“‘Cause right now, I ain’t got shit to lose, and I believe you have the answers.”
“I told you already, I don’t know anything.”
“You lyin’. Since you don’t feel like talkin’, I’ll just leave you here a few more days,” I told her.
“Okay! What do you want to know?”
“Who the fuck is Rico?”
“I told you he’s just a nigga that owns a few clubs.”
“Muthafucka, I’m not askin’ you what he told you,’ I snapped. “I’m askin’ what you kno’. You’re Zhane the finesser, yo’ ass kno’ somethin’.”
“I don’t know everything, Whodie. I swear!”
“Well, tell me what the fuck you do kno’.”
“He…he moves money. Big money.”
“And?’
“I don’t know. He keeps that side of his life away from me.”
“Why did you come back?”
“It was his idea,” she finally said. “He told me it was an opportunity here. That there was money being made and he had to get his hands on it.”
“So, you came back to set us up?” I pulled my gun from my hip and placed it on my lap.
“No!” she yelled. “That’s not what that was.”
“What the fuck is it then, Zhane? My finger I’ really itchy.”
“When he mentioned coming here, all I thought about was you. I didn’t know that the people getting money was you and that bit–”
She stopped before finishing the word. I got up and walked to the window so I could piece everything together. Rico was smart. Nigga had us kill Mazi, thinking he was the problem.
“Smart…real fuckin’ smart,” I said.
“What are you going to do with me?” Zhane asked.
“Right now?” I asked.
She nodded with fear all over her face.
“Nothin’,” I told her.
“Huh?”
“I’m not killin’ you. Not because you don’t deserve it. But because you are more valuable alive,” I told her.
“Please don’t make me do something stupid,” she pleaded.
“Oh, you’re gonna do it. You helped start it, and you’re gonna help finish it.” I walked over to her slowly and leaned down close to her ear. “You don’t have a fuckin’ choice.”
I could see her heart about to beat out of her chest.
“If Rico found out you sittin’ here with me, what you think he gon’ do to you?” Zhane didn’t answer. We both knew the answer to that. “And if I let you go, what you think I’m gon’ do if I find out you lied to me?”
