Forever (sequel to The Hostage)

3

Brittany's POV
The next day, we all drive back home. Santana, Quinn and Tina come in the car with me, and it's chaos in another level. Tina has an impressive collection of Nicki Minaj songs that she can rap from memory, and Santana joined in on the chorus. Quinn was experiencing a hangover, and we had to stop the car three times so she could dry heave at the side of the road.

I'm surprised Quinn actually drank that much. Usually she doesn't drink anything. It's to do with her parents being alcoholics, and after she saw what it can do to people, she never wanted to be like that.
But sometimes she lets go a little, just to feel normal.

We eventually get back to Lima, and everyone goes back to work. Me and Quinn have a list of people we need to collect money from, and Mercedes needs to transfer our money to all the different accounts, as not to raise suspicion.

But Quinn is still unwell, so I take Santana with me instead. Things don't usually get violent, but we both have a gun, just in case. Our first stop is a dodgy shop, a few blocks away. The owner , Ms. Ruby, likes to see how long she can go without paying us, but she never actually argues.

When I ask Santana to come with me, she practically starts dancing on the spot. When she calms down, she's more serious.
S-"What if I get shot?"
B-"You won't. And anyway, we have guns."
S-"Okay. And do I have to say anything?"
B-"I'll do the talking. Just stand there and look threatening. Frown, and cross your arms."

Right now she's fiddling with the zips on her leather jacket. I catch her eye in the rear view mirror.
B-"It's going to be fine. I do it all the time."
S-"I'm fine. Seriously. But has anything ever gone wrong? Like, ending up in death?"
B-"Uhm, a couple of times. But that was because some creep started coming onto Quinn, while I was in the back storeroom getting my money. She shot him, and we had to get away fast."
S-"Oh. Was she okay?"

She really wasn't. She was scared, and had problems sleeping and eating. It just shook her, how bold he was and how she could have been hurt, if she didn't have a gun.

B-"She got over it. But San, you'll be fine. I'm here."
S-"Mhm."

She looks away, out the window. There's not much to look at. Boarded up windows, trash gathering in alleys and stairwells, buildings that are barely standing. Lima Heights is hell.

We get to the store, and Santana seems to have worked herself up to this. When Ms. Ruby sees us come in, she closes the shop and takes us into the back room. I mentally check off the exits, and stand as close to the door as possible. My hand rests on my hip, just above my gun.

As Ms. Ruby bends over and gets the money, I glance across at Santana. I wink at her, and she smiles briefly, before the glare comes back on as the owner stands up again.
R-"Here you are Pierce. Where's other Blondie?"

I take the money without a word, and walk out the door, Santana following behind me. We get out to the car, and I drive about a block in the other direction, before I stop and take the money out of my pocket, and put it in the glovebox. That's when Santana speaks.
S-"Britt! You were so scary, I literally got shivers."
B-"I have to be scary. Look at what it pays."

I open the compartment, and show Santana the thick wad of dollar bills.
S-"Damn. Not bad for a drug dealer."

We drive onto our next place. This is closer to central Lima, and the streets already look nicer. I park outside an apartment block, and get out. Santana follows me, looking up at the building.
S-"This looks kind of fancy. You sure this is the right place?"
B-"Yeah. The person doesn't actually live here. It's an empty apartment. They just meet here."
S-"Do you know anything about them?"
B-"Nope. I don't know their age, gender, or even what they look like. They wear a mask, and don't speak at all."
S-"Weird."
B-"But they always end up paying the most. So it's fine. And I don't tell them anything about me."