Page 99 of Rhet

I stop in my tracks ready to kill the officer.

“Who is he?” No one touches what is mine. Wait what? Mine? I feel a little off balance with the thought.

“It’s the same one who came to your office first.”

I nod, taking note. I have bigger fish to fry than this officer, but I will get to him eventually. I watch as Zeeta stands beside the car parked at the bottom of the stairs.

“Let me see your wrist.”

She gives me the death stare.

“Zee, let me see.”

Finally, she stretches it out. There are dark teeth like marks from the hand cuff on her wrist.

“They kept me in hand cuffs. He tried to touch me.” She trembles with rage.

I pass my hand over her wrist. “I will take care of it. Let’s get out of here.” We get into the black Audi.

I open the back car door and wait for her to get in. As she sits, I close the door and look back at Julian.

“Call Kozlov. Ask if I can see him today.”

Julian pulls out his phone and begins to dial.

It seems everyone is trying to test me to see how far they can push me. To see if I’m my father’s child. They don’t know, I am worse.

“Thank you, Mr. Kozlov.” Julian hangs up.

“You have a meeting in two hours.”

“That’s more than enough for what I’m about to do.”

ZEETA

It all feels like too much. I have never spent a day in prison or jail in my life. I want to go back in and smack the shit out of Officer McFeelie.

The nerve of that man. He didn’t just touch my ass, he groped, touched and squeezed it.

I react on instinct, swing and catch him good in his eye. All hell broke loose after. Now my body hurts.

I lean on the window, watching the streetlights pass me by. I wish I never took this job, and I found another way to make money. I wish Dante didn’t convince me to do this. It’s tiring and wearing down my spirit.

Everything’s starting to feel like too much, my mother, my brother, Mr. C, and now Joe.

I want it all to disappear.

“You okay, back there?” Rhet asks.

I met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Yes.” My mouth tightens

“Well, stop sighing, like you are suffering from depressed pussy.” He smiles at me.

I should be ashamed he said that in front of Julian. However, this is Rhet. He says shit, Julian gets that. I hold a smile in.

“Hey, Zee,” Rhet calls.

---