He gestures for me to follow him into a bedroom. At first glance, it seems like a standard guest room/office combo. There’s a daybed against one wall, a small bookshelf, and a desk on the opposite wall. I’m confused as he pulls out the trundle under the bed until he reveals an army green storage container in the hollowed-out section of the mattress. Tiny fiddles with the lock before lifting the top off, revealing an assortment of handguns, neatly organized from largest to smallest. He picks up a little black one, checks the magazine, and hands it to me.
“These are all ghosts, so you don’t need to worry about anyone tracing it. This one has minimal recoil and great accuracy. The only real downfall is there are only six rounds, but it’s perfect for someone your size. I don’t usually sell ammo—don’t want to risk anyone turning a loaded weapon on me, ya know? But since I know you’re cool, I’ll hook you up. The State of California has really strict buying laws, so come see me when you need more.”
“I’d appreciate that.” I test the weight of the gun in my hand. “How much?”
Tiny rubs his chin. “Normally, I’d say six hundred, but you qualify for the family discount. Can you do four?”
I dig into my pocket and pull out the cash I brought with me. After this, I’ll only have one-hundred and forty-two dollars left to my name. I really need to get a job.
I peel off four Benjamins, which he stuffs in his pocket and begins the process of closing up shop. Once the bed no longer looks like an armory, Tiny turns around and places a small box of 9mm bullets in my hand.
“Be careful, girl. It was good to see you.”
“Thanks, Tiny. You, too.”
*
Shawn digs a rectangular tin out of his pocket and slides it open. “My shop got this awesome new strain from Colorado. It’s potent as fuck. The pre-rolls came in yesterday, so I grabbed a pack before they sold out. You wanna give it a try?”
Ah, the benefits of working at a dispensary. You get to sample all the best weed first.
“Why the hell not? It’ll probably help me sleep. There’s no way that’s happening naturally at the rate my brain’s running.”
“Hey, flower’s a-hundo-percent au naturel . Anyone who says otherwise is spreading fake news.”
I incline my head. “Touché.”
He lights the J as it hangs from his lips, permeating the air with a skunky smell. After taking a puff, he passes it over so I can do the same, then we repeat the process a few more times. Shawn offered his couch for the night, which I gladly accepted. By the time we left Tiny’s, it was already after midnight. Shawn’s place is less than a mile from my sister’s, so this makes it much easier for me to get to her in the morning. I’ll just have to take her somewhere we can get to by foot or bus and figure out how I’ll get home after.
“You really think this Ainsley chick has no clue?”
“I wouldn’t have called her if I didn’t. She’s a good friend and an even better person. I knew she’d be freaking out, and I didn’t want her to worry about me all night.” My head swims as the weed suddenly hits me. “Whoa, this is good shit.”
Shawn laughs before taking another hit. “It really is. You know my tolerance is through the roof, but this shit hits me a lot quicker than anything else I’ve tried.”
I get teary-eyed when his statement makes me think of Bentley. “Can I use your phone again?”
“Jazz. It’s after two.”
“I know.”
“I’m not giving you my phone so you can call that prick.”
“Not calling him.”
“Then, who?”
“Shawn.” I hold my hand out, palm up. “Please.”
When he hands the phone over—albeit reluctantly—I open the internet browser and log into my email account. I can’t remember who suggested this once, but ever since, whenever I store a new number into my phone, I always email myself a copy of the contact card and keep it in a saved folder. People rarely dial full phone numbers these days, which means they rarely have the chance to memorize them. This ensures I’ll never be without someone’s info if I lost my phone. Or you know, had to purposely leave it behind because someone installed a tracker on it.
I pull up Bentley’s number and dial it after masking the caller ID. Shawn gives me a weird look as I step out onto the back deck, but I don’t have the brainpower to figure him out tonight.
“Hello?” Bentley’s voice is groggy like maybe I woke him up.
“Were you sleeping?”
I can hear him shifting. “Jazz? Where you at, baby? You okay?”
“I’m okay,” I assure him.
“Where are you?” His deep voice is more alert now. And harder.
“Remember when you promised you’d never lie to me again?”
He clears his throat. “Yeah, I remember.”
I lean against the metal railing, staring at a flickering streetlight. Shawn lives in a second-floor apartment, so I have a lovely view of the parking lot that belongs to the complex behind his. And a prostitute’s ass cheeks while she’s propositioning someone at the curb. Southern California has some breathtaking coastlines, but the so-called City of Angels definitely lives up to the term concrete jungle . It’s busy, loud, and bright, even in the middle of the night. I never minded it before, because it was all I ever knew, but living in the west hills these last few months has shown me something different. I’ve grown used to the quiet—the stillness.
“Jazzy? You still there?”
I shake out of my weed fog. “Sorry. Been smoking a little.”
“By yourself? Where are you, Jazz? You scared the shit out of us earlier.”
“My location doesn’t matter. I’m somewhere safe. Swear.”
He sighs heavily. “Why’d you leave, baby girl? What happened?”
“I think you know, Bentley.” I choke back a sob. “And I need you to be honest with me.”
“Are you crying? Tell me where you are, and I’ll come get you.”
I shake my head before realizing he can’t see me. “Tell me, Bentley. Please. ”
He releases a pained groan. “You and Davenport really need to learn how to communicate better. It’d prevent a shit ton of problems. I don’t want to get in the middle of this, Jazz. I wouldn’t have to get in the middle of this if your stubborn asses would just talk to each other . C’mon, Jazzy, you know Kingston has a reason for everything he does. It may not always be the right thing, but he does genuinely believe it’s the best thing to do, whatever the circumstances.”
“So, you’re telling me the best thing to do in this situation was fuck some rando? ”
He doesn’t say anything for at least thirty seconds. “You followed them to that house, didn’t you?”
I belt out a sardonic laugh. “No, I actually followed someone else and got there before them. But yes, I saw Kingston and his father enter the sex club, or whatever it was. I had a clear view of everything from the back door, which means I also saw my supposed boyfriend fooling around with a naked girl right before he disappeared with her down the hall. ”
Damn it. I didn’t mean to tell him that. My high is obviously making me more loose-lipped than usual.
“Jazz, please call him. It isn’t what it looks like. He’s in a really fucked up place right now, worrying about you.”
I sigh. “Am I a hypocrite, Bent? Am I crazy for feeling so betrayed, considering what happened between the three of us that night?”
“Naw, baby. There’s a big difference between stepping out on your boo versus the two of you inviting someone in to play with you. Talk to him, and you’ll see it’s not what it seems. I know my boy, and I know he’d never do something like that to you. You’re his world, Jazzy.”
I look over my shoulder when the door slides open, and Shawn steps out. “You okay out here?”
“Who the fuck is that?” Bentley shouts angrily.
Shawn scowls, obviously hearing Bentley’s words through the phone.
I hold up a finger, asking him to give me a minute.
“Bent, I need to go. I think I just need to sleep this off. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Jazz, wait. Don’t—”
I end the call and pass it back over to Shawn. “Thanks.”
His eyes bounce between mine. “You okay?”
“I really think I need some sleep.” A yawn escapes, further proving my point.
He jerks his head over his shoulder. “You can take my bed. I just changed the sheets.”
“I’m not going to take your bed.”
Shawn puts a hand on each one of my shoulders and starts guiding me down the hallway. “You’re taking the damn bed. I’ll sleep on the couch. Malakai should be home any minute now, and I can’t guarantee he’ll be alone. It’ll be quieter in my room.”