Once You'Ve Touched the Heart Read online

  “Merry Christmas, Valerie,” Tracy replied merrily.

  “I have a gift for you.”

  “You do? What is it?” Tracy asked with excitement.

  “It’s a surprise. But I’m gonna keep it here so nothing can happen to it.”

  Tracy knew what that meant, so Mom would not know about it. “Okay, thank you. I didn’t have any money, but I made you something. Are you coming over tomorrow?”

  “No,” Valerie replied, “we are doing dinner over here. Didn’t Mom tell you?”

  “No, she didn’t say anything. Well, I’ll bring your gift over tomorrow,” Tracy offered, thinking her mom planned on taking her.

  “Okay, I got to go now. Make sure the doors are locked.”

  “Okay,” Tracy said as she hung up the telephone.

  Tracy turned on the television then stretched out on the floor and fell asleep. When she woke up, Turk was on the couch asleep. He had put up a little artificial tree that came with lights on it. There were gifts under the tree, all with Tracy’s name on them.

  “Oh, snap,” Tracy exclaimed, waking Turk up. “Can I open them, Turk, please?”

  Looking at the clock and smiling at his sister’s eagerness he agreed. “Okay, it’s after midnight.”

  Turk sat on the sofa laughing at her. “You sure you don’t want to wait until tomorrow?”

  “No, well, maybe I’ll hold one out for tomorrow.”

  Tracy started opening gifts. Most of them were clothes and shoes, and there was a leather jacket. Her favorite gifts were a gold necklace and a laptop. Tracy felt like she had died and gone to heaven. She put the necklace back under the tree and started working on the laptop.

  She stopped and said, “Thank you, Turk. Thank you so much. I got something for you. Well,” she said sadly, “it’s nothing like what you have given me. But I saved my lunch money to get it for you.” She handed him a small box.

  Turk opened the box. Inside was an engraved ID bracelet that read, “To My Big Brother, Love T.” He looked at it and smiled. “Thank you, Sugie.”

  “I didn’t have enough money to put my whole name on it.”

  “That’s okay, I know who T is. Where’s your mother?”

  “She went to Valerie’s house.”

  “Why didn’t you go?”

  “I don’t know,” Tracy shrugged her shoulder.

  “Okay. Look Sugie, I got to meet some people. Give me a hug, and I’ll see you next time.”

  “Okay, Turk. Thank you so much,” she said, hugging him.

  Tracy was sitting on the sofa working on the laptop when her mom came in. “Hey, Mom, look what Turk gave me for Christmas.”

  Her mom looked around the room. It seemed like she was getting angrier with every item she took in. “What is this shit?”

  Recognizing the tone, Tracy closed the laptop down and put it behind her. “They’re my Christmas presents from Turk,” Tracy replied innocently.

  “Well, it’s going the hell out my house.”

  Tracy’s mom began picking up the things under the tree and boxing them back up. When she came to the leather jacket, she put it on. “Hmm, I could use this.”

  Then she opened the box with the gold chain and smiled. “I always wanted one of these,” she said, and put the box under her arm. Tracy knew not to ask any questions. That would only lead to her mom yelling and cursing at her. When her mom went into her bedroom with the boxes, Tracy grabbed the laptop and took it into her bedroom. She put it under her mattress then went to bed.

  Whenever her mom would leave the house during the Christmas break, Tracy would pull out the laptop and work on it. When Tracy came home after the first day back to school from winter break, she went into her bedroom to pull out the laptop and it was gone. Tracy came out of the room upset. Her mom was at the kitchen table. “Where is it?” Tracy asked.

  “I sold it,” her mom said coolly.

  “That’s stealing—it wasn’t yours to sell,” Tracy yelled.

  “Who in the hell do you think you’re yelling at? Anything that’s in my house is mine. I can do what in the hell I want to do with it. That includes you. If you don’t like it you can take your little ass and live somewhere else. Or your ass can go live on a street corner for all I care. You ain’t gonna turn out to be nothing but a whore anyway.”

