Page 65 of The Players

“We need to get our girl talking,” he said.

When Sy pulled out his belt, Chad started yelling.

“You said I could go! You were gonna let me go!”

“I lied, you motherfucker,” Sy hissed and wrapped his belt around Chad’s throat.

When Sy was done, Vince looked up at him, contemplating their next move. That’s when he saw Sy’s duffel bag in the corner.

“Are you coming?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Sy shook his head. “You know I can’t go back. Not after what I did.”

Vince knew there was nothing he could do or say to convince his stubborn friend otherwise. There was only one person who could do that.

CHAPTER 23

CARMEN

Noon had passed when Carmen’s driver stopped in front of her apartment. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought of the place as her home. It felt like it had been ages since she’d left the mansion she had lived in with Franco. That place was huge and opulent, and didn’t reflect her at all. Honestly, she had no intention of ever going back. Somewhere during the past month, her home had changed into where Sy and Vince were. They had made her stronger, not only in body but also in mind.

Last night, when Sy had thrown her against the wall, was a testament of that. Not too long ago, she would have turned near catatonic with fear at that outburst of violence. She wasn’t sure how it had happened, but she felt stronger and more resilient than ever.

And she intended to share that with Sy when he came home tonight. It had broken her heart this morning when he sailed past her, barely able to look her in the eye. His face radiated anger, pain, and rage. She’d wanted to reach out to him, but he headed out the door, not even taking a sip of his morning smoothie.

She thanked her driver as she vacated the car. In her head, she made a three-course meal out of the produce in the grocery bag.

Tonight, she was going to prepare a feast fit for kings, so afterward, she could apologize and at the same time, reassure him they were okay.

Carmen felt her mood plummet when she saw an unwanted visitor waiting in front of the building.

Erica was sitting on the curb, yet again. There was a somewhat panicked look on her face.

“Um, Erica, I don’t think it’s a good idea that—”

“I need your help.” Her voice was close to a shriek.

She wasn’t falling for this again. “I’m sorry, but—”

“It’s a gift for my boy. To apologize.”

If she really believed gifts would help her cause, she truly was deluded.

Carmen sighed. “I don’t think—”

“Please!” Erica looked frantic. “I have to make up for what I did. It’s our family photo albums. See, they resent me for moving on after their father died. I love my boys but, well, they can be very bossy and demanding.”

Carmen didn’t like the way she portrayed Sy. Yes, he was quite bossy, but she couldn’t imagine him standing in the way of his mother’s happiness. That just didn’t seem like him. Then again, family relationships were complicated. There was no telling what they had been through.

She placed her grocery bag on the curb and called Sy. When he didn’t pick up, she tried Vince’s number. He answered after the first ring. When she told him about Erica, he cursed.

“Sy isn’t coming back.”

“What do you mean, he’s not coming back?”

“I mean that he’s being a sensitive asshole, throwing himself on a blade.”

In the background, she could hear the “sensitive asshole” spewing a string of curse words that contradicted his current state.

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