Love, Honor, and Betray by Roby, Lawson (ebook reader ink txt) 📕

like this, and regardless of how he felt about her, he respected that.She’d lied about her car being on the fritz, but he sensed she was telling the truth about this gambling addiction of hers.

“Why did they let you keep borrowing if you weren’t paying it back?”

“Because the loan shark knew I had a good job, and he was fine as long as I paid back at least two thousand dollars a month.But then I missed six payments, and now he’s calling in the whole thing.”

“Why did you stop paying?”

“Because I wasn’t winning anymore.”

“People never win at gambling, Raven.”

Raven didn’t say anything, and Curtis knew this meant she didn’t agree with him. She was an addict who believed she was simplyexperiencing a dry period but would be back on top any day now.

“What I suggest you do is find another job, so you can pay off your debts. Take two jobs if you have to.”

“But if I don’t earn enough, it won’t matter.”

“Maybe you should explain your situation and ask for more time.”

“I already did, and D.C. doesn’t want to hear that. He wants his money.”

Curtis knew the D.C. she was referring to had to be the same D.C. who was close friends with Levi, the drug dealer Aliciahad messed around with some time ago. Although, it wasn’t like D.C. to threaten women with bodily harm, so there must havebeen more to the story. None­theless, Curtis didn’t want to get involved. It was true that D.C. was one of the most well-knownloan sharks in the area and didn’t tend to play when it came to his business, but like Levi, he had given very generouslyto Deliverance Outreach. Of course, Curtis had stopped accepting money from both Levi and D.C. right after turning his lifearound, but he still had no issues with them. They’d understood his reasoning and respected it.

“I can’t help you,” Curtis told her.

“Can you at least loan me enough to make a couple of payments?”

Curtis was tiring of this. “Raven, your last check went out this morning, but that’s it as far as the church is concerned.”

Curtis waited for her response but there was empty silence.

“Did you hear me, Raven?”

She boo-hooed again, but then said, “I’ll be dead in no time,” and hung up.

Curtis now rethought his decision of not contacting D.C. Maybe there was something he could say, because as a man of God,he had an obligation to help people. He wasn’t happy with Raven at all, but he also didn’t want to see anyone die over money.

He thought about it a little more, and then pulled a leather booklet from his drawer. This was where he’d kept his contactlisting before new technology had taken over. He searched through it until he saw “D. C. Robinson” and then dialed the numbernext to it.

“D.C.,” the baritone voice said.

“D.C., Pastor Black here. So, how’s it going?”

“Pastor, man, what’s up? I’m good. And you?”

“Can’t complain.”

“No, I guess not because I saw the new church goin’ up. Good for you.”

“God is good.”

“That He is and all the time,” he said, and Curtis smiled because D.C. and Levi were two of the nicest criminals a personever wanted to meet. “So, don’t tell me that trick Raven had you call me. With her little sneaky, connivin’ behind. BecauseI know she used to work for you.”

“Well, actually, she is the reason I’m calling, but she doesn’t know about it. I never even told her I knew you, and I’d liketo keep it that way.”

“No problem.”

“She mentioned your name and said you were threatening to hurt her if she didn’t pay back the thirty thousand dollars sheowes you.”

“That would be correct.”

“Now, D.C., you know I’ve never tried to get in your business, but maybe you could go a little easy on her. Especially sinceshe’s now unemployed.”

“Doesn’t matter. She was behind before she lost her job, so I’m not hearin’ that noise from her.”

“I just don’t understand why she borrowed so much money from you.”

“Borrowed?”

“Yeah. She told me she borrowed the money for gambling.”

D.C. bellowed with laughter. “That trick never quits. She’s such a liar. The reason she owes me thirty Gs is because she stoleit from me. I hired her to handle my finances, and that whore started funnelin’ money to herself. I had a feeling somethin’wat’n right, and when I called in this other accountant, he confirmed it.”

“Oh, I didn’t know all of that,” Curtis said, now wondering if maybe Raven had stolen money from Deliverance Outreach.

“That’s because she never tells the truth, and she’s always playin’ the victim. I mean, she probably does have a gamblingproblem, but I didn’t loan her anything.”

“Well, I’m out of it,” Curtis said, and then he and D.C. laughed and chatted like old friends. They talked about the pastand the future, and Curtis even encouraged him to give up the kind of life he was living.

That’s when D.C. said, “Okay, now you’re startin’ to make me feel guilty, so we should probably end this conversation.”

They both laughed.

“Maybe one day, though,” D.C. said. “Maybe one day I’ll give up the life just like Levi claims he has.”

“So how is he?”

“He’s good. Hanging in there, and he should be out fairly soon. He swears, though, he’s done dealin’ drugs and has completelyturned his life over to Christ.”

“Glad to hear it. And when you talk to him again, tell him I’m very proud of him.”

“I will.”

“Well, it was good talking to you, D.C.”

“Same here. I mean, I haven’t laughed like this in months, and I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, you’ve brightened my dayso much, I’m gonna give that trick, Raven, three or four months to find a job. I don’t normally soften up like this, you know,but you got me feelin’ all sympathetic and compassionate. So, she better thank her lucky stars you called me.”

“She was wrong for stealing from you, but I’m glad you’re willing to give her a pass this time. A temporary one anyway.”

“It’s all good. Also, if you don’t mind my asking, why’d you