Traci Edmonds-Crosse – Still Standing: The Traci Edmonds Series- Book Two

By Patrice A. Everage

After a long and forced separation, Traci and Gary are again confronted with evil when Traci is attacked and the public mayhem that ensues afterwards. Then a past hurt rears its ugly head and causes more tension to the couple’s marriage and family. Can they survive the continual tests to their love? Or have they had more than they can bare?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669873204

Patrice A. Everage

I am a 50 plus African American female living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with my son, Joshua, my niece Christie, and her son, Kiyon. I have a degree in Journalism and a passion for writing. I have been writing in some form or another (poetry, specialized greetings, stories, letters and journals) since I was 10 years old. It is my prayer that this book will be the first of many to help me accomplish my personal goals for my family and my passion to assist other women and their families. It is my faith and covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ that has sustained me through many of my own life trials. And it is my desire to share my testimony of faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone and anyone who will receive it.

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Traci Edmonds-

Crosse – Still Standing

The Traci Edmonds Series-

Book Two

Patrice A. Everage

Copyright © 2023 by Patrice A. Everage.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/17/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1   A Random Emotional Assault

Chapter 2   The Crosse Family

Chapter 3   Traci’s Declaration

Chapter 4   New Beginnings

Chapter 5   Dana Edmonds Finds A New Life

Chapter 6   Scottie Return’s Home

Chapter 7   Traci And Scottie Receive Closure

Chapter 8   More Secrets Revealed

Introduction

My husband Gary and I have only been married a few years. We met, fell in love and married in our early 50’s. And given the fact that we have only been married a short time, we have endured a lot of drama in those few years, and not entirely of our own doing. There was an attempted murder of me and my children at the hands of my husband’s jealous former lover. I was hit by car and nearly died, which led to the discovery of an unexpected pregnancy with twins. And most recently, my husband who is a scientist and tech genius, discovered a plot within the US military to overthrow the government. As a result of his discovery, he had to disappear for six-months to develop a counter measure to technology he inadvertently helped to develop, that the home-grown terrorists were going to use to accomplish their plans.

Now that he is finally home, we are out celebrating, and some random racist drunks attempt to assault me in the restaurant where my spouse and I are celebrating. And worse of all is the fact that my husband was ordered to keep a low profile by the federal government while they sort out all the individuals who are possible threats to the security of the nation. Then this attempted assault happens, with my husband a public figure this assault is going to be newsworthy.

I am an emotional, physical and spiritual wreck.

Chapter 1

A Random Emotional Assault

We dined at one of those exclusive restaurants where the chef is a celebrity and the meals were $100.00 a plate or more, and you could celebrity watch while you dined. It is not the kind of place I usually like to frequent but it was a special night, so what the heck. The food was superb, and we laughed and talked, and it was a wonderful evening. It seems that the Maître’ d knew Gary from a previous position at another restaurant, and he constantly inquired if everything was to our liking.

After the last inquiry, I rose (and so did they) and said, Excuse me for a bit gentleman, I shall return shortly. I then proceeded to the lady’s room. As with most facilities, the lady’s rest room is almost always crowded, and this was no exception. I waited patiently until it was my turn; afterwards, I washed my hands, replaced my lip gloss and proceeded to return to my husband.

As I reached the entrance to the dining room, there was a group of people waiting to be seated. It was a bit crowded, so I backed away from the group and waited to enter. As I was waiting, standing near the bar, an intoxicated man seated just across from where I was standing,

Started making derogatory racial statements about African American females.

I thought this was an exclusive dining experience, I didn’t know niggers and hookers were allowed in.

I didn’t acknowledge his comments or allow my facial expression to change by his statements. I pretended I didn’t even hear him. I started to move closer to the group who were about to be seated and then I would be able to enter the dining room. As I moved towards the entrance of the dining room, the man rose and came to me and leaned his intoxicated face towards mine and said,

I think I have enough money to buy your services for the evening he said. Now, again, I tried to stay composed and non-confrontational. I looked directly in his nasty little face and said, You must have me confused with someone else. I’m not interested. And I tried to maneuver around him. And he moved in front of me again and said,

What, you think your kind (nigger) is not good enough for me? Bitch, the dirt under my fingernails is better than you and everyone like you. You should be honored to have someone like me even give someone like you the opportunity to be with the likes of me.

And then he reaches and grabs my arm. I then looked at him with an expression in my eyes and on my face that even he in his drunken stupor would recognize as a very wrong move. His friend tries to get him to behave, but he stood his ground. Billy Joe, come on man, we don’t want any trouble in here.

