Crossing The Line

Chapter Three

•°Lauren°•

Stacy and I stood in the little piece of house we had left. We watched as the other two officers looked around the place, checking out the damage.

"Its going to cost a damn fortune to fix this place." I said aloud.

Stacy was quiet. I guess her mind was running a mile a minute with the way things were going.

I heard footsteps stepping on the glass as they walked toward us.

"Yo baby, where the other two fuckers at?" Evan asked as he walked toward us.

"Out back." I said as I ran my hands through my hair, gripping the back of my neck.

"You aight?" He asked.

"Look at the place Evan." I began.

"Dont stress about it ma."

"Dont stress? I can't even see my daughter right now and not to mention, we dont have no where to lay our heads at Evan! This shit has gone too far!" I whispered to him in a loud enough tone for him to know I wasnt playing no games.

"Look, I got you. I got us. Everything is going to be straight. Aight?" He said as he look me in my eyes.

He pulled me close as he gave me a warm embrace to calm my worried soul.

"Umh, Who is the owner of this property?" One of the other two cops asked.

"I am, We are." I responded pointing to Evan.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs..."

"Tanning." Evan finished.

"Right. I am Officer Charles and We're going to have to ask you two to come down to the station for questioning."

"What for?" I asked.

"Well, we have word that this house was bought with illegal drug money." The other officer explained.

"Okay, see now I know that's a lie. Where are you getting youre information from sir?" I questioned.

"As we were walking around the house, officer Burns got a call about the property." He said pointing to the heavy set officer outside.

"Well whoever is suppling him with these accusations is full of shit." I shouted.

"Calm down baby." Evan said to me.

"Do you hear this shit Evan?"

"Evan? Evan Tanning?" The other officer, Officer Nixon, repeated.

"Yeah, thats me." Evan responded.

"I'm going to need you to put your hands behind your back, your under arrest..." The officer began as he walked up to Evan.

"What the fuck is going on?" I screamed stepping in front of Evan and the officer."

"Ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to step aside."

"What the hell is he under arrest for?" I asked defending my man.

"There has to be a mistake." Stacy said to the officers.

"Lauren. Everything will be aight. I'll be back cause they aint got shit on me." Evan said gently moving me out of the way and surrendering to the officer.

I watched as they put handcuffs on him and it broke my heart. I felt Stacy come up and hold on to my shoulders.

"You dont even know why they're arresting you! You just going to let them take you from me like that?" I screamed my questions to him as tears ran down my face.

"I'll do whatever they want, just so I can get back to you. I wont have you locked up with me." Evan said as they walked him out.

"You said you had my back Evan! You said you got us and we had NOTHING to worry about! This aint having my back! Is this what youre going to let happen to us?! You cant have my back in jail Evan!! I cried.

The officer opened the door to his car for Evan to get in.

"No! But you gotta trust me Lauren! All of this will blow over." He said.

"Trust you? How am I suppose to have trust after all of this?"

"You just do." Evan said as the cop held his head as he got in the car and closed the door.

"I'm right behind you Evan! We'll meet you there!" Stacy yelled to the car with Evan in it before it pulled off.

I squatted down on my knees and buried my wet face into my hands.

"Lauren, we gotta go. We need to get your valuables out of the house?" Stacy explained.

"My valuables just left in a damn police car." I responded as I looked upon her face.

Stacy got down on her knees so that she was at my level.

"Lauren, I need you to pull yourself together. You gotta be strong for Evan. He needs you at his side more than ever right now. You and I both know you aint got to worry about shit.. cause I got you. I'm always there to pick you up when you fall and I'll be there until there is no more life in me."

"Thats right. We in this shit together. My boy needs you Low." Rico added.

I didnt responded as I slowly got up, wiping away my tears.

"You good ma. Trust me. You got a strong support system behind you." Rico said.

"C'mon Lets go get your stuff and meet Evan."

Stacy, Rico and I walked into the house for me to get everything that I couldnt leave. I walked over to Mrs. Watson's and asked her to keep a watch out for the house for me. She agreed and we got in the car to leave.

My head was all over the place as I sat in the passenger side of Stacy's car. We were speeding through traffic trying to get to the police station with Rico trailing behind us in my car.

"I wanna know why they arrested him.." I asked aloud.

"Thats the same thing I want to know. Crooked ass cops hate to see a black man doing good. I mean they can't just barge up in somebody's home and arrest them without stating why." Stacy responded.

"You're right.. but I'm damn sure going to find out." I said as we pulled up at the station and got out.