22. Reiana
Reiana
earlier the same day…
By the time I pulled into the line outside Rhyse’s camp, he came walking out with two other boys. He spotted my truck and jogged over before opening the passenger door and climbing inside.
“Hey, Ma,” Rhyse said as he tossed his backpack onto the floor and pulled the door closed.
“Hey, Boosie,” I replied as I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “How was camp?”
“Good. We did that obstacle thing outside, but Jayden cheated because he skipped one of the cones,” Rhyse explained as he buckled his seat belt. “Then we had pizza, but it was nasty.”
“You say that about every pizza that doesn’t come from Rocco’s,” I laughed as I pulled from the school.
“Because it is,” Rhyse replied before looking toward the backseat. “Where’s Dad?”
“He had something to handle today,” I said as I glanced toward him. “So you’re stuck with me.” I smirked.
“I like when Dad picks me up because he lets me pick the music.” He smirked.
“That’s because your daddy doesn’t have good sense,” I said as I turned onto the main road. “You’re not about to have me listening to the same three songs all the way home.”
“They sound better than that old music you listen too,” Rhyse laughed and reached toward the radio, but I slapped his hand away before he could change anything.
He started complaining about my music being old, and I was halfway through telling him he was lucky I let him ride in my truck at all when I noticed the black SUV behind us.
At first, I didn’t think anything of it, but it had been behind me since I left the camp.
“Ma, you listening?” Rhyse asked as he looked over at me.
“Yeah, baby,” I said as I kept my voice even. “What did you say?”
“I said can we get pizza since the one they gave us was nasty?” He repeated but my focus was on the SUV following me.
“Sure,” I replied as I made the next turn earlier than I normally would.
The SUV followed, making my stomach tightened. Maybe it was nothing, but I still made another turn just to see if it would do the same and it did. I reached for my phone and glanced toward Rhyse. “Boosie, unbuckle your seat belt and climb into the back.”
“Why?” Rhyse frowned.
“Just do what I said,” I said sternly.
“But—”
“Rhyse.” I looked at him long enough for him to hear the seriousness in my voice. “Get in the backseat… now.”
That made him move as he unbuckled his seat belt and started climbing over the center console while I kept driving.
“What’s wrong, Ma?” He asked.
“Nothing. Just get in the back and buckle up,” I said as I checked the mirror again. The black SUV was closer now and my heart was about to beat out my chest.
Rhyse dropped into the backseat and grabbed the seat belt. “Ma, why are you driving like that?”
Instead of responding, I sped up and made another turn, and that was when a second black SUV pulled out from a side street ahead of me.
“Shit,” I cursed as I watched the second SUV blocked me in.
“Ma?” Rhyse called from behind me, and I could hear the fear creeping into his voice now. “What’s going on?”
“I need you to stay down,” I told him as I looked for somewhere to go. There wasn’t enough room on either side of the SUV in front of me, and the one behind us was closing in fast. “Get down on the floor, Rhyse, and stay there,” I instructed him.
“What’s happening?” He asked.
I ignored him and grabbed my phone. “Siri, call Lennox.”
“Calling Lennox,” Siri responded through the speakers.
The line barely started ringing before something slammed against my driver-side window.
“Ahh!” I screamed as the glass shattered across me.
“Ma!” Rhyse yelled from the backseat.
Everything happened too fast after that. A hand came through the broken window and unlocked my door before somebody yanked it open. I kicked toward whoever was reaching for me and grabbed onto the steering wheel with both hands.
“Get the fuck off me!” I kicked and screamed as one of the men grabbed my arm.
“Ma!” Rhyse yelled again as another door opened behind me.
“No!” I shouted as I twisted around. “Don’t touch my fucking son!” I cried out.
Rhyse kicked and screamed while a man reached into the backseat for him. I tried to get back toward him, but the man at my door grabbed me around the waist and pulled me toward the SUV.
“Get off my mama!” Rhyse screamed as he fought against the man pulling him out of the truck. “Let me go!”