  “Why do you hate me so much? I ain’t never done nothing to you, Mom,” Tracy cried.

  “You never done anything to me,” her mom yelled. “Look around, you little bitch, do you see my husband anywhere? NO! I’ll answer it for you. He ain’t here because of you. Yeah, I sold your damn computer and got good money for it. If your ass was halfway decent looking, I would put you on a corner and make you earn your keep.”

  Tears were flowing down Tracy’s face. How could the woman who gave birth to her hate her so? “I will leave here one day and won’t ever look back,” Tracy said calmly.

  “Don’t wait for someday, get your ass out here now,” was her mother’s reply.

  Tracy went into her room and closed the door. She knew her mom would eventually stop and leave. Tracy called Turk and told him what happened, but begged him not to say anything to her mom.

  Tracy wasn’t sure what happened after that. The next day Tracy had her laptop back and her mom never said another word to her.

  Tracy closed her laptop and wiped the tears from her eyes when she heard Ashley come in about an hour later. “Tracy, contract signed, dated, Is dotted and Ts crossed,” Ashley yelled while coming up the steps. “Girl, I was on point tonight. The charm was rolling out 'cross the table, like you spread butter on one of Mama’s hot rolls. I was goooooood. And this is for you,” she said, handing her the envelope with the contract and a twenty-five thousand dollar commitment check enclosed. “Our first major client! I am so psyched, let’s go have a drink.”

  “You mean you are not already drunk?” Tracy replied, displaying a tearful smile.

  “No, I didn’t drink during dinner. I needed to stay focused and close the deal, which I did. Now we celebrate.”

  When Tracy did not respond, Ashley turned to her. “Hey, what’s up? You seem a little down.”

  “Jeffrey and a friend of his, Brian Thompson, came by to see me today.”

  “My brother JD and Brian? Why?” Ashley asked with concern.

  “They wanted to know about Turk.”

  “Your brother?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not sure, but Jeffrey said he was in trouble.”

  “Was Brian with him in a professional capacity or were they just hanging out?” Ashley asked.

  “Professional, I’m sure. He was the main one asking questions. Why?”

  “Well, Brian works for the federal government and I think JD is working on a case with him.”

  “That’s what the Brian guy said.”

  “That means, whatever your brother is involved in is big.”

  ♥

  Brian pulled up to the entrance of the field and stopped the car. He stepped out and walked up the hill to look around. It was an open area and unless there was a reason to, no one would venture in. He could see a vehicle had just been through, so he knew Day was already there. Brian wanted to make sure there were no surprises. He did not have time to send someone out to scout, prior to the meet, which, he was sure, was what Day had intended. There was no way in hell Brian was going to let JD walk into anything he was not comfortable with. In addition to being his personal friend, JD was a “good guy” committed to the justice system. That was rare and Brian was not going to let anything happen to him. “Okay, we can roll,” Brian announced when he got back in the car.

  JD did not think twice about his safety. He knew Brian had his back no matter what. Approaching the site they saw two people, Day and Tucker. That immediately relaxed Brian. He knew Tucker from earlier years and he had a certain level of professional respect for him. They were both about the protection of their man. JD knew, by seeing Tucker, whatever Day
was about to tell him, he could trust. For whatever reason, Day did not want his people to know about this meet. Brian got out of the car and JD followed. Tucker stepped forward to frisk Brian. “I’m carrying,” Brian said as he took a step back.

  Tucker grinned. “So am I. Since that’s understood, let’s move on.”

  JD put his hands on the hood of the car and Tucker frisked him. Day did the same on their car and Brian frisked him.

  “Good,” Tucker said.

  “Good here,” Brian countered.

  “The one and only JD Harrison in the flesh.” Day chuckled as he and JD stepped to the side. “I got much respect for you, man, and I like your style. No bullshit, just straight to the ass whipping. Motherfuckers don’t stand a chance with you on them.”

  “Is that why you called me, to give props?”

