugged me. “So you took all the heat. I’m man enough to accept what I did. You would be free to work. I work for my family. I’ll always be straight.”
“I couldn’t let you do that. It was my fucked-up situation that caused that. Thank you, Jacob.”
“Thank you.”
The people for the next case entered the courtroom, so I grabbed my daddy’s hand and headed out. However, I didn’t miss the mean mugs traded from Jacob and Uncle Storm to the woman I was in holding with.
CHAPTER 11
KENDRALL
“Who was that?”
“Jameka crackhead ass mama,” Jacob said.
“I know you fucking lying. No wonder she was looking at y’all like that. Does she know y’all are behind why she’s there?”
“I don’t think so. She just knows whatever lies Jameka feeding her. Plus, she ain’t a big fan of the Hendersons after her daughter got that beatdown from Jess.”
“This may not work. You don’t think Jameka will come even stronger?”
“She can, but her brother will be next on the hit list.”
I slowly shook my head as I watched Cassie hug her dad. “You and your uncle a trip. I swear he should have been your daddy. Y’all are almost just alike as far as your temper and petty goes.”
Jacob chuckled. Uncle Storm was a mess, and Jacob was too. I continued. “I just want to know how he got evidence of her in those activities.”
“That nigga had pictures of her flaunting the shit she stole. One of the phones she stole, she tried to sell it to him for Remy.”
I laughed. “She fucked with the wrong one for sure. She probably knows it was him then. Well, let me go be with my baby. She a real muthafucking OG. Took that charge like it was nothing. Her looking out for you making me wanna lock her down right now.”
“Yeah. I was expecting to be arrested. I never expected her to take it. Mrs. Taylor didn’t lie, but she definitely created room for doubt.”
I nodded. “Mm hmm. I’ll hit y’all up later, man.”
“A’ight.”