FREDDY PRINCE | CH. 16
Chapter Sixteen
It had been a while since Freddy talked to Lance. Last he heard, Lance finished his operation as Nina’s undercover bodyguard and got a huge promotion in the bureau.
“Taylor.”
Lance answered his call after a few rings.
“The big man on campus, huh,” Freddy replied.
“Freddy Prince?”
He sounded happy to hear from his old friend. The last time they spoke to each other was at his mother’s funeral. After that, Lance went MIA. There were no hard feelings or love lost because what was understood didn’t need to be explained.
“Well, well,” Lance chuckled. “It’s been a long time. How’s it going?”
“Not good. I hate to call you with bad news, but I'm in a bind and could use a little bit of help.”
Lance closed the door to his office and sat down at his desk. When Elm got killed, he hated that he wasn’t able to find out what happened to her and give Freddy the closure he needed. It wasn’t until he got his promotion that he was able to access the secured files of Elm’s case and found out that things were deeper than he imagined.
“Yeah,” Lance said. “I’ve been meaning to call you. I found out who killed your mom and why. My team and I have been silently working on a way to bring the case to the Supreme Court, and didn’t want to bring it to you until I figured out a way. I also know about the deal you signed with Montgomery. I can't say that I agree with what you did, but I understand why you did it. I'm gonna see if I can help you out there too.”
Freddy was grateful for all the connections he made in higher places. Especially the ones in law enforcement. He never sought those connections for ratting on anyone, but he did use them to get information.
“I appreciate that,” Freddy said. “I’m working with Montgomery's daughter, and she’s willing to help with whatever we need. My niece found my mom’s diary this morning, and we found out everything. My mom wrote it all down. That’s why they killed her. Shonnie killed Fantasia today looking for that diary because it has all the evidence inside.”
“Fantasia’s dead?”
Lance sounded saddened by that. It was no secret; he was in love with Fantasia. Freddy wished she would’ve left Rodney alone and given Lance a shot, but she was too caught up trying to keep her family together.
“Yeah.”
Freddy cleared his throat when he felt the tears brewing.
“I hate to tell you this over the phone.”
“I’ll be on my way to Virginia tomorrow morning,” Lance said. “I already have a team there, so I'll coordinate with them, and you and I can meet up afterward.”
“Cool. Thanks again, Lance.”
Once everything was set in motion, Freddy and Kalani were finally able to breathe again. They sat on the couch in silence for a moment, contemplating how things would turn out. She didn’t worry about her dad or Mack. Shonnie either. She was more worried about Freddy and Skylar.
“Your niece needs you.”
She broke the silence with a statement so raw that it made Freddy feel guilty for not checking on her.
“I know,” he sighed. “I just don’t know what to say.”
“Leaving her alone and shutting her out isn’t gonna help.”
He looked at Kalani, admiring her softness. She was flawless in the looks department, but it was her personality and care for others that took her beauty to the next level.
She was right. It was a tough time for both him and Skylar, but Skylar needed the most comfort. She lost two staples in her life, and they both knew from experience that things like that were hard to come back from.
“You’re right,” Freddy said. “I’ll go talk to her.”
“Okay. I'll leave and give you two some privacy.”
“No!” he blurted out unexpectedly. “I mean, you don’t have to leave. I don't wanna sound weird or anything, but it’s easier with you here.”
Kalani smiled softly and caressed his cheek. If she had to admit, things felt easier for her too. She felt like spending time with Freddy gave her clarity on a lot of things: work and the relationships she had. It became hard for her to enjoy life after her mother was killed, but with him, things felt easier.
“Okay. Go talk to her. I'll order us food or something.”
He found Skylar upstairs sleeping in his guest room. Not waking her seemed like the easiest thing to do, but he knew they needed to have an honest conversation about how she felt. She took care of him and made an executive decision on his behalf while he was plastered hours earlier, so he wanted to show up for her too.
“Sky,” he whispered.
When he got closer, he saw that she had been crying before she fell asleep, and it broke his heart to know there was nothing he could do to stop her from hurting.
“Hey,” he said, gently touching her cheek.
“Hey.”
Skylar rolled over so she wouldn’t have to face him. She hated when anyone saw her cry because to her, crying was weak. At one point in her life, she cried so much over her dad not being an active father that she felt like she was all cried out. Until she lost her grandmother.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” Freddy said. “I should’ve been here for you instead of thinking about myself.”
