One Way or Another Read Online Free PDF

at the center for two years, but now they’re trying to make him serve the original term in prison, even though a judge already allowed him to serve his time at the center.”
    Jasmine shook her head in disgust. “That poor kid doesn’t even have a good lawyer to help him fight the charges. In fact, right now it looks like he’s gonna end up serving a double term if the prosecutors have their way.”
    â€œWow, that’s messed up.” Toni paused to take another bite. Her lunch was better than she had expected. “Can they do that?”
    â€œLooks like they plan to,” Jasmine answered.
    â€œYou should look into that,” Afrika said between hearty bites of her chicken sandwich. “That sounds like something you could stretch out into a couple stories. You know, interviewing the kid, getting viewpoints from either side, that sort of thing.”
    Toni raised an eyebrow at her friend, who had heard so much about her job over the years that she probably could do it herself if she wanted to.
    â€œWhat?” Afrika asked when she caught Toni staring at her. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
    Toni didn’t answer but pondered the thought as she chewed on the head of a broccoli spear. If she was going to be stuck in general assignment she might as well make it interesting. It couldn’t hurt to look into Jasmine’s story anyway. At the very least it would get her sister-in-law off her back and earn her some Brownie points with her brother.
    â€œOkay,” Toni said reluctantly. “I guess I can check it out. When can I come by?”
    â€œMaybe early next week. I’ll talk to the guys at the center, find out if it’s okay, and give you a call,” Jasmine said.
    Toni turned her attention back to her pita sandwich. “What’s this kid’s name anyway?”
    â€œJerome Douglas.”
    Â 
    Toni spun her motorcycle into the parking lot of the Jacob’s House Young Men’s Center. She shut off the engine, removed her helmet, and looked wearily up at the three-story building. She had spent the last few years actively avoiding the group home that was connected to her brother’s church, Immanuel Temple Atlanta. It’s not that she had anything against the place. It was just that she heard enough Jesus-talk whenever she was around Jasmine and Trey, who were heavily involved with the church. She didn’t need to be preached to at Jacob’s House as well.
    Jasmine had been a Christian all her life. Toni had had the pleasure of learning this the first time she met her when Trey brought her home for Christmas. At that point Toni was almost positive that her brother’s relationship with the high-society Latina woman wouldn’t last. Both Trey and Toni had given up on the Christianity thing for various reasons.
    But either Jasmine didn’t know this or she didn’t care, as she never stopped trying to get them to come to church with her. Toni had resisted. Trey hadn’t. But Toni had always suspected that her brother had only done it because he knew he wouldn’t have had a chance with Jasmine otherwise. But somewhere along the way he had changed, and by the time he had married Jasmine they were united in their campaign to save Toni for the Kingdom—whether she was interested or not.
    With a sigh, she pocketed the keys to her bike and trudged up the front steps. She tried not to laugh as the two young men in headphones sitting on the steps gawked at her. She was used to getting that look every time she showed up somewhere new with her Honda CBR250R. It was her second motorcycle, definitely an upgrade from the scooter she’d had before. And she loved every second on it, even though it kept her brother and sister-in-law on heart medicine.
    She winked at the boys before slipping through the double doors into the main lobby where Jasmine was already waiting.
    â€œHey, mami, you got here quickly!”
    Toni