"How's everything going?"
"Smoothly, she's moving silently as you suspected."
"..."
The line was quiet for minute causing the person on the receiving end to pull their burner phone back in confusion until they heard a loud gruff and put it back to their ear.
"I wasn't asking about her but that's good. Long as she doesn't get too suspicious, we're good."
"Don't you think this is getting out of hand, she's a human?"
"No, she's valuable to my operation. Just find someway to get her back."
"It'll take some time, I've known her for almost a year and we've—"
"I don't give a damn about the excuses, just do as I say and continue to watch her...let me know if anything happens."
"Uhm, okay, but—" hearing the scaring sound of a growl cause the receiver to gulp their spit. They hated asking questions but they were in this with a blindfold on so questions were bound to become curious. Especially since they were playing with someone's life.
"What?!"
"I-I just—what's your plan with her? Like what are you going to do after you—"
"SO BOLD of you to question me, really!" There was a deep, humorless chuckle causing them to regret it. "Im paying you well to do as I say with no questions but what you really should be asking what'll happen if you don't do as I say. Got it?"
There was a long pause on their end. They didn't even know how they got themselves into this situation but all they knew was there was no way out. Only by death and they had to much to live for.
"Got it."
"Kel, please leave me alone." Zuri mumbled, sinking into her bed a little. It was 7 in the morning and she was woken up by her boyfriend who was currently chewing her head off because she'd been MIA for a few days now.
"Fuck you mean leave you alone? I ain't heard from yo' ass in days, so no I'm not gon'—"
"I'm fine, though so you don't have to worry." She cut him off and her voice came out annoyed.
There silence on the other end then she heard Kel chuckle, sending a weary chill down her spine.
"Zuri, don't play wit' me right na'. You think shit sweet but I'm not fuckin' around. You don't just go ghost on muhfuckas—I don't give a fuck if you was on cloud nine, let me know so I'm not sittin' hea' worryin' about yo' ass! You lucky I ain't popped up on yo, yet."
Kel spoke calmly into Zuri's ear but she knew he was anything but calm. Zuri hated that he was upset with her but things needed to change and she didn't know how to go about it.
"Kel.." Zuri started but tried to find the right words to say. She could hear his breathing through her ear and she wanted nothing more than to cry and tell him where her head was at, at the moment. But she couldn't. Instead she did what had to be done.
"I can't do this anymore." That expression, it was easier said than done, was a complete lie because her heart shattered and her bottom lip quivered. She quickly bit to not provoke the tears.
"Hell—fuck is you sayin'? Man, I'm on my way—"
"No! Kel, I-I just...I need space. I'm not—can you please just let me be." As the words poured out like silk, the further she feel her heart being ripped from her chest. But she quickly realized she was doing this to protect them both.
Silence again fell between the call and this time she could hear Kels breathing quicken.
"Zuri, let's talk about this. Can I please come over? This shit came outta nowhere cause we was just good—more than good a few days ago." He pleaded. Zuri closed her eyes and swallowed her spit before clearing her throat.
She took a deep sigh and finished what she had to say. "I'm sorry, Kel, but I can't. I uhm, I gotta go." Before he could respond she ended the call and tossed her phone to sighed.
Even though it hurt like hell, she kept repeating to herself that it had to be done.
"Tone, I can't come in today. I even wrote it on the board."
"And I get that, Zuri. But the shop busy as hell and I can't get around ta' doin' last weeks reports. You know when it get like 'dis, we gotta be the firsts in hea'."
Zuri was currently arguing with Tone about her schedule. Since she was now the co-owner, it was mandatory that she came into the barbershop at least 5 days out of the week and Zuri wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the opportunity she was given so she took the toll as being a 'boss' seriously. But some things had to be sacrificed when being your own boss.
She was running a business alongside Antonio, so even if she did go into the shop 5 days throughout the week, when it go busy, the ones in charge were the ones that had to step up first. It'd been like this for awhile now though. Zuri not having any time to herself because she was constantly working and ontop of that, finals were approaching. She was nothing more than stress but she felt like she had something to prove. But she didn't know who anymore.
She sighed, pulling the phone away from her ear and laying her head on her steering wheel. She'd just finished her first and only class of the day which was a lab—8:30 to 12:30. She was nothing more than tired because they'd been doing prep work for the end of the semester the entire class time. Her brain was fried at the moment and she didn't know if she could handle another 6 hours on her feet.
"How busy is it?" Zuri finally spoke into phone and there was clear annoyance in her tone.
"Don't matta' how busy it is, you just need ta' get hea'. I thought you was ready fa' this but if you gon' have an attitude when shit get tough, then maybe—" He didn't get to finish what he was saying since Zuri had hung up the phone. She didn't need Tone's judgement at the moment, she had enough on her plate at the moment.
Zuri threw her phone into the passenger seat and sat up in the drivers, resting her head on the headrest. She wanted nothing more than to cry at the moment.
