Love's Inferno

Chapter 21- A Chance Seized

Lou

I knew when to leave and now, kubaton securely back in my pocket, seemed like as good a time as any. All of the brothers walked me to the door, with Bodhi slamming it shut as soon as Paddy tried to wave at me. 

Emeka followed me out, silently. 

"Oh um... you should check your car's exhaust." He turned towards me, a small smile threatening to make an appearance on his otherwise serious face. 

"That was you, huh?" His tone was light and easy and I felt as if I'd avoided the worst of what the day could bring. 

"Ja..." I heard the guilt in my voice, but I didn't possess too much of it. If he hadn't been there, I have no clue how poorly things could've gone. 

"Smart." it was succinct and complimentary. 

"Okay well..." I was about to say goodbye when I saw his eyes squint at something in the distance. 

"You might not be patterned up like that and you might not be Italian but you sure as shit know your way 'round a knack." he was looking pointedly in the distance, at something I couldn't see. 

"A knack?" I was not familiar with the term.  

He turned towards me briefly. 

"A knife." 

It was that obvious? 

"Oh yeah... I guess."  I answered shrugging. 

"I don't but Big Boy deserved it and I would'a done'im worse if not for your... metal stick." It was an apt descriptor which I didn't get a chance to elaborate on before he switched topics, hurridley. 

"You dating'em? An Italian?"

"Why?" I titled my head, looking up at him as he looked intensely into the distance. He hadn't seemed particularly interested in that information earlier. 

"Because mans don't roll mob deep without permission for random nyash."

Within seconds two identical-looking G-wagons (that I'd never seen before) came screeching  around the corner, without license plates. The tint was too dark to see inside and I stood idle, wondering if this was their business - not mine. 

The window rolled down, and I looked inside finding familiar green eyes ablaze, even from this far. 

"Get in." Dante was driving on what would be the wrong side of the road for him... and he was furious. I could hear it in his tone and was utterly confused about why. 

"Is he always?..." Emeka's words trailed off as his stance changed from relaxed to wickedly heightened. 

"Rude? Yes, but don't take it personally...I don't." I smiled up at him, shielding the sun from my eyes with my hand.

He tore his gaze away from Dante for a brief moment and smiled at me with his eyes. 

"I'll see you, maybe never, friend-" 

My goodbye was interrupted by a hostile, obnoxious, unnecessary and sure rev of the engine. I rolled my eyes as I skipped down the path quickly, not wanting him to draw any more attention to himself or me.