Watch your back (18)

"Yo Lance, what's up bro!" Eric hasn't heard from me in a while and usually only hears from me if I need advice. He's very excited to hear from me.

"Hey bro." I say gloomily.

"Is everything alright?" He asks concerned.

"No man, I dropping the ball on everything. My marriage, work isn't great and I'm drinking again." I tell him.

"Well have you prayed? He asked as he always does.

"Man you know I don't pray much? I say annoyed.

"You think that may be the problem? Ever since you went to school it seems your faith has been lacking." He sounded puzzled.

"Okay first off please stop talking to me like a pastor. Secondly I wouldn't say I have gotten away from my faith, I would say that it wasn't forced down my throat anymore. You know how it was growing up. Ma always waking us up early Sunday mornings to go to church, forcing religion on us." I say.

"I am a pastor so deal with it and she never forced religion on us. She did force us to go but she is supposed to make us go. She's a Christian woman who follows the word, Joshua 24:15 says but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

"I understand all of that but it's like when you get the freedom to do with you want you just get away from it. You can finally go out late Saturday night and early into Sunday morning without having to worry about waking up. Finally I was able to do what I wanted, you know drink have girls stay the night with me" I say trying explain my position.

"And look where you that's taken you. You were an alcoholic and sounds like you're falling right back into that and you almost lost Aria on multiple occasions and by the direction of this conversation it sounds like you're on the verge once again. Sounds like to me you could start going back to your roots to me my brother. But listen I need to finish studying my word so can we resume later?" He says to me.

"Yeah of course, thanks for listening as always big bro." We aren't able to talk too often but he's always there when I call.

"No problem."' He says before hanging up the phone.

Is he right? Maybe. It's been a long time since I've prayed, I'm not even sure God will hear me. It's worth a try though so I go for it:

"Hey God, it's me. I'm not sure if you have been watching lately but things are a little hectic around here. You know, I'm messing up with Aria, Viv is throwing me the drawls and I have to handle this guy Quick. I just need help. I mean I know it's been a minute since we've talked so it may look a little messed up I come back from years of shying away and asking for something but help me out. I'll make sure we talk a bit more too. Well that's it for now I guess, I mean amen"

After finishing my prayer I see that I need to finish my whiskey too. Lights out after that.

The month is almost over and Ari still hasn't come back. I didn't think she would actually take the entire month to come home. I have been able to stay very busy though and today was court day for Quick. I have no worries going in.

"I hope this thing is almost over, I'm losing a lot of money paying you." Quick says to me as we sit down at the table on the right of the lectern.

"Look I told you, there is lack of evidence and there is no reasonable doubt. We'll be fine." I say fixing my suit jacket.

Everything was going smoothly until a witness is called to the stand.

"I thought you said this witness wouldn't be an issue." Quick said angirly.

"I never said he wouldn't testify, besides this isn't even the guy. This is his son, he's going by something off a piece of paper written by his loony father. Just a hearsay, not that bad. Relax." I whisper back to him.

"You better be right Ely." He says leaning back in his chair.

"Now Mr. Watkins, could you please tell us what your father has written." The family's lawyer asks.

"Of course." He begins to read:

"On the night of August 11, 2013 I saw a man later known to me as Quick step out the passenger side of an all black tinted window Acura. He then proceeded to shoot eleven shots in two different general directions. One direction being a home and the other the sidewalk. After firing all shots he then went back to the car and was gone."

"This shit doesn't sound like nothing, I'll take it from here." He says calmly.

"List.." I try to interject.

"Nah. I got this." Ignoring me.

The rest of the day was the hearsay giving accounts on his fathers behalf. I wasn't worried becasue when it was time to come back to the case I will simply state how the account we heard was giving from a man who suffers from dementia. Quick and I walk outside and to his car and before I could even say anything he snapped.

"That's what you call control!? Sounds like they have all the fucking control my nigga. I asked you did you have things under control and you say yeah. A nigga just called me by name in front of the fucking Jury! Ain't shit under control, now I got to control shit myself." He said pulling out his phone about to make a call.

"I got this don't worry." I try to calm him down.

"No I'm worried my nigga and if I have to worry then so do you. Yeah we been watching you and the little white bitch just make sure you're watching her!" He says before getting into his car and leaving.

I stand confused. Who the hell is he talking about?