  “Naw, man, I’m ready to let this go. So this time I’m going to save you some steps.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I’m going to give you me. But I won’t come cheap.”

  “I’m listening.” JD put his hands in his pocket and put his head down, the way he does when he’s trying to reason something out.

  Day watched JD’s every move. He trusted this man, followed his career and knew what he was about. But this was not a simple thing he was about to ask him to do. “You are going to arrange a deal for me through the attorney general only, none of your people.”

  JD looked up.

  “I’ll explain. Hear me all the way out first.”

  JD put his head back down. “Okay, continue.”

  “I will give you me and a few of your people who belong to me.”

  JD did not show any expression, but his mind was racing. We got dirty people in the DA’s office. Now all he wanted to know was who. “In exchange for what?”

  “You have to give me your word you will protect Sugie.”

  “And who the hell is Sugie?”

  “You know her as Tracy Washington, my little sister.”

  JD smiled at the nickname. Day caught the smile; he knew JD was the right person for the job.

  “What does Tracy have to do with this?” JD held his breath, not sure what the answer would be.

  “Nothing,” Day replied. “She doesn’t even know what I do or where I am and I want you to keep it that way.”

  “That will be difficult,” JD responded, relieved. “The arrest is going to have media coverage and if not, the case will.”

  “There will be no trial. I’m going to plead to whatever you bring me.”

  JD stood up and faced Day. “Why?”

  He glared at JD and stated, “My little sister is the only thing in this world that is good and pure to me. I have spent my life protecting her. Now someone in your office has put her in danger and the only way to continue to protect her is to give myself up.”

  “You do realize the best I would be able to give you with what I have is forty years, federal time,” JD stated. “You’re willing to do that without question to protect your sister?”

  “You met her, Harrison—wouldn’t you?” Day laughed. “I got into this to keep her off the street. Tracy is doing good. I can let go now. But I can’t protect her from certain people. You can.”

  “Who are you trying to protect her from, your people or mine?”

  “Now see, man, that’s what I like about you, a brother who listens. That’s why you got my respect. But, before we go any further, I need your word as a man, that you will protect Sugie, with your life if need be.”

  JD didn’t have to think about that one. Without hesitation he replied, “You have my word. I will not let anything happen to her.”

  Day turned to Tucker, who was standing near the car, and nodded. Tucker pulled an envelope from the car and handed it to Brian. Brian opened the envelope and started to read. Day turned back to JD.

  “The package your man has will be all you need to begin an investigation of the people you need to clear out. You have three people in your office that will have your back no matter what might come out: Johnson, Thompson and Langston. Everyone else is politically motivated.”

  JD looked at Day.

  Day glared at him, “No one else,” he said without flinching.

  “Why me?” JD asked.

  “I’ve watched you. You’re what they call a good guy. Then there’s Sugie. I know you’re gonna look out for her. But I didn’t choose you. The people who involved my sister picked you. You are good, take no prisoners, and I like that. But this case was given to you to pull me out. He knew you would make the connection of Sugie and me while working on this case. I believe his game plan was to find her, leak her name and whereabouts to one of the organizations we have beef with. I don’t have to tell you how they would use her to get to me. Her name was put in there purposely. There’s only one person who could have given you that name and that’s the person who is trying to bring me down,” Day explained.

  “Okay, I’ll bite—who’s trying to bring you down and why?”

  Day looked at JD. “You’ve already figured that out.” He laughed. “The why is because I killed Sugie’s father years ago and he helped me clean it up. Ever since then I would steer him in the right direction on some things to help him win cases, and he began rising in the legal system. He in turn let me run my business. Now I’m a threat to his aspirations, which I really don’t give a shit about; he leaves me the fuck alone, I leave him alone is my motto. He used you to make the connection and lead others to Sugie to weaken my power base. He knows I run a clean business; I only kill those who try to kill me. But if a fucker puts a hand on Sugie, I will retaliate and there would be a war. I don’t want her caught in the middle. If I go in, it will be on my terms and Sugie is no longer in harm’s way. No reason for a war, which I am sure I will conveniently die in. Whatever time I need to do to keep her safe, I can handle. When you bring him down, you will be in line for his position.” Day stopped and watched for JD’s reaction.

