Page 78 of Dope Boys: Most Wanted
“No, I want to eat, get to know your girlfriend,” Aunt Lucille muttered, walking slowly alongside Markus. Evidence that her days were numbered was showing. If the stress of gang shit didn’t kill her, it was going to be them, and the weight of that tugged at his heart. Svyn was on the other side assisting her to the table.
Once she was seated, the pair roamed into the kitchen to grab her a plate. Reign was already up from the kitchenette table with Ms. Ophelia, making a plate for Aunt Lucille and Markus. That soothed the pain in his spirit. Reign fell right in with the people he loved the most. The trio of women continued to talk and laugh amongst themselves.
“I don’t know how this shit is going to work,” Svyn muttered.
Markus swiped a hand over his face. “You know how hard it’s going to be to not put these niggas through the fuckin’ floor.”
“I know. And we got that call,” Svyn said in a hushed tone. “We got to be in the Port in two days. With them nigga’s.”
Markus pulled in a sharp breath. “With the supplier.”
“Yeah, his name is Javi. Apparently, with the mayor and Luciano out of the way, he wants the next up. That’s you.”
“Aight,” Markus spoke. “Tell them niggas to be ready to go. I’m fuckin’ with them. I just got to keep them close, I don’t have to tell them shit else.”
“You want them on the road?” Svyn asked with a slight chuckle.
“Nah, I want them in coach. But have Nia, but Brantley’s big ass in a middle seat, and Angel next to the toilet. We want to act like bottom feeders, they’ll move just like it. Fuck ‘em.” Markus turned his attention from Svyn to Reign, putting his plate on the table.
Angel moving toward her.
“You with Money?” Angel asked, looking her up and down.
“Chill, he’s baiting you,” Svyn spoke, moving to Nia, who had his plate.
“Nigga fuck around and be bait,” Markus grumbled, moving over to his lady, placing his body in front of hers. “This ain’t Neveah. Them games ain’t gon fly. They told me to keep you around. They ain’t say shit about letting you keep your teeth. Step back.”
Angel looked at Brantley.
“Keep looking at him for permission,” Markus spoke, pulling Reign’s chair out. “Keep it up.”
If Angel were smart, he would have taken heed to the warning. Inside, he was blindly following his brother down a path he wouldn’t recover from. Brantley was going to be the death of him because logic was gone, and envy had taken over his being.
Markus took a seat next to her. “You good?”
Reign looked at him with those eyes that saw his soul. “Are you good?”
The answer was in the flash in his eyes. “I’m good.”
Reign’s hand rubbed his bouncing leg under the table. “Don’t let that beast call you back.”
Markus licked his lips, flexed his jaw, and nodded.
“So, Reign, where you from?” Brantley asked forking food into his mouth.
“Down south,” she replied, seeing Brantley for the evil he was, and Angel wasn’t too far off. He could probably be saved, but Brantley, no way.
Markus glared at him. “Whatever game you playin’ stop, nigga.”
“You three,” Ms. Ophelia spoke up. “Not another word, eat, clean up, and get out. This is too much on Luci.”
Reign leaned over and whispered in his ear. “We can leave when you’re ready. I packed up some plates for us already.”
“I appreciate you.”
“I know,” she hummed.
Markus ate and went to the kitchen to help Nia clean up while Reign talked to Aunt Lucille and Ms. Ophelia. Brantley and Angel left without so much as a kiss for their dying mother. Nia wiped down the counters and huffed.
