Page 22 of Butterfly 6, Phase 1

Morgan nodded, and she held onto his wrists, closing her eyes. “We’ve hurt each other so bad, and you still treat me like I have no flaws.”

“You don’t, shorty. This is all on me,” he stated. “I should have never left you here.”

Morgan’s eyes misted because in a world where he had stayed or even if he had made the choice to take her with him, they could have survived. She would have never tried to commit suicide. They would have three healthy babies. Bash would have never touched her. He would have never slept with Bleu. She would have never fallen in love with Ahmeek, and The Crew would still be together.

Messiah read her thoughts, and his eyes burned as he stared at her with conviction. “It’s the biggest mistake of my life, shorty. I started us down this road, so whatever happens, I’ma take the blame. You hear me?”

“I thought you hated new Mo,” she whispered.

“New Mo, old Mo…both you mu’fuckas got a nigga heart in a chokehold,” Messiah said.

He pressed his forehead to Morgan’s, and Morgan just wanted to freeze time. It reminded her of the passion she felt years ago when he had stood with her just like this at Berston Field House. He had knocked a nigga’s teeth across the gym floor out of pure jealousy, then stood toe to toe, forehead to forehead, heart to heart with her, just like this. He had taken her breath away then and now. If only time could move backward.

Morgan pulled away first and walked out of the room.

“Let’s get this over with,” Ethic said as soon as he saw her. Morgan sauntered over to him, and Ethic cleared her tears with his thumb. It reminded her of how he had wiped so many tears away when she was a little girl. He would listen to her cry and then clear her eyes, making her feel better instantly. She felt the same calming effect wash over her now. She was a grown-ass woman with children of her own, but she was still under the care of Ethic Okafor. “Have I ever let you down?”

She shook her head. “Never.”

“Then trust me, Mo. Everything is under control.”

“Indeed, it is,” Einstein added. “This is just an interview. Morgan, you’re a loving mother of two children who is dealing with a very sick child. You’re the most unlikely of suspects, but you’re the closest to the royal family, so you must be questioned. There’s no avoiding your participation, but we can choose how much to divulge. Let me do my job. It’s what you pay me for,” Einstein added. “Let’s have a seat and go over the questions I anticipate them asking.”

He led the way into a conference room and motioned for her to sit. Einstein sat on one side, Ethic and Morgan sat on the other.

“First thing I want you to remember is that you’re dealing with law enforcement. They’re trained to gather a confession and identify guilty behavior. You will also be recorded. Your every move is under scrutiny until they scratch you off their list of suspects.”

“Suspect for what?” Morgan asked. “What’s happened?”

Einstein looked at Ethic and nodded in approval, then focused on Morgan. “That’s the exact type of game you’re playing. One of two things will happen during this interview. You will con them, or they will con you.”

“I understand,” Morgan answered.

“When was the last time you spoke to Sebastian Frederick?” Einstein asked.

“I really can’t recall. We broke up, and I haven’t heard from him since,” Morgan answered.

“Was it an amicable split?”

“I cheated on him. He wasn’t very pleased with me when he left. The split was rough,” Morgan stated.

“You two fought?” Einstein asked.

“I was dishonest. I hurt him. Of course, we fought about it. We argued,” Morgan confirmed.

“And did things get physical?” Einstein asked.

Morgan paused. Her body reacted before she could control her response. She froze as her mind took her back in time. “He raped me.” She meant to say it in her head, but the words fell off her lips. It was her truth, and she was tired of withholding it. Her moments of violation.

“And that’s the detail that will get her arrested.” Einstein leaned in, speaking in a hushed tone as he jabbed a stern finger on the table. “That gives her motive. That can’t happen in a real interview.”

“I’m sorry, I know,” Morgan stammered. She had been running from her reality since before she could remember. Trauma had raised her. From the day she lost her father, it had become her babysitter. “I just never really thought I could say that to you,” Morgan said, turning to Ethic. “I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to admit that it happened… again. Ethic, how did I let this happen to me again?”

Ethic turned sideways in his chair and leaned on his elbows as he reached for both of Mo’s hands. “You were young. You’re still so young, Mo. You ignored the warning signs. I can imagine there were moments when your gut was telling you something was wrong, and you ignored it. I wish you had come to me about Bash. But hear this and burn it into your brain. Nothing you did, or did not do, made any man take your body. Nothing you wore. Nothing you said or didn’t say. It doesn’t work like that. Good men don’t rob women for their own pleasure. They don’t coerce. They don’t convince. They don’t force. You were attacked by rapists. They were cowards. They were demonic predators, and what they did wasn’t a result of something you did to them. It was criminal, and that’s why they’re no longer breathing. You have nothing to be ashamed about. Never let me hear you say that again.”

Ethic turned to Einstein. “If she can’t handle the interview, can she opt to say nothing?”

“It will only make them smell blood, and once they do that, they won’t stop until they find something,” Einstein stated. “It’s best that we continue the prep.”