Chapter 24 #2
“Ummm, let me text you, if that’s okay. I need to figure out when I’ll be done here so I’ll know what time I’ll be home. Is that okay?”
“Anything you want is okay with me, Nyelle. How many times I have to tell you that?”
Nyelle’s cheeks hiked again as they warmed.
“I have to go.”
Vega chuckled, knowing why she was rushing him. Nyelle wasn’t used to a real man. In due time she would learn to not only embrace it, but expect nothing less than.
“Aight, Pretty Ny. Go do your thing and I’ma get with you tonight.”
“Akio, I’m fine. Please stop worrying. If you worry, Mom and Dad will worry. I don’t need them stressed.”
“This is bullshit, Sako. You don’t need to be anywhere near that asshole. Why are you doing this?”
Because of you. Because of Mom and Dad. It’s the only way I can be sure that you don’t suffer from the stupid choices I made.
“I’m doing it because I have to, Kio. Just don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Once I’m done, I want to leave town and never come back. I can’t leave if he’s still holding that night over your head.”
Asako massaged her temple then lifted her eyes toward East’s shop just in time to see him exit his barber shop and step next door to the tattoo shop.
Unintentionally, she smiled at how sexy he was.
East was the kind of man you had to admire.
Everything about him drew you in. His physique, the way he moved, the definition of his body, the intimidating scowl always affixed to his face.
Had their worlds merged at a different point in her life, Asako was sure she would have attempted something real with him.
East was the kind of man you wanted to hold onto and not just experience.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re doing. If that were true, none of us would be in this position. I damn near killed a man, and not just any man, a judge’s son all because you were coked up and too out of your mind to know better than to fuck with him.”
“I know. I’m trying to fix things so you don’t have to worry about it anymore. I know you hate the fact that it’s hanging over your head like a dark cloud, lingering in the corner waiting. You can’t truly live until you know it can’t affect your life anymore.”
“Sako…” Kio was just as frustrated as his sister, however, he was her baby brother. And no matter the cost, he would always protect her.
“No, I don’t get it. I messed up. Do you know how that makes me feel? You, Mom, Dad, all of you suffered because of me. Let me fix it.”
“How? This makes no sense.”
“I can’t really explain everything but I’m not in danger. Can you just trust me?” She paused, exhaling softly. “Please?”
“I do trust you. I don’t trust that muthafucker. He has a gun with my fingerprints on it, along with the muthafucker’s blood I almost killed. He has all of us by the balls, Sako. You can’t trust someone like him.”
“I don’t, which is why I’m protecting myself. I promise I’m fine. Please don’t tell Mom and Dad. Just trust me.”
“I love you. You know that right?”
Asako smiled and nodded. Her baby brother did love her. He loved her so much in fact he was willing to take a life and risk his future for her. Had he been caught, it would have ruined his entire future. Jail; no scholarship, no college.
“I know you do and I love you more. I have to go. I’ll call you soon.”
“Be safe and don’t let that pervert touch you again or this time it won’t be attempted murder. That’s my word, Sako.”
She shut her eyes at the thought, while her brother ended the call.
Asako had caused enough issues for her family.
She damn sure wasn’t about to cause more.
Her focus was on getting this money from East in exchange for the gun Patterson was holding.
It was the only proof left from the night and she refused to be under his control any longer.
If he wanted the money, he had to hand over the control.
As if he was reading her thoughts, Patterson was on her line. She answered with the frustration she was feeling. “What?”
“Watch your fucking tone. Have you talked to him yet?”
“No, I just got here. Now let me do what I need to do.”
“You’ve been gone for over an hour. What the hell have you been doing?
” Patterson gritted. He was annoyed. There was a car parked a few feet away at the precinct.
The two men who bruised his ribs a few weeks ago were watching him.
They had been watching him a lot lately and he hated it.
There was no way for him to get money while they followed him around.
It wouldn’t fare well for him to shake down street dealers while they followed him through the city.
He was fucking screwed and dependent on Asako to get money from East.