  JD shook his head. “I don’t deal in politics; it’s a dirty game.”

  “So, what you doing with the senator’s daughter?”

  “Entertaining myself,” JD replied with a smile.

  Day laughed. “I heard that, my brother.”

  JD smiled. He liked this man, but he had a job to do.

  “I will give you 24 hours to make the deal,” Day stated. “After that I go to Plan 2.”

  “What is Plan 2?”

  Day looked at him, then, turned to walk away.

  JD understood. “Day, why did you kill Tracy’s father?”

  Day looked down at an old bracelet on his arm, walked back to JD. “The bastard tried to put his hands on my baby sister. You will hear from me in 24 hours,” he announced. He got into the car with Tucker and left.

  Brian walked over to JD. “Do you know who is in here?”

  “Yeah, Gavin.”

  Chapter 4

  JD was tense with all that had taken place in the last two days. The deal was made for Day and the investigations into the other individuals had begun. He was at home attempting to relax away the thought of Tracy, but it was not working. He needed a distraction, he thought as the telephone rang.

  “Hello,” JD answered.

  “Well, Mr. Harrison, if I was an insecure person I would think you didn’t like me.”

  “I had a few hectic days,” JD replied with a smile.

  “Okay, I’ll take that. Want some company?”

  “Sure.”

  “Good. Open your front door.”

  JD opened the door and Carolyn Roth stepped in. He hung up the phone and closed the door behind her. She kissed him, dropped her trench coat to the floor and started up the stairs.

  “Always ready for anything,” JD said, smiling as he watched her naked body go up the steps.

  “The question is, are you?” Carolyn asked as she reached the top of the stairs.

  “Sounds like a dare to me.”

  “Up to the challenge?”

  Boy, was he
ever. A few hours later, Carolyn screamed, “Damn, JD, you can wear a sister out.”

  “You challenged.” JD smiled. “I countered.”

  “Alright, you got me,” she answered back as she laughed.

  He reached across her to discard the condoms they had used throughout the evening.

  “By the feeling of things, it doesn’t seem that I have conquered you yet,” she said as she attempted to mount him. He stopped her.

  “Okay, I know, not without protection.” She grinned. “But I do have other ways of handling that.”

  As she went down on him, he wondered why she wasn’t able to satisfy him tonight. Carolyn wiped that thought from his mind in a matter of minutes. Carolyn never doubted her ability to satisfy a man. Convinced she had succeeded, she got up to leave.

  “I’m sure that will keep me on your mind for a day or so.”

  What she did not know was his mind was already on someone else.

  JD got up the next morning feeling a little more relaxed. He called Carolyn and thanked her for the evening. He always made sure he did a follow-up call, no matter the outcome with the ladies the night before. He felt it was the gentlemanly thing to do, and women loved the sensitivity. After the call he took a shower. He was trying to find the words to tell Tracy about Al, but the words did not come. He decided to go to the one person who always had an answer to his problems.

  “Hey, Mom,” he said as he walked through her back door.

  “Good morning, son. Want some breakfast?” his mom asked.

  “Yeah,” JD replied as he kissed her cheek.

  “Eggs with cheese good for you?”

  “That’ll do, thanks, Mom.”

  “You got court today?”

  “No, just in the office.”

  She put a cup of coffee in front of him. As he put in cream and sugar he smiled, remembering Al, referring to Tracy as Sugie.

  “What you grinning at?” his mom asked.

  “Nothing, Mom.”

  They began talking about nothing in particular, but Martha knew her son. If he came by this early in the morning, he needed to talk. So she listened without questions, knowing he would eventually get around to what he had to say. He was just like his father in that way. He couldn’t show a weakness like needing somebody to talk with; that was just not manly. When she finished cooking, the eggs with cheese had turned into a plate of eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. She sat at the table across from him. “You talked to Ashley yesterday?”