by H. Q. Frost
I wonder if my mom's boyfriend knows his brother's a crook, slimier than fucks I've met locked up. I really don't want to know what we're transporting, but I've got to set one thing straight.
"Rory, can I talk to you?" I step into the office and he waves me forward. After closing the door, I take a seat across from him. "It's about the side job." I know the door didn't pop open, but I look to make sure it's still closed.
"What about it?" All his attention is on me and I like seeing the beginning stages of worry.
"I don't want details or specifics, but if this is human trafficking, you gotta count me out."
His head throws back as he laughs and leans comfortably in his chair. "You got nothing to worry about there, kid. The product ain't alive."
"That's all I needed." I stand, but before I get far, he calls my name.
"I don't recommend you go snooping though."
"Don't want to know any more than what you've already told me." I exit before I'm told something that'll reach my moral compass.
~~*~~
"So that's it?" I ask CJ as I get into his Durante Sons truck after leaving the one I drove at a closed mechanic shop.
"You just gotta make sure their gate's locked and that's it. This is one of the easier drops, my man. Don't get used to it. Usually there are clearances and pat downs." With a roll of his eyes he shakes his head and I stare at him, wanting more explanation at the same time not wanting to know. Ever.
I walk into the dark house and hear the blare of music coming from the garage so I head that way.
"Tony?" I call out and my eyes land on a sixty-eight Camaro that makes my stomach flip.
I haven't felt this kind of excitement for something since I discovered I could score whey powder while locked up.
"What the hell, Tony," I walk over to the radio and turn it down, which pulls him out from under the beauty. "You've been hiding this from me."
"What?" He gets to his feet and looks back at the all red dream. "The car? She's been in here for the past five years. Hasn't drove in the past four." With a chuckle he pats the frame then walks over to the radio, turning it off. "Your mom home?"
"No." I can't take my eyes from the car as I build the engine in my mind.
"Ya hungry?"
"No. Where'd you get this?" I walk toward the car with the urge to touch the engine.
There should be urges in me to touch something more appealing than this car's engine, but I haven't had them yet, and being this is the first thing I want to get dirty with, it's going to kill me until I do.
"Uh…" He walks toward the car and chuckles. "You like cars?"
"This is my dream car, Tony." I smirk at him. "And I know a thing or two about engines."
"I shoulda known that. You've replaced me as the handyman around here," he mumbles good-humoredly.
Tony is the man I trust to take care of my mom. He's the guy that makes her happy. I didn't think me and Tony would ever have a common ground or reason to bond, but she's been hiding in the garage and I suddenly have more appreciation for him.
~~*~~
It's a good sign when you don't hate waking up and going to work. It's only going on week two but I like the environment, solitude, and steady labor. I also like making an easy two hundred bucks dropping a truck full of God-knows-what off after hours at the mechanic's shop.
"Let's go. No-one wants to work until nine on Thirsty Thursday. Hustle," Rory says, headed for his office.
"Sestak," Keith calls my name as we head out the door. He's my partner for the day and I couldn't dislike the guy more. He stinks and his filth goes beyond regular sweat and dirt from the job. "There's one of the houses on our route I can't hit. Restraining order." He chuckles and I furrow my brows.
"What? Seriously?"
God, the dude fucking sucks!
"You hit it and I'll hit the one across the street. I'm not even supposed to be on the block but." He shrugs and gets in.
You've got to be fucking kidding me. If Rory knows about this shit, I'm going to be pissed.
"Fuck, man. You gotta tell Rory that shit. He coulda swapped you with one of the other guys."
With a shrug he says, "We haven't worked solo yet."
And? It's not like we need to get to know each other. I already have an opinion of the guy. We aren't friends.
While quickly zipping through the front yard of the house Keith can't help me service, I start to hate the job. Last week was simple; I never worked with Keith.
As I head into the back, my eyes land on the girl laying by the pool. Her head lifts when she hears the mower but I quickly look the other way and try ignoring her. When I glance her way she's standing, tying up the top of her suit, but not before I get flashed with a nice pair of tits.
