Page 15 of Obsessive Love

Xoey’s eyes softened, and a sincere smile blossomed on her face before she fell over laughing. “Girl, didn’t shit get taken from me. I killed a nigga.”

“What?” I replied with a serious expression on my face. “You killed someone?”

“Girl, yeah.” She wiped the tears that fell from her eyes and shook her head. “A nigga came at my daddy wrong, and a voice in my head whispered to shoot they ass.” She shrugged. “And I did.”

I stared at Xoey, trying to figure out how this woman was freely walking the streets, and I was locked in this glass cell. I sat back, resting against the wall and staring at her. The way she laughed was contagious as fuck, and I couldn’t help but join in.

“How much is your monthly check?” I chuckled. There was no way she didn’t get one.

“Enough to pay a few bills if I had them,” she answered with a shrug. She glanced over at me and smirked. “Why, you trying to get a cut?”

“Nah,” I denied and shook my head. “I’m good with the income from my bakery.”

“You’re a baker?” she excitedly asked, and I nodded. “Oh, you’ll get along with Chef.”

“Who’s Chef?” I asked, and she tapped the side of her head. “One of the voices.”

“Yep,” she answered with a smile on her face. “She comes out to play occasionally, but there’s no doubt you’ll meet her. Especially dealing with Pyrite.”

“Pyrite?” I repeated the name, and Xoey nodded. “As in Pyrite Stone, the owner of the Kings?”

“And the Queens, Bishops, Rooks, and some other team I haven’t heard the name of yet.” She waved me off and rolled her eyes. “Weird ass has a thing for chess, in my opinion.”

“Fucking Javien!” I sighed and wiped my hands over my face. “I should’ve known his no-good ass was going to get me dragged into some shit.”

“Yeah, your big brother did some fuck shit,” Xoey agreed. “Honestly, your entire family is on some fuck shit. Your daddy didn’t do a good job procreating or choosing who he procreated with, for that matter.”

“Well damn,” I laughed. I wasn’t offended by what she said because it was true. Javien Sr. picked the wrong women to have kids with, and in return, my siblings weren’t shit. “Tell me how you really feel.”

“Well, not you,” she said, shaking her head. “Just the other people.”

“I bet if Pyrite let me talk to Javien, he’d give him the money,” I said, nodding. Xoey let out a small laugh and shook her head.

“Baby, it ain’t about the money,” Xoey said, patting my leg. “Pyrite’s made it clear that at this point, the only thing that will satisfy him is seeing both dead. Pyrite isn’t known for hispatience. If anything, he’s the most impatient of the Stones, and that’s not saying much.”

“Shit,” I hissed. “That means I’m going to be next on this list.”

Xoey laughed loudly as she stood, “Not at all,” she replied. “Pyrite is fascinated with you.” She walked around my cell, looking around. “If he wanted you dead, you would be. Whatever you did to keep him from killing you worked.”

“I maced him,” I announced.

Xoey stopped pacing and turned to face me with a surprised look on her face. “You did what?”

“Maced him in the parking lot of my bakery after he shot out my car tire,” I answered.

Her head tilted to the side for a second as if she were trying to process what I was saying. Then, she smiled, turned, and walked to the cell door. I thought she would be met with resistance when she pushed the door, but it opened, and she walked out of the cell and to the couch. She picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and changed the channel until she found what she was looking for. Then, she sat on the couch. On the screen was an empty office.

“Pyrite Stone!” Xoey called out. “Let me see your face again.”

“The fuck you want, Xoey plus twelve?” Pyrite appeared on the screen. He sat at the desk with a mug on his face. Just like earlier, I couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was.

“Bestie maced you?” she laughed. “Like, legit maced you?”

“Who the fuck is her bestie?” I whispered to myself as I watched Xoey and Pyrite's interaction.

“Xoey plus twelve, you’re about to piss me off,” Pyrite replied, and Xoey shrugged. “I’m about to hang up.”

“No, you aren’t,” she said, waving him off. She sat forward and tilted her head like she’d done to me earlier. “I can't believeyou let her little ass get the drop on you! I swear, I’m snitching to the fellas as soon as I see them.”

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