Page 87 of Dope Boys: Most Wanted
Angel frowned slightly. “The only one in our way for real is Ma.”
“Yeah, she’s lived her life. It’s time I get what’s fuckin’ mine. The game Slim left is mine. You down?”
Angel was riddled with nerves and instant regret. “Yeah. I’m down.”
“You don’t wantto talk about this shit?” Svyn questioned when they were alone in his car. “We got dead niggas in OC. Niggas on the block getting antsy. Not to mention Javier literally wants you to deliver your woman to him. You don’t think he knows y’all together?”
Markus kissed his teeth. “That nigga don’t know shit but the quality of the bullshit he keeps snorting.”
“You got a point. So what’s the plan? How we getting this pipeline? You know droughts make muhfuckas nervous. Nervous niggas turn into wars they have no money or product to front,” Svyn shared.
In a series of events outside of Markus’ control, he was thrust into the number one spot. He wanted it. The only thing was he thought that he was going to have to take it. It was being delivered on a silver platter, and he needed to ensure he handled it right. He needed to make sure what was left of his soul was intact.
“We get that pipeline like we get everything else. We take that shit. You know, B and Angel think they a step ahead of the program,” Markus stated. “They were too eager to tell me about the Reign shit. Those niggas tell on themselves every step of the way.”
“So why they still breathing? Like, at this point, auntie and them can just be mad,” Svyn stated. “Them niggas is wild cards.”
“It’s not about them being mad. It’s about honoring them. Aunt G is my key to the city. I honor her wishes, things run a lot more smoothly, and doors are opened for us. Anything against that is hell. I got good use for them, they’re so fuckin’ stupid they’d think I’m putting them on.”
“What’s the play?”
Markus looked over at Svyn. “Send Brantley back to OC. Tell him to get close to Javier’s team.”
“You don’t think that’s going to get tricky?” Svyn posed. “What we doing with Angel?”
“Nah, because Brantley is a little bitch and he’s going to tell him everything. I want Javier gone before our time expires. I want B standing right next to him. And I want Angel going crazy in the spot with nothing to do but plot. Divide and conquer these niggas. Up security around the girls. Tell them niggas toget ready and stay ready. If they can’t handle that, they can get fuckin’ gone.”
Svyn winced. “We got to handle this cash flow.”
“Tomorrow night, we’ll pull up on Rich. Tonight I got some other shit to handle.”
The closer he got to Reign, the more his aggravation rose. Not that he cared about her past, but because he walked into the meeting with Javier blindly. If he were going to require anything from her, he would need her honesty. It was as important as her respect.
He found himself taking the steps two at a time, leaving Svyn behind to catch up. Punching the code in the door, Markus turned the lock and rushed into the house. The smell of a home-cooked meal hitting him in the face, along with Reign’s wide smile. But it was her eyes – they told on her.
“Milli,” Reign crooned, happy to see him and feel the comfort of him against her. But bracing for the inevitable. Markus didn’t match her energy the way he’d done before, and she knew why. “Or not.”
Reign stopped herself from throwing her arms around his neck. Instead, she opted for a simple hug around his waist, and while he accepted her embrace, his frame was stiff. The irritation was present, denying them both the comfort they needed. His coldness made her withdraw. Immediately, he regretted his avoidance. Regardless of how he felt, there were standards he set. How he handled her needed to be maintained. But he needed her to understand that what he just walked into could never happen again.
“Let me talk to you in the room,” he muttered softly, pushing her in the direction of the stairs.
Nia’s eyes were pinned on Svyn’s each having an update for the other. Neither said anything after hearing Markus’ tone with Reign. If it weren’t playful, it was full of care. His tone, frigidalong with his posture, was a warning to Nia that something didn’t go as planned.
Reign eased into the room, placing herself at a safe distance, teeth gnawing at her lip.
Markus glowered at her and palmed his face to settle himself before speaking. “Something you want to tell me? Something that you should have told me before I walked out this muhfucka?”
She sat on the ottoman foot bouncing. “I wanted to tell you. I didn’t know how.”
“By sayin’ it,” he grumbled. “That nigga you’re going to meet is the nigga that I ran from. Anything other than not saying shit.”
“I know. I didn’t-”
“You didn’t because…”
Reign looked up at him with those haunted eyes she had before. The glimpse only lasted for a second before she centered herself. “I was scared. I-”
Her eyes floated closed, and she pulled in a deep breath. It wasn’t a show or a play on his heart. She was regulating her emotions. “I didn’t want to ruin anything for you. I understand how this shit goes. I understand what you needed, and I couldn’t be the reason you didn’t get that.”
