“I’m not wasting your time, I’m being honest, my friend. We don’t make mistakes at my shop.”
Cole reached into his pants and pulled out a gun, unexpectedly catching me and Carlos off guard.
“Cole, what are you doing?” I asked, completely confused by him pulling out a freaking weapon.
“Listen to me, and listen to me, good nigga. If you don’t get this shit right before I leave Vegas, you are going to have a problem bigger than your fuckin loud ass mouth. I thought the customer was always right!”
“You’re right, you are right,” Carlos said quickly, with his hands up.
“I’ll fix it. I promise I will fix it.”
“Alright, I’ll be back later today, and this shit better be right.”
“Today? I don’t know if I can get the handles changed by then.”
“I said I'll be back today,” Cole cut him off. “I don’t give a fuck what you have to do, make my shit right bitch ass nigga. Now come on, Nina, let’s roll.” Cole grabbed me by my wrist and led me through the doors to go back to the black truck waiting outside.His homeboy opened the door for us, and Cole let me slide in first, then climbed in behind me.
As soon as the door closed, I slapped him across the face.
“Girl, what the fuck was that for?” He touched his cheek and looked at me sideways.
“That was because you went in there tripping and pulling out a gun. Don’t do that type of shit with me. I have a business. I have millions of dollars that could be gone if that nigga sues me.”
“Why would he sue you? Sue because I got on his ass?”
“Yes, with a gun. There are other ways to make people listen besides pulling out a fucking gun. All that shit is going to do is land you in jail.”
“That nigga is not going to call the police for that, trust me.”
“You don’t know what he will do. And I’m telling you right now that if you’re going to be doing shit like that, you can take me home and delete my number.”
Cole looked out the window and shook his head.
“Listen. I understand what you’re saying, but you need to hear me out. You may have your ways of running things, but I have my ways too. I don’t let anybody play with me. Nobody, so I did what I saw fit. He was getting ready to fuck me over and try to charge me for a mistake he made, and I had to stop that shit. I know what I told that mutha fucka.”
He leaned closer to my face.
“Look, when people think they can play with you, that’s when they do the grimiest shit to you that you’ve ever heard of. Just like that nigga Hawk or whoever he is, fucked you over.”
“So, what the fuck does that have to do with anything?”
“If you had stood up for yourself a long time ago with that nigga and been about your fuckin respect, then maybe that bullshit wouldn’t have happened to you. I don’t let anybody play with me, and I’m not about to let anybody play with you either. My problems are my problems, but yours are mine too. The same way I handled that motherfucker is how I handle everything in my life. I get shit done. I get shit accomplished. And you will reap those same benefits of my protection if we are together.”
I didn’t interrupt him because I could see how passionate he was about respect, and honestly, I respected that. He made a good point. If I had stood on ten toes with Hawk a long time ago instead of trying to please him, I wouldn’t have run into that sneaky bitch in the first place.
“So, do you get what I’m saying, baby?”
“Yes, I do, Cole. Just make sure shit like that does not happen when I’m around. I would prefer it that way, okay?”
“Okay, I understand, I'm sorry.” He kissed me on my cheek.
Cole's arm wrapped around me, his lips brushing my forehead, his hand rubbing my shoulder like he adored the hell out of me. It was crazy how a man could be a complete lunatic one minute and so soft and gentle with you the next.Not only was that slightly a turn on to my damaged mental, but it also put ideas in my head. Ideas I shouldn’t have but couldn’t help but too.
“Can I ask you a question, Cole?”
“Yeah, shoot it, baby.”
“So, you said anybody that disrespects me disrespects you, right?”