The entire week had been filled with nonsense and an emotional rollercoaster. Her depression was evidently back and Zuri had received some unfortunate news.
This is what she meant when she said she couldn't stay happy for long. Something always came and knocked her down when she was finally getting around to standing tall. The only kind of solace she received was when she was around Kel. He brought her comfort and made her forget about all her worries. It isn't until she's alone when reality sets back in and she realizes he can't protect her from the world.
Not anymore.
Zuri was at a point in life where she didn't know whether she should keep going or give up. The stakes were high now that her father was out. Life just got a whole lot more devastating.
After a long breakdown, Wendy's stop and a trip to get gas which all took about 40 minutes, Zuri was now walking into the shop and it was clear she wasn't all in at the moment. Tank was the first to notice her walking to the back, eating her spicy chicken nuggets.
Since he didn't have a client at the moment. He stood up and followed her.
"You ain't bring none to share?" He teased as Zuri sat in her office chair and sat the Wendys bag on the desk. She looked up at Tank with a blank face causing his smile to drop.
"What's wrong wit' you?" He asked with genuine concern but he didn't get a answer before Tone walked through the door and glared at Zuri.
She focused on the report papers that were on her desk, not paying either of the men any mind.
"Tank, you got a head." Tone dismissed his bestfriend, but he was clearly annoyed at the moment. Still, Zuri didn't acknowledge them.
Tank looked between the two before shaking his head and leaving the office. Once the door closed, Tone stood in front of Zuri's desk glaring down at her with his arms crossed.
"I can feel your hostility and if you came in here to breathe down my neck about that bullshit over the phone, you can leave."
Tone looked at Zuri as if she had two heads. She'd never spoke to him like that so he was taken aback, but they were currently at work so he was far from in the mood to joke with her.
"This is a fuckin' business, bro. When shit needs ta' be done, you, as co-owner gotta be hea'. Ion see why that sound so hard." Tone kept a calm demeanor, not wanting things to escalate.
Zuri didn't respond immediately. Instead she drunk some of her strawberry lemonade, continuing to look over the reports and records from the salon. Since they were one fo the top hair businesses in New York at the moment, they were making a lot more money than Zuri would've expected if she hadn't been promoted.
"I know you hea' me—this what I was talm bout be'foe yo' ass hung up on me. Maybe you not ready." He sighed seeing that Zuri wasn't the slightest bit interested in what he was saying.
It took her moment, but she finally looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "At first I was ready for this shit and now I'm not because I didn't want to come in but look, I fucking came in, Antonio. I'm here! What else do you want? I don't need you breathing down my back about this every time, I know what I'm doing."
Tone was about to respond but Zuri's phone ringing stopped him. She saw Kel was calling but declined it since she knew she'd probably upset him with her attitude. There was no telling what she'd say.
"Clearly you don't. The first thing you should've done when I called you was get down hea' and get shit done. That's how a business is ran, Zuri."
"I know that, you don't think I know that?" Considering she was a business major, she was very aware on how to run a business.
Zuri could feel the headache coming as she raised her index and middle finger to her temple and started rubbing it. She felt like whatever Tone was trying to lecture her about was pointless.
Maybe he's bored.
"Maybe I chose wrong." Tone tried to whisper as he looked around the office and rubbed his hand over his waves. Zuri slowly looked up at him with a frown before chuckling and shaking her head.
Another thing to add to my list. I'm too stressed the fuck out.
Zuri had had enough of people talking down on her. She grew up in that environment and not to mention this was the second time someone she'd let close to her doubted her. She was clearly choosing to let the wrong people into her life. And for the one who'd helped her navigate life doubt her abilities, hurt. But she'd never admit it because that's just how she was.
"Fuck you and fuck this. I'm done." Zuri spoke loud and clear as she gathered her things. Tone quickly darted his eyes to her in confusion and shock.
"Fuck you mean?" Tone scrunched his face up watching Zuri move around the office, putting things she'd brought to make it fit her into her her purse.
She continued to pack up her things before walking over to her desk and snatching up the rest of her wendys and bumping past Tone and out of the office. All eyes were on her as she passed by customers and employees, everyone noticing the pissed off look.
She was seconds away from leaving out the door before she heard something that really put the icing on the cake and there was no turning back on her next actions.
"Sajah shole said she wouldn't last a year in her spot. Bitches wannabe but can't be." It was as if all hell broke loose, the fire being Zuri's alternate ego. The one that'd been dormant since she was 15 years old. The person she hated and dreaded of ever becoming again.
One second Zuri was standing by the door and the next, one of the employees from the salons head was being banged against the marble floor.
There were a bunch of oo's and phones out recording yet no one jumped to stop the commotion, mainly out of shock because no one had ever seen Zuri act like this.
But she knew this was coming. She knew that darkness she suppressed for years was bound jump out and she'd had a shitty week already, the comment hadn't moved her but it was the final thing that was needed to get her to this breaking point.
Finally feeling arms wrap around her waist and pick her up, Zuri didn't hesitate to release the girls head and watch it drop to the floor in the pile of blood as she was being carried away with a menacing smile tugging on her lips.
