All She Can Take

T H I R T Y - E I G H T

Her lungs weren't letting enough air in. If she kept this up she would surely die. 

Breathe, Sid. Breathe.

She sat stiffly in the seat in the small dining room area that she had been directed to by Luke. He hovered next to her as some sort of enforcer while Kru stood leaning against the kitchen counter directly across from her. He looked the same as he did that day and it angered her. It was even like he was wearing the same clothes. A black t-shirt tucked into the front of his pants and pooled around the back where she was sure she saw the butt of a gun sticking out. Dark was blue jeans. She didn't remember him being so slender. He was built like a baseball player. In her mind, she made him a hulking figure but she was wrong. He was only an inch taller than her.

But that scar remained the same.

How could it be that he looked unbothered after flipping her entire world on its head? He was unnatural. Like pure evil fortified the bones in his body, kept him upright and unscathed. The scent of cedarwood flowed over to her.

"You work here? This place is nice." Kru slid his hand across the granite countertop in true admiration. He leaned in closer to the counter and inspected the surface. He turned to Luke. "I tried to get some shit like this in my crib and the designer talked me out of it. Said it's porous and tough as hell to get stains out of."

"Word?" Luke threw back over to him.

"Yeah, we ended up getting Quartz. It's nice but this shit...I like this." He trailed another finger along the counter-top. A moan escaped from the bathroom and pierced the mindless chatter. Sid's head snapped toward it, expecting some other member of Kru's crew to come out with the barrel of a gun aimed at her head for a surprise kill shot.

But as she squinted into the stinging light of the bathroom her stomach dropped. The sneakers that she bought Phil just a few hours ago were all she could see. The door was partially closed but she was sure that Phil was in there, laying on the floor and hurt. She was on her feet before she knew it, trying to run in to check on him but before she could clear two steps toward him was forced roughly back into the seat. A whimper escaped her throat. Kru looked toward the bathroom as well and shook his head.

"So, I don't know how you got it. I'm going to hope that that nigga," He pointed toward the bathroom, "wasn't stupid enough to give it to you, and at this point, I'm not even tripping over it. Just hand it over."

"I don't have it."

"We checked your crib and we know it ain't there. So, wherever it is, you need to get it and bring it back to me. I really don't want to be going through all this." He seemed mildly annoyed. Like confining her to a suite in her place of work and assaulting his own brother was an inconvenient part of his day. Sid fought the lump in her throat to allow air through. She swallowed and felt sick.

"I spent it." Sid puffed her chest out. Attempting to reclaim some control over the situation. The money was gone and she was glad. She could not imagine giving something to a man that had taken so much from her.

"Oh, yeah? On what exactly? Well, other than the bail money." Kru asked, looking truly pleased with the shocked look on Sid's face. "Yeah, your name and address was all over that shit. Came straight to my mom's spot." Sid felt something crumble inside of her but she tried to look unfazed.

"I was behind on my rent. I bought a car so that me and my kid can get around better...and..." Sid thought twice about mentioning the new apartment that she put a deposit on in Brooklyn Heights. The safety in being able to hide out was important. Him seeking her out and finding her at her new place was something she couldn't imagine. "...and...Student Loans."