Page 106 of Smoke

He left the office, and I finally lowered my gun. I fought back the urge to scream. Just when I thought this shit was over, itwas starting up again. Was I not meant to have peace? Did I not deserve that? How was it fair to work your ass off for something and people just decided they wanted to take it for their own benefit?

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I was tired of this shit.

A few days ago…

“You can’t go back there!”

“Watch me.”

I brushed past the secretary and opened the door to the chief of police’s office. He looked at the frown on my face with wide eyes. I took my time closing the blinds to his office and locking the door before taking a seat in front of him. I was already pissed that I had to make a trip up here to start with. When Romi came by my shop the other day and told me Derrick pulled up on her, I wanted to send him to meet his son right then.

He was already on my shit list, but having the audacity to go to her and threaten to take Juri… oh, he’d really fucked up now. When I was going to just put a bullet in his head, now I was going to do what he and his son did to Romi before I killed him… terrorize his ass.

“Mr. Dillinger… what can I do for you?”

“We have a problem, and you know how I feel about problems, Barry.”

“Yes… yes. What can I do for you?”

“Derrick Mathis. If that bitch ass nigga comes to you about anybody other than Laurel Timmons being a suspect in his son’s murder, shut that shit the fuck down.”

“Why would he?—”

I sprang across the desk and grabbed him by his collar. “You heard what the fuck I said!” I yelled.

“Yes. Yes, I hear you.”

I removed my gun from the holster beneath my shirt because, of course, I ignored that metal detector and the officer at the front when I walked in. I placed the barrel of the gun to his forehead.

“You wanna know something, Chief? I’m itching to put a fucking bullet right between your eyes. You stood by and allowed your officers to ignore the cry for help from an innocent woman about a bitch made ass nigga because of the bitch ass daddy. I think you forgot who the fuck you work for, Barry. Remember whose influence helped get you this position.”

“I’m aware,” he said, raising his hands.

“So tell me why the fuck my lady has been getting harassed for months, and nobody in this muthafucka did shit about it?”

“Who… who’s your lady?”

“You know who I’m talking about, nigga!” I yelled. I hit him in the face with the butt of the gun. “You knew who she was when it came to not following up on her harassment cases.”

“I’m sorry, man?—”

“Don’t apologize to me. You’re gonna apologize to her, though.”

I pulled out my phone and dialed Romi’s number. She answered on the second ring, sounding all cheerful.

“Hey, baby.”

“Hey, beautiful. What are you doing?”

“On my way to the hospital. You need something?”

“No, I just have someone here who wants to apologize to you.” I placed the phone on speaker and set it in front of Chief Barry. “Speak, nigga.”

“M-Ms. Mitchell. It’s Chief Bryant here at the police department. I uh… I um?—”

“Do I need to help you remember what the fuck you’re supposed to say?” I asked, cocking the gun.

“I want to apologize for my negligence and the negligence of my staff,” he rushed out. “We were wrong for not taking your claim seriously and for that?—”

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