Page 22 of Dope Boys: Most Wanted
Svyn gave her a quick swipe over her chin and backed up before she could swing on him. “Be good.”
“Be better. Get out my house,” Nia replied as she walked away. “Lock the door behind you.”
“Set the alarm. I might try to break in this shit tonight and see how good that shit is.”
“No!”Reign shouted out into the dark room. “Stop! Please don’t!”
Like an electric shock to her system, she shot up in the middle of the queen-sized bed, legs immediately drawn into her chest and her eyes darted around the space. As she panted, fear rippling through her body, she observed the blackout curtainsstill shut. The chair, deadbolt, hanger, and towel still placed on the door and undisturbed.
From the door to the clock on the nightstand, she groaned to herself. She managed to sleep past her expected time. Under any other circumstances, the rest would have been welcomed but under these dire straits, she needed to be at the nearest JoyUnion hours ago. And then there was the nagging need to eat something. Reign was far from Port Lucia and knew nothing about Majestic Heights. There were subways, cabs, skyscrapers, and a city full of people who tended to mind their own business. So much so, if she were to get snatched up, no one would miss her because no one would know she was missing.
She pulled her body from the buttery soft sheets and stretched until it hurt. The pain reminding her why she was held up in the hotel room she couldn’t afford. Over a thousand miles from home and fear still wrapped her like the perfect weighted blanket.
Reign used the hotel-supplied bodywash, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant before dressing in the clothes that Nia had graciously given her the night before. As far as the clothes she ran away in, she would buy detergent from a corner store and wash them in a sink. She needed to save as much money as possible. No, she wasn’t paying for this room but she wasn’t going to settle with the idea that Nia would just keep paying for it. Some people were kind, but not that kind.
Dressed and decent looking enough, she grabbed the money and keycard off the dresser. Every step she made was dipped in trauma. Choosing the stairs instead of the elevator, walking with her head down after spotting the direction of the nearest Stop ‘n Shop. Inside of the small, packed corner store she located the handful of things she needed. Detergent, burner phone, activation card and a filled out JoyUnion slip. She forwent theshampoo and other toiletries, for now she would use what the hotel provided.
“Anything else?” the man behind the thick, bullet-proof glass asked, more gruff than concerned.
Reign barely lifted her eyes and shook her head no. “Just that.”
“ID,” he requested.
Reign’s stomach dropped to her shoes. “I-ID?”
“For your JoyUnion. No ID, no money,” he stated.
Reign lifted her eyes, the realization that this was going to become a whole lot harder before it was easy. “I-I don’t have it. I – uh, I lost it. I need to get this money so…” her voice became strained but she schooled her emotions. “I need to get that money.”
The man stared at her. Not out of sympathy. He didn’t have that. But he could smell the disparity. “Tell you what. I’ll cash it out. For forty percent of it.”
Reigns eyes darted around in disbelief of the hustle coming from this man. “Forty? Forty.”
“Or nothing.” He spoke nonchalantly. The smugness on his face triggering her. She didn’t want too much attention on her and she was tired of being taken advantage of.
“Seems like I’m not the only desperate nigga in here, huh?” she softly asked. “Twenty-five or I say fuck it and we both out of some money,” she negotiated, refusing to go out completely like a sucker.
He glared at her and she returned it, lifted her face more so he could see the evidence. Reign didn’t have the capacity to play with him and she needed the money. He softened slightly seeing the old bruises on her face. Huffing, he turned his attention to the computer tapped a few buttons and cashed out her JoyUnion. Instead of the twenty-five percent they negotiated, he took ten and shooed her away with her things.
Grabbing the black plastic bag off the high counter, Reign stuffed the money down her shirt and hurried out of the corner store. Back outside in the hustle and bustle of Majestic Heights, she looked around for some place to grab a quick bite and sit down long enough to call Camden. Up three blocks, she found a Top of the Morning Café, back to playing small, she slipped in purchased a bottle of water and breakfast sandwich.
The patrons entered and exited, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Some spoke on their phones, others were focused on their laptops, books or whatever. All the while, Reign sat in the corner tearing her flip phone out of the packaging and setting it up. The prepaid card she got was added and Reign, willed herself to still her shaking hands enough to dial the number she’d repeated to herself on a loop.
She muttered to herself, while waiting for the phone to finish loading, “690-652-4580. 690-652-4580. 690-652-4580.”
By the time she repeated the phone number the last time, the logo appeared. It only took her a minute or so to familiarized herself with the setup of the flip phone and she dialed. Her hands shaking and lips trembling with trepidation. By now, Javier knew that she’d gotten away. KC had surely reported it. If he hadn’t, he was enlisting strangers around the city to find her. With them, anything was possible. Javier wanted control and KC wanted an ounce of power.
Reign chewed on her trembling lip, slowly spun the cup of coffee against the metal table until the trilling of the line stopped and Camden’s hushed tone came out with caution.
“Reign?”
Weakly, Reign replied, “yes.”
Her vocal chords gripped with sadness. Not because she was almost free but because Camden wasn’t. Camden wouldn’t ever be free.
“Oh my God. I’ve been worried sick,” Camden spoke as if she’d been holding her breath since Reign left Port Lucia. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay. Are you?”
