Page 59 of Love Letters From Memphis

“Tussi?” she repeated.Tussi. That’s why he looked familiar. Their features were distinct. Whoever this man was, he was related to Tussi. Why had he conspired with Tussi to kidnap her?Kidnap. Lei chuckled. “Just my fucking luck.”

His eyes narrowed as he frowned.

“The hell is so funny?”

“Believe it or not, this is not my first time being kidnapped, and with my luck, it probably won’t be the last.”

Lei laughed again, and it was the only thing keeping her from being filled with fear.

“Aye!” he roared, making himself eye level with her. “I don’t know what your problem is, but ain’t shit funny about this.”

Reeling back her laugh, Lei nibbled her bottom lip as she stared into his familiar eyes.

“I don’t know what Tussi offered you in exchange for taking me, but when my man and daddy find out about this, it won’t be worth your life.”

“That’s my fucking brother. He didn’t offer me shit. I’m going to do whatever I have to do to get him out of prison.”

“How do you think taking me is going to accomplish that?”

“I don’t know, but Tussi seems to think your father has enough pull to get him out. So until that happens, you’re staying here with me.”

The gravity of the situation began to settle within Lei’s spirit. Her bladder loosened but she clenched and gulped a large breath to soothe her nerves.

“Look…” Her voice lowered as she quickly took in her surroundings. The living room she was being held in was large and filled with vintage furniture. There was a brick fireplace off to the right by the front door. Directly in front of her were several religious themed photos surrounding an older model TV. Had he brought her to an older family member’s house? “I don’t know why Tussi thinks my daddy has that kind of pull but he doesn’t. He can help people who are locked up, but he doesn’t have the power to get them out.”

“That sucks for you, then. If he can’t get him out, you’re dying here.”

Lei’s heart dropped as he began to walk away from her. “Wait!” she yelled. He stopped walking but didn’t bother to go back in her direction. “Even if my father did have those kinds of connections, Tussi already has a deal on the table. He’s only serving twenty-five of his sixty-year sentence. They aren’t going to come down any more on that. Hehasto do that time.”

His head tilted to the side. With a focused gaze, he crossed his arms over his chest.

“What do you mean, he’s only doing twenty-five?”

Licking her lips, Lei realized a way to possibly swing this in her favor. Tussi obviously hadn’t informed his people of him being an informant, and if he hadn’t, that was for a reason. All Lei could do was hope that reason was bigger than whatever was motivating this man to keep her.

“Tussi is an informant. He had his sentence drastically reduced by giving information on other dealers and murderers. From what my man told me, he’s also getting favors while he’s locked up by letting the warden know of things happening in his pod with the other inmates. For his protection, the deal that he made is sealed… but he’s getting out in about fifteen years.”

Slowly, the man walked in her direction. “You’re lying. Tussi ain’t no fucking snitch.”

“I’m sorry, but he is. I can understand why you don’t believe me, but he is.”

Pulling his gun from his hip, he shoved it in her face. “That’s a bold accusation, bitch. Unless you have proof, I might have to put you down now. Give me names or a copy of the deal he made.”

Lei’s eyes closed as her heart palpitated. She pulled in short, choppy breaths as her breathing increased. When she talked to her father and he told her Tussi was the informant who snitched on Londen, it made a lot of sense. Once she and Londen made up, she told him about her conversation with Ace, and Londen confirmed everything her father had said.

Londen didn’t know immediately that Tussi was the reason his name began to float around, but when he did find out, he tucked that information away until it became useful to him. Londen knew every person Tussi had snitched on. He didn’t go into great detail because it was useless information at that point, but he did tell her that two of the biggest fish Tussi gave up were a dealer from his old hood that he worked under, and his own brother.

“I don’t have any proof, but I can share two names. If you want proof, call my dad. My man doesn’t answer numbers he doesn’t know, but my daddy always will.”

“Give me the fucking names,” he ordered through gritted teeth, putting the gun so close to her face it grazed her nose.

“Ma-Marco and D-Deon,” she stuttered, craning her neck to put space between her and the gun.

It didn’t matter, though, because the man slowly lowered it.

“What you just say?” he whispered.

Gaining more confidence, Lei pulled in a deep breath and said, “Marco and Deon,” a bit louder.

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