Page 37 of Rue

“This is my payment for working with you,” she told him calmly. “I want…”

“Once a week for 10 minutes.”

“Three times a week for ½ an hour with my mom and twice a week for ½ an hour with my gramma.”

Geo snorted. “You know how far that bitch is? Nah. Twice a week, 10 minutes wit’ your mom.”

“Three times a week, half an hour… and I want to bring her books and stuff, too.”

Geo snorted. “Like you wasn’t gonna ask your little fool to run that for you.”

“He’s mad at me.”

“Fools pissed at me,” Geo laughed again, amused. “He’s still your little bitch. Nah. Leave’m. Twice a week, 20 minutes. N’ you be good when we leave out places.”

“Ok… okay… but we renegotiate after the first round, and you see what this will make for you.”

Geo snorted again. “Yeah… aight, Rue. If you’s worth it, we’ll see.”

“Where are we going?” she asked, looking around thecharming residential neighborhood.

Geo didn’t answer, lifting and fastening his pants, his eyes shining.

Chapter 19

She was even more curious when they pulled into a driveway with the garage door opening.

Geo pulled her out of the car and inside the kitchen of the vast, immaculate house, and she went stiff. Were they there to steal something? Were they going to get shot?

Mig hung the keys on a hook by the door to the garage and followed Geo and her into the large living room. Geo nudged her to the couch, then picked up a throw blanket and tossed it at her.

“Sit there. Put your feet up and relax.”

“Are… are we here to hurt someone?”

“What?”

“Like… you have to threaten them when they get home? You’re here to scare them?” she asked, afraid she was going to see another murder.

Geo chuckled, throwing himself on the couch next to her and picking up the remote to the TV. “Nah, Rue. This is my place.”

“This is…” she blinked, looking around the house, stunned. “How?!?”

“You think I don't know what I’m doin’, Rue? You think I don't make money? You think I was small time?”

Sailor looked around, then shrugged a shoulder, still in shock. He was rich?!?

“You want all of them switched here?” Mig asked, looking up from his phone.

“Nah. Cancel all but my dailies. And them fools. Have them come by here this afternoon,” he smirked. “So that list, it good, or you need more?” Geo asked Sailor.

She pulled it back out, looked it over, and became snarky about it. “You have a pencil and another paper?” she asked Mig. “I just need to change a couple things.”

Mig handed her a spiral notebook with a pen in the spiral, and she flipped it open and started writing. She purposefully wrote down the most expensive, highest-end brands she could to make it harder on him. They would all have to be ordered, costing him a small fortune. She would buy time.

“This it?” Geo asked when she handed him the list.

“No,” she scowled, taking it back and flipping the page. She handed it back to him after a few minutes. “Those are the kinds of books my mom likes, I want them delivered to her today.”

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