Page 13 of The Prodigy

“Who’s your boyfriend?” I said, even though I already knew.

“You heard of Terio?”

Uh, yeah, everybody had.

Terio’s family was from Midling. He grew up in Atlanta, but that didn’t matter. We still claimed him as our own. And he was talented, already in possession of two Grammys for his debut album. He was good-looking, too. He’d have been quite the catch if he wasn’t facing twenty years in prison right now.

“Of course I’ve heard of him,” I answered. “How’s he doing?”

She sucked her teeth. “Girl, he’s good. They can’t break him. He’s too strong for the bullshit. Believe that.”

“Drugs, right?”

She made the turn where she was supposed to, and we inched closer to my job. “They got him on drug possession, intent to distribute, and human trafficking.”

My eyes widened. “Human trafficking?”

“It’s bullshit. Some fasstail girl got on his tour bus in Miami and stayed till Memphis. Smoked up all the weed and fucked half the crew. Turns out, she lied and said she was twenty-one, but she was really sixteen. So he caught a charge.” She pulled into the back alley of Sliders. “Lying little hoe ass bitch.”

Okay, then. So much for sisterhood.

I tried another angle.

“I’m not sure what Jakari told you,” I said cautiously, “but I’m scared. Not ofyou…of this situation.”

She parallel parked like a pro, easing between Max’s car and that of Dino, one of our bouncers. After cutting the car off, she turned to me.

“I don’t know shit about shit. I just do what I’m told.”

“W-what did he tell you to do?”

“He told me to watch you and make sure you don’t say shit.” She shrugged again. “None of my business.”

“I think I’m in danger,” I pleaded.

“Why?” Her eyes narrowed. “What you do?”

“Nothing. I…I saw something I shouldn’t have.”

Her eyes softened, leading me to believe I had gotten through to her. But then she spoke again and killed that hope.

“That’s between y’all. Like I said, I don’t know shit about shit. You ready?”

Why didn’t she react to what I said? What the fuck wasupwith this family?

I climbed out of the car and stretched a little, glancing around to see how feasible it was to make a run for it. There were still a few police cars in the parking lot. Surely they would help me if I screamed loud enough.

It could work. Jaz had about twenty pounds and half a foot on me, but she was in heels and I was in flats. I could definitely outrun her.

“I hope you ain’t standing here planning your getaway,” she said, almost in a teasing way.

“What do you mean?”

“You not about to get me in trouble,” she said as she came to stand beside me. “Go in there and do what you’re supposed to do. Cuz if you don’t, it might get ugly.”

She patted her hip, just once, and that was enough to have me shook. But then she took it a step further and lifted the bottom of her shirt so I could see the pink gun holstered on her waist. I shuddered at the thought of her being armed. And worse, willing to shoot me.

As if that wasn’t enough, she rummaged around in her Gucci tote and pulled out a pink thing. I didn’t know what it was until she pressed a button and it crackled.