Page 15

Fourteen

What’s wrong with me? I asked myself that question every thirty minutes, since Natavi and I left my house to go eat and then shop. I don’t know what changed between her and I. My chest kept doing this weird shit like tightening, each time I stared into her big innocent eyes.

I sat on a bench, admiring Natavi from a distance. She talked to a sales clerk like she owned the furniture store. She knew about fabrics and everything else that she laid eyes on. I was still stuck on the fact that I actually was out and about at a big mall shopping with a woman, instead of being on duty standing in the shadows watching Detavio.

I barely went anywhere, most of the time it felt like I didn’t belong. I embraced the role as a chief guard for Detavio because I scared people easily. But here, Natavi was beside me the entire time since we stepped into the mall with a quiet smile on her beautiful face. She gave me this look that told me without words that she saw the parts of me that I kept hidden in the dark without saying it.

I bowed my head and rubbed the side of my face feeling tensed about this entire situation.

“Come on, they don’t have what I was looking for here. When we get home, I can order online using your card, it’s easier that way.” She shrugged and held her hand out.

The word that stuck out that she used was home. It was obvious that Natavi had grown very comfortable with me. Excitement danced in her eyes as I stood up. I looked down at my clothes and shook my head. Instead of my regular dusty black clothes that I wore on a day-to-day basis, Natavi convinced me to wear something different.

I never let a woman dress me, but Natavi stormed into my room and picked out some tan Levi jeans. She complained about my lack of nice clothes by saying I had all of that money in the basement and nothing decent to put on. Natavi was feisty but entertaining.

“Are you tired? We can go and get another snack, we probably worked off the breakfast that we had earlier,” She said softly, her voice sounded like a lullaby in the chaos of the busy store.

“I’m fine.” I partially lied.

We had been here for three hours, and in just those three hours we went back to my truck at least three times to put bags of clothes and shoes inside of my trunk. Natavi went crazy picking out shoes for not just herself but me. Jean, shirts, dress clothes to go out in that I never planned on putting on and a lot of other shit that I felt was unnecessary.

I eyed the crowd of people that seemed to swirl around us in a blur. I held her hand with one hand with my other hand resting on my waist just in case I had to pull my gun out. People moved in all directions, heads down, phones in hand, again I felt like I didn’t belong. My world was quieter, smaller, and way darker than all the colors moving in front of me.

“Just a couple more stores, then we can head over to Living Spaces. Since I have a couple of weeks left at your house, I’m going to need a comfortable bed, hell, you need one too.” She shook her head then tightened her grip in my hand.

She pulled me through the mall, walking faster than I normally walk.

“There’s nothing wrong with our beds.”

“It is! They hard as hell and?—”

A broad shoulder collided with hers as she walked in front of me gripping my hand. It jarred her off balance and for a split second, I blacked out, ready to pull my gun out and shoot the clumsy idiot that bumped into Natavi. He bumped her so hard that she let go of my hand and fell, which angered me further.

“Damn, watch where the fuck you walking. Always in a rush to spend the next man’s money,” he stated casually laughing.

I ignored him with the need to murder him riding me hard. The mall was alive, too many people walked past us for me to do anything, but I had to do something. I sized him up, he was no match for a fist fight but he was worthless in my eyes. His short chubby frame with deep crater sores messing up his light skinned complexion told me that he rode a delusional ego.

I looked down into Natavi’s eyes, her natural curly lashes framed her eyelids perfectly. I crouched beside her with concern and something deeper that I couldn’t name right off the back caused my chest to tighten.

“You, okay?” I asked her.

Natavi’s eyes hit the ground, unsure but nevertheless, she nodded her head yes. I could tell that she was embarrassed. I pulled her up to her feet and really took in her looks. Natavi was tall, at least 5’10, and her skin was a bright golden color that was now beet red. Even with her feeling however she felt right now, a person wouldn’t be able to deny her of her raw beauty.

Her nose was straight with rounded nostrils that flared as she took in deep breaths. Natavi’s lips pouted out as she started to rub up and down her arm. I observed her at my house and noticed that she rubbed up and down her arms when something was bothering her.

“Howard, you did that shit on purpose. Move around.” Natavi hissed at this dead man walking.

I turned to her and slowly reached up to fix the strands of her that stuck to her diamond shaped face. I locked eyes with her and shook my head no. Natavi had her hair in a high curly ponytail with a small part and long bangs framing each side of her face. I thought the hair style was nice, it fit her face, but Howard-the-Coward just had to go and fuck it all up. He ruined a good day for all of us, especially myself. I never in my life walked around the mall with a beautiful woman who wasn’t ashamed to hold my hand in public. I instantly felt challenged. I tried to force myself to think rationally, but was that really even me? Hell fuckin’ no.

“Don’t say shit to him,” I said in a low menacing tone.