Remove your hand before I removed your entire arm, I reply with a controlled but lethal voice. His looks turns to fear but his pride wouldn’t let him back down. I allowed my purse to slide from my hand to the floor. Before he realizes it I had hit him in the nose with the heal of my palm, (breaking his nose) and then I used the same arm he was holding, and encircling his arm, tucked it under my armpit, and with my other hand, I hit him in the middle of his chest and pushed him to the floor, breaking his arm as he fell. I then stepped on the thigh closest to me, snapping it in two. At this point he was screaming in pain.

You dirty black bitch, he screams. I should kill you. As I stoop down to retrieve my purse, I say to him, I am a lady. Don’t ever speak to a lady in that manner again.

Those standing around were astonished, but many had seen and heard what had transpired. I stood, smoothed down my dress and walked slowly towards the dining room. Excuse me, I said, as I maneuvered through the crowd, and headed back to my husband.

As I approached, they both stood, and my husband seated me. He caught the distressed expression on my face. I was beginning to wonder if I should send out a search party, he said jokingly. I forced a smile and replied, You know the lady’s rest rooms are always crowded, so I had to wait in a short line, then there was a celebrity with an entourage waiting to be seated and I had to wait again. With skepticism he replies, uh huh. As he and John stared at me. The Maitre’d rushes over a short time later and begins to apologize profusely. "Mr. and Mrs. Crosse, he says breathlessly,

I was just informed about what happened and I am extremely sorry about that horrific incident. Mr. Crosse you have our sincerest apology also. This gentleman is not one of our regular guests, the police were called and once they’ve gotten him the medical treatment he needs, he will be arrested. I assure you that nothing like this has ever happened at this establishment before. Your dinner and accoutrements tonight are complimentary. And if there is anything else that we can do, we are at your disposal.

Gary turns to face me, he is livid, I grab his hand to calm him, and I say, It’s been taken care of, I said.

Thank you, I say to the trembling man. Poor many is thinking he’s about to be sued or worst. The man then looks to Gary for his permission to leave. Calmly my husband leans back in his chair, looks at me and demands in a most threatening voice, What has happened, exactly?

Will you allow this poor man to return to his job, I request?

NO, is his reply. The entire dining room within earshot were staring and listening. I took a deep breath and slowly in a controlled and lower tone of voice I explained, An intoxicated man standing at the bar, accosted me while I was waiting to return to the table; but I took care of it.

Looking at me enraged, my husband says in a voice much louder than mine, He accosted you how? Never losing eye contact with my husband, I take a cleansing breath and tell him, He at first made some derogatory racial and sexual remarks, and when I didn’t respond, he grabbed me by the arm and propositioned me, I said slowly and calmly emphasizing the need to be calm. I continued, When he wouldn’t release my arm as I had requested, in self-defense, I broke his nose and arm and knocked him to the floor, then I snapped a thigh bone to be sure he was immobilized.

Gary turns to the Maître’D and demands, What the hell kind of establishment are you running here? (Before the man could answer), Gary asks, Is he still on the premises? I don’t believe so sir, I think he has been placed in an ambulance. He started to say something else, but Gary held up his hand to silence him. Both John and Gary just look at me then in shock. I could tell that they were both furious, and sorry at the same time.

Then Gary asks, Why didn’t you tell me immediately after you came back to the table? We were having such a lovely evening; I didn’t want to spoil it. My husband stands, and slowly and deliberately buttons his suit jacket, and then John stands too. Gary then extends his hand to me to rise. I slide back my chair, take my husband’s extended hand and stand. Gary takes my arm and encircles it on his own, and with dignity we walk out of the dining room. I had Gary at my left side and John at my right, as if I had two sentinels as we exit the dining room.

When we reach the bar area, there are policemen still around, taking statements. John said to Gary, You stay with Traci, and I’ll find out who is in charge, and he walks off. Gary looks at me with sympathy and affection and he pats the hand that he was holding. John returns with a Sargent Cooper.

Mr. Crosse I am the officer handling this incident. Gary nods. I’d like to take your wife’s statement as soon as possible, he says. May we take it now or would you like to come to the station in the morning?

Gary looked to me. I’d prefer to make my statement now; I say to my husband. Gary then beckons for the Maître’d. We need a quiet place for my wife to sit and give her statement to the police, he tells him. He nods, and says, I have just the place, please follow me.

We accompany him to a large and plush office in the rear of the bar area. You may stay here as long as you need; the Maitre’d states as he quickly leaves the room. My husband seats me on a nearby sofa and sits next to me. The officer takes a pad from his pocket and asked me, What exactly happened Mrs. Crosse? I related to the officer the exact same declaration I made to Gary. When I finished my statement, the officer asked, Did anyone try to intercede or assist you during this altercation?

