“Everything ok?” I asked, glancing up from my screen.
“Work shit,” he muttered.
I pursed my lips. “That sounds like code for shady shit you can’t tell me about.”
He laughed dryly. “Actually… I can. Has to do with your boy Marcus.”
I set my phone down, feeling my heart start to pound. “Should I be worried?”
Cash shook his head. “Nah, I’m not worried about you and him. But that nigga and I got beef.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with me, does it?” I asked, sitting up and wrapping the blanket around me tighter.
“Not really,” he said, inching closer. “But your sexy ass being in the mix doesn’t help,” he added. “What do you know about him being down here?”
“I didn’t ask him,” I admitted. “But judging by his car, I figured he was still in the game—just leveled up.”
”Well, he leveled up and brought dirty product with him.” Cash’s face hardened. “His shit is behind all the ODs.”
My stomach dropped. “Are you serious?”
It’d been bad for months, so bad the mayor was calling it a public health crisis. The ER barely made it through a shift without at least two overdose cases—and most of them didn’t make it.
“Yeah.” He dragged a hand over his head. “Long story short, I’ve been trying to figure out for months where that shit was coming from. We finally traced it to him. I didn’t know who he was until he said who he was at Marlene’s.”
I didn’t know what to say. It was one thing to be in this world, but to knowingly sell something that was hurting so many people?
What kind of man had Marcus really become?
“When I went out with him…” I paused, trying to figure out a way to tell him without saying too much. “He knew who you were.”
Cash’s eyes darkened. “What exactly did he say?”
I took a deep breath. “He asked if I thought what happened to my car had anything to do with you. I asked him what he meant by that, and he said he knew all about the infamous Money Banks.”
Cash sat up, expression cold. “What else?”
I swallowed hard, my mind flashing to the video again.
“Nothing,” I said flatly. “Just that he knew who you were. That’s it.”
Cash tilted his head, studying me like he could tell something was off.
I looked away. “So… what happens now?”
“That first time we went out, you told me you weren’t trying to get wrapped up in this lifestyle. I’m still trying to honor that,” he said. “I’m handling it.”
“But?”
“That nigga is grimy. I don’t like the way he moves. And now that he knows we’re together, I wouldn’t put it past him to use you to get to me.”
I stiffened. “What are you saying?”
“I just want to take some precautions,” he reached for my hand. “I’d tell you to stay here, but I already know your stubborn ass gon’ tell me no. So, I’m putting a detail on your building.”
“To do what? Watch the damn parking lot?” I scoffed. “He’s not gonna snatch me up, Cash.”
“This shit not funny, Jasmine,” he said, giving me a hard look. “It’s my job to protect what’s mine,” he said.
