• 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 •

• 38 •

valerie

"I'm glad they got her, but who the fuck got my girlfriend's phone?"  I demanded, parked outside the gate to a complex. "We needa drive in behind somebody and get to searchin'."

"Is her location still on for her phone?"

"No, the dumb fucks finally turned it off. They somewhere up in this motherfucker though," I stated.

"Buy her a new phone. It's the car and the wallet I'm worried about," Jadyn suggested.

"I got a feeling that everything's all here, man."

"Pey said the bitch drugged y'all. That's the conclusion they're all coming to back up in Dallas. I guess," Jadyn shrugged, "And Eneaj was here this morning when..."

Jadyn put down her phone.

"When what?" I snatched it, flipping it over, but the screen was black.

"I'll let Eneaj tell you," Jadyn said, her eyes filled with anger.

"Look, a car. Follow behind them," Milli pointed.

"That's Eneaj's fuckin' Charger," I turned on the engine and swooped in behind them before the gate closed.

"If anything's missing or messed up," I said, my hands shaking.

"Let me and Milli handle this. You'll only be thinking with emotion," Jadyn stated.

But by the way she pulled out Victory, my little case of surprises, something told me that I wasn't the only one "acting through emotion", or whatever the fuck she had said.

I was glaring daggers at the vehicle as it went into the garage underneath an apartment, around the corner of our view.

"I was wondering when I'd see Victory again," I commented, trying to calm myself down as Milli and Jadyn loaded up.

"Figured you didn't need her since you were done with all the assassin bull," Jadyn shrugged.

"Only because that's what Eneaj wanted," I reminded them.

"Didn't want her to go to waste," Milli grinned.

"Call me if you need me," I nodded as they left.

They hopped out, sliding their masks over their heads and running towards the garage. Milli unlocked it from what I could see, using a pick that could slide through most keyholes. They slowly lifted it up and Jadyn went in after her, aiming.

It was a solid fifteen minutes before they came out again. Milli drove the Charger towards the apartment exit, and Jadyn hopped back into the passenger seat of the Civic, holding my girlfriend's phone and her wallet.

"Everything's there. One way or another," Jadyn smiled, her expression somewhat a mirror of Milli's usually crazed grin. A droplet of blood was above her left eyebrow, dripping eerily down into her hairs.

She swiped it away, probably feeling it, and told me to hit the gas.

"I'll still probably buy her a new phone anyways," I told her casually.

"Good deal," she nodded, agreeing.

We followed behind Milli in the Charger for about an hour, before she pulled over at an empty shopping mall, and we all got out.

Jadyn gave me all of Eneaj's things and they left back to their apartment in the Civic. I got into Eneaj's Charger and set my sights on Dallas. Now that I had everything I wanted in check, my mind went back to Jadyn's expression earlier. When she had told me that Eneaj would probablyyy need to tell me something. What did she mean by that? Did something more happen last night?

I rolled my eyes, pressing the gas.

Of course something more happened last night, dumb ass. And apparently I had a big hand in it along with whoever drugged my girl.

Space, I couldn't give her right now, I needed the full story of things, and right now me, Yenvy, and Eneaj needed to piece out memories back together.

I frowned, remembering the other name Mrs. Smith mentioned. But before I get to Dallas, there was another missing link I needed to check out too. I grabbed my phone, my foot still pressing the gas, I needed to figure out where this Fifth girl was...and how she played a role in all of this.

"Thank you, Mrs. Smith," I said, "I just wanted to talk to her, that's all."

"I know that tone, Valerie. I think Eneaj has a soft spot for Jacinth, and I don't want you gettin' into any trouble, now."

"I won't," I promised her, before hanging up.

Fifth was in a hotel in Zinnias, staying there awhile before she could afford her own place. I'd been in that position before, alone and with the crew. But me having sympathy for her or not wouldn't change things. I needed to know everything that happened last night, and how I woke up to all of this chaos.

"Jadyn?"

"Wassup," she answered.

"I want you to look into this girl for me. What if Yenvy's friend wasn't the one who drugged us. Or what if her friend had help?"

"What are you implying? I don't comprehend," Jadyn sighed.

I rolled my eyes. Jadyn was always trying to turn a sentence into a whole crossword puzzle. Just say you don't understand, bro. "Look into this bitch named Jacinth. Fifth. She just started working at the club. She was there last night and apparently we got into an argument too."

"I know...I heard about it last night. You had your hands all on Eneaj, drunk as hell, and she was trying to defend your girl," Jadyn explained.

I frowned. "Look into her..."

"I don't think Fifth is the bad guy here, but I'll still check her out. You still headed for Dallas?"

"Yeah. I'm stoppin' by her hotel room first."

"Stay safe. It's in Zinnias or Dallas?"

"Zinnias. Mrs. Smith told me she comes from Dallas. Eneaj found her living in the space she wanted to turn into a lounge. That's how she hired her," I stated. "Eneaj had mentioned that to me before, but...we were arguing even then."

"Maybe she went to the lounge knowing that Eneaj's big heart would cave in seeing her there. Maybe that's how she got the two of them to be buddy buddy, only for her to help drug y'all. But I think that's still reachin'."

"I don't. Check it out," I ordered.

Jadyn paused on the other line.

"I'll check it out because this is Eneaj's safety."

"Mm," I hung up.

I pressed the gas harder, the hazy memory of Fifth's face giving the little energy I had left the boost it needed.