No, I said. I’ll need your full name, address and telephone number he asked? I gave him the necessary information. Well thank you for your cooperation, if we need any further information, someone will contact you. Also, once your statement has been processed, you will be asked to come in and sign it. Then Gary stated, I want to press charges against this man and have him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That’s not my department sir; the District Attorney’s Office handles those matters.

Gary looks to John and he said, I’ve got that handled. The officer thanked us for our time and left. Before the Sargent left, Gary asked, Where is this man now. We have him and his friend in custody. The attacker is in an ambulance and the friend is in a waiting police vehicle, he said. Once the perpetrator receives the necessary medical treatment, he will be arrested. A police officer will accompany Mr. Walker in the ambulance to the hospital. And dependent upon the extent of his injuries; he will be arrested, and/or placed into custody.

I’d like to speak with this man, Gary said.

The Sargent couldn’t miss the quiet and smoldering fury in my husband’s voice, even though the rest of his demeanor was calm and under control. I’m sorry sir; I can’t allow that, it’s against proper procedure. Is there anything else, he asked? No, thank you Sargent, John said."

I’m ready to take my wife home now, Gary said to John. We’re free to go John stated. I’ll have the car brought around to the front, and he left the room. Gary then turns to me and says, Are you alright? Yes, I try to smile. But in essence I wasn’t alright. During the incident, I was determined and calm. Now I was so frightened I was starting to tremble. What was frightening was the repercussion of all of this. Gary was asked to be low profile, while the military resolved its issue and now, we were having another incident that was newsworthy. How I wish I’d just stayed at the table. John reappeared while I was musing, The car is out front."

Gary and I stood and walked out of the room, through the bar area and out onto the street and into the car. Gary assisted me into the car and got in. John got in on the opposite side. As we drove off, Gary stated, I want this man prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He’s an extremely fortunate man, because if I had been there, he would not have been as healthy as he apparently still is. Then John reached over and took my hand and asked, Are you hurt in any way? I looked at him tenderly, No, I’m not physically injured, but thanks for asking, I replied. Gary said to John, I’d like a full and detailed report of my wife’s attack first thing tomorrow. Do we have any information now on the attacker? He’s just a salesperson from a pharmaceutical company, who is here in New York for a convention. They had an expense account to use for dining during their visit and they thought they would splurge at the company’s expense, John said.

I want to know everything about him, Gary insisted.

I was extremely saddened by the ruining of our festive evening out. I really felt like I had caused the evening to be ruined. As we rode in silence, I could still feel my husband’s fury. I took his arm and put it around me, and said, I’m sorry that all of this spoiled our pleasant evening. He closed his eyes, shook his head and pulled me to him. I’m sorry. I should have been there to protect you. You should not have been treated like that. My God, this is incredible for this to be happening to my wife, in an upscale restaurant of my choosing while I’m there with you. What if you had been unable to defend yourself, would the people who witnessed this incident have helped you? Baby, I am so very sorry. I can’t and won’t let this go. Everyone involved will be made to account for this incident; I promise you. He pulled me over into his lap and just held me. And we stayed that way until we got home. The driver took us home first. Before we got out of the car, Gary turned to John and said, I want this handled immediately. John nodded, Oh, I’m on this tonight. I’ll contact the police district and get a copy of the report and in the morning, we’ll go from there. He then looked at me and said, "Traci,

I give you my word, this will be taken care of." I thanked him, and we got out of the car.

This was starting to take on life all its own. I was becoming more frightened. It was over I felt, but two of the most important men in my life, were more than incensed, they wanted some serious revenge. And that’s as it should be considering the circumstances. I just wanted to let it go, for Gary’s sake. What was I to do?

As we entered the penthouse, I felt an extreme wave of exhaustion come over me. I stopped just inside the door and removed my shoes. I headed straight to the bedroom and started pulling off every article of clothing with a vengeance. I was so infuriated that I wanted to rip apart and destroy everything I had on, as if, destroying the attire would get rid of the evil events of the evening. I knew in my mind that thinking that way was illogical, so I put everything neatly away. I got into the shower hoping to wash away the filthiness I felt came with this incident. I stood there with the hot water engulfing me and I still felt like I couldn’t wash the effects of the evil from my body or my mind. So, after washing and washing until the water was cold and my skin felt like it was raw, I got out of the shower.

