When A Playboy Loves

|| 63.

King

My head was reeling. Everything made sense now. It was his father who secured his release. The higher powers Oz talked about was his father. I checked my phone as I drove into the restaurant we agreed to meet.

I would show him the grainy video Uti sent me, then what next? I tried not to think too much about it. The car slowed and I took some minutes to calm down. Uti was fine, not exactly fine but she was talking to me now. Having actual conversations. Our baby boy was on the way. He was a boy, right?

A mother's instinct could never be wrong and shit like that but a part of me still hoped Uti was wrong about this so Esther could have a younger sister before we tried again for a boy. Our son.

Another call to Oz assured me he would be here. I entered the restaurant and found a seat at the back. The place was near empty, maybe that was why Oz chose it. From time to time, I looked outside the window to catch a glimpse of his car or anything related to him. But all I got were passing vehicles that looked nothing like his black Audi.

It took ten minutes before his Audi drove in. I sat up straighter when the car door opened. His hat covered half of his face but I could recognise that signature thick, bushy beards anywhere. My eyes followed his frame as he walked in and searched for me. I raised a hand, his hat dipped in a mock bow and he started towards me.

We were here for Uti. She might not want justice but I did. It was important for Emma.

Oz settled into the opposite seat. His hat remained on.

"King."

"Oz."

"I've got news." I gulped, a little too audibly and he cocked his head. "Do you have something to say?" Another shaky nod from me made him say, "Okay. Let's hear it then."

"You first." I shook my head. "Me first." He removed his hat and set it on the table. I glimpsed his brown eyes, the scar on his nose and looked away. My phone was in my pocket but my hand trembled as I pulled it out. "Do you have your earpiece with you?"

"Yeah." I patted the spot on my left and he switched positions to sit beside me.

A minute after he retrieved his earpiece, I pushed the phone to him. He spared me a look, then hit play. I had seen it a number of times but it felt like the first time. The back and forth between the man and the officers was barely audible but I had more than one idea what it was about. The shot shocked everyone, including me and the man fell like a log of wood.

A thrill trickled through my body.

One man dead because of a father.

One boy dead because of a son.

"Wow," Oz breathed out when the video ended. "Wow. This is huge, King. It changes everything. Well, it could change everything."

Maybe. I braced my arms on the table. The cashier at the counter pinned us with a glare and I lifted my hand to call the waitress. She arrived and in some minutes, we had two bottles of soft drinks and a tray of snacks in front of us. I didn't touch mine, neither did Oz. There were more important things than food.

"What's the news you have?" I asked him.

"The name of the person who facilitated Umoh's release." Oz nodded towards my phone and I returned it to my pocket. "But I guess you already know that. His father is the commissioner of police." I took the first sip of my cold Fanta. I had no idea why I asked for Fanta. Oz wrapped his palms around the bottle but did nothing. "I don't know how he managed to escape that..."

"Yeah," I murmured. "This is Nigeria."

A sharp pain twisted my guts as the words settled inside me. With money, I could buy my way out of a lot of things. Never had I felt the impact of being Nigerian until now. Until Uti. I pulled on my beards.