the steps, she debated whether she should climb them or call Rilla on his cell phone and have him meet her outside. She wasn’t worried about the thugs up there; it was the exercise that had her hesitant.
“What you doing here?”
Candace followed the voice, happy to see CC appear in the breezeway.
“I’m looking for Rilla.”
“He up there,” CC said, pointing a thumb the direction he just came from.
Candace looked up and saw her boyfriend milling around with a pack of undesirables. She called out to him, and Rilla’s face registered surprise. He skipped gingerly down the stairs. CC walked away when he approached.
“What you doing here, girl?”
“I came to see you.”
Rilla shook his head. “You need to get out of here. You shouldn’t be coming around. Shit be going down all the time.” He grabbed her shoulder and led her back to her car. Candace got in, and Rilla stood in her open door. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to come around here?” Candace nodded. “When are you coming home?”
“I just got here.”
“Aren’t you scared to work up there?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Rilla said. “These my peeps.” As he said that, a huge crowd of hoodlums bounded down the steps. Candace wasn’t one to judge, but they all looked like they should be in prison. Some loitered on the stairwell. Others headed for the parking lot.
She knew she wouldn’t change his mind, so Candace started the car and turned down the radio when Alicia Keys started belting No One .
“What’d you come over here for, anyway?” Rilla asked again.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“I feel bad about what I said this morning—about how I was going to leave. I was nagging you about your CD.”
He smiled. “You ain’t doing nothing but keeping me on my toes, baby. I have been slacking on my music thang. I wasn’t on the grind like I said I was. I need you to tell me when my shit ain’t straight. I’m not mad at you.”
His words made Candace feel substantially better. A weight lifted from her shoulders.
“You still love me?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, Rilla. I do.”
He ducked in and gave her a kiss. “You on your way home?”
“I’ll probably go over Trisha’s.”
“All right. I’ll give you a call later on.”
“Are you going to be home for dinner?” Candace asked.
“I don’ know. Why? What you got going on?”
“I just miss you,” she said. “I’ll be home at six.”
* * *
Candace left the apartment complex feeling better about her relationship. She was starting to think Rilla couldn’t get signed, but hearing that he wasn’t giving it his all left room for hope.
She idled at a red light at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Berry Street. She heard sirens long before she saw a police car flying in from her right. The old-school Caprice made a quick left in front of her and shot down Riverside—in the direction she had just come. Candace thought nothing of it until a second car sped by with its lights flashing, and then a third, all approaching from her right and all making a left on Riverside.
When a fourth, fifth, and sixth black-and-white repeated the pattern, a slight moan escaped Candace’s lips. She looked in her rearview mirror to track the cops’ progress, and what she saw made her heart sink. One by one, all of the police cars turned into the Evergreen Apartment complex. And they were coming from the other direction, too. Candace watched an eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth squad car turn in. Then came two unmarked sedans and a dark-colored SUV.
She knew nothing about police or task forces, but Candace knew exactly what she was seeing. This was a raid, organized and premeditated. No 911 call would warrant such a show of force.
Candace cut her wheel all the way to the left and performed an ill-advised U-turn in the intersection. She flew down Riverside like she had sirens herself. Tears were already
“What you doing here?”
Candace followed the voice, happy to see CC appear in the breezeway.
“I’m looking for Rilla.”
“He up there,” CC said, pointing a thumb the direction he just came from.
Candace looked up and saw her boyfriend milling around with a pack of undesirables. She called out to him, and Rilla’s face registered surprise. He skipped gingerly down the stairs. CC walked away when he approached.
“What you doing here, girl?”
“I came to see you.”
Rilla shook his head. “You need to get out of here. You shouldn’t be coming around. Shit be going down all the time.” He grabbed her shoulder and led her back to her car. Candace got in, and Rilla stood in her open door. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to come around here?” Candace nodded. “When are you coming home?”
“I just got here.”
“Aren’t you scared to work up there?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Rilla said. “These my peeps.” As he said that, a huge crowd of hoodlums bounded down the steps. Candace wasn’t one to judge, but they all looked like they should be in prison. Some loitered on the stairwell. Others headed for the parking lot.
She knew she wouldn’t change his mind, so Candace started the car and turned down the radio when Alicia Keys started belting No One .
“What’d you come over here for, anyway?” Rilla asked again.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“I feel bad about what I said this morning—about how I was going to leave. I was nagging you about your CD.”
He smiled. “You ain’t doing nothing but keeping me on my toes, baby. I have been slacking on my music thang. I wasn’t on the grind like I said I was. I need you to tell me when my shit ain’t straight. I’m not mad at you.”
His words made Candace feel substantially better. A weight lifted from her shoulders.
“You still love me?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, Rilla. I do.”
He ducked in and gave her a kiss. “You on your way home?”
“I’ll probably go over Trisha’s.”
“All right. I’ll give you a call later on.”
“Are you going to be home for dinner?” Candace asked.
“I don’ know. Why? What you got going on?”
“I just miss you,” she said. “I’ll be home at six.”
* * *
Candace left the apartment complex feeling better about her relationship. She was starting to think Rilla couldn’t get signed, but hearing that he wasn’t giving it his all left room for hope.
She idled at a red light at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Berry Street. She heard sirens long before she saw a police car flying in from her right. The old-school Caprice made a quick left in front of her and shot down Riverside—in the direction she had just come. Candace thought nothing of it until a second car sped by with its lights flashing, and then a third, all approaching from her right and all making a left on Riverside.
When a fourth, fifth, and sixth black-and-white repeated the pattern, a slight moan escaped Candace’s lips. She looked in her rearview mirror to track the cops’ progress, and what she saw made her heart sink. One by one, all of the police cars turned into the Evergreen Apartment complex. And they were coming from the other direction, too. Candace watched an eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth squad car turn in. Then came two unmarked sedans and a dark-colored SUV.
She knew nothing about police or task forces, but Candace knew exactly what she was seeing. This was a raid, organized and premeditated. No 911 call would warrant such a show of force.
Candace cut her wheel all the way to the left and performed an ill-advised U-turn in the intersection. She flew down Riverside like she had sirens herself. Tears were already
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