For the first time in five years, I didn’t want to see or even talk to my beloved husband. I just wanted to be alone, for what reason, I don’t really know. I didn’t like the feelings I was having of being unclean. I needed time to sort through all of this. As much as I loved and adored my husband, I didn’t feel he could understand the humiliation, shame, and almost uncontrolled rage I was having. I felt so alone, because this was one situation I couldn’t share with my husband and have him truly understand and commiserate with me on. He would never have to experience the ugly and evil face of racism being directed towards him. Therefore, he could never understand the horrible effects that it could have on the human psyche. This was the first time I was forced to consider my husband as someone other than just my husband. I now was forced to look at him and his ability to empathize, based on his ethnicity and not his character or the content of his heart, but by cultural experiences he would never have. That hurt me more than any attack ever could have. This experience was trying to forcibly disconnect me from one of the people I loved most in this world. I was so overcome by grief that my legs gave out on me, and I sank to the floor and silently and uncontrollably sobbed.

Oh God, my God, help me to overcome this, I love him, but he can never understand what has now happened. I’m trying so hard not to hate an entire race of people because of the actions of one man. Especially since that race includes a person that I have given my heart to. PLEASE HELP ME LORD, I can’t do this by myself.

I felt as if all the emotion and love had been drained from me. It was if I were a shell with nothing inside. I sat on the floor of the bathroom for I don’t know how long. Finally, I forced myself to get up off the floor. I was hoping, even praying Gary would be asleep, although I knew he wouldn’t be. Whenever he was at home, he always waited for me to come to bed before falling asleep. So, I braced myself, I would just go out there and go through the motions. I turned off the bathroom light and entered the bedroom. Gary was propped up against the headboard of the bed, with his eyes closed but I knew he wasn’t asleep. Any other night this would have brought a smile to my heart, and I would have said something endearing to him. But tonight, I felt empty. It was if my body was here and the rest of me was somewhere else observing what was happening. As I climbed into bed my husband asked, Are you alright? My first thought was to tell him everything was fine and be done with it, but I could not.

I’m not sure if anything will ever be alright again.

He sat up and looked at me. Then I turned away from him, curled into a fetal position and tried to shut everything around me out. I felt that he wanted to take me in his arms, but he thought better of it and just laid down next me. This was the first time in our married life, that I wasn’t wrapped in my husband’s arms while we fell asleep. Despite the emotional roller-coaster, I did miss his body covering mine. After tossing and turning, I eventually fell asleep around 4 or 5 a.m.

At around 7 a.m., I heard Gary get up and get showered. He moved around as quietly as he could, but I was still conscious of his movements in my semi-conscious state. Later, I heard him speaking in hushed tones on the telephone. When he finished, he must have gone into the kitchen to prepare himself something to eat. I felt guilty about not doing that, even when I was upset with him, I always fed him. I was too emotionally and physically tired to move. An hour or so later, Gary came and stooped by the bed and asked if I was okay. I nodded absently. I have to go out for a few hours, will you be okay until I return, he asked? I’ll have my cell with me, if you need me. He was looking at me intently while he was speaking to me. I just nodded my responses. He rubbed my check with the side of his hand and kissed my forehead. I squeezed my eyes shut, to hold back the tears. I’ll be back as soon as I can, he whispered. Then he rose and left. I turned over in the bed and forced myself back to sleep.

What Gary didn’t tell his wife was that he would take matters into his own hands if the legal system did not swiftly and sufficiently address this issue to his liking. The first thing that he did was contact Mr. Reese (his private investigator) to put his team of experts on the case to investigate and do reconnaissance on the person(s) involved, discovering their weaknesses and secrets. The second thing that he did was to meet with John to get an update on what to legally do next. They met at The Club for brunch and to discuss options. John was already there and seated when Gary arrived. He sat, So what’s the status, he asked?

John looked at him sadly and said, It’s not good. The District Attorney only wants to pursue this case as a simple assault, which is only a misdemeanor, which is basically a slap on the wrist. They are drunken visitors from out of town who got a little carried away."

Gary was livid. In a hushed and deadly tone, he said, That’s not acceptable.

John nodded, I agree. I’m working on a few things, but that’s where it stands right now. He’s been arraigned on his own recognizance, after his medical care is completed. He’ll probably be allowed to return home in a few days, and he’ll be given a court date and he’ll come back to New York then.

Gary sat there listening with that right index finger slowly tapping as he processed what was being told him. Then after a long silence he said, My wife is at home, lying in bed so emotionally traumatized, she seems unable to physically get up. I never seen her so distraught. She only slept about an hour all night. She’s withdrawn into herself, even from me. How do I accept this man’s getting a legal slap on the wrist? What will that do to my wife’s emotional state and her sense of safety for the rest of her life? Gary looked at his friend desperately, We have to do something. For the first time in their over 42 plus year friendship, John saw a glint of fear in his friend but not for himself.

I promised her and now you, We’ll figure out a way to get this guy and on something