She was soon outside and put onto her feet and saw Bean was the one that carried her outside. She was panting and trying to fix her small knotless braids that were now out of its ponytail.
Bean stared down at her in shock and amusement, not knowing what to say. Instead he opted to look around, they both heard all the chatter from the shop. Minutes after standing in silence, the shops doors opened and out walking Tank and a few customers. They all surrounded Zuri but Bean and Tank pushed them back when they were getting too close.
Tank turned to her with a smirk. "Welp, she ain't gon' be sayin' shit fa' awhile." He joked and a few of the customers laughed.
"Hell yeah, she bout dead as hell. Say, I'm scared of you na'." Someone said but Zuri wasn't paying attention to any of them. She was instead leaning against a pole, drumming her fingers against her thigh trying to calm herself down.
The door to the shop opened again and Tone appeared with a hard glare his eyes soon landing on Zuri. The chatter amongst the crowd stopped once they saw him and everyone went back into the shop.
"You fired." Was all he said and Zuri would've let it been that but something inside of her had to get the last word.
She released a humorless chuckle. "Ion know if it won't clear but I quit, the fuck?" Tone looked down the street then back at Zuri, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip.
Soemtbring was definitely wrong. It was as if that sweet little girl he basically raised from her teen years to her adult life did a complete 180. "Fuck is wrong witchu, Z? Whea' is alla' 'dis comin' from, cause we was just laughin' and chillin' days ago? Na' you got an attitude and beatin' bitches head in the floor."
He looked off then back to Zuri. "I heard you ended shit wit' Kel...what's going on, Z?"
Zuri stood off with her arms crossed with a blank face.
"You lucky no fed shit go on 'round hea' cause I could lose my business..." Tone trailed off and both their eyes turned to the door to the shop being opened and out walked Caylin, the girl that opened her mouth, with another employee from the salon, holding her up. Zuri scrunched her face up see how badly she went in on the girl and something inside of her sparked then a smirk graced her face.
Still got it.
Caylin made eye contact with Zuri was standing with a devious grin on her face and she quickly looked away as she and the girl helping her walked to her car and they sped off.
"I rocked her shit." Zuri said more so to herself and Tone mugged her.
"You outta line. What the hell is goin' on wit' you?"
Zuri slowly turned to looked at Tone and her smile dropped and she rolled her eyes, adjusting her purse that Tank had brought out to her after she was carried from the shop.
"I'm tired, Antonio and my legs are killing me so I'm gonna go. It was nice working with you until it wasn't." Zuri said in a monotone and didn't give him a chance to respond before she sped walked to her car and hopped inside. After the car roared to life, she quickly drove away from the shop, hopefully to never see it again.
Life had a funny way of showing Zuri that there was no love to be given especially when no love was shown. Just when she thought she was living with some kind of purpose she realized continuing this life was really a waste.
So much hidden potential, gone and wasted.
"Sir, she did it. What's next?"
"We make our approach. Time to get my little menace back."
Zuri had locked herself in her apartment for the remainder of the day. Her phone was on silent and she had all her loved ones worried about her but she was more focused on packing up her bags and getting the hell out of dodge.
She couldn't have her life taken from her and she was just making it count. He was back and that could only mean thing.
He was trying to bring her back.
Zuri's childhood was more than just rocks and stone. She lived a double life and she didn't want to be put back in that space, so after receiving news her dad was released from jail and little warnings about his return from him since, she'd been tying up loose ends in her own way and was going to do what she did best.
Run.
As she was rushing around her apartment trying to get everything sorted, she heard a knock at her door and paused.
It could've been a number off people she knew and she knew they were bound to pop up on her especially since she'd been avoiding them. She knew Tone had informed everyone about what happened at the shop and she felt horrible for how everything played out but she was already on edge and anything, small or big, couldn't set her off. And when she did, she made irrational decisions.
Zuri tried to stay as quiet as possible as she made her way to her door. She peeked through the peek hole to be sure of whoever was behind the door but it was covered. She backed up as at knocking continued.
She looked around and realized there was no way to escape.
I can't believe this shit is happening.
Just as she figured the person had left, her heart fell to her ass hearing his voice after years of trying to forget it.
"I know you're in there. I'm home, Jazuri."
With what purpose? She knew she lived life to the fullest. Or so she thought.
꧁_________________꧂
{A/N}
This is the end of this book! Finally:(
I'm most definitely considering making a second book just because I enjoyed this storyline and I kinda wanna extend it.
I loved this book and as some of you may or may not know, it was my second works after I took down Alamay's battlefield—which is still being edited.
I am popping out with another book—completely unrelated to With Purpose. Give it a day or two, I just want to make sure this book is finally over before jumping back into another.
But with that being said, I hope you guys aren't two upset about the ending and if it makes you feel any better, there might be more in store ;)
Till next time,
Peace, love and everything above.
Completed- 9/4/2022