“Rhyse!” I screamed as I watched the unknown man manhandle my baby.
I fought as hard as I could, kicking, swinging, trying to get free long enough to get back to him, but there were too many of them. Somebody grabbed both of my arms and dragged me toward the SUV while another man carried Rhyse toward the other one.
“Don’t hurt him!” I yelled as I struggled against the arms around me. “He’s a fucking child! Don’t touch him!” I screamed.
The last thing I saw before they shoved me into the back of the SUV was my truck sitting in the middle of the road with the driver-side door open and glass scattered across the pavement.
I didn’t know how long we had been driving before we stopped, but it had felt like forever.
Rhyse had been put in the same vehicle with me after they got us off the road, and I kept him tucked against my side the entire ride.
His face was wet from crying even though he had gone quiet, and every few seconds I felt his hand tighten around mine.
“You okay?” I whispered as I looked him over.
Rhyse nodded, but I could tell he was scared. “Where are they taking us?”
“I’on know,” I told him as I rubbed my hand over the back of his head. “Just stay close to me.”
The SUV finally stopped, and one of the men opened the door. I immediately pulled Rhyse closer.
“Get out,” he ordered.
“Where the fuck are we?” I asked as I looked past him.
“Get out,” he repeated.
Rhyse stayed glued to my side as we climbed from the SUV. The building in front of us looked like some old warehouse nobody had used in years. One of the men motioned toward the building for us to keep walking. I kept one hand wrapped around Rhyse’s and walked because I didn’t have another choice.
Inside, the place smelled like dust and old metal. Most of the space was empty except for a few tables, some folding chairs, and more men standing around than I cared to count. Then I saw the man waiting near the back. He was dressed too well to belong in a place like this.
“Reiana Scott,” he said as he stepped closer. “I’m sorry we had to meet like this.”
“Who are you?” I asked as I pulled Rhyse closer to me.
“My apologies. My name is Cyrus beautiful,” he greeted with a smile.
“I have no clue who you are so what do you want with me and my son?” I asked as I kept my hand tight around Rhyse’s.
Cyrus sighed and looked toward one of the men beside him before bringing his eyes back to me. “I hate involving women and children in my business, but sometimes a man needs to understand what it feels like when somebody touches something that belongs to him,” he stated coldly.
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about or what it has to do with my son,” I repeated.
“Your man does,” he said flatly.
“My man?” I asked confused.
Cyrus’s expression didn’t change. “Dorian,” he revealed.
I couldn’t believe this shit.
“I’m not with Dorian,” I said quickly. “Whatever the fuck he did has nothing to do with me or my son.”
“That might be true now,” Cyrus replied as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “But he cares enough about you for this to get his attention.”
“My daddy gonna come fuck y’all up,” Rhyse spat before I could stop him.
“Rhyse,” I said as I immediately pulled him back against me.
Cyrus looked at him for a second before lifting an eyebrow. “Your daddy?”
“Yeah, and when he gets here, all y’all in trouble.” He sniffed.
“He’s a brave youngin’,” Cyrus praised.
“He’s a child,” I said through clenched teeth. “Leave him out of whatever this is.”
“Then Dorian should’ve thought about that before he touched my money and my product,” Cyrus spat.
“I told you I’on know anything about that,” I confessed again.
“I believe you,” Cyrus replied. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t change why you’re here.” Rhyse pressed closer against my side, and I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. “Make sure they’re comfortable,” he said to the men in the room.
“What does that mean?” I frowned.
“It means you and your son are going to be our guests for a little while,” Cyrus said as he looked back at me. “Once I get my money and my product back, you can both go home.”
My stomach dropped.
“And if Dorian doesn’t give it back?” I asked.
Cyrus stared at me for a moment before his mouth curved slightly.
“Then you might want to get comfortable,” was the last thing he said before he left us in this abandoned warehouse with these men.
Dorian better pray Lennox gets to him before I do because I was definitely killing his ass for getting me and my son caught up in his shit.