“I’m doing what the hell I said I was going to do. Now get off my line so I can get it done!” Her voice elevated from the annoyance she felt, and right after, Asako ended the call.
The shop was noisy when she entered but in a matter of seconds all eyes were on her.
The two male clients who had been sitting with their eyes glued to their phones now watched her as she stood in front of the receptionist’s desk.
Asako wore a baby tee that stopped just above her high-waisted jeans, which clung to her curves, exposing ass, hips, and skin from the cutouts placed in various spots.
Her full breasts and tiny waist brought attention to her curvy body, so of course the men were damn near drooling.
Not to mention her fresh cut was on display since her hair was combed to one side, exposing the detailed design East had done a week earlier. It was grown out but still looked good.
“Can I help you, mama?” Pia was pecking away at the keyboard in front of her but still acknowledged Asako.
“Is East here?”
“East?” Pia looked up and frowned slightly.
Her boss had just dipped in not long ago but only to do paperwork.
Although rare, he did occasionally do a few appointments but hadn’t in months.
Pia, along with everyone else in both of East’s businesses, knew he was kicking it with Joi.
She had, in fact, been the only woman who showed up asking for East or the only woman he allowed the privilege of pop ups.
It wasn’t explained to any of them, just understood from watching how their boss moved.
His employees were smart, they learned from paying attention to detail.
East wasn’t the type of man you questioned and damn sure not about his personal life.
“Yes, East. Is he here?” Asako was both nervous and annoyed.
So much so that she began a survey of the small space, hoping to land eyes on him so she didn’t have to account for her presence with anyone but him.
A fine man appeared in the hallway and rounded the corner to land in front of the receptionist’s desk with eyes on Asako, but it wasn’t the right fine man.
She didn’t know this one but apparently he knew her from the curious look on his face.
“Ay, Numbers, she’s here to see East. You wanna handle that?
” Pia passed her off on Numbers, knowing that his bond with East was much tighter than hers.
If conflict was happening, she didn’t want it on her shoulders and Pia actually liked Joi.
She had only been around a few times, but she seemed chill, and hell, in her opinion, anyone who could hold East’s attention must be someone worth liking.
East didn’t fuck with women beyond a nut.
They all knew how he moved, but Joi had been around and had East doing things differently.
“Word?” His eyes moved across Asako’s body, taking her in. His dick twitched a little as he began to rise beneath his jeans. Damn, shorty is fine. She looks familiar too.
“Is he here?” Asako felt the attraction from the caramel cutie admiring her body and beauty.
Had she not been on a mission, she would have easily given him her attention.
His body was littered with colorful art, covering so much of it that she was only sure about the hue of his skin color because of his baby face.
Even there he had a few, next to his ear, above his left brow, and on his right temple.
“I think I know you from somewhere?” Numbers ignored her question as he peered at her while leaning against the counter.
“No, you don’t. I’m not from around here.”
“Word? Where you from? I get around a little bit and your fine ass damn sure looks like I’ve seen you before.
” He was positive he had, he just couldn’t place her.
But a face and body like hers was one to remember.
Since East was on some one-woman type vibe lately, Numbers figured he would shoot his shot.
If East wasn’t currently fucking her, East wouldn’t mind him stepping up.
“Around, and no, you’ve never seen me. Is he here?” Asako was getting nervous. Maybe he did recognize her. She was seconds from leaving when she heard that voice.
“Ay, I need the invoices from last week.”
Asako looked past the handsome face peering at her right into another.
Shit. Her eyes smiled before her lips curved.
East was that man. Cocky, sexy, blunt, and moved like he knew how to please a woman.
There was something about a man with a confident stride that allowed you a preview of other things he was capable of.
“Hey, I was looking for you.” Asako’s voice was cheerful and seductive, which didn’t go unnoticed by East or the others in the shop.
Numbers chuckled and folded his arms across his chest, waiting to see how the exchange would go.
Numbers still wasn’t convinced his boy was tapping out on all other available pussy.
If East was really on some one-woman type vibe, this situation would prove it. Shorty was bad, shit, real bad.
“For what?”
Asako felt the first blow. Damn is he really not entertaining me?