• 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 •

• 48 •

valerie

The next day after I was admitted from the hospital, I was released. Released into more hell, might I add.

"Sorry, I had to swing 'round and pick you up. Milli's out searchin' for Yenvy and Kaley."

"Wait, wait. What?"

Peytyn got me up to speed on everything. From Jadyn and Eneaj going to kill Jacinth in her hotel room to Yenvy fleeing Houston after learning that news.

"So we're assuming Yenvy went to join Kaley and all of 'em who are in hiding. The good thing about that is we can exterminate the hornet's nest. The bad thing is, we won't know where it is unless we stumble across it."

"Or poke it," I grinned.

"Them hospital meds got you delusional," Pey sighed, pulling out of the hospital lot.

"What's one thing that would send them runnin' right into a trap? One thing they're greedy enough to come out of hidin' and take the bait for?" I asked Peytyn.

"Eneaj? I mean...she's been targeted enough in a lot of ways," Pey stated.

"No. And even if it was, I wouldn't put my girlfriend in harm's way," I rolled my eyes, "Money. It's money, Pey. Money got me and you into this assassin shit. This business is about money. About coin. And if we set up a fake persona and make one of us into a seemingly interested customer...we can make a fake job for them to take and take them out there," I said, nodding.

"But who? That's dangerous as hell. They might not be as stupid as we think they are," Pey stated.

"As in, they, you mean Yenvy, huh?" I asked her up front. Pey nodded slowly. "You think we don't know what we're up against when it comes to Yenvy, huh?"

Peytyn nodded again.

"Can we trust you Pey...to not get your feelings involved in this? To not betray us, because of that little girl?" I asked, staring at her as she drove.

"You can. I just think we're underestimatin' her."

"Well...let's see what she brings to the table then, shall we?" I said.

"Val, you're back," Eneaj threw her arms around me.

"Back and I'm better," I gave her the biggest smile.

"What did the hospital say? Why did they let you out so early?" she asked as we stood outside in front of the apartment.

"Make sure someone watches my food intake and to take these prescribed vitamins for a month," I said with a grimace. "And I know how to raise enough hell to get out of a place," I added, with a grin.

"Val, really," she hugged me again, snuggling against me. "You should've stayed until you were well."

"I have to be here. Too much crazy shit goin' on. Is everybody upstairs?" I nodded towards the building.

"Yeah. C'mon," she wrapped an arm around my waist, walking by my side.

Once we got inside, we all congregated in the living room. "Jacinth's out," Jadyn stated, her eyes darting to Eneaj, then quickly back to me. "Milli's on the road with Victory in the trunk, lookin' for Yenvy and Kaley, and anyone else who may have been involved."

"Val has a plan," Pey gestured to me.

"Val?" Eneaj said, sitting down on the couch. I sat down next to her while Pey went to stand by the window, a guarded look on her face as she looked out, and Jadyn stood in front of us.

"We send one of us and make it seem like we have a job for them to take. Let's be real: they know our faces. We'd have to give them a mission under a sort of guise."

"But why?" Jadyn asked.

"To set up a trap for them to fall into. So that we can kill them," I said bluntly. I tenderly touched Eneaj's ear, "Sorry you had to hear that."

"Val," Jadyn said quietly. "I need to talk with you," she said, not able to meet my eyes, "Before we even finish any discussion about the trap."

"Um, okay," my stomach dropped.

Eneaj remained on the couch, an uncomfortable expression crossing her face.

"Jadyn," Pey called out, a warning in her voice.

"I have to," Jadyn said back as I followed her to the bedroom her and Milli were currently sharing during our stay at the apartment.

"Wassup?" I asked cautiously as she gestured for me to sit down on the bed.

Her jaw clenched as tears came to her eyes.

I took in a deep breath, looking away. I don't care how much we argued. Seeing her worked up would fuck me up each and every time.

"Jadyn, before you say it," I said, my own voice shaky with emotion, "I've never hated you. I...I didn't know how to accept needing help and being down. Being taken care of, and maybe having to listen too. I just wanted to tell you that," I admitted.

That was vulnerable. That was so, so vulnerable.

And it still didn't scrape the emotions I felt towards Jadyn. How she was like a sister to me. How we were all sisters.

Jadyn covered her mouth, tears running down her face. "Jadyn, say it. Say whatever it is," I told her calmly, standing to embrace her. She backed up, crying more because of that action.

"I can't. Valerie, you'll kill me," she whispered, her teary eyes meeting mine.

And in that moment, I came to see what she meant.

What she was trying to say.

"You love me...?" I asked softly.

She was still crying, but she laughed a little, "No, I mean, I'll always love you as a sister, but that's not what I'm trying to say, Val."

"Then what is it?" I asked, stepping forward. A burn in me that wanted to know so bad what was eating away at Jadyn like this.

"Who...you mean," she whispered, still backing up, now out in the hall.

My hands dropped to my sides.

"Eneaj?" I asked, my girlfriend's name floating in the air like an angel.

She nodded slowly, biting her lip hard, as she stared at me, her cheeks wet.

I moved past her as she flinched, probably thinking I was about to hit her. I grabbed Eneaj up off the couch by the neck, careful not to hurt her though.

"You slept with her?"

"What, no!" Eneaj gasped.

"Valerie, no...she didn't," Jadyn said, coming into the living room. I let Eneaj go and she ran over to Pey, who was scared to even hold Eneaj by the looks of it as she watched me watch Jadyn.

"Then spit it out, Jadyn? What the fuck is it?"

"I love her," she whispered.

I stood there. Very...very still.

I studied Jadyn. How she shook in fear. The way she had cried. The way she had shown up for me and Eneaj and the others in so, so many ways. And I said: "You're too valuable to die, today Jadyn. But if I feel like you steppin' outta line..."

I didn't finish my sentence, grabbing my water bottle off the counter and leaving the apartment.