Page 46 of Dope Boys: Most Wanted
“I got something else too, if you want it. You know it’s been a minute since we linked. Ever since you got with Neveah, you’ve been playing me to the left,” she said, moving closer to his injured side. Before Markus could block her, Reign’s voice came clearly over the music playing.
“Tonya, your client is ready to be washed out.” Reign gave her an even look before looking at Markus. “You’re here because?”
“How you getting home?” Markus asked quietly enough, because he knew Reign would fire back with something that would have the salon whispering and giggling. “Tried texting you but them green ass bubbles.”
She subtly rolled her eyes. “I’m leaving when I leave.”
“Aight, I’ll be out back waiting. Your phone is on your station, get rid of that other shit.”
“Please?”
Markus stood, looking down at her, clenching his jaw in the process. “See you when you finish up.”
She controlled her face and walked off to do what she needed to. He watched before heading back to the office and handling the business Nia left behind for him. If he were tripping, he’d assume she did it on purpose.
Another hour went by before Reign had shut the salon down, money dropped in the box and slipped out the front door and pulled the metal shutters down. Markus found himself standing in the middle of the empty salon, her perfume lingering and the bag still at her station.
“She wants me to be that nigga behind her. Bet.”
Money: tell them niggas to stay watchful, have one of them park my truck at the heights
Svyn: bet
Beingaround Markus was suffocating in one of the best ways possible. He had a way of making her comfortable enough without the performative behavior. She could appreciate that, but she needed to be wiser than she’d been in the past. Riding with him to the salon and him showing up to take her back to the house she hadn’t fully put her eyes on yet was going to be a problem.
She saw it when the women in the salon ogled him when he walked in. She felt a lurch in her stomach. That wasn’t supposed to be there. Reign was being hunted, letting herself relax and have feelings wasn’t allowed. That’s what drove her to exit the salon while he was consumed with whatever he was doing in the office.
Reign pulled her coat tighter around her, combating the breeze and followed the street signs and directions toward the subway a client gave her earlier in the day. The thought of taking a real shower and sleeping in a real bed free of rodents, bed bugs and break ins. Almost ten minutes away from the salon, her cellphone buzzed in her back pocket. Keeping her pace to get the two train, she looked at the number, huffed and silenced the phone. Another call another silence. And again before a huff hit her eardrums.
“Speechless, I know you see me calling you,” Markus huffed, mere feet away.
Rolling her eyes, she quickened her steps. “This man is out of his damn mind.”
Unaware that the chase, not responding like other women, not offering anything in exchange was the very reason Markus was following her on the street. Yes, he had his goons located all over the city and there were eyes on him, but he was losing his cool just to be next to her, even if they sat in silence.
Reign, in her boots in need of more breaking in, jogged down the stairs trying not to bring much attention to them. She spotted the train, assuming it was the two, and hopped on. Markus entered behind her. There were no empty seats, only standing room.
Leaving no space behind them, he muttered in her ear, “you should probably hold on.”
Reign scoffed and then yelped as the train took off. Grabbing the bar in front of her, she nudged him. “Can you back up?”
“Hell nah. First of all, your mute ass is on the wrong train,” he stated, causing her eyes to bug while she tilted her head back to look at him. “Yeah, I should get off the next stop and let you fend for yourself.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Markus laughed dryly. “You’re stubborn. A lesser man would find joy in breaking you down.”
“Well unfortunately for you, it’s been done,” she grumbled, turning back around.
Markus placed his hands on the handrail above their heads and continued. “Second of all, do you know how many of these niggas on this train are out of their fuckin’ minds?”
Reign buzzed. “Like the one hoovering over me now?”
She spun around on the balls of her feet and peered up at him, closer than she liked to be because of all the bodies in one space. “You haven’t had enough? You’ve been in my space damn near all day.”
Markus smirked, saving the comment dancing at the tip of his tongue for another time. “I could’ve been out your face had you gotten your ass in the truck. Now that you jumped your fast ass on the wrong train we’re stuck for another hour.”
“An hour?” she shrieked, getting bumped into him again and huffing. “I have to be sandwiched against you for an hour?”
