Flip Side of the Game Read Online Free PDF Page B

to cross that bridge when I got to it.
    Roger was dressed in a pair of black dress pants with a light blue shirt. His gun sat in a black leather holster, resting on the side of his hip. When he saw me, he gave me a brief overview and then he smirked, seeming somewhat annoyed. What the fuck could be his problem? I was the one that should be pissed off!
    â€œWhat did you say to my wife?” he said, motioning for me to step to the back and into his office.
    â€œExcuse me? What did you say?”
    â€œYou heard me. What did you say to my wife?”
    â€œYour wife? I didn’t say anything out of the way to your wife.”
    â€œThen why is she crying, screaming, and packing my shit as we speak?”
    â€œI wouldn’t know that, honey. I told her that you loved nobody but her and that she needed to be certain of that.”
    â€œThat’s what you told her?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen why is she calling me a cheat?”
    â€œRoger, baby,” I said, about to choke, “I wouldn’t do anything to mess with your marriage. I’m not here for that.”
    â€œThen why are you here?”
    â€œMy Aunt Cookie got arrested.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œArrested, handcuffed, picked up.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œLate last night, early this morning. I need you to get her out.”
    â€œI can’t do that.” He started walking away.
    â€œWhere are you going? I need you.”
    â€œYou need me? You don’t need me. You need a favor, as usual. I’m sick of that. I need more. I want you to be with me only. I’ve thought about leaving my wife, but I can’t make that sacrifice until I know that you and me are going to be all right.”
    Leave his wife and live where? He must be stupid if he thinks I want his old-ass laying up in my face every day.
    â€œBaby, when that time comes, we’ll deal with it.”
    â€œDeal with it? I have to deal with it now! My wife, I can go home and soothe her, but you, I can’t seem to get a handle on you. It’s been a month since we spent any quality time together. I want you to commit to me. I’m a grown man, and you playing me for a little boy. Don’t fuck with me, Vera!” he said, pointing into my face. “Don’t fuck with me!”
    â€œLook, this is not the time or the place. I need you to help me, okay. We’ll work something out. You’re scaring me.”
    â€œI don’t mean to scare you, but I don’t like the way I’ve been treated.”
    â€œI’m sorry, okay? We’ll talk, but I need you right now.” Then I took him by the hand and massaged it with my palm, so he could feel the smooth heat from my skin.
    â€œOfficer Ryan,” Roger said into the intercom on his phone, “was there a woman brought in here late last night or early this morning?”
    â€œYeah, Cookie Turner.”
    â€œWhat are the charges?”
    â€œDomestic violence shit. She hit her boyfriend in the head with a bat.”
    â€œDid he file a complaint?”
    â€œNo. He insisted that he tripped and fell into the wall.”
    â€œWhat’s the bail?”
    â€œFive grand. Cash.”
    â€œHer bail’s been posted. Let her out.”
    While I waited for Aunt Cookie to be released from the bullpen, little did Roger know that his ass was history. How dare he stand up there as if he were big shit and try to talk down to me? For a moment, I felt like I was ten again, and standing in front of me was Larry Turner, fully dressed in somebody’s gray pinstriped Easter suit and derby hat.
    Larry was an old man, old enough to be Rowanda’s daddy, and he thought he was fine. He stood about six foot four inches, with salt-and-pepper hair, black tree trunk skin, with round and sagging eyes. His voice rattled when he spoke, and he called my name like he had a thing for it.
    â€œThat li’l bitch really had that chile, huh, Cookie?” I remember Larry