CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
"Hold the fuck on."
By the time I reached the living room, whoever it was had started knocking. I looked through the peephole.
"Oh, fuck."
I opened the door just enough to look at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
"Are you fucking crazy?"
"You gonna let me in?"
I glanced over my shoulder before lowering my voice. "You can't be here right now."
He looked past me.
"Ain't nobody in there."
"You don't know who's in my house."
"I been watching your house. Your son left hours ago. Ain't nobody came in since."
I stared at him.
"You've been watching my fucking house?"
"I needed to make sure you was alone."
That didn't sit right with me.
"Move." He stepped inside, and I immediately closed the door.
"You have a phone."
"Can't talk about this shit on the phone."
"Then talk."
"Not in here. You see these fucking windows."
I rolled my eyes and walked down the hallway. He followed me into my bedroom, and I sat down on the bed.
"What?"
"This shit got fucked up."
"I know."
"Nah. You don't. Them niggas dead."
"Both of them?"
"Both. And Jokah got half of Broward looking for me."
"Then why the fuck would you come here?"
"Because you the reason, I'm in this shit."
"Keep your voice down."
"You called me, Shania."
"And you agreed because I told you what I wanted."
"You said to scare her."
"Exactly. Scare her. Make her want nothing to do with him. I didn't tell anybody to take that shit as far as they did."
"I wasn't even there when shit went left."
"Then take that up with the niggas who were."
"They fucking dead."
"Again, not my problem."
"I need the rest of my money."
"You'll get it."
"When?"
"When I have it."
He rubbed his hands together. "I need that shit tonight."
"Well, I don't have it tonight."
"Shania, stop playing with me."
"I said you'll get your money."
"I got this crazy ass nigga looking for me because of you. I can't go home. Can't touch none of my regular spots. Two niggas dead, and you standing here telling me you ain't got my fucking money?"
"I don't know what you want me to tell you."
"Figure it out."
"I can't pull money out my ass, Reek."
"Then I guess we got a problem."
I folded my arms.
"No. You have a problem. You took a job, your people fucked it up, and now Jokah is looking for you."
Reek laughed. "You really think because you sitting in this nice-ass house, your hands clean?"
"I didn't touch that bitch."
"Nah. You just paid somebody else to do what you couldn’t."
"Get out." I stood and pointed toward the door.
"I ain't leaving without what you owe me."
"I just told you I don't have it."
He stared at me for a second before walking over to my bedroom door, locking it.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"I said I ain't leaving without my money."
"And I said I don't fucking have it."
His eyes moved over me. "Then you better figure out another way to pay."
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and my heart rate increased. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"Boy, fuck you."
Reek smiled, but something about the way he looked at me made my skin crawl. "You gone pay me in cash or ass tonight. Your choice."
I stared at him. Then at the locked door. "You're fucking crazy."
"Maybe."
"You touch me, Jokah finding you will be the least of your fucking problems."
He stepped closer and I took a step back.
"I'm not playing with you."
Reek grinned. "You still talking like you are running shit."
"Unlock my fucking door."
He didn't move.
"Reek."
Instead, he stepped closer and I backed away. My heart started beating faster. "Don't fucking touch me."
All the shit I talked, stopped feeling so easy with my bedroom door locked and Reek standing between me and the only way out. My heart pounded as the truth finally settled in. I brought this man into my life, into my house and now I was alone with him.
"Reek, open the fucking door."
He didn't move.
"I said open it."
Instead, he grabbed me and pushed me backward onto the bed.
"Get the fuck off me!"
I tried to get up, but he pushed me back down.
Then he reached for his belt and started unbuckling it. My entire body went cold.