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I shouldn’t have run out of the hotel room like that. Drey doesn’t understand how much is at stake right now.

I turn on my back and stare at my ceiling. Maybe we should run away and be together. Start up somewhere else. Get away from all this. Not sure what we’d do because neither of us has worked a regular job a day in our lives.

All Drey knows is the streets, and I’m not exactly looking to give up my black credit card. My dad would cut that shit off with a quickness if I ended things with Anthony because of the butterflies in my stomach for Drey. Not to mention I’d be blowing up Anthony’s life, too.

His parents have been pressuring him to get married for years, so this makes things easier for him.

Even with all that on my mind, I can picture Drey walking in here after a long night and calling out for me. Second baby mama, where you at? Even though it’s our inside joke, I like it.

I scroll on social media and my heart stops when I see the post.

RIP Jaymeson.

My chest tightens, and my face burns. “What the fuck?”

I scroll through his page and see all of the posts on his page. What happened to him? I swear he was here not too long ago. A chill runs through me. Did he kill himself?

Chapter 12

Drey

My phone buzzes on the dresser. I’m still off and should’ve been balls deep in Zari right now. Instead, she pulled a bullshit move, cause I told her ass the fucking truth.

I turn on my side, and I don’t even know what time it is. My blackout curtains are pulled tight.

It better not be Zari right now because I ain’t in the mood for her shit.

“Yo.”

“Boss, where you at? We ain’t got shit to move.”

I pull my phone back and see it’s nine o’clock. “The fuck you mean? Von ain’t there?”

“Hell nah. It’s a packed house. Plus, I need this money cause Donte’s dad tripping over stuff for football. Mama gotta make shit happen for him.”

I rub my face and twist at my beard. “I’m on the way.” I end the call.

I stretch my arms. Of course Von would do some dumb shit. I reach across my nightstand and turn on the lamp. I put on a T-shirt and some sweats. I head for the door.

Montrell talked all this bullshit about Von taking over. That nigga is always a background character. He’s never around when motherfuckers need his ass.

I head down the street to my backup spot where I always keep extra product. I can always access it when I need it. I pull up to my aunt Marie’s house and leave the car running. I head into her backyard and scan the area to make sure ain’t nobody watching me.

I go into her she-shed and put in the code. The door unlocks, and I grab a chair to go to the AC vent. I unscrew it and take out a pound of weed and powder. Both are already packaged up to push. I go to her fridge and put a stack in there for her. Ain’t shit free, and I always break her off with a little something for letting me use her spot.

I put everything in a cake box and take it out. I head for the door and pull the door tight. I hop back in the car and head to the club.

I park in the back, and Synah is at the back exit. She walks up to my car, takes a hit from her vape, and grabs the cake holder. “Thank you… I was about to call Trell if you didn’t answer, and you know we ain’t supposed to do that unless it’s dire.”

“Did you call Von?”

She smacks her lips. “Multiple fucking times. We ain’t seen him since the birthday party. Apparently, my boo, Tyron said shit been low on the streets.”

“Oh word.”

“Yep,” she says, holding the cake box.

“Alright, good look, though.”