Hidden Wounds

Part 17

I was sitting on Gray's couch trying to retain the information I had received. He went into detail about Isaiah's relationship with Erica. She was the daughter of his very first investor, and just like I had been she was underage. Anthony was pushing nineteen and Erica had just passed her fifteenth birthday when her father dropped twenty-thousand dollars into SLAP records. Even after Anthony paid his debt back, Erica's father continued to do business with him. Gray showed me the paperwork, there was plenty of money exchanges between each of them over the course of two years. During that time Anthony had started dating Erica, wooing her young ass with the same glitz and glamour he blinded me with. Her first hospital visit was for a few minor cuts and scrapes so it went unnoticed. It wasn't until Erica started showing up with broken bones did her parents get worried. Within a two month time span she had been treated for a broken wrist, sprained ankle, snapped femur, and a dislocated shoulder. The Dr who treated her, reached out to her parents out of concern. The father knew who she was involved with, but for some reason he swept the shit under the rug. On Erica's 16th birthday she showed up to the hospital with two black eyes, sick from alcohol poisoning. Before they could get her checked in, she hit the floor...unresponsive. That was the final straw for them and Erica's parents started to build a case on Anthony. They tried to get Erica to stay away from him but she wouldn't listen. It was three days before she was supposed to officially file the report when she was found in the back alley of a hospital. She was fucked up bad and had lost a lot of blood. The paramedics asked her what happened and she told them she had been "robbed". Now, where have we heard that story before? Unfortunately, Erica didn't recover well, she had suffered more than an ass whooping and her head trauma resulted in her vegetative state. That meant technically she was awake, but she had no ability to move her body, she lost her motor skills, they had to feed her through a tube because she couldn't even open her mouth. Erica's mom still filed the police report, and a couple officers brought Anthony in for questioning, but for some reason they never followed-up and a few weeks later Erica's father told the police they were dropping the charges. He refused to say why, but because Erica was still a minor and he was the legal guardian; the police had to oblige. After a year passed and Erica still hadn't made any progress they announced her condition would be permanent, she would never be normal again. 

"You mean to tell me you dug up all this information is less than 24 hours?"

"I ain't talking out the side of my neck Lina. If you don't believe me then that's on you. I'd be a real weirdo to be playing with you about this."

"I'm just saying I know the hospital didn't give you all that information. So where did it come from?"

"Little bit from my own connects, you'd be surprised what information you can access if you know the right people. But, I spoke with Erica's father directly to get that portion of the story." Gray took the rest of his drink down and set the glass on the table. "After Erica became a 'vegetable' his wife left him. She felt it was his fault because he wouldn't let them proceed with the case. She wanted to pull the plug on Erica since they said she wouldn't live long anyway but he refused-"

"Did he tell you why he dropped the case though?" I interjected. What would make a father drop a case on something that serious? Anthony was just like his daddy. Years before he preyed on me he had ruined someone else's life. No telling what Erica could've grown up and done with herself had she not met Anthony. That was the same for me, where would I be if me and him had never crossed paths? Probably not living as lavishly, but I would be happy. I wouldn't be scarred up, scared in my own home. I wouldn't be a single mother. I would have my own mother in my life, hell the list could go on. I refused to end up her like Erica though, my case was going to get filed. I wasn't no scared little girl anymore. 

"Lina, you good?" Gray touched my knee, I guess I had spaced out. 

"I'm fine, so did Erica's daddy tell you why?" I asked again.

Gray sighed and shook his head no, "I asked, he skipped over the question like I never did. All I know is he tried to keep his daughter alive, most people don't live long with that condition. She put up a fight though, passed on her twenty-second birthday. He said he was bringing flowers into her room and  there were doctors everywhere, they were yelling shit he didn't understand, but when he heard the machine flat-line he knew what that meant." 

"Damn." I muttered sadly. 

"Shit, that's why he was so willing to help me, said if he could go back in time he would protect his daughter, and lock Anthony up. He said this was like his second chance and he wasn't going to miss it."

"You told him about me?"

"Briefly, I mentioned someone important to me was involved with him and that was all he needed to hear."

"I'm important to you?" I asked, smiling. I couldn't understand why he was so intent on getting me away from Anthony, but I was beginning to like him more and more. Who knew, maybe after all this mess I could explore some other options. 

"You are...the real question is are you important to yourself? To your baby?" he asked me seriously and it took me by surprise. 

"Of course." I answered immediately

"Then get out of there Lina. You said you been with him four years and we both know everything ain't been gold. Look what happened with Erica-"

"I'm not her." I cut him off, sitting up and grabbing my phone. A couple hours had passed and Anthony still hadn't reached out. On one hand it was fine by me, on the other if he came home before me I would have to explain myself. "But, I need to get back home-"

"Are you serious?" Gray stared at me in disbelief and stood up from the couch, "You're still going to go back?"

"Gray, I can't let him know what's going on. You think if I don't come home that's helping the situation?"

"Why can't you say you're staying with somebody for a night?"

"I don't have anyone else, just you." I admitted. 

"Then tell him you're staying with me." he replied boldly and I busted out laughing. 

"You wanna put him in jail or you want to fight him? You giving out scenarios that will have this nigga knockin' at your front door." I stood up from the couch and stretched. Gray began shuffling all his paperwork together and I could tell he was frustrated. Thing is, it was my call on how we did this considering I was the key to the case. I wanted to be sure that once he went in the police station, he wasn't coming back out. There would be no 'dropping the case' this time. He might've gotten away with Erica but it wasn't happenin' with me. 

"Look, just keep your phone close. Tomorrow is Sunday, we can go down to your neck of the woods first thing Monday. I just want to make sure that he stays in there, trust me okay?" I looked over at my friend who was trying so hard to protect me. 

"Whatever you say Lina. Call me if you need me-"

"OK-"

"NO I'm serious, if you feel like he is threatening in any way call me. Text me...anything." Gray came over to me and looked me dead in my eyes, pleading with me to stay. 

"I will, but I'm gonna be OK. Don't worry." I smiled to reassure him and I made my way to his front door. I didn't want to leave, but two days would pass by like minutes. This time Monday morning Anthony...Isaiah would be sitting in the county jail holding tank.