I haven't seen tits in person in years and my dick is like a dog going after a t-bone. Leaning forward, I hide my erection with the pole of the mower and keep my eyes adverted. As I'm riding to the front to get the whacker and get the fuck out of here, I glance toward the pool and see she's just standing there watching me.
When she lifts her hand to wave, I stupidly take my finger off the trigger to wave back and the mower dies, flinging my body forward as the machine instantly halts. Quickly firing it back up, I fly to the truck, almost running over a small garden on my way. Wishing I didn't have to finish servicing this lawn, I slowly walk to the back with the whacker and there she is, standing by the first tree I have to hit. If I didn't just make eye contact, I would have ignored her and started somewhere else. I stupidly looked at the woman that's becoming more appealing than Tony's Camaro, and she's holding up a glass.
"It's hot today," she yells to me as if these headphones are actually affective.
"I don't mind it." I approach and take the glass because it is hot as balls. "Thanks." I gulp down half the drink before realizing it doesn't taste right. My eyes go wide and I look up at her. "Is there alcohol in here?"
"Just a little. What's your name?"
"What the hell's wrong with you?" I shove the glass at her then grab the whacker with both hands.
Deciding to go back to ignoring the woman that seems more attractive than she actually is because I'm a neglected man, I turn away from her. Immediately halting when she steps in my path.
"I asked what your name is."
"Move, please," I yell over the motor.
"That's a shitty name." She doesn't budge and I try to move around her.
I cut the motor. "Dom."
"That wasn't hard, was it?"
"The fuck do you want?" I snap at the pest with nice tits.
"Attention." Her eyes flash to my crotch and I glance around.
This can't be happening right now. Being a man, I barely have reserve. Being a depraved man, I could fuck her against this tree without even knowing her name. But I won't, because I'm going soft and the only thing I want to get off is work, to get a few beers in me. This is probably how Keith got the restraining order.
I roll my eyes and turn back toward the tree. "You're gonna get hurt if you stand too close," I warn her before I start.
Picking up on I'm not interested, she shakes her perky, tan ass into the huge house.
By the time we make it back to the shop I'm on the verge of either murdering Keith, or quitting. I toss the keys at the key rack and almost forget to punch out but CJ reminds me.
"You coming out for drinks?" he asks.
"Man, I can't take anymore of that guy today."
"Who? Keith?" He laughs and I scowl at him. "Everyone feels the same. I'll buy."
As I lift my third beer to my lips and the room is getting blurry I realize I don't have much stamina. The alcohol begins to dilute my sober mind and I start looking around at the women in here. My lack of alcohol stamina also worries me that when the time comes to be with a woman again, I probably won't have much sexual stamina. I've been jerking off, but actually having a woman under me will be a completely different feel. I'm not worried about it. Meaning, tonight I don't giv
e a shit if I blow my load in under five minutes. I'd just be happy it isn't solo.
One of the guys next to me lets out a quiet whistle and I direct my attention to the door where he's staring. "Go get it, Sestak." He laughs and slaps me on the back.
I chuckle and shake my head, looking away from the cute girl. That girl's smile indicates she's looking for trouble, and not the kind I want to be apart of. Just by the way she's dressed is indication she's going to milk every pocket she can. Mine have nothing in them so I'm not interested.
"Hey." She walks over to one of the guys I work with and squeezes between him and CJ.
They seem to know her and as they both order her a drink, I watch her lips slide upward on that pretty face. When her eyes land on me, I look away because that evil smile is beaming my way. I have half a mind to take her into the nasty bathroom and put her on her knees so I can fuck it off her face. I blink a few times and raise my beer to my lips, trying to rid the thoughts because they're making me hard and feel like an asshole. Starving a man of life is dangerous and I think I'm more of a threat than a good book or smooth road anymore.
