Page 18 of Wifey
Things over overturned, drawers are broken into pieces on the floor. Books were removed from the shelves like they were thrown. The desk is wide open with papers torn up, and
“Tay? Taylor?” Cameron repeats. “Taylor, what’s wrong?”
My eyes water with tears and my mouth quivers. “My office has been ransacked!”
~~~~~
Within minutes, it seems Decatur’s finest came to the home and did a thorough sweep. Hayley and Que stopped by, along with some of Cameron’s crew. I just sat in the living room as various officers and detectives took pictures, talked amongst themselves, and asked me questions when needed.
Being burglarized made me feel violated. Someone was in my home and decided whatever I had was theirs for the taking. I don’t know how long they’d been watching but I know it was long enough to know I wasn’t going to be home tonight.
“Do you have any enemies? Any one who would want to steal or harm you?” One of the officers asked and I shrug.
“I don’t have any enemies. Everyone knows me. They know who my dad was. They know my business.” I shake my head as Hayley rubs my shoulders. “I don’t know who would do this.”
“Did you make a bad deal? Anyone might have felt disrespected by you in any way?” The officer pushed.
“And what the fuck kinda question is that?” Hayley snaps. “You’re really going to sit your mayonnaise headass here and trying to say it’s my girl’s fault she got burglarized? Are you out of you damn mind?”
“Hayley, I got this.” I pat her knee, hoping to calm her down before the officers are here for another reason. She’s absolutely correct, though. “I have no enemies and I haven’t made any bad business deals. I’ve barely made any since I took over the business a year ago.”
“We noticed you have a high-tech security system installed,” the officer replied, “any reason for that?”
“Okay, are you new here because that’s a really stupid fucking question!” Hayley snaps and I pat her knee again.
“It’s for protection,” I reply. “I need security cameras. Most businesses have them so why am I being questioned about it?”
The officer writes in his notepad, but I honestly think he’s just humoring my Black ass. “Okay, then.” Another officer calls his name. “I’ll be right back, Ms. Gray.” He leaves.
“I can’t believe that fuckshit!Did you make a bad deal? Did you disrespect someone and they thought it was okay to ransack your office where there’s nothing, but leave all the other valuable shit like your jewelry, TVs, and money alone?” Hayley mocks the officer and I bite my lips to contain the smile. “And they wanna know why people don’t trust their stupid asses!”
“It is what it is.” I shrug. “But it doesn’t change the fact the office was ransacked for no reason.”
“No, there’s a reason, Tay.” Hayley mentions, biting her tongue from going into an irascible stance. “Ain’t no way you’re gonna sit up here and think there wasn’t something they wanted in that office, no other room in your house had! There is something they wanted specifically from your office and they tore that place up from the bottom to the top looking for it!” She shakes her head. “You can’t stay here anymore, Tay.”
“She’s not going to.” I recognize Cameron’s voice and I get up. I rush over to him and he hugs me. “Are you okay?” He grabs my shoulders and I nod. “Did anyone hurt you?” I shake my head. “Did they take anything?”
“I-I-I don’t know. I just came home and everything was just ransacked! Like I don’t know what they stole and what they left.” I breathe heavy deep sighs. “I just…I don’t know what’s going on?”
“Don’t worry, angel, I got you.” He wraps his arms around me and I feel protected and loved. I needed him to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay; more than I wanted to admit. “You’re moving in tonight, all right? You’re not staying here any longer.”
“We checked everything out,” Que chimes in as more of their crew arrives and disperse along the home. “It seems they only wanted the office. They didn’t even bother going into any other rooms of the home.”
“Not a surprise,” Cameron’s lips pursed and I can tell he’s annoyed. “Is the home secured?”
“As secured as it can be,” Que nodded to the officers. “It’ll be more secured when they leave.”
Que’s tone suggested not everyone was Team Finesse and some may be working against them. “I thought they were on your payroll?” I whisper to Cameron.
“Not everyone,” he confirms before he turns to Que, “I need a few men to stay here tonight in case someone wants to come back and act a fool. Everyone else will escort me and Taylor back to the house.” He checks his expensive watch. “We’ll leave here in about an hour.”
“On it,” Que begins giving direction to everyone in earshot and the men quickly disperse.
“I need to start packing,” I tell Cameron and he nods, “I’m going into my bedroom so I can get away from everyone.”
“I’ll follow you.” There’s a comfort in his voice when he says it. I know he wants to help and a part of it may be he wants to hold me when I inevitably fall apart. What we both also know and won’t acknowledge aloud is Cameron wants to protect me as well.
~~~~~
