Usually, he was ready and would be waiting for me outside by the time I pulled up. But today, the day I was in a shitty ass mood, would be the day he was running late, making me have to face Andrea and their children. I’d found out about them, but that was the first time I actually saw the children.
Anton climbed into the car and sucked his teeth before starting it and pulling away.
“You just had to say all that shit to her, Trini!” he fussed like I knew he would, but he had me fucked up like I was the one who started that shit.
“She started with me, Anton!”
I turned slightly so that I could look at him. He had a frown on his ugly, cute ass face as he concentrated on the road. As much as I hated him right now, I couldn’t deny that he was a fine ass man. Looking like Lloyd with long ass Nipsey braids because of his beautiful heritage of black and Indian.
Anton nodded and said, “You right, she shouldn’t have called you outside of your name, but you ain’t had to say all that to her.”
I gasped loudly.
“She called me a bitch when I didn’t do nothing to y’all!”
“Trini, I fucked up with Andrea, and I will admit that, but you gonna sit there and act like you didn’t have a hand in it?”
I turned my body back and leaned my head against the window, but I had no words.
“At least she wanted a nigga, but how did you think I felt seeing you?—“
“Let’s stop talking about it, Anton,” I cut him off. He looked at me, but I couldn’t look him in the eyes.
He snorted a bitter laugh and bounced his head at me, but thankfully, he didn’t say anything else. My stomach started tochurn because although he hadn’t said it, I still knew what he was going to say, and I wasn’t willing to accept the truth.
Anton turned up the radio, and we drove to our first of many destinations in silence.
As soon as we pulled up at Mike’s mechanic shop, all the workers scattered like roaches. Anton hopped out of the car quickly, and I followed behind, taking a look around.
“Trini…Anton! I wasn’t expecting y’all here today.” Mike stepped in front of us, looking jittery.
“That’s the whole point of an inspection, Mike. Now step aside,” I said, pushing him out of my way. Out of the both of us, I was the less lenient one. Something that Orlando liked. He was a power-crazed asshole and thrived on running his empire with fear. He was the one who made up this inspection role just to instill fear into his workers. With the way I’d been feeling for the past few months, this job was helping me release some of that pent-up frustration, so right now, I was in rare form.
I immediately headed for Mike’s office with him scampering behind me. Because of Orlando, inspectors like me were untouchable. So although I knew that Mike hated me and probably wanted to put hands on me, or intimidate me somehow, he couldn’t. And that gave me a boost.
With my brazen self, I took a seat right in this man’s chair and flicked my eyes up at him.
“Turn on your computer and give me your files.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a demand.
Mike signed heavily and reluctantly reached around me to log into his computer. Just then, I saw Anton slither past the door with the receptionist. I almost laughed, knowing that Andrea was worried about me while her man was fucking anything with a pussy on our jobs.Thatwas karma for her ass!
An hour later and after giving Mike a few violation notices, we were on to the next stop, which was Oblique’s motorcycle shop.
A smile was on my face when I noticed Hell’s car was parked outside. I didn’t even have to ask, I knew that Havoc was with him too. It had been a minute since I saw my two best friends, so I was happy to know I would see them. Anton suddenly turned to look at me.
“You just gonna--”
“I’m just happy to see my friends,” I cut him off. Anton simpered.
“Is that all?”
“Yes!” I snapped back for some reason. He sat there looking at me. I avoided eye contact and rushed out of the car before he could open his mouth.
Stepping into the shop, my eyes landed on Hell and then on Havoc.
“What’s up y’all!”