The silence between them made her love for him feel distant. He feared he pushed her away or made her not trust him to show up for her moving forward in her life, but that was something Skylar never had to worry about. He would always show up for her.
“Skylar, I want you to know that I'm here for you. Okay? Whatever you need, I'm here. We’ll get through this together, and I'm gonna make sure the person who did this goes down.”
If he had it his way, he would’ve killed Shonnie, the mayor, and the mayor’s hitman with his bare hands. But he had to play it smart because there was too much on the line.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Skylar turned to face him. “Am I gonna have to live with my dad?”
“What?” Freddy frowned. “Hell no! I mean, heck no. What kind of crazy question is that?”
Skylar tried to hide her laugh, but the seriousness in his tone made it come out anyway.
“I don’t know. Isn’t there some kind of custody rights in case something happens to one of the parents?”
“You don’t need to worry about your dad, alright? You’re gonna stay with me until you get old enough to make your own decisions. And even then, you’re gonna stay with me until you get a husband that I approve of.”
They talked for a while. They laughed. They cried. They got angry together. When they were ready to go downstairs and join Kalani again, she was waiting for them with food and open arms.
“You’re gonna be okay.” She hugged Skylar. “If there’s anything I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to let me know, alright?”
Skylar nodded her head and said, “Okay.”
“I ordered some Middle Eastern cuisine. I don't know if you guys have ever tried any Pakistani dishes, but most of them are really good.”
Skylar had tried all kinds of foods before. Traveling all around the world with her grandmother gave her the experience. She was only fifteen and had already been to nearly every single country on the planet. So, when it came to food, she was no stranger.
“Falafel and hummus are Skylar’s favorite,” Freddy said.
“Oh.” Kalani looked surprised. “You know Falafel? How so?”
“Grandma Elm took me to Pakistan a few times to do charity work. I loved it. I wish I could go back and do it all again.”
Kalani smiled at the thought of Elmira Prince. The woman was someone she looked up to in her own career. All the hard work Elm did in Virginia- her rehab center, research, and seminars. All of it was for the greater good of the people.
She didn’t do what she did for herself; she did it for the people who were afraid. The people who didn’t know how. The struggling and the oppressed. So, it wasn’t a surprise to hear that she taught her granddaughter to do the same.
“Your grandmother was an amazing woman. I've been following her work for a long time, and it’s really phenomenal how much of an impact she made.”
They talked more about Elm and what she did for the world while they ate. In his heart, Freddy knew he and Skylar would be okay, but he worried about Kalani. Her mom was gone, and her dad was the biggest snake known to mankind. It made him wonder who she turned to when things got dark for her.
“What are you gonna do once this is over?” He asked. “You plan on staying in Virginia, or you going back to the Middle East?”
“Wait,” Skylar cut in. “You live in Pakistan?”
“Yeah. I’m only here for a visit.”
Skylar looked bummed to know that Kalani would probably leave Virginia. It seemed like every time she tried to get close to someone, they ended up dead or moving away. Those kinds of experiences made her want to close herself off from forming any new relationships.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do, though. My mom has so much property here that will hopefully get turned over to me in the end. If I have to fight my dad for it, I’ll be in Virginia a lot longer than I initially wanted to be.”
Freddy’s phone rang and put the entire room on edge. When he lifted it and saw that it was Shonnie calling, the burning rage that had subsided in his core instantly sparked up again.
He got up from the table and went into the living room when he answered. He didn’t say anything, because there wasn’t anything to say, so he waited until Shonnie opened her mouth before any words left his.
“Your mother’s diary,” she said coldly. “Where is it? And I'm only gonna ask nicely once. I know where you live, and I know where Skylar goes to school. Try me if you want, and I'll make sure the same thing that happened to Tasia happens to you two. And don’t get all cute,” she spat. “You’re still on the hook with this NDA you signed. Go against it, and that community center you wanna open so bad can be kissed goodbye.”
“Fuck you!” Freddy was furious. “I don’t know what kind of battery Montgomery put in your fucking guts, but you better make sure it’s fully charged before I make my next move.”
He hung up and threw his phone against the wall, shattering it instantly. All he could think about was killing Shonnie and going after Montgomery and Mack, and making them all pay. He still hadn’t dealt with the fact that Mack was his father. Truth be told, he didn’t care. Anyone who went against his family was dead to him.
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