Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“Has Benny killed for her?”
“I don’t know.”
“Troy,” I shook my head, “I think you’re just fishing and walking straight off the path. If Mom is in this, then what would she expect to get out of all of it? She’s apparently getting money from Chase and protection from Benny. It’s in her best interests for both of them to get along and stay alive.”
“Is it?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Mom might have lied to Benny about us being his kids. She was willing to let us believe that we didn’t have a father, yet tell Benny that we were his children. Why say that to him, and keep it from us? What would she get out of doing that?”
“Money.”
“Exactly. Benny took care of us—paid for our school, drove us around, and dropped dollars here and there. We never got out of the hood, but when there were emergencies, shit would get paid. I bet that was Benny’s doing. It was in her best interest to have Benny think he was our father. But if we weren’t his kids, it would be in her best interest to keep that shit a secret.”
I placed my hands on the table and traced tiny circles near my plate. I needed something to do before I stabbed myself in the head from thinking too much. The thing I hated about Troy, was that he remained paranoid of everyone. Fifty percent of the time he was wrong. It was just that other fifty percent that I worried about.
What if he’s right? Could he be? It’s logical, but so insane that ... no, it can’t be.
Troy continued. “And I have no reason for why Mom would give Lucy up like that, but I’m sure she did. Sherman would have given Lucy to Benny, if Mom asked him to do it. Sherman said he was sorry. How many times does he apologize?”
“I’ve never heard him say sorry.”
“This was the second time. He only does it when he feels really guilty.”
“When was the first time with you?” I asked.
“When he got me locked up for putting those drugs in my book bag.”
Noise sounded from down the hallway. I checked, but I didn’t see Vivian or Benny.
“That being said, let’s keep Viv out of this for now. If Mom is in this, Viv has another enemy in the midst. I can’t think of why, but Mom never liked her.” Troy stopped talking and stared at me. “What?”
“I’m thinking.”
“About what?”
“The different times I’ve talked to Mom in the past weeks.”
“Okay. What?”
“I called her, when we were in Italy. It wasn’t long, barely ten minutes, but I remembered thinking it was odd that we’d been on for so long. Usually she was short, but—”
“Maybe Benny had some sort of tracking device on her. You know? Like those FBI movies where they need like five minutes to keep the person on the phone and locate where the signal is coming from.”
I frowned. “I feel like we are losing it.”
“You talk to her again?”
“Yeah. It was last week. We’d barely been on the phone for two minutes. I’d only called to talk to everyone else, but she asked about Chase and me. The typical things that people say. Then she asked a weird question. She wanted to know if Vivian was still heartbroken over you. I was shocked. One, she’d said Vivian, when usually she just called her that white girl. Then, I didn’t even realize that she’d known you both had been ... dating before the news came out.”
“What did you say?”
“I told her that Vivian was still in love with you.”
Troy put his elbow on the table and his hand under his chin. “I don’t know why, but don’t tell Viv this.”
“Okay.”
“We need to find out if Chase is working with Mom. I got an idea, but I almost don’t want to try this shit.” He shook his head at me.
“What?”
“Chase isn’t going to tell me anything. He thinks it’s my fault that Lucy is dead, and you know what, he’s right.”
“No, the hell he is not. Stop that.”
“Don’t matter. I should’ve remained watching her by myself.”
“Stop it.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He sighed. “You ready to hear my plan?”
“What?”
“I want you to talk to Chase.”
My whole body came to life. A buzz of energy flowed through me. Memories of his lips, hands, and words rushed to my head. Images of our bodies entwined lingered in the most recessed corners of my mind.
“Really, Jazz?”
“What?”
“You look like the star quarterback just asked you to the prom. This isn’t a freak call.”
“I don’t do freak calls.”
“Sure you don’t.”
“I’m a lady.”
“You’re fucking grinning.”
“I’m in love with him. Of course I am.”
“Don’t tease him.”
“What? I wouldn’t tease him.”
“No, but you’ll have him thinking you’re coming back just because you wouldn’t be able to say no. Listen, we just need information and then we hang up. I’m not even supposed to have this phone.”