Free Last Bitch Standing by Deja King Page A

normally I
would be glued. But at this moment, I was straining my
ear trying to listen to every word Arnez was spitting out
of his mouth. After forty minutes of a heated exchange,
he finally ended the call and pounded his fist on the table. I didn't say shit. I kept pretending that the showdown
between Victor and his son Adam had my full attention.

    "Describe the man you saw when you went to the
bathroom."
    "Huh?"
    "The man you saw on the phone, describe him." I
can't front, it took me a minute to process what the fuck
Arnez was saying. For one, he hadn't really said more than
a couple of words to me since we got to this rundown
motel in some backwards ass town in Pennsylvania. Then,
I almost forgot my own lie because his question was so
fuckin' out the blue it threw me off.
    "Oh, you talking about at the restaurant," I said,
buying myself some time to conjure up a bullshit
description of some fictitious nigga that I didn't see on
my way to the restroom. But instead I did what came
easier. I described the nigga I was lusting after in the
elevator.
    "Of course, where else would I be talking about?"
    "Don't mind me, I was so caught up in my soap, I
wasn't really paying attention to what you said."
    "Ok..." he nodded his head but at the same time
letting me know to get to it.
    "He was medium height and build, maybe a shade
darker than you with a low haircut but had waves. He
sported a thin mustache and was very well dressed."
    "That sound like that nigga Delondo!"
    "Who?"
    "Delondo ... this nigga I'm having some serious beef wit'. I can't believe that motherfucker had his men
come up in the Lacroix blasting like that. But then again
it would be the perfect spot to catch me off guard. It
would've worked if it hadn't been for you."

    I sat silent and baffled for a few. Is he saying what I
think he's saying... that the hit was for him? That Devon
wasn't even in that spot looking for me he was coming
for Arnez. Wow, that is some crazy shit right there. So the
dude on the elevator was a nigga named Delondo that
Devon was working for? If this is true then shit did work
out in my favor because Arnez looking at me like I saved
his life and technically I did although initially I was tryna'
save my own.
    "I'm glad I saved your life but it wasn't my intention
to get in the middle of some beef between you and some
man."
    "Why were you there anyway? I don't remember
seeing you with anybody."
    "I was visiting from out of town and was supposed
to be meeting a friend but at the last minute he couldn't
make it. Since I was already at the restaurant and hungry,
plus my hotel room was at the Rittenhouse, I figured I
should stay and have dinner."
    "I'm glad you did, luck was on my side. But I
promise you, Delondo won't be so lucky. This the second
bodyguard I've lost behind that nigga."
    At first I couldn't believe dude was speaking so freely
in front of me but then I thought about the circumstances.
He almost got killed. He does believe I saved his life. Then when he was on the street running for cover I gave
him a ride. Now we're hauled up in this motel because
he's hiding out. He probably needs someone to express
his frustrations to and I'm the only outlet he got.

    "Listen, I'm happy I was able to help you out but I
need to be going. I have a flight to catch and I need to
get back to my hotel." What I was saying was a bunch of
bullshit but the nigga could never know that I had actually
tracked him down and I was exactly where I wanted to
be. As long as I played the role of wanting to get away
from his ass I shouldn't raise any suspicion.
    "You can't leave."
    "Excuse me?"
    "I need you to stay here, you have a car."
    "I'll drop you off wherever you want to go. I'm sure
you have friends in Philly."
    "In the business I'm in, I don't have friends only
business associates and people that work for me. But
after last night, I don't know who is looking out for me
or who might hand me over to