I ignore the girl that is trying to draw attention like flies to shit but she's like a fucking farm. All her shit is drawing diptera and none of these guys seem to care they all want the same piece. Two guys weasel their way to our table and immediately become hands on with the girl that is suddenly realizing she's made a mistake begging for that kind of attention. I don't feel the need to protect this girl because I'm interested in her. There's not much to like about her; she likes attention, she begs for it, and she doesn't really offer much else but a nice view. But I feel the need to protect her because she's a woman and she's drunk because my coworkers got her to that point.
"You like to dance?" One of the assholes slides his hand up her thigh and she clamps her legs closed, looking at my coworker that's too drunk to notice she needs help.
"Stop," she quietly tells the scumbag and pushes his hand away from her.
He's chuckling and mumbling something as he leans into her and his hands start copping more of a feel. Ever since she pulled these two fucks over, the guys I work with lost interest in her so no-one but me notices this woman's distress.
Getting to my feet, I yank his shoulder back. "You're gonna need to fuck off."
His eyes land on me like he didn't even realize I was sitting right next to them.
"This your girl?"
"No, but you can see she's with us, so why don't you fuck off back where you came from?"
"Sure thing." He gets to his feet and takes her hand, pulling her to stand.
When her eyes land on me, pleading for help, I sigh.
"I said fuck off." I shove him back and grab her arm before she falls.
Pushing her behind me and toward CJ, I head for the asshole, ready for a fight I'm suddenly craving.
"That was the wrong move, pussy," he threatens and swings.
I dip my head before he connects and the force of his swing sends him off kilter so I take him to the floor with a slam after lifting him off his feet with my shoulder in his gut. I swing twice before an arm wraps around my throat and drags me to my feet.
"Cool it, Dom!" Rory screams in my ear when I try to fight him off. "Everyone clear out! Clear out!" he screams, still holding me back even though I've stopped fighting.
The work crew quickly exits and I don't see what happens to the asshole that tried to fight me because Rory drags me outside, shoving me once we cross the threshold.
"What the hell are you doing?" he screams. "Get in my fucking truck, now!"
"I got him, boss," CJ says, saving my ass.
"You boys need to get the fuck out of here before the cops come," Rory growls at us.
"Where'd he come from?" I mumble as I head for CJ's car.
"I don't know, man. Showed up out of nowhere."
That felt too damn good and I'm disappointed Rory was there to break it up before I got it all out of my system. I watch Rory walk into the bar, smoothing his hair back and I sink down into my seat, hoping my actions don't fuck with my job.
"Where you headed?" I ask CJ as the unfamiliar scenery passes by in flashes because I'm drunk.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not done drinking." He glances over at me. "You down to chill at my friend's? Maybe smoke a little?"
Trouble's following me tonight and I should get my ass home. I've never been one to take good advice so I go with him to this party in hopes I can finish the next fight I start. I'm not going to fight just anyone, the first guy I see that pisses me off is the lucky winner though. Just as I spot some asshole drop something into the drink of an unsuspecting girl, I get a text.
IESHA: I hate to ask but he's comin to collect 2nite. I'm scared
Her text isn't really asking anything and I'm not sure if she needs the money or protection. I shove my phone in my pocket just before I reach the dick and clueless chick.
"Hey, don't drink that," I tell her before tipping the cup on his shoes.
"Bro! You gotta be fuckin' with me."
The urge I had to fight tonight is gone. All that's on my mind is to get to Iesha's, so I swing, hooking him in the jaw and he goes down. There are a few people panicking, a few coming to his defense, a few cheering, but I start walking away.
"He's got Roofies in his pocket," I mumble while I step around the gawkers. CJ is pushing through people to get to me but I cut him off, "Aye, I need a ride like right now. I'll throw you some cash."
"No problem. What the fuck was that about?" He's close behind, probably waiting for retaliation for what I did, but it doesn't come.
Probably too fucked up to be behind the wheel, he's driving me out of the city laughing his ass off about me cold-cocking the dick that drugged the drink.
"Who the fuck lives here?" he asks when we pull onto Iesha's street.
