Page 3 of A Beast Captured My Heart

“You damn right I’m not! I’m tired of working at this nasty-ass low-paying hospital. I’m about to save us both.”

She sounded sure of herself and whenever she got like this, it was no turning back. It was so much I needed to work on with myself. I wanted to become sure of myself with everything I did. I also wanted to love myself more than I did now. I haven’t been with a man intimately in almost three years. At times I felt it was because of my weight but truth be told, it wasn’t that.

After my mom died, I started drinking hard and got into a bad car accident a day before my twenty-first birthday. I woke up with my face under the glove compartment and my legs still on the driver’s side. When they pulled me up my eyeball was out of the socket which they fixed, but I was left with scars on my forehead and a right eye that was slightly puffy. If I rubbed it too hard, it would swell up like someone hit me in it. I had a ten-hour surgery on my hip bone that was shattered. Some days I would walk with a limp from the metal that was placed in my hip to keep my socket together. Other days I would be fine. I felt like the right side of my face was ugly as hell but the left side was pretty. I stayed in the hospital for three months wondering why God just didn’t allow me to be with my mom and brother. Having Lay by my side made me stronger, but I still suffered badly with low self-esteem. My skin was a golden chestnut color. I had light brown eyes, a cute little button nose, and curves for days. I was chubby with a stomach on me wearing a size eighteen or twenty. When I ordered from boutiques, it would be a three x, but my weight was well proportioned. I just was not interested in love or sex. I didn’t want a street nigga, which is what I mostly attracted. I felt like they only wanted to be with me because of my curvy shape.

I would wear bangs or make-up to cover up the right side of my face from the scars I had. When they would finally see my scars, they would cringe and start using the shit against me. Even when a square nigga would try to talk to me, I still wasn’t interested, they too would treat me as a special case. My dating life was dryer than my pussy. I stopped covering my scars and stopped caring about how I looked. I just took it as I would never be with a man because my looks weren’t up to par. I damn sure didn’t want to be used like a hoe for my body. I would rather be lonely and if love did find me, I would accept it, but I was not desperate for it. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss getting laid and played with. However, if you ever struggled hard like me then getting laid was the furthest thing on my mind. My biggest issue was keeping up with bills and keeping my head on straight.

“Now I told Stone you would take the interview with Beast. It’s actually in two days so tomorrow we are going shopping and it’s on me! I won’t take no for an answer.”

I just shook my head. Lay was very aggressive when it came to decision making so I pulled out my phone and tuned her out as I start looking for other jobs in Vegas in case this one didn’t go in my favor. I was not letting my house go. It was the only thing I had left from my mom. I used the money she left me when she died to pay the house off. All I paid was taxes and utilities. I would still have to pay even though I was going to be moving. I planned to come back out here on my off days as a break or peace away from Meshalay’s crazy ass.

Two Days Later…

Nervous was not the word as I sat across from a ghetto chick. She was very rude as she bounced a pretty little girl on her left leg like she was annoyed with the little girl slobbering on her Gucci top. She fired question after question about her daughter and the what-ifs and I answered her. She stood and secured the baby on her hip as she had me follow her through the huge house until we got to a beautiful backyard.

“Your boss is ready to interview you. I say you got the job but who knows what this nigga is gon’ say. My baby daddy is very unpredictable so good luck.”

She left me standing there with clammy hands as my stomach churned. The backyard was huge as hell but right away I spotted three men sitting while smoking cigars. My nerves became bad. I could tell they were street niggas but not the average. You could tell by their attire that they ran shit. Power dripped from them from far away. They had tattoos and their muscles showed through the nice dress button-up shirts they wore, with slacks and dress shoes. I felt conscious of what I had on. I was hot as hell with a turtle-neck white sweater I bought from Rainbow to cover up my chest tattoos. I had on some nice dress pants and heels but the weather and Vegas had me burning up. I spotted Stone amongst them and felt a little better when he noticed me and smiled.

“What’s up, sis?”