With my rough hands, I grabbed either side of her face and pecked her lightly on the forehead. Her big eyes grew big in surprise, then she did something that I didn’t expect her to do for me…Natavi blushed; she blushed so hard that her cheeks tinted up bright red.

“You sure you good, Tavi?” I asked her once more before I gave this Howard-the-Coward guy my undivided attention.

“Yes, Monni. I’m okay… I’m just ready to go now, he ruined my mood.” Her voice elevated a little.

“Okay,” I simply said then grabbed her hand as I turned toward Howard.

“Behind me,” I stated without looking over at Natavi.

Once I was sure that she got behind me, I stepped further into Howard-the-Coward’s face and grilled him.

“You miss her?” I sneered, looking down at his short frame.

I could smell the fear reeking from his pores. He stuttered with his eyes wild, looking around at everyone in passing except maintaining eye contact with me.

“No, I, I didn’t mean to?—”

“There you are, babe! I’ve been looking all over for you. Here, hold these and let’s go over to the food court.” A pretty Asian woman walked up with a high-pitched voice holding too many designer bags for her tiny, short frame.

Howard-the-Coward quickly turned away from me to busy himself to gather up all of her bags. The woman made eye contact with me; she turned her lip up like there was something pungent in the air.

“Oh!” She exclaimed, as she clutched her imaginary pearls.

“Is this your uh, friend?” She asked Howard-the-Coward. He quickly shook his head no and walked away from me toward the food courts.

“Sorry for that. Howard was one of my clients that wanted to actually be with me. He’s a pig and he?—”

“No need to explain, you’re no longer a part of that lifestyle anymore. I’m hungry, I can go for some food as well.” I grabbed Natavi’s hand and walked in the same direction as Howard the fuckin’ coward.

“Has anyone ever told you how handsome you look with those gold grills?” Natavi asked before taking a big bite from the large pizza slice I bought her.

“No,” I answered her.

“They look good on you; the gold goes with your complexion.” She complimented me, something that I wasn’t used to at all.

“Okay.” I picked up my slice of pizza then folded it in half before taking a big bite.

“When somebody tells you that you look good, you say thank you, Monni.” She playfully rolled her eyes.

“Thank you.” I mocked her voice, making her laugh.

I was in the mood to fuckin’ kill, Howard-the-Coward put me in that zone. When he saw me and Natavi walking together, he disrespected me by bumping into her, like I was some fuckin’ pussy.

“Why and when did you get them?” Natavi asked, she loved getting me to talk.

She was nosy as hell like most women were, I didn’t care to talk right now but I didn’t want to upset her. What? I asked myself, not being able to remember the last time I gave a damn about upsetting anyone except…Emi.

“My teeth were knocked out years before I came to the states…” My words trailed off as my eyes landed on Howard-the-Coward from far across the food court walking toward the bathroom.

I eyed his girlfriend; she was too busy letting her food get cold as she held her phone up to take selfies of herself.

“I got to use the restroom.” I stood and walked away with no further explanation.

Howard-the-Coward was oblivious, he walked with casual arrogance, unaware of his next and final destination. A familiar tension coiled in my chest, a mix of anger and all of the restraint that I had back when he bumped Natavi down to the ground around dozens of people emerged from the depths of my darkened being.

A thrill of anticipation gnawed at me. I was once powerless. Now in this moment, I felt powerful. I was in control; nobody would never take my control away from me, again. Each step that I took was calculated, and deliberate. I slipped through the crowd like an unwanted shadow. I was used to being invisible to people around me.

The restroom drew closer, tucked away in the corner of the food court. I entered quietly, three backs faced me, Howard-the-Coward was in the middle letting out worthless piss.

“To you, the disrespect was small, but to me, it was everything.” My voice boomed.

All three men turned around. When their eyes landed on me, they jumped almost out of their skin.

“Get the fuck out, except you…Howard.” I smirked his way.

I ignored the other two men that was visibly scared. I listened to their zippers zip up; next, they hurried out without washing their hands. Scumbags.

“I wish that I had more time with you,” I told Howard.

He held his deflated pissy dick in his hand as rage engulfed me.

“Go in that stall.” I ordered him.

“Please, I meant no disrespect, man! Natavi is just using you! She plays with men’s emotions, drain their pockets then act like she never spent time bouncing all over your dick!” He pleaded frozen in place.

“You’ve missed the point. That’s fine because I’m not here to do no got damn talking!” I gritted out.

“You disrespected me, Howard-the-Coward.” I hawked up a gob of spit and aimed for his Versace white sneakers.

His lips parted, trying to muster a response but his breath was probably stuck in his throat. There was no escaping now, I didn’t give a damn about him silently begging for mercy to be spared. He made a grave mistake, and he’d learn about it in his afterlife.

As I moved closer to him, the world outside the restroom faded. I forgot where I was as I closed the filthy smelling space between us and snapped his fuckin’ neck.