Devil

-16-

-Goddess-

"Goddess, get yo ass back here," Nico said on the third call I answered from her. I had barely picked it up, trying to keep my composure as we turned on the street to the mechanic shop. "I'm almost at the shop," I kept my voice clear and light.

"Why you ran out like that?" Nico asked me.

"Cause...I knew-

"Ian know you felt that way about me, Goddess. I can call you dat, rii?"

"Might as well," I mumbled.

"You're ignoring the elephant in the room," Nico stated seriously. "Okay, so what? There's nothing we can do about it. Why, why talk about it?" I asked her, rolling my eyes as I grew frustrated.

"I don't fucking know. We still need to discuss this. Just because we're business partners-

"Don't finish that thought, Jayna. It wouldn't work out," I said angrily. "Don't even bait me like that."

"I'm just trying to figure out the best way for us to move forward as friends, business partners, and sexual partners, but I guess you wanna be immature about everything, Goddess."

"We're here, miss," the Uber driver told me.

I was about to say something back when I realized Nicotine had hung up in my face. I slid my phone into my pocket and thanked my driver before getting out. I slowly walked up to the garage and watched Olivia work under the hood. Noticing me, she came up and offered me a polite smile.

"Give me about another fifteen minutes."

I nodded and pulled out my credit card to fiddle with. I went to sit on the curb outside since the weather was now cooler. I think if I say inside it'd make me too emotionally numb to function. I'd start to disassociate then I'd start to feel guilty about everything concerning Nico.

Why couldn't she see that I built the reputation that I've built so that people won't mess with me and so that my life can be a whole lot easier. Emotions complicate shit, and it also confuses decisions. I'm a top gun in this business. I smuggle all types of shit, I can't afford to have one thing jeopardize my business and make me fall. One slip up could cost all of my employees and business partners not only thousands and thousands of dollars, but also their lives. Shit, my life too.

I don't have time for the enjoyment everyone else does. My life is strictly work and that's how it should stay. There won't be any compromising with Nico, or trying to make things work. We're business partners first and friends second.

I put my head in my hands, shaking my head as I thought about the circumstance all those accompanied nights had landed me in. "Come inside to pay," Olivia called out. I got up from the curb and realized a man was watching me from across the street, underneath the shade of a tall tree growing near a power line. If I hadn't glanced up randomly I wouldn't even have noticed him. He darted off when we made eye contact and I made a mental note to tell Nico.

I was about to turn around to go inside when I heard foot steps slapping the pavement and realized the man was crossing the intersection. I quickly looked at my options: he was obviously after me so either running into the shop or running away from it would have to be my option. Being on foot was better than dealing with a whole hunk of metal, so getting into my truck wasn't even on my mental radar. I started running off to the right, noticing Olivia's face pressed against the glass of the shop door as she watched the man chase me.

"Don't run from me!" he shouted.

I stopped running and confused, he did too. I charged towards the man and knocked him out on the ground. My first punch did it. He was sprawled out, holding a bloody mouth and nose. I stepped on his neck and his arms flew up to get my foot off of him. "Who do you work for?" I asked him venomously.

"The man who sold you the fake vape pods," he spat out. He looked about forty with bloodshot, squinty eyes and baggy clothes. "Why he sent you?" I asked. I heard a gunshot into the air about a football field away from me. I ducked low, and swung at the dude again.

"He sent me because- because- because-

I kicked the dude then burst out into a run to get some shade. I spotted the gunman a second later. He was actually a short girl with curly hair and a long scar down the side of her face, long healed but still visible. She crouched down near the man, setting her gun on the ground. I pulled out my own and shot her before she could even spot me. The man cried out with emotion, and I realized they must have had some other sort of connection. I shot him too and put up my gun.

I was grateful that no one but a few cameras had spotted what had went down and exited another way out of the alley. I made my way around to the mechanic shop, already barking out orders for the cleanup that would have to take place on my cell.

Olivia barely opened the door back for me and looked at my appearance apprehensively. "Some dude wanted some money from me. We had beef," I said curtly. I laid my card down on the counter and waited for her to process my shit. She wouldn't have been able to see what had been down from all the way down here.

"Here you go," she handed me the receipt.

"What's the total?" I asked her, raising a brow and glancing down at the receipt.

"It's on the receipt," she said coldly.

I don't know if it was my emotions or my depressed hormones but I pulled out my gun again, just flashing it. "What's the total?"

She paled, taking in quick, short breathes. "It's-

I raised the gun like I was going to shoot her in the head and she stumbled back, falling on the floor, as she covered her face and head. I left the shop before she could realize she wasn't dead. I got my keys and got into my truck, happily pulling out of the shop and going to one of my work locations.