"A buddy's girl and her kids. She texted me she's got some shit goin' down and it's only her and her two little boys at home."
"Where's your buddy? Why ain't he with his girl?"
"Dead." I point out the house. "Right there." I put forty dollars in the cup holder. "Thanks, man. I owe you." Pushing open the door, I get my foot out before he stops me.
"You want me to stick around? You alright?"
"Actually…" I stare at the dark house a minute. "You wouldn't happen to be packin' would you?"
"Shit." His hands rub over his hair. "No, man. Dom, what the fuck's goin' down here tonight?"
"I'll catch up with you tomorrow. Thanks." I jump out before he can stop me and I jog to the front door.
It opens before I even knock and Iesha quickly pulls me inside.
"They haven't been here yet. I don't know why he's comin' early and I didn't know who to contact. He ain't comin' for money. He knows I won't have none till next month." She's pacing and on the verge of hyperventilating so I grab her shoulders, because as much beer as I've put down tonight, this behavior's going to bring it back up.
"Where are the boys?"
"Asleep. In my room."
"Where's your gun?" I'm still holding her in place because she's wound up like a toy and as soon as I let go, the pacing will start again.
"Here." She shoves the weapon at me and I push it into the back of my pants.
"Iesha, calm down, okay?" I can't take a panicked woman right now, I'm too drunk.
"He texted he'd be here soon." She holds out her phone in a trembling hand and I read the message.
The name at the top of the screen makes me pause and I look into her face.
"That's Rupe's brother," I calmly say and she starts to nod. "Son of a bitch." I let her go and head for the couch, needing to wrap my head around this bullshit. "I'm drunk." With my admittance I swipe my hands up my face and over my head.
"I didn't know who else to call." The look on her face while she stares at her phone makes me start to shake from anger.
"It's fine," I snap getting to my feet. "Where is this fucker?" I tug on the dingy curtain
too hard and the rod falls. "Fuck."
"Get out of the window." She's pulling me back while I'm fighting to get the rod back up. "Dom!" she yells at me and I freeze, looking down at her.
Our eyes connect and suddenly she's invited. More like showing up to the party without an invitation, but she grabs the back of my neck at the same time lifts to her toes and her mouth is on mine. I let alcohol take the wheel and it's driving as recklessly with this kiss as I would in a vehicle right now. A car door slamming makes me yank away from her and I look out the window. Seeing the same two fucks from that day walking up to her house, my rage skyrockets. Pissed I made out with Rupe's girl, pissed I was dragged away from a fight, and pissed these assholes showed up, I yank open the door at the same time their feet hit the driveway.
The gun I took from Iesha is in his face. "Get on your knees!" screams from me like it's not midnight with sleeping kids in the house. "On your knees!" I scream again until he drops.
"Dom!" Iesha keeps frantically screaming at my back.
"I'll fucking blow his head off right now. Just tell me! Fucking tell me!" My head jerks back and forth to look at her and the fucker on his knees.
"You do that and he's going to shoot you," the guy on his knees says without moving his raised hands, and that's when I look toward the other guy aiming at us.
"Fuck you!" I snarl and glance back at Iesha. "Fucking tell me," growls from me again.
"Don't. Don't do it," she stutters.
"Get the fuck out of here. She doesn't owe you shit. Repeat after me, asshole." I press the barrel harder against his forehead. "She doesn't owe you shit." When he doesn't talk I jab the barrel harder into his flesh. "Say it!"
"She don't owe me."
"The motherfucker's crazy, Andre. I'll cap 'em both," his partner says, moving the gun back and forth from me to Iesha.
"Don't pull that trigger, Moby." Andre's eyes shift but he doesn't move.
"Leave her the fuck alone. Do yourself a favor and reverse the roles of her and your brother. She's fucking dead to you."
While he gets to his feet, I leave the gun aimed on him and don't move from the driveway until they're in the Cadillac driving away.
Iesha's dragging me back into the house and I don't want to go. I want to leave, but she's trembling and I feel guilty for that.
