Winter Toes III: Defending the Heart

WT3| "Captain Save a Hoe"

c h a p t e r t w o
-
don't ever trust these hoes

Roman looked out the window of his office on the five floor complex in cool, calm, but very busy area in the south. Many has said he has gotten soft but that was never the case. He had just matured. He learned shit years ago while being involved with Taylor. You'd always have to be your own better person and Roman personally thought this was better for him.

He was stuck on his previous actions where he had left Taylor for dead. He wasn't only mad at himself, he was mad at the world. He watched the news that next day where they had found several bodies burned and unrecognizable. All he could think was "I did that."

Now he was trying to do everything right to make up for that wrong.

He had managed his way out of the drug game, found himself real work with his hidden talent- painting. He got paid thousands of dollars to paint murals legally on properties and inside properties. He wished he had done this years ago when he was trying to win Taylor's heart now she was gone and that thought alone pissed him off.

He had been avoiding everyone old and welcoming anything new. He still had the mindset of "fuck these bitches" though.

His phone buzzed in his pocket as he sat back in his seat. He pulled his phone out and waited for it to connect the call in the trash ass signal area he was in. He got up and decided to go outside to get a better reception.

"I really, really want these. They fit so tight and just right, you know?" Rei said to the young man in front of her as she modeled a pair of very expensive pants for him.

His eyes were stuck on her ass as he nodded subconsciously. It's like she was hypnotizing him with her body by accident.

"Okay, I think I'm gonna get em." She said before smiling and going back into the dressing room.

They were in an indeed expensive boutique in downtown. She took the jeans off, peeling them from her bottom before putting the jeans she previously had on. She folded the new ones around her arm and walked out with a smile. She didn't even look at he price tag, she just walked up to the cash register with the guy in her trail. She chewed the gum she had in her mouth a little slowly as she smiled at the woman behind the register, who was smiling back.

"Oh, you're so pretty." She commented as Rei lifted her sunglasses to get an eyelash out her eyes. That made her smile brighter.

"Thank you." Rei said as the lady rung the tag on the jeans.

"No problem. That will be... $58.62." She said. Rei nodded before fake- looking into her purse to find her wallet. After a while of the man not stopping her she looked at him and laughed, covering her face.

"Oh, my God. This is so embarrassing.. I must've forgot my wallet in my car. Can you hold this for me? I'll be right back-"

"No, no. Don't worry. I got it." He said with a smile.

"No, it's okay." She staged, gesturing to walk away. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah it's no problem." He said as he pulled out his wallet to pay.

"You are so nice." Rei replied giving him the fuck-me eyes as she put her hands on his arm. "Thank you so much."

The lady gave her the bag and Rei backed away before walking out of the boutique. If her aunt Torei didn't teach her anything it was how to hustle a man out of his money with just her looks. He tried catching up to her, following her all the way to her car.

"Hey, you just not gon leave without giving me ya number are you?" He asked.

She laughed as she tilted her head, her big, curly hair bouncing as she laughed. "Um. Yes I am." She said. He looked like he didn't understand. She unlocked her car door and got in. "I'm gay." She lied before closing the door and throwing her bag with her jeans in back in the back where she had the rest of her hustled things.

He looked pissed and suddenly his hand went through her window, breaking the glass. She screamed out. "Help! Help! This man is crazy!"

From across the street, Roman could hear the screams. He looked quickly, seeing a man reaching the car and soon after pulling a young girl out. He ran over, opening his jacket to pull his gun out. "Aye! Back the fuck up, nigga!" He shouted, pointing the gun.

The man quickled backed away from her with his hands up. He spit at the girl before backing up more and running away. Roman didn't chase him, he just looked at the girl with the crazy curly hair. She was panting before she looked at her car door. "Oh wowww." She looking at her door.

"You alright?" He asked. Rei shook her head.

"Look at this..." she looked like she was about to cry. For a minute, Roman just stared at her. Her chocolate skin, deep- dark brown eyes, and a few of her facial features compared so heavily to Taylor's. It was kind of scary how familiar she looked. He tried to think how many years it's been but he couldn't put a real number on how old Taylor's niece would be.

"I can get it fixed. I know a repair man not that far from here, I can meet you there or you can follow me there." He told her, looking at her broken window.

"I don't have the money for that." She said saddened.

Roman rolled his eyes. "If you don't got the money for that, you don't got the money for this car." He said smartly.

She shot him an evil look that reminded him of Taylor and how she looked when she was mad. It made him laugh a little. "This isn't my car, it's my aunt's. Anyway. Thanks for that and thanks for the offer-"

"Who's your aunt?" He asked, looking down at her with hopeful eyes.

She gave him a weird look. "Uh... Torei?" She said, shaking her head.

"Oh." He replied, looking away.

"Yeah, oh." She said smartly.

"I just thought you were someone else." He said. She rolled her eyes.

"My name is Reiya." She told him before extending her hand. His eyes shot to her and he almost stumbled back.

"Rei? Taylor's Rei?"

Rei grimaced at the name. "Mmhm." She said with a nod. "You know me?"

"It's Roman." He said excitedly. "You use to call me Ro."

She laughed remembering faintly before laughing a little harder. "Oh, wow. Yeah I remember you."

"Wow... you're what.. fourteen now?" He asked.

Her eyes widened. "Yeah, you just ruined the moment by trying me like that. Do I look fourteen to you? Driving and shit? I'm eighteen." She replied

His eyes widened too. "Woooww..."

"Yeah. Wow is right, nigga." She said, pointing at him with her glasses. He laughed.

"And you got a little attitude on you. Amazing. You're just like Taylor... you heard from her?" He regretted asking. She looked away.

"You mean since she left me with Glynn and never came back? Noooo, nah. Not at all." She said sarcastically.

Roman's heart dropped. "Oh."