Page 12 of Dutch

I thought I was finished being a pawn and allowing others to decide my fate, but here I was back where I started. Fool me twice. Shame on me.

Finally, I forced myself to move through the crowd. I entered a hallway and headed to the bathroom.

"Yo, Makari," Dutch's voice cut through the music.

I couldn't face him, my eyes were leaking, and I'd be damned if I allowed him to see me cry.

I slammed the bathroom door behind me. My hands were shaking as I turned on the knob and splashed cold water on my face.

A knock on the door scared me. "Makari."

"Leave me alone!" I snapped.

"Talk to me, come on." There was a pause. "What did you hear?"

"I heard enough to know you plan on using me as bait!"

Dutch was quiet. I wanted to open the door and catch him in his lie.

"It's not like that. Let me explain. There's more to it," he finally said.

I fought the urge to believe him. "I almost fucking trusted you."

"Please, you still can?—"

"No," I cut his words short. "It's over. I'm done being used."

He sighed. "I'll be here when you're ready to talk," he said, his footsteps fading, leaving me with hurt and, most of all, anger. I straightened up and moved over to the window and unlocked it. I would let these crews play their games. I had my own moves to make.

I glancedat my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Makari had been in that bathroom too long. My jaw clenched. Something wasn't right. I headed back down the hallway.

"Makari," I called out, tapping on the door with my knuckles. My stomach dropped like I'd hit a pothole doing eighty miles per hour. Against my better judgment, I opened the door. "Ah hell, stubborn ass woman." The window was open, the curtain blowing in the wind.

Knowing her, she bounced, needing space. I pounded the wall. "Shit, what the fuck are you thinking, girl?"

Before I realized it, I moved, heading for the exit. My instincts called danger.

"Yo, Saint, lock this place down tight!" I hollered.

He nodded, no questions. That's why he was my right hand. I busted through the door and scanned the darkness.

"I swear we're going to have words when I find you."

Every nerve in my body was on high alert. "Makari!" I yelled out.

I then spotted her almost a block away. Damn, she was fast. I jumped on my bike and kicked it into gear. I recognized those locs with the streaks of auburn catching what small amount oflight there was. I also noticed three men who trailed her. I knew those colors, Jahlil's boys.

"Makari, behind you!" I yelled.

She turned, but it was too late. One of Jahlil's goons moved to cut off her escape route. I revved my engine, closing the gap, but it felt like I was moving in slow motion. I could see fear in her eyes, along with her stubbornness, as she turned to me.

"Dutch!"

I closed in, jumping off my bike before they could register what happened, and my fist connected with one of their jaws. The young buck dropped like a bag of bricks.

"You picked the wrong night to fuck around." I positioned myself between the other goons and Makari. The short one pulled a switchblade.

"Fuck outta here, old man. This ain't your business."

---