Page 16 of Dope Boys: Most Wanted
“That’s our momma, nigga,” Angel spoke up.
Brantley said nothing. He was stewing with embarrassment and entitlement.
“Yeah, and a son don’t ever bring heat to his momma’s steps.” Markus stood and cut his eyes to Brantley. “You got some shit you want to say to me?”
“Nah, bro, we good.”
“Better fuckin’ be. Get out of here and go find you some business that don’t involve me cleaning up your mess.”
Markus stomped out of the house and back to Svyn’s car. Svyn fired up the engine and the pair sped away.
“B ain’t happy about this change,” Svyn shared.
“I don’t care. He should have thought about that before he did the shit he did. Niggas been acting like fuckin’ amateurs.”
Svyn reserved any comments. Markus was already in a state, saying anything else to him would ruin the meeting with Luciano before it began. Markus bounced his leg and stroked his beard.
“You got to lay off the pills, nigga. How much you got left in the bottle?”
“A few. I need more.”
“You need to relax on it.”
“I’ll let them go when the pain is gone. Outside of that, I’m cool.”
“Mon-”
“I said I’m cool. Hurry up and get me to Luciano’s spot.”
The Mayor’s fundraising gala.Apparently, he held one of these events every quarter. One to garner support, two to steal his constituents’ money. At least that’s what Reign passively heard when KC was in the car rambling about it. Since they landed, he’d found unnecessary bullshit to talk to her about. How the dress looked, how nicely she’d done her hair. What restaurants he wanted to eat at in the city and what she shouldwear once she had the mayor in her pocket. All of it fell on deaf ears. She’d determined the moment she was free of KC’s watchful eye, she was gone. She didn’t care about the clothes at the hotel room. She didn’t care about the jewels or anything else. She was one thousand two hundred eighty two miles away from Javier. That was enough to space to run, hide, and never look back.
If only it were that easy. As Reign started to exit the car and head inside of the mayor’s mansion, she was snatched back by KC. A sarcastic laugh pushed through his lips. “Where the fuck you goin’?”
“Inside,” Reign replied, attempting to snatch away from him.
He held her wrist firmly and smirked. “You think you slick or some shit? You’re with me all night, until it’s over. And even then, I’m going to be right there. I’m not getting killed behind you.”
Reign swallowed the lump in her throat and schooled her features. She had to remember the plan. Surely once inside, there would be a way to get out. So for now, she obliged and relaxed her shoulders.
“Fine,” she yielded.
“Here take this, it’ll relax you,” KC said, handing her a heart-shaped pill. Ecstasy. She hadn’t taken a pill on her own in a year and refused to. She refused to dance with those demons. Refused to invite the devil in knowingly. Again.
“I’d rather snort it. If that’s okay? Quicker release,” she lied.
KC smirked. “I knew you wasn’t changing on us.”
She was. She had changed. They fought with the rocks to keep her in the daze she once basked in. She watched the driver watch her as KC crushed the heart-shaped pill and another on the tray of the seat and then point.
“Do your thing.”
Reign mastered the art of pretending. The right noise to make and perfect sweep of her hand to ingest just enough, hold in her nostril and sweep the rest away. KC, unaware of her trick, smiled, put the tray up and exited the car. When his door closed, she looked at the driver.
“Can I have a napkin?”
The driver, who was ordered not to hear or see shit, couldn’t help but help the woman in need. He handed her his cloth handkerchief. “Take care of yourself tonight.”
Reign blew her nose and stuffed the fabric down her dress before KC could open her door. “I will.”
