The Score (4 page)

LAUREN

T
he entire ride home from the Chanel store I could not stop thinking about the three million dollars. I figured that if Matt did have the correct bank account number and there was in fact that amount of money in that account then all I needed to do was come up with a way of how I was going to get the entire three million dollars out of that account and away from Matt and Yancy without giving them shit. I had a few ideas in mind, but I knew Matt still had that street mindset so I needed to be real careful. Even though Matt was on parole he still had street connections that ran deep enough to wipe me off the face of the earth if he wanted to, so I would have to tread lightly. His accomplice, Yancy, was just a fucking trick we picked up off the streets so she was harmless. All I had to do to her was call her pimp. I'm sure he'd love to know where she was.

As soon as I put my key in the condo door the door swung open, yanked my hand, and scared the holy shit out of me. I came face-to-face with Yancy.

“Um, Lauren.” Yancy gulped like it was a surprise that I was coming into my own place. Her face was scrawled into a disturbed expression that seemed to be a cross between anger and grief. She definitely wasn't too pleased to see me. Too bad though, because this was my fucking house and she was a guest as far as I saw it. And if it were up to me, she'd be gone a long time ago. Lucky for her, Matt kept her onboard for . . . obvious reasons.

“You scared me storming out of the door like that,” I huffed. I could immediately see in her face that she was upset. “Where are you going? Don't we have this big score to discuss?”

I wondered if Matt cursed her out and told her to get the fuck out because she looked totally out of it. Her caramel skin was blotchy and red like she'd been crying and her usual perfectly laid makeup was smudged and crazy-looking.

“Ask your man about it because I need some air,” Yancy said, sounding like she was using every fiber in her body to hold on to her composure. I had known her long enough to know when she was on the brink.

“Take your time,” I replied sarcastically. Truth be told, having her out of my hair was the best thing she could do right now. I've found it very hard to keep up a front in front of her and Matt. To see her anywhere near him made my skin crawl. I loved Matt. So to know that he was dicking Yancy down every time I turned my back felt like a dagger was constantly being thrown at me. So, I hoped she'd find a balcony to jump off while she was out there. Fucking home wrecker!

Once I was inside, Matt came walking down the hallway from the back of our house.

“What's up, bae?” he said, forcing himself to smile. His facial expression was strange-looking. Now that I think about it, it was the same look he wore the very first time I caught him in the act of cheating on me. “You tell me what's up?” I cocked my head to the side and answered him. I knew something wasn't right. I knew Matt very well. He was an open book at the time. So whatever went on between him and Yancy before I got here, I wanted to hear about it. But I wanted to hear it come from his mouth. I've learned that when you start guessing shit, you end up putting words in the next person's mouth.

“Why you looking at me like that?” he asked me. I could tell that his mind was racing. He knew I knew something but what it was, he wasn't sure.

“What's wrong with Yancy? What, y'all had a little fight or something?” I asked as casually as I could.

“Nah, she just got an attitude because I told her to keep a tight lid on spending so much money right now.”

I knew he was lying. Matt never put a cap on how much money any of us could spend. His deception made my pulse quicken and my insides immediately started boiling. I'd been having this feeling a lot lately. It's so far from the feelings I had around Matt when we first got together. I couldn't help but think back to that fateful day. . . .

 

 

 

“Stop being like that, Lauren. You know I would have you with me, but shit is a little sketchy tonight. I'm meeting a new connect from out of town about some business and I don't know the nigga from a can of paint. I need to be on my P's and Q's and if you're there I will be distracted,” Matt said as he softly stroked my long hair. “I can't have that, baby girl. I really need this deal to be official with no worrying and no bullshit.” Matt was laying it on thick and I was playing right along too. The whole time I was thinking,
This nigga thinks I'm stupid.