Reg’s large hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her back, slamming Joi’s face against the glass. The force was so strong that Joi’s mental went hazy, but she summoned enough focus to fight back, swinging wildly at her assailant. When her eyes met with his and Joi realized who it was, she froze momentarily and her heart pounded rapidly with fear.He followed me.The crazy look in Reg’s eyes had Joi deathly afraid.
“You really ain’t shit. Just out here like the rest of these hoes trying to play me when I was trying to look out.” Reg grabbed Joi around her neck again, squeezing with every bit of strength he had before he forced her against the glass storefront again.
Joi’s head hit so hard that she wasn’t sure if she would last much longer. The impact had her dizzy.
“Hey, let her go. What the hell are you doing? I’m calling the cops.” The woman’s ice blue eyes darted over to Reg while she already had a call-in process.
It wasn’t until he heard her saying EastSide Ink and rattling off the block that they were on that Reg acknowledged her presence.Fuck, the bitch called 911. Reg wasn’t interested inthat type of attention. He had three unregistered guns, one on his person and two in the car. All three would surely have his fingerprints. Not only that, the person calling was a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman who had her focus on him while he was physically assaulting Joi.I’m not about to take that chance.
Reg let her go and threw his hands up.
“Ay, be easy. We’re just having a disagreement.” He slowly backed away while Joi doubled over, trying to catch her breath.
“That wasn’t a disagreement, asshole. You physically assaulted this woman. The cops will be on their way soon.”
“Reg, you better come on before that white chick gets your stupid ass locked up. You really about to let her put time on your name,” Tasha yelled from the car where she was waiting.
She had witnessed the entire thing, and had the woman not called the police, she wouldn’t have stopped the assault. Joi got what she deserved as far as Tasha was concerned, and she wasn’t about to let Reg do a bid and leave her alone to raise the baby she was carrying.
“You’re not leaving,” Blue Eyes yelled, causing Reg to send his gaze to Joi once more before he smirked and hurried to his car.
There wasn’t a chance in hell he was about to hang around and set himself up for some bullshit. He left without a second thought.
A few blocks over, Patterson sat in his car, running through the list of warrants present for the young man sitting in the back seat of his car, cuffed and scowling at him. It only took a minute for his attention to be pulled away when he heard the dispatch looking for a unit to check on an assault atEastSide Ink.It was late, so his eyes briefly squinted before a smile spread across his face. He assumed the universe had aligned and was sending him an opportunity.
Asako was tucked away at his house, but he hadn’t yet been able to get her next to East, so this would provide him with an opportunity to accomplish that without her.
“Dispatch. This is Detective Patterson. I’m two blocks away.”
Right after he accepted, Patterson got out and hurried to the back of his car then yanked the door open. “Today’s your lucky day, asshole. You get a pass.”
“What?”
“I said you get a pass,” Patterson gritted, annoyed by the attitude he was receiving.
These little muthafuckers do not respect authority.
The young thug looked around uncomfortably. He knew who Patterson was and was well aware of his track record for using situations like the one he was currently in to his advantage. The fact that he was caught pushing product and had a list of warrants a mile long was a guarantee Patterson was going to play let’s make a deal, but here he was, offering him an out.
“Get the fuck out of my car,” Patterson growled when the young man didn’t move.
With hesitation, he scooted to the door where Patterson grabbed his shirt and helped him the rest of the way.
“Turn around.”
Following instructions, the young man did as he was told and waited while Patterson uncuffed him.
“What’s the catch?” he asked as he massaged his wrists.
“There isn’t one. At least not today. Now get the fuck out of here before I change my mind.
The young thug hiked his sagging jeans and scowled at Patterson a moment longer before he jogged off, not asking any more questions. Patterson slammed the door and hopped in his car, eager to see if he had a better opportunity waiting for him.I got your ass, Mr. Joseph.
Unaware of what was going on outside of his shop, East carried the last crate of product through the back door, annoyed at the timing. His mind was already on Joi, assuming she had made the drive to her apartment where he planned to be as soon as he finished up with his current situation.
“That’s the last of it.” Navi’s eyes were affixed to East as he placed the fourth crate down then wiped his hands on his jeans.
She waited while East used a crowbar to pry the top open, lifting the lid and placing both on the table next to the crate before lifting one of the sealed packages. After weighing it in his hand, he lifted the knife from the table and cut into the plastic like he had done for one package out of each of the other crates to examine the contents.
