Bianca took a deep breath and rambled the nine numbers that belonged to her sister. So far so good, but at any second, this could all go to hell. She smiled on the outside, but on the inside, her heart was indeed in her Victoria’s Secret panties.
Officer Kane typed the numbers in the computer and she heard a beep. “Okay, and your birthdate?”
With no hesitation, she recited Bella’s birthdate as well.
He asked a series of other questions, and she answered those too. He looked at her and smiled. “A’ight now, Bella. I’ma take these cuffs off of you, but no funny mess, you hear me?”
“You have my word. No funny mess.”
He took off the cuffs then left the room, leaving her purse right on the desk.
In a matter of seconds, she had gotten her phone and earpiece out of it, hiding them before he came back to tag her property. When he left the room again, she quickly pulled out her phone, went to her Instagram, and got Viper’s number.
Bianca calmly checked to see if the coast was clear, and then she put her Bluetooth in her ear and stashed the phone so no one would see it. The phone seemed like it took forever to connect, and each ring was dreadfully long. The anticipation was driving her insane, but finally Viper picked up.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Viper,” she whispered.
“Who?”
“Look, it’s Bianca,” she said under her breath. “I’m locked up, and I need you to please come bail me out if you could.”
“Huh? Well, damn, baby.”
“Promised you that I would call, just sorry that it’s under these circumstances.”
“A’ight, a’ight. No pressure. Now, what’s up?”
“Nigga, this damn bail—and getting out of here.”
“I feel that. Are you in Dade or Broward?”
“Dade County, under Bella Williams.”
“A’ight, I’m on it. I’m going to get you soon as you get a bail.”
“Promise?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Then she reminded him, “Promises aren’t meant to be broken.”
He chuckled. “I got ya, li’l momma. Don’t worry. I’ll be there.”
After Bianca was moved to another jail then placed into a holding cell, while praying and holding her breath every single second of her stint in the jail, fourteen hours later, God had definitely shined on her. Viper had indeed made good on his word! She was outta there.
CHAPTER 21
“Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last,” she said when she jumped in the front seat of Viper’s Camaro. “Oh my goodness. Thank you so much,” she said to him. “I honestly can’t thank you enough.”
“Just carry your crazy ass to court. Don’t make me have to come looking for yo’ ass,” said the brown-skinned, full-bearded guy who had to be at least ten years her senior.
Bianca frowned her face up. “Man, I wouldn’t do that to you,” she assured him.
“Better not,” Viper said firmly, in a tone that she’d always imagined that the older brother she’d never had would use with her.
“Can you find me a lawyer to help me get it dismissed, please?” she asked in her sweetest voice.
“Ain’t nothing,” he admitted dryly. “Know a few good guys fit for the job. I’ll get you some numbers.”
Her mind wandered off as to how she was going to pull off going to court under her sister’s name, but she was thankful that she was even able to not only think to use her sister’s name, but to actually finesse it like she had with such ease.
“You are pretty as hell, girl. Too pretty to be fighting and carrying on like that.” He put his asthma pump up to his face and inhaled.
“Thank you,” she said.
“And what you must know is, you can’t be fighting or committing no crimes, not even fucking jaywalking on South Beach.” He whistled and shook his head. “These motherfuckers do not play about South Beach. They don’t allow nothing or no one to fuck up that tourist money.”
“I hear you, and I don’t bother nobody, but when someone deliberately tries to hurt me—”
He cut her off, wanting to make his point. “Look, baby, no more fighting, especially on South Beach. Not for nothing, but you are a lady, and too pretty to be getting into fights,” he added, taking another puff of his inhaler.
“But I’ve been a victim so long that I’m tired. I’m not letting nobody else get away with controlling my destiny. I mean that.”
He nodded. “So what are you trying to tell me?”
“I’m saying I appreciate you so much, and I’m going to get your money back to you. Give me a week.” She didn’t want to hear his lecture.
“Ain’t nothing. Whenever you can.”
“No, I’m going to pay you back.” She winked. “Just in case I need you to come and get me again.”
“Look, li’l momma, don’t cut me off or blow me off. Honestly, I ain’t tripping off that money. For real, I ain’t. You give it back, it’s appreciated. If not, I’m not crying.”
Bianca just listened to him as he went on.
“And that chip on your shoulder needs to go.” He looked up from the road and into her eyes. “This ain’t the place for you to be Bianca or Bella Bad-Ass Bullshit. This place is dangerous. Don’t let the palm trees, blue water, and white sand fool ya.”
“I understand.”
It seemed kind of crazy that she was riding shotgun in a car, getting a lecture that she was actually going to take heed to, from a complete stranger, someone who she had never even met face-to-face before now. For some strange reason, she didn’t feel the least bit uncomfortable.
“Social media a real motherfucker, huh?” he said.
“When I tell you I’m so grateful to it right now, though, I can’t even front. Direct Message is a wonderful thing.”
Viper smiled. “Isn’t it?” he concurred.
“So, enough about me. What do you do?”
“Is it really important?”
“Ummmm . . .” She thought, unsure how to respond to his bluntness.
Viper noticed that he had her speechless for the first time, and he didn’t want her to
