Page 29 of Ruthless Legacy

“You okay, Thea?”

I don’t see anything or anyone, and it could be residual paranoia after my attack. I’m sure watching that video on repeat hasn’t helped, but I have the distinct impression that someone is watching us. I hook my arm through hers and guide her towards the boardwalk. “Yup, I’m good. Let’s go, the best pie in California is calling my name.”

Chapter15

Thea

Icackle into the phone listening to Sasha complain about her cousin’s boyfriend. “Girl, it’s not even funny how totally useless he is. The only reason he’s still here is because he drives my grandmother to the grocery store when gramps can’t do it.”

“Well, thatishelpful.”

“No bitch, it’s not. I can drive her my damn self and I wouldn’t be charging her gas money either.”

With all the drama Sasha deals with, she makes me appreciate not having family. Although, I guess that’s not true anymore. I’m just not ready to dive into it. “What does your cousin have to say about all of this?”

“Absolutely, nothing. Which is why I make her reimburse grammy without her knowing.”

“Without who knowing?”

“Bink. I told that hoe not to take out one of those payday loans, but did she listen? Nope.”

I know my friend. She’s always got an angle. “And how are you skimming from that?”

It’s Sasha’s turn to laugh. “The guy who owns the loan place owes me money for a job I did, so instead of him paying me directly, I had him charge her extra interest.”

“And was this arrangement before or after she signed the promissory note?”

“Does it matter?,” She snorts. “She was so happy to get the money, she probably didn’t even look at the repayment terms. Who the hell agrees to a thirty-six-month repayment plan on five grand with an eighteen percent interest rate?”

“Desperate people?”

“Yup, that’s right. But does she need to be a desperate hoe? No! If she was around here acting like she had some sense, I would’ve helped her out.”

“You would’ve given her five grand?”

Despite where they live, Sasha is not broke. Her grandparents own their cute little house, which Sasha paid off two years ago, though they don’t know it. She said she couldn’t take away that sense of pride and accomplishment they had paying for it each month. She set up a fake loan servicing account for them, and their payments are just earning interest in a savings account. When they make what they think will be their last payment, she’s going to surprise them with the bank statement. I wish I could be there for that.

“Hell, no. She only needed eighteen hundred. The other thirty-two was for her man to blow on bullshit. And when I tell you it was gone in a week…” She sucks her teeth. “Just stupid beyond belief.”

I’m laughing again, because my bestie has a big heart. She definitely would have helped her cousin out. Sasha has a job at an IT company, which I call her side hustle, because what she really makes her money on are the jobs we used to do together.

“How’s business?”

“It’s steady. Not as much fun without you, but you know how it is.”

“And nobody’s complaining about your fee?” She raised her prices after I left.

“They did in the beginning, but I made sure those jobs ran into problems and then gave them the whole, you get what you pay for speech.”

“I’m sure that went over well with The Skullz.”

“They’re the only ones who didn’t try to low ball me.” She snorts. “I think they were afraid I’d have you call in a favor or something.”

“More like paying your asking price without complaint wassupposedto be a favor. Too bad for them, it doesn’t count if I don’t ask for it.”

“I know I shouldn’t ask, but how many do you have left?”

Sasha accepts that there are some things I’m hesitant to talk about. The kinds of things I did to earn favors for The Skullz is one of them. “More than they’d like. But one less than I had when I left.”

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