Page 36 of Trading Places

“Damn, I’m sorry. But I need to be honest.”

“What’s up?”

“I was going to tell Daddy to be petty, so you’d leave Drey alone.”

I shrug my shoulders. “You wanted Drey?”

“No, I wanted you to leave him alone. You’re not meant to be a drug dealer’s girl. You ain’t tough.”

“Shit, I don’t need to be, so who told Daddy everything?”

“I don’t know. I know I tried to blackmail you and everything. But, seriously, I wasn’t going to really tell him about your arrangement with Anthony.”

Chapter 16

Drey

I sit by the side of my mother’s bed, holding her hand. “Where is this woman at that’s got your head all messed up?”

“She isn’t returning my calls.”

It’s been three days since I met Zari at National Harbor. But, I haven’t heard from her. I went to her place, and her car is gone, and the gate code has changed.

I have no idea where she is. Montrell ain’t crazy enough to kill his own flesh and blood. But, if something happened to her I will murder his whole family. I’m not playing around about her.

“What you do?” my mother asks, coughing, lying in the hospital bed. I had her moved to a private home with cameras, and 24-hour nurses in Leesburg. Somewhere I know she can’t be touched.

“Why I gotta do something? What if it was something she did?”

My mom raises an eyebrow. “Very funny… Shaneice told me you running around being someone’s mister. Is that true?”

“It’s, uh, complicated. But, she isn’t married.”

“Hmm… sounds funny. Leave that man’s woman alone.”

“She’s mine, ma,” I assert. “Look, she’s Trell’s oldest daughter.”

Her eyes widen and she sits up. She shakes her head. “That’s why you had me move? He’s gonna kill you ain’t he.”

“Mama, nobody is going to hurt me. Just relax. I wanted you to be closer to cousins so they can check on you more while I handle things.”

“It’s past time for you to leave the streets.”

“I hear you, but this all I know.”

She squeezes her hand. “Whatever you got going on, end it. I don’t want to have to bury you. I couldn’t handle that.”

I rub her hand with my other one. “You ain’t going to have to do shit. I got this, trust me.”

She lies back against the pillow. “I want to meet Zari.”

“I thought you told me to leave the man’s woman alone.”

“I just need to talk to her.”

“I’ll make it happen.”

I get back to my crib and open the door. Zariyanna is sitting on the couch, curled up looking at her phone, wearing a pink bra and panties.