He smiled and showed his diamond grill. On a normal day, I would’ve rolled my eyes and thought, I’m not your damn sis just because you fucking my best friend. Being around all these killer-looking men made me decide to play along.

“Hey,” I spoke softly as all eyes were now focused on me except one pair that was glued to his phone.

“Have a seat ma. My name is Teflon, that’s Gunna, and that’s boss man Beast. I mean Praise,” he corrected once Praise looked up giving him a chilling stare that made him laugh.

“Don’t let my brother scare you Ma. He got a chip on his shoulder.”

I chose to keep a face with no emotion. I didn’t want to start on the wrong foot with my boss. I also was having a hard time making eye contact with any of them. I felt shy and nervous around all these good-looking men.

“How are you supposed to observe and protect my daughter if you can’t even make eye contact.”

I finally brought my eyes to meet Praise and my breath got caught in my throat. He was beautiful. Those stone-gray eyes gave him sex appeal out of this world. He had two teardrops underneath his right eye and when he licked his lips, you could see his dimples. He came off as cocky as hell with his beautiful brown sugar skin tone.

“My apologies sir. I haven’t interviewed in a long time, but I do feel as though I’m a good candidate for the position.”

Nodding his head, he took a huge tote from his cigar and smiled causing his deep-dish dimples to sink more into his cheeks.

“Sell yourself then, lady.”

Sitting back with his legs wide open looking manly and rough, I did just that. I introduced myself and told them whatever I thought would get me the position. I was almost out of breath when I finished talking and answering questions. All four men walked me back into the house throwing jokes with one another while Praise remained serious. He instructed me to chill with his BM while he went to the front to deliberate with the fellas. Stone gave me a hug and told me he would see me later. I guess he was leaving and would be at the condo he got Lay later on. I got comfortable on the couch as his baby mother Laquanna handed me their three-year-old. I instantly fell in love with the toddler and started playing with her and reading her stories praying to God I secured this job. I had bills to pay and things to do. I could use this job until I found a more legit one.

Chapter Three

BEAST

Her skin was a smooth, dark brown, blemish-free except the scar that rested above her right eye and nose bone. Her right eye had scar tissue leaving it slightly swollen; not too much but enough to notice. It gave her a sex appeal to a nigga like me. While Laquanna cracked jokes saying how ugly and fat she was, I saw nothing but raw and a little bit of rough beauty. She wasn’t a picture-perfect broad but to me, she had an aura about her that made things shine all around the vicinity she occupied. She was straight to the point, honest and I could feel it inside of me that I could trust this Kayori chick around my princess. I just didn’t like how she struggled to make eye contact. Women that did that struggled with self-esteem. Her light brown eyes told a story that I didn’t mind listening to. Which made me check myself, cause I never thought too deep into a chick besides my first love Nia. Nia was the only female I could sit up and talk to for hours and not think to tell her to shut the fuck up. The mere thought of Nia pained me bad. So I opted out of feeling anything for this Kayori chick but signing her a check. I didn’t deserve another Nia, after what I did to my baby. All I deserved was a good nut, to be a good father and a strict ruler to the streets.

“That bitch got some sexy ass lips. She’s a lil too big for me but I’d sure let her suck my dick with a bag halfway on her face.” My brother joked causing me to look up at him with a serious face.

“What? You can’t sit here and say she look rough on one side of her face but the other half is sexy with them slanted light brown eyes and that ass! Lord knows she got ass for days! I’d for sure hit from the back.”

He took a hard hit from his blunt. I felt myself getting annoyed by his words. He was so quick to judge a person without knowing shit about them.

“I think she sexy as fuck; scars in all. The scars add to her sex appeal. If the opportunity presents itself I would for sure hit! Make her my side bitch.” Shaking my head, I took the blunt from Teflon and remained quiet. I didn’t want to input anything.

“What you think, B?” Teflon asked with a comical yet serious face as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The sun was beaming down hard on us, making me miss Cali’s weather. Vegas weather was unpredictable, but in the summer, it always was super fucking hot.