Page 36 of Dreaux: The Corporate Assassin

“Liar!” She jumped from her seat and screamed. “How dare you say that about him?”

“He raped and beat women for his enjoyment, Ma! Hundreds, maybe thousands, of women have been beaten, raped, or murdered because ofhim. Not only that, but he was jealous of Uncle Samuel! He would have done anything to be in his position as head of Boudreaux Enterprises, a company that in no way was he qualified to run. Rosier and I went to school, seminars, and sat through billion-dollar meetings with Uncle Samuel, and are the only ones capable of running the business the way it should be. You know what your husband would have done?” I scooted to the edge of the seat and eyed her as tears slid rapidly down her cheeks. “he would’ve turned our billion-dollar business into a cover-up for a sex trafficking ring. He was in bed with a lot of bad people. He made a lot of bad choices that he never took accountability for. If anyone is at fault for killing your husband, it’s him.”

Looking at my mother, I knew the love she had for me was no longer there. I never wanted my mother to find out about all of the vile things her husband had done, but she kept pushing and pushing, so I had no choice but to tell her. I loved my father because he was just that, but that nigga was all bad. Nothing good would’ve come from him if he was still alive. I had made peace with his exit, and it was time my mother did the same, or she would be exiting too.

She seethed as she stood up. “Claude told me a long time ago that you thought your uncle and cousins were better than him. He told me all the time that he asked you to help him move up the ladder of the organization, and you refused.” She stepped closer to me, and I glanced at my grandparents after sending up a quick prayer. If she put her hands on me, I was going to sling her out of the fucking window. “You’re pathetic and a sad excuse for a son. I hate you, and I can’t wait for you to meet the same fate you brought to him!”

Raising her hand to strike me, I jumped from my seat and grabbed her wrist. Her eyes bulged in fear as I hovered over her. She’d tried me for the last time, and it was time for her to know a little secret about her son.

“You want me to die, Ma? Your own flesh and blood…” I chuckled as I continued to squeeze her wrist, causing her to whimper. “Let me let you in on a little secret then, Mattie Boudreaux.” I snatched her jacket open, and just as I suspected, she was wearing a wire. Ripping it from her shirt, my grandparents gasped in shock as my mother shook with fear. “I’m not the nigga you wanna cross. I’ve been respectful because you’re my mother, and I love you, but your son is a man with low tolerance for disrespect. I’m the reason you still have the comfort to move around without a care in the world. If I ever take my hands off you, it will be you—not me—that’s resting inpisswith your husband.”

“Andre!” my grandmother pleaded from the couch but didn’t move. “Let her go, baby boy.”

“The Bible says to honor thy mother and father, so my days will be long, right? Right?!”

“Y-Yes,” Ma nodded and cried. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Hurt you?” I chuckled menacingly as I glared at her. “I’ve honored you and my father since the day I was conceived. I’ve always loved, cherished, and respected you both and never received it in return. That’s over, Mattie. Do you know what type of man I am? No…” She shook her head profusely. “Try and put your hands on me again, and I will throw you out of that fuckin’ window, but not before I break every single bone in your body. That’s two hundred and six bones that I will break one by one while making sure you’re lucid for it all.”

Pushing her from me, she fell to the floor as I clutched the wire in my hands. I balled my fist tightly as my chest heaved rapidly, with me standing over her. At that moment, I knew the relationship between us was tarnished—never to be the same.

“Son, where are you going?” My grandfather followed me as I went into my bedroom to gather my keys and phone. If I stayed in this house a second longer, I was going to kill her.

“I gotta get out of here…” I stepped past him and reentered the living room. My mother was still bawling on the floor as my mother consoled her. Walking past them, I pressed the button for the elevator doors to open. It didn’t take long before I stepped inside. Before the doors closed, I locked eyes with my mother.

“I don’t care where you go or what you do. Don’t be here when I get back.”

Before she could respond, the doors were closing—not just on the elevator, but the relationship with my mother. Accusing me of murder was one thing, but blatantly trying to set me up? That shit was unforgivable. I knew I had to tell Zoo about this, and it broke my heart. I tried as hard as I could to spare her. Her fate was now in his hands.

* * *

After leaving the penthouse,I drove aimlessly around the city, trying my hardest to calm down and ease my mind. I needed to have a conversation with Rosier, but not right now. I wasn’t in the right headspace, but it would have to happen sooner than later. My thoughts and emotions consumed me, and somehow, I ended up parked outside of Denim’s home. It was risky and unusual for me, but I wanted her company.

“Hello,” she answered the phone groggily. I shot my eyes to the dashboard for the time. It was a little after nine, so I knew she was probably sleeping. “Is everything okay, Dre?”

“Uh, yeah…” I gripped the back of my neck as I examined her dark home through my windshield. “I didn’t mean to wake you, Lil’ Mama. I was in the neighborhood and decided to pull up. You know what? My bad. I’m just going to?—”

“Dre, it’s fine.” She giggled sweetly. I could hear her moving around, and I assumed she was getting out of bed. “I’m opening the door. Come on in.”

Cutting the engine, I got out of my truck and scanned the neighborhood before I walked up her driveway. By the time I reached her front door, she was opening it.

“I honestly didn’t mean to wake you,” I stated as I stuffed my hands in my joggers and studied her. Her tiny robe was a sight to see, but I wasn’t here for that. “Did I interrupt anything?”

“Not at all.” She smiled as she eased the door open and let me inside. “Come on in. Would you like something to drink?”

Just like the last time I was here, her home was clean, with nothing out of place. The smell of homemade baked cookies filled the air and reminded me I hadn’t eaten all day. Just then, my stomach growled.

“Ha! I have some leftover spaghetti. Let me fix you a plate.”

“Oh, I’m good.” I shook my head as I followed her. “I don’t eat anyone’s red sauce. You won’t have me out here crashing out over some pussy.”

Rolling her eyes, she walked to the refrigerator and pulled out all the items needed to make a ham and turkey sandwich. I sat at the kitchen island and observed as she moved around effortlessly. Denim was a beautiful woman and seemed to have her shit together. I didn’t think I would ever be able to commit to a woman, but if I were, I would like to have a woman like her on my arm. I just knew that woman could never be her.

“How old is your daughter?” She froze as she slowly trailed her eyes over to me. Nodding toward the small purse on the counter, I added, “You don’t take me as a Hello Kitty type of woman.”

“I’m not.” She relaxed and snickered as she slid the napkin to me. The simple sandwich looked so good that I started to tell her to leave everything out so I could fix another when I finished. “She’s six going on sixteen. She’s my favorite girl in the world, though.”

Nodding, I ate as I watched her clean. She wasn’t obligated to tell me anything about her personal life. She and I were only supposed to be dealing with each other on a physical level. Still, knowing that didn’t make me want to get to know her any less. She’d intrigued me enough that I would kill to know more.

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